The HawkenEye
By
Clayton M. Craft
Copyright
Omega Publications, Palm Springs, CA
Copyright © 2011 by Clayton M. Craft
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in
any form without written permission from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-0-9831194-8-7
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either
the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events
or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover design, editing and page layout by
Omega Publications
www.OmegaPublications.net
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Jeff and Gayle Farmer and the staff of Omega
Publications for their publishing expertise.
Also, a special thank you to my editor, Joel Hinrichs, for his additional
insight and depth into each and every chapter.
I would especially like to thank my mother, Martha Craft, for being my
first reader and for her tireless efforts and support without which none of
this could have been possible.
Contents
Chapter One
Time of the Essence
1
Chapter Two
Opening Ceremony
6
Chapter Three
Orientation
16
Chapter Four
The Selection
21
Chapter Five
The Mark of Bravery
30
Chapter Six
Honors
38
Chapter Seven
The Meeting Place
43
Chapter Eight
Mark of Faith
51
Chapter Nine
Honors of Another Kind
62
Chapter Ten
Brothers from the Sky
70
Chapter Eleven
Mark of Endurance
81
Chapter Twelve
Consequences
93
Chapter Thirteen
Return to the Meeting Place 97
Chapter Fourteen
Secrets of Rippleshank
105
Chapter Fifteeen
Shape of Things to Come
112
Chapter Sixteen
Mark of Wisdom
123
Chapter Seventeen
The Final Honor
134
Chapter Eighteen
Rippleshank Manor
139
Chapter Nineteen
The Final Task
144
Chapter Twenty
Return to the Maze
153
Chapter Twenty-One Labyrinth of Stone
160
Chapter Twenty-Two Creatures Among Us
167
Chapter Twenty-Three Battle of Rippleshank
182
Chapter Twenty-Four Day of Goodbyes
195
The HawkenEye
Chapter One
Time of the Essence
B
eneath a dreadful night sky, a dark colored taxi swerved back
and forth on a lonely road. There was no traffic in either
direction, yet the taxi tore through the night at a rapid pace,
losing a grease-stained hubcap in the process.
The passenger, a tousled haired young man sat almost motionless
on the back seat of the speeding taxi. With a look of wide-eyed wonder, he
struggled to keep up with the flickering images passing the side window.
He was dressed rather proper in a crisp white shirt tucked into dark woolen
trousers and overlapped by a multi-button charcoal pea coat. His name was
Lexigander, though some had come to know him as Lexi. Seated close by
his side was a single neatly packed suitcase held tightly by twin belt-like
straps, and a dome shaped object hidden beneath a burgundy velvet cloth.
Not having the slightest idea where he was headed, Lexi only
understood he’d been picked up about an hour ago. With so many twists
and turns, the rapid taxi left Lexi a bit queasy. Then again, he had been
that way since receiving a rather unusual letter from his Uncle Billingsley.
He knew nothing about his journey, save for the strict instructions
left in the letter to catch the first taxi on the corner of Locksley and Tisdale
and to pack all of his belongings. It was strange how his uncle knew the
exact moment when the taxi would arrive. He remembered that part
distinctly, the first second, of the second minute, of the third hour, of the
fourth day, of the fifth week, of the sixth month. To further assure that
Lexi would be on time his uncle had enclosed an antique bronze
stopwatch, which didn’t work but curiously was set to the exact time of his
departure.
Other than the timing of it all, it had been easy for Lexi to comply
with the strange request. All of his belongings easily fit in the single
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suitcase. In fact, there was very little to pack. A couple of memories and
mementos, a few changes of clothes and a pet hawk named Horus, now
hidden beneath a velvet cloth to keep thick prodding fingers at bay.
Horus was an unusual pet, to say the least. Lexi never thought of
Horus as a pet at all. Had it not been for this move he would never have
thought of placing Horus in such a confining cage. He had taken the move
quite well, sitting quietly on an iron bar in the domed cage. His eyes
remained hidden beneath a small leather hood that Lexi had stitched from
discarded scraps. Though he hadn’t mastered falconry, Horus seemed to
appreciate Lexi’s efforts nonetheless.
The taxi made several turns before leaving the city altogether.
Lexi followed the buildings and street signs through the partially fogged
window and soon realized the taxi traveled in an unknown direction. From
the corner of his eye, he noticed that the cabbie appeared a bit nervous
about this particular journey. He consulted a map several times and kept a
close watch on the timepiece encircling his left arm.
Then without warning, the taxi came to an abrupt stop in the
middle of nowhere. Looking from the side window, Lexi saw nothing but a
thick tree line on either side of the small taxi. Then over the rise, he
spotted the outline of his apparent destination, a massive mansion deep
within the tall forest pines.
With only a short pause to read a criss-crossed road sign, the
cabbie turned sharply toward the distant stone mansion. The smooth road
quickly changed to a path of rough cobblestone pavers, offering Lexi little
or no comfort for the back seat ride. Lexi reached for Horus’s domed cage
and was barely able to keep it from toppling to the floor. Despite the
changes in the road, the cabbie failed to slow even the slightest. It was as if
the cabbie knew he had little or no time to reach their intended destination.
The mansion came closer and closer, sending Lexi’s mind into a
bit of a whirl. After passing through a tall wrought iron entrance gate
scripted with an elaborate letter R and flanked by well-maintained hedges,
the enormous stone structure came into view. Though the darkness was
thick, the shimmering moonlight revealed two high rising chimneys
buttressing the huge edifice.
Was this his intended destination? Was this where he would spend
the coming summer? Would this be another stopover like the other endless
orphanages and homes? He could only hope his questions would be
answered in due time, but for now he was in a place he didn’t understand,
for reasons he couldn’t understand, and without anyone or anything to help
him understand. Lexi, for lack of a better term, was lost.
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The taxi came to another abrupt stop before the large doors of a
smaller building. He hadn’t even noticed the second building, which paled
by comparison to the mansion.
The cabbie wasted only a moment before jumping from behind the
wheel and opening the rear passenger door.
“All right there, lad, this is your stop.”
“I don’t understand. Are you gonna leave me here?” Lexi asked in
wide-eyed amazement.
“Someone will attend to you soon enough,” the cabbie said in an
effort to soften the mood.
“I tried to tell you back there, I haven’t any money to pay with,”
Lexi said with a worried look about his face.
“That’s all right, lad, all arrangements have been taken care of.
Here’s your bag and . . . er, cage.”
With that, Lexi found himself before the door of the smaller stone
building without a clue as to what he was supposed to do. He could only
stand and watch the taxi drive into the distance and wonder what would
happen to him.
Soon a middle-aged woman emerged from an underground
entrance and approached Lexi, who by now was beside himself.
“Hello there. We have been expecting you for some time,” the
dark haired woman said in a soft soothing voice.
“You have?” Lexi asked with a raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, my dear, we thought you wouldn’t make it.”
“Who are you?” Lexi offered with a sharpness often delivered to a
stranger.
“My name is Oksana.”
“W-w-where am I?”
“Why this is Rippleshank Manor, your home for the summer.
Quickly now, you are the last guest to arrive. Your sleeping quarters have
already been prepared,” the tall woman answered before ushering Lexi
toward the three story stone building. Though smaller than the grand
manor Lexi spied on the way through the high rising forest, it was no less
impressive. From the moonlight alone, he knew the building was larger
than any house he’d ever seen. He’d heard of rich people having houses
for visiting guests but this was ridiculous.
They descended through the underground entrance into a large
open garage. The clean swept space housed several antique black vehicles
parked in a line, each with wide rounded fenders, whitewall tires and a
well-polished shine.
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Clayton M. Craft
They turned toward a side door and ascended a wrought iron spiral
staircase and emerged into the living quarters of the building. They
rounded a number of corners that Lexi couldn’t quite keep track of, and
came to a large arched doorway.
Pressing open the heavy wooden door ever so quietly, Oksana
introduced him to his sleeping quarters. She leaned close and whispered,
“Your bunk is in the corner. Good night, Lexi.”
Twin bunk beds lined the wall, each already occupied save for one
in the far corner. Moving quietly across the moonlit room Lexi took note
of the rustic furnishings made of rounded planks from bark stripped logs.
He placed his things on a footlocker at the end of the bed, took a seat on
the goose down comforter of the lower bed and tried to take in the events
of the day.
Suddenly a young boy poked his head over the edge of the higher
bunk and offered a greeting. “Hi there. I saw that nifty taxi drop you off at
the front door. You must be the new guy.”
As Lexi made no response, he offered a bit more. “I have half a
bag of gumballs if you want one,” he went on, climbing down from the top
bunk and holding out a mesh sack filled with brightly colored candies.
“No thanks,” Lexi replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
“So what’s your name?”
“Lexigander, but most people call me Lexi.” He hesitated, still
unsure how much information to give the rather inquisitive youngster.
“Nice to meet you, Lexi. Name’s Fitzgerald Oliver Linkous, but
my friends call me Fiz.” He spoke in a proud voice as he held out his hand
for a shake. Fiz was of English descent with sandy blond hair, a rather long
face, and bit more height than Lexi. Noting a pleasant disposition, Lexi
immediately knew he would like Fiz.
“So what took you so long to get here?” Fiz questioned, trying to
find out a bit more about Lexi.
“I dunno . . . I barely even know where I am. I was told this was
Rippleshank Manor,” he said, trying to find an intelligent response.
“Well . . . actually no, this is only the Guesthouse. That’s
Rippleshank Manor,” Fiz said, pointing out the window to the massive
building Lexi had seen on his way in. “The estate’s kinda like a summer
camp of sorts. I heard about it at school. So how ‘bout your folks?”
“They’re gone,” he responded, lowering his head.
“Way to go, Fiz.” A girl’s voice echoed from a dark corner of the
room.
“Say, you’re not supposed to be in here. This is the boy’s dorm,”
Fiz said rounding to meet his new friend Kimora. Though he had only
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The HawkenEye
been at Rippleshank for an afternoon, he managed to meet several other
guests. This one, however, he wasn’t too sure about.
Through glimmering moonlight, Lexi could just make out the
young girl’s features. She was of Asian descent with dark slanted eyes,
dark hair and a slightly darker tone to her skin. She wore soft cottony
pajamas of a pale pink hue, which starkly contrasted spiky twin pigtails
that hung to her shoulders. She was short of stature and thin in appearance,
but had a presence about her that made her seem larger.
“You think I didn’t find that trapdoor an hour after we moved in
here?” Kimora said rather firmly. The oversized trapdoor she referred to
supposedly belonged to a house cat, which no one had seen thus far.
Turning to face Lexi, Kimora instantly changed her tone and held out her
hand. “My name is Kimora.”
“More like anchovy I’d say,” Fiz said with a noted snicker.
“What did you say?” Kimora interrupted, rather flabbergasted.
Leaning closer to Lexi, Fiz lowered his voice to finish his
statement, “She wears all that smelly stuff, you know.”
“I . . . I think she smells good,” Lexi responded not knowing quite
what to say.
Turning to leave, Kimora capitalized on her moment of glory.
“See, Fiz, I think you have a lot to learn about women.”
“Good night, Lexi, I’ll see you in the morning,” Kimora said upon
her exit.
“Say . . . I thought you were on my side?” Fiz questioned turning
back to face Lexi.
“I thought she smelled good,” he replied, still unsure what he had
said wrong.
A short time later, both boys settled in for the night.
6
Clayton M. Craft
Chapter Two
Opening Ceremony
D
aybreak offered a new beginning for Lexi as he sat at the
edge of his window. He had already unpacked his things and
placed them in the nearby chest of drawers, which he’d
learned he would be sharing with Fiz. Most of the guests were already in
the dining hall enjoying a warm breakfast but Lexi simply enjoyed the
chance to be alone.
Lexi couldn’t help but stare out the window at Rippleshank
Manor. Dwarfing the Guesthouse, the multi-storied mansion blended
ground with sky, nearly blotting out the new morning sun. Most notably,
twin chimneys bookended the Manor, rising into the air like castle spires.
Its front displayed a dozen tall hollow windows, which stared out on the
half moon cobblestone driveway horshoeing before its massive arched
front door. The rear of the Manor contrasted the front, where a rounded
stone facade rose high before molding into a fan shaped structure of
rounded glass panes. The remaining brick and stone exterior wore a thick
vining of leafy green ivy. Only a handful of stones escaped its long
wriggling pattern.
Across the room, his loyal friend, Horus, still sat quietly in his
domed cage, which he hoped to replace with a perch outside the window.
He finally tore himself from the round window, and crossed the room to
greet Horus with a small fish attached to a short wooden stick.
“Morning, Horus. Did you sleep well?” he asked his feathered
friend in a soft voice.
Though he was trying to get used to his new surroundings, he
simply didn’t know what to make of the place. Here he was in the
Guesthouse of a massive estate, and for reasons he still couldn’t
comprehend. He thought back to the previous night, as he smoothed his
fingers across the uneven back of the aged pocket watch. With a flip of the
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antique relic, he again found the pair of feathered wings etched into the
rounded metal. Then he reached into his pocket, producing Billingsley’s
folded letter and again reviewed its words.
Dear Lexi,
If you are reading this, then you have followed my instructions to the
letter. Tonight you shall be picked up at the corner of Locksley and
Tisdale by a Derby & Brown taxi. I have already instructed your
caretakers at the orphanage to pack your things and deliver you to the
correct location. Though your mind must be awhirl with questions, I
cannot explain all that awaits you. Lexi it is quite dire that you be in
that exact location at the first second, of the second minute, of the
third hour of the fourth day of the fifth week of the sixth month.
When I can be of further service to you, I shall write you at your new
home.
Sincerely,
Uncle Billingsley
After the umpteenth reading of the simple letter, Lexi was no
better off than when he had received it nearly three weeks ago. Replaying
the words through his mind and running the broken pocket watch through
his hands, Lexi still couldn’t put any of this together. What baffled him
even more was the exact time of it all. How Uncle Billingsley could’ve
known the exact time and location of the taxi stop was beyond
comprehension.
Suddenly, a breathless and most excited Fiz burst through the door
shaking Lexi from his stupor.
“Come on . . . come on! It’s been posted.”
“What . . . what’s been posted?”
Fiz grabbed Lexi by the arm and propelled him down the stairs
and around several corners before finding a large group of tweens standing
around a message board. Imprinted on a large unrolled parchment, a
message detailed the activities for their first day at the Rippleshank Estate.
Congratulations on your selection to the Rippleshank Estate. As you
must be curious about your surroundings and your peers, you are free
to explore and meet one another this first day at the Rippleshank
Estate. However, all guests are to assemble in the courtyard at dusk
for opening ceremonies.
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Clayton M. Craft
“I guess we have the day for ourselves,” Fiz said with a
mischievous grin.
“Yeah, well, what do we do?” Lexi countered.
Looking out the nearby window, Fiz noted the blanketed fog and
drizzly conditions before offering a suggestion. “It looks like bad weather
outside, maybe we can explore inside today.”
“Sounds good. Where do we start?” Lexi asked, pondering their
surroundings.
“I think I smell breakfast, that outta be a good start,” Fiz said,
finishing his thought.
The Guesthouse’s dining hall was on the main floor and consisted
of two long wooden tables with fifty chairs per table. Nestled under one of
the tables sat Mortimer, the house cat. Though mostly a black ball of fur
with two piercing green eyes, the cat instantly became everyone’s best
friend. The kids soon learned of Mortimer’s penchant for green jellybeans,
and those lucky enough to have them most eagerly complied by dropping a
few of the colorful confections on the floor. The kids resumed their
conversations amid comments and pets for Mortimer.
Tables and carts sat throughout the hall topped with mountains of
anyone’s favorite food. With the hour quite early, each cart held stacks of
fluffy pancakes, hot rich syrup, pastries, slices of ham, links of sausage
and pitchers full of delicious juices.
With the hall quickly filling with chatter, the kids began
acquainting themselves with one another. The hall buzzed with maids
dressed in simple black servant’s dresses complete with a neatly tucked
white shirt with round black buttons. The butlers wore a similar attire of
black suits, collared white shirts and neatly squared bow ties. They moved
from one table to another, servants attending to the needs of the guests.
Each carried a plate of differing goodies, and quickly replaced cleaned
plates with those for the next course. They went about their duties with a
near song and dance, making each meal more of a show than anything
else. Though the guests were fully enjoying the many goodies of the
Guesthouse, most were trying to find out more about Rippleshank and
what lay ahead for the summer.
Kimora spotted Lexi and Fiz across the room and decided to
continue their conversation from the night before. She strolled over to their
table.
“Hello you two,” she interrupted with a polite greeting.
“Say, we’re kinda having a conversation here,” Fiz answered in a
rather unwelcome tone of voice.
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“It’s okay, Fiz, I don’t mind if she joins us,” Lexi said, not
wanting to upset either of his new friends. “Maybe she can help us figure
out what’s going on around here?”
“Yeah, sure. Help us figure out what's going on around here.”
After a short silence, Fiz continued with his usual babblings.
“Looks like Rippleshank left plenty of money behind to pay for all his
staff.” Fiz laughed, taking a large bite of pancake. “Mmm, like mom
makes ‘em,” he continued before splashing on more maple syrup.
“So tell me, who’s Rippleshank?” Lexi said, rather puzzled.
“What?” Fiz sputtered nearly choking on his syrup soaked
pancakes. “Old Man Rippleshank, you’ve never heard of Old Man
Rippleshank?”
“Huh uh, should I have?” Lexi answered, feeling as if he had said
something out of turn.
“You most certainly should have, unless of course you’ve been
hiding under a rock for the last several years,” Fiz continued as Lexi
simply shrugged his shoulders. “Old Man Rippleshank was said to be a bit
of a recluse. He was, by any stretch of the imagination, a very wealthy
man. Father used to talk about him all the time, how he made a fortune in
oil, then stocks and bonds. Then a few years ago, he vanished. County
coroner filed a report indicating that Rippleshank died of a simple heart
attack, but I don’t think Father really believed it. Then a few years after his
death, it leaked out that Rippleshank had left his entire fortune to fund
some sort of summer camp to be held here on the grounds of the Manor for
as long as his fortune allowed.”
“Whoa. That’s some story, Fiz,” Lexi replied, finally settling back
in his chair.
“I believe you left out a few parts,” she chimed into the
conversation.
“Uh, what parts?” Fiz questioned.
“In addition to being wealthy, it was said that Rippleshank was
actually Lord Rippleshank with direct bloodlines back to royals,” she
added.
“A blue blood?” Fiz asked.
“So the story goes. It’s also said that Rippleshank Manor played
host to lavish parties whose guests included politicians, dignitaries, and
other important people. His influence was said to be quite extensive,” she
added, finishing Fiz’s story.
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Clayton M. Craft
“So why leave a fortune for a summer camp when it could be used
for, you know, important stuff?” Lexi asked, trying to figure out why he
might be at the estate.
“I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that. Maybe we’ll figure it
out tonight at the opening ceremony,” she said.
Rising from his seat, Fiz decided to change the conversation. “I
think I’ve had about enough breakfast. Lexi and I are gonna check out the
other parts of the Guesthouse.”
“Oh good, it’ll give me a chance to show you some of the things
I’ve found,” she said, inserting herself into the group.
“But Lexi and I….” Fiz protested.
“It’s okay, Fiz, she can come along,” Lexi said, again adding her
to the group.
“Uh, yeah, why don’t you come along,” Fiz repeated, changing his
story to accommodate her.
As breakfast ended, the kids broke into small groups to explore the
interior of the grand Guesthouse. Without good weather, they would have
to wait to explore the remaining parts of the Rippleshank Estate. For today,
a cold rainy morning was the perfect time to find out more about the
Guesthouse. It was also a perfect time to find out more about the other
guests.
They were a rather normal mix of middleschoolers with their
normal middleschool aged habits. Some slaved to their MP3 players with a
long tendril-like earplug dangling from each ear. Some thumbed shiny new
cell phones, sending text messages to everyone, including those standing a
meter or two away. Some sailed up and down the corridors on colorful
wheeled sneakers.
Soon strangers became acquaintances, acquaintances became
friends and the house filled with a roaring chatter of questions and
answers.
Turning their attention toward the Guesthouse layout, they broke
into groups of three and four and further split off in differing directions to
explore the many parts of the spacious building.
It soon became apparent to Lexi that the Guesthouse was far larger
than originally thought. In addition to the spacious garage he passed
through last night, it consisted of three roomy floors.
The first floor contained the enormous dining hall, which wafted
wondrous smells up to the remaining floors from morning to evening, plus
a small oddly shaped mailroom tucked into an alcove off the foyer.
At the top of twin flanking staircases, the second floor included a
small library, living quarters for both quartermasters, and a curious locked
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room that appeared to lack so much as a doorknob. Moving higher, the
third floor was reserved for the boys and girls dormitories and easily
housed all one hundred summer guests.
The most distinctive feature of the Guesthouse hung from high
overhead. In its centermost portion, three stories above the foyer swung an
exact duplicate of Leonardo da Vinci’s Flying Machine. Its wings arched
out in either direction as if in mid-flight and resembled the skeletal
remains of a flying dinosaur hanging in a stately museum. Though it
created whispers and rumors, none of them knew quite what to make of the
thing.
Then there was the unusual open-faced clock that sat in one of the
foyer’s corners. The strange grandfather clock stood nearly seven feet tall
and appeared to be made entirely of the most beautiful wood any of the
guests had ever seen. Its narrow body was a swirl of earthen tans and
caramel browns and further sanded smooth to a near porcelain finish. Its
innards remained open displaying an intricately carved wooden pendulum
swinging evenly from one side to the next, and a series of interworking
wooden cogs slowly turning against one another. Though the tweens easily
found one amazing thing after another, the tours of the Guesthouse ended.
Dark of night was suddenly upon the estate and the time had
finally come to assemble in the courtyard for the opening ceremony. The
Guesthouse courtyard was a cobblestone terrace surrounded by a rock
balustrade. On its stone face sat a pair of massive fluted urns that displayed
brilliant flora of all shapes and sizes. Its widespread base narrowed to a
point leading to a pathway that mysteriously disappeared behind a high
rising hedge.
The weather had cleared, replacing the rain and misty fog with a
dark starry night. Expectations were running high leaving the guests beside
themselves with shivering anticipation.
Filing out of the Guesthouse in a somewhat organized fashion,
they passed behind the hedge and found something quite astonishing.
Maybe it was because no one had noticed or maybe because it had simply
not been there before. Only a short distance from the cobblestone
courtyard stood a maze of towering blue-green hedges rising high
overhead and extending further than the eye could see.
At its center, twin stone columns framed the maze’s arched
entrance and wrought iron gate of tall vertical bars. Its bars twisted into an
elaborate iron scrollwork, wriggling like a vine of unruly ivy. Woven into
the trailing ivy and adorning each side of the arched gate was another
elaborately scripted R, identical to the scripted R from the main gate that
they had passed through upon entering the estate grounds.
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At the foot of each stone column sat a massive white marble lion,
its paw upon an equally massive stone ball, openmouthed, as if frozen in
mid roar. The maze seemed well-guarded. Behind each lion’s massive
head curled a mane of endless ringlets flowing over powerful shoulders
and down an elongated body. Between the impressive lions, the maze’s
iron gate stood open, inviting guests into the deceptive torch-lit maze.
Approaching the entrance to the maze, Fiz posed the most obvious
of questions. “Uh guys, you think it’s safe in there?”
Having found no sign of movement Lexi braved an answer. “I
guess so. I’ve never seen a stone lion attack anyone. Let’s find out where it
goes.”
They inched their way closer to the stone lions before slowly
passing into the garden maze. Showing great faith, they stepped into the
mysterious maze of high rising shrubs, not knowing exactly where it
would lead or what would happen along the way. Their instructions thus
far had offered them nothing. With only a single directive to meet in the
courtyard at dark, stepping into the shadowy maze caused more than one
of them to have a stomach full of knots.
They found the maze quite overwhelming. Its hedges towered ten
feet over the path and grew thick as walls. It became more deceptive with
each switchback, leaving the guests grateful that the path was marked with
flaming amber torches. A parade of shadows followed the kids, who were
careful not to detour into any of the darkened portions of the maze.
At a particular turn, guests encountered a well-worn bronze disk
planted firmly in the ground. Atop its ancient round face sat an upward
turned metal triangle and a ring of etched Roman numerals.
“Say Lexi, what’s this for?” Fiz said, examining the large metal
disk.
“It’s a sundial, of course.” Kimora knelt to examine the discolored
disk and its etched numerals. “If we had a bit of sunlight you could tell
time quite well, actually.”
“Wow, I wonder what else this maze has in store for us,” Lexi
added, ushering the group forward.
Around a few more zigs and zags, and passing under several green
vining archways, they came upon another object seated in the corner of the
pathway. It was an aged bronze pedestal atop three clawed feet, supporting
a rounded glass orb.
“Say, look at that,” Fiz said, crowding around the newfound
treasure. “Never seen such a thing.”
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“Huh uh, me either,” Lexi added, moving a bit closer. Staring into
the swirled glass, he felt mesmerized by the mixture of blues and greens
streaming into brilliant yellows and oranges. Against the flaming
torchlight, the colors writhed, almost alive, mixing and moving about the
round glassy surface.
“It’s a Victorian gazing globe. You know they’re quite common in
European gardens,” she said.
“Whoa . . . what’s this all about?” Fiz marveled at the complexity
of the green-shrubbed maze and the odd things they had already
encountered.
“I dunno, you’ve been here longer than I have. Didn’t you hear
anything about this?” Lexi asked, turning the question back upon his
friend.
“Not a word,” Fiz replied, realizing there was a lot more to
Rippleshank than they knew about.
“Of course not, you two, it simply wasn’t here, or at least that’s
what they wanted us to believe,” said the ever-knowledgeable Kimora.
“Not here, what are you getting at?” Fiz answered with yet another
question.
“We’re being tested,” she said, voice calm and rather deliberate.
“Tested?” Fiz stammered, trying to wrap his mind around the
subject.
“That’s right, tested from the moment we first arrived here at
Rippleshank,” she continued, far more in tune with her surroundings than
the rest of her friends.
Lexi leaned closer to her and ventured another question. “So what
exactly is being tested?”
“I think we’re about to find out,” she finished, as they emerged
from the maze and into a large open clearing.
They stood at the lip of a crescent shaped amphitheater, which
descended several levels into the earth. To their surprise, the round theater
held all of the guests. At its center was a round raised platform made from
brownish grey flagstone and further adorned with patchy forest moss,
revealing a bit about the theater’s age. Atop the rounded platform sat a
large metal globe and a circular bronze gong complete with a hefty metal
hammer. Wrapped around the raised platform, tiered stadium seats rose up
several rows to ground level.
They found the earthen amphitheater amazing. No one had seen
nor heard anything about such a theater. They quickly found seats and
waited for something to happen. Soon the air filled with whispers and
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Clayton M. Craft
conversations, guessing and predicting what was about to take place. They
would not have long to wait.
When the last person arrived, the large metal globe erupted into
brilliant orange flame, and with great ceremony, a robed figure ascended
the stone stairs to the circular platform before the crowd. They sat on the
very edge of the seats, waiting for the man to speak.
He was a tall elderly man with flowing silver hair and an elaborate
moustache that curled both up and down and formed four loops
surrounding his nearly hidden lips. He wore a long silken robe that
encircled his neck before flowing velvety smooth over his body like the
waters of a towering waterfall. “Welcome to the Rippleshank Estate, your
new home for the summer. My name is William McTavius and in Lord
Rippleshank’s absence I have been chosen as the caretaker of these
illustrious grounds,” he said with a cool soothing voice.
Extending his arms in both directions, McTavius continued. “This
is the Theater of the Crescent Moon. It is here that many of the major
events of the coming summer will take place. Though I cannot reveal all of
the wondrous things that await you, I assure you that you’ve been selected
for a very special purpose.”
He paused to take a short breath and to survey the audience
clinging to every word he uttered. In measured tones, he continued. “Lord
Rippleshank was said to be a bit of a gamesman, often engaging his
houseguests in a series of tasks. So long as they could complete their tasks,
they were welcome to partake of the festivities prepared for them.
However, should they fail in their task they would be asked to leave. In
keeping with Lord Rippleshank’s customs, your stay here at the
Rippleshank Estate shall be much the same. After a proper amount of time
to prepare yourselves, each of you shall be tested with an appropriate task.
Should you complete your task, you shall be rewarded with the many
amenities and luxuries that the Rippleshank Estate has to offer. However,
should you fail to complete your task you will be asked to leave
forthwith.”
McTavius paused to allow his words to sink in before continuing
his elaborate instructions. “As the hour is late, this evening’s festivities
will be short. Your orientation to Rippleshank will begin bright and early
in the morning, when you will be given more lengthy instructions.”
Raising his hands to both sides of the stage, he signaled for two others to
join him.
“These are your quartermasters who will care for you during your
stay here at Rippleshank. This is Oglevey, who will keep a watchful eye
upon our young men.” A large broad-shouldered man with ebony-brown
15
The HawkenEye
skin joined the silver haired man upon the rounded stage. Though shorter
than McTavius, his size caused one to think of a brown bear.
He turned in the opposite direction and continued. “Mistress
Oksana shall assist our young women.” The second figure to join
McTavius was the beautiful, raven-haired woman Lexi had met upon his
arrival. She wore a long flowing gown that seemed to sparkle in the
torchlight as the thin, lithe woman moved across the stage. Her skin
appeared like the palest of ivory compared to the dark chocolate tones of
the other quartermaster.
“Now without further adieu, I declare this evening’s festivities at
an end.” As his words echoed through the night air, the great gong rang to
signal the end of the gathering. McTavius turned toward the thick hedge
behind him and waived his hands to either side. “I believe you will find
this to be an easier path.” With that, a hidden door completely entangled in
thick vining ivy swung open, revealing a short path back to the
Guesthouse.
“Blimey, look at that,” Fiz said.
“Yeah, I see,” Lexi replied.
They rose from their seats and filed out. “Wows” and “Did you
see thats” raced from one guest to another as they passed between the
parted hedges.
Only a short time later the lights in the Guesthouse faded to
darkness, but darkness couldn’t tame the excitement as soft whispers
continued to stir amongst the inquisitive kids, particularly the young men.
“Say Lexi . . . Lexi,” Fiz said through the darkness.
“Yeah,” Lexi answered after a brief silence.
“Whatcha think about all of this?”
“I dunno. I need some time to sort it all out.”
“Yeah, but whatcha think?”
Lexi nodded. “Cool.”
“Yeah, way cool.” Fiz turned over in his bunk. “See you in the
morning.”
A moment later, the amphitheater’s flaming globe extinguished as
if on cue. This night had gone to dark and reached its end. It promised to
be a summer none of the guests would forget.