“That’s because they didn’t even know themselves! I either stayed in the shadows or dwelled in the sunspots to protect the guys from harm.” He took a sip of cider and went on, “Believe me, that gang kept me busy.”
Arthur shook his head, “I know what you mean. That was my job when they were growing up at the orphanage.”
“But,” asked Guinevere, “why did you hide the fact that you were helping them out?”
Merlin looked at them from across the picnic and shook his head. “Could you imagine how they might have been if they knew they had someone helping them out? I mean our gang were a bunch of fun loving, carefree dudes and were afraid of nothing. I would have been hard pressed to help these guys out if they knew they had a built-in bodyguard.”
Arthur and Guinevere laughed as they came to understand why Merlin was not around much these days.
“Well,” said Guinevere with a soft smile on her face, “I guess your workload is less these days, my friend.”
Merlin nodded at her meaning. “Yes, and I miss the guys as much as you both. We were one for all and all for one.”
Arthur lightened it up a bit by asking, “So, how’s James doing?”
Merlin straightened up a bit. “Ahh, young James. He’s married to Nadine and has two boys and a girl and is a grandfather of five. All of which show early signs of becoming wizards themselves. He asks fer you all the time.”
Dark clouds started to gather and Arthur said, “Between those storm clouds and my arthritis I’d say, best we start out for home.” He turned to Merlin. “Will you be joining us tonight, Merlin?”
“I’m afraid I can’t this evening. I promised James’ daughter that I’d babysit for her. Soon, though, I promise.” He stood and arched his back and suddenly waved his finger at them, “But I’m always around.” He went and hugged them both, stepped back and slowly disappeared as he said, “I love you guys.”
Arthur and Guinevere stood quietly for a moment and the rumble of thunder broke them out of their thoughts. She saw the clouds gathering in the distance. “I think tonight we put some extra logs on the fire.”
“I agree!”
They casually rode their steeds back to Camelot Castle.
Two weeks later, Merlin knocked on the door of a two story, thatched-roofed cottage. Nadine opened the door and seeing him, grabbed and gave him a hug. “Come in, friend Merlin. Sit an’ have some bread and honey with us.”
He removed his hat. “How be thee Nadine?”
“Phew! I be fine. Them gran’ kids keep me busy all the day. Methinks it be time fer them ta get their own home.” She went to the stairs that led down to the cellar and shouted: “James! Come hither fer Wizard Merlin be here.”
One second later James appeared in the kitchen and Nadine took a swipe at him. “James, many time hath I asked thee not ta do that as it makes me jump.”
“Sorry, love. It’s just that I have not seen Wizard Merlin fer a spell.” He turned and placed an arm around his teacher. “Thou be good ta set eyes on, friend Merlin. How be yee?”
“Never better, friend James.”
“Sit and eat with us then.”
The wizard shook his head. “No, thank yee anyway, friend James. Be it possible ta talk with yee?”
“Surely!” he turned to Nadine. “Sweet Nadine, Merlin and me will be in the cellar fer a spell.” He led the way down the stairs and the wizard followed.
The room had shelves filled with glass and stone jars and bottles and it reminded Merlin of their secret room. He sat on the offered chair and James sat across from him.
James put his hand on Merlin’s arm. “Methinks, friend Merlin, that thee is about ta leave fer more than a short spell.”
Merlin nodded. “James, a secret cannot be kept from thee, for tis true I’m about ta leave fer a long spell.”
James opened his hands as he asked, “Pray tell, will thee come back?”
“Yes. Not for a long time, friend James, but I shall be back an’ you’ll be here ta see me.”
“An’ dost thee have an errand fer me ta do, teacher?”
Merlin opened the leather backpack he wore and removed the black book. He said as he passed it to James, “This book I leave in thy hands, James, ta hold fer me till I return.”
James held the book reverently and placed it on the table. “Thy book o’ secrets. It be safe with me, Wizard Merlin, worry not.”
“I worry not, James as I know thee will watch it fer me.”
James lowered his head. “It be that time, then?”
Merlin nodded. “Yes. It be that time. We both knew it would come and still it be hard ta grasp it.”
“Shall I go with thee?”
“No. Thou be needed here ta watch over my many charges.”
“Am I ready?”
Merlin nodded again and said with a smile, “Thou be ready and able.”
They stood and Merlin hugged his student. “Many years have we traveled James an’ many time we laughed and many times we cried, but know this: I shall be back.” They hugged and after a moment James stood alone as Merlin slowly disappeared and James realized that even Wizards cry.
Camelot Castle was the quietest it had ever been even though all who lived there and many from the nearby villages and towns filled the courtyard and spilled out the gate. Their eyes were focused on the windows of the Royal chambers. Prince Arty appeared at the open door of the main tower and lowered his head in his hands as he leaned against the doorframe. Not a word was spoken.
The castle was completely empty and as quiet as the first day Arthur and Guinevere had entered it. One of the two great wooden doors to their room was open and Arthur kneeled at the side of the bed. He held Guinevere’s thin hand with both of his as he looked at her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and shallow.
He leaned closer to her ear. “Hey, Jennie. It’s me, Arty. Want to go for a dip in our secret place?”
A weak smile came across her face and her eyes fluttered before they half opened. She squeezed his hand and whispered, “Okay, my king. Lead the way.”
“You’ll be up and around before ya know it, queenie. Just rest.”
Her head rolled ever so slightly left and right. “No, Arty. I’m too tired.”
“Jennie, you can’t leave me here alone. I need you. I mean, who the heck is gonna translate for me?”
There was a scrapping sound behind him and believing it was young Arty, said, “Son, tell thy mother she’ll be fine.”
A thin, pale white hand lay lightly on his shoulder and he knew who it was before he turned.
“Merlin! How are ya, old friend,” Arthur looked at his friend and then back to Guinevere, “Hey Guinevere, look who’s visiting us. It’s Merlin.”
Merlin stood looking down at them, his hand now over Arthur’s whose hand still cupped Guinevere’s hand. “My friends. I am truly sorry for not coming around sooner. My only excuse is that when I use my orb to watch over you, it feels to me as though I were right there with you.”
Arthur tilted his head towards Guinevere and asked the question without asking.
Merlin shook his head. “No, my friend. Even now she has taken flight.” As he said that, Guinevere’s eyes opened, she smiled at them, closed her eyes and loosened her grip.
Merlin’s hand went back to Arthur’s shoulder. “Arthur, she has gone to be with the original Keansburg Gang where she will wait for you to join her.”
Merlin’s hand rose and fell with the sobs of his old friend.
Dressed in her jeans and yellow tee shirt, Queen Guinevere lay in state in Camelot Castle as all her subjects passed by and placed white and yellow flowers around her. Arthur sat on a plain wooden chair by the head of her ornate casket. He was dressed in his jeans, yellow tee shirt, motorcycle jacket and boots. Next to him stood Prince Arty, Edwina and his two boys and two steps back were Merlin and Ron.
After two days they placed her on a wagon and, at Arthur’s request, buried her beneath the big oak tree in their special place.
Out of nowhere hundreds of white and gray doves flew and settled on the branches of the tree and their songs filled the air.
Arthur looked at Merlin with an arched eyebrow.
Merlin shrugged. “Believe me, Arthur, I have nothing to do with this,”
That evening Arthur and Merlin sat at the Round Table after all the others had retired. The last one to leave was his son, Arty, who said as he retired to his room, “Father, best yee get some sleep for thou needs thy strength.” A tired King Arthur nodded as his son left them alone.
Arthur looked at Merlin. “It’s been a long road, my friend.”
“It has, Arthur. It has.”
“I’ve been with Jennie for over eighty-seven years. We both were placed in Hollin’s House as a baby. I loved her since we were four years old. She was born fourteen days before me and used to call me a little boy.” He spread his hands and shrugged. “Merlin, what am I supposed to do without her?”
“Arthur, believe me when I say, you’ll miss her for two weeks only.”
He shook his head and had a grimace on his face. “No way, Merlin. I’m gonna miss her forever.”
“She’s in a much better place and she waits there for you, my friend.”
Arthur looked drawn and haggard. He reached into his jacket pocket and took out the creased parchment, took a quill and dipped in the ink jar. He printed by the light of a candle: Queen Guinevere known as Jennie, died at the tender age of eighty-seven. He folded it, put it back in his pocket and zippered it up.
Merlin walked over to the fireplace and from the mantle, took two of the many mugs and placed them on the table. Next he took the kettle of hot water from the fireplace and filled the two cups up to their brims. Then, with a smile, produced a leather pouch, which he placed in front of Arthur.
“What’s this?” asked Arthur opening the drawstring. “Some kind of a sleep potion?”
“Smell it.”
Arthur lifted the pouch of brown granules up to his face and sniffed. He looked at Merlin with half a smile on his face. “Coffee? Is this coffee?”
“Yes, my old friend.”
“But where did you get it? I mean, doesn’t it come from South America or someplace like that?”
“Just pour some into the hot water so we can enjoy it.”
Arthur dropped three nice pinches of the granules into each mug and stirred them around with his dagger. Finally he took a sip and rolled his eyes. “Oh, Merlin. This is fantastic. It’s been way over seventy years since I swiped a cup from the Grinnels. Drink up!”
Merlin took a sip. “You know Arthur, I think I finally have the answer to all of this.”
“All of this, meaning why we were sent forward and then back again?”
The Wizard nodded. “Yes. I believe that some entity saw how the world was going and didn’t like it very much. I believe that the same Being looked around to find where it started or where it could have been changed . . . and that time and place was right here in Camelot Castle.”
He took a sip of his coffee and then went on, “What if that Being decided on letting Arthur and Guinevere, along with the Knights of the Round Table, spend some time in the future? A time that was much more lenient and fair? Maybe that Being hoped that they would return with a different way of leading: No killing in battle, not leaning on the less privileged . . . sort of spreading good will to all.”
Arthur pondered that thought. “That’s sort of been Guinevere’s theory too. And it’s as good a theory as any other.” He took a sip. “You know what, Merlin, I like it.”
“The coffee or the theory?”
“Both the coffee and the theory. I just wish Guinevere was here to hear it.”
Merlin smiled as he nodded. “She knows, Arthur. Believe me she knows.” He looked at his friend and saw an old, gray haired, tired man. “Maybe you should get some sleep, my friend.”
Arthur looked at Merlin and nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorta tired.” He shook his head. “That bed is going to be cold tonight.” He stood and shuffled away from the table, carrying his coffee mug with him.
Two weeks later, King Arthur stood by his mother and father’s favorite spot beneath the tall oak tree beside the pond. He kneeled down and laid flowers on the latest grave, his father, King Arthur The First. Merlin stood next to him.
“Merlin, what am I going to do without them?”
“Young Arthur, yee are going to be strong and lead the people of England using the same methods they taught yee.”
The young man looked at the Wizard. “Yee knew his passin’ was comin’. Did yee not?”
Merlin nodded. “Yes, I did. As I know yee shall be as great a king as he was.”
“He died like a king. He smiled and said ta me, “Arty, I see your mother and the original Keansburg Gang. They be waving’ ta me. He passed right after that still smiling’.”
“Twas his way. An’ now thou must rule for him and your mother.”
Arty turned to him. “Will yee be here ta guide me lest I stumble?”
Merlin nodded. “I shall always be here for yee. Even should yee not see me, I be here.”
Deep in thought, Arty traced his finger in the heart carved in the tree so many years ago. He turned and Merlin was gone. A voice came from out of thin air . . . it was Merlin’s. “Lead thy people well, King Arthur, an’ rest assured I be with yee forever.”
A siren’s wail filled the room and one of the two women dressed in pure white uniforms quickly walked over and closed the window. She turned and looked at her charges. “Phew! Got that window closed just in time or else we’d have a room of crying babies.”
She picked up a clipboard and glanced at it as she spoke to her assistant. “Ellen, I don’t know why, but they always seem to come in batches.” She counted the small bundles resting in their tiny beds. “Twelve! Counting the new one that showed up this morning, we had eleven boys and one girl baby left on our doorstep in two weeks time.” She shook her head. “You’d think that Keansburg General Hospital was the drop off place for unwanted children.”
The soft ring of a bell sounded and her assistant opened the door to hear the announcement. She turned and said, “Nurse Margaret, we’re being paged to come to the front desk. The feeding will have to wait a few minutes.”
Looking into the room through the large expanse of the glass window stood a tall, gray-haired man with a big smile on his face. He had his hair pulled back into a ponytail and wore the starched whites and hat of the staff.
The man tapped on the glass and the head nurse looked up and smiled as she waved him in. He opened and closed the door ever so gently and tiptoed over to her. “Nurse Margaret, I heard the announcement. Can I help you feed the little ones?”
“Oh, Merryl, you are a life saver. Of course you can help. Here,” she said shifting the baby in her arms to him, “this is our newest arrival. The little piece of parchment stuck to his blanket said his name is Arthur. I know you’ll take care of him.” She joined her assistant and left the room
The tall man smiled as he looked at the baby boy in his arms. “Arthur. We’ve been waiting for yee.” He looked around at the eleven babies. “Finally the original Keansburg Gang be back together again and ready for whatever adventures await us.”
The Beginning!
Please Feel Free To Critique This Book
Other books by Robert P. McAuley and Smashwords:
Sky Ship
Romance in a Ghost Town
Vampire’s Bloodline
Aviation Facts & Rumors: Book 1
Aviation Facts & Rumors: Book II
The Dripping Sands Of Time
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book I
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book II
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book III
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book IV
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book V
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book VI
Time Trav
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Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book VIII
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book IX
Time Travel Adventures of The 1800 Club: Book X
New Jersey Yankee In King Arthur's Court Page 25