CHAPTER TWO

Giles was surprised by the knocking on his door relatively early on a Saturday. He peered out the peephole even though he couldn't imagine it would be anyone other than Buffy. The thought made him momentarily sad as he was reminded how isolated he was here. He had no adult friends outside of Jenny.

It was indeed Buffy. His Slayer had come armed with Willow as if her friend were an adequate shield if Jenny had spent the night and Buffy might be forced to face the fact adults occasionally had sex. Unfortunately while he had left Jenny's very late, their relationship hadn't quite progressed to the spending the night phase.

He let the girls in. "Buffy, Willow, what brings you here so early?"

"That piece of art you liked so much last night." Buffy tossed herself carelessly on the couch.

He raised an eyebrow. "The Key of Knowledge?"

"Yeah. Someone trashed the gallery and busted it all up," Buffy said in a tone of pure disgust that probably had more to do with the early hour than her mourning art.

"Her mom is upset, not to mention the artist," Willow added, settling on the couch beside Buffy.

"Just that piece of art was vandalized? Nothing else?" Giles headed into the kitchen, hearing the kettle getting ready to whistle. "Can I get you tea?"

"Yeah sure. Tea seems to make you think good. Maybe it'll help me," Buffy said, still very grumpy.

"There's nothing wrong with your analytic abilities, Buffy," Giles said, pouring the water into the ceramic pot that contained a tea ball.

"You didn't see her last history test," Willow said with a smile.

"Ah, yes, well, please do try not to get grounded Buffy. It makes things difficult."

She wrinkled her nose. "You have no idea. And yes, it was just that one piece of art. Mom said that was the most popular piece of the show. Annabel really hoped to sell it."

"Why would anyone break in and smash just one piece or art?" Willow asked.

"I'll admit it doesn't make much sense," Giles said, carrying in the tea tray. "Was anything missing, Buffy?"

"Kinda hard to tell but Annabel thinks that the fancy key that was on the frame is gone," Buffy replied.

Giles boggled the tray and Buffy jumped up, catching it before it could fall.
"What is it, Giles? What's so special about that stupid key? It was like you, Jenny and Angel were under its spell," Buffy said, setting the tray on the coffee table.

Giles sank into the chair. "I'm afraid that might be the literal truth, Buffy. Are you sure it's gone?"

Buffy's face went somber as she realized this was bigger than she thought it was. "Well, no, but Annabel seemed to think it was. The piece of art was in like a billion pieces."

"Bloody..." Giles nipped 'hell' off before it could pass his lips. "Jenny, Angel and I did talk about there being something unusually compelling about that key but it didn't appear to affect everyone. You, your mother, and Annabel didn't seem to notice but it would account for the popularity Joyce noticed."

"Objects can be ensorcelled, can't they?" Willow reached for the tea.

Giles intercepted her hands, pouring for everyone. "Yes, they can, not unlike that book Moloch was kept in. I had planned on investigating it a bit today."

"And you didn't tell me this why?" Buffy cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I didn't think it was necessary, Buffy. The key hardly seemed dangerous and you were eager to get started on...patrol," he said wryly. "The key looked so familiar but I can't think of why."

"Maybe you need to think about why," Buffy suggested, dumping sugar into her tea.

"It's probably too much to hope we could get in to see the damage," Giles mused, not sure if it would help but it would at least be a start.

"Sorry, Mom and Annabel have already cleaned it all up and we don't have a security system that has video. Sunnydale's not L.A...and the gallery isn't a convenience store," Buffy said, rolling her eyes at him.

"That would make it too easy," Giles said, tapping a finger against the tea cup.

"So you think this is something we have to worry about?" Willow sipped at her tea. "It's kind of time for a big bad...though I suppose we don't know anything about that key. I mean, it could be just random vandalism."

"The key is the place to start." Giles got up. "I'll call Jenny. She was willing to help with the research." He noted the relieved looks on the girls' faces when he said 'call.' What did they think? That he had her hidden up in his bedroom until he could shoo them away? He should be so lucky. "Buffy, why don't you give Angel a call. He might not be able to join us at this hour but he can at least be thinking about the problem." Giles might not particularly care for the vampire but his knowledge was very useful. He knew it was wise to use every resource he could.

Buffy nodded her agreement.
"Xander can't help today. He's at the cemetery," Willow offered.

Giles turned to her surprised. "Oh? Has someone in his family passed away? I hadn't heard. Or is he just...well, I can't think of another reason Xander would be in a cemetery without Buffy."

"It's Jesse's birthday." Willow's eyes misted. "Our first one without him. I just...couldn't face going to the cemetery. There's no headstone, of course, since his parents don't know he's dead. They still think he just ran away and will be back. Xander and I decided on a real fancy crypt to stand in for Jesse if we ever wanted to bring flowers and remember. But today...it was just too much."

Giles patted her shoulder gently and Buffy squeezed one of her hands as Willow wiped away a few stray tears with the other.

"I'm sorry," Giles said, meaning it. Young people shouldn't know pain like this.

Willow forced herself to brighten. "Thanks."

After the calls were made, Giles dragged out some books so they could get started. Jenny was quick to join them. This wasn't the weekend Giles had envisioned once Buffy had sold him on the idea of a weekend off. He had dared to make plans for what he'd like to do with Jenny. He should have known better.

"It would help if we had an idea of what we are even looking for." Buffy shoved at a book in disgust. "Didn't you say keys symbolized knowledge? Is that maybe a clue?"

"Keys symbolize knowledge, fidelity and authority," Jenny replied. "Those were common themes in art, especially in mediaeval and early renaissance times."

Giles smiled at her. It was such a good feeling to be in love with a highly intelligent woman. Did he just think love? i Oh damn, yes you did /I .

"Giles!" Buffy said sharply. "You okay? You have a goofy look on your face and you aren't paying attention to me."

He scowled at her. "I'm just fine. I was thinking about what Jenny said about art. Maybe that's where I know that key from but I'm not sure how or where."

"Well, I'll call and add that to Angel's list of things to think about. He likes art but he's probably gone back to sleeping in." Buffy looked jealous of that notion.

"I don't think it's technically sleeping in for a vampire," Willow said. "Wouldn't sleeping in be sleeping past sun down?"

Buffy shrugged and made her call.

"How's Buffy's mom doing with this, Willow?" Jenny asked. "I'm sure she had to be beside herself from the bad publicity."

"She's more mad than anything," Willow replied as Buffy talked on the phone.

"We're just lucky Mrs. Summers wasn't still at the gallery when this happened." Jenny patted her stomach. "I'm feeling a little peckish. I didn't get breakfast. Anyone want an early lunch? My treat. I'm thinking Chinese."

They were just getting started on their hot and sour soup and fried wontons when Angel called Buffy. Giles knew something must have occurred to the vampire as Buffy's kaleidoscope eyes lit up and she got bouncy. "Hang on, Jenny and Giles are here. I'll tell them." Buffy cupped her hand over the receiver. "Angel said he's seen that key in some of..." Buffy made a face at something Angel said. "Harry Mouse Bosch's paintings. Does that make any sense?"

Giles smiled gently. "I think you mean Hieronymus Bosch."

"Does Angel know which paintings," Jenny asked, leaning closer, excited.

"Which ones, Angel?" Buffy waited for the answer, her expression pinching. "He doesn't know. His art books are in storage. You have art books?" Her tone was that of finding out the star quarterback wrote poetry.

"No problem." Jenny set aside her soup and went to set up her lap top. "We can check online. Tell Angel thanks."

Buffy did then moved into the other room to speak more privately with Angel.

"And you can find paintings on that contraption?" Giles pointed to the computer like it was an offensive, ill-mannered child.

"Sure. It's just a simple Yahoo search," Willow replied, enthusiastically.

Jenny looked up at him, a sly smile on her face. "Care to give it a try, Rupert?"

He glared. "I think I'll leave it to the experts."

He did, however, bring Jenny over her orange chicken and fried wontons. Buffy returned and they all crowded around the lap top, munching quietly and peering closely at the screen as Jenny scrolled inch by inch over each piece of Bosch's art.

Buffy scowled at Bosch's oft-crowded paintings, filled with dark disturbing and surreal imagery. "Wow, this guy was on a bad trip or something."

"Scholars have been debating the meaning of the imagery for centuries," Jenny replied. "They believe Bosch to have been a deeply religious man and he feared for the world and its moral decay." She looked over her shoulder. "Pretty much the same spiel religious leaders give us today while they build multi million dollar crystal cathedrals and throw Teletubbies on the bonfire of the vanities...though they might have a point about the Teletubbies."

"Exact same worries played out again and again all those years ago. Somehow that almost makes the fears today a little less scary," Willow said contemplatively. "I mean, those bad things didn't wipe us out back then, chances are they won't now."

Buffy put her hands on Willow's shoulder. "That's my Will, always the optimist...and thinking too many thoughts."

"Some of the images in Bosch's art were the corrupt religious and political figures of the time. That doesn't change either," Giles said, pointing to one of the men in pointy hats on the canvas. "Many of the ills of today have been problems since man first put stylus to clay. Bosch's convoluted pictures was just one man's way of expressing his fears and what he thought both heaven and hell might be like."

"Yeah well, I still think he was smoking something," Buffy said, looking at the riot of imagery.

"Jenny, hold up. Back up the frame a little," Giles said suddenly, leaning in. Excitement lit up his face.

"I don't like this picture. It's creepy," Buffy moaned.

"Most of them are," Willow said with a little shudder.

Giles disregarded the creepy comment as he saw what he was looking for. "Angel was right. Here's the key, hanging from the belt on the man robbing the miser."

"Good catch, Rupert. Willow, write this down for us. The painting is ' i Death of a Miser /I ," Jenny said.

They found the key again in ' i The Magician /I ' before giving up with eyestrain.

"So what does it mean?" Willow lips pursed as her mind tried to work out the puzzle.

"I'm not sure," Giles admitted reluctantly.

"Let's see what we can find out," Jenny said, putting the words 'Bosch,' 'key,' and 'meaning' into a Yahoo search. She scanned the pages that popped up. "Well, according to this the key symbolizes knowledge but we sort of knew that. It doesn't give more details than that."

Buffy wrinkled her nose. "Are they sure? I mean the dude with the key in i The Magician /I doesn't look bright and he's getting pickpocketed. How smart is that? Does it have to mean anything? I've never really bought into all the symbolism in literature class. Did Hemingway really mean this or that? Maybe he just wrote it because it sounded cool. Why couldn't Bosch have just painted it because it looked neat?"

"That's not usually how art works, Buffy," Giles said. "At least not this kind of art."
Buffy threw her hands up in defeat. "So we found the key, now what?"

"I wish I knew. It'll probably require further study," Giles said and Buffyy's shoulders slumped. "But I can handle that for now. I'll bleep you if I find out anything that would require the Slayer's presence."

Buffy grinned happily at that compromise. "Thanks, Giles. Let's go Willow." The girls bounced out.

Giles looked at Jenny apologetically. "I'm sorry. I'm sure this is not what you had in mind for your Saturday."

Jenny got up, touching his cheek. "I don't know. Do you allow study breaks?"

Giles shot her a momentarily baffled looked.

"You know, study breaks." Her voice went low and throaty. Her lips brushed his.

"Oh yes, plenty of those I'd imagine." He grinned then kissed her back. As her tongue slipped into his mouth, Giles remembered he very much wanted to find out where she did dangle that corkscrew jewelry from.

"Aren't they really the picture of cuteness?" Willow asked over her caramel mocha latte.

Buffy sipped her frappucino thoughtfully. "Ms. Calender and Giles are the cuteness but still the thought of old people smoochies." Buffy shuddered.

"It doesn't bother you with Angel," Willow pointed out.

Buffy stared at the red head like she had lost her mind. "Angel's not old! Well, he is but he isn't." Buffyy's face squinched up. "It's not the same thing."

Willow grinned. "I know. Angel is hot in that dark broody way but Giles has a cute grin and pretty blue eyes. Haven't you ever noticed?"

Buffy nearly dropped her drink in shock. "Oh my god! You have a crush on Giles!"

Willow's face went redder than her hair, realizing what she had revealed. "I do not."

"Yes, you do, Willow Rosenberg!" Buffy teased, almost bouncing over her new bit of tasty knowledge.

"Do not." Willow pouted then changed the subject. "Anyhow what do you think about the missing key?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. Let's say it's magic but what does it do?"
"That's the exciting part, finding out," Willow said enthusiastically.

"Research does not equal fun," Buffy said, knowing she was in the minority with the crew she was hanging out with today.

"Sure it does. Maybe Bosch was right. It's the key of knowledge. Maybe it doesn't actually open anything. Maybe it's like a key to a cipher," Willow proposed.

"Willow, if we wanted to talk shop we could have stayed at Giles'," Buffy said, irritated that work was creeping into her free time. "It's the weekend, fun time."

"But this is fun, like doing acrostics." Willow polished off her coffee.

"I'm not good with needles," Buffy said, slumping in her chair.

"No, not cross-stitch, acrostics, word games," Willow corrected gently and Buffy's face stitched up in embarrassment.

"Well, whatever. It's our day off. Let Giles worry about it, Willow. You and I haven't even gotten to the retro shops yet to look for our costumes for the dance. I say we forget about the key and just enjoy ourselves."

"Okay." Willow got up and bussed her own empty mug. "I can always work on it tonight while you're out with Angel. My parents are in San Francisco for a lecture so it's just me. Though, I'd better drop in on Xander and make sure he's okay."

Buffy nodded following her. "I'll pop in to see Xander before going to Angel's. I am sorry about Jesse," she said, feeling the guilt of his loss. Maybe if she hadn't been hiding from herself and her destiny Jesse might not have died.

"Thanks. You know, maybe it's a religious key. Bosch liked the religious theme...not that I know what that would be or what it would unlock. Maybe it's a Christian reference I wouldn't know since Bosch was painting Christian themes." Willow's eyes brightened. "Ooo, maybe the arc of the covenant like on Indiana Jones."

"I sure hope not," Buffy said with a laugh as they left the coffee shop. They never noticed they had an audience for most of the conversation.

Cyndi couldn't believe her luck in the coffee shop. She recognized the gallery owner's daughter from the night before but the girl didn't seem to notice Cyndi. That was the advantage of being small and rather ordinary looking; no one remembered you. She took the table next to the blond and her friend on a whim. She never expected them to be talking about the key which was now locked up in Cyndi's home.
She had stolen it for Richard. It would prove that she loved him, not that she expected him to notice. The Mayor was a busy man and she was just a receptionist at his office. And she had to confess, with his germ fetish she had to wonder how he'd handle it if she ever got physical with him. It didn't matter. Cyndi had been smitten with him ever since she had been hired. He was a sweet and funny guy.

When she had heard him talking with the deputy mayor about the key being in town, Cyndi knew she had to get it for him. Richard and Allan were still trying to figure out the best way to get the key without it coming back on them. Just like men, they over thought things that were so simple. Cyndi had checked out the art work that defiled the Key of Knowledge and saw it would be an easy thing to take it. She couldn't offer to buy it, not at that price, and why it didn't occur to Richard to just purchase it, she didn't know.

But now that she had the key, Cyndi was having trouble giving it up, even for love. It whispered to her. Its power thrummed through her. The only problem was, she didn't know what it opened but it sounded like the red-headed girl did. Cyndi had tried to follow them but there weren't enough customers in the shops to hide, even as ordinary as she was. They would have noticed her. Cyndi decided it didn't matter as she headed home to make a plan. She knew the girl's name. Now to find out where Willow Rosenberg lived and pay her a visit while she was alone. Cyndi had to know what the key was before she blithely turned it over to Richard.