Beauty and the Beast (31 page)

Father raised his eyebrows at Tony. “I knew that he sought out and talked to Narcissa yesterday. Are you telling us that he has gone someplace else today?”

Tony nodded at him. “Yes, he has gone to the Crystal Cavern.”

Father looked questioningly at Tony. “The Crystal Cavern?” Tony nodded again, and Father commented, “That is a long way to go for answers. Did he take anything with him?”

Tony answered, “Yes, he gathered up what looked like an armload of journals off his bookshelf, and he put them into his backpack and took them.”

Father continued to ask questions of Tony. “Tony, did he take the journal on his nightstand?”

Tony shook his head. “Actually, he didn’t. After he came back from seeing Narcissa, he picked it up and opened the cover, but then he laid it back down and gathered up the ones off his bookshelf instead.”

Father nodded, “Then, he is looking to the past for his answers. He hasn’t even opened any of those journals since his illness before Catherine was kidnapped. I think he simply couldn’t bear to know how many of his memories that illness had taken from him.” Father looked at Diana and Joe. “This may be it. We have been waiting a long time for his connection to Catherine to be restored. If he finds what he is looking for, it may finally happen.” Father looked back at Tony again. “Tony, where is Little Jacob?”

Tony smiled, “Mary and Brooke have taken him to Catherine to nurse. Someone always takes him once a day to nurse directly from Catherine when Vincent thinks he is just gone for a bath. Mary figured that since Vincent would be gone at least two days to the Crystal Cavern and back again, that Little Jacob could spend more time at Peter’s with Catherine. I’m going to stay camped out in Vincent’s room, so I can watch for him and see what he does.”

They all looked toward the door as William came into the Council chamber and frowned at all of them.

“Everyone is eating breakfast in the kitchen chamber just

now. I came to see why none of you are there. Are you aware that Vincent came to me this morning to get some food and drinks, so he could take a trip to the Crystal Cavern?”

Father smiled at William. “Actually, Tony was just telling us about Vincent’s trip. I’m sorry we are late for breakfast, William. We were distracted by our success with breaking Gabriel’s code. Joe is going to be able to take action against Adrian now, since we have finished translating his brother’s notebook.”

William beamed and said, “Well, that is a really good reason to be late for breakfast!”

Diana looked at Father. “Father, I have a very strong feeling that Vincent is going to end up at Peter’s. Why don’t I go with Tony and pack some of his clothes and bath supplies for him? I can take them to Catherine’s room after breakfast.”

Father smiled at her. “I think that is an excellent idea, Diana. I have the same strong feeling you do.”

Joe got up from the table. “Well, it sounds like you two have important things to do. I’m really glad that you were able to finish translating Gabriel’s notebook, so you can now turn your attention to Vincent and Catherine.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect! I’m going to take this legal pad with Diana’s code key and the translation, but I’m going to leave the notebooks here for safe keeping until we actually bring these criminals to trial. That way, no one can destroy the evidence. I have the photos that

Diana took of all of the pages of Gabriel’s notebook, and that is evidence enough for now.”

Diana looked at Joe. “Joe, I think I’m going to stay at Peter’s now until Vincent returns. I can help take care of Little Jacob until we see what Vincent does. Come and see me there when you get the criminal roundup under way. I really want to know how that progresses.”

Joe smiled at Diana. “Ill do that, Diana. The sooner we can get Adrian locked up, the safer you will be. Well, William, take me to your kitchen. Breakfast sounds terrific right now!”

Father spoke up. “Wait and 111 go with you.” William stopped, and Joe walked ahead to leave the chamber. Then Father looked at Diana. “So, well see you and Tony in a little while then?”

Diana put her arm across Tony’s shoulders as they started out of the chamber together. “Yes, well be along shortly, Father.” As she was talking to Father, Diana’s eyes were following Joe as he walked out of the chamber ahead of her. Father and William noticed and smiled. Father took the notebooks to his bedroom chamber and put them into his dresser drawer. Then he went out into the passageway.

Diana and Tony went to the left down the tunnel toward Vincent’s chamber while the others were going to the right to go to the kitchen chamber. Joe stopped, turned around, and watched Diana and Tony until they had rounded a corner and were out of sight. Father and

William stopped and turned around to watch Joe watching Diana. They looked at each other and grinned. Joe was completely oblivious to everything except Diana.

William whispered to Father, “How long has that been going on?”

Father shrugged his shoulders and chuckled softly, “Your guess is as good as mine!”

William smiled, “Well, it looks to me as if they’re more confused than we are!”

Father was still smiling as he nodded. “I guess we shouldn’t just leave the poor boy standing there.” William chuckled as they went back to Joe and turned him around. Father said, “Come on, son. It’s time to go eat breakfast.” Joe snapped out of his reverie and grinned at them.

Two days later, in the mid-afternoon, Vincent was racing through the tunnels on his way to Peter’s home to find his Catherine. She was alive! Vincent didn’t care how that miracle was possible. He just ached to hold her in his arms again. Vincent’s joy over being able to feel her in his mind and being again was beyond what any words could describe. Being severed from Catherine empathically had left such a dark and hopeless vacuum where she had once been.

It had taken Vincent a full day to walk to the Crystal Cavern, but it took him only a few hours, with his amazing speed, to return. When Vincent ran into his chamber,

Tony looked up from the book he was reading on Vincent’s bed. “Vincent, you’re back!”

Vincent didn’t even seem to realize that Tony was there or had spoken to him. He quickly grabbed up Catherine’s crystal necklace from around the conk shell on his nightstand, and then he ran back out the door without saying a word to Tony. When Tony saw Vincent’s expression of single-minded determination, he realized what had occurred. He rolled off Vincent’s bed, ran to the nearest pipe, and sounded the alarm.

Zach was in the pipe monitoring chamber, and he passed the alarm on. “The King is awake!” rang out over the pipes. Just after the community had been made aware of Vincent’s trek to the Crystal Cavern, Pascal had ordered an “all quiet” on the pipes effective until they knew the result of Vincent’s quest for answers. Pascal had then gone to monitor the pipes below Peter’s home, so he could warn them if Vincent was reconnected to Catherine and showed up on the run to her.

As Vincent ran through the passageways headed for Peter’s home, it barely registered at the back of his mind that the tunnels were curiously vacant. Also, a message he had never heard before, “The King is awake!” was echoing over every pipe. All that mattered right now was getting to Catherine.

When Vincent arrived at Peter’s elevator, he could hardly contain his impatience waiting for the car to come down. When it finally arrived, and he stepped into it and hit the third floor button, he paced like a caged wild animal until it arrived at Peter’s hospital wing. When Vincent walked off the car, he ran down the hallway to Catherine’s room and stepped inside. Stars were now shining through the skylight, but Vincent saw only Catherine. She looked like an angel in the glow of the soft light from the shielded night lamp behind the bed. He didn’t even notice Father, Mary, Peter, Diana, Pascal, Jamie, Devin, and Charles who were seated at the table to the far right of the large room watching him anxiously but silently. Vincent was also completely oblivious to Rolley’s performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto that was drifting through Peter’s home.

As tears rolled down his cheeks, Vincent walked quickly to Catherine’s bed and sat down on the edge of it beside her. He laid his head on her breast and closed his eyes in a silent prayer of thanksgiving as he listened to her heartbeat. He sat up again, pulled Catherine’s crystal necklace out of his shirt pocket, gently lifted her head, and put it around her neck.

“Catherine,” Vincent whispered as he picked up her hands and kissed each one. It gave him immense joy to see her beautiful wedding rings on her finger. He laid her hands gently down again, and then he ran his finger softly over the angular scar in front of her left ear. Catherine had shocked her plastic surgeon when she refused to let him remove that last remaining scar a year after the vicious attack which had left her near death in Central

Park for Vincent to find. She had told the surgeon that the scar was a reminder of the most wonderful year of her life—thus far. Vincent kissed the scar, and then he kissed Catherine’s lips. Her soft hair had grown longer over the last four months, and Vincent stroked it as he gazed into her face. He slid his left arm under her neck, hooking his huge hand under her left arm, and then he slid his right arm under her left side and wrapped it around her waist, lifting her onto his lap. He laid her head gently on his chest and kissed the top of her head. Vincent sighed, “My sweet, beautiful Catherine!” He held her tightly in his arms and gently rocked with her on the edge of the bed.

Seeing the agonizing grief Vincent had silently suffered for so long replaced by such ecstatic rapture, had his family and friends who were blessed to witness this moving reunion shedding quiet tears of joy for him. They silently arose and crept out the door. All of them breathed a sigh of profound relief as they left Catherine’s room. When they were out in the hallway with Catherine’s door closed, Father said, “Eventually Vincent is going to have lots of questions.”

Peter nodded, “There are plenty of rooms for all of you to stay here until we can answer those questions for him.” Pascal spoke up. “All of you stay here. Ill go back to the tunnels and tell everyone what has happened. You don’t need for me to be here too.”

Father smiled at Pascal. “That is a really good idea, Pascal, thank you. I know that you are anxious to get

back to your pipes.”

Pascal chuckled, “There is nothing as sweet to me as the sound of those pipes!”

Diana giggled at Pascal. “It is a really good thing you feel that way, Pascal. This miracle wouldn’t have been possible without that new ‘chess King code’ of yours!”

Just then, Tony stepped off the elevator still breathless from running through the tunnels. “Is Vincent here? Did he come to find Cathy?” Rolley was coming down the hallway as Tony asked the questions.

Peter smiled at the boy. “He did, indeed, Tony. He is in there with Cathy now.” Tony smiled happily, and Rolley closed his eyes and smiled with relief as they joined the group.

Tony almost had his breathing back under control. “Where is Little Jacob? I can stay and watch him for them.”

Devin answered Tony as he smiled at him. “Little Jacob is in the nursery next door to Catherine’s room. Susan is with him now. There is an extra bed in there if you want to stay with him for tonight.”

Tony nodded, “111 do that.”

Father was shaking his head. “I know sleep is the last thing on Vincent’s mind right now, but he looks like he probably hasn’t slept since he left to go to the Crystal Cavern two days ago this morning. If so, that means that he has been up for three days and two nights, and he wasn’t sleeping well even before that. Exhaustion is

bound to take him down before too long.”

Diana smiled at him. “Don’t worry, Father. Ill check in on him shortly and stay close by until I can get him tucked in with Catherine.”

Jamie looked at Father and said, “111 stay with Diana, Father, and we will both be sure that they are settled and comfortable when Vincent falls asleep.”

Father nodded and smiled, “Thank you both.”

Pascal then took the elevator back into the tunnels to go tell an anxious community that the miracle they had all been praying for had finally occurred. Tony went into Little Jacob’s room to go to bed. Diana and Jamie got chairs and sat in the hallway outside Catherine’s room to begin their vigil while waiting for Vincent to finally fall asleep. Peter took everyone else to their rooms, where for the first time in nearly a year, they were able to sleep peacefully.

Inside Catherine’s room, the concept of time had vanished from Vincent’s mind. Nothing outside of Catherine existed for him. He had stood up with her in his arms and was aimlessly walking around the room while gazing down at her. Vincent could feel that Catherine had lost weight over the months she had been in this coma. She was less than one-hundred pounds, and she felt as light as a child in his arms. Vincent began humming the melody of a lullaby he had heard Catherine sing to Eric’s elder sister, Ellie, just before the child had

died of the pneumonic plague which had swept through their community a couple of years earlier. The words of Catherine’s lullaby came to Vincent’s mind, and he began to sing softly to her:

Sleep my pretty one.

Rest now my pretty one.

Close your eyes.

The day is nearly done.

Rest your head.

Tomorrow will surely come.

When Vincent began singing to Catherine, Diana and Jamie looked at one another and smiled with wonder. Diana said in awe, “Listen to that beautiful bass voice of his! I didn’t know Vincent could sing!”

Jamie was just as incredulous. “Believe me, none of us did either! As far as I know, he has never sung before.

I am definitely telling Paul about this. He won’t want to let that hidden talent go to waste!”

Diana shook her head. “Well, unless we can help Vincent wake Catherine up, and she is in his line-of-sight,