A little later Keighvin awoke to hear the footsteps of someone besides Peter or Maya and he realized he must have dozed off. The door to his room opened and in came; a young boy of no more than seven or eight who placed a tray on his bedside table. "Anything else I can get you?" asked the boy.
Keighvin shook his head and the boy turned to leave. Then Keighvin spoke, "Why don't you came and sit by me and keep me company. It gets kind of boring up here all by; myself."
The boy seemed to consider his request, seeming more mature then his years would indicate. Finally, he nodded and sat in the same chair Peter had last night.
"My name is Timmy by the way. Maya and Peter are my adopted parents. Peter found me and my sister, living on the street and he and Maya took us in."
Before Timmy could say anything else someone was calling his name. "Timmy? Timmy where are you?" called the voice. "It's time for your lessons."
"I'm up here Gupta sitting with the patient."
Both heard feet climbing the stairs and then a dark skinned man with an ancient wrinkled face appeared in the doorway. "Timmy you aren't disturbing our patient; are you?"
Timmy vigorously shook his head denying the fact. Then Keighvin spoke up and said, "No I asked him to stay to keep me company. It gets rather lonely and boring up here all by; myself.
The man known as Gupta seemed to soften a bit and said, "Yes, I can understand that, but Timmy has school lessons. I've been teaching him and his sister Lorena their letters. Timmy is to start second grade in just a couple of months and he must be up to speed before that. I can bring you a book," Gupta suggested. "And when Timmy and Lorena are done with their lessons for the day Timmy can come back up here and sit with you if that is what you want."
Keighvin sighed and nodded disappointed. For like most Sidhe he was extremely fond of children any child even human children for Sidhe could have very few children of their own. They cherished them above and beyond almost anything else.
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~
Around noon another man this one also dark skinned but younger came up with another tray that contained Keighvin's lunch. The man set the tray down and picked up the empty one to take to the kitchen to be cleaned. Keighvin put down his book for despite his large breakfast he was starving.
"I am Gopal," said the man. "I hope you like what I fixed for lunch for I am the cook of this family. Sahib should be home shortly he is leaving his business in the hands of a friend of his, temporarily. Memsahib will probably not be home until shortly before dinner. If you need anything just holler, and one of us will be up as soon as we can. If Memsahib says it's okay tonight maybe you'll get to eat dinner with us."
"I feel much better," said Keighvin.
"Yes," said Gopal. "Memsahib is—I guess what many would consider a miracle worker—but it is the magic that makes her so good at what she does, that and her compassion for those in need."
Gopal turned to go and before Keighvin could protest that he could use the company the door closed behind him.
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~
Much later Maya came into the room and examined him again and pronounced him fit enough to eat dinner with the rest of the family. She called Peter and Peter came into the room and helped him to his feet. Keighvin slowly rose from the bed with Peter's help. He was still a little bit weak but otherwise quite steady. Peter helped their guest down the stairs to where a place at the table had been made for him. As soon as Keighvin sat down dinner began. Keighvin marveled at the noise level of the seven children for they talked and chatted and that was the main part of the noise. The adults looked amused but didn't stop them from talking. From what Keighvin knew of the English, they mostly believed children should be seen and not heard. Children ate in the nursery until they were considered old and mature enough to eat with the adults. Keighvin liked what he saw this is a way a family should be.
After dinner Maya and Peter helped him to the observatory and sat in down in one of the three chairs.
Keighvin looked around and admired what appeared to be a mini tropical jungle under a dome.
"This is lovely." said Keighvin. "But If I'm not mistaken most of these plants don't grow around here."
"In that you would be right," said Maya. "The original observatory is on the back of my surgery. We were living there until a year or so ago."
"Then why did you move?"
Peter shrugged, "It was getting cramped. If we wanted more children we had to move to a bigger place. But thanks to Almsley's cousin my business is doing extremely well."
"We kept it as my surgery and office," Maya added. "I brought the original seeds from India with me and then just collected the seeds from the other observatory. Then I used magic to make them grow so fast and well in England's climate."
"This is where we come to relax after a hard day," Peter added.
Suddenly Sia and Singhe appeared and started to twirl around Keighvin's ankles. Charan also appeared a seemed to study the stranger for a moment then took instant possession of his lap.
"They seem to like you," said Peter amused and relaxed completely.
This is Sia and Singhe," said Maya. "And the hanuman langur is Charan. I brought seven animals over with me when I came to England. They had belonged to my mother and now they belong to me. I had the observatory built for their use, but mine as well."
"Up there in the trees is Nisha the owl, Mala the saker falcon and Rhadi the ringed neck parrot. Over there beneath the tree is Rajah the peacock."
"Lord Almsley was kind enough to find mates for them when Peter and I got married, as a wedding present but I'm afraid they're a bit shier then the others."
Keighvin was amazed that all the animals got along especially the falcon and the owl for both were natural enemies. "This is quite a place you have here," was all he said however.
He knew however that the animals were more then they seemed for not one of them lived more than fifteen years at most and if her mother had owned them before her then they should either have died or at least been showing signs of great age by now. What they were he didn't know precisely, but he knew they probably had magic of their own. He also knew or at least guessed that because the animals liked him he had just passed some kind of test. If he was right the Scotts now knew they could trust him with anything and he would never betray them even on pain of death.
They all sat there and talked for a while and Keighvin told then what he had been doing in London in the first place. "I like to go exploring," Keighvin explained. "The only problem with Elfhames is that the environment is very controlled. Most Sidhe are naturally curious about the world but others never leave the Elfhames and also most aren't as tolerant of Cold Iron like I am. It is my theory that the Sidhe and the humans need each other and need each other badly."
"Why?" asked Peter.
Keighvin thought for a moment. "Mainly because without us; much of the magic and imagination would go out of your world. We inspire creativity and the funny thing is that we can't create anything new on our own. We can improve on something a human creates, but we can't create anything original. Certain Elfhames that have closed themselves off from the world have just disappeared completely as if they ceased to exist."
"You mean they just disappeared into nothing?" asked Maya, the surprise evident in her voice.
"We aren't really sure what happened, but it's my theory that they evidently stagnated from sheer boredom. Sidhe need constant stimulation in order not to become bored and without you humans who can create new things and new wonders we would all evidently disappear."
They all fell silent for awhile as Maya and Peter tried to absorb what Keighvin had told them.
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~
Over the next few days Keighvin improved rapidly, so rapidly in fact that Maya; marveled at the recuperating powers of his kind.
All in all Keighvin stayed with them for a week and on the day he was getting ready to go he gave Peter and Maya both rings—solid gold with the symbol of Elfhame Fairgrove on it—and explained that they were magic and that if they or any of their descendants ever needed anything at all, all they had to do was hold the ring and call his name three times and he would be here as fast as he could. He also warned them, that it might take him as much as a day to get here for a lot of the Sidhe were moving to America and Elfhame Fairgrove was thinking of doing the same.
"This is to valuable a gift," Maya protested and Peter nodded his head agreeing with her.
Keighvin shook his head and said firmly, "No it's not. What you did is very rare even among my own people, much less the humans. You took a stranger into your home and treated him like a member of the family even through you knew nothing about him and also you treated him for his injuries with no other thought then that I needed help. I very likely would have died from those same injuries I might add, if not for you. You shared your home and your food with me, most people would not have done even that much if anything at all. So Keighvin Silverhair is in your debt and that of your descendants for Sidhe are practically immortal barring injury or accidents of course."
Maya and Peter took the rings still protesting, but Keighvin would have none of it and finally they sighed and gave in—if not exactly gracefully at least with genuine gratitude.
And so Maya, Peter and the rest of the household watched as Keighvin disappeared into the fog of London—it was almost as if the fog had swallowed him whole his disappearance was so sudden. Maya and Peter both realized at the same time they had made a friend not only for them, but their descendents as well and that was no small thing indeed.
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~
It was several weeks later and life had pretty much gotten back to normal. Peter's business was doing extremely well and so was Maya's medical practice. Both of them should have known it wouldn't last for both had a feeling that something was about to break and soon. They just didn't know what or what direction it would take.
Peter and Maya both had to work late one night several weeks after Keighvin had left. Suddenly Peter was just thinking about heading home when a burst of magic surprised him and nearly knocked him onto his back it was so strong. Out of the magic came Rhadi the ringed neck parrot screeching a warning at the top of his lungs. Right then and there Peter knew there was trouble even before Rhadi opened his mouth and screeched, "Trouble, home Peter, children, danger," was all Peter could understand. Peter raced out to the street and hailed a cab and raced home as fast as the cab could take him. He and Maya got home about the same time and both rushed up the walkway for Maya had also been warned by Nisha the owl. The door was hanging half off its hinges. They looked at each other the worry evident on both their faces and both dreaded going inside afraid of what they would find. They both headed inside and Maya and Peter looked over the destruction of what had been their home. Anything that could be overturned was several vases lay in various parts of the house either cracked or broken into fragments. Gupta was lying in the entrance hall, unconscious but alive. Maya and Peter quickly checked the rest of the house and found Gopal unconscious in the kitchen.
Maya headed upstairs to check on Gopal's wife Sumi and their four children. All five were okay and the oldest boy Ravi was the best of anyone else. The other three children Rylie and the two adopted ones Timmy and Lorena were gone. Peter and Maya looked at each other they worry evident in both their faces. "What could have happened to them?" they asked each other. "Why have they been; taken and not the others?"
They searched the whole house thoroughly from top to bottom and finally Peter found a folded note lying on the floor of the foyer. He broke the seal without a second thought his faces darkening with anger a he read what it contained.
By this time Gupta and Gopal were starting to awaken. Gupta was the first to open his eyes to see Maya bending over him her faces concerned. Finally he spoke his voice hoarse. "What happened? The last thing I remember was there seemed to be a burst of light and then I knew no more."
"You'll be okay, Gupta," Maya told him. "I don't believe there is any permanent damage."
Gupta groaned and said, "Tell that to my head. I feel as if someone has placed a whole tribe in my head and they are both yelling and beating on drums."
Maya looked grim. "You're lucky you're not dead, old friend."
"What about the others?" Gupta asked, anxiously.
Maya seemed to look off into the distance for she was not looking forward to telling one of her oldest friends the news that three of the children were missing—kidnapped probably for evil purposes.
"Gopal and Sumi and their four children are fine," Maya told him. "A little beat up, but nothing that won't heal."
Gupta looked at her sensing there was something she wasn't saying. "And Timmy, Lorena and Rylie?" he asked.
Finally Maya looked directly at him and her face was as grim as Gupta had ever seen it which told him the news probably was not good. "They're gone," said Maya. "I think they were probably kidnapped, for what reason at this point I don't know. We came home and found you like this. All of you unconscious and the door practically ripped off its hinges.
"I have failed you Memsahib," said Gupta grimly.
"No you haven't Gupta," Maya told him. "There was no way you could have known and even if you had known no way for you to stop it. This was magic—very strong evil magic and you and the others have no magic of your own. If we had been home even we might not have been able to stop it and if we had been home we might very well be dead. The reason they didn't kill you or any of the others is because they thought you were just our servants. Whoever did this probably doesn't realize that you are really; family. You are no importance to them and for that you should be grateful or whoever did the kidnapping might just have slit your throats and been done with it. We should be able to find them if Timmy remembers what Peter and me have been teaching him. He should be able to send us out some kind of signal—like a trail of breadcrumbs if you will—the only problem is he has to be conscious in order to do so and that only if whoever took them don't detect that signal and put a stop to it."
Peter came back into the foyer looking as grim as Maya and Gupta had ever seen him. "Did you find anything?" Maya asked.
Peter shook his head grimly, "Nothing, except for this note."
Peter handed it to Maya and Maya read it looking almost angrier than either man had ever seen her when she finished.
Basically the note said:
Greetings Captain and Dr. Scott
If you want to see your children alive you will come and meet me and 546 Spring Street at midnight tomorrow
You come alone or the brats' get it. If we see anyone else including the police then all three brats are dead.
It was unsigned.
Both Maya and Peter tried to get past their anger so they could think because they both realized that if they did what the kidnappers wanted then they would more than likely end up dead and the children as well.
Finally, Peter spoke, "I think we should ask for Almsley's help. Almsley can make; himself practically invisible when he wants to."
Maya nodded also realizing they could not do this alone. No matter how tempted they were and no matter how many defenses they had they might very well still end up dead if they did not bring backup no matter what the note said.
"We'll get them back," Peter promised her, furiously. "Nobody but a fool messes with an Earth Master not to mention a Water Master. Taking our children will probably be their last mistake."
"I didn't think I had an enemy in the world that would go to these lengths," Maya said. "A few might want to see me fired as a doctor and maybe even my reputation ruined, but I didn't think I had any enemy that would go after my family and children no less.
"I've made enemies over the years," said Peter. "But I didn't think any of them hated me enough to go after my family. Whoever did this must really hate both of us for the note was addressed to both of us and not just to me. Why they didn't just face us instead of kidnapping a bunch of children that never did them any harm—that just tells me that these people will stoop to anything to get what they want and that makes them very dangerous indeed."
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~