The Seventh Seal (The Chronicles of Daniel Stone Book 1)

by A. J. Dobbs

  Albertus could see his shock.

  ‘What is this game?’ cried Daniel, tears welling up at the sight of his father.

  ‘Daniel, I have no control upon who from your life fills the board. You must remember that everything you are has come from the universe and will return to it after you die. You are, we all are, connected. The regulus has mapped your innermost thoughts and filled the board,’ said Albertus compassionately.

  ‘You are a Keeper now, Daniel, holding life in balance is what you must do… this is where you start to learn.’

  Daniel did not have too much time to dwell because as his discs changed so did those of Albertus. Each of his black discs became a deadly animal: snakes, bears, lions, tigers, spiders and many more, all filled areas of Earth and Arthe. Daniel looked on open mouthed.

  ‘Are you ready to go on?’ said Albertus a little nervously.

  ‘Yes, okay,’ said Daniel softly, and as he looked intently at the three boards he was struck by the imagery in front of him; the blackness and strangeness of his surroundings and the light and familiar life radiating from the boards. He felt like a guardian angel. The impression of looking down in this connected and disconnected state on friends and family now brought a smile to his face as his mother and father were once again laughing with each other, protected under his gaze. It occurred to him then that death was worse for those left behind and in his little potential well he now felt comforted and at home and hoped that his dad was also in some potential well, somewhere in the universe, playing his own game. This, whatever it was, felt good to him…

  ‘Daniel… Daniel…’

  Daniel snapped out of his thoughts. ‘Sorry, Albertus, miles away. So what is the point of the game?’ he asked.

  ‘That is for you to work out, Daniel,’ said Albertus.

  ‘All I can tell you are some basic instructions: the board is filled with all manner of life for which the balance creates a constant strain. You are a Keeper and your job is to maintain balance.’

  Albertus continued. ‘If you move one of your pieces on the Earth board it will result in the opposing piece on the Arthe board moving to a random and different position. That may put that piece in jeopardy of capture by your opponent.’

  He paused, a little nervous again. ‘You may then move one of the Keepers onto that corresponding grid to protect that piece.’

  This idea was lost on Daniel at this point. ‘Okay, but how do I win the game?’ he asked.

  Albertus smiled. ‘Well you now know the basics so why don’t we leave the questions and just start playing?’

  Daniel shrugged his shoulders and was now eager to get playing. ‘Yep, sounds good, oh, but how do I move the… um, pieces, I mean, people?’

  ‘Just think which grid you want them to move to and as long as it is in accord with the rules of the game your piece will move… I will start us off, watch,’ said Albertus.

  Albertus moved his first animal and so the game was afoot.

  Daniel looked at the board and thought about his first move and just as Albertus had said, it worked. His friend Jake, a piece currently in the middle of England on the Earth board, turned to him. ‘Thanks, Daniel,’ and with a smile moved instantly to a position in France.

  On the Arthe board, ‘Jake’ jumped to a random position in Siberia and shivered as he arrived. Daniel laughed at the sheer brilliance and magic of what he was witnessing and now moved one of his keepers to protect ‘Jake’. Daniel was now locked into the game but progressively getting confused.

  Strategy games were about winning, taking your opponent’s pieces and taking control. The way Albertus was playing it, at any rate, appeared to be the opposite; he was avoiding taking his pieces, eschewing in favour of protecting his and Daniel’s pieces. No matter what Daniel did, he could not take any of Albertus’ pieces and Albertus did not seem intent on taking any of his. This was no game he understood, but his sense of competition and impulse to win drove him on.

  After an hour of play he could sense a change. Albertus moved a bear into Siberia on the Arthe board and into an obviously vulnerable position without the protection of a Keeper. Daniel, smiling at the naivety of the move, pounced. He knocked the bear over with ‘Jake’ and threw his hands in the air in excitement. Albertus grimaced a little, forcing a soft smile, and then watched as Daniel’s celebrations were transformed.

  ‘Arrrggghhhhhh,’ he screamed out in pain and doubled over clutching his stomach. He fell to his knees, breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath.

  ‘What’s hap-pening?’ he forced out.

  ‘This is no ordinary game, Daniel. The Keeper’s Challenge is designed to teach you balance, to learn how to create potential for all to live, even when faced with attack. You have tried to conquer, to win over and rule; that is not the role of a Keeper. You are feeling the pain of taking life, my boy,’ said Albertus solemnly.

  Daniel recovered, as the pain faded and he returned to the board nervously and now with more respect for each move he made. He could see Albertus was a master of the game, always able to keep everything in balance, but as is often the case in life, this was a game with no fixed rules.

  The game continued for some time. Daniel learned to mirror the strategy Albertus was adopting and a sense of calm came over the game, until Albertus changed tack.

  His strategy now turned to aggression and within a few moves he had removed Daniel’s first piece; Jake was taken. To Daniel, this was no simple removal of a piece from the board and he had to witness Jake’s cries of pain and grimace as he slipped through the energy wave, like a sinking ship in the ocean.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Daniel cried. ‘I thought this was about maintaining balance?’

  ‘It is, Daniel, but life is always changing. Life and death, happiness and sadness, live hand in glove. When things change dramatically in the balance, so must you adapt your strategy.’

  Daniel thought hard. What was balance? If this were real life, who would he be facing?

  He now saw Albertus’ pieces in a new light, as metaphors for character types he could meet in life; people who would be devious like a snake, trap like a spider, hunt you like a lion and those whose soft appearance hid a danger, like that of the bear. Life, he realised was a series of battles and you had to fight; he had to fight.

  He changed his tactics. He prepared to take another piece, nervously pausing, fearing the pain he had previously experienced and he tentatively took a snake and braced for the pain… but none came. He felt nothing.

  ‘Albertus?’ said Daniel, confused but happy not to be doubled over in pain.

  ‘Daniel, balance is about proportion. If you put a heavy weight on a scale you need one of equal weight to bring it into balance. So it is with bringing balance to life itself. You must learn to read the situations you will be faced with and offer a proportional response. Do you understand?’ said Albertus, now as master teacher to the young student Keeper.

  ‘I think so…’ said Daniel. ‘But—’

  Albertus interrupted him. ‘There are no ‘buts’. Daniel, nothing is certain and all that is, is meant to be. I think we are done here; let’s return to the others…’

  *

  The five Keepers were all engrossed in battle practice, preparing and honing their skills with the drows in the central courtyard as Albertus and Daniel returned. The clattering sounds of metal on metal petered out as they disengaged and the last of the echoes bounced off the castle walls; a sound memory of that moment now added to the universe’s vast store.

  ‘Welcome back, Daniel, how did your game go?’ gasped Paris, breathless from her practice.

  ‘You have a funny idea of what a game is,’ he replied with a strained smile.

  James, uncharacteristically serious for a moment, was the first to offer up advice. ‘Just remember the words to that song: like a wave washes a shore, what was once is no more. Daniel; you are a Keeper now and I am proud to stand at your side.’

  There was no time for congratul
ations or celebration, however, and Albertus brought them all back to reality quickly.

  ‘Jade, give Daniel a wooden drows and give him some instruction. He needs to learn fast; time is running out for us on Earth.’

  With everything set on Earth I returned to Tolemak and for the next four weeks we all trained; we trained harder than we’d ever done before and all was then set for the final showdown with Smee on Earth.

  8 – Check Mate!

  22nd October 2012, Earth

  Following my meeting with Cranford and Jones of the previous month, a plan was hatched, which was bold on anyone’s scale. Cranford returned to New Scotland Yard and this time his meeting with Abberline and Willow was not so one-sided, as he explained our intent. Nods of affirmation from Abberline and Willow forced a wry smile on Cranford’s face, but he could hardly believe what he was about to try to do.

  Smee’s exploits in Arthe had been successful and he was in a boisterous and ebullient mood as he returned to their hideout.

  ‘Well, Simean, we are all set, my friend. Are the men all ready?’

  Simean smiled and holding a handcrafted shotgun, cracked the barrel shut. ‘Bring it on, Smee, we’re ready.’

  ‘Good, I have waited for this moment all my life. Not only will we bring down Albertus and Thera, but we will destroy the whole fabric of Earth and Arthe societies, rebuilding them with me as their grand leader. We will make history today, Simean; this will be a coup d’état on a global scale.’ An effused Smee was deep in thought of what was to come; excitement was coursing through him.

  Simean laughed. ‘You are a strange man, Odling. You will have the world at your feet and you’re excited about making history. Well you have your history and I and my men will take the money.’

  ‘Ahhh, my dear friend, money can’t buy the way I’m feeling now. One day when you are bored of spending money and empty inside you will mark my words,’ said Smee, like a father offering advice to an impetuous offspring.

  Saturday, 3rd November 2012, Thera

  The day had come for the battle between two differing ideologies. A battle of balance versus subjugation, a battle against evil. We made our final preparations in Tolemak.

  Sarah Stone held Daniel close, kissing the top of his head as tears trickled down her face. Her son had grown in stature. Despite all that had befallen them as a family, she felt proud to see him stand as a Keeper, as her husband had done for so many years. The anger had gone; she knew in her heart we were acting for the good of all and that this moment in time was important.

  Albertus looked on with a deepening respect for Sarah and as he touched her shoulder he was overcome with sadness. ‘Sarah… it’s time… we must leave.’

  Sarah wiped away more tears, as she had done so many times since the death of Michael, each tear washing away internal pain and anguish, smoothing the scars of life as a sea rounds a pebble.

  ‘Daniel…’ she said with a tear-choked voice.

  Daniel smiled. ‘It’s okay, Mum… I’ll see you soon,’ son comforting mother; one of life’s moments that are never forgotten.

  Daniel looked down at Geddy. ‘Dan… yell… I take care you,’ he heard in his head.

  He knelt down, patting Geddy on his back as his tail whipped around in happiness, smiling at his Keeper. This simple act; unencumbered from the complexities of a human life, brought a smile to everyone’s face. I was captivated by the strange and wondrous way our minds and emotions work; sadness can never keep happiness at bay for too long, but then again, a smiling face is not always what it seems masking sadness often too difficult to share. It was on this poignant moment that we left for Earth.

  *

  Cranford and Jones looked on from an adjoining room as a group of uniformed officers were given a briefing on their special assignment for the day. It was with good reason that both men did not participate and only looked on; making sure that the weave of their plan formed the fabric of reality for the day.

  They stayed unseen in their spying, remaining behind the group in the adjoining room but could see a mixture of excitement and protest from the assembled constables. It was with a certain amount of happenstance, and unbeknown to Cranford and Jones, that one of the constables, a William Jenkins, who originated from Gadeiriol and knew the Stone family, would turn out to have a dramatic impact on the course of events of the day…

  With the briefing over, the group of constables were ferried by van to Threadneedle Street and proceeded to close off the roads around the bank, gently herding individuals on the streets into groups and moving them away from the barrier zones they had created.

  Each officer, like a sheepdog applying tensioned influence but no physical contact to its flock, guided them all to a new destination, to safety.

  With everyone cleared and all buildings locked down it was now a waiting game…

  Smee and his men marched up the street, pushing the exiting throng of people aside to shouts of protestation.

  ‘Hey, what’s your problem?’

  There was, of course, an oddity to the scene, beyond the obvious, that jarred in the minds of those who witnessed it and that was the accompaniment of this motley crew by Elizabeth Shurman and Calum in his wheelchair. Whatever was going on, however, the police gave a sense of security and legitimacy to the presence and actions of what looked like a marauding army; an army that appeared to be going into battle with a mother and child.

  A marauding army looks as it should; this didn’t and as hundreds of confused minds processed the scene before them the lack of any sense that they could make of it made it okay. Their minds just gave up trying to work it out and moved on; they moved on.

  Smee pushed on.

  Smee’s men tensed a little as they neared the eastern barrier and cocked handguns and rifles in readiness for their first fight of the day. What surprised Smee and Simean, however, as they headed this snaking army up the street was the lack of any reaction from the police.

  The barrier was a lightly formed affair with only two officers and neither of them seemed bothered by the bloody intent of Simean’s men. Smee and Simean were both pleased and nervous.

  ‘Odling, what’s going on?’ whispered Simean.

  ‘We are heading into a trap, my friend… isn’t it obvious?’ He smiled as he whispered back.

  *

  We had arrived within the cordoned-off zone, at the junction of Princes and Threadneedle streets, and not within sight of Smee at this point. Cranford had closed off Old Broad Street and Bartholomew Lane, creating an urban battlefield.

  Albertus called us together. ‘Keepers, we are once again about to face a battle with our foe; the recovery of the First Seal and the Arcanum is paramount, the lives of all on Earth, Arthe and Thera depend on it. As for our fate, well, I cannot say; life and death are either side of life’s coin and each day it is thrown in the air with chance as its driver. We must trust that our foe will fail today and that our purpose has a stronger influence on the balance. Let your skill and courage be your strength and guide in the battle ahead and I hope that at the end of this momentous day we will once again share good company as friends.’

  We listened intently to every word that Albertus said, each word hardening our resolve like heat tempering steel, to succeed. We turned around to face our fate and for the first time could see the black and horrid mass moving up the street towards the police barrier, like a spreading malignant tumour; we all felt a surge of collective energy.

  *

  Cranford appeared from Finch Lane to join the two officers at the eastern barrier as Smee and his men arrived.

  ‘Good morning, Mr Smee. I trust you’ve found everything in order today?’ said Cranford as the officers looked on with increasing interest at the motley crew in front of them.

  Smee cocked his head like an inquisitive dog, momentarily senseless to the situation he now found himself in but at the same time his ego boosted by Cranford, firstly recognising him and then addressing him as “Mr”. His next moments we
re filled with the thought of his future as grand leader and how all people in the world would address him so. Cranford found the emptiness in Smee’s eyes as chilling as an arctic wind.

  Our plan was on a knife edge at this point and giving either Smee or Simean too much time to think was dangerous.

  ‘Officers, let our guests through, will you?’ commanded Cranford.

  The two officers, one of them William Jenkins, pulled the crowd barrier to one side and Smee and Simean, who were not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, moved on through. They knew that it was a trap, but in any event they had come for a fight so they would take any opportunity they could to get unscathed in front of the Keepers first.

  Cranford, now fidgeting with apprehension and unbeknown to me, had placed two snipers in key positions in the surrounding buildings with instructions to remove the leaders; take off the head of the snake. He looked at Smee’s men with increasing impatience, trying to push them forward with his mind. He needed them to move into his kill zone.

  Jenkins smiled at Smee. ‘Well, I have to say, you do look very convincing,’ he said in his lyrical Welsh accent.

  Smee and Simean smiled uneasily. They moved cautiously through the barrier with their men; Elizabeth and Calum nervously followed as Jenkins, still smiling, said, ‘Enjoy the show, young man.’

  Calum instinctively forced a smile, but, like a segment of a worm, he moved forward drawn by the momentum of the whole, forward to his destiny.

  Cranford’s snipers, perfectly positioned in the surrounding buildings and elevated above the kill zone, now removed the safety catches from their weapons and sighted their targets.

  Cranford moved away again into Finch Street and with a crackle from his radio spoke a simple and short, chilling command. ‘Take the shot.’

  Beads of sweat ran down the faces of the two snipers, not from nerves but concentration, as they shuffled a little to ensure they were as stable a platform for their weapons as they could be. Their fingers hovered gently over the triggers as they sighted Smee and Simean at the head of the group and prepared to fire.