The Stone of Blood (6 page)

Our driveway began and ended into a one car garage that was almost always used for storage. It was so tightly jammed packed most days that it could only be entered into, after usin’ extreme caution! I wasn’t allowed to go in there, at least not by myself. Mama wouldn’t let me. But I had already come to the conclusion that I didn’t want to play in there anyways.

And when I was five I’d close my eyes and pretend that…

…I rode through the valley upon my trusted steed; I surveyed the terrain for any hostile entanglements. All that I owned I now carried with me; the guns on my side, the rations in my saddlebags and the clothes on my back.

No one was huntin’ me now.

I had given em’ the slip by sunset, ridden through the rivers by nightfall and I had shaken the dust off of my trail by early mornin’. I wasn’t in the clear yet, not by any stretch of my imagination.

I would have to catch the outlaw and bring him to justice before that would happen.

He was the one who had robbed the bank in Silver Creek not me!

And he had gotten away with the gold! Now it was up to me to bring him in...

“Mama, would you tell
Anna
to come inside with you? It’s my turn to ride Patches!” I yelled.

“Toby! You had better not be riding on that dog!” my mama said. “Anna come on inside here honey, and let me get you a juice. Toby! You get down off of Patches right now!”

Patches was a good dog. She lived beside the garage in an old whiskey barrel with a cutout doorway and straw strewn about all over its base. My dad had gotten the barrel from down to Barton’s. That’s where my dad worked. Patches lived in it, and she stood about waist high to me.

When she stood up on her back legs she was even taller than I was!

“Okay Mom!” I hollered back. And then I pretended again.

…As I climbed down from my horse I decided to set up camp for the day. It would be too hot to travel with the sun directly overhead in the sky. And there would be too great of a risk of bein’ spotted by the enemy! I had crossed into
Indian Territory
a few miles back, where every move that I made could be my last.

I had to be careful. Comin’ too close to flyin’ arrows or bein’ scalped by Indians was not somethin’ that I looked fondly upon!

I made myself comfortable beneath the shade of a tall tree, and I fed my horse from the rations I carried in my saddlebags. My horse was the only friend I had out there in that deadly wilderness.

I gave her some water.

I brushed her mane.

And as I sat down in the shade, I polished my guns and began to partake of my rations as well...

“Toby! Are you eating that dog food?” My mama yelled as I tried really hard to swallow. “I have already told you about that once today and I had better not have to tell you again!”

One thing for sure that I knew about my mama, she didn’t cotton to no foolin’ around! When she said somethin’, she meant it! And if you didn’t do what she told you to do, then
she was gonna come after you
!

So I got on up from the ground, put Patches’ food back in her bowl and I started doin’ somethin’ else entirely!

And I pretended that…

…I was in the times of knights and castles …
and I walked to the fence and looked out into the fields that lay before me,
where two young maidens frolicked in the grass. The air was crisp and the wind carried loose flowers and daises as it blew through the meadow. I raised my hand in gesture as if to say hello. The maidens blushed and returned my gesture as they walked to the stone wall by which I stood.

“
Hello good Knight.” one maiden said. “Of what great fortune does your presence bring?”

I took off my helmet, and held it to my side and took the fair maidens hand.

“
I have come to protect you m’ Lady. For is that not the duty of every good Knight?”

The maiden blushed again as she stood beside her protector, her knight in shining armor.

But then …the Dragon that came upon em’ flew in the shadows of a great dark cloud!

It came upon em’ from the sky, breathin’ fire and chaos upon their valleys!

Screams could be heard as their peoples ran in fear! Lives under siege; their world now in flames!

Upon the great wall and drawin’ his magic sword, our brave and fearless knight stood! The light flashed blindingly upon his shield and armor, a hero’s light breaking hard against the darkness.

“
Fear not fair maidens for I will protect you from this beast!” I said as I seated my helmet and crossed over the barrier that separated me from the burnin’ fields.

I brandished my weapon and charged at the beast. His flesh met my steel! The dragon and the Knight came together in battle! And the maidens screamed…

You know how girls scream and stuff? Well this one was one of them high pitched shrill screams! You know the ones that just makes your
whole spine twist around inside your skin
and dang near makes it
snap loose and break off
from your neck? It was one of those kinds!

“Toby what are doing out here?” A voice from out of nowhere said.

Mama was upon me! She had me by the collar of my shirt before I even knew she was outside! How long she’d been standin’ there I did not know.

“I’m fightin’ a snake Mama!” I said as I continued to slash at the bushes with my pocket knife. “I just saved these girls from a great big old snake!” I continued to slash while my mama held on to me and also while the girls told her about how I had just saved their lives!

“I think I scared it away!” I said all heroic like. “At least I don’t see it no more.”

“Well you need to come back inside with me and leave that snake alone!” My mama said.

Whirlin’ around and gesturin’ towards the apartment houses where the girls lived, my Mama said. “You’d better go home too girls. You don’t want to be out here all alone, if that snake comes back do you?”

The thought of that snake comin’ back made both girls run screamin’ to their apartment house!

Mama smiled and laughed to herself for reasons unknown to me, and then we went inside too!

The knight had defeated the Dragon but had left without as much as a kiss from his fair maiden. Not that he wanted one mind you. A true knight knows that justice is its own reward.

For a knight must stand with honor and chivalry, to protect and defend the downtrodden and the weak.

The fair maiden I had saved from
the Dragon
was the first girl that I ever fell in love with.

My next love was for a girl in my second grade class. She would pass me notes when the teacher wasn’t lookin’! And she’d get the other boys in my class to catch me and hold me down on the playground, so that she could kiss my face!

I’d wipe those kisses right off of my face! I tell you that!

I wonder what ever happened to her.

I was such a kid!

***

October 1799

Father Joseph Flaget met with
Louis Philippe d’Orléans
in
Havana
by urgent request. They met in his office suite overlooking the bay. It was
midday
and the sun shone brightly upon the pale blue waters.

“
Bon après-midi
père
.
Il
est si bon que
vous
me rencontrer
à nouveau aujourd’hui. V
ous savez de ce Père boîte?
” Louis spoke in French tongue. “Pardon me Father. I spoke without thinking. Let us speak in English that others may hear but not understand our words.” he said smiling. “Please have a seat.” He turned to his servant then and said, “Francois,
apportez quelque chose de nos invites à boire
.
”
as
he clapped his hands towards him. “He will bring us refreshments. Please
make yourself comfortable Père.
”

“I wish to thank you for the monies you have helped collect for me. And if you will permit me,
Père
, I have one further request?” he stated as a question. From an open a drawer within his desk he removed and held out a small box to the priest. “Do you know of this
Père
?” The Duke displayed the box, made of fine hand carved wood and aligned with gold, silver and pearl inlays.

“This golden box holds the ‘Sang Pierre’, the Stone of Blood.” Louise said. “It is also known as the ‘Martyr’s Gem’. Early Christians used stones such as this to carve scenes of the crucifixion. And according to legend, these stones were first formed as Christ’s blood fell at the foot of the cross. But of course my friend, you do know this. Yes?” he said as he smiled and waited for the priest’s acknowledgement and then continued. “This stone …it is different
Père
. It is said to contain the innocent blood of a young woman, wrongfully accused of witchcraft, and executed because of my family.”

He stood then and walked around his desk and leaned against its front edge. “It has been in the possession of my family since the ‘Burning Times’; times when those who practiced witchcraft were burned in the fires. Legends say that this stone holds a power, a mystical power over those who are cursed to walk between two worlds; by the light of the day as mortal man, but by the light of the Hunter’s Moon as that of the ‘werewolf’.” he said as he smiled. “But I do not partake in such superstition as this.” he said dismissing any possibility it held.

“Much of the story has faded in my memory.” he gestured with his hands as he told of the stone. “But one thing remains; it may never be touched by human hands; for whoever touches it
Père
, will walk the earth forever as a ghost, a spirit; apparition! Though I am not a superstitious man
Père, you undertand that I am also not a fool!
”

Francois re-entered the room carrying a silver tray.

“Ah! Refreshments! Have some Père?”
Louis offered and
they both took from the servant’s tray.

“But even so...” he paused as he continued to sit upon the edge of his desk and took a long sip of the cool drink from his glass. “…even so, there are those who are hunting this.” he said almost laughing at the thought that someone would want it. “Who are hunting this still!” he paused in silent reflection. “And for as long as it is in my possession Père, I am hunted also.” he pulled back then with box in hand holding it out to the priest. “It is time for the curse to pass Father. I am done with it and need it be gone, it must leave my house. You understand
Père
?”