The Blood Jewel (The Shomara Diaries Book 1)

by Carol M. Henderson

  “No, I’m sure you don’t, Martin.”

  “May I ask the reason for this sudden policy departure, Oh Great Lord?”

  “No, you may not.”

  “But . . . but, Master!”

  “Martin, I made the law. I can also break it,” the Voice said.

  The giant was now beside himself. “But Your Majesty, in all of history, has there ever been an earthling that could see his keeper?”

  “Yes, a few times, Martin.”

  “But why my little Barry, Your Grace? He is just a child. What use could he have of spirit sight?”

  “Now, Martin, you know I keep my own counsel. I have my reasons,” the Voice answered.

  “But . . . but, my Lord! How am I to talk to the boy?” The giant was flustered now. “I haven’t used a human tongue for centuries.”

  “Think, Martin. You’ve already been talking to him, right?”

  “But, Your Grace, surely you can see that I am just not equipped to carry on a conversation with this boy . . . !”

  The Voice grew stern. “Martin, are you saying that I don’t know what I’m doing?”

  “Oh, no, no, Your Majesty,” said Martin, forcing his voice to sound more humble. “Far be it from me to question your judgment.”

  “Seems to me that is exactly what you are doing.”

  “Please, your Lordship, I am just profoundly surprised. I mean no disrespect.”

  The Voice answered, “Well, Martin, I’m glad to hear that, at least. Now you just do your job and leave me to do mine.”

  “But . . . but . . . O Great One, would you consider granting me the Silver Tongue so my speech is clear to the lad?” Martin begged.

  “No. That won’t be necessary, Martin.”

  “But, my Lord . . . !”

  “Martin . . . !” The Voice was once again very firm. “Must I again remind you that I know what I’m doing?”

  “No, Great One. I know you are always in charge,” said Martin, chewing his lip. “I accept your direction. Thank you for your confidence in me.”

  Then the Voice boomed in laughter. “Oh Martin, if you could just see your face right now. Of course, I have confidence in you! Long before this child was conceived thirteen years ago, I chose you to be his keeper. Do you remember that? Do you not know that I picked you and only you for this very mission?”

  Martin blinked. There was a mission? “I did not know that, Sire.” As the information sank in, Martin bowed low. “I humbly submit to your infinite wisdom. You are way ahead of me as always. ”

  “Thank you. Nice to hear a vote of confidence for a change.” The Voice had a hint of a chuckle. Then it continued. “By the way, Martin, just so you know, the boy is not the only one that has been given spirit sight. There is another. You will know who it is in due time.”

  Martin then pressed for more information. “Great Master, could I ask one or two more questions?”

  “And what would those be, Martin?”

  “First, does Master Barry understand me? Does he understand Sky Talk? And second, what am I to tell the boy about this arrangement?” the keeper asked.

  The Voice was quiet for a moment, and then replied, “The boy does indeed understand every word. I have already seen to that. As for your second question, Martin, you will know what to say to him when the time is right.”

  Then the azure sky was quiet once more. ______________

  I felt the giant move. Uh-oh. He’s back. Now I’m dead meat.

  I looked up and saw the giant’s upper torso reappear and I braced myself for the worst. All of a sudden, the hand I was laying on tipped sideways. Like a grub, I rolled off and landed on his other hand. While I was still dizzy, the second hand tilted and the giant dumped me back on his first hand again.

  “Would you quit that!” I hollered. “I’m not an insect, ya know.”

  That’s when the giant pulled me up to his face for a second time. Hey, Glow Man, do you know that the whiskers on your face look like foot-long toothpicks? Then the giant broke into a grin. He snagged me around my waist with two fingers, lifted me high into the air, and let loose with a massive roar.

  “So! Master Barrington Arthur Klutenheimer!” he bellowed.

  Remember I told you that the giant’s voice was like a thunderclap. No joke. It was so loud I nearly passed out. Then things got worse. The giant lost his grip on me and I dropped like a rock. I fell so fast that I could hear the wind whistling past my ears. The houses below rushed toward me at a frightening speed.

  “He-eelp!” I screamed.

  Just as I was about to smash into a tree branch . . . oof! I felt the giant’s hand snatch me out of thin air.

  CHAPTER 7: KEEPER

  “If someone insists on clinging to the old ways, he trumpets his fear of the new. ~Martin Moonglow I was sure my bones had turned to mush especially when a large finger shoved me toward the hollow of the huge hand. I grabbed my wobbly knees afraid they would slide out from under me. The giant then flicked me around this way and that. I felt like one of the roly-poly insects I often toyed with in my back yard. Now I’m thebleepin’ roly-poly.

  Aside from his big outburst, the giant had not said a word. At last I could not contain myself and I said, “Are . . . are you going to eat me?”

  Is that my voice? I sound like a duck with laryngitis. The giant blinked and grinned.

  “Eat you!” he shouted and started to snicker. That bugged

  me. Then to add insult to injury, he threw his head forward and doubled over laughing. When he did that, he tossed me right back up into the air again. But I hollered and he caught me for a second time. I landed with my head stuck between two thick fingers.

  All this time the giant was still laughing, spinning and charging around like a wild bull at a rodeo. I wrapped my arms around the two fingers with a white-knuckled grip born of sheer terror. Jostled and tipped every which way, first dangling like a noodle from a fork, then tossed like stir-fry in a wok. I had no way of knowing which way was up or down.

  Whoozers! Carnival rides have nothing on a rampaging giant. One more minute of this and I’m gonna puke my Nikes.

  Thegiant’s roar was so loud I was sure my ears would bleed. But the creature soon calmed down and I felt myself being lifted up again. Positioned right there in front of his face, I could see he was still sniggering and gasping for breath. Huge tears of laughter spilled from his eyes.

  Glad you found that funny, you brute. I considered my question quite logical.

  “Master Barry,” the giant began, “Why (wheeze) . . . why would I wish to eat you—you . . . (snort)you itty bitty bag o’ bones?” He started to laugh again.

  “You’re not going to eat me?” I asked.

  The giant shook his head. “No.”

  “Why?” I shouted, hoping I sounded gutsy. “Not enough meat for you, is that it?”

  Again, the giant started giggling again. “You must forgive me, Master Barry. I have not laughed this hard in eons,” he said. “But no, I do notwish to eat you. Is that clear enough?”

  “W. . .w. . .well, if you’re not going to eat me, wh . . . what do you want me for?” I stammered.

  “Well, now,” said the giant, his face growing quite serious. “That is the big question, isn’t it?” Then he whispered, still out of breath, “Barry, my dear lad, the answer to your question is—I don’t know. That’s the truth. This is all very new to me, too. You, me, we are in—how is it that you earthlings say it—unchartered territory?”

  Duh.Just pickin’ up on that one are you, Sherlock?

  Then I got to my feet and put my hands on my hips. “Okay,” I hollered, “Just so I’m clear about this, what kind of creature are you? Where did you come from? And why can’t you tell me what this is all about?”

  “Whoa! Settle yourself, boy. So many questions!” the giant bellowed again.

  I dropped to my knees, my hands over my ears. “Do you have to talkso loud?” I said. “You’re giving me a migraine.”

  The gian
t was silent for a moment. Then, in a loud whisper he said, “In answer to your first question, Barry, I am one of the Sky People, and I live in this world right along with you. My name is Martin and I’ve known you all your life. Now tell me the truth. Did you really think Iwould eat you?”

  I nodded.

  Martin’s shoulders jiggled and heaved. “Master Barrington,” he said,“I have been right beside you for thirteen years. Not once in all that time have I harmed a single hair on your head. I don’t plan to start now.”

  Okay, that’s a bunch of barf in a bag. But then again, he says he’s never hurt me even once in . . . wait a minute.

  I cleared my throat and said, “Never hurt me, you say. What would you call flying kiteless a hundred feet in the air? A stroll in the park?” I saw Martin blink.

  Then a new thought hit me. “Hold on,” I said. “Did you say you’ve been with me for . . . for thirteen years?”

  The giant nodded. “That is correct, Barry.”

  “Ah-ha!” I shouted. “I knew you were a fake. I’m only twelve.” I gave my head a wig-wag.

  Martin was quick. “From your birth, yes,” he said, “but I was including the nine months before you were hatched,” said Martin.

  “Hatched? You mean ‘born’, don’t you? I’m not a chicken, you know.”

  “Born, hatched – aren’t they the same?” Martin asked. I shook my head. Not. Hoo-boy. Weird and weirder.

  Out loudI asked, “So why have you been hangin’ around me for twelve. . . uh, thirteen years, and how come I’m just now seeing you?”

  The giant sighed and answered, “I’ll begin with your first question. Let’s just say that before you were even a gleam in your father’s eye, Master Barry, I was given the privilege of being your keeper.”

  I slumped down and scooted back against a finger. “Ok-a-ayy. So-o-o . . . what’s a keeper?” I asked.

  The giant thought for a moment. “A keeper, a keeper . . . . Let me see.” Then he brightened. “A keeper is a Sky Person that watches over an earthling and keeps bad things from happening to him.”

  I stared into the glowing features. I had to admit that the guy did have a kind face, but . . . oh, my brain is so whacked. Why can’t I be just a regular kid?

  Dragging myself back to the present, I said, “All right. If what you say is true, how come I’ve never seen you before?” I asked.

  The giant shrugged. “I don’t know yet. By royal decree we keepers have always remained invisible. But in your case and for some unknown reason, that decree was just rescinded for you and me. The truth is, I was as surprised as you when you started shouting at me. I have never known a charge that could see his keeper. Now, here you are. Not only can you see me but you can also hear me. There’s no doubt about it. You have spirit sight.”

  I groaned and dropped my head between my knees. Then, I jumped up. Pointing my finger at the giant’s nose, I spluttered, “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through these last two days? I’ve been attacked by monsters, seen maggots crawling out of a guy’s mouth, turned into a dorky tomato-head by my sister, and tossed like a salad into the air by a humongous giant.” I grabbed my hair with both hands. “It’s been scary, I tell ya. I’m freakin’ out. I’m two chocolate chips short of a cookie.”

  Looking up at the giant, I was surprised at the softness in his eyes. He spoke in a quiet voice. “Poor lad,” he said, “I wish I had more answers for you.”

  I collapsed like a tower of Lego blocks and just laid there in Martin’s hand rocking back and forth.

  “I am so scared. My dad’s dead. And I can’t talk to my mom or my sister. Even my best friend is off in Hawaii. Overnight, everything I’ve ever known has been flipped upside down and I’ve been left all alone to figure it out. With my luck, you’ll leave too.”

  The giant drew himself up, indignation written all over his face. “Barrington ArthurKlutzenheimer! I’ve been at your side for thirteenyears. You are my charge. I can never leave you.”

  I blinked. “You’ve been with me all this time? Even though I couldn’t see you?”

  “Yes,” said the giant. “Even though you couldn’t see me. You are my responsibility and I am very serious about it. When you disappeared, I . . . uh . . .”

  I snapped my head up. “What ? Hey, wait,” I said. “First you say you can never leave me, and then you say you lost me. Which is it?”

  “Well, that’s actually correct, Master Barry, and it troubles me to no end,” said Martin. “Can you tell me your whereabouts these last two weeks?”

  Ah-ha! This guy is bluffing. He doesn’t really know who I am or where I’ve been. He’s just stringing me along. I’m not telling this monster diddly-squat.

  I felt a hot wave rush up my neck and into my face. “Uh-h. Can’t think that I was . . . anywhere unusual,” I said trying to act cool. Just then, I felt a stabbing pain in my arm and I winced. Wonder what this giant would say if I told him about the devil at the arcade.

  It was time to change the subject.

  “So, uh,” I began, “You say you don’t know why I have this spirit stuff?”

  “No, Master Barry, I do not. I suggest werun fast,” the giant said.

  I blinked and stared up at him. This guy is making about as much sense as a bowling ball on a pogo stick.

  “Um, have I missed something here?” I asked.

  The giant sighed. “What I mean is that we have to be quick to catch up on our history together. I also have to teach you the ways of the Sky.” I shook my head.

  Martin sighed. “I am sorry Barry, lad, but my earth language is still very rusty.” At that, he began to laugh all over again. The blast from the great voice sent me into a huddle with my hands clamped over both ears and my eyes scrunched tight. Seconds later, everything went quiet. I peeked out with squinty eyes. The keeper was frowning. Then his eyebrows flew up.

  “I think I know how to solve this little problem,” he said.

  Setting me down on the lawn, he drew himself up to his full height. Without warning, sparkling colors began whizzing off the huge body until it was totally hidden in a swirling rainbow-colored cloud. Then, out stepped a creature now only the size of a man, dressed in glistening silver.

  CHAPTER 8: SPIRIT SIGHT

  “Everyone, human or spirit, has a gift. Choosing to use it is another matter.”

  ~Martin Moonglow I stumbled backward, bumped into a tree, and burned bark all the way to the ground.

  “How . . . how’d you do that?” I said, my voice cracking.

  The glowing man lifted his head and smiled at me. “Oh, we Sky people can be any size we wish. Big, small, even—and this is my personal favorite—verysmall. I prefer two centimeters. It’s the perfect size to hitch a ride on your earlobe. But now, Master Barry, I think we need to talk.”

  But I just sat there, a prickly sensation crawling across on my scalp. Then I couldn’t stop myself. I jumped to my feet and bolted formy grandfather’s deck. Halfway across the lawn I smacked into a hand the size of a Chrysler. My arms and legs flailed in empty space. Then I was rolling on the ground in front of the strange man.

  “You weren’t trying to get away from me, were you, Master Barry?” He looked down at his hand—now normal size—and flexed his fingers. “We have so much history to piece together and I’d like to get started if you don’t mind. And to make sure we are uninterrupted by anymore shenanigans like that one, let’s have our conversation in a setting that is less distracting.” I looked at Martin and made a face. Before I realized what was happening, I felt myself floating up into the air. Martin floated right beside me. I stared at the receding ground and began to feel a bit dizzy. Seconds later, Martin settled me on a branch in one of Grandpa’s tallest evergreens.

  Right off, my hands were so clammy I lost my grip and fell off the branch. My pants snagged a knot and I found myself dangling thirty feet from the ground. Martin reached down and hauled me up, his eyes crinkling. “You might want to keep your body as still as you can,” he
said. “Keep your mind focused on our conversation. It will keep you from falling.”

  I cleared my throat. “Al . . . all right, Martin, the used-to-be giant, we’ll talk,” I said. “But why the funky accent?”

  He smiled. “It’s British. I learned my English while I worked in India for two centuries. I speak prettyfair Urdu as well.”

  My jaw sagged. “Urdu? Twocenturies!” I blurted out. Hey, doofus. Close your mouth before you catch flies.

  “Yes,” answered the giant. “The language is also called Hindi. Aside from English, it’s the most prominent language in India.”

  “But twocenturies? You can’t be two centuries old,” I said. No way this guy is even fifty years old.

  “Oh, I’m way older than that,” said Martin.

  “Impossible,” I muttered. An odd sensation niggled at my spine. Think Barry. After all you’ve been through? All you’ve seen? Maybe your definition of impossible needs a rework. I cleared my throat. “You . . . you can’t be serious. How old are you, really?”

  Martin stretched out on the limb, crossed his legs, and put his hands behind his head. “Let’s see,” he said, scanning the sky, “I was a mere cherub when the earth was drying up right after the Great Flood.”

  “The Great Flood . . . !” I sat up with a jolt and my pants caught on a branch. I yanked them up.

  “Not like Noah’s ark and . . . and thatflood?”

  “Yes, that flood. In fact, a grandchild of Noah’s, Magog, became my first charge.”

  I stared at him, stunned. “You knew Noah!” I said. “What was he like?”

  Martin nodded. “Oh, he was a wonderful man. Very patient. Imagine living on that ark with all those animals.” Martin chuckled. “Noah would hang his head out a window even in the driving rain just to get away from thesmell. One time he almost drowned.”

  “Then you have to be thousands of years old!!” I exclaimed. “Sorry. That’s too much of a stretch.”

  “Believe what you want,” said Martin with a shrug. “I’m— how do you humans put it?—‘more aged than rocks.’”

  “‘Older than dirt’ is what we say,” I said. I shifted my weight. My rump had gone numb sitting on that hard branch. “All’s I can say is that this is off-the-charts spooky. You show up out of nowhere, yet you say you’ve been here all along. I just don’t get it. How come I’m just now seeing you?”