Chapter 23

With everyone so intent on their studies and getting used to their new lives, the time just seemed to fly by. Tina was trying not to get frustrated by her inability to get to Cindy, and Ken was trying not to get frustrated by his inability to understand what Sensei was teaching him, but overall everyone was just enjoying life.

They had decided that they'd have a large Samhain party on Saturday, November first. There would be a small gathering on Friday night for the ritual, but as Lea had requested, Ken was planning on keeping it short. He wondered what his Goddess had in mind, but She was curiously silent about Her plans. He didn't sense that She had some mischief to spring on him, which was usually the case when She wouldn't talk about something. No... there was something else going on, and he knew he'd just have to wait and see.

The ritual was quiet and contemplative. People chose to wear robes for this, even though the evening was still warm enough to go skyclad. It was odd that, for the first time since they'd started the Circle, there was no sexual undertone to it at all. Considering it was the end of the year for them and that the focus was on ancestors who had passed on, the mood wasn't much of a surprise. The other oddity was that Lea did not attend, at least in the flesh. Her presence was always felt during ritual, and She had always appeared at some point during the past rituals. She did not appear this time, and the feeling of her presence was far fainter then it had ever been before. Once it was over, they sat down for a quiet meal that was relaxed and friendly. Ken was a little on edge. waiting for the summons from his Goddess.

Thus, he almost jumped out of his skin when the doorbell rang.

By now, Ken was very attuned to the estate. He always knew when there was someone on the property; hell, he could even feel whatever animals were on the property if he concentrated hard enough. But knowing which humans were on the property was second nature by now, and the fact that someone had managed to get past the gate and all the way up to the house without him feeling it was very alarming.

Bill and Eric joined him at the door when he opened it, and he could feel Jane at the top of the stairs. He turned to look up there and saw her with, of all things, a high-powered rifle in her hands and trained on the door. He'd have to talk to her later about that. Taking a deep breath, Ken opened the door to find a tall, very thin, very old man standing there with a large briefcase.

"Good evening, Mr. Whitestone," he said. "My name is Gorden O'Donnell. May I come it?"

The man had a faint Irish lilt to his voice, and at his age didn't even remotely resemble a threat. What's more, he actually felt like... well, almost like Circle. He felt very connected to Lea in a way that Ken hadn't experienced before. Ken stepped away and waved the man in.

"I assure you, Mr. Whitestone, that I am no threat," smiled the man. "I'm sure the young woman can dispense with the rifle she has aimed at me."

Ken glanced up at Jane and nodded. She stood up and stopped aiming at the man, but still held the gun at the ready.

"I'm afraid, Sir, that I have little time. It would be best for you and I to speak quickly, as there are some important matters I must impart before I go."

This was all very odd, but when Ken reached out to Lea, all he found was Her happy glow. Whoever this was, She was glad to see him.

"Please, this way," said Ken.

Mr. O'Donnell nodded, as if he already knew the way, and they walked to Ken's study, where the two sat down. Jane had entered with them, and while she no longer had the rifle, she did have a very nasty looking pistol in hand.

"Would you care for something to drink?" asked Ken.

"I believe, unless you've opened it already, there is a very nice bottle of Ballantine's up on the top shelf of the bar, behind several other bottles."

"We don't drink very much around here," said Ken as he rose to look for the bottle.

Sure enough, it was where the old man had said. Ken opened the bottle and poured a generous splash into a glass, sans ice, and gave it to him. For himself, Ken poured a small amount of red wine. Eric and Bill had left the room, and after a moment, Arianwen entered.

"Such beautiful women She has for High Priestess," said O'Donnell.

Both of the women smiled, but Jane's hand never strayed far from the pistol.

"Well, I suppose we should get on with this. I expect that my arrival was bit of a surprise?" asked O'Donnell, who smiled at Ken's nod. "Yes, well She has always liked surprises."

"She?"

"Mistress Lea, of course."

Ken said nothing for a second.

"So, you know of Her?" he asked.

"Oh yes. My Master and I served Her for a very long time," was the reply. "My final service to Her is tonight. My Master is already gone."

"Who was your Master?" asked Ken, who very much doubted that Mr. O'Donnell and he used the term 'Master' the same way.

"Mr. Richard Kavanagh," replied O'Donnell. "The former owner of this estate."

Ken sat bolt upright, his mind whirring with all kinds of questions. There were so many questions about the Mansion -- not the least of which was the strange way the payment for it had been fed back into the the funds for running it.

"It feels different now," smiled O'Donnell. "It is more Her place now, than when we lived here. Of course, we were only holding it in trust."

Even though he was sure he knew the answer, Ken had to ask. "For whom?"

"You," said the man, taking another drink of the Scotch. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I know you have a lot of questions, but time is so short. Let me tell you what I came here for. Then, if there is time, I will answer what questions I can."

Ken nodded and, as difficult as it was, remained silent.

"My Master and I came to this country a long time ago. We were the last followers of Lea. anywhere. She had given us hope that another person would be found -- the person that She'd been waiting centuries for. Her Avatar."

Mr. O'Donnell beamed as he fixed Ken with his gaze. "She was right, of course. She found you, and it became apparent that Master Kavanagh's time here was finished. He passed soon after you were found."

"Wait," said Ken, unable to contain himself, "Richard Kavanagh was Lea's Avatar before me?"

O'Donnell looked confused. "Of course not. He only served Her as a Priest. There is only one Avatar. Surely you know this?"

"Lea hasn't been... overly informative."

"I'm sure She has her reasons," was the reply. "She always does. Anyway, we bought this place years ago, and prepared for the day that you would take over. Mistress Lea assured us that no one but Her Avatar would buy it. It took a while to set up the funds to make the house self-sustaining. I noticed, when last I checked, that you are using the money well. The house fund has grown, not shrunk."

"That would be due to the people we have controlling the investments," said Ken.

"Which would be Ms. Wakemen and Ms. Paige. Excellent financial people, those two. They came very close to unraveling the cloak I put over the money."

"Why was that necessary?" asked Ken.

"For any number of reasons," said O'Donnell. "Not the least of which is the government. Even if you are very rich, they are like wolves, always looking to find ways to take what you have. Master Kavanagh was quite well-off. And in order to pass on everything to a person whom we didn't even know, events had to be set in motion thirty years ago. The government was greedy even back then, of course, but their lust for control and money has grown exponentially in these last years. Anyway, I digress.

"In this bag is a computer which contains the rest of the financial information that you'll need. All of Master Richard's holdings have been turned over to you. The bulk of the liquid assets are in overseas accounts. You now own a great deal of property in the United States, and some property in Spain and England. Other, non-liquid assets are located in the vault. You have found it, right?"

"Vault?" asked Ken. "No. Not unless you're talking about that safe over there."

"No. That is just the study safe," said O'Donnell. "Well, instructions for how to get in the vault are also in the briefcase, as well as various pieces of paperwork, bearer bonds and whatnot. Most just require your signature, and either of the ladies who run the finances can file them appropriately."

The man suddenly paled a bit and gripped the arm of the chair.

"I fear that time is even shorter than I thought," he said. "I'm sorry, I won't be able to answer any more of your questions. Please, I understand that you have a place you worship Her?"

"Yes, the Garden," replied Ken. "But if you're feeling sick, perhaps we should call a doctor."

"That won't be necessary," he said. "Please, if you would, help me to the Garden."

Even though his mind was still crammed with questions, it was very clear to Ken that the man was getting weaker by the minute. Ken stood and let O'Donnell lean on him, surprised by how light he was, and they went to the Garden. Before they left the house, though, Mr. O'Donnell stopped and looked at Ari and Jane.

"I'm afraid, ladies, that it is necessary that Master Ken and I go alone," he said.

Ken, having felt Lea's call just as O'Donnell had said that, knew that now was his time to go to Her, as She had requested.

"It'll be alright," said Ken. "I'll be back soon."

Jane looked like she wanted to protest, but Ari's eyes were filled with tears for some reason. She just nodded and took Jane's hand as the two men entered the Garden. Lea was there, fully dressed in a beautiful gown that seemed to be made up of the colors of autumn. Greens and golds, with an occasional touch of reds and browns, swirled over her body. For once, Ken felt no overpowering sexual desire for Her.

"Oh, Gorden," She said, holding out Her hands and taking his.

The man seemed to straighten as She touched him, and he smiled. "Mistress," he said, "it has been too long."

They embraced for a long time, then he stepped back.

"Is it time?"

"Yes," She said, Her smile radiant. "He has missed you a great deal."

With that, another man appeared, stepping out of the shadows. Although he was as tall as O'Donnell, he wasn't nearly as thin. The two embraced, and Ken looked on, surprised. It was obvious from the deep kiss they shared that the two were lovers. They broke apart for a second, and the new man looked at Ken.

"Good luck, Avatar," he said. "When we meet in the future, I'm sure you'll have much to tell me."

That was as long as the two could keep their eyes off each other. They hugged and kissed again as a greenish light, like that of a spring morning, began to grow around them. It grew very bright for perhaps a few seconds, and when it dimmed, there was no sign of Mr. Gorden O'Donnell, nor the man whom Ken assumed was Richard Kavanagh.

"I wish I'd had more time with them," said Ken to Lea.

She smiled and replied, "Their time has passed. They served me well for many years and have their reward. Part of which is that they are no longer the last of my worshipers as they once were. And now, it is time for you to speak to someone from your own past."

"Oh?" asked Ken, confused and a little alarmed. "Who?"

"Hi, Kenny," came a voice that flooded Ken's veins with ice water.

He spun and found himself face-to-face with Susan. Looking exactly as she had just before she'd been killed.

"I know it's a surprise, but aren't you happy to see me?" she asked.

"Susan? Is that... is it really you?" asked Ken, totally unprepared for the blast of emotions her presence created.

She was so beautiful! At nineteen, she'd been throwing off the last awkwardness of being a beautiful teenager and becoming a poised, sexy young woman. Ken thought his heart was going to stop.

"Of course it's really me," she smiled, holding out her arms for a hug.

Ken had no idea what to do. How do you talk to the fiancée that had been dead for over a decade?

Her smile faltered just a bit.

"Kenny?" she said, "it really is me. Please, we only have a short time, and it's been so long since I've been able to hold you."

Ken stepped forward and took her into his arms. It seemed like she'd never left them. The feel of her, her scent, her heat, it was like she'd never... died. Plus, with his new senses, he could feel her as he never had before.

"How is this possible?" he asked, stepping back.

"This night is the one night of the year when some of us can return," she said. "Your Goddess helped me come back to see you." She paused. "I missed you so very much."

Naturally, a good many questions came to mind, not the least of which was how she could miss him if she was dead. But he could still sense Lea, and knew that if She was near, everything should be fine. Thoughts like that were cut short as Susan moved her head toward his, wordlessly asking for a kiss. Thoughts of how much he'd loved her, how he'd wished desperately for years for just one last chance to say good bye, to tell her he loved her, to apologize for not saving her almost overwhelmed him. Here was his chance.

"Susan," he panted after they broke the kiss, "Susan, I love you so much! I'm sorry, so sorry that..."

She put her hand over his mouth.

"No apologies," she whispered. "It is done, and it was necessary. I've made my peace and now it's time you made yours. We have a little time now, let's not waste it."

They talked. When Ken looked around, he was in Her forest. It was daytime here, shafts of sun sliding through the high canopy of trees, illuminating everything with brilliance. They held hands, sat by a small brook and fed each other water. They kissed often as Susan drank in the details of his life.

"So, you're married to two women now?" she teased.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I am," he replied, unaccountably embarrassed.

"Mmmm, I would have liked to make love with a woman," she said.

"You never told me that," he said.

"Well, bisexuality wasn't very accepted back then," she said. "But I would have done it with the right person -- as long as you had been there."

"I would have been there for you," he said. Then, "I tried, Susan, I tried so hard. I just wasn't good enough to..."

"Stop, Kenny," she admonished. "Stop. As I said, it's in the past and we can't change it. My love, had I known how things were going to turn out, I still wouldn't have changed our time together. Now that I know what my death allowed you to become, I know it was the right thing. Not an easy thing, no, but the right thing. As Lea's Avatar, you are going to have a very full life, and I couldn't wish for more."

"Still, it's very unfair," said Ken.

"Life isn't fair," replied Susan. "But now you'll have the resources to start a new religion and maybe even a new society. Arianwen and Jane will stand with you and help you, if you need it, and the people you're drawing to the Circle will make you all very strong."