Talisman (12 page)

Daddy’s grip
eventually loosened,
slowly
.

I whipped around, beaming a smile that stretched across my face.  There
in the middle of the office, a striking, yet strange man stood before me.  He towered above portly Harper Riverside, who was standing to his right.  The man seemed refined, without a doubt, but he had a slightly weathered look about him — not necessarily by years, but rather experiences.  My eyes traced every inch of his appearance.  His long, chiseled face was framed with waves of white hair that cascaded past his shoulders.  He actually had enough of it to spare and give to Mr. Riverside (whose had thinned out quite a bit, since the last time I’d seen him).  The distinguished new owner was dressed in the most stylish three-piece suit I’d ever seen.  It was a charcoal gray hue with a hint of iridescence to it.  It seemed to bring out the color of his steel-blue eyes, almost like he’d selected the color for that intended purpose.  Now they appeared
penetrating
.  Final ruling: Very tailored, very classy, but nevertheless —
very peculiar
.  A cane lay propped in the bend of his arm, which lent him an extra touch of sophistication.  The handle was wrapped with a strip of leather that spiraled up to its tip, and the carvings on its long wooden shaft were incredibly ornate. I assumed that the fancy “walking-stick” was just for show.  Though his hair was white, he looked to be in his early 40’s and in perfectly good health.

He won’t have to worry about getting confused with any of the locals around here
…
That’s for sure!

“Lazarus Xcavare,”
the man announced as he extended his hand.

I glanced back at Daddy.  He seemed calm, yet apprehensive.  I kind of got the impression he didn’t want me to shake
it, but as soon as Daddy noticed my eyes narrowing, his demeanor changed.  He did a complete turnabout and motioned for me to politely oblige the request of his “new” boss.

Maybe Daddy really is uncomfortable with me
being here?  I am at his workplace…interrupting an important meeting.  After all, it’s not “Bring-your-daughter-to-work” Day.

“Sh
y
loh Wallace,” I announced politely as I reached over to shake the intriguing new owner’s hand.

I noticed
a beautiful band of braided gold on the ring finger of Mr. Xcavare’s right hand.  An odd, royal blue stone sat in its center.  Though its color seemed to vary, the stone’s blue hue melded nicely with the tiny black and white flecks that randomly splattered the surface of the polished rock.  Strangely, I found myself captivated by it and purposely brushed my fingers over it as I took his hand.

Suddenly
, a subtle but noticeable jolt went up my arm.  It felt cold —
eerily cold
.  I quickly composed myself with a smile and passed it off as static electricity.  The longer I stared into his steely blue eyes, the more they began to deepen into a shade strikingly similar to the stone in his ring. 
Probably just from the lighting in the room
, I rationalized innocently.

His handshake was forceful, exactly what you’d expect from a titan-of-industry. 
However
, the next thing I knew, my entire body felt like a frigid block of ice for some unknown reason, and my heart seemed frighteningly black.  Wicked emotions began to roll through my head uncontrollably, and I heard a voice call out,

Damn, I’m so tired of this!

Just a few more hours to finalize things,

then I can start searching…

And where the H
ell is Grey?

Father insisted he be here…

He’d better be out collecting my samples…

I’ll have no stone unturned while we search this

back-woods, flea-bitten, trashy hick-town!

The sooner I find it — the better!

My eyes
practically exploded.  I’d heard Mr. Xcavare’s voice as clear as a bell, but the troubling thing was —
HIS LIPS NEVER MOVED!
   He was simply standing there,
smiling
.  Without delay, I looked around at everyone in the room, desperately searching for any sign that they’d heard what he’d just said.  Unexplainably,
they hadn’t
.  I felt the color beginning to drain from my face, and my head automatically sank towards my chest.

Daddy noticed my peculiar behavior and
crept closer to where we stood.  Lazarus Xcavare must have picked up on it, too.  He was still holding my hand, but then all of a sudden, he placed his arm around me, like he sensed my apprehension and was attempting to soothe me.  As soon as Lazarus Xcavare’s left hand landed on my shoulder, he drew me closer, rocking my body with another frigid jolt.

What is with these ignorant hillbillies?

Haven’t they ever seen a man of stature before?

Probably not…

I guess they’re more comfortable with their men

running around in overalls and tank tops.

They really need to teach these

young people some manners . . .

This one will probably end up barefoot
and

pregnant b
y spring — If she isn’t already…

Surely, someone heard that,
I thought, still paralyzed by a mixture of fear and disbelief.  I looked over at Daddy. 
Why isn’t he correcting this asshole for basically calling me a careless back-woods slut?
  I could feel my eyes about to pop out of my sockets as I helplessly locked my heated and confused stare onto a random spot on the floor.

I heard voices echoing
around me, but I couldn’t focus on
what
they were saying.  Dazed, my stare drifted towards my father, only to find him standing there looking utterly shocked, with his mouth practically on the daggone floor.

“
Shiloh?
” Daddy called out nervously.  He didn’t know what the heck was wrong with me, and
neither did I
.

I realized how embarrassing this undoubtedly looked, especially for Da
ddy.  I scrambled for an excuse as I remained motionless, still locked in Lazarus Xcavare’s arms.

“
I just feel a bit…
light-headed,
” I mumbled.

Again, the voice called out in my head,

Yes, indeed — Probably pregnant!

With that, I sprang out of Lazarus Xcavare’s grasp.  Nervously,
I ran my hands through my hair and began fanning myself, uncontrollably.

“I think I need some air,” I insisted, “…o
r
something
.”

“Bea, get this girl some water. 
Now!”
Harper Riverside ordered gruffly, trying to take charge of the awkward situation and clearly disgusted by the spectacle I’d just made.

As I tried to clear my head, my eyes fell upon Ms. Sutherland. 
A dreadful look had hardened onto her face.  She seemed
worried
.  Even her soft wrinkles looked deeper and more defined.  The scene must have sounded awful to her, since she couldn’t actually
see
what was happening.

“Right away, Mr. Riverside,
” she agreed.

My eyes fol
lowed Ms. Sutherland to the water cooler, watching as she maneuvered through the men effortlessly.  On her way back, she accidentally bumped into Mr. Xcavare, spilling more than a few drops of water on his designer suit.

“Excuse me,
Sir
,” Ms. Sutherland apologized nonchalantly.

Lazarus Xcavare snar
led at her as he pulled a crisp white handkerchief from his inside pocket and blotted the water on his jacket vigorously
.

That’s odd…She
didn’t have a problem avoiding them a second ago
, I thought suspiciously.  But right then, I couldn’t have cared less if she’d dumped the whole daggone water bottle on him.

Daddy
swiftly sat me down at a vacant desk.  I couldn’t muster the courage to look at him, let alone anyone else the room, particularly Lazarus Xcavare.  I felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on me as I slumped down in the chair —
strangely, even Ms. Sutherland’s
.

Beatrix Sutherland kneeled beside me and handed
me the cup of water.  “Here, dear.  Drink this.”  She practically forced my face into the plastic cup as she hugged me.

“Is she going to be al
l right?” Harper Riverside asked, making a forced attempt at some compassion.

“She’ll be fine,” Daddy assured them with a half-hearted smile.  “Don’t let us keep you from your tour, Mr. Xcavare.  I know you have a lot of business to tend to today,” he insisted.

“
Yes
…
We do,
” Mr. Xcavare remarked with a confused, but intrigued look.  “Caiden,” Lazarus Xcavare chuckled and continued, “May I call you
Caiden?
”

“Yes, Sir,” Daddy responded
cordially.

“No, no. 
I’m ‘Mr. Xcavare’
…My father is
‘Sir’
,” he countered with a snide laugh and dramatic wave of his cane.  “I know you aren’t
technically
on the clock right now.  However, I want
you
to accompany us on the tour.”

Though my face was still buried in the cup, my eyes were focused solely on Daddy.  It was obvious from watching him standing there
quietly rubbing his creased brow that he
didn’t
want to go.  Mr. Riverside appeared to be growing impatient with Daddy’s newfound muteness.  He stared at Daddy restlessly, waiting for his response.

“
Certainly
Caiden will join us,” Harper Riverside declared arrogantly, which instantly pleased Lazarus Xcavare.

“I would
also like to do a quick drive around some of the property that sits adjacent to the mine,” Lazarus Xcavare announced.  “I bet you know this area like the back of your hand, Caiden. 
Am I right?
”

Daddy looked a bi
t perplexed.  “Yes, Mr. Xcavare…You’re right.”

“We
ll of course I’m right. 
I always am
.”  He looked around and let out a haughty laugh.  “Listen to your
instincts
…That’s what I always say and do,” he added vainly as he lifted his cane and pointed it at everyone in the room with one grand, theatrical sweep.

Harper Riverside joined in on his laughter and
gave Mr. Xcavare a swift pat on the back.  That gesture went unappreciated.  Lazarus Xcavare’s eyes narrowed just as quickly as his laughter ceased.  Nervously, Harper Riverside cowered back, shamefaced and regretful of his actions.

Daddy cleared his throat.  “What properties were you wanting to survey? 
If
you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh, not at all,
Caiden
.  I’m interested in touring all the adjacent land that surrounds the mine within a five-mile radius…for starters.  You never know where better reserves are
hiding
,” Lazarus Xcavare said with a smirk as he smacked his hand with the handle of the cane.

“Even
Shiloh Ridge?
” Ms. Sutherland remarked doubtfully.

Everyone turned their heads towards the blind secretary who had been si
tting quietly off to the side.

“I
suppose
…if it’s
adjacent
to the mine,” Lazarus Xcavare replied in a condescending tone, looking only at Harper Riverside.  He didn’t appear to appreciate her interjection into their conversation, nor did he ever physically direct his attention her way.

Mr. Xcavare’s demeanor didn’t appear to intimidate Beatrix Sutherland
one bit.  “That property’s
not for sale
.  In fact, there are people all over these mountains, scattered here and there, living within
that range
,” she proclaimed brazenly.

Lazarus Xcavare bowed
his head slightly as he let out a petulant sigh.  He raised his head boldly with a laugh and turned to the office secretary, finally acknowledging her meager presence.

“
Everything
is for sale, Madame…and
everyone
has their
price
,” Lazarus Xcavare assured her arrogantly with a raise of his brow.

“Oh, Caiden’s definitely the man for the job.  He lives up past Shiloh Ridge.  That
land is practically his own backyard,” Harper Riverside interjected, attempting to break up the escalating tension in the room and ingratiate himself with his now irritated, prospective and wealthy buyer.