Anarchist Knight:Apprentice

Tobal spent a lot of time talking with Adam. One afternoon he was helping set up a new display in the shop.

"Where does all this stuff come from", he asked? "How do you find things like this"?

The old man answered evasively. "They are just hand crafted items here on consignment. I know the people that make them and have an exclusive trade agreement with them. While I get a commission on each sale, I don’t really know the history of each piece".

He eyed Tobal speculatively and continued, "Several times a year I take some time off to restock my supply. When I’m gone Sarah takes care of the shop for me. That’s why I'm going to miss her so much when she leaves".

"Have you ever heard of Tavistock Educational"?

"Hmm, yes I think I have. Why", Adam asked?

"That’s my old school. I graduated from there", he paused and corrected himself. "I mean this spring is my graduation but I graduated early". "Anyway", he flushed, "last Halloween we had a costume ball and I was wondering if our theatrical department got it’s costumes from you" This shop reminds me of the costumes we were wearing".

Adam Gardner eyed him shrewdly. "Your uncle must do pretty well to send you to an exclusive school like Tavistock Educational. It’s a very hard school to get into and I’ve never heard of anyone graduating early from it. I’ve heard it’s real high society, not like your parents at all".

Tobal persisted, "Did the school get the costumes from you"?

Adam relented and said mysteriously, "Yes, they have an account with me and are one of my good customers. There are not many places that can afford high quality reproductions. I move in some pretty elite circles myself". Then he changed the subject.

Adam also proved evasive about the medallion, especially when Tobal told him that he had seen the same image as a tattoo on uncle Harry’s chest. Adam said there were some things he couldn’t talk about. Maybe later after Tobal completed the sanctuary program they could sit down and talk. It was just not the right time. There were some things that could only be told after he received the proper training.

"There are some things just too dangerous to talk about right now", he told Tobal. "I haven’t been to Heliopolis in over fifteen years and they think I’m dead. I want them to keep thinking I’m dead. I don’t know if things have changed and I don’t want to endanger Sarah when she is taking the Phase I training this fall".

"Tell you what", he said. " You come back here with Sarah after you’ve completed the sanctuary program and I’ll tell you everything you want to know". He looked hard at Tobal, "Will you trust me on that"?

Tobal didn’t have much choice. "I guess I will have to", he muttered dryly.

Soon after that the old man made arrangements for transportation to the closed city-state of Heliopolis. It was about 80 miles from the coast into the Rockys. Heliopolis lay in a sheltered valley between mountains and was hidden by hard wood trees, ringed with dense pine forests and shaded by snow capped mountains.

Tobal and Adam had one last talk in private before he left. Adam told him more about Heliopolis. It did not follow the accepted rules of the Federation. Tobal was reminded he would not have the same civil rights he enjoyed now. Heliopolis was a separate sovereign nation. He needed to be very careful.

Tobal was getting a little worried until Adam reminded him that Sarah would be coming next fall and she would need his friendship and help. It was a high honor to apply for sanctuary. No one was turned away but it was so secret few people knew they could apply. It was limited to word of mouth and generations of family members that had already gone through the training themselves.

Adam had been a citizen of Heliopolis before Tobal’s parents changed everything with their research. He remembered how Heliopolis had been before it became a closed city-state. His wife and two sons were buried back there and some day he wanted to go back and visit their graves. He was bitter about it because under the current political conditions he would never be able to go back. His older citizenship was no longer recognized and his life would be in danger if he tried. Sarah’s life would be in danger if they knew who she really was. She would come under a false identity. He hoped Sarah would be able to visit her mother’s grave. She didn’t know about her two older brothers and he needed to talk to her about them before she left. His voice faltered as he was telling Tobal these things. Tobal knew it would be very hard for Adam to share these things with Sarah.

There was not much else to say and Tobal silently gave the old man a hug. Then they went downstairs to find Sarah. It was almost time to go.

The sun was high and it was almost noon when Sarah came to get him for lunch. She was shy and awkward in social situations. Tobal guessed she didn’t get around much and was surprised she was being home schooled. To be home schooled in today’s high tech society was unheard of. As they walked back to the shop for lunch he wondered how good her education really was.

Sarah and Tobal spent a lot of time together and became good friends. She was interesting to talk with and certainly knew far more about history than he did. The days crept by and early March brought heavy snows that made a mess in Old Seattle where traffic was foot traffic. Sidewalks were kept shoveled clear but the streets were left to melt on their own. Getting around on foot made travel hazardous. They spent most of the time inside the store or visiting other shops.

One day they went to New Seattle. It was like any modern city-state he had ever visited. It was lacking in personality and created to satisfy it’s population with passive pleasures like virtual gaming tournaments and interactive learning terminals linking people from all across the globe. Like many city-states if followed the European pattern of stacking people like sardines in limited living quarters. That was balanced with large parks, recreational areas and gardens where a person could spend time alone in nature without ever leaving the city itself.

It was Old Seattle that was a breath of fresh air to Tobal with it’s strange shops and residents. The entire area was filled with people that dared to be different and creative. Each person was living their own self-created reality and prospered or reduced to poverty on the merits of their vision and efforts. Old Seattle survived on the seasonal tourist trade. Still, it was surprising how much business it drew even in the slower months of winter and late spring.

There was a darker side to the city as well and they tried to steer clear of it. Drugs and prostitution had found a home in the old city along with other illegal activities not allowed within New Seattle. There were dangers that beckoned with shadowy fingers. This was an area of human predators and there was little protection from the law. Tobal realized why there were iron bars and heavy reinforced doors on most of the homes and shops.

The freedom of the old city came at a heavy price. That price was no medical or police service. It simply was not available even though one could go through the gate into New Seattle and have instant service. New Seattle did not want people living in Old Seattle and did not support it’s occupants. The local community united together to provide emergency service and transportation when needed. They looked out for each other through a neighborhood watch program.

Sarah and Adam lived in a fairly safe and respectable neighborhood but even she was concerned when they were followed home one snowy night by a shadowy figure they couldn’t quite make out. They never did know if it was a friend making sure they got home safely or a predator. The mysterious figure vanished into the snowy night when they reached the shop entrance.

Adam glanced at Tobal before continuing, "Howling Wolf told us in ancient times this was called 'becoming immortal or God like'. Each culture had it’s own name for it. The taoists called it 'developing the immortal physical body'. Jesus used this technique or something similar when he appeared in a closed room full of disciples after his supposed death. Thomas, the doubter, did not believe until he felt the holes of the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet. The ancient Greeks spoke of heros and heroines that became immortal".

He paused and took a sip of brandy before continuing. " The holy men and women of the earth’s religions knew these techniques and passed them on in secret to a select few. The Gods and Goddesses of all religions were once human. After they learned these techniques they became 'divine' and transcended normal human life. Later they were worshipped as Gods and Goddesses.

Can you imagine the military applicaton of such super human abilities? Spies and assassins that can’t be stopped or caught. Do you understand what I am saying? Phase III was insignificant compared to Howling Wolf’s bi-location process.

Your parents refused to cooperate any longer with the harmful studies because of the mutagenic effect it had on the human DNA. Several volunteers had already died horrible deaths. The Federation found out about our secret group and panicked. They sent in special forces and massacred our entire village hoping to kill every one of us".

Adam’s throat caught and his voice faltered. "Many innocent lives were lost. Not just those in the sanctuary program. My wife was murdered and my two older children. Howling Wolf’s entire family was living in the village and they were murdered too. Only two of his grandchildren survived and that was because they were with us. We were at a secret meeting and had taken you, Sarah, and Howling Wolf’s two grandchildren with us. I was taking care of the four of you. The rest were in a meeting when it happened".

"When we came back", his voice faltered and there were tears in his eyes, "When we came back they were all dead. Your father and mother went to find your uncle. He was the Federation officer in charge of Phase III. They never came back. They took you with them. Howling Wolf’s son and daughter-in-law were hunted down and executed. The rest of us vanished. Howling Wolf took his remaining grandchildren and I took Sarah. She doesn’t know she had two older brothers".

"We went back in secret and buried our loved ones. Several times they almost caught us but we slipped through them like ghosts", he laughed hollowly and without humor, "That’s what we were, ghosts burying ghosts".

His fist clenched, "That’s what they were too, if we ever caught them. We wanted to stay but the children were not safe and needed protection. We waited for word from your parents but no word ever came. Howling Wolf was going to keep an eye on things and keep our secret meeting place from being discovered. We knew how to contact each other in an emergency. I was going to get money for the supplies to rescue your parents if they were still alive".

"That’s all I know", he said wearily sitting back in his chair. "Howling Wolf never contacted me. They must have hunted him down and killed him too. I don’t see how he could have survived".

Adam peered at Tobal over his spectacles. "Now you tell me there is renewed interest in your parent’s research. I’ve thought about this for a long time. I’ve always wanted Sarah to go through the sanctuary program. I’m getting too old to train her myself. Knowing that you will be there makes me feel better about Sarah going. I will send her next fall after the tourist season".

"Can you bi-locate", Tobal asked in awe?

The old man nodded gruffly, "Howling Wolf and your parents taught me".

"Can Sarah"?

Adam sighed and took another sip of brandy. "No she can’t. She needs to go through the sanctuary program first for the preliminary training. After that I can train her".

"Will you train me", Tobal asked hopefully.

Adam took a long time before answering. He bent forward and his steely eyes looked straight into Tobal’s soul. "Get through the sanctuary program first and then ask me. If it is still what you want, then I will train you. I owe your parents that much. Make sure Sarah gets through her training too".

Tobal was overwhelmed by the information and needed some time to think. He believed the old man, but he also felt the old man was not telling the entire story. He excused himself and said he needed to go for a walk down by the park and clear his head.

He peered at Tobal with keen interest through his spectacles.

"You seem to be healthy and normal though".

He continued. "Howling Wolf was a local native American shaman that had mastered the practice of bi-location, being in two places at once. He developed this ability through natural means. He was never a part of the official program and the Federation never knew about him.

Your parents met him accidently one day in the mountains. He gave your mother herbs he said would help her pregnancy. Later they learned he was able to instantly teleport himself from one place to another. This was what your parents were interested in and didn’t involve sophisticated technology. They became his students.

Training started out as a form of mental projection like remote viewing but deepened into the transport of the entire physical body. Howling Wolf was a strong influence and convinced your parents that you would be born healthy and that learning this bi-location ability would not be harmful to you. Your parents convinced Howling Wolf to teach a small group of us and we met in secret.

As our shamanism training progressed it became clear that spirit travel and bi-location could be achieved naturally and safely without the mutagenic hazards of high strength magnetic fields and super conductors.

We didn’t need the money or the machines the Federation supplied. Even more important we didn’t need the strict military supervision and control. Your parents researched the effect of Howling Wolf’s training on the human body and found ways to measure scientifically what was really happening.

They were able to duplicate his training and developed other methods that combined science and shamanism. They created a teleportation device capable of transporting Phase I graduates from one transmitter to another and back. That project was called Phase III.

Phase I graduates had no problems going through the matter transmitter even though non-graduates could not. My theory is Phase I training integrated body, mind and spirit in a way that "unified" the entire personality.

Howling Wolf taught that these mysteries and natural techniques have always been known to a small group of individuals throughout history. These secrets have been taught in secret mystery schools and handed down individually through oral traditions.

This training involved the development of the non-physical body, aura or soul as it is some times called. It was the development of this non-physical body that "energized" and harmonized with the physical body in a way that allowed the physical body to transform into pure energy and back again without damage to the individual cells".

The old man’s name was Adam Gardner and his daughter was named Sarah. She was an only child. Her mother had died when she was an infant. She was only one year younger than Tobal. The way she pinned her hair into twin pony tails made her look younger.

Adam called Sarah down to mind the shop while the two of them went upstairs to talk. Tobal related what he knew while the old man sat quietly and listened. He was particularly interested that Tobal’s uncle Harry had been reactivated and there was new interest in his parent’s research. He was not surprised uncle Harry had discouraged Tobal from coming to Old Seattle.

"He was right", Adam told him. "Most of the people that knew your father and mother are dead. I think your uncle and I might be the only ones left and I never met your uncle. Your parents spoke well of him though and that was always good enough for me. It was a foolish idea coming here but I’m glad you did".

"I owe your mother and father a lot", he continued. "There are not many around any more that still remember what really happened". "Hell", he sighed, "I don’t know what really happened and I was there".

"It was during the failure of phase II that I started working with Ron and Rachel. They were brilliant scientists and very much in love". He glanced at Tobal and his eyes softened., "I’m sorry you never got to know them. I remember how excited they were when you were born. They brought you straight to the village from the hospital and showed you off. They took you everywhere they could. When they went on missions my wife, Linda, or I would baby sit you and some of the other children".

Tobal’s head was spinning and he felt completely lost. "Wait please", he interupted. "what do you mean phase II, I thought there was only one project and why were there other children around if it was dangerous"?

Adam sighed heavily and shifted in his chair, "There were at least three different programs I knew about and more that I didn’t. Most of them were heavily classified Federation research. The overall focus of your parent’s reseach involved matter transmission from one point to another".

"But that was done years ago", Tobal said. "At least I think it was".

"It has been done with solid crystaline objects but never with organic tissue or living things. Impurities within the cellular structure cause the collapse of the cell tissue under the stress of intense magnetic field energies. Your parents were trying to find ways to purify the human body enough so it would transform into pure energy and the back into flesh again".

"Is that possible", Tobal asked?

"Yes", Adam replied quietly. "Your parents did this many times. I’ve done it as well. The entire sanctuary project was designed as the first round of purifications needed to produce this effect in humans and was known as phase I. It’s objective was to produce general spiritual, mental, emotional, physical health, self esteem and competence by naturally strengthening the magnetic fields within the human body. It was very successful in producing sweeping changes physically, mentally and emotionally in a positive manner".

"It was so successful the city-state of Heliopolis was forced to assume a "closed" or "forbidden" status under Federation supervision. Graduates of phase I were vastly superior to their peers in normal Federation society. Given a chance they would out perform or out compete others while remaining healthy and highly individualized. The main draw back from the Federation’s veiw was that graduates were too independent. They didn’t like taking orders from people they didn’t know or respect".

"Phase II tried to further purify the human body through mechanical means using high strength pulsating magnetic fields similar to how solid objects have been treated and transported in the past. This is the project that failed. Scientists exposed to these raw magnetic field energies began to experience bizarre side effects and deformities as their human genetic structure mutated. Your parents alone seemed immune to these hazards that were killing others".

"That was when I became involved. I was going through phase I. A handful of us met secretly with your parents and studied natural shamanistic ways of purifying and energizing the human body. Your mother was pregnant with you and didn’t want to do anything that might cause harm to her unborn infant. She was already afraid she might have exposed you to harmful influences and genetic mutations".

He heard someone coming slowly down the stairs and headed back to the counter. The tread sounded slower and heavier and he knew it was not the girl returning. Whoever it was walked with a pronounced limp. The curtains parted and a very tall, distinguished looking gentleman with old-fashioned spectacles and long gray hair pulled back in a ponytail entered the room. Tobal stared at the spectacles. They were the kind of thing no one wore any more. Corrective surgery had long made any type of eye glasses a thing of the past.

He wondered at the odd affectation and suppressed a smile. Anyone that owned a shop like this would have to be unusual. The man was holding Tobal’s medallion and staring at it with a peculiar look in his eye. Almost lovingly the old man's fingers traced the outer circle and the two figures. He looked at Tobal and said softly,"Do you have anything else"?

Tobal pulled the faded letter out of his pocket and handed it over. The old man’s face paled as he looked at the broken wax seal. He carefully took the letter out of the envelope and began to read. When he was done he looked at Tobal with a new expression on his face. There was steely determination and something that looked suspiciously like newly forming tears.

The old man asked solemnly, "Do you claim the right of blood"?

Not knowing what to say, Tobal just nodded.

"Yes, I do".

The old man smiled widely and stepping around the corner embraced Tobal in a warm hug.

"Then welcome son, welcome! You’ve come home at last"!

This time there was an "open" sign hanging in the window. In better light the shop looked like a fortress. The heavy wooden door had metal bands across it for reinforcement. It looked like it could withstand a battering ram. He tested the latch and the door opened silently inward on well oiled hinges. A small bell rang as he entered.

The smell of burning incense and the glow of burning candles was completely unexpected. A dark shag carpet muffled his steps and he sneezed involuntarily as he stirred up some dust. "Antiquities and Curiousities" was not a normal shop in any sense of the term. He gazed around in awe. It was like being in a museum. The shop was large and divided into several sections, each section set up and displayed according to a historical time period.

He had been expecting to see odds and ends of junk that cluttered so many antique shops. Instead each section was divided not by year but by century. There were complete room like displays of furniture, clothing, weaponry, art, games, toys, reading materials and more. Entering into a section was like stepping into a different world.

He stepped into a display about prehistoric cavemen. There was a replica of a cave painting on a rock. The painting and rock looked like they had been hewn out of the back of a cave somewhere. There was a clay bowl and goblet, three flint knives looked sharp and fairly unused. A hand axe had been used to cut chips out of a log laying in the middle of the display. Admiring it, he picked the axe up, hefted it and gave a couple practice swings. There was a primitive energy and vitality about each item that made him instinctively want to pick it up and start using it. He just knew these items had been made to be used.

A female figure was dressed attractively in furs and armed with a bow and quiver of hand made arrows. There was a small pack on her back and a blanket robe of rabbit fur lying on the ground beside her. She had a necklace of brightly colored bird feathers around her neck and there were price tags on each item. His jaw dropped in disbelief as he looked at a few of the price tags. There was a small fortune in this one display alone.

He realized this shop must deal in specialty replicas. Perhaps theater props. Each item was extremely well made and looked real and functional. The clothing, furniture, weapons and even the leather shoes were all obviously hand crafted. Moving to other displays he could see each item of clothing was crudely woven in the old manner, hand stitched and buttons were hand made. He would have believed he was in some type of museum but no museum carried items in such a perfect state of repair and like new condition.

He wandered for an hour looking at various displays and getting an increasingly troubled feeling that something wasn’t right. He could believe one or two displays of meticulous craftsmanship and diversity. There were re-constructionists that studied the old ways of ancient civilizations and tried duplicating them. But this was different. It was as if someone had stepped back into time and brought back these items for sale in this curious shop. That was absurd of course but the feeling of unease was growing more uncomfortable inside him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that these items were real and that was not possible. He felt a chill go up his spine. These items shouldn’t exist and this store shouldn’t exist. The knowledge and ability to create these things had vanished long ago. No people living today had the knowledge to make these things that were so exquisitely crafted.

This was not an ordinary shop. Dealing in replicas of this quality had to be very expensive and these items very hard to come by. Why would any person in today’s world want to use these old fashioned things or buy them? The only reason Tobal could think of was for theatrical props. In a flash of insight he wondered if Tavistock Educational had purchased theatrical costumes from this place to use at the Halloween dance. He winced and rapidly brought his mind back to the present.

He sneezed again and a blond girl about two years younger than Tobal came around the corner with a smile, wearing a spring colored dress. She was five feet four inches tall and pretty in a plain sort of way. Her eyes were a warm bright blue and danced with humor.

"Bless you"!, she said brightly with a smile. "I thought I heard someone. May I help you, oh"! Her hand went to her face and covered her mouth in a startled manner. She was blushing furiously in embarassment and backing away.

"I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry, I was just startled".

He touched his face, relaxed and tried to grin.

"That’s all right", the awkward moment passed.

"How can I help you"? She asked again this time a little nervously.

Tobal eyed her. She was too young to know about the medallion and the faded letter. She was younger than he was. Still his instructions had been to take them to this shop. Slowly and uncertainly he took the medallion off over his head and handed it to the girl.

"I would like to know what you can tell me about this medallion and how old it is," he said.

She looked at it, her eyes widened and her face turned pale. She looked sharply and asked in a snappy voice.

"Are you trying to sell this"?

"No, I’m not. I’m trying to find information about it. It belonged to my parents".

"I have to get father. I can’t talk to you about this", she said quickly. "Make yourself at home and look around the shop a little bit more. I’ll be right back with father in a few minutes".

Tobal watched as she stepped through a curtain behind the main counter. He heard her running up stairs into the living quarters. Suddenly he wished he had taken the medallion back before she had left. He fought down a rising panic. She seemed honest enough and it would be all right. Still he knew he should have never left it out of his hands. He didn’t know her or anyone else in this town. If anything happened it would be her word against his and unlikely that anyone would believe him.

Trying to take his mind off the medallion, Tobal wandered around other areas of the shop looking with renewed amazement at finely crafted armor, ornate weapons, muskets and pistols. Some of the metal still had hammer marks from when it was forged and beaten into shape. Leather boots and woven tapestries competed with rich clothing hand sewn from the finest silks. Oil lamps lit ornate desks covered with hand written books and crude scientific instruments whose purpose he couldn’t even begin to fathom.

Close examination of some items showed that not all of them were new. Some of the items were not only real and functional but had also been used. Some of the armor and weapons were sweat stained and scarred or repaired. He studied a Roman helmet and noticed the leather lining was soft and pliable with sweat stains on it as if it had been used recently. The bronze buckles were highly polished.

When he touched these used items he felt memories enter into his mind. Perhaps he was reminded of past lives when he had known, worn and used items such as these. Perhaps that was why they stirred such deep and powerful emotions within him and why they felt so comfortable in his hands.

Tobal turned down another street and old apartments loomed up silently on either side like man made canyons. The early morning sun had not made it into these dark canyons yet and he walked in shadow. His boots were muffled by the light snow that lay on the cobblestones. The uneven surface made his footing treacherous and several times he almost fell.

Rounding another corner he almost stepped on a couple of crows intently fighting over a dead animal. They hardly noticed and hopped to one side before resuming their fight over the grisly remains of a rat or a cat. It was hard to tell which.

The street split in two separate directions. A battered sign said Oak Street and 30th Ave. Going left on Oak Street he headed down a street more narrow than the others. It looked like it was not used much any more, but then they all did. Looking back he saw the crows following him. They would fly a short way, stop to watch and then fly again to catch up. Every now and then one would squawk and a fight would erupt leaving loose feathers forgotten on the snow.

Old Seattle was a noted artist’s colony. It was one of the areas where societies fringe element escaped the rigid structure of moderization. Unique products, specialty shops and services both legal and illegal were offered within the little shops that lined the streets. The owners lived above the shops and owned entire buildings. Some of the signs were broken or covered in grime and unreadable. He figured 2424 Oak St. should be a few more blocks up and on the right side of the street. A couple blocks further he found it nestled between an old bakery and a barbershop.

The dilapidated three story red brick building looked worse for wear than it’s neighbors and some of the mortar between the bricks was missing. Tobal questioned the structural integrity of the entire building. A battered sign proclaimed "Antiquities and Curiosities". The windows on all three stories were covered with wrought iron bars that looked functional as well as ornamental. They suggested what kind of neighborhood this really was and he nervously glanced around him. The crows hopped a little closer. Stepping up to the door he saw he was too early. The closed sign hanging in the window read the shop opened at 8:00. Glancing at his watch, he realized he still had almost two hours to wait.

Leaving the shop, Tobal continued down the street until he came to a small park area and watched the sun rise over the city. He brushed snow off a battered bench and sat listening to the strange early morning sounds of this old city and watching the crows. One large crow actually flew onto the bench and turned it's head looking intently at him. Tobal had the eerie feeling that the bird was intelligent. After a half-hour of sitting in the small snow covered park the sun was up and he was thoroughly chilled.

Going back to the coffee and bakery shop he ordered a cup of coffee and a raspberry scone. It was warm inside and he stayed there until 8:00 listening to the locals and watching as they eyed him curiously. If anyone thought it strange to see a dark haired eighteen year old with a scarred face wandering the streets at this time of day they kept it to themselves. Tobal took his time and enjoyed his breakfast. There was some foot traffic in the morning streets and most of it toward the bakery. Customers would enter, stomp their snow covered boots on the floor, hang their coats or jackets on a stand and sit down to read the local paper or talk with their neighbors. Most of them looked over fifty years old and dressed in outdated clothing. They were not a part of the modern world as Tobal knew it. At 8:00 he paid for his coffee and scone and headed back to the shop.

Tobal got off at the airbus terminal and asked directions at the information desk. He was only two miles from Old Seattle. After spending the night in the airbus the exercise and fresh air felt good. His clothing was warm enough as long as he kept moving. He had no luggage because his uncle had said he would be given everything needed at Heliopolis when he got there.

The first part of his trip was easy since New Seattle was essentially one huge indoor complex. This was common with city-states. The entire city-state was essentially one giant self-enclosed structure. Public transit was small automated air cars that took passengers to any programmed address or destination. He was going to the South Gate and punched the proper location into the control screen.

"Please fasten your seat belt", said a pleasant mechanical voice from somewhere inside the car.
Tobal complied and the car took off smoothly entering a long corridor filled with other flying traffic. In a matter of minutes his air car touched down next to the city gates and let him out. He watched as it sped away to pick up another passenger, then shrugged his shoulders and stepped through the gate into the cold air of Old Seattle.

The light mist and fog felt chill in the pre-dawn air. He turned his collar up against the wind and fastened his light jacket a little tighter. As he walked, he buttoned the top button of his collar. The icy moisture seemed to seep into his bones. There was a dusting of freshly fallen snow on the ground and it was very quiet as the sun peeked over the distant horizon. He guessed the snow would not last very long. It was already melting. While cold, it was still much warmer than his uncle’s estate.

Old Seattle differed sharply from New Seattle. He looked around curiously as he walked along an empty street. There were individual buildings on both sides as far as he could see. New Seattle had no streets. Anti-grav technology had made ground operated vehicles obsolete over twenty years ago before he had even been born. Still here in Old Seattle there was foot traffic and the streets were kept in repair for that purpose alone. The contrast between the two cities was almost overwhelming.

New Seattle was a self-contained city-state like so many others in what was now simply the Federation. Some of the older citizens called it the "New World Order" but it was not new any longer and did not seem to contain a lot of order. There were not many people still living that remembered the pre-Federation days. Each city-state was like any other with access to many of the same resources. Most people worked from their homes in private offices or lived within walking distance of the local manufacturing plants that produced the food and material products that kept the city alive.

It was hydrogen cell technology that revolutionized the world bringing cheap energy to entire communities. Almost overnight the energy problems of the world were gone. There was abundant light, heat and electricity within small communities along with the technology to become self-supporting and self-governing. Anti-grav technology completed the isolation by making the world’s ground transport structure obsolete.

All across the Federation streets and highway systems had been torn up and properties sold or allowed to go back to nature. The majority of the world’s population now lived in elaborate complexes complete with local air terminals and food processing plants. They were self-sustaining apartments in self-sustaining complexes in self-sustaining city-states. You could find anything you wanted in your own complex or order it from the ethernet on your home computer. Hologram technology made communication and entertainment effortless. You could attend conferences, work, play games or chat with your friends through the ethernet even if they were on the other side of the world. Advanced technology had finally reached the point where no one really needed to go anywhere.

But here in Old Seattle there were still streets. Tobal had never seen a street before. It was like entering an ancient prehistoric world. In this part of the city there were actually cobblestones that were over two hundred years old. Definitely the old city was pre-Federation. The buildings were separate from each other and built of red brick or concrete. Many of the taller skyscrapers were in a process of structural collapse or in need of repair. It was the smaller buildings built of concrete and steel that seemed immune to the sands of time. They spoke of an era when life had been different, harder and more individualistic.

Ironically it was modern technology that provided the power to support life in these ancient structures. Without the abundant heat and electricity they would have long since been abandoned. It was as if people wanted to play at living in the past while keeping the niceties of the modern world at the same time.

Tobal Kane curled up in a dark corner of the Airbus and looked out upon a moonlit night. It was the 18th of February and the full moon cast a soft light on the snow covered landscape far below. There were no clouds and he could see stars twinkling like diamonds in the night sky. It was one of those rare nights that you want to remember for the rest of your life and he was trying to impress the smallest details into his soul forever. He was leaving the only home he had ever known and he was not going back.

He felt the vibration and hum of the airbus against his back and below he saw the lights of New Rome growing smaller and receding into the distance. He was lost in his thoughts. The airbus was relatively empty and he was left to himself.

It had been a simple matter to purchase his own ticket to New Seattle. There were no flights into Old Seattle and that was the closest he could get. He simply booked a flight for a few hours later than the one he was supposed to be on. Uncle Harry hadn’t even seen him off at the airport. He had sent the driver instead and the driver dropped him off outside the terminal. Money hadn’t been a problem since he had a spending allowance and he had cautiously supplied himself with enough cash to stay for a week or two in Old Seattle if he needed to. Since he would be paying cash Uncle Harry should never find out. He thought he had enough Euros to cover any expenses that might come up.



The Euro was the global currency acceptable in all city-states around the world since the establishment of the Federation. He was carrying almost five thousand Euros and also had a credit card his uncle had given him for emergencies. As long as his expenses were reasonable his uncle had always picked up the tab. Tobal was determined to find the Antiquities Shop if it still existed. He was also determined his uncle would never know about it. Nervously he touched his jacket pocket and made sure the letter was still there. He could feel the weight of the medallion around his neck.

Staring out the window into the night Tobal thought about his parents and what uncle Harry had told him. He hardly remembered them at all, just vague memories without proof they were even real. They had been mysteriously killed when he was only two years old. His parents had been working on a classified project but something had gone wrong and they never came back alive. Their bodies had been found floating in a nearby lake. The investigation had officially listed the cause of death as accidental drowning even though his uncle said his parents were both strong swimmers.

His uncle would never talk about his parents and whenever Tobal asked his uncle would change the subject. There was no one else that Tobal could ask . His uncle had known his parents and worked with them. He didn’t remember his aunt Lilly unless she was that woman he remembered swimming with uncle Harry the day he had seen the tattoo. Uncle Harry wouldn’t talk about her either. She had been killed in the same mysterious accident that crippled his uncle.

It was all very mysterious and now he was flying into the night headed for some "forbidden city" his parents wanted him to go to. It was the only thing they had ever asked of him. It was their dying wish and he would do just what they asked. He fingered the medallion. There was a calm power coming from it that relaxed him, especially because it was a gift from them.

The flight from New Rome to New Seattle was long and uneventful. There had been several stop overs at other city-states along the way. At last he dozed fitfully. The sky was getting lighter but the sun was still under the horizon when he woke up. It was about 5:30 in the morning when the airbus touched down at the terminal in New Seattle.

Putting the box aside on the bed, he carried the letter over to his desk, found a letter opener and carefully broke open the wax seal trying not to destroy it. Opening the letter with trembling hands he walked back to the bed and sat down to read. His uncle was staring out the window with haunted eyes that were looking at things in the past and not of this time or place.

"Dearest son, Tobal, if you are reading this, we are dead. We wish we could have been there to watch you grow and share our love as you were growing up. Events happened to make this impossible. We promised to do one last mission that is very dangerous and are writing this letter in case we don’t come back. You are in good hands with your uncle Harry and Aunt Lilly. They love you and will take care of you. We asked them to keep this letter and give it to you when you come of age.

You have the right to claim ‘sanctuary’ in the City of the Sun and find your true destiny, just as we have. It is our wish and dream that you be trained in the values and beliefs we hold dear. While we can not control the choices you make in life, we would like you to know what we believe, the things we feel are worth living and dying for. You may never know us, but you can know the things we love and care about. Perhaps someday you will learn what we died for.

Take this medallion and letter to the Antiquities Shop on 2424 Oak St., Old Seattle, Washington, and show them to the proprietor. He will know what they are and what needs to be done. Your uncle Harry will give you an airbus ticket. We would like to tell you more but there is no time left. Give our love to Howling Wolf. He can tell you what you need to know.

Your loving parents, Lord and Lady of the Sun, Ron and Rachel Kane.

Dated this day 25 January, 113th year of the New Eon, sun in Aquarius, moon in Scorpio".

There were tears in Tobal’s eyes as he looked up at his uncle. "What does this mean", he asked?

His uncle shifted uncomfortably in the wheelchair and brought his attention back to the present.

"Your parents were research scientists and citizens of Heliopolis. The city-state has been called "City of the Sun". It is a closed city-state on the west coast that does not welcome commerce or communication with other city-states within the Federation. It was the classified nature of your parents research that was responsible for Heliopolis changing it’s status from an "open" to a "closed" or "forbidden" city-state".

"What was the nature of my parents research", Tobal asked curiously?

"I am not at liberty to talk about it", said his uncle sadly. "Perhaps later, when you are older you will be able to learn more. I was the one that found your parent's bodies and attempted to continue their research after their deaths. There was a terrible accident in which your aunt Lilly was killed and I was left paralyzed. I was forced to close the entire project down as being too risky and dangerous to continue".

"It was a very difficult time for me personally", his uncle said. "Your aunt Lilly and I loved each other very much and I grieved her death for many years as well as grieving the loss of your parents. I promised your parents I would take care of you if anything ever happened and I’ve done the best I could. I know I haven’t been around here as much as I should have but I’ve put you in the best schools and made sure you’ve had the best teachers. You have done well and I am very proud of you but I can never take the place of your real parents".

"How did my parents die", Tobal asked? "Why didn’t you ever tell me about this before"?

"Nobody really knows how they died", his uncle whispered, a tormented look in his eyes. "There was an air sled accident over a lake. I found them dead and floating in the water. There was no formal investigation due to the classified nature of their research. It was considered a Federation secret. Asking too many questions got a person in trouble really fast. I've always felt there was something wrong about the way they died but I could never prove anything and it was only a few weeks later that I was crippled. It seems someone really wanted to stop the research project. I’m sorry son", he added. "But I’m risking imprisonment just telling you this much".

"What is important to think about is that your parents wanted this for you. They wanted you to "claim sanctuary" and become a citizen of Heliopolis. They believed that by going there you would be able to know who they were and what they believed in. Since you refuse to finish the year out and graduate from Tavistock Educational, I’m offering this to you. I’ve already spoken to the school and you have earned enough credits for an early graduation".

He looked sternly at Tobal and there was a trace of anger in his gray eyes. "I had to call in some pretty big favors. You have no idea how many strings I had to pull so your name will appear with this spring’s graduating class. It’s time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Grow up and move on. Do something with your life that your parents would be proud of".

Tobal’s dark eyes flashed in anger but lowered as they met the burning intensity of his uncle’s glare.

"Are you a citizen of Heliopolis, like my parents"?

"No, I was a Federation officer in charge of security. I never applied for citizenship although I could have. After my accident I was retired, although they would send for me occasionally to consult with", he added bitterly. "That was several years ago, but now it seems there is renewed interest in your parent’s work. I was just out there and they are talking about opening the program up again after all these years. Maybe you can find out more when you get there. If you learn something keep me informed ok"?

Tobal gripped the medallion and letter tightly. "I will", he promised through tears. In a choked voice he asked," When can I leave for Old Seattle"?

"You’re not going to Old Seattle", his uncle said. "You’re going directly to Heliopolis where the sanctuary program is".

"But the letter tells me to go to Old Seattle", Tobal was confused. "I’m supposed to take the medallion and letter to someone my parents knew. That’s what I need to do first. They will know what I need to do next. That’s what the letter says". He looked stubbornly at his uncle.

"There is no one to meet at Old Seattle", his uncle barked. "They are all dead! All of your parent’s friends are dead. They have been dead for fifteen years! I am buying you an air bus ticket for Heliopolis and that is where you are going. That is where the sanctuary program is. Do you understand me"?

"Yes sir", Tobal replied meekly, shaken by his uncle’s outburst.

He remained quiet but inside he was seething and planning how he was going to exchange his air bus ticket destination for Old Seattle. That’s where his parents had told him to go and that is where he was going

Tobal took it hard. He refused to go back to school and went from being an out going, fun loving kid to a loner. He didn’t want to see any of his old friends or do any of the things he used to do. He continued spending time alone on the grounds of his uncle’s estate either trekking across the frozen wasteland of the lake or riding his horse through the eerie quiet of the pine forest. He was numb inside and it was the harsh bitter cold that broke through his isolation and made him feel things, even if it was only physical discomfort. Somehow it felt good to feel something, even if it was just the cold. As the days passed the quiet solitude seared his soul with an agony that let him know he was still alive.

He kept to himself, even when indoors. The few friends that came to visit were turned away until even they stopped coming. There were no more cards or invitations. One day his uncle brought up the subject of his going back to school.

"I’m not going back to school", he shouted in anger at his uncle.

Uncle Henry tried pleading with him, drawing him out, doing things with him, but nothing could break through the wall that Tobal had placed around himself. He was locked in his own hell of suffering and self-pity.

His face had healed as well as it was going to. He had just come back from a consultation with his doctor. Plastic surgery might make the scar tissue smaller and less noticeable but his skin would always show the scars. Plastic surgery had been his final hope and he felt himself falling even deeper into a black hole of despair and apathy.

It was late New Year’s afternoon when his uncle Harry knocked on the bedroom door asking to come in. Tobal grudgingly stood aside and let him into the room. Uncle Harry wheeled his old fashioned wheelchair slowly into the room balancing a highly polished and elegantly crafted oak box on his lap. It was the size of a small jewelry box with ornate carving on the sides and top.

With a start Tobal recognized the deeply engraved symbol on the top of the box. It was a carving of a man and woman standing side by side and holding hands. Surrounding the nude figures was a deeply engraved circle. The entire image was about three inches across and carved out of highly polished white oak.

Uncle Harry laid the box gently down on the bed and wheeled his chair back making room for Tobal. He was looking at Tobal thoughtfully. There were conflicting emotions in his eyes. Dark shadows that Tobal didn’t remember seeing before showed beneath them and he felt a sudden chill. This was not the uncle that he was familiar with. This was not the uncle that he had known his entire life.

Looking at his uncle Tobal saw an aging cripple with unkempt hair, a sunken chest and liver spots on his skin. He still had the use of his arms but his legs were withered and misshapen like tree limbs tossed in a storm. It was hard to think of this broken man as Lt. Col. Harry Kane, Federation Officer once retired and now called back into active duty. It was hard to think of him as his father’s brother.

It was his uncle’s eyes that gave Tobal chills though. They were burning with some unseen torment and held some unholy knowledge or wisdom that pierced Tobal to his very core. He suddenly realized he had always been a little afraid of his uncle even though he didn’t know why. All he knew was his uncle was or had been at one time a very dangerous man.

"It’s time I gave you this", Uncle Harry waved distractedly toward the box lying on the bed. "Promised your parents that I would when you were grown up. God knows you’re grown up. You’ve probably aged five years in the last two months".

Tobal hardly heard what his uncle was saying, his eyes were fixed on the unusual glyph on the top of the oak box. He had seen that symbol once before. It was when he and his uncle Harry had gone swimming. Tobal had been about two years old and it was one of his earliest memories. That was before his uncle had been paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. It had been before his parents died. The water had been very cold, and there had been a woman with his uncle. They had been laughing and playing with him in the water. He had seen that same symbol of a man and woman within a circle. It was tattooed over his uncle’s heart. Years later Tobal had tried asking his uncle about the tattoo but uncle Harry had refused saying he must have imagined it. It had never been mentioned again.

But Tobal had remembered and had always been curious about why it was a secret. It was one of the few memories of his childhood and of his parents. It was a sacred memory. Now that same symbol was on this box, a box his parents had left for him. With trembling fingers he reached over, picked up the box and set it gently on his lap almost afraid to open it. The wood felt smooth and cold to his touch. His fingers slid along the latch and the lock clicked open.

Hardly daring to breathe, Tobal slowly raised the lid and looked inside. A yellowed envelope with his name was lying on top of dark green velvet. Nestled within the velvet was a large gold medallion with a heavy gold chain. The medallion had the same mysterious male and female image within a circle. Slowly and carefully he took the medallion out of the box and put it over his head. The medallion hung like a heavy weight against his chest covering his heart.

His heart was pounding and there was a lump in his throat as he reached for the letter. Turning it over he saw that it had been sealed with dark red sealing wax. The sealing wax was embossed with the same image. He had heard of letters being sealed with sealing wax but had never seen one before.

This time of year the lake was frozen over and he took long walks on the snow and ice. Bundling up against the bitter cold wind helped him forget his face was covered with bandages. Feeling the painful cold in his fingers helped him forget the painful lacerations on his face. With his uncle gone most of the time he was pretty much left to his own devices and he liked being outdoors.

There was something fresh and clean about being alone and outdoors that gave him comfort. The ice and snow crunched loudly under his boots and the sun glared brightly. Today there were sun dogs on either side of the sun with a rainbow arch partly visible. His breath came out in clouds and burned a bit in his lungs. He turned off the lake and headed toward the stables. He had been spending a lot of time there lately and liked working with the horses. They were better company than his old friends and they didn’t care about how he looked.

As Tobal moved away from human contact he turned more and more to the silent companionship of animals and nature. If his uncle noticed he never said anything and neither did any of the staff.

By Christmas Eve he was fretting and fingering the bandages on his face, itching to tear them off. He’d been instructed to leave them on one final week and today was the day they came off. With trembling fingers he went into the bathroom, found surgical scissors and began cutting the layers of gauze away from his face. He was tired of looking like a mummy. The gauze wanted to stick to his skin and he felt pain as he gently tugged at it, lifting the last of it carefully off his right eye. The bright bathroom light stabbed into his eye and sharp blinding pain flashed through his head.

He closed his eyes against the pain and waited until it faded away. His fingers touched the newly healed skin and he carefully opened his eyes and looked into the mirror.

"No", he screamed in horror!

Four angry scars ran diagonally across his face. They were about an eighth of an inch wide. One reached from his right temple to cross his right eye, slashing across his nose and touching the corner of his mouth moving down along his jaw. That was the worst. That was the one that had almost taken his right eye out. There was a smaller one above that started at his forehead and swept across to the left eyebrow. There were two smaller ones across his cheek and along his jaw starting at the right cheekbone. They looked swollen, angry and discolored around the scar tissue that was forming.

Tobal stared in horror at the face he would be carrying for the rest of his life. With a curse his fist smashed into the mirror. As it shattered into pieces he screamed and clutched his bleeding fist, sobbing as blood flowed down his wrist into the sink and onto the floor.

"No! Goddess No"!, he sobbed.

Blood spattered and covered shards of broken mirror erased his image as he slumped toward the floor holding his ruined face. His life would never be the same.

A few hours later uncle Harry came and took him home to the estate. In the weeks that followed he got cards, letters and emails from his friends and schoolmates, invitations to parties and dances. He threw them all away without bothering to even look at them. It was vain and shallow but he had always depended on his looks. Now he felt afraid and unsure of himself. He didn’t know how his friends would react when they saw him. He hadn’t seen his own face yet and he was not sure that he wanted to.

Thanksgiving came and went. There was no real celebration in the Kane household unless it was a private celebration held by the staff. His uncle was an embittered cripple and widower confined to a wheelchair. It was only Tobal’s injury and depression that prompted his uncle’s apparent interest now.

Tobal knew that it would not last.Uncle Harry was his only living relative. His parents were dead and he had no brothers or sisters. There was a time he had felt much closer to his uncle but that was long ago. It seemed uncle Harry was as preoccupied as Tobal was.

“I don’t understand what the Federation wants with a cripple”, he snarled at dinner. Lt. Col. Harry Kane was being re-activated and he was not happy about it. “I need to go away for a few days and see what they want. Can you handle things around here by yourself? Maybe you could have some friends over. How bout that girl friend of yours”?

Tobal squirmed uncomfortably and felt his face flush with heat.“We, ah, broke up”, he said lamely.

His uncle snorted in disgust. “Well suit yourself”. He turned and wheeled himself out of the room. “I’ve got to get ready".

Three days later his uncle returned and Tobal hardly recognized him. Overnight his uncle looked ten years older. His shoulders were more stooped and bags had formed under his eyes giving him a haunted look. It didn’t take long to realize his uncle was avoiding him. The tension in the house was unbearable.

Other times Tobal tried to deliberately aviod his uncle.As the days passed he never knew if his uncle was in the house or called away on some important military business and he hardly cared. They had never been that close. His only curiousity over the years had been how a simple Federation Officer had managed the nearly impossible feat of enrolling him in Tavistock Educational.

One day he asked his uncle at dinner about it.“It was what your parents would have wanted”, was all uncle Harry would say. Tobal never knew if his parents had moved in such high circles or if it was his uncle. It never seemed important before. He didn’t know why it seemed so important now. All he knew was he didn’t want to go back.

He dreaded the coming of Christmas because it marked his return to school. That was his truth.The weeks passed with several trips to the doctor and still he was not allowed to see his face or remove the bandages on his own. There seemed to be some problem with the healing process although he was told there was nothing to worry about.

It didn’t seem right and he worried about it.He took long walks in the bitter cold to get his mind off things. His uncle’s estate was just a few clicks north of New Rome. New Rome was a city-state in what had once been central Minnesota. It was an area with many lakes and lots of privacy. The privacy came with a big price tag. Again Tobal wondered at the source of his uncle’s obvious wealth.

He awoke to the smell of violets in the room.

"It’s about time you woke up", came Fi’s cheery voice from the edge of the bed.

He moved his head cautiously and opened his left eye. Fi was sitting in a chair near the hospital window. She set down the magazine she had been reading and moved closer.

"How are you doing", she asked in a concerned tone? "I’ve really been worried about you".

She reached out and gently touched his arm. He pulled it away. Fi was the last person he wanted to see right now.

"I don’t know", he mumbled. "I just woke up".

He looked around the room for the first time. There were flowers and get well cards. The room felt hot and made his skin itch.

"Is my uncle here"? He asked in a more friendly tone and tried to smile but winced instead.

"Oh", her hand involuntarily leapt to her mouth. "Are you alright"? She rose out of the chair and came toward the bed with her arms out to enfold him in a hug.

He roughly pushed her away, feeling a pang in his chest and a burning in his eyes.

"I’m fine", he said bitterly. "I just want to be left alone, ok"?

There was a hurt and wounded look in her eyes and the beginning of tears.

"Can I come back later then", She pleaded? "I'm really sorry about what happened. I came yesterday but you were in surgery and then sleeping. Maybe I can come over to your Uncle’s and we can talk". She smiled bravely.

"Uncle Harry doesn’t like visitors", he lied weakly. "Maybe we can get together back at school after Christmas break. How does that sound"?

"Sure, back at school", she said softly and reached for her purse. Tobal didn’t see the tears in her eyes or hear the break in her voice as she turned away. "Take care of yourself Tobal".

He watched as she left the room. All he knew was that he wanted to be left alone. It never occurred to him how rude he was being until much later and then it was too late. He never saw Fiona again. He never even said goodbye.

Tobal awoke in the hospital confused and groggy. His muscles ached from being in bed too long. He did not know where he was or what had happened. Gradually memory returned. He groaned and reached his right hand up to touch his face. He felt his entire face covered with gauze and panic began to grip him. Everything was black and he couldn’t see. Desperately he tried sitting up and was reaching up with both hands to rip off the gauze when he felt an arm pushing him gently but firmly back down as an alarm started going off somewhere on his left.

"Take it easy son", Uncle Harry said pressing him back down into the bed. "You’ve got to rest. You’ve gone through a rough time boy".

"What happened?", Tobal asked weakly.

"Some young lady almost gouged your eye out", chuckled his uncle dryly. "She scratched the hell out of your face. Peeled it like an apple. Doc says you are going to have some nasty scars. How did you get her that mad at you anyway"?

"I don’t remember", Tobal whispered. A flush of heat and embarassment crept into his face as memory returned, tightening his skin and causing a burst of pain to flash across his face. "I was dancing and bumped into her, then I turned around and her dress tore. The next thing I remember is her clawing at me like a wild animal".

"I can’t see!", he panicked clutching and tearing at the bandages.

His uncle calmed him down once more pulling his hands away from his face and the bandages.
"Well, it’s the bandages, that’s why you can’t see, " his uncle continued, "there was something on her fingernails, to strengthen them or something and they peeled away some of your skin. We don’t know why but it’s raising hell with the healing process. The doc tried pulling the skin back together and sewing you up but there will be some scarring. It’s going to be awhile before you get healed up. Don’t worry about it, doc says your eye is going to be fine, but it was a close thing and he doesn’t want any infection setting in. You rest now, just lay back and sleep a little more. We’ll talk about it later OK"?

Tobal heard someone move near his uncle and felt something tug at his arm as the nurse injected something into the IV tube fastened to his wrist. He felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him and barely heard the creak of his uncle’s wheelchair as it left the room.

Tobal was tall, slender and well built with dark hair and ruggedly handsome features. It didn’t matter what he wore. He always looked good. He was vain about his looks and relied on them more than he needed to make favorable impressions. His eyes were piercing brown but tonight they twinkled with good humor. He was smiling as he swept his beautiful dance partner across the floor in graceful sweeping circles in easy rhythm with the music.

He was dressed as a colonial American militia officer with a blue jacket, white pantaloons, polished black boots and long silver sword that gleamed in it’s curved scabbard. He had spent two painful weeks learning how to wear the sword without self-injury. So far it the practice had paid off.

His dance partner, Fiona, looked like a dream tonight. He brushed her light chestnut hair off her bare shoulders and felt her smooth skin beneath his fingers. His breath caught in his throat, she was so beautiful. They had been going out for about a month now and things were really going well. She was wearing a sky blue evening gown that might not strictly have existed during colonial times but should have. It accented her figure and made his pulse race, or perhaps it was her perfume that was driving him crazy. All he knew was that he was feeling a bit intoxicated and it was from her. It was a good feeling and it looked like it was going to be a fun night.

A life size statue of a man dressed in Egyptian clothing with a dog’s head gave Tobal chills. It was Anubis, the Eygptain God of the dead. Statues of other Egyptian Gods and Goddesses were placed strategically around the auditorium with small shrines next to them. He could almost sense the presence of these ancient spiritis hovering near their statues and cavorting within the ball room. He knew each of their stories and the role they assumed. It was basic history at Tavistock Educational.

Tobal shifted a little and closed his eyes forcing these ghostly images out of his mind. He moved his right hand up a little, feeling the softness of Fi’s breast beneath the silk fabric. Sliding his thumb gently over the silk he felt her nipple beneath the fabric. Fi was certainly not wearing a bra and he heard her catch her breath as he gently traced his finger along her jaw. He smelled the perfume of violets on her neck and in her hair. His eyes sparkled as he looked into her blue ones.

"You’re a good dancer, Fi", He whispered into her ear.

She smiled, "So are you", and snuggled more closely into his arms. She was enjoying this as much as he was.

He felt her breasts against his chest and knew she could feel him against her too. They teased each other, dancing close and moving slowly together. Gradually they moved faster and faster, weaving in and out of sight as dangerous patches of colored fog rolled across the floor. Giggling, they spun together, lost in themselves and caught up in the sweeping movements of the dance. They laughed and shouted good natured comments toward some of the other dancers they passed in the gloom. There were narrow misses as other couples appeared suddenly out of the fog and just as quickly disappeared back into it. Faces were momentarilly lit up by strobing lights and once more plunged into shadow.

Tobal buried his face in her tangled hair. He was breathing in her perfume eagerly and nibbling at her ear. His eyes were closed as they whirled to the right and collided violently with another pair of dancers. He staggered, letting go of Fi and turning around in stunned amazement felt something caught beneath his right boot. There was a sharp tug and a ripping sound. He felt a gown try to pull away from his boot and then give way. Panic clutched at his throat and heart as he blinked in the fog trying to see what had happened.

"You bastard!"

His eyes widened in disbelief as he faced an angry red head. Her eyes flashed hatred and her emerald evening gown hung down around her waist exposing small white breasts, topped with rosy pink nipples. Helplessly his gaze locked on them as she spun furiously knocking him to the floor. She was on top of him instantly screaming and clawing at his eyes.

"No! It was an accident!" he screamed. He felt fingernails tearing deeply into his face. After that he remembered no more.

The music seemed to lift and carry Tobal Kane as he swirled his partner through the many colored mists. The strains of the Blue Danube waltz echoed around the dimly lit auditorium as costumed dancers appeared and disappeared like ghosts from another time and place. The elaborate decorations struck a chord deep inside him and he didn't know why.Fog generators created an eerie atmosphere of colored fog that seemed to float and move over the polished hardwood floor of Albert Pike auditorium.

The school had done a good job with the decorations and costumes but that didn’t surprise Tobal. They were the best money could buy. Tavistock Educational in the City-State of New Rome drew from the wealthiest and most priviledged families in the world. There was a waiting list of families wanting to get their children enrolled. At times he had wondered how his uncle had managed to get him enrolled.

This year’s Halloween theme was a perennial favorite, Freemasonry and secret societies in general. That was appropriate given the nature of Tavistock Educational, a small influential private school. Throughout history the elite and powerful moved within small secret societies far removed from the public eye. They met for many purposes. Not all of them were strictly legal or moral.

The stated purpose of Tavistock Educational was to train and educate the next generation of world leaders.Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, Templars, the Bavarian Illuminati and the occult practices of those mysterious people known as the Pennsylvania Dutch from the black forests of southern Germany certainly all had their roles to play in the founding of what used to be the United States of America.

George Washington and all of the early presidents were known Master Masons. The Boston Tea Party was known to be a lodge activity. The Templars were high level Masons with political connections in continental Europe and in England. The masonic symbols of the level and the square were widely known and recognized.

Tobal saw many of these symbols as they circled the auditorium.Lesser known were the secretive Rosicrucians. Benjamin Franklin was the head of the Order in the Americas and Thomas Jefferson was his successor. The Rosicrucians were an inner circle that stemmed from the Jacobite rebellion and protestant split away from the Holy Universal Catholic Church. In England the Imperator was Sir Francis Bacon. In Germany it was Martin Luther who put the Rosy Cross on his family coat of arms.

It was not widely known that the Rosicrucians under the leadership of Sir Francis Bacon were responsible for the creation of modern Freemasonry as a social experiment. Secrets within secrets were the hall mark of the Bavarian Illuminati founded by ex-Jesuit Adam Weishaupt. This associate of Benjamin Franklin and curious look alike to George Washington was always suspected of political connections with the early colonial Americans and founding fathers but it was never proved. The Illuminati always cropped up from time to time in various incarnations loosely modeled on the original and always deeply involved in world politics.

The symbol of the red rose and golden cross hung on a chain around Tobal's neck.What could be said about the Pennsylvania Dutch? Those simple folk seeking only the freedom of religion to worship as they wished in peace. The Black Forrest area of southern Germany was a stronghold of occultism and according to legend the birth place of Christian Rozencruez, the founder of the Rosicrucian Order. The Teutonic Knights or “Mariam Ritters” of Germany were the “Knights of Mary”. They were keepers of the occult secrets of early gnostic Christianity when Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene, wife of Jesus and mother of his daughter, Sarah, secreted themselves away from the Roman Catholic Church deep in southern France.

The lost blood line of Jesus led through the Merovingians into the nobility of Europe along with the “Divine Right to Rule” supported by the Roman Catholic Church. Many of these secrets and occult practices made their way into the very folklore of these otherwise common folk looking for religious freedom in the new world.But that was ancient history. Still, it was the “Divine Right to Rule” that connected the families of these students at Tavistock Educational.

For one reason or another these families felt they had been given a divine mandate to rule the rest of humanity. That belief in their own elitism and superiority led them to want the very best for their children in terms of education and social advantage. Each family was hoping that their own children might be “invited” into a higher and more secret elite society and social strata than they had reached on their own, a group so secret that they didn’t even know existed.

Perhaps that is what the families desired but tonight they were just teenagers dressed in costumes enjoying the music and dance. They had practiced ballroom dancing for months in preparation of this evening and spirits were high.