The Dark Age (45 page)

 

By the time Brian and Naomi arrived, the dig was practically deserted. Brian found his car at the site, but nobody there could tell him where his sister had gone.

‘Great!' He gave his tyre a boot.

‘What's so important?' Naomi asked, becoming annoyed. ‘If you don't tell me, Brian, I'm not going to pursue this little adventure any further, and remember, I've got the car keys.'

Brian took hold of Naomi, figuring he'd get around her with a bit of charm. ‘When you get all riled up like that … I gotta tell ya, that accent just makes me crazy.'

Naomi laughed. ‘So what are you going to do about it?'

Good question.

Tory had to return to the car sooner or later, and it wouldn't be the first time he'd slept on a back seat.

 

The rain came, as did nightfall, and Tory still hadn't returned. As he'd finished cooking dinner, Miles grabbed a torch to go after her.

He opened the back door and was startled to see her looking like a drowned rat on his doorstep. ‘Where the hell have you been?'

Tory only smiled as she pulled a chunk of rock and metal from behind her back and placed it in Miles' hands.

‘What is this?'

‘A little more credibility for me, another perplexing mystery for you.'

Upon closer inspection he discovered that it was an iron helmet, or part thereof, that looked like it had been embedded in the rock for some time. His smile grew suddenly. ‘Where did you get this?'

Tory pulled off her wet jumper. ‘In a cave down by the beach. Your beach,' she stressed.

The professor was speechless; he'd explored nearly every corner of the world in search of antiquities, but he never thought that he'd find them in his own backyard. ‘I grew up here and there's no cave down by the beach.'

‘Oh yes there is. At low tide there used to be a cave leading up inside the cliff face. Unfortunately it's now permanently underwater, so I had to go swimming. Could you direct me to your bathroom?' she asked as she was dripping all over his kitchen floor.

‘You went swimming? In this! Below a rock face, in near darkness! Tory, are you mad?'

Tory knew the cave was there, alright. She may have been heavily sedated when Cadogan carried her through it, but she remembered. The temptation to investigate the remnants of Aberffraw had been too great. In the water she had felt battered and confused, panicking as the waves pounded her under. Finally, she was forced to let go and stop breathing, only to discover there was no need. Not far down the cliff face she found the underwater cavern and was thrust by the sea up inside it. Afterwards, when Tory had made it back to
the beach, her body healed itself as before, so now she was just a bit shaken and cold.

‘One more question,' Miles asked as he showed her to the bathroom. ‘How could you see anything in there?'

She pulled Brian's car keys from the pocket of her jeans, holding up a mini torch. ‘It's waterproof, there's a Swiss Army knife on it too.' She tossed them to Miles and grabbed her bag. ‘Hey, nice place you've got here, Professor.'

Miles stared at her intently. ‘How come your clothes are all tattered and yet there's not a mark on you?'

Tory just smiled, waving a finger at him. ‘You've used up your twenty questions for this hour, now I'm going to take a bath, if I may.' She looked to the large, footed tub with relish.

‘Of course.' He examined the dripping wet chunk of rock in his hand. How could Tory be married when she was the perfect woman for him? He might not understand her at all, but how nice it would be to have a lifetime to figure her out. Her husband was fortunate indeed. Miles only hoped that he realised it, for if he were married to such a woman, he would certainly not be leaving her on her own.

Tory came out from the bathroom to find dinner on the table, and they ate in relative silence for a while.

‘This is very good.' Tory gave her compliments to the chef, whose thoughts seemed elsewhere.

‘So what's he like, this husband of yours?' Miles suddenly emerged from his daze. ‘Brian said I look a lot like him.'

‘Quite.' Tory took up her wine. ‘But you're very different in other respects.'

‘How so?'

‘You don't think alike, or have anything in common, as far as I can tell.'

‘But surely, some of our physical features are different?' Miles reached for the remote control and aimed it at the stereo.

‘Well, he's of a bigger frame than you, though you're probably about the same height.' Tory observed Miles closely, trying to define the other differences, and shrugged. ‘You're a bit older …' The music began to play, and Miles' choice rocked Tory to her foundations. ‘Albinoni.'

‘He is one of my very favourite composers.' Miles put down the remote to get back to his dinner. ‘Some say this is the saddest piece of music ever written, but I find it rather beautiful and uplifting.'

Tory smiled in agreement, absolutely speechless, her heart pounding in her chest.

‘So then, are you ready to tell me about your little discovery?' He referred to the helmet. ‘And I am warning you now, I won't believe you found it by accident.'

‘I don't know what I can tell you, Professor. I just know things about certain places, certain people.'

‘Well, you have my fullest attention,' Miles encouraged her to continue.

‘I am wary about saying any more as I fear that you shall sell off the treasures left here by your ancestors, just as you intend to sell that altar to the highest bidder.'

Miles was a little stunned by the remark. ‘How did you find out about that?'

‘If restoration is not a possibility, Professor, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out,' she reasoned. ‘Can I ask why you got into archaeology?'

‘Because I enjoy digging up the facts … you know, those little details you seem to forget all about.'

‘And what about the truth? You'll never learn the truth about the treasures you find, because you can't see beyond their surface value. How do you put a price on the greater mysteries of the ages, Professor?' Tory paused, angry at herself for losing her cool.

‘Who are you, really?' He sat back in his chair, intrigued.

‘I think it's time I went to bed, where shall I sleep?'

As she sounded exhausted, Miles stopped his inquisition and gestured towards his bedroom.

‘The couch will be fine.'

‘I'll take the couch,' Miles insisted. ‘I sleep on it more often than the bed anyway.' The house did have a spare room once, but it had long since been turned into an office, cum library. ‘You don't have to turn in so early. If I promise not to hound you with any more questions?'

Tory shook her head as she collected her bag. ‘I am truly too tired, Miles, or I would love to. We can talk tomorrow. Goodnight.'

 

Brian's hunger woke him early. It was so snug underneath Naomi and all the blankets, towels and clothes that lived in the back of his car, that he was
very reluctant to move anywhere just yet. The sun was barely up and as it was a Sunday, no one would arrive at the site for hours. With this revelation Brian decided to rouse Naomi, and he became so engrossed in the exercise that neither of them heard a car arriving.

Professor Paradis approached the steamed-up vehicle to hear the sound of his daughter's voice coming from within. The car windows were fogged over so he knocked. ‘Naomi, are you in there?' he asked, sounding very calm though a little surprised.

‘Holy shit, it's my father,' Naomi whispered, thrown immediately into a panic as she searched through all the layers on top of her for her clothes. ‘Yes,' she answered, mildly comforted that the windows were frosted over.

‘Well, what are you doing sleeping in the carpark, child?' Paradis had to wonder, amused by her dismay. ‘She does have a bedroom at home you know, Brian, and you are both quite welcome to occupy it when on Mon.' The professor laughed. He knew Naomi was not a child anymore, and since his wife had died he was just thankful to have his daughter still around to care for him in his old age. Her love life was her own business.

Naomi relaxed a little. ‘It was rather late when we got here.' She pulled on her jeans, battling with Brian to do so. ‘We were looking for Brian's sister. You wouldn't happen to know where she is?' She slapped Brian away from her so she could finish dressing.

‘Why I believe she stayed at Miles' place,' her father informed them.

‘What!' Brian was spurred into action, ripping on his jeans. ‘Do you know where he lives?'

Naomi nodded.

‘Then let's go.' Brian, still half naked, burst out the back doors to greet the professor, pulling on the rest of his clothes.

Naomi couldn't believe him at times. Still, she had to admit his body did warrant exhibition. As she finished tying her laces and climbed out of Brian's car, her father commented, ‘Your standards seem to have waned of late.'

Brian, realising the old professor was having a dig at him, slapped a hand down on Paradis' shoulder and said, ‘Disproving the age-old theory that quality is more important than quantity.' Brian served him a wink, ducking very quickly towards Naomi's car before she killed him.

‘Just promise me you won't marry him.' Paradis pretended to be concerned for her.

‘Come on Dad, I know how you treasure the thought of having five or six little ones just like him running around your feet in a few years.'

Paradis appeared to be wounded, holding a hand to his chest. ‘No more please, my weak heart.'

Naomi smiled and kissed her father's cheek. ‘Later, Dad.'

‘Heaven forbid, you're even starting to speak like him.' His daughter just laughed as she ran off to the car. It was wonderful to see her so happy and, as far as sons-in-law went, he could do much worse than Brian Alexander.

 

Miles was awake when Tory raised herself for kata at dawn the next morning. He had managed to sleep for a
few hours during the night, yet even then his mind had been plagued by images of her. Such an erotic dream, he recalled, and so vivid! He could still feel her dress of shimmery white, still smell the lushness of the wood where he'd lain down beside her.

He watched Tory creep through the early morning shadows of the cottage towards the back door, and he held his silence, wondering where on earth she was off to now. As soon as the door had closed, Miles quickly ran to watch her from the kitchen window; she was heading for the beach.

 

Brian and Naomi arrived at Miles' place to find the house empty.

‘Brian, they're not here,' Naomi said, to stop him from pounding the front door down.

‘Well, the car's here,' Brian roared. ‘He'd better not be up to anything with my sister.'

Naomi was not bothered by his mood. ‘Well maybe they're down on the beach.'

‘Good call.' Brian's spirits lifted as he headed off to check.

He found Miles seated at the top of the stairs. Tory was further off along the beach, watching the ocean as she practised her art.

‘I had no idea Tory was into martial arts.' Miles looked up at Brian as he came to a stop alongside him. ‘I knew you were, of course. But Tory?' Miles shrugged, astonished.

‘A triple black belt, my friend. You obviously didn't try anything, then.' Brian patted the professor's
shoulder. ‘Good man, now I don't have to kill you,' Brian said, jogging off down the stairs to speak with his sister.

Miles watched them closely. Tory seemed to have a strong objection to whatever Brian was telling her, and Brian seemed to be doing a lot of pleading.

‘Hi.' Naomi took a seat beside Miles. ‘Sorry if we're interrupting anything.'

‘Not at all,' Miles assured her, sounding rather disheartened about the whole thing. ‘What brings you two here?'

‘I have no idea. You know what they're like,' Naomi said, looking down at Brian and Tory, and really meaning their whole family.

‘I'm beginning to.'
And what I wouldn't give to know their secret.
‘You want some breakfast?'

‘I do,' Naomi sighed.

Brian and Tory followed them back to the house sometime later. Brian was quietly exploding with excitement, as he'd managed to persuade his sister to let him accompany her to see the High Merlin. They'd spent much time discussing how they could manage this without Miles and Naomi realising what was going on.

Later that day, Tory accompanied Miles to the top of the cliff at the end of the beach to point out where the underwater cavern was to be found.

‘I didn't go all the way in, you'll need a chainsaw to get through some of it, but the passage used to lead to the west tower and to the dungeons of the Royal House of Aberffraw.'

‘But how can you be so sure the remains are of that particular castle? It was only ever mentioned in mythology, after all.'

Tory, who'd already started to head back to the house, rolled her eyes. ‘I just am, okay?'

‘Was it a past-life thing?'

Tory hated the way Miles spoke about anything he didn't understand, he made it all sound so ludicrous and puerile. She stopped and looked back at him, too annoyed to even comment.

‘Look I'm sorry, Tory.' Miles didn't want her to get mad at him again. ‘But nothing you say ever makes any sense.'

‘Why does everything have to make sense?' Tory was tired of having to argue with those of rational logic. ‘Just face it Miles, life's not logical.' She strode off and Miles followed.

‘Tory please … I just want you to tell me the truth. Is that so much to ask?'

‘Yes it is, as a matter of fact. I've given you everything you need to find the truth out for yourself, just like the altar. If you'd just put two and two together, you could figure out what the site at Llyn Cerrig Bach is all about.'