Stephan jumped. Lydia let out a breath she had subconsciously kept in. I just stared at the door, wondering what kind of person was inside it.
'Well, I guess you two had better get going then,' said Stephan with a hint of nervousness. He gave a small laugh and made his way across the Black Room toward the bar. I looked back up at Lydia. She gave me a small smile.
'Come on then,' she said no more confident that Stephan had sounded. She turned the handle slowly as though she thought the anticipation was what had made the mission worthwhile.
The door opened at her lightest touch. Lydia took one last glance at me and went into the room. I followed closely.
The office was just as dark as the Black Room was. There was no lighting apart from a black candelabrum that stood tall on a desk which was, unwisely, draped with a black satin material. The floor, I noticed was constructed of cold stone and the peeling black wallpaper revealed that the walls were also a grey stone. The walls, themselves, were lined with broken mirrors and, here and there, a large crucifix was hung.
Sitting at the desk in a large wooden chair sat a middle aged man. His face that showed once good looks was lined heavily. His eyes were grey and tired. His hair, like his eyes, was also grey. However it still had flecks of mousey brown, not unlike Lydia's. He was wearing a long black robe, trimmed with silver, with a long sliver scarf and a broach with a design I could not see from this distance. In his right hand he held a magnificent staff, decorated with crucifixes and, if I was not mistaken, quotations from the Bible. His left hand was heavily scarred and was resting upon a black, leather bound Bible, his middle finger acting as a bookmark.
He motioned for both me and Lydia to sit.
We sat on hard, unbalanced stools in front of the desk. Lydia let her gaze fall upon the Bible under the scarred hand. The man, whom I assumed was 'The Boss', kept his eyes fixed into mine. I stared back, feeling it would show weakness if I were to not look at him. Our eyes were locked for many minutes, and I knew Lydia noticed this but she never diverted her gaze from the Bible in front of her. My eyes were aching and I hoped the staring match would end soon. However, it was not long before the familiar hissing voice spoke again.
'Have you been saying your prayers lately, Kai Hiwatari?' His eyes did not move but he had blinked. I did the same. I was also very confused by what he asked me. What was this about?
'Not as of late,' I said confidently. His expression softened a little but his eyes remained as cold and tired as they were when we entered.
'But then how will you achieve what you want? Those who have a strong relationship with God lead strong lives.' He spoke in no more than a whisper but with all the wisdom of an ancient man who had lived a more than a thousand lifetimes. I was intrigued by the way his words formed but also filled with curiosity. Religion played no part in my life. I was advised to pray once by a carer in the Abbey, but she had left, I did not know why. I had felt awkward praying, and I knew it was not for me. However, it was best if I said something. No matter what it would be.
'I thought that it was wrong to ask something from God,' I said coldly. Yes, that was suitable, but I was slightly afraid that it would anger him. However, he smiled ever so slightly and opened his Bible where his finger kept the page. He opened his mouth to speak.
'And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted what he requested.
The Prayer of Jabez - Chronicles, Chapter 1, 4:10'
He spoke this in a slow calm and mighty voice. His eyes now away from mine but not on the Bible, but on something behind me. He clearly knew the verse off by heart. While he was speaking I took the chance to glance at Lydia again. She was absorbed in the Bible in front of her and was mouthing the ancient words as the Boss was speaking them. I looked back at the Boss again; he was still transfixed with the object facing him. I would have turned to look but I found a little fear in the man before me so I kept my eyes on him.
After a while he tore his eyes from the object behind me and onto me once more.
'That is my name, by the way: Jabez.' He looked at me then back at the Bible under his left hand.
'Do you know what message this passage is trying to bring Kai Hiwatari?' Jabez asked. I shook my head, my eyes not leaving his face. He looked back at me.
'The message that this passage is trying to bring is that you can ask of God anything, more or less under the condition that you ask of Him to be with you, to not cause pain. That is what He wants to see in His children, He wants to see them ask to not cause pain. He will help you Kai Hiwatari.' He paused for a second. I noted that his eyes moved swiftly from my face, to a draw in his desk to his staff and finally to Lydia.
'Lydia, child, may you please take hold of my staff while I retrieve a gift for young Kai?' My gaze darted to Lydia. She nodded immediately. She then stood and moved to where his right hand lay upon his staff and removed it from his grip. She stood like a statue beside him holding his staff carefully as though she felt she was holding a relic.
Jabez carefully opened the draw and pulled a small box, wrapped in a purple velvet material. He looked at it for a second then placed it on the table between us, then his attention turned back to me.
'I refuse to let my left hand leave my Bible,' he said gesturing to his scarred hand. 'A habit of mine since I was your age.' He smiled, straining the lines on his face. He then lifted the small box and held it out to me. 'Take it,' he said gently.
I took it. Then before I decided to unwrap it glanced back up at him. He nodded gesturing for me to go on. I carefully unwrapped the purple material as though it were something sacred. The box, itself was black, and elegantly decorated with sliver markings which I thought could have been Hebrew. It had a beautifully crafted silver latch at the bottom right-hand corner. I unhooked it and the box fell open.
In it lay a beautiful silver crucifix, with the image of Jesus placed upon it. Around the edge it had shining sapphires that glittered by the candle light, and on the crucifix itself, an elegant scripture, similar to that of the box.
In awe of its beauty I gently pried it from the box. It was light and was about the length of my middle finger. Attached was a heavy chain that would easily fit over my head. I put it on. It felt so perfect.
I opened my mouth to say thank you to the great man who sat before me but he raised a finger to his lips.
'Turn it over,' he whispered.
Placing the crucifix in my shaking hand, I slowly turned it over. Engraved into the sterling silver was, without a doubt, the Prayer of Jabez. It also stated its chapter and verse numbers, and underneath that ...
Kai Hiwatari.