Chapter 7

Jack lay awake, he looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 4:30 a.m. Marcie had been gone for a while and his mind drifted to the talisman. His father had said it would guide him. He opened the desk drawer, took out the box and removed the pendant. Slowly he put the chain around his neck and snapped the catch closed. The click of the catch rang of finality and he wondered if he would be able to remove it.

Jack let the disk drop and he felt a tingle of excitement when it touched the skin of his chest, but a feeling of peace and fulfillment filled his mind. He finally felt sleepy and he returned to his bed. His sheets smelled of Marcie's perfume and it brought memories of their lovemaking as he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

An old man was sitting at a desk. His hair was silver and his eyes were a gray blue. His face was friendly and stern. This was not a person to challenge without dire need. On a chain around his neck was a pendant of silver inlaid with gold. It looked like his but the stones were a mixture of colors. He looked at Jack and spoke but not with words.

"You have claimed the disk of Dal Halcyon, the talisman of strength. I have made contact with Dal Rathal, the talisman of emotion and your two colors are now joined. Soon I expect the arrival of Dal Cadrolyn and complete the triad. I will then be able to bring you all together in thought and answer you many questions. I will trouble your sleep no more." The old man looked away and the dream faded into blackness.

Jack dreamed of things unfamiliar, people with golden hair and deep blue eyes, dressed in robes of red, blue, and yellow. He could not see their faces clearly but they seemed somehow familiar. The three moons in the darkening sky told him he was not viewing a location on Earth.

The disk grew warm as it drew power from the watcher in the node. The Triad was almost complete. Soon the separation would be over.

Marcie lay on her bed. The thoughts of the night with Jack made her feel warm all over. He had been reluctant to let her leave and she felt sure that he liked her, and maybe, even loved her too. Marcie had seen it in his eyes and heard in his voice. Jack was different from any other boy she had met or dated. The moon cast a beam of light through her room window and she could see the sleeping form of her roommate in the bed across from her. Marian was mumbling in her sleep again. She thought how odd it was that Jack and Marian had the same deep piercing blue eyes and golden blonde hair.

The way she had thrown herself at Jack embarrassed her. There was a power that emanated from him. It was almost like he had magnet that pulled her to him. She was powerless to resist the urges that developed when she was in his presence. As the events of the evening drifted through her consciousness she realized that they had not used any protection. Fear froze her and then she relaxed "so what, there's nothing I can do about it now. What ever happens will be all right." She drifted off to an easy sleep and dreamed of life with Jack.

It took a lot of effort for Jack to get out of bed the next morning. The events of the previous evening left him confused. His feelings for Marcie were definitely deep. For the first time in his life he thought he might be in love. He didn't want her to leave and not he looked forward to seeing as soon as he could. The most important question that troubled him was did she feel the same way about him. He liked Marian too, but now he knew his feelings for her were different. She was his friend and he loved her, but not the same way. He had to tell her about Marcie immediately. He didn't want to hurt Marian by keeping it from her if he could help it. His mind was in turmoil as he dressed and headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.

As the days passed he became accustomed to wearing the talisman. He only took it off when he showered and then he found he missed it. The dream about the old man still bothered him. He had a lot of questions and no way to ask them. On Friday he decided to attend the mixed social that was held at the end of each week. He seldom took time to socialize but he hadn't seen Marian in about a week and he hoped he would get a chance to talk to her. Jack looked around the room and saw she hadn't arrived so he found an empty table and waited. When she walked in she looked around until she saw him sitting by himself and she walked over to the table. Jack invited her to sit down, which she did.