Tag Archive: Narnia

Jan 23

In the Company of Angels: Episode 4.2 – The Empath (cont.)

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In the Company of Angels, Episode 4.2 – The Empath (cont.)

 

“Take it off! Take the ring off!” she heard Mr. Luke say to her, as if from a great distance, but Jill could not move. Then strong hands grabbed her by the shoulders, and she realized that Polydora was holding her up. Immediately she felt calmed, and she heard the most beautiful singing, high and sweet, that seemed to be coming from the rafters above them. Polly had turned Jill around, had kneeled before her, and was holding her up and peering into her eyes.

Jill looked into the Ferrumari’s face and heard a voice in her head say “Those are the ones that were lost, but they are not sad voices. They are voices of joy; echoes from the times long before I was born. Do you understand?”

Jill shook her head. “Not really. But…I’ll be OK. I just need a moment….”

“Sorry,” she said, looking up at Mr. Luke and Sam. “It was just getting used to the ring, I think.”

“No, it was a lot more than that. Polly, do you think she’ll be alright in Orbaratus?”

“Yes, if I am with her. As I said, she sees very far, and she may soon come to sense the presence and emotions of those around her as well as can I.”

“You mean,” asked Jill, “you mean you’re an Empath too?”

“Of course,” said the voice in her head. “That is how I sensed what you were thinking and feeling.” Polly smiled.

“But I can’t do that,” said Jill.

“Can’t do what?” asked Sam.

“Hush, Sam,” said Mr. Luke.

“But, you already are!” thought Polly. “You’re doing it now!”

Jill looked at Polly, wide-eyed. “OK, let me try this…” said Jill.

“Try what?” asked Sam.

“Hush, Sam!” said Mr. Luke.

“Can you hear me?” thought Jill, looking directly at Polly.

Polly nodded and smiled, “Of course!” she thought back.

“Well, that’s a first!” she said aloud.

“What’s a first?” asked Sam. Mr. Luke clapped his hand over Sam’s mouth.

“But, Polly,” thought Jill, “if I can understand what you’re thinking, why can’t I understand what anyone else is thinking?”

Jill heard a tinkling sound in her head that she recognized as Polly’s laughter. “Because, little one, you’ve not tried to! And because it is always easier to read the thoughts of another Empath than of anyone else, provided, of course, that the Empath is allowing you to do so.”

“Oh!” said Jill aloud. She closed her eyes and rubbed them.

“What’s going on, Mr. Luke?” asked Sam, clearly confused.

“Something you’ve never seen before, Samuel, nor I, and something you should remember and cherish; you may never live to see it again! Jill is learning a new thing about herself, a wonderful thing. You remember when you first discovered that you were a Navigator?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, this is like that, only more so.”

“Oh!”

While Sam and Mr. Luke were talking, Polly and Jill had been silent, gazing at each other.

“Polly?” said Mr. Luke after a few moments, “I know I’ve asked already, but are you sure Jill will be alright in Orbaratus?”

There was a long pause while Jill and Polly appeared to be chatting with each other, then Jill said “Yes, Mr. Luke. Polly was already telling me about her world, and I would really like to see it for myself.”

Sam shook his head. “So now you can read minds?!”

“No,” said Jill, “not yours. But Polly says that will likely come in time.”

“Sheesh! Bad enough having to watch my mouth, now I’m going to have to watch my thoughts too?!”

“You’ve not done so around me thus far,” said Polly, smiling. “Why should you have to do so with your friend?”

“It’s…it’s different with Jill…” Sam said, sulkily.

“Well, we can sort such things out later,” said Mr. Luke. “But now, if we’re all agreed, let’s go explore another world….”

Mr. Luke went behind a curtain nearby and emerged wearing the duster coat that he had been sporting when Jill first discovered him in her library. He also had brought two short, grey, hooded cloaks with him. “It’s not really that cold on Orbaratus,” he said as he handed one cloak to Sam and the other to Jill, “but it can be a bit damp and windy. These will serve to keep you warmer and drier while we’re there.”

The four of them then gathered before the painting. “Everyone please make sure your skin is in contact with your crystal,” said Mr. Luke.

Jill clenched her fist and felt the sting of electricity. Then came the wash of emotions and the sound of singing from the painting once more. But whether it was because she was prepared for it this time or because Polly had her hand on her shoulder, Polly found that she was now able to bear it.

“Is everyone ready?” Mr. Luke asked, looking pointedly at Jill.

Jill nodded.

“Then hold onto you hats!” said Sam. With that, he jumped, with both feet, straight at the painting. Jill saw him one moment, and in the next he was gone. She gasped involuntarily.

“You two next, Polly,” said Mr. Luke.

Polly stepped forward without hesitation and strode into the painting, stooping to fit her head and wings through it. She kept Jill’s hand grasped firmly in her own. Jill followed her, hesitating only for a moment. Once through, her feet crunched on something like gravel and she felt a cool, wet breeze blowing through her hair.

Jill looked around her. The silver skies above were racing with clouds, and the cliff-like buildings towered on all sides. Polydora was still holding her hand, but the Ferrumari stood just ahead of her, gazing at a particular spot high atop of one of the buildings.

Sam stood before them both grinning. “Whatcha think?” he said.

Jill felt quite disoriented — dizzy, and even slightly sick to her stomach. She turned around just in time to glimpse Mr. Luke stepping up behind her. Just past where he stood she could still see the lights and the desk of the Gallery. Jill leaned to one side of Mr. Luke to see it better and realized that the window, if one could call it that, was simply hanging in space. She let go of Polly’s hand and stepped back toward it. She opened her hand and reached out to touch the edges of the bright frame, but as soon as she did so, it vanished, and she was staring at the empty landscape of Orbaratus. She pulled back her hand, startled.

“It’s still there, you know,” said Mr. Luke. “Close your hand upon the crystal again.”

Jill clenched her fist, and immediately the frame reopened in space before her.

“It will remain here for us to use when we return,” said Mr. Luke, “but no one can see it or use it without one of the sapphires.”

Jill continued to look throughthe portal for a moment, and then she relaxed her hold on the sapphire. The view from her own distant world dissolved away, but not before she thought she caught a glimpse of something, or someone, moving in the background of the vanishing image. She was about to mention this to Mr. Luke, but in the Orbaratan light, she saw that he was very pale. “You don’t look so good, Mr. Luke. Are you alright?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, he’s always that way after a run,” said Sam, stepping up beside her. “But, how are you feeling…OK?”

“I think, so. A bit woozy, I guess.”

“Yeah, just like Mr. Luke. Here, have some chocolate.” Sam gave her a chocolate bar, and after eating a few bites, Jill began to feel better.

“I thought that only worked in Harry Potter books,” she said.

“Naw. I think J.K. Rowling must have known someone in the Order and stolen the idea. Chocolate seems to help if framerunning an image ever makes you feel woozy. I hardly ever do, but I keep some with me just in case, and you should too.”

“Well, we’re not all Navigators, Samuel,” said Mr. Luke, who was likewise now munching on a chocolate bar.

“Why do you call Sam a ‘Navigator’, Mr. Luke?” asked Jill.

“Because that’s his special talent, just as yours appears to be that of an Empath.”

“But what does it mean to be a Navigator?”

“It means that Sam is very adept at framerunning. He can do it all day long without getting tired or disoriented, and in fact, he has a special ability to sense the existence of frames, or portals, even without the aid of a crystal. Also, he can use mirrors to move from one place to another, something that we call “mazerunning”, without ever losing his sense of direction. That is an ability that you and I do not possess; we would likely find it nearly impossible to mazerun on our own without becoming hopelessly confused, and perhaps even end up getting lost in the Maze for good.”

“So that’s how Sam got out of our house last night? Through the mirror?”

“Yes, apparently, although I’ve not heard all the details yet. He found his way back to his own house without ever going outdoors. I quite envy him the time he can save instantly getting from one place to another when the need arises….”

“So you aren’t a Navigator yourself, Mr. Luke?”

Sam snickered.

“Ahem!” said Mr. Luke, scowling at Sam. “No, Jill. Nor am I am Empath like you and Polly. I’m a Renderer.”

“That’s a fancy name for an artist,” said Sam.

“There’s a lot more to it than that, but the description is certainly close enough for our purposes,” said Mr. Luke. “That said, right now….”

Mr. Luke looked past Jill.

“…right now, we need to find out what Polly is so fixated on….”

Jill turned around. Polly had not joined in their conversation; she had remained looking fixedly up at the top of one of the cliff-like buildings. She was completely still and silent, and once more Jill thought she could easily have been mistaken for a statue. But Jill could almost feel Polly listening; listening intently not only with her ears, but with all of her empathic senses.

“What is it, Polly?” Jill asked, stepping forward and putting her hand in that of the Ferrumari.

“Can’t you feel it?” Polly spoke to Jill in her mind.

“What, Polly?” Jill thought back.

“Someone else is here. Here, on Orbaratus.”

“But, I thought you said your home was deserted; that no one else lived here but you…?”

“That was true, little one,” thought Polly, “but it is so no more. Someone is up there.”  Polly swept her long arm upward and pointed at the cliff tops. “Someone, or something….”

                 [ To read Episode 5.1, click here…. ]

 

 

Jan 16

In the Company of Angels: Episode 4.1 – The Empath

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In the Company of Angels, Episode 4.1 – The Empath

 

Jill stood up and turned fully around so that she could see Polydora more clearly. But what a being! The graceful-looking woman stood nearly seven feet tall and appeared to be made entirely of silver. There was no fixed color to her other than the reflections she cast, but her shape was clearly feminine. She appeared to be wearing a tunic or robe, richly engraved with strange symbols. But the wings! These Jill could only see partially, as their tops framed Polydora’s head, almost halo-like. They, too, were bright, shining silver.

Polydora stood entirely still; Jill could scarcely believe, at first, that she was a living creature at all.

“P-pleased to meet you Ms…uh…Ms. Polydora,” said Jill.

The statue’s lips moved, and Jill heard a tinkling sound that she recognized quickly as a sweet laughter. “I am delighted to meet you, Miss Jill,” said the statue.

Polydora nodded her head graciously and then stretched out a long arm toward Jill. Jill reached out to shake hands, but was quickly unsettled; Polydora had six delicate, slender fingers, the outer two of which were thumbs, so that their first handshake was one of those moments that most brought home to Jill the fact that she was not in the presence of a human being.

“Polly,” said Mr. Luke, “is the keeper of the Gallery, our secretary, our computer, our filing system, and, especially, our hostess, all rolled into one,” said Mr. Luke. “If there is anything of grace and beauty here in the Gallery, it is entirely due to her.”

Polly turned toward Mr. Luke, placed her palms together, and bowed.

“But, Ms. Polydora…?” asked Jill

“Yes, Miss Jill?”

“If it’s not impolite to ask, what are you? I’ve never met anyone like you before, nor even read of anyone like you. Are you an angel?”

Polly laughed in her chime-like tones. “Dear child! It is true that I resemble what you might call an angel, but I am of the Ferrumari, and I come from a world called Orbaratus.”

“I don’t understand,” said Jill.

“Perhaps I can explain it to Jill, Polly. And while I do so, would you be so kind as to retrieve the landscape of your world so that we can share it with her?” asked Mr. Luke.

Polly bowed, and then, to Jill’s great delight, she spread her silver wings and rose glittering into the air above them. Then she banked steeply and swept into the darkness beyond the railings. The gale from her departure blew through Jill’s hair, and she finally understood the source of the fluttering sounds that she had heard since arriving at the Gallery; they had been Polly’s wings.

Mr. Luke ushered Jill back to the table. As she and Sam sat, Mr. Luke began pacing back and forth before them.

“Polly,” he began, “is the last of her kind. Her home world, Orbaratus, is deserted. All of her people, save her, were destroyed in great wars thousands of years ago, and she lives here and helps us in our work because she has no other family.”

“How sad!” said Jill, “But what were the wars about? And how did she survive them?”

“I’m not sure of all the details, and Polly does not like to dwell on a past that is so painful. But we do know that a race of creatures instigated the wars on her planet; creatures that invaded it from another world.

“I’ve said, Jill, that we, as Framerunners, can visit other realms, both in space and in time. But so, apparently, can others, although their manner of travel is not entirely understood by us. But, many thousands of years ago, an army whose members are sometimes called the Amenta appear to have made their way to Orbaratus. There they found the Ferrumari, a sentient species of servant beings whose creators had long since become extinct. The Amenta have no fixed form; they are what we might call ‘spirits’.”

“’Spooks’ is what I call ‘em,” said Sam.

“Yes, that is Samuel’s preferred term,” said Mr. Luke, “but whatever you might call them, they are dangerous creatures. They persuade and bully others, binding them into a form of slavery. Thus they goaded some of the weaker of the Ferrumari people into instigating wars of power and domination, and these grew in intensity as each of the Ferrumari chose either to uphold peace and harmony, or to ally themselves with those who sought power.

“In the end, much of Orbaratus was laid waste, and all of the Ferrumari destroyed. The Amenta victory was complete, save for Polydora. She was a newborn at the time of the Orbaratan apocalypse and was secreted away by her parents. When she was old enough to leave the haven they had provided for her, all she found left of Orbaratus was a desolate planet devoid of all life.

“But, such are the Ferrumari that even then, Polly did not despair, but rather learned all that she could about her people from those resources available to her: ancient histories and legends, tales of other worlds, poetry, and art left behind not only by the Ferrumari, but also by the race that had brought the Ferrumari into being, about whom we know little. Many of these treasures had survived, you see, in the rubble of the libraries, galleries, and museums. But Polydora’s parents had also provided her with books and paintings of her own so that she could learn as she grew.”

“Almost like my library!” said Jill.

“Precisely!” said Mr. Luke. “And as Polly read the stories of her people, she nurtured her own belief that no creature could ever be truly alone forever in the universe. And her hopes of meeting other intelligent beings were fulfilled at last when some of our own forebears visited Orbaratus. They did this by framerunning a landscape painting of her home; the very one that Polly is bringing to show us. That was her first physical contact with any other living creature.

“But…now you can see for yourself what Polly’s home looks like; here she comes with the painting….”

Polydora fluttered delicately to the floor of the platform. In her arms she held an image painted on a wood-like panel that stood nearly six feet tall. Mr. Luke mounted it upon an easel and Sam focused a floodlight upon it so that it was fully illuminated. Jill saw an alien landscape in silvers, purples and greens. Beautiful metallic structures were built into the sides of cliffs, or perhaps, Jill thought, the cliffs themselves might actually be buildings; it was impossible to say for sure.

There were signs of great violence and decay in the painting, despite its beauty: rubble in the streets; damaged windows; gaping holes in walls; dead vines creeping into cracks in the buildings. But the overall impression remained ethereal and, oddly, lyrical. The landscape and structures, like Polydora herself, were largely made of shining, metallic materials that caught the light and reflected it in graceful curves. Despite the metal, the impression was not of a cold and impersonal place, but of a great but ruined civilization. Even without any living creature depicted, there was something organic and achingly beautiful about the world.

But Jill also felt an emptiness, a loss, and the long flow of time that must have passed since this city had fallen into ruin. She no longer had Sam’s crystal in hand, but she could almost hear the wind sighing through the city streets and feel how hard it must have been for anyone to have survived there – alone. All that beauty, all that history, but none to share it with. Jill felt a lump rise in her throat.

“I believe you like my home,” said Polly to Jill. Jill jumped slightly. She had been so captivated by the painting that she had not noticed Polly step up beside her. Polly gently grasped Jill’s hand and squeezed it.

Jill looked up to answer her and noticed tears in the eyes of the Ferrumari.

“Yes, I like it very much,” she said, “very much indeed….”

Polly squeezed Jill’s hand again, but then turned her head toward Mr. Luke. “This one sees far.”

“Really? How far, Polly?”

“Farther than any I’ve met other than Azarias.”

“Is she a Renderer, then?”

“No, an Empath.”

“An Empath?!!! Holy smoke!!!” Sam blurted out.

“Are you sure, Polly?” asked Mr. Luke.

Polly nodded.

Jill looked up at her, and then at Mr. Luke. “What does that mean, Mr. Luke? I know what ’empathy’ means – it’s kind of like the ability to share someone else’s experiences and emotions – but that’s not what you’re talking about here, is it?”

“No, Jill, it’s not. It’s a term we use to describe a particular talent – a very rare talent – that some very few of our Order have possessed over the years. If Polly is correct – and I can say in all honesty that I have never known her to be otherwise – you may have a skill that we have needed for some time, one that could help us in our work should you wish to join us.

“But, we can discuss all of this later. Polly says you like the look of her world. How would you like to visit it?”

“You mean, right now?!”

“Certainly! Polly, might I persuade you to come with us? I know it may be difficult for you, but there is so much that you can explain better to Jill than can Sam or I.”

Polydora looked longingly at the painting, and then back toward Jill. “I will come.”

“Thank you. I know what returning to Orbaratus may cost you….” said Mr. Luke.

“Two firsts in one day,” mumbled Sam.

“Hush, Sam. Now, let me retrieve two extra crystals, and we’ll be off.” Mr. Luke returned to the desk Jill had seen when she first entered the Gallery, and stepped to the wall on one side of the door. He pushed aside the curtain, and Jill saw a flash of gold as he opened a cabinet door. He returned with two rings; a small one for Jill, and a larger one for Polly.

“Now, these can be kept on your finger at all times, because the crystal is not usually in direct contact with your skin. But, when we framerun, you can turn the jewel around and close your hand shut; then you’ll feel the crystal’s surface against your skin. Try it now.”

Jill put on the ring and felt nothing. But then she did as Mr. Luke said: she turned it around on her finger so that the plain silver band was facing outward, and clenched her hand shut.

She immediately felt the electrical tingling, but then an enormous flood of emotion filled her, almost knocking her to the ground. She turned and stared at the painting of Orbaratus, which was now glowing in a truly unearthly light. The feelings she had had before; of beauty and harmony, but also of loss, of heartbreak, and of pain, were amplified a thousandfold. Motes of light swam before her eyes and she hardly noticed that she was in danger of falling.

Take it off! Take the ring off!” she heard Mr. Luke say to her, as if from a great distance….

              [ To read Episode 4.2, click here…. ]

 

 

Jan 07

Cair Paravel

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“Cair Paravel

Oil on canvas, 13″x21″ wide.

13″x21″ wide signed and numbered prints – AVAILABLE! Please click here.

13″x21″ original oil painting – AVAILABLE!.

To purchase this original painting, please click here.

 

Jan 02

In the Company of Angels: Episode 3.1 – The Gallery

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In the Company of Angels, Episode 3.1 – The Gallery

 

Jill walked down the sidewalk, noting the numbers on the buildings as she passed. It was the morning after Sam disappeared from her house. She had explained to her mother, quite truthfully, that Sam had left just after the howling had started outside. Her uncle Chris checked the yard, but by then the din had ceased and he could find no evidence of any intruders. So, the adults had all returned to the dining room and eaten dessert. About a half hour later, at Evie’s insistence, Jill had called Sam. He was back at home and was fine, but he did not offer any additional explanation other than to tell her the address of Mr. Luke’s studio.

That was where she was now headed.

When she reached the 200 block, she noticed that most of the buildings appeared to be industrial, with plenty of trucks pulling up to loading docks and lots of traffic coming and going. Number 220 was just ahead. It was a large three-story brick warehouse with a simple metal and mirrored-glass door in the front. A few windows, also mirrored, were visible on the second and third floors. The sign on the door matched Mr. Luke’s business card. It read:

Lucas Lester

Artist & Illustrator

www.Framerunners.com

 Jill stepped up to the door and pressed the button on the intercom. For quite a while there was no answer, so she pressed it again. Then an odd but strangely sweet metallic voice finally spoke to her through the speaker.

 “May I help you?”

 “This is Jill Jonsson. I’m here to see Mr. Luke. Sam Deckard gave me this address.”

 There was a long silence, and then she heard a loud buzz and a click as the lock on the door was released. “Come upstairs please,” said the metallic voice.

 Jill opened the door and stepped inside. The entrance area was a small, unadorned room. A heavy plain metal door that apparently connected with the ground floor of the warehouse was just to the right, and a flight of stairs leading upward was to the left. Directly in front of her, the entire wall was mirrored, and she could see herself in the reflection. She climbed the two short flights of stairs to the upper floor and found herself standing before another mirrored-glass door, similar to the one on the street. She realized that this mirror must be the one-way type; through it she saw various splotches of light and some movement. She knocked, and a shadowy figure approached. The door swung wide and Luke Lester stood in the doorway, dressed now in coveralls that were spattered with every imaginable color of paint..

 “Ah! Jane! It’s so good to of you to have come!”

 “Uh…it’s Jill, Mr. Luke. Jill Jonsson.”

 “Oh, yes, yes indeed. Silly me! I am so terrible with names! Please forgive me? May I take your coat?”

 “Yes, thanks,” said Jill. She handed her coat to Mr. Luke, who took it and carefully hung it on a hanger, and then upon a very ornate cast iron coat rack by the door. Beside the coat rack was an umbrella stand fashioned of dark-glazed ceramic with golden dragons painted along the rim the floor was covered with some beautiful but faded oriental rugs. These were only by the door through which she had entered; the rest of the floor was hardwood, and, Jill noted, could definitely use a good sweeping.

 But the room itself was less a room than an enormous platform, with carved wooden railings along three sides, and some sort of dark scaffolding barely visible beyond the rails, though what the scaffolding was, and what it held, Jill couldn’t see well enough to say. Whatever the structures were intended for, they appeared to reach not only to the floor below them, but all the way to the ceiling of what would have been the third floor of the warehouse.

 Upon the platform itself, there were a few chairs and a large desk near the door, jumbles of standing suits of armor, weapons, racks of clothing, and dozens of easels set up randomly. Each of these held a painting, or in some cases several small paintings together. Many of the easels had coat racks next to them, on and around which were piled cloaks, or hats, or gloves, or boots, or other items that Jill didn’t recognized.

 The wall behind her and parts of the platform were partitioned off by heavy purple curtains, and some of the spaces around the platform were surrounded by the curtains, Jill could see bright lights and easels with partially finished paintings within these enclosures. All of the windows that she had seen from the street below appeared to have been heavily curtained, and the only light in the warehouse came from flood lamps scattered throughout the platform. The effect of all of the jumble and clutter of the place reminded Jill, somehow, of a film studio filled with props for movie-making, and she could even imagine that the walls might be covered with thick velvet to absorb the outdoor sound.

 For there was no sound within the warehouse; that is, other than the gentle humming of electric lighting. That wasn’t quite true though, Jill realized, because now and again she thought she heard fluttering coming from the dim spaces beyond the carved railings; she wondered whether birds had become lost within the building, or had perhaps found ways in and out of the warehouse and had made nests for themselves in the rafters.

 All of these thoughts flooded through Jill’s mind as Mr. Luke fussed with her coat, but in reality only a few seconds had passed.

 “There we are then. Welcome to my studio!” Mr. Luke said, sweeping his hand grandly toward the easels and artifacts before them. “What do you think of it?”

 “Well…” said Jill. “I suppose I don’t really know what to think! I’ve never seen a place quite like this! But that’s not quite true, now that I think about it, because I did once see a live performance of a play at the Fox Theatre, and when we went backstage afterwards to meet some of the actors, I remember the prop rooms and makeup rooms and the storage areas. They reminded me of this, somehow.”

 “Ah! Yes, I suppose there may well be some similarities. We do often find that we need props for the work we do here. But, what play was it that you saw? And who took you, your mother?”

 “Well, it wasn’t a play really; it was an opera. It was Hansel and Gretel.” Jill paused for a moment and her voice became muted, “that was just before…before my father….”

 “Oh, Jill! You’re here!” It was Sam. Jill had not heard him come in. She assumed that he must have been behind some of the curtains.

 “Ah, Samuel! Yes, Jill has just arrived. Thank you for instructing her on how to find us!” said Mr. Luke.

 Sam came up to Jill, grinning.

 “Alright Sam, maybe now you can start to explain exactly what happened last night? And how you managed to get out of a bathroom that had no windows and no door other than the one I closed behind you?”

 Sam looked up at Mr. Luke, who nodded.

 “OK, look Jill, there’s a lot we’ll both need to explain to you, and it might be easier for all of us if we sat down and took it one step at a time. Before we start, would you like something to drink or to eat? Some tea maybe? This may take us a while….”

 “Well, sure, that’s what I’m here for. And, yes, I’d love some tea.”

 “Great, let’s sit here by the desk. Mr. Luke will look after the tea things.”

 While Sam was talking, Mr. Luke had stepped toward the railings. Jill heard the fluttering again, but Mr. Luke returned a few moments later holding a tray with a tea kettle, cups, saucers, and a poppy seed cake. There were three small plates, napkins, a pitcher of cream, and a sugar bowl. In addition, there was a plate with what looked like slices of salmon, and steam was rising from the teapot. Jill recognized the combination; she had been to England with her mother just the previous year, and when they were there they had often dined on such fare at tea rooms in the Cotswalds.

 “This is lovely!” she exclaimed. “I never would have expected such a nice welcome! Mr. Luke, this reminds me of an English tea. Have you ever been to England?”

 Sam snickered involuntarily.

 “Samuel! Be polite!” said Mr. Luke. “Jess here can’t possibly know about my upbringing! But, yes, Jess…”

 “It’s Jill!”

 “I’m sorry, yes Jill, I have spent quite a few years of my life in Europe, and in England in particular. I studied some years in Oxford, as well as in Rome. My mentor, Azarias, resides in London yet, and we are in constant contact. But, I’m so happy that you like the tea! Polly will be very pleased.”

“Polly?”

 “She’s our…well…how would you describe Polly, Samuel?”

 “Um, well, she’s not like anyone you’ve ever met; takes a bit of getting used to, that’s for sure…” said Sam.

 “I meant her role in our…um…organization.”

 “Oh, that! Yes, well, Jill, Polly is part housekeeper, part secretary, part computer, part filing system, and part hostess, all rolled up into one. We call her the Keeper; what she does most and best is to mind The Gallery.”

 “The Gallery?” asked Jill. “Is that what you call your warehouse here, Mr. Luke?”

 “Well, yes,” said Mr. Luke. “It is, partially, a warehouse, but it’s more a combination of studio, gallery, and library. We have several million paintings and sketches housed here, and these are maintained and organized in those shelves you can just see past the railings.”

“Several million?”

 “Yes indeed! You’ll come to understand once we’ve explained. Samuel, would you bring out your sapphire?”

 Sam stood up and drew from his pocket the very pendant and chain that Jill had found at her house the day before. He held it up to the light and Jill could see once more how beautiful the jewel was as it caught shards of light from the flood lamps around them.

“Samuel tells me that you found this when he left it at your house. Many thanks for returning it to him, by the way! You cannot know how dangerous it might have been if someone else had discovered it by mistake!”

 “Dangerous?! What do you mean dangerous?! exclaimed Jill.

        [ To read Episode 3.2, click here…. ]

Dec 26

In the Company of Angels: Episode 2.2 – Rusty’s Big Adventure (cont.)

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In the Company of Angels, Episode 2.2 – Rusty’s Big Adventure (cont.)

 

“What do you mean, ‘fell through the painting’?” asked Jill.

“Just what I said! Rusty found a piece of jewelry on the bookshelf and said he was going to keep it. I told him that was stealing, and he needed to put it back where he found it. Then I tried to take it from him so that it wouldn’t get lost, but he pushed me away. And that’s when it happened! He fell against the picture over there…” Kate pointed again at the picture, which was a large poster-sized fairy tale scene of a castle on an island surrounded by the sea. “And then he just…he just toppled backward, as if he was falling out of a window!!!”

The three stood silently, looking at the picture.

Sam bent toward Jill and whispered into her ear “Jill, you need to get Kate out of here for a minute or two. I’ll find Rusty.”

Jill looked hard at Sam. He nodded at her and pointed his thumb at the door.

“Kate, maybe something else happened…? Maybe Rusty is hiding or something. Let’s go see if he’s somewhere else in the house…you know, maybe he managed to slip out of sight somehow and is trying to play a trick on us. It would be just like him….”

“But, I know what I saw Jill! He couldn’t have left the room without my seeing him!”

“I believe you! But even so, we don’t want to get Aunt Cathy and Uncle Chris worried unless we’re sure, right?”

“I guess not,” conceded Kate.

The two girls left the room, and Jill gave Sam a questioning look as they left, but he just shook his head.

Jill and Kate looked in the closets for Rusty, and then in the living room and under the couch. Jill tried to take as much time as she could, hoping that Sam might know something about Rusty’s whereabouts that she did not. Finally, when the girls had exhausted all the possible hiding places downstairs (other than the dining room, since they didn’t want to alarm the adults just yet), Jill heard voices coming from the library, and the two returned there.

“Look, don’t you think maybe you just hit your head…?” they heard Sam saying as they walked in.

Rusty was shaking his head violently “Did not! Did not!”

“Well then, Rusty, why don’t you tell everyone what did happen?” Sam replied.

“But you were there! You came in and got me!” Rusty yelled. Sam said nothing.

“We were both right in there!!” Rusty yelled, pointing at the painting of the castle. “He just came in and pulled me back out again! We were on the beach! And there was water, and birds, and a castle, and everything!”

Sam shrugged. “OK, but if you really fell through the painting, maybe you can show us how it happened. Try it again.” He stepped out of Rusty’s way.

Rusty walked up to the painting, reached toward it, and then stopped, startled, when he felt the Plexiglass that protected it. “But…” he said, “but it wasn’t like that! I mean, just a minute ago!”

Jill had been watching Sam closely, and she saw him slip something into his pants pocket.

“Well, Rusty, whatever happened, you’re alright now,” Jill said.

“But Jill,” Kate said in a hushed voice, “I saw him fall through the painting, too!”

“Maybe you did,” said Sam, coming over to Kate, “but is it possible it was some kind of an illusion? I mean, there’s Plexiglas covering the painting, and maybe the light caught it just right and made you think you saw him fall through…?”

“Well, I don’t know…..” said Kate, looking up at Sam.

Sam lowered his voice. “Look, Kate, we need to try to calm Rusty down. He’s very worked up….”

They all three looked at Rusty, who was now punching at the painting with his fist.

Kate looked up dreamily into Sam’s eyes and smiled. “I see what you mean, Sam. I’ll see what I can do….”

“Rusty!” she said, “Stop punching that picture!! If you don’t calm down, I’m going to tell mom, and then you won’t get any cookies for dessert! And, we’ll have to go home early and then you’ll really be in big trouble!!!”

Rusty shot her a nasty glance, but it was clear that he was getting tired. He stopped pounding the painting and slunk away into the overstuffed chair. “…did so fall in! Nobody ever believes me….”

Jill and Kate looked at each other and giggled, and Sam relaxed a bit. Just then Jill’s mother called from the living room “Jill, honey, you want to come get cookies for everyone?”

“Come on,” she said to Kate, “let’s get dessert.”

The two girls left, and Sam went over to where Rusty was sitting alone. Rusty glared at him.

You know what happened! You jumped in after me!”

Sam bent down so that his voice wouldn’t carry. “Of course I did, Rusty. But, sometimes that’s how magic works; one minute you fall through a painting, and the next minute you can’t. But we shouldn’t talk too much about this with the girls; they wouldn’t understand. You see what I mean?”

Rusty brightened up. “You mean it’s true then? I didn’t hit my head?”

“Well, magic is true, Rusty, but sometimes we have to keep quiet about it. Otherwise…” Sam looked around them confidentially. “…otherwise, people might start to think we’re both just weird in the head.” He pointed his finger at his temple and twirled it. “You know what I mean?”

Rusty nodded. “Yeah!”

“So, falling through the painting; that’ll be our little secret, OK? And maybe someday, when you’re a little bit older, you and I can try it again together. What do you think?”

“But why can’t we try it again now?!”

“Well, you did try it, didn’t you? And it didn’t work?”

“No, it didn’t.”

“Well, that’s the way magic is sometimes. I know it might be hard, but if you’re patient, I’m sure there will come other times when we can try it again and it will work, OK?”

Rusty looked at him suspiciously. “You’re not just making this up, are you? Just to shut me up? It really did happen, and I’m not crazy, right?”

“You’re not crazy, Rusty. But, I expect if you told too many other folks, they might think you were. So, mum’s the word, OK?”

“OK!” said Rusty, beaming.

The girls returned, and Jill was astonished at the change in Rusty, who suddenly, from her perspective, was no longer sulking. Rather, he came over to the table in the center of the room and enthusiastically helped himself to three cookies at once.

“You feeling better now, Rusty?” she asked.

“Sure….,” he said, stuffing another cookie in his mouth and winking at Sam.

Sam leaned toward Jill. “I’ll explain later,” he said, “Or, better yet, I’ll have Mr. Luke explain. You should come visit him at his studio as soon as you can.”

Before Jill could answer, however, all four of them were startled by an abrupt –- and very frightening — howling sound coming from just outside the library window!

Jill jumped up. “What on earth is that?!”

Sam stood up as well. “Something I thought might happen. But, don’t worry; I can make it go away.”

The sound got louder. It was a strange and eerie sound, like dozens of wolves howling from within some deep, metallic barrel. The voices of so many creatures coming, seemingly, from just outside the house chilled everyone to the marrow.

Sam looked around the library as if searching for something. “Quick, Jill, do you have a large mirror somewhere nearby? In a bathroom, or maybe in the living room somewhere?”

“Yes, in the bathroom in the hallway. There’s a full-length mirror just behind the door. Why?”

“Take me there. Just let me step inside for a bit; I won’t lock the door. But afterwards I’ll be gone.”

“Gone?!”

“Yes, gone. I’ll explain tomorrow. But, the howling will stop once I’ve left. No time to explain now….”

Jill grabbed Sam by the hand and they hurried down the hall together. Rusty and Kate remained frozen in fear in the library. Jill heard her mom, aunt and uncle stirring in the dining room; they, too, could not but help hearing the unearthly din, and they were coming out to investigate.

“Tomorrow!” Sam said. He entered the bathroom and shut the door. Almost instantly the howling ceased.

“Jill? Are you all OK?” It was Evie. She had just stepped into the hallway. “Where are the rest of you?”

“Rusty and Kate are in the library.”

“And where is Sam?”

Jill gently opened the door to the hall bathroom and peered inside. No one was there; Sam had disappeared!

At this point Jill didn’t know exactly what to do or what to say. Should she tell her mother about Sam disappearing? Should she tell her about Rusty, and his belief that he had fallen through the picture in the library? And what about her own experience putting her hand into the painting of the Piper? She knew she couldn’t lie to her mother, but what else could she do?

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           [To read Episode 3.1, click here….]

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Dec 19

In the Company of Angels: Episode 2.1 – Rusty’s Big Adventure

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In the Company of Angels, Episode 2.1 – Rusty’s Big Adventure

 

Clasping the pendant in her hand, Jill once again stepped quietly down the hallway toward the library. As she approached the doorway, the sounds of the flute ceased. Jill hesitated, but then she took a deep breath, stepped forward, and once more peered inside the room.

Nobody was there.

The room was just as she, Mr. Luke, and Sam had left it. Sunlight continued to stream in through the window, like before, but something struck her as odd this time. There also appeared to be light coming from other sources. She stepped into the library, puzzled. What was different?

Then it dawned on her. All of her paintings — of the Shire, of the Narnian woods, of Beauty and the Beast and all the rest — they were all glowing gently. It was almost as if they were being lit from behind, and there was a slight bluish light around the edges of each one. She stepped up to her favorite picture, the one of the Piper. There was the little boy, still sitting on the ground with his flute. The ethereal figures still flitted around him. But the colors: they were so brilliant! The sky, the trees, the rocks and the water: they all appeared real enough to reach out and touch….

Without even thinking about it, Jill stretched her fingers out to the surface of the framed print. But instead of feeling the cool smooth hardness of the glass, her hand moved into the picture. She could see it right there, reaching past where the print should have been and into some space beyond the wall of the room. She was so startled that she gasped and pulled her hand back. Involuntarily, her hold on the pendant slipped, and the chain and gem clattered to the floor.

Jill stooped to picked up the jewel, and then she put it into her frock along with the business card that Mr. Luke had given her. She looked at the painting once more. The extraordinary light had faded away; now, when she reached out to it, she felt the glass of the frame just where she knew it must be.

Jill clenched her eyes shut and rubbed them. Then she looked at the painting again. No, it was just her painting, appearing as it always had.

At that moment, Hazel rubbed up against her legs; he had returned from under the living room couch, whence he had scrambled when Luke and Sam first came into the kitchen. Jill gasped and nearly jumped out of her skin, but then she caught her breath and waited a moment for her heart to stop racing.

“What do you think, Hazel? Am I going crazy?” She reached down and scratched the cat’s ears. Hazel purred loudly and flexed his front claws.

It was at this point that Jill’s mother, Evie, returned home, so Jill put away her thoughts about the paintings and the earlier events of the morning, focusing instead on helping her mother bring in the groceries and straighten up the house. They were having guests over that evening for supper: her aunt and uncle, Cathy and Chris, and their two children, Rusty and Kate. Jill rather liked Kate, but Rusty was several years younger than the two girls, and Jill couldn’t sometimes help but think of him as a bit of a pest.

Nevertheless, supper went fine, and afterward, while the adults were chatting around the dinner table, the two girls excused themselves to go to the library; Rusty soon followed.

The cousins had been in Jill’s library many times, and Kate had a special fondness for it. She and Jill settled down in an overstuffed chair and Jill began showing her a new illustrated storybook that she had gotten for Christmas; Kate wasn’t quite the lover of fairy tales that Jill was, but she always appreciated pretty things. Meanwhile, Rusty quietly started pulling books off of the book shelves and watching them drop to the floor.

“Stop that!” yelled Kate when she realized what her brother was doing.

“Stop what?” Rusty asked, nudging another book off of the shelf and watching as it bounced on the floor, landed on it’s spine, and opened at an illustration of a giant.

Just then the front doorbell rang. Jill jumped up and glared at Rusty. “I’m going to see who’s at the door. But you’d better have my books put back on the shelves when I get back!”

“He will,” assured Kate, “or I’ll tell mom and dad.”

Jill went down the hall. “I’ll get the door, mom!” she said loudly enough for her mother to hear her.

She opened the door. Sam was standing just outside.

“Hi,” he said.

“What are you doing here?!” Jill asked.

“I’m sorry to come by so late, but I think maybe I dropped something here before Mr. Luke and I left this morning…? Did you happen to notice anything we might have lost?”

“As a matter of fact, I did. Do you mean the chain and pendant with the blue gemstone?”

Sam looked relieved. “So, you did find it! Great! Can I get it back from you? I’m so sorry I didn’t phone you first, but I was so sure I’d dropped it walking back to the Gallery…I mean, to Mr. Luke’s painting studio; I never figured I might have left it here. I’ve been looking for it on the sidewalk all the way over!”

“I’m sorry, Sam, I was going to call Mr. Luke and let him know,” Jill ushered Sam into the house, “but I got so busy helping my mom. We’ve got my cousins over for supper.”

“Your cousins?! Oh no! Including Kate?”

“Yes. What’s wrong with Kate?”

Sam turned red. “Uh…nothing….”

Jill looked at Sam oddly. “Is there anything I should know about the two of you?”

“Not as far as I’m concerned!” said Sam. “Let’s just say Kate always seems to be looking for me in the hallway at school…”

“Oh ho!” said Jill. “That’s news to me. But, you’ll just have to brace yourself. She’s in the library with Rusty, and that’s just where I left your pendant.”

“Oh, great,” groaned Sam.

“Jill? Who is it, honey?” her mother called to her from the dining room.

“It’s Sam from school, mom!”

Evie came out into the hallway. “Oh, hello, Sam! Have you had your supper yet?”

“Oh, yes ma’am,” said Sam, “I just came by to pick up something I forgot earlier this morning.”

“You were here earlier?”

“Yes, mom, Sam came by with…with a friend. I forgot to tell you,” said Jill.

“Well, that’s alright. It’s good to see you, Sam! Why don’t you both run along to the library; we’ll have some chocolate chip cookies for all of you a little later — if you’d like to stay for some, Sam.”

“Thank you ma’am,” said Sam.

Jill and Sam walked down the hall and entered the library. Standing in the middle of the room was Kate, all alone. She was white and trembling.

“Kate…?” said Jill, “What’s wrong? Where’s Rusty?”

Kate looked at both of them wide eyed, then lifted her finger and pointed to one of the paintings on the opposite wall. “He…he….”

“He what, Kate?!”

“He fell…he fell through the painting!!!”

        [ To read Episode 2.2, click here…. ]

 

Dec 12

In the Company of Angels: Episode 1.2 – A Rumpus in the Library (cont.)

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In the Company of Angels, Episode 1.2 – A Rumpus in the Library (cont.)

 

A half hour later Sam, Luke, and Jill were sitting in the kitchen sipping on tea and eating chocolate chip cookies. Jill had gotten some ice and wrapped it in a washcloth and Luke was holding it against his forehead. The knot was still noticeable, but the swelling was going down.

“I’m afraid I was a bit too dazed to take a closer look,” said Luke, “but I saw that you had some very nice pictures in your library. From fairy tales, I think?”

“Yes, most of them,” said Jill, “my mom thinks I’m too old for them, but I like reading them a lot better than what we read for school.”

“Well, it shows good taste on your part. But, I’m sure you don’t just read books. You have plenty of friends — other than Sam here, I mean — to spend time with, don’t you?”

“Well, a few. But most of my girlfriends are just interested in dressing up and shopping.”

“And you don’t like doing those things?”

“Well, they’re alright, but I’d rather…I’d rather be walking in the Shire! Or time traveling with Meg Murry, or riding to the edge of the world on Fledge!” Jill was suddenly animated. “I mean, these are places where things really happen…where things really matter!” She paused and sighed. “Not like around here.”

Sam beamed at Luke. “See, I told you she was my friend!”

“Well, strange things can happen right here, too, you know,” Luke said, ignoring Sam.

“Not to me they don’t.”

“Well, look here, that’s not strictly true, is it? After all, we showed up in your house this morning. That isn’t something that happens every day, is it?” Luke smiled.

“No, but you’re not even supposed to be here. My mom is going to have a fit if she comes home and finds me home alone with a stranger, even if he did come with you, Sam. And, by the way, who exactly was it you were both chasing, anyway?”

“Well, I’m afraid that’s a long story,” said Luke, ”And, since I’m feeling better, and since you’re quite right that I shouldn’t be here at all, at least not without your mother’s permission, perhaps we’d best save that tale for another time? We’ve finished our tea, plus the cookies; many thanks for both! Come along, Sam, we should be going.” Luke stood up.

“But, Jill, don’t be surprised if were to meet again. This…hmmm…person that we were after, he has a habit of showing up in the strangest places, and has thus far led us on many a wild goose chase. If he comes again…uh…into your back yard, don’t be too surprised to find us right behind him.”

“But, what does he even look like? You never told me.”

“Well,” said Luke as Jill walked them back to the front door, “he’s a boy of about your age, or maybe a bit younger. He has curly black hair and a mischievous smile. He’s all about mischief, I think.”

“That reminds me a bit of Sam,” said Jill with a grin.

“Well, that’s somewhat true…” Luke looked at Sam and smiled.

“No, I’m just kidding. Sam’s alright,” said Jill, “even if he has been getting more and more into odd things. You know, like Star Wars and Star Trek and Doctor Who….”

Doctor Who? Aren’t you a bit young for Doctor Who?” asked Luke, looking at Sam.

Sam shrugged.

“But don’t you like such things?” Luke turned back toward Jill.

“I don’t know; I’ve never watched them. I don’t like space stories that much.”

“Well, they do have their own challenges, to be sure,” said Luke. “But, the person we’re after certainly isn’t Sam, and he’s not from outer space. One thing you’ll definitely notice about him, should you run across him, is that he is never without his pipe.”

“Wait, he’s a little boy, and he smokes a pipe?!”

“No, not that sort of a pipe. I mean like a flute, but not played sideways. You know, more like a recorder. Do you know the sort of thing I mean?”

Jill thought of the painting in her library. “Oh! I do! I have a picture of someone playing something just like that. would you like to see it?”

Luke hesitated for a moment. “Well, I suppose, but we don’t want to get you into trouble….”

“Come on!” said Sam, “We can at least have a quick look!”

Jill raced back down the hallway and Luke and Sam followed. Inside, she pointed triumphantly to the painting of the boy beneath the oak tree. Luke looked at it aghast, then smacked his head, forgetting for a moment about the knot.

“Ouch!”

“Are you alright?” asked Jill.

“Yes, I just forgot about my head. But, that’s the very fellow!”

“What, the one you’re after?”

“Sure is!” said Sam.

“But, this is just a painting; he’s not a real person!” said Jill.

Luke looked closely at the painting. “This isn’t a painting I’ve seen before. Wherever did you find it?”

“At an old antique shop with my mom. I’m sure it’s just a print, but it looks so bright and real….”

“Yes, it does.” Luke gazed at the picture.

“That also explains where he went after we came through,” Sam said under his breath. Luke nodded.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing; nothing, dear. But we should go speak to Azarias about all of this….” he said to Sam.

“Azarias? Who’s he?” asked Jill.

“Oh, a very good friend of mine; rather a mentor of sorts. A wise old fellow; you’d like him, wouldn’t she, Samuel? But, many thanks for showing us the picture. If you happen to see someone that looks….” Luke turned and looked hard at the picture once again, “…that looks exactly like this fellow, you’ll be sure to let us know, won’t you?”

“OK, but how do I do that?”

“Well, you can call Sam, for one thing. But also, you can reach me here.” Luke handed her a business card. On it was a painting of a man standing by the seashore and gazing at the ocean. It looked like this:

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“You can email me from my website. You use email, don’t you?”

“Of course! Doesn’t everyone? But, what’s a ‘Framerunner’?”

“Oh, just a special type of artist. Some day you should visit my studio and I’ll explain it a bit more; I think you’ll like my paintings!” They walked back to the front door. “But by now you’ve had quite enough of us! Thanks again for the tea and cookies!” Luke bowed to her.

“You’re welcome. You know, I’ll have to tell my mom about your coming by.”

“Certainly! If she is at all concerned or wishes to speak with me, do have her ring me up. I’d be happy to meet her! And now, we’re off….”  Luke stepped down to the sidewalk.

Sam looked down at the floor and shuffled his feet for a minute. “See ya,” he said, and followed Luke. They both walked briskly away.

Jill stood for a moment looking at the business card, and then she tucked it into the pocket of her frock. She closed the door and started back toward the kitchen, but then she noticed something on the floor by the stairs. She went over and picked it up; it was a piece of broken chain with a pendant. The pendant was of simple silver wire, and clasped within it was one of the prettiest jewels she’d ever seen; it was deep blue, and it reflected the light in the room in the most amazing way. Jill touched the stone; it felt almost slippery, and a tingle went through her fingertips, like electricity.

That’s when she heard it; a sound like a bird. No, it wasn’t; it was a flute! But coming from…from where? She turned around, still holding the gem in her hand. The music was coming from the library!

Jill stood completely still for just a moment. Her first thought was to run after Luke and Sam, but then it occurred to her that maybe she should grab the broom again and find out who else might have stolen into the house.

She hesitated for just a moment more, and then knew exactly what she’d do…..

     [ To read Episode 2.1, click here…. ]