Chapter 6

In the next two weeks, I got all the small details of the house finished. The large pantry, and walk-in freezer, were replenished. The wine cellar gave me a particular pleasure, but beer still hit the spot. There was enough corded wood, cut and stacked, to almost last the winter by itself. The emergency generator, and its fuel were checked. The hangar/boathouse for my Viking Turbo Beaver amphibian, the two boats and the canoe, was completed. The large tank of propane insured my comfort. A good sized 'reverse osmosis' water system, saw to all the purified water needs.

A lucrative contract had come in from a pipeline firm. I had completed it ahead of schedule, and had gotten a hefty bonus. Hydro was still after me, but I did not like the long term stuff. The money was fine, but not close to what I could make, when companies were in an emergency situation.

I wondered if I should perhaps take the job in Pickering, with their reactors. This way I could get Hydro to do some more work on their right of way, that I used. And perhaps, I could get them to do a little more on the two kilometre driveway, to the house, as part of the deal.

Saturday Sept 15

My eyes gazed out over the river from the deck. I saw its perfection in the early morning mists. The haze, a metre thick, covered the still water. The only movement, was a fish, that decided to catch its breakfast on the surface. The smell in the air of the trees and the water, brought a contentment to me. I was still sweating from the long run, and the workout. It was time to rest, before going for a shower. My hand brought up a mug of coffee to my lips, when I was suddenly tossed about. The mug fell, to break on the deck, as my hands clutched the railing. I could hear things breaking in the house. I held firmly onto the railing, and could see waves on the river. Trees seemed to wave, as the land was put to motion as well.

It had been years, since I had felt a quake. I had never felt one like this. Never one this strong, especially here, in the north. I rushed into the house, and found only some minor damage. I cleaned up the mess. Then I turned on the radio, to hear of any news reports. Pushing buttons, I sent the sound to the outside deck, and the rest of the house. Another coffee was poured into a new mug. I listened, while standing on the deck.

A bulletin eventually came in. It mentioned, that the centre of the quake, was a few kilometres east of me. There was only minor damage reported, so far. As I listened, I walked around the deck. A splotch of white caught my eye on Beaver Mountain. It was just across the bay, and to the west. Setting down the new coffee on the railing, I got the binoculars from the house. On closer examination, I could see the place where a minor rock fall, had dislodged some trees, and exposed a seam of white quartz. This was interesting, because gold was sometimes found in this type of rock formation.

Uncle Jake's mine was around there, some place. Perhaps it would be worth the effort to see what had happened. The ringing of the phone caught my attention. It was Susan. "Are you all right? I heard the quake was strong near you," she said, with real concern in her voice.

"Just fine. A few pictures, and the vase you gave me, were broken. The rubber gaskets around the windows prevented their breakage, at least."

"I am glad to hear that. When are you coming down? You may need a more thorough physical."

"You know I don't back down from a fight, but I may need medical attention, after seeing you. I am sorry, but I am committed to some business in Sudbury. I can meet you next Saturday morning. Is that alright with you, honey?" I had other business plans, but heard the worry in her voice, and knew I had to see her. Besides, I knew, that Susan got even more demanding, when she entered her fertile period.

"Yes, come early. I'll give you something to eat, then you can have breakfast." The double beep on the phone, told me that I had another call. "I have another caller. I'll look forward to the meal. Goodbye, Sweetheart."

"Bye, my hero."

I was always put out about being called a 'hero'. I should be used to it, because she'd called me that for the last twenty years.

The next caller was Rob Farley. He was concerned if anything had happened to 'his' house. "No, Rob. I looked around, and everything looks fine. This area doesn't get many tremblers, and never any this strong," I said, needing to calm the man. You would have thought that his only child was in danger. "I will do a thorough inspection, later this week, to make sure. Is that enough for you?"

"Well, I should check myself."

"If you want, Rob. You are the best judge. Come by any time, but I can't guarantee that I will be here. The nickel company, and Hydro, have been after me. You know where the key is."

I had to hurry, after the phone calls. I showered and packed some things. Then I grabbed my lap top. I did the pre-flight on the plane, then I made a last stop at the large kennel, and put out food and water for Dog. He was anxious for another run. Sudbury turned out to be a simple matter for me. I came home that night, twelve thousand dollars richer.

Dog jumped up and barked as he heard the plane. I could see him clawing the chain link fencing, as I made my 'final'. After landing, the first thing I did, was to let him out. I started a microwaved supper, wishing I had somebody to make me home cooked meals. But that would intrude on my privacy. I had never married, and that was one of the reasons. I felt a pang of loss, for having no children. At forty eight, it might be a little too late to consider it. Partially from my view, and partially from the point of view of any child, that would have only a part-time father. My job, though satisfying, kept me away from home much more than I liked to think about.

When the dishes were put away, I stepped out onto the deck. I sipped the coffee, and watched Dog do his patrols around the property. The trees had to be watered just so, or they would never grow right. The sun was down behind the hill, and the entire land seemed to be getting ready for a refreshing sleep. I remembered the rock fall and looked in that direction. There was a small glow in that area. The sun had set on the other side of the hill, and I could think of no reason for the light to be there. It was too faint to be a fire, and would probably not be noticeable, if the moon were out. Perhaps it was a good reason to get some exercise.

After a change of clothes and shoes, I got the high powered flashlight. As an after-thought, I took my sheath knife, and my Bo. Dog came along, happy at the unexpected excursion. Night had fully fallen, and we would have to make it all the way, with just the flashlight. The old overgrown road went around the bend in the river, and up to the hill. We had to jump areas that were washed out, and work over fallen logs. We made our way around trees, that had sprouted since I'd last cleared the road. The road led right to the source of the light.

The path up, the last sixty metres or so, was rough from all the rock that had become dislodged in the last thirty six years. Carefully, I worked my way up the incline. I paused to see the broken white quartz, littering the area. The thoughts of gold were actually secondary, to my curiosity about the light.

If this was Uncles Jake's old mine, it did not go far into the mountain. The white stone filled the opening, and the strange light came from behind it. I propped the flashlight, and threw some of the smaller rocks out. There was no way I would get it cleared this night, and I was strangely reluctant to bring any others into this discovery. When I, and the batteries were tired, we left for home, being careful about the jagged rock. The mystery was almost too great for me to leave.

That night, soaking in the tub, I wondered again. I tried to find a logical reason for the ghostly light. My night was restless. Early the next morning found me back at the old mine, with what tools I thought were needed.

Tuesday Sept 18

The job went a lot quicker and safer, in the daylight. By noon I found about four metres inside the new opening, a low spot was filled with water. The light came from beneath it's surface. This would require heavier tools, now.

I went back home for a quick meal, and the old pickup. For the next few hours I used a chain saw to cut up the fallen trees. I cut the new growth, before dragging them off the old trail. In one place, I had to get some old culvert. I laid it in a washout, before filling it with rubble. I had to, or even the four by four would never make it across.

Five phone calls from friends on the cellular, and an equal number of hours later; I was able to get the generator and electric sump pump, to remove the water, from the low spot. I didn't have a long section of PVC pipe. I had to make do, with scrounged fittings, and short sections of plastic, to get the job done.

As the water receded, I stood in awe at the glowing wall that slowly emerged from the depths of the pool. It was milky, and gave off only a faint glow now that there was lots of light. My hands caressed the smooth surface, as my feet sunk into the mud at the bottom of the pit. There was no imperfection, that I could find. Who could have made this? For surely, it was not natural, even without the odd light. I reluctantly stepped back, and picked up a piece of quartz. It was very hard, but it slid easily across the surface, without leaving a mark.

I saw that the glowing wall had no boundaries, that I could find. The sledge hammer proved that the wall went upwards, almost to the old limits of the mine. I used a heavy bar, to strike and pry loose any rock, that I could get at. The wall now went over the lip of the depression I was in. If this continued, I could work on the wall, on level ground.

Chapter 7 »