LeOmi's Solitude (30 page)

Mrs. Shadowitz walked towards the labyrinth
opening, “Ahummmm. All right everyone, Mark will soon be
approaching the door. There will be two to assist the persons
leaving the labyrinth. A blanket will be wrapped around them as
soon as they enter and fall asleep. Then the two or perhaps three
carriers will make sure that their charge is placed securely on a
cot and then the carriers will come back to the line for another.
That line begins here.” She pointed to a spot near the
blankets.

“Nick, Jamal, Chenoa and I will try to
identify as many as possible and make sure a continuous supply of
blankets are available. If a person is injured, take them to the
cots near the exit.”

The carrier line formed.

“Are there any questions?”

Mrs. Shadowitz breathed deeply, “Here we
go.”

Mark’s staff protruded through the wall and
the first labyrinth captive approached freedom.

LeOmi heard Mark announce, “Don’t forget you
are going to go to sleep.”

Then directly to the first person, “Do you
know Joseph Young? Is he here?”

“He’s not here. Must still be back in the
grotto.”

“Thanks. What’s your name?”

“Vince, Vincent. Vincent DuBose.”

As soon as his feet were on the floor of the
museum, he collapsed into Cap’n Ben and Krisa’s ready arms.

“Did he say DuBose?”

“I think he did. Common enough name.”

“That’s true, but you do remember that
Grand-Mère is a DuBose.”

LeOmi wasn’t sure whether it was Mark or the
next person that called the name, “Carlyle Humphries.”

LeOmi and Jesse watched as the couple ahead
of them gently gathered Mr. Carlyle Humphries into the blanket and
carried him off to the next of the farthest beds.

“Jospheph Sumpters.” The man said his name as
he looked into Mark’s eyes.

Chenoa and Nick had the blanket ready and
LeOmi and Jesse each grabbed one end of him as he fell asleep.

“Martin Dumont” was the name they heard as
they walked to the farthest beds.

LeOmi and Jesse looked down at Mr. Sumpters
and tried to evaluate what kind of person he was and where he came
from. Was he a Magi, was he a worker or was he someone who had
accidently fallen into the labyrinth somehow. The main thing they
realized was how bad he smelled.

“Can you imagine, years and years without a
shower?”

Jesse said, “I can now.”

There was a huge line of volunteers, but
everyone moved at a good pace and the process was quick and
efficient.

In about an hour, six hundred people entered
the museum and immediately fell asleep.

Mr. McGraw was acting as a go-between among
all the groups, “It took eight hours for three hundred to go in and
one hour for six hundred to come out.”

Mrs. Shadowitz responded, “By my list, it
took some of these people hundreds of years to see the light of day
again.”

Mark called out, “Mrs. Shadowitz.” She peered
into the hole in the wall, “How many are we missing?”

Mrs. Shadowitz looked at the tally, “About
thirty of the Rescue Team have not returned. We can only guess at
the number of other captives.”

“I am going back down to find out what the
problem is, see you soon.” The staff was withdrawn and the wall
solidified again.

A large amount of Healing Ward personnel had
come into the Museum just after the first captive’s foot hit the
floor.

The three hundred reserved Healing Ward
personnel had been notified were told that the casualties were
minimal. Only a small group remained, and they would be relieved as
shifts changed.

“Most of you may go. The Healers can take it
from here. Mark and the others will return shortly, and we have a
sufficient amount of additional volunteers standing by to
accommodate. Thank You.”

Everyone applauded and then began to
leave.

LeOmi and Jesse headed for the exit. “Come
and see me when you get a chance.”

“I will.”

* * *

Instead of The Quarters or the Olive Tree,
LeOmi went to the alcove where Slone met with his group for free
lunch and discussions. Slone had already begun one of his little
talks.

“Our own lives might not be as adventuresome
and romantic, so we create other fantasies that satisfy our wants
and longings to become, let’s say, ‘special’.”

He paused and looked around the group.

“Some people are destined to rule an empire.
Then there are some who are destined to take out the trash, and of
course there is more than one way to rule an empire…or take out the
trash.”

LeOmi made herself a sandwich and grabbed a
bottle of water before grabbing an empty chair and sitting in a
corner near the doorway.

“Of course LeOmi, most people are special in
one way or another. They just have to find their specialty.”

Slone walked over to LeOmi, and put his hand
out. She didn’t take his hand but she stood.

“Would you rather rule an empire, or take out
the trash? One or the other, which would you choose? Don’t be shy;
everyone here has answered this question. You are among
friends.”

She looked around at everyone there. There
were new faces that she had not seen at the practices or at other
meetings in the alcove. She stopped when her gaze fell upon the
girl that had brought the big wooden box that was the top layer of
the Nightingale Floors.

Gail. That was her name. Or was it
Gwynne?

“Whichever serves the purpose.”

“Good answer LeOmi.”

Chapter 16

Don’t Be Too
Compassionate

“Guess what’s on the Island.”

Jamal asked, “Can you see them?”

“Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright, in the forests
of the night.”

“Tigers?”

“Yep. They look hungry too.”

“Is there another animal?”

“Just more tigers. What are they going to put
with tigers anyway?”

“Good point.”

Krisa yelled out, “Emeralds, over here.”

The pep talks were getting shorter, everyone
knew what was expected of them, but they always began and ended
with the most important part, giving thanks to God.

LeOmi’s finger was still pointing up in the
air when she heard the call of “Noon,” come from the highest level
of the mountain and signaling the ballista’s first launch of the
game. First team was away and in the running for flag number
one.

LeOmi could still see the shape of Charlie
Goodfellow on the uppermost level of the mountain. Charlie
Goodfellow was called the Keeper of the Time for The Seventh
Mountain. He also taught Astronomy but it was like these were two
different people to LeOmi: the academic teacher and the evasive
aborigine Keeper of the Time.

The first time LeOmi had ever heard him was
just after she had gotten out of Benjamin’s car upon arriving at
The Seventh Mountain. He was a mystery to her from the very
beginning, a phantom or not so phantom voice that sounded from time
to time. What made the quest to find him even more difficult was
that he didn’t call noon and sunset every day, just Flags Matches
and special days, and the definition to special days was kind-of
vague so it was often a surprise to hear him shout, “Noon.”

Amethyst, Sardius, Sapphire and Emerald were
the teams for this match, and Amethyst tactics had been honed into
a fine tool. They let the other teams capture the first few flags
as they observed and planned their strategy. Then they were like
ravenous wolves, gobbling up all the flags.

Krisa, Emerald’s Flag Team Captain said,
“Well, it looks like we have to make a play for the bonus flag now,
before the Amethyst team goes after that too.”

Chenoa said, “Well it is funny that you
should say that, because they are making their play now.”

Emerald’s Fourth Flag Team watched in disgust
as the Amethyst team made their way to the Island’s stone pillars
surrounding the moat.

Krisa sent Third team over but, one of the
Amethyst Flag Team had already climbed on the top of the stone
pillars. Emerald’s Third team had disrupted Amethyst’s plan
stranding one Amethyst Team member on the top of the outer
ring.

Unfortunately the distraction had won
Amethyst the flag point and now there was only one chance for
Emerald to win the game with sunset fast approaching.

Krisa said, “Okay, Fourth Team. You’re up. I
hope your plan works. Make us proud.”

The ballista let loose the flag. LeOmi on
Fireball and the entire Fourth Team barreled out on the field
towards the flag. Mid way, the newbies separated and went toward
the Island.

For a week they had been working on the
secret construction of a stretchy rope. A rope that was within the
parameter of the rules, but that had elasticity tendencies.

The plan was to use the stone pillar as a
launching point and just like Chinese Checkers; LeOmi would jump
from place to place until she was at the goal. Unfortunately that
goal was surrounded by a herd of about fifty tigers.

Nick, Chenoa, Jamal and Cap’n Ben were all on
the other side of the moat with mirrors shining the late evening
sun reflections onto the tigers and the rocks around LeOmi. LeOmi’s
gymnastic somersaults and balance beam mount and dismount courses
at the Naval Base were a big plus.

Cap’n Ben said, “Confuse-a-cat tactics really
work.”

Nick said, “Use the unexpected and even the
most basic animal instincts are paused just long enough to get the
upper hand.”

“Uh oh, here they come.”

The announcer, as usual, directed everyone’s
eyes onto the bonus flag action. All three of the other teams
started coming towards LeOmi.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. LeOmi
Jones for the Emerald Team is dizzying to watch. Those tigers don’t
have a chance.

“She has her rope and there she goes with
that Tarzan, or should I say Jane, trapeze acrobatics. She knows
just where to hold that rope to get just the right amount of
spring. But look out LeOmi, the whole field of players is coming
your way, all except Rebecca Kerr who is still stuck up on the
outer ring with no way to get down. Oops, now even she is headin’
your way.”

Nick said, “Okay Cap’n Ben, I think it is
time for the secret weapon.”

“It is a fine, calm day. It ought’ a
work.”

Cap’n Ben, Nick, Chenoa and Jamal removed a
sack from their saddlebags and each had a shoebox size sifter with
a set of fan blades that worked by a crank. They attached the bag
to the top of the sifter and started cranking out clouds of flour
on the approaching teams. It got in their eyes, in the hair and on
their horses, there was coughing and there was just enough
commotion so that no one knew who was who or where the flag
was.

LeOmi tied the flag to the rope and lowered
it down to Chenoa, at least it was supposed to be Chenoa; everyone
was covered in white flour dust.

“Yah!” That was the cue for the entire
Emerald team to race back to the corral.

The announcer exploded, “Everyone is chasing
the person with the bonus flag and there is a fog of dust trailing
behind the lead horses re-covering everyone behind them.

“Ah, now that the dust has blown off her, I
can tell that it is Chenoa Day that has the flag and she is so far
in the lead that no one has a chance to catch her. I think it is
safe to say, Congratulations Emerald you’ve won again! The old Fog
of War trick really paid off.”

* * *

Saturday afternoon practice couldn’t be
anywhere near the Island because of the Flag Match. But whenever
the Island was unavailable for training and Ruby Tribe was
scheduled to play in the Flags Match, meetings were held in the
alcove. Once again, Slone was already into his talk when LeOmi
arrived and as usual she grabbed sandwich fixings of turkey, cheese
and bread and a bottle of water. Then she pulled a chair close to
the doorway and sat down.

“Loyalty: I expect it from each and every one
of you. Have you ever heard of the word donnée?”

Many of the group shook their heads.

“It is a French word for something ‘given’,
sometimes used to refer to a basic relationship. Many of us have
had relationships with our teachers that could have been call a
Donnée and Paidion relationship.”

Slone looked at several in the crowd, “Some
of you still have this type of relationship with one of your
teachers or a parent or sibling, but I want you to think of me as
your donnée and I will think of you as my paidion—my charge whom I
will train.”

Some of the newcomers stirred in their
seats.

LeOmi said, “Out with the old and in with the
new, hey Slone? My trainer spent every spare minute with me. Are
you willing to do that?”

“I believe one of his sayings was ‘Discipline
is the human character through applications of principles.’ Didn’t
he?”

“Why yes, he did.”

“Well, don’t you think that he would want you
to become the very best that you could be? Discipline and
application.”

“Yes. How do you know about my trainer?”

“Henry Ben Franklin is widely known for his
skill in teaching and his fighting abilities from his youth. Didn’t
you know that?”

LeOmi ignored his question and said, “This
group of ours, what do you call us, Summus?”

“Summus, yes. It encourages our members to
strive for the highest. Surely you understand that concept.
Sometimes LeOmi, your lack of trust is like a brick wall. You have
to learn to…”

“You two argue like an old married couple.”
said Ruby as she stepped into the alcove.

“LeOmi we must go, our grandfather has
awakened from his rest after his rescue from the labyrinth.”

* * *

Together, Ruby and LeOmi went to the
Museum.

LeOmi halted Ruby at the entrance of the
museum.

Vincent DuBose sat on the side of his cot,
waiting, Jesse was kneeling by the cot trying to speak with
him.