Seymore's Interlude

by Franci Neale

  Chapter 28

  Home Making II

  Seymore had been in his study contemplating his lack of a solution to the problem of making greeters available for the great light travelers. He could not get beyond his meager knowledge of the stranded light and what memories he had of encounters with the light both during and after Sarah’s presence at ES360.He came to no conclusions, not even close.

  One thing he did know was that Jesmond loved The Watcher and he decided that in the absence of any progress on greeters he would make a few steps toward establishing a good place for the big foggy eye. He needed to round up Mesa and Jesmond for the effort.

  He found Mesa relaxing, possibly sleeping, in her turret room but Jesmond’s whereabouts was unknown. Without disturbing Mesa, he went back to the library and around to Geralty’s room where he found his protégée busy with another receiver. He asked him what it was for and was told that it would be put down at the Beach House so that communications about the holograms would be faster and easier. He looked at his clever assistant and said, “You know what? I think I’m going to take your suggestion that I have one of those in my study. Can you make one for me and arrange with Mesa to make it work?”

  Geralty said, “I would love to do that. I’m getting better and better at Mercury band communications and really like it. Mesa will be impressed that I’ve inspired you to enjoy the benefits of her nifty band. ”Geralty was almost teasing him; Seymore quickly changed the subject and asked, “Do you know where Jesmond is? ”Geralty said he didn’t but that she had come in a while ago and enticed Fred to go somewhere with her. He didn’t know where and added, “Maybe she’s down at the Beach House.”

  Seymore left and went into his office and looked out to see if she was at the pond. She wasn’t. He went on to the library and out the double doors and down toward picnic table. As he approached it he looked up at the dome and there was Jesmond sitting cross-legged on the grass with Fred and looking up at The Watcher. She was talking to the eye but he was too far away to hear what she was saying. He continued to observe the young Mercury scrap communicate with the big vague eye. It seemed to respond to what she was saying. When she laughed the eye seemed to smile and otherwise appeared enchanted by Jesmond. She was charming and disarming and seemed to have no fear of anything.

  He walked toward the conversation and when he was close enough to be heard easily he said, “Hello, Jesmond. I see you are getting acquainted with The Watcher.” She turned around enough to see him and waved. She turned back to the Watcher and said, “You have more company.”

  When Seymore reached Jesmond he sat down next to her on the new grass and said, “How would you like it if we found a way to move the Watcher to your table in the atrium? I think I know how to do that now.” Jesmond opened her eyes very wide and said to The Watcher, “You’re going to come and live in the room next to mine. Isn’t that great?” Oddly, the big soft eye seemed to know exactly what Jesmond said. Seymore didn’t know what to make of the relationship that Jesmond had created with The Watcher. Or was it The Watcher’s creation? Strange as it was it seemed friendly and mutual. The Watcher seemed to look out at Jesmond as a cherished companion.

  Both Seymore and Jesmond stood and Jesmond reached up and touched the glass next to the eye and said she would see The Watcher soon. She called to Fred, took Seymore’s hand and they walked toward the cottage. Seymore told her that they needed to talk to Mesa who was the expert on magic desks and that he knew she was in the turret room.

  They went in the double doors, and crossed to the entry to the old office to find that Mesa was still relaxing on her fancy couch. Fred had followed them and immediately jumped up on Mesa. She quickly sat up, grabbed the cat and set him firmly on the floor. “That’s the second time that cat’s walked on me!” she complained. Seymore stifled a laugh but Jesmond giggled out loud which drew a stern look from the proper schoolmarm. Mesa then smiled herself and invited them to sit down. Jesmond went to the window seat and Seymore moved the wing backed chair closer to the chaise.

  Seymore began, “Jesmond and I want the Watcher to move to her table in the atrium. I told her that we would need your approval for a plan to do that. Here’s my idea and you tell me what you think. ”He smiled at Jesmond and continued, “I think I should move Sarah’s ring to the top of the table but I would like to do it so that the Watcher can see what’s happening. I could go around and make a small hole in the lowest glass panel of the atrium on the side that faces the dome and then come around, pick it up and put it on the table where the Watcher can see it. What do you think so far?” Mesa said it sounded fine. Jesmond asked “What ring?”

  Then Seymore realized that Jesmond didn’t know much about Sarah. He briefly explained. “Sarah left her ring when she visited Seymore Place after arriving on a great light. She was the first. The light in the dome is a portion of her light, but she has returned to The Rim. By having the ring on the ledge, the eye remained in the dome where we could always find it. We’re pretty sure if we put the ring on your table that The Watcher will follow. ”Jesmond silently took in all the information and then said, “I see. ”And she really did, more than Seymore did.

  Mesa said. “Let’s try it. I’m going to shift back to my desk and make sure that the watcher doesn’t return to my space. Jesmond you go and watch from the window in your room. You’ll be able to see both your desk and Seymore when he passes the ring through the glass. Seymore, if she knocks on the window in her room you’ll know that something isn’t working.”

  They all agreed on the plan and went to their positions. When Seymore was back beside the dome, he approached The Watcher and then moved, without the ring, to the window panel of the atrium nearest to the dome. To his surprise The Watcher followed him even though he left the ring on the ledge. What was it attracted to? He was losing confidence in his plan. Nevertheless he reached down and made a small hole that the ring could fit through. He walked back and picked up the ring from the ledge. The Watcher followed, seemed perfectly content and when he returned to put the ring through the hole the Watcher seemed to observe his every move. He looked up at Jesmond’s window to see if she was watching. She was, and gave him a big grin and a thumbs-up. He dropped the ring through the hole and walked back toward the cottage entrance. The Watcher stayed with the ring. Seymore’s confidence was restored.

  He hurried into the cottage, across the library and down the hallway to the French doors that opened into the atrium. He moved the ring from the corner to the table and resealed the hole. The Watcher remained across from the atrium staring in looking slightly confused. Jesmond opened the other door from her room and stepped into the atrium. She drew a magic chair from the table and sat down with her hands on the colorful swirls that moved slowly over the top. The Watcher disappeared and instantly reappeared in the magic table top. Success!

  Seymore looked at Jesmond and wondered what kinds of power she had that he had failed to recognize. He smiled at her and said, “I’ll be right back.” He went into Jesmond’s room and across to the Mesa table and said, “It’s OK Mesa, The Watcher is in the table in the atrium.” She immediately appeared as the young winged woman and congratulated him. He said it might be Jesmond who deserves the accolades. They both turned and went through Jesmond’s room to the atrium.

  Jesmond was sitting at the table and watching the eye with a gentle focus. Every now and then she would smile and say something; occasionally she moved her small hands over the surface of the table top. When she saw Seymore and Mesa she motioned for them to come closer. She picked up the ring and handed it to Seymore saying, “You can keep this, The Watcher doesn’t need it. I can talk to The Watcher now. It’s a very simple communication system but it will improve with use, and I’m so glad that is my job” She was absolutely infectious. She smiled with such warmth and open good will that she was irresistible. She was confident and happy. Seymore and Mesa were too.

  Seymo
re, with sincere enthusiasm, said, “It is, indeed, you job and you’ve done it very well so far. ”Mesa asked, “What is The Watcher telling you?” Jesmond looked at Mesa for a long time and then said, “Not much, yet. I am going to have to figure out how The Watcher communicates. There’s an emotional part that’s pretty easy. The Watcher’s very glad to have this table to use for communicating. I tried to tell The Watcher that I will always be here to listen and I hope he understood. It’s hard to say anything more. But I do know that The Watcher likes his name.”

  Seymore and Mesa made sure that Jesmond understood how much they appreciated what she was doing and how helpful her talking to The Watcher was. They left her to her unusual conversation and retreated out the French doors and went into the study. Seymore sat down heavily in his big chair and Mesa sat on the ottoman in front of him. He very seriously asked, “Is there something I don’t know about Jesmond? She seems to have some skills that I don’t know anything about.” Mesa nodded and said, “I think we should find a time to talk to her more about communicating with The Watcher so that we see how it’s going to work with the holograms and the greeters. And maybe we can learn how and what she’s doing. I had no idea she was so talented when I chose her, but I am certainly glad I did.” She hoped what she said was reassuring to Seymore. She felt quite good about the direction things were headed.

  Mesa realized that Jesmond was very adept as a communicator and that her skills exceeded her own, which were ample. Since she and Jesmond and Geralty were all naturally Mercurial they were each attracted to communication and no form of communicating was better than another. But Seymore’s background was human and transitional and the skills that Jesmond could easily manage might be unnerving to him.

  She was quite sure that Jesmond’s skills were going to open the doors for communicating with the lights and she wanted Seymore to go in that direction and not worry about that nature of Jesmond’s unusual abilities.

  Mesa was concerned that she hadn’t said enough and continued, “Watching Jesmond just now, I think that with our help she is going to be and important part of establishing the necessary services for the lights and their travelers, don’t you? ”She didn’t wait for an answer. “How do you see the new communication working to help with the greeters? I actually don’t have any idea. ”Seymore looked at Mesa and appreciated that she was concerned with what was important. He shifted his thinking to pursue being of service to the light travelers. He sat up and said, “Thank you, Mesa, I’m back on track now. ”He reached out and patted her hand and smiled. “I’m going to sit here for a while and enjoy our progress, small though it is.”

  Mesa stood and said, “I’m going to go finish my nap, which has been interrupted twice by a cat. ”She shook her schoolmarm finger at the clever cat sitting on the back of Seymore’s big chair. Fred just tapped his tail and squinted.