Timelock

by R. G. Knighton

  As the months passed by, Domrem continued to wallow in a downward spiral of self pity and despair until one evening, deciding that unable to cope with the anguish he scribbled a short note on a piece of parchment that read ‘to ease my pain’. Before the ink had time to dry, Domrem uncorked a bottle of hemlock and swilled down the entire contents. A few hours later upon hearing a high pitched wail, Psyom ran across the courtyard to find Mino sobbing as she hugged the cold corpse of her beloved Domrem, after she found the old man slumped over the desk at which he spent most of his working life. That evening, Hajer returned home to find the rest of his family and servants weeping over the body of his late father, now lying at peace on his bed.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Two Years passed and Toomak became an ‘adopted’ daughter to the childless governor’s wife after ingratiating herself into the family by curing the woman of a chronic stomach disorder within a week of her forced residence. She kept her distance by displaying a somewhat cold professional façade and always maintained an awareness of the vicious streak possessed by the governor so she stayed out of sight as often as possible. Travelling almost everywhere with the couple made it hard to keep a low profile but the governor was usually kept very busy with his job so it was only his wife she had to contend with on a daily basis. Her duties were light, acting as physician when required and only using her powers at the governor’s behest for his benefit.

  When the news reached Toomak about the death of her beloved grandfather something snapped deep inside and she spent every available waking moment working on the perfect plan to rid the world of her master whom she held responsible for her ‘Pappy’s’ demise. Knowing that the governor’s death had to look like an accident was simple but Toomak needed it to be as hideous and painful as her twisted imagination could devise.

  In a fortuitous slice of luck, the senate recalled the governor to account for his fraudulent activities during his time in Greece. Knowing of Caesars fascination for witchcraft he feared losing Toomak to his clutches, so he reluctantly told her to return to her family as a generous act of benevolence, but with strict orders to return to his side immediately on demand.

  Without any announcement or forewarning Toomak returned home late one afternoon, to luckily find the depleted family relaxing by the lotus pool. Amid tears of joy and hugs, everyone celebrated long into the night as Toomak regaled them with tales of the governor’s evil ways and that now he was back in Rome, the family could live in peace. Later on in the evening Hajer found Toomak sitting at her grandfather's desk, re-associating herself with the look and smell of the place, lightly touching the books and parchments that had not been moved since the day he died.

  “It’s been over a year since his death, I think now is a good time to go and collect his remains for reburial. This time you will be present to say goodbye.”

  Whispered Hajer as he placed a paternal arm around Toomak’s shoulders. Toomak nodded silently as her tears fell as they both hugged for support before returning to the party.

  The following week, arrangements were made and the family returned to the cemetery for Domrem’s exhumation. Amid solemnity and reverence, his desiccated remains were collected and placed into a limestone box just big enough to contain a collection of human bones. Hajer lifted the gabled box lid, inscribed with Domrem’s family name, placed it on the top, carefully sealed around the join then followed by his family, ceremoniously carried it to be interred into the ossuary.

  Late that night, unable to sleep, Hajer found himself wandering around his late father’s workshop, wondering that now Toomak’s prophesy was over, should he relocate the family back to Psyom’s hometown and try to forget, when a familiar figure appeared, this time walking straight out of the wall. Hajer gasped and stepped backwards, crashing onto the workbench sending bottles and phials crashing onto the floor. Filled with rage rather than fear he began to shout.

  “What do you want from me? Toomak has completed your task and returned home safely. The bargain has been fulfilled; I demand you leave us alone.”

  In a blind rage, Hajer snatched the nearest bottle, hurling it at the hooded man’s head. To his astonishment, it passed straight through and smashed onto the wall behind leaving a dark brown stain seeping into the plaster. The hooded figure raised one arm, pointing his bony finger at Hajer who suddenly found it impossible to breathe and fell heavily to his knees. With one hand clutching his own throat and the other held out suppliantly gesturing for release, all he could do was listen as the creature spoke.

  “The child Toomak has yet to begin her task. Her time with the governor was caused by her own devices and now the death of her grandfather ceases her studies, which must resume as soon as possible. Soon you will meet an apothecary called Feriluc at the market. You will invite him into your home and he will take your father’s place educating the child until her allotted time. You will provide for him and do anything he asks. Do I make myself clear?”

  Hajer could do nothing else but agree and once again lightly nod his head as his chest frantically convulsed in search of oxygen.

  “Do I make myself clear?”

  The creature repeated, Hajer nodded desperately up and down as his vision faded and he passed out onto the floor. When he came around the creature had gone leaving him terrified and alone with his thoughts.

  Over the next few weeks, life returned to normal for the household except for Hajer as the nightmares returned, although luckily not as detrimental to his health as the first time around.

  Weeks later, while avoiding the marketplace at all costs so as to stave off meeting Toomak’s new teacher, Hajer found himself heading for home, feeling hungry and tired as he circled around the outskirts of the city, he chanced upon a stranger sitting on a large rock at the side of the road. Trying to avoid his eye, Hajer lowered his gaze and cracked his whip urging the mules to pick up their speed. As he was about to pass by the man the mules stopped, refusing to go any further. Hajer cracked his whip, but to no avail, they brayed and whined in protest but still refused to move.

  “I have been waiting for you, Hajer father of Toomak.”

  Came a voice from beneath a wide brimmed straw hat. Hajer’s blood ran cold as he instantly realised who the stranger was. Looking directly at the man he guessed as Feriluc, Hajer could not properly see his face as it was hidden in the shadow of the hat’s brim. Waiting while the stranger slowly raised his head, Hajer nervously started chewing on the ends of his fingernails, resuming an old habit. As the shadow lifted away, allowing the early evening sunshine to illuminate the man’s face, Hajer tried to compose his reaction but still gasped visibly at the man’s visage. Paper thin skin as white as sun bleached bone clung to an apparently hairless head; this albino male stared intently at Hajer through vivid pink eyes.

  “You should not displease the master; your life and that of your family depends on his approval.”

  Shaking visibly, Hajer tried to explain how circumstance kept him away from the city and he had every intention of fulfilling the request. Feriluc remained silent as he jumped down from his perch, picked up his belongings and loaded them into Hajer’s wagon. Climbing up to sit beside Hajer, Feriluc offered his hand in greeting. Unable to refuse, Hajer reciprocated and nearly died with shock at the ice cold touch. Feriluc tightened his grip, painfully numbing Hajer’s hand as he pulled him in close.

  “You will grant me everything I need to prepare your daughter to fulfil her destiny. Deny any of my requests and you will pay the price.”

  Hajer gagged from the reek of his foul breath and he could not help but notice the wide spacing of the stranger’s juvenile dark yellow teeth, exaggerated by the contrast of his pearlescent white skin. Realised from the icy grip, Hajer gingerly rubbed the circulation back into his numbed flesh as he resumed the homeward journey with his unwelcome passenger.

  Squealing in fear, the twin girls hid behind Mino as Hajer introduced Feriluc to the household. Stunned into silence by his appearance, all everyone
could do was nod while they listened to Hajer’s speech on how Toomak needed to further her education in medicine and of how Feriluc specialised in Far Eastern and Egyptian remedies. Mino reluctantly set up a cot in Domrem’s workshop and was relieved to be informed that Feriluc would cater for his own needs requiring minimal input from the household staff. Toomak’s reluctance to accept this man a substitute for her beloved grandfather was intense and unabated. This lasted for nearly a month until one day in a furious rage she tried to fix Feriluc in her steely gaze only for it to have no effect on him whatsoever. This intensified her curiosity as no one had ever managed to resist her special power, making him a fascinating subject.

  Another year passed until one evening after supper, Feriluc told Hajer that in order to complete her education Toomak had to travel to meet like-minded followers in Albion. Unable to refuse and reluctant to send Toomak on her own, Hajer decided under the guise of a trading expedition, for his family and half of the household to accompany them on their journey. Plans were quickly drawn up to travel by caravan to the coastal port of Ptolemais, book a charter to Rome where another larger ship will take them all to the south coast of Britannia, and finally on to the town of Glaston.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  The Roman year 765 or Julian Calendar 12 A.D.

  Gentle waves lapped against the hull of the huge merchant ship as it rocked softly at the dockside in the port of Rome. Dozens of slaves manhandled barrels of spices, amphora of wine and olive oil, all to be carefully packed into beds of dry sand deep inside its cavernous hold. On the immediate level above, lies vast quantities of fine linen dyed in a rainbow of colours and rolled into huge spools, all protected by the hemp-covered floor. This weight gave the ship a low centre of gravity reducing the risk of capsizing in stormy weather and fine balance as it cut through the clear azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The long journey called at the major ports of the Mediterranean before it passed through the Pillars of Hercules, leaving the calm waters for the Atlantic Ocean to head northwards around the Iberian coast stopping off at Nantes in Gaul then proceeding to its final destination of Glaston in south-west Britannia.

  The route has been sailed successfully many times, offloading its wares in stages at each port in turn until completely emptied of its cargo at its final destination, allowing the owner to procure as much tin, gold, and any other precious metals the ship could carry for the return journey. This was a very profitable venture providing the weather was favourable and pirates avoided. The latter was not often a problem as the ‘captain’ always kept the coastline in sight allowing him to head for the sanctuary of the nearest port. On the occasions they were unlucky and boarded, a healthy payoff secured their safety, as a regular income for the pirates was better than a reduction in shipping if fearful merchants opted for an overland route.

  The first level below deck consisted of the crew’s quarters and galley with the remainder converted into suites of well appointed rooms, which are available for a fair price providing another addition to this merchant’s income. The list of people was extensive but the usual parties were Roman officers and dignitaries who were heading to their assigned billet. Further down the list were religious officials and junior ranks followed by couriers who were bottom, only affording a straw pallet on the deck of the ship and having to endure anything Mother Nature saw fit to send.

  The ship’s owner and merchant in question is a Judean named Joseph who had worked his way up from the streets of Aramathea where he was born. As a young man, in desperation, he stole a bolt of cloth from a warehouse which he sold and then used the profits to buy and sell more merchandise until thirty years later he owned six ships including the largest merchant ship in the Mediterranean which sat waiting for him at the dockside. He employed many people in offices dotted along the major trade routes of the known world and his name was widely respected throughout his line of business as a firm but fair merchant.

  Standing on the deck of this magnificent vessel stands Balthazar the captain and close friend of Joseph. A mountain of a man, over four cubits tall and with the frame of a bear. Enslaved in childhood when The Romans defeated his village, Balthazar worked the fields until growing to his huge size and then re-sold for a handsome profit to a gladiatorial school. It was here he was trained to fight, favouring the net and trident for many years until he retired undefeated after over one hundred successful bouts. On achieving this incredible total, he was given his freedom from none other than the emperor Claudius himself. Unable to procure regular work, he soon fell on hard times, scraping an existence as a member of a travelling circus as their strong man where he would challenge all comers to a wrestling match with the wager of one gold coin from each party, winner take all. At other times, for a fee, he would demonstrate great feats of strength, bending nails in his teeth or crushing coconuts between the palms of his hands, a popular display for the crowd. Another trade that he plied was not one he was very proud of but it did have its benefits, and he had to eat, so he hired himself out as a stud to slavers wanting to increase their stock with fine strong offspring, in turn increasing their owner’s wealth. It was on the return from one such occasion as he sat in a bar at the dockside, spending his night's earnings when he heard a commotion in the alleyway and got up to see Joseph being set upon by a gang of thieves. Balthazar ran to his aid and fought off the thieves single handed until they all lay unconscious at his feet or had skulked away in the warren of crowded streets near the port. Joseph was so grateful that he offered him a job on one of his ships and with his no nonsense attitude and vast knowledge of the waters, gleaned from his travelling days; he soon rose to the rank of captain of the largest ship in the fleet. Joseph and Balthazar had remained good friends since that day with Joseph teaching him to read and write and the religion of Judaism helping Balthazar to turn his back on his wayward past.

  Beads of sweat glistened on the bald dome of Balthazar’s massive head before collecting into tiny rivulets and running down to soak into the red bandana he always wore to indicate to all who was stood charge as not many black men held positions of authority outside the Roman army. Scrutinising every piece of merchandise as it was carefully loaded; making sure his tallyman logged it all down and cross-referenced the total with the dock foreman who watched with his own assistant on the quayside. He was not satisfied until everything was accounted for and sealed correctly into the hold. It was only then that Balthazar allowed the fee-paying passengers on board with their entourage and belongings. He ordered several deckhands to assist with the storage of guests house wares and clothing, keeping it close to hand if needed. Until everyone was satisfied with their accommodation and all trivial matters had been successfully resolved Balthazar never left his post and at that point he could confidently report to Joseph that they were ready to set sail.

  Joseph sat in his office dictating a list of things for his Roman representative to address while he was away, an unusual turn of events because he rarely travelled far these days, leaving it to his merchant directors to haggle and barter successfully on his behalf. This type of system proved very rewarding for both parties as Joseph gave a percentage of the profits on top of their usual remuneration.

  Joseph looked up as Balthazar entered the room casting a huge shadow across the desk from the morning sunshine pouring through the open doorway.

  “All is loaded and accounted for sir.”

  Balthazar reported with his deep resounding voice.

  “Excellent, we can leave by late morning and I’ve told you a million times its Joseph not sir.”

  Balthazar said nothing, he just grinned showing off a beautiful set of pearl white teeth standing out against his ebony skin, which was quite exceptional considering the amount of abuse they had been given over the years with nail bending and his love of quality red wine.

  Joseph knew it was hopeless trying to argue with the man as he had refused to call Joseph by his first name, stubbornly calling him sir for the last fifteen years.


  Joseph smiled as his friend turned to leave and then said;

  “Wait a moment; I have a surprise for you.”

  He turned to the window to whistle a skinny young boy who was playing with some others in the street. Balthazar looked confused until the beads covering the outer doorway flew asunder as the boy ran into the office.

  ‘My little prince!”

  He cried lifting the boy off his feet and hugging him tight in his huge muscular arms to the point when the boy had to batter him on the chest with clenched fists and beg for release. Balthazar had been such a loyal friend to Joseph’s family that when his sister gave birth she asked Balthazar to be his godfather, a role he took with great honour and pride.

  “Let me take a look at you.”

  He said as he set the boy down and knelt in front of him so they could talk eye to eye.

  “My my, look how much you have grown, you’re almost a man.”

  Balthazar said as he ruffled the boy’s hair while looking him up and down.

  “I am a man; my twelfth birthday was last month.”