The Missing Mortals, page 39
Dean Harwood was silent so long that Doug was just about to decide that he wasn’t going to answer. Finally, Dean Harwood cleared his throat and said, “I guess I would have done exactly what you did.” Dean Harwood hated to admit it, but he wasn’t going to lie to his son. He loved his son very much, and the truth was that if the roles had been reversed, he would have done exactly as his son had done.
Doug looked at his dad in surprise.
“That wasn’t what you expected me to say, was it?” Dean Harwood asked, smiling for the first time since Doug had walked in.
“No, sir, it wasn’t,” Doug replied with a grin of his own.
“I guess I’m finally starting to realize that you’re not a little boy anymore. I need to let you grow up and become a man. I can see that these last few months that’s what you’ve been trying to do.”
Not trusting himself to speak, Doug simply nodded. He could hear the love and pride in his dad’s voice. It occurred to him then that his dad was exactly the kind of man he wanted to become.
“I guess I owe Mr. Munsen a huge debt of gratitude,” Dean Harwood said, breaking into Doug’s thoughts. “He sounds like a good man.”
“He is,” Doug agreed.
“In fact, he sounds like someone that I’d like to get to know,” Dean Harwood added almost to himself.
“Well, I found out last night that he has lots of friends,” Doug said, grinning widely.
Doug and his dad continued to talk a little longer, and then Doug left to return to his friends. He found them in the lounge. Emma and Sebastian were involved in a game of chess, while Martha watched from the sidelines. Martha had to struggle to keep from grinning at the rashness of some of Sebastian’s moves. She would have offered her help, but Sebastian had made her promise to stay out of it before beginning the game. As time went on, she realized that, although some of his moves were rather unusual, they more often than not produced the desired result. At any rate, Emma was having a hard time figuring out his strategy. I feel your pain, Martha thought with a smile.
The game was temporarily called to a halt when Doug came in. They were all curious to hear what Doug had found out from the sheriff. Doug quickly filled them in, describing in detail how Mr. Criderman had first learned about the existence of the Mortals.
“So he was watching out the window when the construction guys dug up the first one,” Sebastian said, recapping what Doug had told him.
“Yep, and when we were in the library doing our research, he was spying on us.”
Emma couldn’t help the shudder that went through her as she remembered the night she’d seen him dressed as the grim reaper. She’d had nightmares about that night several times since it had happened.
“I know he’s been caught, but just the thought of him lurking around gives me the creeps,” Martha said with a shudder of her own.
“Well, thankfully it’s all over now,” Doug replied. With a sigh, he ran his hand through his hair. “The sheriff says Lord Dinswood should get his sculptures back this weekend.”
“Good. Maybe he’ll perk up once he sees them,” Martha suggested.
“I hope so” was all Doug said in reply.
True to his word, the sheriff returned the following Saturday morning with the five sculptures recovered from the Reaper’s hideout. Doug was in the library with Sebastian, Martha, and Emma when he happened to look out the window and see a couple of cars with the words County Sheriff stenciled on the sides, pulling up in front of the school.
“The sheriff’s here,” he informed the others. “He must be returning the sculptures.”
By mutual consent, they all left the library and hurried to the lobby. They were just in time to see the female deputy and the tall, thin deputy Doug had met the night of the Reaper’s capture come in. They were each carrying a sculpture wrapped securely in several layers of bubble wrap. Deputies Dodds and Fitch stepped into the school’s only elevator and smiled at Doug when they saw him. Then the doors closed, and they disappeared from view. A moment later, two more deputies and the sheriff himself came in with the last three sculptures. Just as Dodds and Fitch had done, they entered the elevator. It looked like the sculptures were being taken directly up to Lord Dinswood’s suite. Doug wished he could be there to see the look on Lord Dinswood’s face as he gazed upon them for the first time.
Doug hadn’t been up to see Lord Dinswood for several weeks, but the last time he’d seen him he hadn’t looked well at all. Nowadays, he never left his suite, and lately Doug’s dad had taken to checking on him at regular intervals throughout the day. As he had almost daily since the beginning of school, Doug said a silent prayer for Lord Dinswood.
Shortly after lunch, they were sitting around in the lounge playing cards when Dean Harwood came in and told them that Lord Dinswood wished to see them. They gave each other questioning looks as they quickly put the cards away and followed Dean Harwood to the elevator.
“What’s he want, Dad?” Doug asked once the elevator doors had closed.
“He didn’t tell me, son,” Dean Harwood answered with a smile. Fully aware that the four youngsters were dying of curiosity, he added, “If you’ll be patient for one or two minutes more, you’ll find out.”
Just as Dean Harwood finished speaking, a soft pinging sound signaled their arrival on the third floor. The elevator doors slid open, and there was a slight traffic jam as all four youngsters tried to exit at the same time.
“Why don’t we let Doug’s dad go first,” Sebastian suggested after trying unsuccessfully to squeeze past everyone.
“I think that’s a fine idea, Sebastian,” Dean Harwood said with a raised eyebrow. It was clear from his expression that he was doing his best not to laugh. Before knocking on the door to Lord Dinswood’s suite, however, his expression grew serious once again. “I want you to be prepared,” he began quietly. “Lord Dinswood’s health has deteriorated drastically in the last couple of weeks. I’ve been trying to get him to go to the hospital, but he refuses. I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to act shocked or surprised when you see him. He’s very weak so don’t tire him with endless questions.” This last was said with a pointed look in Sebastian’s direction.
Doug’s heart sank at his dad’s words. It was just as he feared. The sculptures had been returned too late to have any positive effect on Lord Dinswood’s health. Doug’s earlier curiosity was replaced with a profound sadness. As the door to Lord Dinswood’s suite swung open, Doug steeled himself for what he was about to see.
Lord Dinswood was lying on the couch in the living room. He was covered with a light brown blanket and had several fluffy white pillows propped behind his head. His white hair was frizzy and pointing in all directions. Doug was reminded of the picture of Albert Einstein he’d seen in his science book. Lord Dinswood’s face was pale and gaunt, but his blue eyes were clear and lucid.
“Come in. Come in,” Lord Dinswood invited, waving his right arm weakly.
Doug hated seeing him this way and had to look away before he broke down and started crying right then and there. It was then that he noticed that all six of the recovered Mortals were sitting on the kitchen counter where they could be seen from Lord Dinswood’s current position.
Following the direction of Doug’s gaze, Lord Dinswood smiled weakly and said, “They’re a beautiful sight, aren’t they?”
In unison, all of the others turned to look at the sculptures.
“They’re exquisite,” Martha said, answering for the group. “This is the first time we’ve seen them all together.” She stopped for a moment and then added quietly, “I just wish we could have found the last one.”
“There’s always the hope that someday you will,” Lord Dinswood said with a tired smile.
Although, he hadn’t actually said it, the implication was clear. Lord Dinswood did not expect to be around if and when the last Mortal was found.
Doug tried to keep his outward expression calm, but on the inside his heart was breaking. He wanted nothing more than to get away and find a quiet place where he could be alone. His dad must have known how Doug was feeling because he was looking at his son with an expression of concern. Thankfully, Doug was unaware of it. Sympathy from his dad in that moment would have been his undoing. With an effort, Doug took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on what Lord Dinswood was saying.
“I brought you all up here for two reasons. First, I wanted to hear how you found each of the missing Mortals, and second, I wanted to thank you personally for finding them,” Lord Dinswood explained. “From the moment the first one was found, I’ve harbored a certainty in my heart that the others were out there somewhere just waiting to be discovered. Of course, I understand that the Reaper, as you call him, threw a bit of a kink in the works. Despite his interference, you four came through and once again succeeded far beyond my expectations. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
“You don’t have to thank us, sir. We were glad to do it,” Doug said quickly.
Sebastian, Martha, and Emma murmured their agreement. They had begun the job simply because someone they cared about had asked them to do it. Unfortunately, finding the sculptures had quickly become a matter of life and death. Looking back over the last several months, none of the four youngsters felt the need for any thanks. Their sole motivation had been to keep Doug’s dad and Lord Dinswood safe.
At Lord Dinswood’s prompting, the four youngsters then took turns describing how they had found each of the five sculptures.
Although it was obvious he wasn’t feeling well, Lord Dinswood listened with rapt attention, and when they had finished, he once again expressed his gratitude.
“I have been trying to decide on a suitable reward,” Lord Dinswood said after a brief moment of silence. “And I think I’ve finally hit on the perfect thing.”
“Really, sir. That’s not necessary,” Doug objected. For the past several months, Doug had been deceiving Lord Dinswood by leading him to believe that they hadn’t found any of the other sculptures. He certainly didn’t feel like he deserved a reward. Doug was just opening his mouth to object further when Lord Dinswood forestalled him.
“I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ve decided that from now on none of you will have to pay tuition to attend the academy.”
Emma sat there in stunned silence. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Keeping her grade point average high enough to maintain her scholarship had always been a major concern for her. Now, although she planned to continue to do her very best in all of her classes, she wouldn’t have to worry so much about her grades. Emma felt as if a great weight had just been lifted from her shoulders.
Doug, who was also attending the academy on a scholarship, was experiencing a similar relief.
Although their families were well able to afford the academy’s yearly tuition, Sebastian and Martha were just as appreciative of Lord Dinswood’s gesture as Emma and Doug.
“I don’t know what to say,” Emma finally managed. “Thank you!”
The other three echoed Emma’s thank you.
“You’re very welcome,” Lord Dinswood replied with a smile. “Now I’m afraid I have one last request to make.” Lord Dinswood laughed softly when he saw the look of concern that crossed the faces of all four youngsters simultaneously. “Don’t worry,” he hastened to reassure them. “Compared to what you’ve been through recently, this will be a piece of cake. There’s an item I need from my ship. I was hoping you four would be willing to navigate the underground passages one more time and retrieve it for me.”
“We’ll be glad to,” Sebastian piped up. Then he happened to notice the stern look Dean Harwood was giving him. Swallowing nervously, he added, “That is, if it’s okay with Dean Harwood.”
“Is it okay, Dad?” Doug asked. He really wanted to see the amazing ship Lord Dinswood had built again, but he wasn’t going to do it without his dad’s approval.
Dean Harwood smiled then. “It sounds safe enough. Yes, you may go.”
“What is it you want us to get?” Sebastian asked excitedly the moment Dean Harwood had given his okay.
Lord Dinswood smiled at Sebastian’s enthusiasm. “Well now, there’s a little black box in the top drawer of the dresser in the captain’s cabin. I want you to get that box and bring it back here to me.”
“What’s in the box?” Sebastian chimed in again before any of the others could ask the very same question.
“I would like that to remain a mystery until we can open the box together,” Lord Dinswood replied with a mischievous grin. “Do you think you can keep your curiosity in check that long?”
Emma had to keep herself from laughing at the disappointment on Sebastian’s face. They would have to make sure they didn’t put Sebastian in charge of carrying the little black box. It would be too much of a temptation for him.
“We can do it this afternoon,” Doug volunteered before Sebastian could reply.
“Good, good,” Lord Dinswood said with a nod. “You can go through the passage that runs beneath the chapel.” Lord Dinswood then went on to explain how to find and open the secret entrance in the chapel’s basement.
They had stumbled upon Lord Dinswood’s two-masted schooner last year when they were looking for the treasure. They had found it floating on a huge underground lake after swimming through a submerged passage. That short swim had been the most frightening experience of Emma’s life, so she was relieved to hear that she wasn’t going to have to do it again. Thankfully, there was another way to get to the ship.
After a few more instructions, Lord Dinswood sent them on their way. The others filed out obediently behind Dean Harwood, but Doug stayed behind. There was something he needed to say to Lord Dinswood. Lord Dinswood looked at Doug expectantly as he struggled to find the words that would adequately express what was in his heart.
Finally, after clearing his throat, Doug began, “I’m sorry I lied to you, sir. I hated keeping the truth from you, but I was really scared that the Reaper would hurt you or Dad.”
“There’s no need to apologize, son. You did what you felt you had to do,” Lord Dinswood replied with a solemn expression. “I understand completely. Learning to make tough decisions is a part of growing up, and I must say that I’m very proud of the man you are becoming.”
For a moment, Doug was overcome with emotion. “Thank you, sir,” he finally managed to say.
Trying to lighten the mood, Lord Dinswood smiled broadly and, pointing to the sculptures on the counter, said, “I’d say things turned out all right, wouldn’t you?”
Doug looked at the six Mortals and couldn’t help thinking that the set wasn’t complete. “We’ll keep searching until we find the seventh Mortal, sir,” Doug promised.
“I’m counting on it,” Lord Dinswood replied.
When Doug left Lord Dinswood’s suite, he saw that, with the exception of his dad, the others were waiting for him by the elevator. Although they all gave him questioning looks, no one asked him what had delayed him. Doug was grateful because he didn’t feel like explaining. What had transpired moments ago was between him and Lord Dinswood.
“I can’t believe we actually have permission to go back to Lord Dinswood’s ship!” Sebastian exclaimed excitedly while they waited for the elevator to return to their floor.
“I know,” Doug agreed. “When we get downstairs, I’ll get some flashlights and extra batteries for us.”
“We probably ought to take some bottled water too,” Martha suggested.
“Good idea,” Doug said.
“What else should we take?” Sebastian asked.
“I’d say the flashlights and water should be all we need,” Doug answered. “We’re not going to be down there that long.”
Sebastian looked disappointed. “I was hoping we could do a little exploring while we’re down there. This might be our last chance to look around.”
Although Emma and Martha didn’t say anything, the excited looks on their faces said very clearly that they agreed with Sebastian.
Doug looked at his friends and smiled. “Who says we can’t?”
Sebastian let out a little whoop of joy. “This is gonna be great!”
When they got off the elevator, the girls and the boys separated to get the things they needed from their rooms. A short while later, they met back up in the lobby. Doug was carrying a backpack, which contained four flashlights, extra batteries, and some bottled water.
“Everybody ready to go?” Doug asked after explaining what was in the backpack.
“You bet,” Sebastian answered.
Eager to get started, Sebastian led the group out the front doors and down the steps. From there, they headed over to the chapel and entered through the back door. Directly in front of them was a long hallway that led to the chapel area. Further along on the right side of the hall were doors that opened into the pastor’s office and the chapel library. Immediately to their right was a set of old wooden stairs that led to the chapel’s basement. They took the stairs and stopped at the bottom to get their bearings. Small rectangular windows set high up on the walls to their right and left let enough light in for them to see by. Lord Dinswood had told them that there was a secret panel in the wall directly across from the stairs. The walls of the room had all been covered with old-fashioned paneling in a dark brown color. Doug counted ten panels from the corner on their far right. Once he had located the correct panel, he pushed on it. It sank in about an inch and then, with a click, swung outward. Doug stepped back quickly to get out of the way.
“It must be some kind of a magnetic latch,” Doug commented as he peered inside. Another set of stairs led downward. Doug opened his backpack and gave everyone a flashlight.
“You lead the way,” Sebastian suggested. “I’ll close the door as soon as everyone’s in.”
“Okay,” Doug agreed. Then he switched on his flashlight and started down the stairs.
