Earth's Grand Healer

Part 5: The Diary of Mordicai Wayne

Bruce Wayne listened to what Samantha was saying. "Did the demon give any indication about how long she's been trapped in this world?"

"Five centuries, at least," Samantha replied. "I can sense her presence even now trying to compel me to continue the ritual."

"And where do you perform that ritual?"

"Down in the sunken garden, behind the carriage house."

"We'll start there," Bruce said.

Samantha led Bruce out to the carriage house and to the sunken garden. As she followed the path downward, Sammantha remembered when she first came across the garden. It was overgrown and needed some loving care. It became her pet project. She cleared away the overgrown brambles, pruned back the roses in the terraced area, and swept away the leaves and the pine needles that had piled up over time. By the time she was done, Samantha had cleared out as much as 3 inches of dirt and debris that had settled into the sunken garden. That's when she discovered the mosaic that was hidden underneath it all. It was beautiful and haunting. The design wasn't your typical mosaic. It didn't portray anything or anyone in particular; just a unique design that was hard to describe in detail. And yet, looking from above, it gave the impression that if a person stood in the center, they would suddenly find themselves falling through space, or rising from it.

"Are You sure this is the place?" Bruce asked, interrupting Samantha's thoughts.

"Yes," Samantha said. "Can you not sense the energy emitting from this place?"

"I'm not as attuned with it as you are," Bruce answered. "But I believe you."

"It happened on this spot," Samantha explained. "It feels like a gateway, but at the same time, the demon cannot escape from it. Not without blood to feed it."

"Excuse me," Virgil was suddenly there at Samantha's side. Neither saw Virgil approach. Had he been watching them from the carriage house? There was a window that looked down into the sunken garden. Could he had seen them discussing about the mosaic?

"Virgil," Bruce acknowledged him.

Samantha noticed that Bruce wasn't even remotely startled from Virgil's sudden appearance.

"So, what's going on?"

"You remember me telling you about the demon presence," Samantha stated.

"Yes," Virgil answered. "I gave you two amulets, one to give to Tim for protection, and one for yourself."

"We think, that is, I think the demon is trying to escape from this spot."

"This spot?" Virgil's eyebrows were raised. "That is impossible."

"And why is that?" Bruce asked.

"Because I would have sensed it," Virgil replied.

"What is this spot then?"

"It's hard to explain," Virgil stated.

"Try," Bruce said, his voice changing just enough to let Virgil know that he wasn't pleased that Virgil may be responsible for placing members of his family in danger.

"Um . . . I had a vision some weeks ago," Virgil started out. "It was about Tim . . . Um Red Robin getting killed."

"I see."

"I didn't know if I could do it and I didn't want to let on that I knew who Red Robin was at the time. That is, I didn't want Red Robin learning who I was. So, I disguised myself and I used my ability of moving through walls, or opening walls, so I could move through them, and I transported myself to where Red Robin was to warn him."

"You use magic to open a gateway."

"Where did you get the disguise?" Bruce questioned, concerned that Virgil had somehow breached the cave.

"From an old trunk in the gatehouse," Virgil answered. "I can show you."

Samantha and Bruce followed Virgil to the lower level of the gatehouse.

"I have one other question," Bruce stated. "Did you sense a demon's presence when you transported yourself?"

"No," Virgil said. "And even if there was a demon, they wouldn't have been able to breach that gateway. It's protected."

"Very well, show me where this truck is."

"I only recently discovered there was an interior door leading down and an outside door that gives access to the lower level into what looks like an office and a tack room for storing bridles and saddles for horses," Virgil continued to explain. "The trunk is over in the corner."

Samantha stopped to admire the workmanship and the equipment from an age long past. There was an old carriage covered with an oversized sheet. It was also covered in dust. She turned back to see Bruce and Virgil approaching the trunk then opened it.

"I meant to give this to you earlier," Virgil said as he handed Bruce a leather-bound book tide with a leather strap; the initials MW worked in the leather.

Bruce took the book, its surface soft and supple to the touch after all these years. He opened the book, and his eyes went wide. He vaguely remembered his father telling him a story about this particular member of the Wayne family. They were the same stories that his grandfather passed to his father and so forth back down the line. As far as Bruce knew, the stories were unchanged except for one detail, the man's diary could not be found in the library, only personal accounts from others who were close to him. Now, everything had changed.

"Bruce, are you alright?" Samantha asked. "You look as if you have seen a ghost."

"I'm fine."

"What is that?" Samantha asked about the book that Bruce grasped in his hands.

"It's something that's been missing for more than 400 years," Bruce answered. "My ancestor's diary, Mordicai Wayne."

Continues with Part 6