The Case of the Missing Book

By: Heidi L. Lane

 

Duncan sat in the gardens, drinking in the beauty of the world around him.  Sighing in contentment, he stretched his legs out on the soft grass.  He reached aside and plucked a perfect white lily from a nearby flowerbed.  He held it under his nose and inhaled the rich aroma.  “Brother Gardener has certainly outdone himself this year,” he said.  Placing the flower in a basket that had, until recently, held a picnic lunch, he noticed that it wasn’t alone in the container.  “The cook’s not doing bad either,” he added, pulling a grape off the bunch that lay next to the recently picked flower.  He popped the fruit into his mouth, enjoying the brief respite from his duties.

Looking up at the sun, he realized the time and reached into his cincture for his breviary.  He frowned as he noticed it wasn’t in its customary place and searched on the ground near where he was sitting.  He stood up and, furrowing his brow, gave the ground a more thorough inspection.

Shaking his head, Duncan began retracing his steps; head low, searching the ground.  He heard a familiar voice and looked up.  “Thomas,” he shouted.  He hurried over to his superior.  “Thomas, have you – excuse me, Your Majesty,” Duncan said, interrupting himself when he noticed Queen Jehana’s presence.

“That’s all right, Bishop Duncan,” the older woman said, with a wave of her hand.  “Is something wrong?  You seem upset.”

“No, nothing’s wrong, your Majesty.  I-um- I fear I’ve lost my breviary.  It was a gift from my father at my ordination.  Have either of you seen it?  It’s a small – you know what a breviary looks like,” Duncan sighed and shook his head.

“It’s alright, Duncan,” Thomas said, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.  “Well, I haven’t seen it, but I’ll keep my eye out for it.”

“Thanks,” Duncan said, glancing around on the ground.

“Where did you go?  When did you last see it?” Queen Jehana asked.

“Well, I was up in the library when I last read it.  But the day’s so fine… so I went to the kitchen to ask for a picnic lunch.  I ate in the gardens.”  Duncan shrugged.

“Maybe you left it in the library,” Thomas suggested.

Duncan frowned, considering, “Maybe… thanks.  I’ll look there,” he bowed to Queen Jehana then hurried inside.

In the library he found Nigel walking around, glancing under chairs and tables.  “Lose something, Nigel?” Duncan asked.

“Meraude lost a comb when we were in here last night,” Nigel said as he glanced into an embrasure.

“A comb?” Duncan queried.

“Yes, an ivory comb- for her hair,” the prince made a vague motion towards the side of his own head.

“I’m sure it looks lovely on her, but I don’t think your hair is quite long enough,” Duncan teased.  Going toward the table he was sitting at that morning, he added, “and what were you doing that would cause Duchess Meraude to lose a hair ornament?”

“None of your business, Father,” came the reply.

Duncan looked around the table and shook his head.  Turning around he came face to face with Nigel.  “And what are you looking for?” the royal duke asked.

“A book,” Nigel spread his hands and started to speak.  “A little book- my breviary.  I went to read it and it’s gone.  I came up here because this is where I had it last.”

“Mmm.  You lost something.  I lost something.  We were both up here when we last had them.  I wonder– ”

“Hello, your Highness; Your Excellency,” Father Nivard said, approaching them from his office.  “This may sound strange, but… have either of you seen a silk handkerchief about?  I can’t seem to find mine.”

Both men shook their heads, “That’s three,” Duncan said, glancing at Nigel.  “What’s that?” He suddenly asked, pointing over Nigel’s shoulder, out the library door.

“What?” Nigel asked.

“It’s gone now.  It looked like a small, furry… something,” Duncan said peering around the corner.

“A small, furry what?” Father Nivard asked.

“I don’t know,” Duncan said shrugging.  “But it had a blue… something- hanging out of its mouth.  At least I think it was its mouth.”

“A small, furry something with a blue something possible in its mouth?” Nigel asked, chuckling.

“I only caught a glimpse, Nigel,” Duncan said, halfway annoyed.  “I’ll follow it.”

“Why?”  Father Nivard asked following Duncan down the hall.

“Because, if whatever that was has something in its mouth and is carrying it off; maybe it carried off your handkerchief, Nigel’s comb and my breviary.”

“Mmm.  That makes sense.  Where did it go?”  Father Nivard asked as they stopped in the courtyard.

“Mmm,” Duncan said, frowning and squinting.  He walked over to the blacksmith standing near the stables, looking around on the ground.

“Excuse me.”

The blacksmith stared with wide eyes at the approaching bishop and nearly dropped his hammer in surprise.  “Yes, your Excellency?”

“Did you see a small, furry… um-”

“The kitten with the lady’s shoe in its mouth?”

Duncan looked over at Father Nivard and then replied, “Why, yes.  May I ask what you are looking for?”

“Well, Excellency, I left some nails there by that horseshoe, and now they’re gone.”

“Ah,” Duncan said, knowingly, “Where did the kitten go, by the way?”

“Into the stables, Excellency.”

Duncan trotted into the building with a shout of thanks to the bemused smith.  He softly called, “Here, kitty, kitty,” while extending his Deryni senses and saw a small whiskered head poke out of an unused stall.  Sending reassuring thoughts toward the animal, he approached slowly.  The kitten mewed softly as he peered at it around the edge of the stall.

“Well, well, she has quite a collection, hasn’t she?” Father Nivard said as he too peered in.

“My breviary, your handkerchief, Nigel’s comb, the smith’s nails, a lady’s dancing slipper-”

“Someone will be upset when they find only a right shoe in their wardrobe.”

“Aye, and is that a sunhat?  How, in heaven’s name, did she carry all these things in here?”

“Why did she carry all these things in here?” Father Nivard asked

“I don’t know.  Hello, little one,” Duncan said as he reached a hand out toward the kitten.  He chuckled as she licked his fingers.  “That tickles,” he said, picking up the little creature.  “What have you been up to?”  He asked her.  She mewed again in response.

“It almost sounded like she said ‘down’, Excellency.”  Father Nivard said, reaching over to scratch her behind her ears.

“Yes, I noticed that.  Let’s collect these things and go inside.”

“All right… did she just say ‘no’?”

“It sure sounded like that to me,” Duncan said, shrugging.  “Hello, Thomas,” he called as he spotted the archbishop across the courtyard.  “I’ve found my breviary.”

“And a friend,” Father Nivard said, grinning.

“I see,” Thomas said, also grinning.  “And what will you name your little friend?”

Duncan looked at the kitten, considering, “Morgan.”  Thomas looked at him curiously.  “I’ll name her Morgan.  That’ll teach him to go gallivanting off to Beldour without me.”

*           *           *

 

            Later, when night was starting to settle in and Duncan was going up to his rooms with Morgan trailing along behind him Father Shandon bounded over to him and tugged on his sleeve.  “Excellency, this message just came for you… with him.”  The other priest pointed at a boy of about eight standing behind him.

Taking the letter, Duncan read, “Bishop McLain, Though we do not know each other, I feel I know your character.  I also know that you understand magic more than most others who are known to me.  Please take my children, Alister and Morgan, into your care.  Know that they have no other family and are gifted as their father was.”  Duncan flipped the paper over and searched the back.

“There’s no name.  Who sent me this letter?”

“My mama,” the child behind Father Shandon said, “The village priest wrote it for her, but she died ‘fore she could sign it.  I’m Alister.  I don’t know where Morgan is.  We got separated when we got to Rhemuth.”

“What gifts does the letter refer to, son?” Duncan asked gently.

“We shift,” the boy said.

Duncan shook his head, confused, “Shift what?”

“Forms,” the child said, looking down.  He noticed the kitten at Duncan’s feet and said, “Morgan?  Shift back.”  Suddenly, a maid, who looked about twelve years of age, was standing where the kitten had been.

“Sorry to startle you, Father,” the girl said.

“Morgan?” Duncan asked, incredulous.  She nodded and shrugged.  “Oh, my what am I going to do with you two?  Why didn’t you show your true form before, child?”

“I was afraid.”

“Well, I guess there’s no help for it.  Father Shandon, see to rooms for the children.  Are you two hungry; thirsty?”  Both children nodded.  “Father Shandon, also have some food brought up… and small beer.”

Morgan shook her head, “We can’t drink beer.  Can we have lemonade?”  Duncan looked confused, he’d never heard of such a drink.  “Milk?” the girl asked.

Duncan smiled and nodded, “Milk it is.  Got that, Father Shandon?”

“Aye, food, milk, rooms.”  Shandon scurried off down the hall.

Duncan looked at the two children and smirked, “Alaric will be most disappointed that he’s missed all this.”