Chapter 5
We went into "The Hamilton's" dining room. It had quite a few customers. I had to admit, "The Hamilton's" had very good food. I usually didn't eat here, as it was a bit over -priced in my opinion. I looked at Marcus sitting across from me as he read a menu.
He was a very distinguished looking man. His hair had gotten more gray. There was almost a sheen to it. His eyes were still piercing. He had a firm jaw. Woman found him handsome when I had been living with him, as a child, and it seemed as though nothing had changed. I saw the covert and out right looks he was getting from the woman... and from at least one guy.
"How about the fish? They serve a very good Salmon here," Markus asked me.
"Sounds good. I haven't had Salmon in ages," I replied.
We ordered and I tried a couple times to get the conversation going. He wasn't having any of it, though. He looked at me, and told me we should eat first, then talk business. I raised my eyebrows at this. Business?
He considered this business?
So I sat there and fumed in my chair. We were seated towards the back of the room, giving us a good view of the door to the dining room. I was keeping an eye out for the mysterious lady who was beginning to annoy me to distraction. While we waited for our meal, Markus made small talk of anything and everything, except why we were meeting.
Finally our meal arrived. Actually, it was quite good. The salmon was done superbly. The whole meal was excellent. It had been a while since I had eaten like this.
"An outstanding meal," Markus said to the waiter. "Please bring us some coffee."
"Allright! You phoned with a request for a meeting. I am here, we have met, and I still have no idea what you want," I said to Markus with a look.
"I think we both know what this is about. I felt you change the spell on your safe. I realized fully well what that meant. I am not the enemy, Paul," he said earnestly.
"Funny you should say that... You break into my home. You supply governmental employees with information concerning me, you supply them with a way to test that information, and you are not the enemy? You know what they did to me?" I asked, mor than just a bit outraged.
"Your attitude is very understandable," he said. He hesitated, then went on.
"Exactly how much do you know?"
I choked on the coffee I was drinking. The nerve of the man!
"Know about what?" I asked him.
He waved his hand at me in a dismissive gesture. "Come now. I am asking how much of whats going on do you truly understand?"
"Do you deny breaking into my house? Do you deny providing my documentation to this NSA spin off organization? Do you deny providing them information that let them drug me? Do you deny providing them with a way to test the information you supplied to them? Finally, do you deny tampering with my memories?"
The final question carried a lot of anger as with each question asked, my anger kept rising.
That was not a good thing, and I willed myself to calmness, as he sat and considered me. He was looking at me like he did when I was a child who had made a mistake. He had a way of making you feel small. Only now, I was a grown man, and I recognized what he was doing. I just stared back.
"It is hard to known where to begin. Let me take the questions as you asked them. No, I do not deny breaking into your house, and your safe.
No I don't deny providing, Deputy Director Lauder, with information about you. I told them how to drug you or persons like you, and how to make the test.
"As for your memories... You're here because your parents wanted you safe.
After we came through the gate from Morwon, I did what I thought was necessary to ensure your safety and happiness. I raised you, trained you, had you educated, and provided for you. Yes. I tampered with your memories. I did so to allow you grow up happy," he finished, with a sad sound in his voice.
"Please," I said, rolling my eyes, "You'll have me in tears, in a moment."
"During the 60's, the United States government, as well as a few other governments, did research into what they call 'psychic abilities'. You're familiar with that, right?" he asked me.
I nodded.
"Good. I became involved with a group in the CIA back then. I came forward, and let them think I had some minor talent in that area. They became very excited. It is laughable, really. They assumed I had no idea of how I was doing what I did. There were several of us being, 'trained', by the CIA.
"They actually found a few people with abilities. It is much more common than they think. The ability I came forward with was a little exotic, even for them. But I proved beyond a doubt I had it, and that I could do it. Far seeing, or scrying. The problem is, give someone a new toy, they want to play with it. They used me, us.
"The Soviet Union had similar groups, as did the Chinese. We were sort of a 'psychic black ops' group that did a clandestine war behind the scenes. I met and fell in love with a woman there. Don't look so surprised. I do have feelings you know.
"Anyway, she was a natural witch. She connected to earth, air, fire, and water elements, easily. I subtly directed her to a better ability.
She was magnificent. The government was very excited over her. She was able to use sympathetic magic; crudely, but effectively. We married and had a child. My wife died during an operation against a Soviet operational group that the Soviet's had snuck into the US.
"I felt her death.
"I went a little mad, I think. I reacted.
"I killed the
Soviet team, and I killed all our immediate supervisors who let this happen. I had warned them that something was coming. They chose either to not believe me, or ignore my warnings. I still, to this day, don't know why.
"I took over the group. There was a rocky period of where the US government tried to kill me, us, but I eventually made my point by countering everything that the government did. They finally appointed me director of special operations of the group. My section is designated as: The Bell Tower," he paused, lost in thought.
I signaled the waiter for another two cups of coffee. After we were served, Markus continued.
"I kept a closer watch over you than you realize. Believe it or not, I took my oath to your parents very seriously. I am sorry you're angry about your memories; but I believed then, as I do now, that it's for the better.
You have nothing to go back to, believe me.
"As for the government finding out about you? That too is my fault, though indirectly. Lauder was an appointee that I was stuck with. I'm sorry you have been revealed. I was collecting the information on you for myself, really. However, he got into my files. Rather, he was helped into my files.
"My daughter, in her zeal (and I admit, in a little jealousy), gave Lauder the key to your file. Let me assure you that if I had known what was happening, I would have taken steps. However, now that they know about you, you should really work with us. I can intercede for you, if you would like?" Markus looked hopeful.
I shook my head.
"To many things have come to my attention, Markus. The tampering with my memories is the worst. Betraying me to the government takes a close second. I understand everything your telling me, and I hope you understand my position. Someone I trusted betrayed me, from the beginning.
"Breaking into my house does not fill me with confidence of your intentions. Breaking and entering into someones home is the mark of a criminal, not someone who has the best of intentions for the victim, especially since my history is now property of the US Government.
"You want to regain my trust? Send me though the gate back home. Let me see for myself what happened there. Let my family there tell me what happened..." Markus was already shaking his head no.
"I am sorry. I can't do that. I destroyed the gate we came through. It was to dangerous to leave it, even closed. No, it's just not possible, I'm sorry, Paul," he said regretfully.
"Then teach me how to make a gate, and I will do it myself," I said to him.
"No," he stated with finality.
"That's ok. I will find a way to do it myself. I trained myself in magic after you stopped teaching me, you know. What did you do to my memories, and how do I reverse it, or cancel it?" I asked
"I don't think now is a good time to be doing this. You're in a very stressful state. It would be just adding to it if I did that," h e told me flatly.
"I see. And withholding something of mine from me won't contribute to this state?" I asked disbelievingly.
He had the grace to blush.
"There is truth in what you say. But I still believe now is not the time."
"I see," I said, getting up. "Thanks for the meal. I would suggest you never try to enter my home again. You will find it hazardous to your health. Also, you're a thief of the worst sort. Memories are precious. I do have a few memories of my parents; but it seems, in your godlike opinion, that I do not deserve any others. Well, screw you. They are starting to come back, and I will HAVE them!" I forcefully said as I left the table.
He called after me, but I closed my ears. The nerve of that man!
While he might have problems, contributing to mine as he did and was doing, did not make me feel to charitable towards him at the moment. I stormed out.
I did keep my eye open for the woman who had cast that spell at me, but I didn't see her.
I got into my car, and started driving home. I was in a bad mood. I did understand his reasons for almost everything he did. But keeping me from my memories was not something I could, or would, understand. There had to be a way to get my memory restored.
I contemplated this, as I was weaving through downtown traffic. Then, out of the blue, I saw it. St. Anthony's Church. It had been build over one hundred years ago. It was a vast reservoir of power. Of course! If I could just shape a spell, and tap into that conduit of power, it should be more than enough to meet any possible power needs I would have.
Messing with a persons mind took a lot of energy, and St. Anthony's had a huge amount to spare. I pulled into the parking lot of St. Anthony's church. I knew what I wanted to do. I started linking a spell to the few memories I had. I released the spell, and tapped into the power the church was releasing. It didn't matter if I used it at once, or in a controlled, slow release. There was power to spare, here.
I finally finished my spell. I got out of my car, and locked the doors.
I even cast a spell of protection on it, just to be safe. I walked to the church's main doors, and entered the building. With few exceptions, I generally stayed away from churches. I went on holidays, and special occasions. Other than that, I avoided them.
I sat, a few pews up from the back. It was huge inside. Since it was not Sunday, or a regularly scheduled time for service, it was mostly deserted. A few people were inside praying. I switched to my second sight, and almost gasped at the power that was here! What enormous power there was, in faith! The spells you do do with this power! Well, that was what I was going to do. Just tap into a minuscule bit of the power here, and hopefully clear my memory.
I sent up a silent prayer of hope, and asked for forgiveness for diverting what I was about to divert. I reached out for the power and I felt a tingle enter my body, from that connection alone. That had never happened before. As a matter of fact, I felt like I was vibrating or buzzing, I had so much power. I started to dump it until I had just a small amount coming into me.
I cast the spell I had prepared outside, and joined it with the power. I felt my spell sink into my head along with POWER! I clenched my teeth at the feeling. Now it felt like my head was vibrating. I also felt amusement coming,, as if from a distance. Now what was that? I put aside these distractions, and started thinking about my mother and father.
It felt as if something were stretching inside my head. I lowered my head and rested it on my hands, which were on the back of the pew in front of me. I fed a bit more power to the spell. I remembered everything I could. Then I stated to get flashes of things I had NOT remembered previously!
Riding in a horse drawn sleigh towards a huge castle. That was new! More and more, the stretching was now getting uncomfortable. Finally I felt a 'snap', and an avalanche of memories burst into my consciousness! I knew!
I knew who and what I was! I remembered the fighting going on. I remembered the reason for my mother sending me here to this world! I remembered all and I wept at the remembering. I was more than I had thought I was.
I could have sworn that I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder. I looked, but no one was there. Still, I felt a feeling of being comforted, and of caution. I shivered. There was no mistaking that feeling. I looked with both my ordinary eyes, and my 'second site'. Almost, I could see something with my 'second site', but no, it was gone. With it that feeling of comfort started fading.
I stayed and remembered. I had a sister I hadn't remembered until now. I wept for not having remembered her. A whole list of cousins, aunts and uncles I was just now seeing as if for the first time. These too, I wept for. I am not sure how long I stayed, but finally I decided I had to go home. I wrote a check to the church and dropped it in the box at the front of the church. Twenty-five thousand dollars was little enough for my memories.
I went back outside, and went over to my car. It was very dark now. I quickly checked the spell on my car, and it was undisturbed. I canceled it, and unlocked my car and entered it. Starting it, I pulled out to the street, decided to stop by my office first. It was only a quarter mile from where I was, anyway.
Since it was late and most businesses were closed, I was able to get a parking space in front of my business. My offices were located upstairs, over an auto parts store. He had the downstairs, and I had the offices upstairs. I went up and found my offices locked for the day.
Unlocking my front door, I entered and relocked the door behind me. I walked over to my personal office door, and went in. I found a note from Vivian stating that the check had cleared from my little fiasco with the government people. Well good. I deserved it, as far as I was concerned.
I got out an Atlas of the United States, and looked up Colorado. That was where I had gated through into this world, from when I had left Morwon. It was located outside of Boulder Colorado. I pondered my next few moves. I picked up the phone and called the local airport. I asked about commuter flights to the closest airport that provided flights to Boulder Colorado.
Shortly I had the information I wanted. I sat there in my office and remembered. The implications of what I was remembering were staggering.
I had the blood of a divine being in my veins. It was diluted a lot, but it was still there. My father was the grandson of a Demi-god. He had married a woman from earth, this earth. My father was, himself, the offspring of a diluted marriage.
A war had broken out between several of the Demi-gods of my homeland. My great-grandfather had gone missing. It was rumored that he had died in battle with another being such as himself. An uncle of ours decided that it was time to purify the family, and had started to kill off all whose blood had been diluted by impure marriages. This was why my mother sent me here, for safety.
That was over a hundred years ago by my homeworld's time. One hundred and twenty eight years, to be exact. I had no clue as to what had happened, but I wanted... no, needed, to find out! Markus was directly in my way. I had a feeling that if Markus knew what I was about to do, he would try and stop me. He had not wanted me to know what I was remembering. It was time to find out what happened to my family.
I did a little work, since I was here. I reassigned cases so they could be handled in a timely manner. I was going to be gone for some time, and I wanted to be sure that everything was covered. I left a note for Vivian to hire the part time investigator we had used before, since we had a couple more divorce cases to do. I didn't want my primary employee doing those. I shifted him to an unsolved murder, and wrote some notes on the case which should allow him to solve it.
After having this done, I went out. Locking up as I did, I and went downstairs and out to my car. Getting in, I drove back to the house. I kept a close eye out for any suspicious vehicles following me. Nothing.
Pulling onto my street, I again was at a heightened sense of
awareness, but I didn't see anything that was out of the ordinary.
Shortly, I was in my home, and enjoying a good brandy. It had been one
of those days.