Chapter 104

Once the service was over, the family had to play nice.

Apparently, everyone who thought they were someone, expected their attention. Zeke made sure that once the person had expressed their condolences, they moved on to let the next person say their piece.

The boys had to hide their smirks when a few windbags found themselves running out of words and shuffling off. Pat even dug Zeke in the ribs when one woman, who had been rattling along like an out-of-control train, totally lost her train of thought and wandered off.

Once the well-wishers and even the media had thinned out, Lee and Sean approached. Zeke did notice that Lee’s guards, DT and Qu, discouraged others from approaching them.

Lee smiled when Zeke said, “Thank you for the urn, Lee. You did an amazing job from my description.”

Lee shrugged, “I had fun. The image you sent me seemed to want to be on the urn.”

“Dad used to love that view of Mt Sharp. When I was standing there looking at it on the urn, it felt like he was standing right beside me, enjoying it with me,” Paul added.

Pat smiled, “Yeah, I got that feeling too. But where are we going to put it? It doesn’t feel right to take it with me.”

Dallas replied, “Oh, he wants to stay with Zeke, Mum. He knows Zeke will visit and keep in touch with all of us regularly. He thinks hanging around with Zeke will be a lot of fun.”

“What are you on about, Boy?” Bridget barked.

Dallas gave her a small smile, “Grandmother, I know you don’t believe in magic or spirits. Which is a shame since my dad most likely got his magical abilities from you. We think he could have been a Psychic Mage. I also have this ability.”

“When I touched the urn, I felt Dad was in it. He and Zeke have some unfinished business. He feels he let Zeke down and just wants to spend some time with him. He may not have sired Zeke, but he did love him as if he was his son.”

“What a lot of poppycock. He was touched in the head, was what he was. Just like his father,” Bridget scoffed. “They would say the oddest things just to embarrass me,” Bridget added with a scowl at Gert.

Gert dropped his head and seemed to fold in on himself. Obviously, this was an old argument.

Lee looked at the couple. “I think you got that wrong, Dallas. It’s Gert who is the psychic, not Bridget. I think he has the other family trait, too.”

She wiggled her eyebrows at Zeke.

Zeke groaned. “Lee, it has to be his decision. It could well end his marriage.”

Bridget scoffed, “What are you people on about? Our church doesn’t condone divorce or the use of magic. There is nothing wrong with my marriage, nor is Gert some sort of psychic. He just likes to sprout some weird things now and again, just to annoy me.”

Bridget was shocked when Gert stepped up to Zeke and said, “Can you test me for these traits?”

Zeke touched Gert on the forehead. They all saw the small glowing white light over his head. It blinked several times and changed to orange.

“What is the purpose of this parlour trick?” Bridget demanded angrily to hide her fear.

“Wow! Grandad, you’re a male-born shifter like us. We got it from both sides of the family,” Dallas said gleefully.

“It appears so, Dallas. And you are correct, Lee. He could easily become a Psychic novice,” Zeke added. “The real question is, what do you wish to do with this knowledge, Gert?”

“If I get a magical item, I’ll live longer, and it will fix me up, won’t it?” Gert asked hopefully.

“It can, but you will also outlive your wife. You two have been married for a long time. The death of a partner can seriously upset some magical people,” Lee warned him.

Gert nodded. He turned to Bridget, “I think I have paid for my sins and Frank’s. I should have left you a long time ago like Frank did. But I didn’t have the courage, and my health has not been good for many years, thanks to you.”

“You have never forgiven me for getting Frank into the army after we helped those two families. It was wrong of you to try to force him into marrying one of the girls. Those women’s families paid him for the children he bestowed on them at their request.”

“It wasn’t against God’s will for us to help them. But you wouldn’t listen. You drove him away and killed our daughter when you injured me in your rage and smashed up our car with us in it.”

Ignoring his wife’s shocked face, he turned to look beseechingly at Zeke, “Do you think I can find a job on Mars, Zeke? I’m only sixty-four, and I was a good Doctor before I was forced to retire. Since I have magical abilities, I’d even go to Harmony if Queen Lee would let me.”

“Why do you need to work?” Pat asked with some confusion.

She knew Gert had run a successful medical practice for many years before having an accident. Bridget had skittled about it often, and then she’d belittle Frank for being a miner. Frank hated his mother’s calls, but he always took them.