09-17-2016, 02:06 PM
Jon worked with the two young men into the night. It had seemed that he'd had other things on his mind, though. Noah caught him constantly checking his Wallet.
Finally, having exhausted the two new braves, Jon sent them away to prepare for their sleep and sought out Noah again. "Use that stone to screen any other young men who you think has the ability,"
Jon told him. "Just take care that no one learns you have it, or how it works. Else someone could lie their way past the test."
Noah grunted. "I see you are heading back East. So soon?"
Jon's eyes narrowed. "Why, yes. Something has come up that I need to attend to. Do you disagree?"
"No." He stared at Jon as if he could look through him. Which he could. Jon was rather transparent to him. Always flitting from one place to another, like a coyote snapping at the birds, unaware of the cliff face. But sometimes he would land on his feet exactly where he needed to be. "You should go to Washington. It is for the best. Stay close to your friend. He will need you. The other, as well, but she's already been taken care of."
Noah turned away, but Jon grabbed his shoulder with a firm hand. "Wait! What do you know, old man?"
Noah turned back to Jon. "What will be, will be," he replied. He reached up a gnarled, bony hand, and removed Jon's hand from his shoulder. "Now go. Leave an old man to his musings."
Jon turned away and got into his vehicle, leaving without another word. Noah watched him drive off.
It was all coming together. Like the pieces in the opening moves of a game of chess. Each piece thought they were more important than the other. But when the game unfolded, a very different story would be told indeed.
Finally, having exhausted the two new braves, Jon sent them away to prepare for their sleep and sought out Noah again. "Use that stone to screen any other young men who you think has the ability,"
Jon told him. "Just take care that no one learns you have it, or how it works. Else someone could lie their way past the test."
Noah grunted. "I see you are heading back East. So soon?"
Jon's eyes narrowed. "Why, yes. Something has come up that I need to attend to. Do you disagree?"
"No." He stared at Jon as if he could look through him. Which he could. Jon was rather transparent to him. Always flitting from one place to another, like a coyote snapping at the birds, unaware of the cliff face. But sometimes he would land on his feet exactly where he needed to be. "You should go to Washington. It is for the best. Stay close to your friend. He will need you. The other, as well, but she's already been taken care of."
Noah turned away, but Jon grabbed his shoulder with a firm hand. "Wait! What do you know, old man?"
Noah turned back to Jon. "What will be, will be," he replied. He reached up a gnarled, bony hand, and removed Jon's hand from his shoulder. "Now go. Leave an old man to his musings."
Jon turned away and got into his vehicle, leaving without another word. Noah watched him drive off.
It was all coming together. Like the pieces in the opening moves of a game of chess. Each piece thought they were more important than the other. But when the game unfolded, a very different story would be told indeed.