Chapter 13

"All Ye Dread Omeners and Fell Prophets,

"Dire Forecasters and Evil Soothsayers.

"Ye who Divine or Foreshadow with Signs or Portents,

"And Cast Omens or Preemptory Premonitions.

"Those Who Predict and Cast Ill Auguries of Fair Enterprise.

"Come Out and Approach Us like Men.

"Arm Yourselves and Face the Defeat of Truth and Righteousness,

"Or stay Home and Live the Lives of Base Cowards and Half Men.

"Pussies!!

"Well, that didn't work. Let's go see Wendolyn." Ed said.

"What was THAT all about?" asked Seph.

"Damned if I know," said Ed. "It was something that came to mind. I probably read it someplace. Dire sounding wasn't it." He sighed, "Fly or drive?"

Seph said, "You do know it's winter up there?"

"Sweetie ... it's winter here ... how bad can it be?"

She thought, 'I hate it when he says that.' Out loud she said, "Um ... it's an island ... islands are surrounded by water ... Canada is ... oh ... I'd say ... spittin' distance to the north and east ... and probably some south. If we were going someplace like Montana there'd at least be a barbwire fence to two to cut down the breeze ... all that's cutting back the wind is Lake Superior and if it did confound all predictions and blow from the south ... Lake Huron is solid ice."

"Weatherman is predicting a thaw."

"Weathermen? I'll have you know weatherman is the only job where you can be wrong three times out of five and not get fired. Do you know if the runway is plowed off in Lansing? I thought not ... call ... before you put my lily white body in jeopardy. I'll wait."

She did ... she stood next to the fireplace and drummed her fingers in an agitated manner on the mantle. Quite by accident, she beat the particular pattern that caused the mantle to swing open ... nearly decapitating her.

"Ah ... Ed?..." she stuttered, "You should hang up and check this out."

The inside of the mantle was hollow. There was what looked like a radio or a control panel with many switches and several operations booklets ... all in English and some very old. Whatever it was it was on. The inside of the mantle began to glow.

"Hello? Hello? Are you there?" The giant flatscreen TV in the room was speaking to them. It was off ... the switch was OFF ... Hell, the damn thing was unplugged ... books are so much better than video ... but the TV was broadcasting.

"Hello? Edmond? Edmond Huntly? Persephone? Are you there?"

"Oh, what the fuck ... Hello."

"That's a male voice ... Professor? I've gotten through to someone."

A new voice was speaking, "Edmond? Is that you?"

He bit..."Yes ... I'm Ed ... Edmond."

"Do you have the watch?"

"We Found the watch ... but it doesn't run..."

"What you mean is that it doesn't run when you're wearing it."

"Yeah ... it doesn't run."

There was a shout from the TV speakers..."IT WORKS!!"

"No ... it doesn't ... it stops."

"Does it stop other watches when you're wearing it?"

"It got so bad I don't have to wear it to stop other watches."

"HOORAY!! Exactly as planed." There was a jumble of voices in the background.

A third voice began: "Listen! We don't have a lot of time. There are several instruction books and manuals in the lining of the trunk that contained the chests. We need you to retrieve the literature, read it and contact us ... the watch knows the way."

A fourth voice spoke, "Ed ... get the watch and..." static... "it"

Static... Static..."garble gobble gook gleeb," "Did you get the..." static " ... tomorrow at..." static "Tomorrow."

"What?" It was too late ... the light from the hollowed out mantle shut down ... the mantle closed.

"AaaRrrGggHhh!" exclaimed Seph, "The books! Damn it all!"

"Well, open it again!"

"I don't know what I did to open it the first time!!" She said, "I was standing here ... like this..."