See Part One (A) For Disclaimers

Chapter Eight

As she often did, Jasmine felt stupid for not telling her aunt what had been bothering her.  But at the time, she had believed she was doing the right thing.  Especially since her aunt had such painful memories involving Derek Rayne.  Why was she dreaming about someone who had hurt her family so much?  Why was he important to them?

There was another reason why she hadn't told her aunt about her dreams over the last few months . . . she didn't want to worry her aunt.  Especially not now.  But Aunt Val knew now, and Jasmine focused on her dreams, from the beginning.  It was something she had learned before her mother died . . . how to focus on her dreams.  Re-create them in her mind.  Mom had said it would be important one day.

As Jasmine focused, enhancing the images until it was like watching a movie inside her head, she began writing what she saw.  The girl lost all track of time . . . and reality . . . as she remembered each dream.  It was fortunate the House hadn't caught on fire.

But at last, Jasmine was written out and she closed her journal.  She felt drained. That wasn't normal for a remembrance session, but Jasmine was too tired to consider that.  I'll take this to Aunt Val and Tatya later, the teenager thought sleepily, putting her journal to one side.  She crawled into her bed and pulled the covers securely around her shoulders.

*    *    *

"So, where is this on our priority list?" Tatya asked in a low voice as she sat down next to Val at her terminal, glancing at the others in the room.  Renee was already starting a search for Winston Rayne's likeness in the Legacy database.  Philip was still checking out the employee list for DH.  He liked to finish what he started.  I'm gonna like this kid, Tatya decided once more, especially if he keeps it up like this.  He needs to loosen up, but aside from that . . .

"On-going.  Our top case is the DH investigation, at least for the moment,  but I want us to be ready to shift gears.  Jasmine's life and sanity isn't at risk at the moment, but that could change.  You know how things are in the Legacy . . . things which seem routine turn out to be anything but," Val answered in an equally low voice.  She shook her head, then added, "Besides, we may need this investigation."

"How so?" Tatya questioned.  She knew what she was thinking . . . but she wanted to know where Val was going with this.  Her friend had a habit of going off in strange directions with an idea.  And while she would have never said as much to the young historian, there were times when Tatya wondered if Val was any relation to Derek Rayne.

"Well," Val said, leaning back against the edge of the desk, "dummy me never considered that maybe the DH apparition was there to warn people.  About what?  Well, Dani mentioned that OSHA has repeatedly warned management about the dangers there.  Maybe our ghost is trying to get someone to take that seriously."

"And just when I thought you were going to come up with one of your 'out of nowhere' ideas," Tatya sighed.  Val looked up from what she was doing, and Tatya explained, "You have this habit of coming up with totally off-the-wall ideas, different takes on things.  I thought this might be one of those times."

"Well, I am the daughter of a witch.  I don't see things the way some people do," Val answered.  Tatya could see her point.  While she was a witch now, and had been ever since she was twenty-five, Tatya had been raised as an Evangelical Christian . . . and the impressions you received in your formative years were difficult to break.

Philip said unexpectedly, "The daughter of a witch, and a Legacy brat.  That would change anyone's viewpoint.  I'm already seein' it . . . well, I was seein' it when I last talked t' Kat.  You'd like her, I think."   He sounded sad, and Tatya frowned.  She glanced at Val, wondering if her friend had heard it as well.

If Val did, she gave no indication, as she replied lightly, "The daughter of a witch, a Legacy brat, and a precept trained under Sir Edmund Tremain.  You wanna talk about a mind-bending experience?  I was tempted to get a Wiccan friend to turn that man into a toad, but I knew it would get her into trouble."

"It would get you into trouble as well . . . because you had made the request," Tatya replied.  Val nodded and Tatya added, "So why didn't you do it yourself?  I know you have the ability, Valerie, and the desire . . . so why didn't you turn him into a toad or a frog, or something even nastier?"

"I thought about it, especially when I remembered the past.  Thought very seriously about turning him into a hamster, then giving him to Sloan's youngest daughter as a gift.  Decided that it was being too cruel to her, and too kind to him," Val replied dryly.  Tatya noticed Philip staring at them, open-mouthed.

But before she could take pity on him, Val said, "It's part of the Wiccan Rede, Philip . . . 'an harm none, do as thou wilt.'  In other words, as long as you don't harm anyone, including yourself, you're free to do what you wish.  It's also the main reason why I'm pagan, instead of Wiccan.  I'm not real good at controlling myself when I lose my temper."

Philip nodded, still looking lost, and Val went on with a half-smile, "And I'm joking.  As tempting as it was to change that man into something other than human, I wouldn't have done it.  For the simple fact that I would have been the first suspect after he disappeared.  Everyone knew we didn't like each other.  Besides, my mother always taught me that even crossing the line a little was crossing the line too much."

She paused, then added, "In other words, abusing the powers which I had been given at birth by the Creator was the beginning of evil.  Anyhow, we were talking about the Wiccan Rede.  There's also the Three-fold Rule, which says that whatever harm you inflict on someone else, it will come back to you three times more powerful.  Similarly, when you treat other people with respect, that will also return to you, three times more powerful.  It works both ways, as it should."

"So instead of the Ten Commandments, you have one which covers all ten?" Philip asked and Tatya nodded, pleased with his observation.  That was a good way of putting it, since most of the Ten Commandments dealt with causing harm to others.  There was one commandment which did not, but that was still a matter of debate.  The young priest was silent for several moments, then quietly observed, "And the Three-Fold Rule sounds very similar to our Golden Rule."

"Yes, exactly.  Do unto other, as you would have done to you.  It's the same basic idea.  Philip, what I believe isn't so different from what you believe.  For example, we believe that there is evil in the world, but we don't have centralized evil . . . such as your Christian Satan," Tatya told him.  Philip chewed his lower lip, frowning, and Tatya added, "For example, we believe that Hitler was evil . . . but he was directed by his own choices, rather than an outside force guiding him."

"I can't argue wi' that, given what I've read and researched," Philip admitted, "and you know he was into the occult?"  Tatya found herself stiffening . . . meaning?  There were so many different uses for the word �occult,' and to borrow a phrase from Val, she wanted to be sure they were on the same page.  Philip explained, as if sensing her discomfort, "I mean, he wanted t' harness dark magic for his own ends . . . t' ensure the victory of the Nazis."

"He sought to abuse magick, yes.  'Occult' is a funny word, Philip.  There are many Christians who view any kind of magick as evil, because they don't understand it," Tatya answered.  She had no special powers as a witch . . . just her faith.  Which prompted her to add, "But they don't understand that faith itself is a form of magick."

Philip turned away from the employee list, bobbed his head in understanding.  Tatya thought they were out of the woods, until the young priest asked, "Do I need t' be careful wi' what I say?  I'm not tryin' t' offend you, Dr. Elliot.  But I am a Catholic priest, and I use the terms I know.  If this will be a problem . . . "

"There is no problem . . . we just have to get used to each other," Val interrupted.  She sat back in her chair, looking from the priest to the psychologist, then back again.  Once she had his attention, she went on, "You don't have to walk on eggshells, Philip.  And Tatya will tell you if you've offended her.  She's quite vocal about that, we all are.  Uhm, for that matter, we're all quite vocal, period."

Tatya grinned, and heard a discreet laugh from Renee.  Behave yourself, little girl, she thought, then told the young priest, "Val's right.   There is no problem, you didn't offend me.  But I am little sensitive with some terms.  'Occult' isn't necessarily bad, Philip . . . it just means 'magick.' And I think you'll agree that magick depends on the user."

Val put in, "Philip, whether you realize it or not, we use magick in the Legacy.  In the chants and rituals we do to ease troubled spirits, to banish evil . . . even something as simple as faith is magick.  What you believe, and the strength of that belief, is magick.  I was reading the account of your battle with the Warden, back in �96.  Whether you know it or not, you used magick to defeat him.  And a good thing you did!"

Philip sat back, obviously trying to process this.  The psychologist was sure the young priest had never even considered the possibility that faith and magick were one and the same.  Tatya once more started to speak, to continue the explanation, but Renee exclaimed, "Got it . . . one likeness of Dr. Winston Rayne, archaeologist and precept, being printed out right now!  Not a bad looking man, probably better if he actually smiled, instead of looking so grim."

"He was in the Legacy, dear one," Val answered with a grin, turning to face the younger woman, "of course he'll look grim.  The Legacy's serious business, you can never have any fun."  This was said with a mock-serious expression and even more mocking tone.  Renee's response was to throw a puff-ball at Val.

Val dodged it easily, laughing softly, then rose to her feet and joined Renee at the terminal.  She peered over the younger woman's shoulder, saying, "Not bad.  Not too bad at all.  You're right, though, Renee.  He needs to smile.  You know, maybe that's why the demon impersonated him . . . he looks so dark and menacing, people without an imagination would automatically assume he's evil.  And the fact that he wasn't exactly a candidate for Father of the Year didn't help much."

"Gee, who on earth could you mean, Valerie?  I don't know anyone in the Legacy who doesn't have an imagination," Renee said dryly.  Tatya glanced at Philip, who was trying not to laugh.  Tatya didn't know the exact reason for his amusement, but she was glad to see him smile.  He was another one who would be devastating when he actually smiled.

"No imagination?  In the Legacy?  You must be talking about Rachel Corrigan.  Well, she would be at the top of my list, anyhow.  I have a few other suspects in mind for that rap," Dani said, entering the control room.  She grinned and added, "Had a few things to check out in here . . . this isn't a private party, is it?"  

Tatya chuckled at Dani's observation regarding the Legacy member in San Francisco, then looked at Philip.  Once more, she saw a flash of pain in his eyes.  Okay, Tatya thought, this is really, really starting to bother me.  Why does he react like that every time someone mentions Rachel Corrigan or her daughter?

"Yeah, well, a man kills your mother, even accidently, you're not gonna be easily convinced that he's a good guy.  I can't believe I'm defending Rachel Corrigan, but we do have things in common. Derek Rayne can talk all he wants about how brave Jonathan Boyle was, but as far as I'm concerned . . ." Val replied, a trace of bitterness in her voice.

"Did he actually say that when your mother was killed?  That Jonathan Boyle was a brave man?" Renee asked, turning to face the older woman.  Val nodded, her mouth twisting as she evidently remembered that particular conversation, and Renee shook her head, muttering, "Well, there goes what little respect I had left for Derek Rayne!"

Now Philip was looking uncomfortable, and Tatya said, "Renee, why don't you take that upstairs to Jasmine, see if she recognizes him as the man in her dreams?  I want to see what Philip has come up with in the DH case."  Renee started to protest, then caught sight of Philip's face.

Continued

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