by Candace Sams
“Was your name mentioned?”
“No. I think the villagers just assumed that we had all been caught.”
“What a sad ending. It’s no wonder the tales were different from reality. People probably wanted a legend to hang onto. Especially when times were so bad. Robin Hood and his Merry Men were heroes for thwarting very harsh authority, if nothing else.”
“Our rather ignominious ending would have been hard to bear, so people made up a different one. We might not have given all our money to the poor, but we did spend some of it on food, ale, and clothing. There were a few who loved us for sharing even a little of the bounty we stole from rich travelers. At least, those who took the coins were better off than if we hadn’t been around. I guess that’s where the legend of robbing the rich to give to the poor originated. All I knew was, the sheriff was a cruel despot. A lot of folk wished him dead. We outsmarted the law for twenty years. That alone was saying something.”
“So, you were with them for a good length of time?”
“I was, Frankie. I grew up in that woods, with those men. We were due to get caught. We all knew it. Sadly, my friends weren’t really criminals. Not as the term applies today. They were good men, in their own ways,” he relayed. “Our only real crime was being hungry, and for thinking the crown could afford to lose a few deer.” He slowly shook his head. “The laws back then were ridiculous. I had no respect for authority, and less for it after Rob and the others were killed.”
“So, there was no Kirklees Priory, and Robin wasn’t bled to death by some prioress,” she stated.
“No. He didn’t shoot an arrow into the air. I didn’t bury him where it fell. Romantic story, but it just wasn’t true.”
She put one hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry, Mac. What did you do after that? Where could you go where someone local might not recognize Little John?”
“I had one last thing to do. I just couldn’t leave without making damned sure no one was alive to rescue. My friends would have done as much for me.”
“And?”
“A few weeks after the attack in Sherwood, I snuck near the castle where Rob and the others were said to be hanging.” He stared into the distance for a long time before continuing. “The rumors I’d heard were true. My friends’ remains were up on pikes. All of them. Picked clean by birds, but I recognized some of their clothing. No one was missing except for me. And if the law still hunted me, I never knew it. I wasn’t where I could be found.”
“Christ! That’s so sad.”
“At least they died in the woods fighting. I’m pretty certain of that.”
“They died as they wanted to.”
He took a deep breath. “With a few coins that I still had, from one of our last little highway robberies, I wandered away from Sherwood. Eventually, I left England. I traveled and learned different languages. I never stayed in anyplace long enough for anyone to guess I was immortal. In later years, the whole of Europe went crazy; burning anyone who remotely had an original thought, never mind a devil-spawned immortal!”
“You must have seen some amazing history.”
“I did. You will, too. I wasn’t aware of historical significances, any more than you were when that hurricane hit Galveston. I just lived in the times.”
“You said you were a rogue.”
“Back then, there was no agency to report to. Everyone who was immortal hid it from everyone else. It wasn’t until many years later that somebody got the bright idea that the government could use us.”
“Merlin!”
“You’ve got it. He crawled out of the woodwork, making some monarch promises in exchange for an end to hunting law-abiding immortals.”
“So…when the agency formed, you joined?”
“No. Not right away.”
“So…that’s what made you were officially a rogue.”
“That’s it. I wasn’t keen on walking into some London office, and spilling my guts…hoping for the best. Immortals had been treated like crap all over Europe; beheaded when found. A lot of us weren’t buying the whole amnesty for turning yourself in spiel.”
“So, you hid. You still flaunted authority.”
“For a while. Then, when a lot of others turned themselves in…immortals who’d only hidden, and were trying to blend in without harming anyone in the general population…I finally decided that I couldn’t and didn’t want to hide forever. I went into London, found the authorities, told them the truth, and begged for a pardon. The monarch at the time gave it to me.”
“And so, you became an agent of POSI.”
“That’s about it. Yeah.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “Who was the monarch that finally impressed you enough to become an agent? And who in the world came up with your agency’s name?”
“The monarch was Queen Victoria. Oh, she wasn’t right about a lot of things. Britain’s place in the world was one of them. However, she told the truth, at least as she saw it. She was a strong woman and I admired that about her, if not her politics. As to the agency’s name, nobody admits to having come up with POSI. It was some human in the home office in London.” He grinned. “Merlin is right. That name does suck. Division 52 sounds like an agency to be respected. How did you Yanks come by it?”
“Well, I could tell you…but then I’d have to kill you.”
He laughed.
“No, it’s okay…just joking. It’s a natural sequence. Area 51 was a name already in use for top secret military experimentation. In the late 40’s and 50’s, it became known because it unfortunately got associated with every UFO conspiracy. Rather than use the word Area again, some government bureaucrat got the idea to call the organization a division, and give it the next number in the sequence, which was 52. Hence, Division 52. Why is it that you don’t already know all this?”
“I never asked before because I’ve never worked exclusively with an American before.”
Frankie moved closer to him. “Can I ask you a question not having to do with your distant past? It’s sort of personal.”
“Go on.”
“I heard about your claviger being killed. In the past two years, the humans watching UK immortals have become sitting ducks. Every rogue and terrorist in Europe is coming after them, all because POSI wants to cling to some outdated notion that immortals should be outed to the public, and should have human clavigers babysitting them. What the hell are your superiors thinking?”
He abruptly stood and turned away.
“Look, I’m sorry, Mac! My guess is that you don’t have a claviger now because your organization can’t find anyone, for any amount of money. No human fit for that position, passing all the background checks, wants to become a target for an immortal. They can’t spend exorbitant amounts of money that job offers if they’re dead. The situation is crazy.”
He faced her squarely again. “I know. You’re right. I’ve gone some time without the claviger the law requires me to have. At the same time, I don’t want to lose another friend.” He sighed heavily. “A lot of exceptions to the law have been made lately. Some of these include Garrett Bloodnight not having a claviger, as well as no Ethereal ever being registered at all. I understood it. I know why Ethereals aren’t on any list of existing paranormal entities. But one day, they’ll all be found out. Just like we were in Sherwood. Currently, when information can be transmitted cross the globe in seconds, there are very few secrets any longer. When the public finds all this out…”
“Maybe they won’t. Merlin’s pulling all the strings. Since he can’t ever be known to the public, he’s motivated to keep all this exceptional behavior very quiet. Especially since he’s using the queen as his cover,” she stated.
“Merlin can only keep a few of his favorite immortals…while keeping all Ethereals hidden…for so long. Someday, someone is going reveal his secrets to the world, and there’ll be hell to pay. He’s been loosely applying the rules for a very long time, with the permission of Her Majesty.”
�
�The queen must know the consequences if all this comes to light.”
“She certainly does!” He slowly nodded. “I may not have always lived by the regulations, but I’ve always been for this country! Our current queen is a good woman. Others haven’t been, but she’s always lived her life loving England. If Merlin does anything to hurt her…if his actions come to light and she suffers, as I know she will…” He put up a fist to show his solidarity for his monarch.
“Maybe his magic will keep her secrets and his safe. Meanwhile, you’re just trying to do your job, while staying out of his intrigues. Is that about it?”
He stared straight into her eyes. “You have keen insight, Frankie Radcliffe.”
“During WWII, Merlin was always sending me somewhere to do something that didn’t make sense. Because we might be caught, no one of us could have all the pieces of the puzzle. That’s why I put up with his shenanigans. But I couldn’t help but wonder how he got the other nations of the world to just hand over their biggest assets…their Ethereals…without putting up a fuss. Not unless he has them bewitched or something.”
“That’s a cute trick, isn’t it?” he sarcastically agreed.
“Then again, there’s always the truth of it all.”
“Which is?”
“No matter how Merlin is scheming, he has never done anything but help us win. All of us. The UK, the USA, Canada, Australia…everyone on the allied side. I couldn’t fault the outcome, even if I never knew what the hell he’d pull out of his bag of tricks.”
Mac moved closer to her. “Why is it that an American can tolerate his methods so better more than I can?”
“I think it’s because he always lowers the other shoe at the precise wrong time. I think it’s because even his secrets have secrets, and you seem to be someone who likes dealing with all the facts in your hand.” She sighed heavily. “Me, I have my questions. It’s only natural to have them. But I’ve concluded that it’s best to just follow orders and do what the man says. Hell, I’ve never even once asked Merlin or his sister how they became Ethereals. I’ve got tons of questions, but sometimes, it’s just better to let it go, Mac. I’m not sure I want to know too much about anyone with his kind of power. If he’s on our side, that’s all that matters to me.”
“I asked him about his entrance into immortality. Once. He never gave me an answer. That makes me nervous. I’m not built like you, Frankie. I do like prying!”
She grinned. “Which is what I just said. You need to know everything. I don’t. I just want us to win, whatever it takes.”
“You may regret your easy-going nature in that regard. Like you said. Merlin loves nothing more than dropping that other shoe. And he does it at the most inopportune time. There’s no need for him to operate like that. Especially not when others might pay the price for his game playing.”
“I’ll say it more clearly. Whatever he’s up to, he and the other Ethereals aren’t against us. I know that much for sure! Merlin wants Morgan LeFey out of this world. When that bitch eventually crawls off her web, wanting to fight, she’ll have accumulated a lot of magical objects and powers we don’t even know exist. I’ve been tracking relics of power all over the globe, for decades. Sometimes, I’m pretty sure she got to the sites I’ve been to, first. The only thing that stands between the world remaining free…and her taking complete control of everything…is Merlin. While he drives me crazy with his schemes and plans, and his secrets…I’ve learned to live with it. His tactics have worked so far. Why change ‘em now? Why do you need to know everything? Are you that much of a control freak? Not to be rude, or disdainful of your age and experience, but who the hell are you that you need to know so much? Just let it go. Like I have.”
“There’s a difference between winning the right way and winning the wrong way, Frankie. You know what I’m talking about. Using magic as a means to an end…without any honor…can backfire. Those are Morgan’s tactics. We need to be above all that. I’m not sure Merlin gets it. Now, I’m not too sure you do, either.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You said it yourself. You just want us to win, whatever it takes.”
“We’re the good guys. We’ll win with our principles intact, Mac!”
“I’ve heard some very self-righteous sorts claim that before. It was those same men that let people like Hitler march across Europe in the first place. It was some of those same men who took their time coming to Britain’s aid.”
She pushed her hair back when the breeze lifted long strands of it. “You are a real piece of suspicious work, you know that?”
“I come by it naturally. If people in power have their mouths open, lies are generally coming out of those mouths. And Merlin…he’s got all the so-called good men right in his pocket.”
“If you don’t trust him, why the hell are you here?”
“I think he wants to do the right thing, but will do what he has to, to beat Morgan. I think he has his own agenda, and it stems from way back when King Arthur road this very land. I think Merlin will use magic to achieve his ends, and his magic might not always be the best answer. Anyone with that kind of power has always abused it. If I’m here, it’s to make sure he knows I’m watching him. For Her Majesty’s sake!”
“Wow. You really do have a lot of trust issues.”
“Merlin knows about my issues. I’m not hiding them. Not from him. Or you. Now, we all have our cards on the table.”
“Except for one more thing.”
“Which is?” he shot back.
“Your phobia.”
“My what?”
“I told you mine last night. You’ve only mentioned yours. Why do you only come inside the castle when you have to? What is it about being indoors that bothers you?”
“I told you. I was an outlaw. For many, many years.”
“What’s that got to do with being inside?”
He studied her for a long time before speaking. “Do you know what an oubliette is?”
“Shit!”
“I’ll assume you do,” he muttered. “I’ve been thrown into them many times, over and over. In fact, I’ve been thrown into every corpse-ridden cell from here to Spain and back again. The rats, the stench, the smell of the dead or dying…it’s all somewhat off-putting!” he angrily declared. “I now have an aversion to closed spaces.”
“But, if this happened after you were an immortal, you could have escaped —”
“Not without revealing my immortality to the guards who threw me into the damned pits and cells. I had to wait for opportunities to climb out of bottle-shaped oubliettes, and other dungeons, fending off lice, ticks, and fleas until I could.”
“But —”
“I might have been an outlaw…a Wolf’s Head…for many years after becoming immortal, Francesca, but I didn’t kill guards who were doing what they were ordered to do. So, there were times when I had to wait. Days, weeks, or months before I could make my escapes with as little collateral damage as possible.”
“What the hell were you doing to get arrested that many times?”
“Taking out bullies. One at a time. Wherever I could find them. It’s a fact of human history that tyrants seem to control everything! It’s the poor, hungry, and dispossessed who suffer their rule. That I let myself be arrested, on numerous occasions, was to both hide my immortal strength, as well as save the heads of innocent soldiers or guards from being cracked open like walnuts!”
“I-I won’t ask again. I think I’ve got the picture.”
“Thank you!” he loudly announced.
Without warning, she propelled herself forward and hugged him hard.
Taken aback at her consoling gesture — after she’d been so angry with his explanation, and he’d been so angry over her total acquiescence where Merlin was concerned — he simply stood there in confusion. Her hugging him was the very last thing he expected. He’d have thought she’d march away in a huff.
It was quite dark in the hills. When she fin
ally gazed up at him, there was still enough starlight that it shimmered in her gray eyes, making her look like some ethereal, mountain goddess.
He was the first to break the embrace though he didn’t really want.
“You didn’t want me here. I know that,” she told him. “Why?”
“I didn’t believe America would be willing to help. They weren’t in England until very late in WWII. Also…”
“Also?” she prompted.
“The few friends I have are all immortal or Ethereal. I don’t fancy making new ones only to have them sent off somewhere, where I won’t ever see them again.”
“Like, back to America?”
“Yeah.”
“As far as I know, I’m here until Morgan LeFey makes her move, or Merlin doesn’t need me. Whichever comes first.”
“He wants you to send in stellar reports to Washington. About our operations here. Merlin is using his friendship with you, as one of America’s top operatives, to gain favor.”
She nodded. “I know that. He thinks that if the US sends enough of their immortals here, to Cumbria, that we can contain the battle and end it. Here. The goal is to keep Morgan from ever being made public to the world. He hopes to hide it all.”
“Which brings us right back to the gist of our conversation.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Merlin. He doesn’t want Morgan LeFey’s presence being made public because it will lead to the public disclosure of magic and Ethereals. See? It always comes back to him and whatever he needs the most.”
“Mac, your cynicism is wearing thin! Of course, he doesn’t want Ethereals’ existence to be known. You know what people might do to get their hands on that kind of magic; that kind of power.”
“Sadly, I do. But how many immortals will Merlin be willing to sacrifice to that end. How many humans? How far will he go?”
She slowly shook her head. “Wow. I think this subject should be shelved. For good.”
“Perhaps that’s best.”
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
During that silence, Mac thought about how many bottle-shaped dungeons, or oubliettes, he’d been thrown into, and where he’d been left to rot whilst his guards kept apologizing. Some even threw food down to him, against orders, and at their own peril. Even back then, not everyone who followed or enforced laws were bad people. There were a great many, in fact, who’d been trying to do the right thing.