The Orchard of Hope (20 page)

“I don’t think so.”

“How do you know?”

“Because it looks like he’s
following a recipe, and there are no recipes for miracles,”
Nicholas explained.

““
Good!
”
Moss
exclaimed happily. “Is he using a book for this
recipe?”

“No,” Nicholas said as he quickly
glanced around for any scraps of papers or notes.

“Then how can you tell whether
it’s a recipe or not?”

“Because he’s measuring everything
very precisely.”

“Hmmmn,” Moss stood up and began
to pace slowly back and forth at the opposite end of the table.
“What else do you see? Can you see the sorcerer?”

“He’s like … he’s like a shadow.
He’s a dark blur moving around the laboratory.” Nicholas had an
uneasy feeling as he watched the mysterious shadow. He knew that he
wasn’t in the same room, but simply making the connection into the
sorcerer’s castle gave Nicholas the feeling of being close to the
edge of a steep cliff off which he could fall at any
moment.

“What’s he doing? What else does
he have there?” Moss asked. Nicholas shook off the feeling of
uneasiness and continued with the lesson.

“I see a giant glass bottle with a
stopper in the top and a tube coming out of it. The tube has a knob
on it, like a pressure valve. The contents of the glass bottle are
bubbling and foaming.”

“What color? What color is the
liquid in the glass?”

“Brownish. A light brown, the
color of toffee.”

“What else is there?”

“He’s got a giant silver cauldron.
He’s simmering something in there. It’s also brown, but there’s
stuff floating on the top. It looks like scum.”

“Simmering scum?” Moss
asked.

“Yes. Do you know what it
is?”

“Of course not! Do I look like a
scum expert?”

“I thought that maybe it was an
enchantment or something.”

“Of course it is, but we don’t
know what kind yet. That’s why we’re scrying. Tell me more. Is
anyone with him?” Moss asked. “Anyone or anything?”

“Anything?” Nicholas asked. “He’s
surrounded by things. It’s a lab with a ton of
equipment.”

“Wolves. Are there any wolves with
him?”

“No wolves.”

“Any assistants?”

“No. He’s all alone, but he’s
being very careful with whatever he’s making. He keeps checking the
temperature and adjusting the flame.”

“Can you draw a picture of what
the lab looks like with the glass bottle?”

“Yes, I think so.” Just as
Nicholas visualized how he would draw the picture, the shadowy form
of the sorcerer rushed toward him, and Nicholas felt the urge to
jump. He screamed as he pushed the bowl away. His heart was racing
and his face felt hot as he gasped for breath. “He saw me!”
Nicholas exclaimed in horror.

Chapter

13

The First Glimpse of
Hope

“Back
off!
”
Kelsey
shouted at the reapers as she drew her knife and held it up in a
menacing manner. The wind whipped her ponytail around, and she felt
a sharp slap in the face, but she continued to stare down the group
that had been following her.

“We love
you!
”
one of
the reapers shouted from amid the crowd. Kelsey looked at the sun
setting in the west and knew that the day would be ending soon.
They didn
’
t
have time for this sort of nonsense.

“We
’
re on a mission to save hope,
and all of you are jeopardizing it,
”
Roland announced
loudly.

“He
speaks,
”
several of the reapers whispered among themselves with
reverence
.
“
He
has spoken to us.
”
There was more murmuring.

“You are our
hope,
”
one of
the reapers shouted back and the crowd cheered. A few reapers broke
out in song. The group was small and difficult to hear, but Kelsey
recognized the chorus of a folk song about dying and finally
meeting the reaper.

“For the love
of death,
”
Kelsey said with annoyance.
“
Haven
’
t these people got anything better to do?
”

“You don
’
t know my true form. You have a
false hope,
”
Roland explained as he shouted back at the
reapers.

“We know you
can save us. We love you!
”
another reaper shouted. The wind picked up again
and Kelsey felt another slap in the face from her
ponytail.

“How can he
save you?
”
Kelsey shouted.
“
You
don
’
t even know what
his true face looks like. You
’
re admiring a dream
you
’
ve created
– a nightmare that you
’
ve become infatuated with, but it
’
s not who he
is.
”
Kelsey
squinted as she stared
across the distance and studied their raccoon-like painted faces.
The group contained individuals of all shapes and sizes, but they
were all dressed alike and their faces looked identical with the
makeup.

“He
’
s our nightmare. We embrace
him,
”
someone
in the crowd shouted back happily.
“
If I could just touch him once,
my life would be comple
t
e
!
”

“They look
ridiculous!
”
Kelsey exclaimed to Roland.

“They
’
re
misguided,
”
Roland said calmly, then he turned to the group of
reapers.
“
You
’
re interfering with my
work,
”
he
called to them.

“We want to
help you!
”
one
of them shouted back, and the group joined in with their
affirmations to assist Roland in his work by slaughtering everyone
he told them to kill.

“They
don
’
t want to
listen to reason,
”
said Kelsey in an exasperated tone.

“I hate to do
this,
”
Roland
said as he took off his hat and began loosening his cravat to
remove it.
“
But
I don’
t think I have a
choice.
”
As he
finished speaking, he removed his glasses and looked directly at
the members of the crowd that had gathered to worship him. His
naked brown eyes peered across the distance, looking from reaper to
reaper so that each one could clearly see his
face.

At first there
was silence. Then one of the reapers toppled over as he
faint
ed, and there was
a commotion. The reapers ran in all different directions like a
panicking crowd in a silent movie. A few of them ran in small
circles before finding an open path leading in the opposite
direction. All of them ran away from Roland as quickly as they
could run in their long, black-hooded robes that tangled easily
around their swiftly moving ankles. Kelsey watched them scurry and
fall over. It was very satisfying for her. After a few minutes,
there was no one left, and all that remained was a pile of scythes
that had been dropped in the frenzy.

“So much for their love,” Kelsey
remarked.

“That was
funny!
’
Maggie
exclaimed with a peal of laughter.

“Absolutely!
”
Kelsey agreed as she started to laugh, also
.
“
It was the best! I
wish he had done that sooner.
”

“What exactly
did he do?
”
Maggie asked
, her eyes wide with
curiosity
.
Kelsey had forgotten that
Maggie couldn’t see Roland.

“He simply
looked them in the eye.
”

“Those must be
some incredible eyes,
”
Maggie said with admiration in her voice.

“So many
worship what they don
’
t know,
”
Roland said as the group studied the scene.
“
When people finally
see what it is that they
’
ve been chasing, they often run
away in fear.
”

“They were
chasing their fantasy of you,
”
Kelsey said quietly.
“
I don’
t think they really wanted you at all.
”

“Just a common
crush. That’s all,
”
Roland replied, and Kelsey laughed.

“I was
beginning to think it was me,
”
Kelsey said.
“
On my last journey I was
followed, also.
”

“They
weren
’
t
following you then, either,
”
replied Roland.

“It seems like
an odd coincidence,
”
she said. “I’ve been followed on both of my
journeys.”

“It’s the
company you keep. Everyone is either a leader or a
follower,
”
Roland explained.
“
I think that perhaps
you
’
re drawn to
leaders.
”

“Does that mean
that I
’
m a
follower, then?
”

“Not
necessarily. You may be a leader who is drawn to other leaders.
We
’
ll see how
your talents unfold. I don
’
t think you
’
re finished with your education
and we won
’
t
know exactly where your skills are strongest until you have all the
tools you need to develop them.
”

“Well,
”
Maggie asked,
“
did he say that you’re a follower? Because I
don
’
t think
that you are. You
’
re a little
bossy – not
that it
’
s a bad thing.
It
’
s just the
way you are.
”

“Roland said
that it
’
s too
early to tell. We
’
ll know what I am in time,
”
Kelsey replied with a laugh.
Maggie was growing on her. Kelsey knew herself well enough to
understand that she had a naturally combative personality. It was a
stretch for her to build relationships that were more than an
alliance for the purpose of killing a common enemy, but she was
learning. She was also beginning to think that there may be value
in these other types of relationships. A few years ago, she never
would have considered this.

Without the
reapers behind them, they felt more at ease and made good time
across the prairie for the next few days, stopping only long enough
to rest and eat. Maggie disliked watching Kelsey hunt, and it
bothered her to see animals suddenly fall over dead for no reason
when Roland looked at them. However, she didn
’
t mind eating the roasted meat
when she was hungry.