The Thirteenth Monk (Bartholomew the Adventurer Trilogy Book 2)

by Tom Hoffman

  Edmund shook his head.

  “We are bound together beyond time and space, two hearts entangled in the cosmic lace.” They will be drawn together again, just as a dropped marble must fall to the earth. This is a law of the universe as immutable as the laws of physical motion. Your dear friends Edmund the Explorer and Emma will be together again, and in time you will see both of them.”

  There was something enormously comforting about the Thirteenth Monk. It wasn’t simply his words, but it was the way he said them, the way he empowered them with an overwhelming sense of hope.

  Edmund looked at the Thirteenth Monk. “I miss them both so terribly much. Edmund the Explorer was my first true friend, and showed such kindness to me. It is not something I can ever forget.”

  “I would expect nothing less from you, Edmund. His friendship will remain a part of you always. Edmund, remember also you have your dear friends Bartholomew and Oliver waiting for you in this world. For them only a short time has passed since you left. It is very important that you tell them what happened here. The chain of events which began back then is not over. I cannot tell you more, but together the three of you must find the Seventh Key and return it to Bartholomew’s house in Pterosaur Valley. Edmund, you can be proud of yourself and proud of Edmund the Explorer. The sacrifices you made so long ago saved countless millions of lives, and brought new hope to the Anarkkians.”

  Edmund nodded, his eyes on the magnificent garden surrounding them. There was still great beauty in the world. The monks were still clipping and weeding and planting and watering. The sun was still in the heavens, sending its warm rays of energy to this very garden where he sat. The Thirteenth Monk was right about Edmund the Explorer and Emma finding each other again. Emma had known this all along. He let go of the Thirteenth Monk’s paws. “I will tell Bartholomew and Oliver everything.”

  “You must tell them about the sacrifice you made.”

  “I will tell them.”

  “It’s time for you to go now, Edmund, but I will see you again, under far happier circumstances than these.”

  Chapter 28

  The Traveling Eye

  Song was waiting outside the monastery walls when Edmund emerged through the massive wooden doors. His eyes revealed an intense curiosity, but he did not question Edmund about his time with the Blue Monks. This was Edmund’s concern and no one else’s.

  Edmund told him everything. “The Blue Monks sang for me and I relived a long forgotten memory. I was a friend of Edmund the Explorer, an Elder who lived fifteen hundred years ago. I was with him when he died, killed by a gigantic ant in the Timere Forest. My fear of ants was the result of that terrible experience.” It was hard for him to say Edmund the Explorer had died. He wondered who had told Emma that Edmund would not be coming home.

  “Edmund, I don’t wish to intrude into your personal affairs, but there must be more to this than resolving your fear of ants. The Blue Monks would not have seen you for that reason alone.”

  “You’re right, there is more. I have to find a lost World Key. I was carrying it when the ants attacked. The Seventh Key and a Mintarian time throttle were both in a pack I dropped as we made our escape.”

  “Ah, a World Key is indeed something the universe would be interested in. That could affect the Infinite Chain. You never went back to look for it?”

  “I don’t know if I did or not. I returned here and anything I did after that is lost to me. I have no idea what happened to the pack or its contents. I do know three more ants emerged from the forest before I left. It’s possible they took the pack.”

  “Hmm. I will need to consult several of my brother monks who possess greater knowledge of the Timere Forest ants. Unfortunately, I know almost nothing about them. Bartholomew and Oliver might have some ideas also.”

  An hour later Edmund and Song arrived at the Nirriimian Singers Guild. They found their way to the Guild Library and into several comfortable chairs, chatting about the Blue Monks until Bartholomew and Oliver returned. Oliver was carrying two green boxes containing Nirriimian pastries. Bartholomew greeted Edmund, asking, “How was your visit with the Blue Monks? What happened?”

  Hours later Bartholomew was leaning forward in his chair with a stunned expression. “You and Edmund the Explorer were responsible for bringing an end to the Anarkkian war?”

  “We were one link in a chain. Neilana was the one who brought the Life Song teachings to the Anarrkians.”

  “And Edmund the Explorer was your first friend in this world.”

  “He was. The Thirteenth Monk said one day I will see both Edmund the Explorer and Emma again.”

  “I believe you will see them too, Edmund.” Bartholomew looked over at Oliver, who was nibbling quietly on a Nirriimian pastry.

  Oliver stopped, looking like a bunny caught with his paw in the snack jar. “Oh, yes, of course, most certainly you will see them again. Would anyone care for a pastry? They are different, but still quite delicious.”

  “Perhaps later, Oliver.” Bartholomew turned back to Edmund. “Do you have any idea where the World Key might be?”

  “I suppose it’s possible the ants took the pack back to their colony.”

  Bartholomew frowned. “Fifteen hundred years ago – I don’t know if it’s even possible to track down one key after all that time. I wish Clara was here. She has a sense for finding lost things. Song, do you have any thoughts? Are there any Red Monks who are adept at finding lost things?”

  Song thought for a moment. “There is one. He lives in a small house on the southern side of the island. He is a recluse and seldom leaves his house. Well, that’s not entirely accurate – he often leaves his house, but not in physical form.”

  Bartholomew looked confused. “How is that possible? If his body is in cloud form for more than two seconds he cannot convert back to his original physical form.”

  Song nodded his agreement. “Quite true, but in this case he doesn’t convert his body to cloud form. He is able to move his center of consciousness to any point in the universe he wishes, a skill he calls the Traveling Eye. He also possesses a powerful inner voice which will often describe to him the location of a missing object.”

  “Then that is where we will go. Tomorrow morning we will visit your gifted friend.”

  Bartholomew had a restless night filled with anxious dreams. He woke up the next morning filled with a vague feeling of dread, but had no idea the source of the feeling. After breakfast they headed off to the reclusive monk’s house on the southern shore of the island. Song pointed out some of the landmarks as they walked, including the first house built outside the monastery nearly six hundred years ago. After a half hour they arrived at a humble wooden home built into the rocky island shoreline. The house was painted red, the same color as the robes worn by the Red Monks. Song rapped several times on the front door, then sang a lengthy and beautiful melody. “I told him the Thirteenth Monk has sent visitors who are trying to locate a significant lost object, and we would be most grateful for any help he could give us.”

  The front door opened a crack and a red robed mouse peered out. He gave a quick smile when he saw Song, then withdrew back into the house, closing the door quickly behind him after everyone had entered. One by one he carefully studied the faces of his guests, remaining silent until he had finished this somewhat quirky examination. He turned to Song. “They are looking for a lost key?”

  Song nodded. “Yes, it is a World Key and was lost fifteen hundred years ago in the Timere Forest by Edmund the Rabbiton and Edmund the Explorer.”

  The reclusive monk turned to Edmund. “You may call me Ennzarr. I have read about Edmund the Explorer and his near mythical adventures. You are fortunate to count yourself among his friends. Not many rabbits know this, but it has been told that Edmund the Explorer and his A2 Carrier Rabbiton helped bring an end to the Anarkkian wars.”

  Edmund’s face softened. “He was my first true friend.”

  Ennzarr put his paw on Edmund’s arm. “I w
ill help you find your lost World Key. It is a great honor to help a friend of Edmund the Explorer.” Ennzarr took a seat in a high backed maroon chair. He closed his eyes and his head began to nod. Fifteen minutes later Oliver looked over to Bartholomew with raised eyebrows and whispered, “Should we wake him?”

  Song gave Oliver a gentle look of disapproval, whispering, “He is not sleeping. He is practicing the Traveling Eye and speaking with his inner voice. He can roam the world while his physical body remains here.”

  Another half hour passed and Ennzarr still had not opened his eyes. Bartholomew’s head was nodding, and even Song was looking droopy eyed.

  Ennzarr awoke with a start. He sprang to his feet, stepping in front of Edmund. “For the Infinite Chain to remain balanced, many essential events must occur. I will repeat to you the direction given to me by my inner voice. You must go to a tavern known as the Paw and Dagger, located in the lower dock district on the southern shore of this island, and there seek assistance.” Ennzarr padded across the floor, standing in front of Bartholomew, staring pointedly at his Eleventh Ring.

  “The Eleventh Ring is new to you?”

  “I have worn it for a little over a year.”

  “That explains why you do not practice the art of the Traveling Eye.”

  “I had not heard of it until yesterday.”

  “It is one of the powers granted by your Eleventh Ring, and one of the reasons you have been brought here. It is time for you to learn this art.”

  Ennzarr waved both paws towards the front door. “Everyone except Bartholomew must leave now. We will be finished in less than one hour.”

  Bartholomew soon stood alone in front of Ennzarr.

  “Bartholomew, please face the wall, standing five paces away from it.”

  When Bartholomew was in position Ennzarr continued. “With your eyes closed, imagine you are standing only inches from the wall. See in your mind every scratch, every indentation, every speck of dust on the white plaster. Visualize the wall clearly in your mind. It will be quite simple for you to do this. If you did not wear the Eleventh Ring it could take a lifetime for you to learn the Traveling Eye. Now, when the wall becomes real to you, lean forward slightly and touch it with your nose for three seconds. Then turn around quickly and look back at your physical body standing five paces behind you with its eyes closed.”

  Bartholomew examined the wall closely in his mind until he could see every detail. He had practiced this visualization skill many times before on the Isle of Mandora with Clara’s Thought. He turned around suddenly and saw himself standing on the other side of the room with his eyes closed. He felt dizzy and disoriented. “I can see myself. I feel sick. I think I’m going to throw up.”

  “It will pass. I will join you now, appearing as a silver shadow.”

  Bartholomew looked around but didn’t see Ennzarr. He did notice his new body was a barely visible liquid silver cloud. He was a center of awareness floating in the room. Finally he saw Ennzarr, or something vaguely resembling Ennzarr. A silvery flowing shadow sailed over to him. The more he focused on the shadow, the more it took on Ennzarr’s appearance. He heard Ennzarr’s voice in his thoughts. “Bartholomew, take my paw.”

  He reached out for Ennzarr’s paw and they drifted through the outer wall of the house, floating up into a clear blue sky. Bartholomew’s feeling of nausea vanished. This was far more enjoyable than he had imagined it would be. He could see Edmund, Oliver, and Song standing outside Ennzarr’s house. “You may stay in this state as long as you wish, as long as your physical body remains undisturbed. If someone touches your physical body you will instantly return to it, no matter how far away you are. Move your center of consciousness by using your will. Practice flying for a few minutes.”

  Bartholomew grinned at Ennzarr, or at least he thought he was grinning. He didn’t know if his silver essence was capable of making facial expressions. He shot down towards the sparkling surface of the lake and flashed across it as fast as he could go. Almost instantly he arrived on the other side of the lake. Ennzarr was there next to him. “Your movement is not limited by worldly laws of motion when you are in the Traveling Eye. You are only limited by your thoughts. Fly down to the bottom of the lake, then come back and tell me what you saw.”

  “I won’t drown?”

  “Your physical body back in the house is breathing normally. You are only awareness here, nothing more. Go to the bottom of the lake now.”

  Bartholomew shot down into the lake. The water did not slow him down, he passed through it as though it wasn’t there. As he was flying across the bottom of the lake he spotted a padlocked metal chest chained to a massive boulder. Was this what Ennzarr wanted him to see? What could be inside the box? How could he unlock it? With shaping? He laughed at his own foolish question – as pure consciousness, he could simply enter the box. He zipped over to the huge chest and poked his head into it. The box was empty except for a sheet of parchment paper with writing on it. Seconds later he was soaring above the lake next to Ennzarr.

  “You saw something down there?”

  “I did. A metal chest, padlocked and chained to a boulder.”

  “And did you see the sacks of Nirriimian white crystals inside it?”

  “The box held only a piece of paper with a single word written on it.”

  “Excellent. You have found the greatest treasure of all, placed there by the Blue Monks nearly five thousand years ago. You are a quick study. Now, fly down through the earth beneath the lake and tell me what you see.”

  In a flash Bartholomew shot through the lake, deep into the layers of rock and soil beneath it. As he flashed through the earth he spotted several dense veins of Nirriimian white crystals. Whoever harvested these would be wealthy beyond compare. He willed himself back to Ennzarr and was instantly there.

  “I saw a king’s ransom in white crystals down there.”

  “And what will you do with this knowledge?”

  “I will do nothing. The crystals are only physical objects, no different from a pebble or a leaf.”

  “I see now why Bruno Rabbit selected you to wear the Eleventh Ring. We are done. When you wish to return to your physical body you have only to envision it in your mind.”

  Bartholomew had scarcely started to visualize his physical body when he found himself back in Ennzarr’s house. He opened his eyes and saw a smiling Ennzarr across the room. “Welcome to the world of the Traveling Eye, my friend.”

  Bartholomew’s body was shaking slightly from the experience, but this soon passed. “That was astonishing. To be free of this physical form is amazing. I have never experienced anything quite so liberating.”

  Ennzarr gave a studied look. “It is liberating to be free of your body, Bartholomew, but it is also miraculous to smell an apple pie baking in the oven, to feel the warmth of the sun on your back as you stroll through an ancient forest, or to hear the sound of chirping birds outside your window. There is a deep purpose in all things and in all forms, and we are meant to be shaped by both our forms and our experiences.”

  “I will remember your words. Thank you for everything you have taught me, Ennzarr.”

  “You are welcome to visit whenever you wish, Bartholomew. I wish you luck in your quest to recover the lost World Key.”

  Bartholomew turned and headed towards the door.

  Ennzarr spoke softly. “Wait. There is something else.”

  Bartholomew turned back towards him.

  Ennzarr’s face was grim. “I had been uncertain whether or not I should tell you this, whether or not it was my place to do so. I have made my decision. I will tell you that you must find the Seventh Key soon and you must return it to Bruno Rabbit’s old home. If you do not find the Queen’s Treasure Chamber and retrieve the key, Edmund the Rabbiton will be lost to you. I can only tell you that he will cease to exist. I’m sorry.”

  “But, I don’t understand. Is this something to do with the change he is going through?”

  “Yes. It has
everything to do with that. I can tell you no more. Find the key, take it back to Bruno Rabbit’s house. You should go now.” Ennzarr motioned him towards the door.

  Bartholomew stared blankly at him for a moment, then turned and exited through the blue door to find Song, Oliver and Edmund waiting for him. A chill passed through him when he looked at Edmund. “We should get back to the Singers Guild. Tomorrow we pay a visit to the Paw and Dagger Tavern.”

  Chapter 29

  Thunder and Lightning

  Edmund stared out his window at the starry Nirriimian sky. He liked the two moons, especially the yellow one. It was peaceful sitting by himself, alone with his thoughts. He found himself humming a lovely melody, but had no idea where he had heard it before, or why he was humming it. This was something new. Perhaps it was from listening to the Blue Monks sing. Thinking about the Blue Monks rekindled his memories of Edmund the Explorer. “I miss him almost every day. I wish I knew who told Emma what happened to him.” Edmund didn’t really want to think about that, but he couldn’t control his thoughts the way he used to. They seemed to jump all over, going to places he didn’t want them to go, like a wild monkey leaping from branch to branch.

  “I suppose it could have been Bruno Rabbit who told Emma. He could have talked to–” It hit Edmund like a blast of light from Zoran the Emerald Shaper’s paw. “I can ask the Tree of Eyes! Why in the world didn’t I think of this before? The Tree of Eyes will still be there, and it can tell me what happened to Edmund the Explorer, and possibly what happened to Emma.”

  Edmund felt a deep pang of sorrow when he said Emma’s name. It was hard to separate the two of them, hard to imagine them apart. Edmund the Explorer had said it himself – he was linked to Emma outside of space and time.

  Edmund was pulled from his thoughts by a flickering blue light coming from behind him. When he turned around he saw the Blue Spectre, the apparition which had confronted him in the Swamp of Lost Things fifteen hundred years ago. Whatever this creature was, it was still alive.