Chapter 6

“You know,” she said after a pause, “I’ve been thinking about your experience in the Lady Chapel and your vision of the sword. Do you think there’s more to this, that there’s more to discover?”
“Yes, now you mention it there is. There’s a stained glass window and in it there’s a picture of a man holding a bolt of lightning in one hand, and a crystal in the other.”
“Oh this is really interesting. Anything else? Maybe there’s more. I think we should investigate,” she continued, “fancy taking a look right now? I think the church is open.”
“Ok let’s go,” he grabbed his guitar and bag and they walked along the lane towards the moon and the ancient church with its strange spire. It looked very old and mysterious in the moonlight and the ancient yews shimmered invitingly in the silvery light. They walked into the moonlight under the westerly yew arch entrance and into the sanctuary of St James the Apostle.

***

The church was indeed open and they crept into the empty building. The space had a slightly eerie apprehensive feeling, like something was expected, they could feel it. Heading to the Lady Chapel they inspected the first stained glass window which was now softly glowing in the moonlight. There was no sign of the moon beam on the floor, just a diffuse glow. They walked around the chapel until they came to another similar stained glass window set at a strange angle in a recess on the opposite wall. It made a natural pair with the first one. They gazed up at the window. It showed a woman in a blue robe holding a key in one hand and in the other a glowing crescent moon which was resting on a cross.

It all seemed very deliberate and held a definite meaning but to what ends neither could guess. He made a quick sketch of it in his notebook.
“Let’s sit in the alcove and meditate, perhaps something will come.”
They sat together on the stone seat and she began to softly chant the melody he’d heard before. Although it was gentle, it emanated through the whole church into every corner, touching the stones with a loving caress, connecting the fabric of the holy space into a unified whole.
His own melody that had come to him at the train station came to mind and he allowed his voice to join with hers. The two melodies blended harmoniously. As they sang the ancient church came to life and they both felt like they were being transported to a timeless realm. Glancing down they noticed that a clear moon beam had formed and was now stretching out across the floor. This time it made a perfect alignment with the sword in the slate carving. Captivated they watched the beam grow longer and longer until it extended across the stone floor towards where they sat.
This time the moon beam didn’t stop at the foot of the seat like before, it carried on and gently rose between them and onto the wall behind. The moonlight glistened as it touched the stones bringing them to life. They stood and stared at the spectacle, transfixed by the unique light show unfolding before their eyes. They allowed the chant to continue softly, feeling that somehow their singing was like a snake charmer drawing the moon beam onwards. They watched and sang and the beam extended further and further up the wall until it reached a key stone with a special shape. It was the chief cornerstone. It glistened and sparkled as if awakening from a deep sleep. Their eyes widened and they gasped. They could now see as clear as day the outline of a doorway made from the same sparkling moonlit stone. For an instant they both saw a perfect gothic arched doorway, and then the moon beam was gone.

***

They held their breath and looked at each other. That had been real. There was no doubt about it.
“You saw it too,” she confirmed his unspoken thought.
“As clear as day. There’s been a door here all along.”
“Only revealed by moonlight,” she continued.
“And only on a special day.”
“To the right people on a special moon.”
They both looked at each other and a deeper sense of intrigue passed between them.
“Ok, so it was meant for us. It was meant to be today. We are being shown that. So how do we open it?”
“Yes I feel we are the ones who are meant to open it, but there is no door knob, latch or keyhole.”
They both traced where they remembered the outline of the door had been and pushed but could feel nothing move. It looked like a straightforward stone wall again. It was quite dark now and they both instinctively felt they were not going to be shown anything more.
The moonlight returned and lit up the church, but this time it was a diffuse cool light that gave the church a unique sense of calm.
“I think there’s more to this and it’s got something to do with the planets,” he said, “recently I brought a moon diary. Perhaps there’s something in there that could prove useful. I think I have it with me.”
He bent down and retrieved his bag then reached into the side pocket to pull out the diary. Lifting it into the moonlight he could not believe his eyes. He was not holding the diary, he was looking at a beautiful gold foil symbol. He was holding The Book.

***

This was just too much. He was overjoyed and completely overwhelmed at the same time.
“What’s wrong?” she said.
“This!” he said showing her The Book with its gold foil symbol shining in the moonlight, ”this is a miracle,” he held it up for her to see.
“Wow I love the cover. It’s so magical. This is not the moon diary I take it?”
“No, this is The Book! I thought it was lost and it’s reappeared just when I wasn’t expecting it,” he remembered that the girls had said exactly that.
“I’ve got no idea how this happened. It has a will of it’s own,” he laughed gently in amazement.
“Look at the symbol on the cover. Now look at the border of the slate carving of the knight on the floor over there,” he pointed.
They gazed from the glowing symbol on The Book to the border around the carving of the knight. The moonlight caught the intricate border and they could clearly see the magic symbol repeated in a chain around the edge. There was no doubt it, it was the same design. It looked so beautiful in the moonlight. The Book symbol and the slate carving must be more than a thousand years apart he thought. A new melody came into his mind and he started to chant softly. She listened and then joined in with a complimentary harmony. It was as if The Book and the slate border were communicating and the new melody they were singing represented the connection. They stood and sang and the moon changed again, they looked up to see not only The Book symbol and the slate border come alive with silvery moon sparkles, but the whole doorway behind the seat lit up again and shimmered. It was the prettiest most magical thing they’d ever seen. Their hearts opened and they felt glad and complete as they sang and watched the enchanting scene. The following words came to his mind and he sang out loud.

“Softly, softly the world comes anew
Waiting, waiting then there were two
Open the door, an age gone past
Open the door, a new age to last
The heavens shine when we’re together”

Right then and there was enough, to be part of such a wondrous moment. There was nothing missing in his life and an overwhelming sense of completion filled his heart.

***

The next day he was back at home, brewing coffee, humming the new melody and creating variations. On his desk was the moon diary, The Book and his own version of The Book written from memory. He gazed at the objects and hummed. What a collection, each played a part in it’s own way. Each contained lessons, but he had only been able to learn when he learned to believe. Without that belief nothing would have happened. It was as if an invisible force could see into his inner world that he’d assumed was private. It gave him an extra incentive to be vigilant and keep away from negative or doubting frames of mind. Just humming the melody helped dispel any dark clouds. He was in a good mood. A great mood.

After the latest adventure at the church they’d agreed to meet later at the cafe where they could discuss everything that had happened. He was really enjoying life more than he could ever remember and grabbed the guitar and strummed some accompanying chords. This would sound great on the high street he reflected, he could hear it now drifting through the alleys and arches, weaving an enchanting spell on the town. The thought lingered there, and then in a flash he made up his mind. He’d go busking right now. He didn’t have that thought for nothing he reasoned. He’d go straight after his coffee. He pottered around the room humming and gathering the things he needed to go busking.

***

Setting up the amp in the main square he looked out across the hustle and bustle of the shoppers. A number of cafes had tables and chairs outside with people eating drinking and chatting as the town’s folk went about their business. He turned up the volume and softly strummed a few opening chords. No one noticed. He let the sounds reverberate across the plaza and down the cobbled side streets. He felt the square from the echo of the notes and imagined the mysterious melody connecting the space and the people with its vibration. He closed his eyes and let his hand dance lightly over the strings effortlessly weaving the rhythm into the air. He didn’t feel the need to play loudly, trusting that the subtle energies of the music would work their effect on those that were meant to hear.

Losing himself in the music, he let his spirit expand and reach out. He practiced the stance the Shaman had shown him. As he did this his body remembered the feelings and began to relax. There was a direct communication now between his feelings and the guitar. He started to sing the melody and a joy filled his being and took him back to the church where the melody had come alive. He envisioned ages gone by, a time of magic and knights when life was full of noble deeds, freedom and adventure. He felt the undercurrent of romance and chivalry that held the music together and allowed all these feelings to flow into the town square. He imagined this inner world reaching out and drawing all those nearby into a hypnotic beauty that lay dormant within their being. He realised he was opening a portal between worlds for people. In fact he was the portal, as was the music and it was only possible because he was open. The Book had been the key to opening that inner door. He made a mental note to work on his own notes of The Book seeing this may also be a key.

When he opened his eyes he saw a large crowd had gathered around with wonder on their faces looking like they’d just woken up from a dream. They could sense something beyond this world was open to them but they didn’t understand how or why. It felt familiar yet forgotten, making their current life seem dull in comparison. He knew they yearned for more. The music came to a stop just as he spotted the Reverend stepping through the crowd.
“Well that was simply divine! Now this is something that must be played in the church. Look at the effect you’ve had on the people! So effortless, such a pleasure to listen to!” he effused.
“I must say I’m a little shocked myself Reverend,” he replied, “the idea of playing in the church has been on my mind.”
“Let me know when would be convenient and I’m sure we’ll have no trouble filling the church.”
The crowd were milling around, some moved closer and dropped notes and coins into his guitar case.
Someone chimed in, “where can we hear you play again?”
The Reverend replied for him, stepping into the role of a manager.
“At the church very soon! Keep an eye out on the notice boards. What name will you go under?”
Thinking on the spot he considered the church, the symbol, the sword, the melody and knights and in a moment it came to him.
“The band is called ‘The Knights Calling’.”
It fit nicely as when spoken out loud people would not know the spelling of knight which changed its meaning. He felt very please with himself.
“I’ll be in touch Reverend.”
He picking up his amp and set off to meet the Priestess across town at his favourite cafe.

***

Checking through his pockets he found a considerable number of notes and coins donated by the crowd. He was pleasantly surprised, this would see him through till the end of the week. He considered asking The Book about money but decided it didn’t feel right.

Arriving at the cafe he saw she was already there at his favourite table and sat down next to her.
“This is the best spot isn’t it,” she announced, “great place to watch the swans.”
“Swan,” he affirmed without looking up, “there’s only been one all year.”
“No,” she corrected and pointed to the pond. He looked out and was amazed to find there were indeed two swans.
“This is an auspicious day!” he said. For some reason the extra swan really affected him and he paused in a meaningful silence. She instinctively held the space feeling the moment too, as if by telepathy.
The coffees arrived, breaking the silence.
“How did you know that’s the coffee I always order, you must be telepathic,” he said surprised.
She winked and smiled enigmatically, “so, tell me about this book. It’s so exciting! I’ve not stopped thinking about it since you told me.”
He recounted the tale about the number 444 and how he’d come by The Book and then how it had disappeared.
“But that’s impossible!” she exclaimed, “what do you think happened?”
“Well once I got back and looked closely at my bag, I searched the inner pocket where I keep it and found that the it too had an inner pocket. I had no idea and evidently I’d put the book in without knowing. When I came to reach for it, the new pocket had somehow closed and since the bag also contained my diary and notebook I’d not felt any significant weight difference. I’d had it all the time!” However nothing is as it seems with The Book. Why had I never seen that inner pocket before now? It’s as if The Book found it, crazy as that sounds. Here, I think it’s about time I showed you.”

***

He took out The Book and she gazed again at the gold foil symbol. It hadn’t lost any of its magic in the light of day.
“Just as I remember it,” she said.
“Shall we take a look?”
“Ok let’s see what it says.”
He opened The Book and picked up from where he’d left off:

‘At least by copying we make things our own
When we share we open a door
One pushes and the way is found
Two push together and new worlds are found
The lightning attracts the tower’

“The Book is getting pretty cryptic,” he pondered, “I thought the tower attracted the lightning. What do you think?”
“Could it have anything to do with the church? I mean it was struck by lightning while we were there.”
“Of course, and there was the outline of the doorway with no way through. There has to be more to discover. We should make another visit, but something tells me not just yet.”
They both paused awhile.

***

The Book was open and her eyes meandered over the page. Something irregular drew her attention.
“What do you think the significance of the letter with the different font is?” she pointed at the first word at the top of the page.
“What different font do you mean?” he said.
“You know, this one,” she indicated the second letter, “It’s a different font.”
“I’ve never seen that before. Could it be a printing error?”
“Check the other pages,” she suggested.
He turned back a page and discovered that again, only the second letter of the first word was printed in a similar but different font. He turned to another page and again found an irregular font for the second letter.
“This is most remarkable. Not only have I not seen them before but if I said I really don’t think they were there before, that would be crazy right?”
“Maybe The Book added them while it was away,” she winked at him and the absurdity of the notion made them both laugh.
He let go of his inner detective and enjoyed the game of it.
“Ok let’s run with this. Perhaps there’s a code. Here, take my notebook and make a note of these letters.”
She picked up the notebook and pencil and he called out the following letters:

A W E O R T

“And that brings us up to the most recent page.”
“I was really hoping that was going to make sense,” she said. They both laughed, “of course there’s probably more letters to be revealed. Would it break the magic if you looked ahead for the rest of the letters?”
They both looked at each other and knew the answer; it would. Earlier he’d discovered the hard way that The Book didn’t like to be forced, and he was determined to learn that lesson.
“I can hear the voice of the other girls saying, ‘more will be revealed when the time is right’.”
“Yes that’s exactly what they would say,” she agreed.
Amazingly the cafe door bell chimed and, as if right on queue the girls came in. They saw each other and a most curious feeling of deja vu swept over him.
“This has most definitely happened before,” he said, his voice echoing into eternity.
“Even this right now, wow, the longest deja vu in history!” and they all laughed as if they understood and agreed with him telepathically.

***

“A most pleasant surprise,” he said, “want to join us?”
They all sat down together.
“You seemed deep in discussion with the Drum Wizard when you left the other day.”
“Yeah we got on great. He’s been telling us about the rhythm and teaching us of its origins. It’s ancient and absolutely fascinating. It’s no ordinary rhythm.”
“Well it certainly had an amazing effect on me,” said the Priestess, “I’d love to know more about it.”
“Well its origins are from an ancient mythical kingdom in Africa called Kitara. A place so old it is now considered a legend, but the Drum Wizard said it was definitely real.”
“And what is more,” one of the other girls continued, “the rhythm contains the sacred living memory of the people of Kitara, and the spirit of the land itself.”
“It is passed on in an unbroken chain going back into the mists of time to Kitara itself. It is never written down but must be learnt from one who knows.
“Now that’s impressive! this makes me feel very privileged. To think how brusk I was on the phone on that first meeting,” he said more to himself than anyone else.
“The Drum Wizard says that the rhythm selects the players,” one of the girls interjected.
“Perhaps it doesn’t like small talk.”
They all chuckled.
“What are you two doing here?” they asked.
He looked over to the Priestess, letting her speak for them both.
“We’re trying to decipher some clues,” she said.
He picked up The Book. The gold foil symbol caught the sunlight. All the girls drew a collective breath.
“You’ve found it!” they exclaimed as one, “we knew you would.”
“I’m starting to think it allowed itself to be found,” he said.
“Indeed,” they agreed.
The Priestess then read the latest paragraph from The Book.
“Any ideas?” she offered.
“Two push together and new worlds are found,” repeated one of the girls, “this seems to be significant.”
“As does the lightning attracts the tower. Its the wrong way round surly?” another added.
“Can’t be a mistake,” the third girl finished.
“Exactly what I thought,” he agreed.
“You were under a lightning-struck tree. Does that count?”
He glanced across at the high Priestess who silently acknowledged their shared experience of the lightning at the church. ‘When you can hold a secret all secrets can be revealed’ came to his mind. He felt a sudden urge to remain silent as that had been a special moment just between the two of them.
“I think some breakthrough is possible,” said the Priestess, who instinctively had also elected to keep the secret, “a really big breakthrough is possible, if we work together.”
“There’s something special about that church, St James the Apostle, or perhaps its the land itself,” he wondered out loud.
“Does anybody know what was there before the church?” said the Priestess to the everyone.
“I do,” a sonorous deep voice interjected from behind. They all turned around to see The Shaman standing there. No one had noticed him come in.

***

***

Continues in Chapter 7…