Amber by Dan-Dwayne Spencer (e book reader .TXT) 📕

“What are we to do?” Roger asked. “I’m not sure. All the smart stuff left, and it’s plain old me again.”

“Roger,” I said, “remind me to never play poker with you.”

He smiled. “What a lucky break for us you overheard Jimmy’s conversation with the Sheriff. Imagine the odds.”

“Yeah, it’s about time we fell into some good luck.” Maybe I shouldn’t have said it like that. I wanted to keep my visit with the angel Reuwel a secret—at least for a while. They already thought I was being stuck-up and acting superior. I mumbled, “What are the chances?”

“Don’t look at me,” Roger blurted. “I sure as shit don’t know.” He looked from me to Flower and back again. “You think what happened to me—whatever told me how to deal with Jimmy the traitor—is going to happen again, don’t you?”

A cocky smile spread across my face. “Well, all I can say is, if you suddenly get some insight it will be at a time when you least expect it.” I cringed and leaned my chair back on two legs. “At least that’s my experience.”

Flower said, “Jimmy may be back soon. Arland, tell us what else you overheard.”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath before I began. “I heard whoever has the book will find the talisman…and the earth will enter a new era.” I paused, racking my brain for any detail. “And, the touch of the talisman is like the touch of God…and, the thing has a Latin inscription on it.”

“All great stuff, but nothing to help us find the book and this talisman before they do,” Roger complained. “We don’t even know what the talisman looks like.”

“Like I told you before,” I huffed, “this book, and maybe the thing, is hidden in a town named after one of God’s chosen.”

Roger replied, “Yeah, I remember. That’s why I told Jimmy all that crap about it being here in the Hollow because the commune was named after Flower’s joyous personality.” He stood and paced back and forth. “I’m glad you threw that tidbit of news in before he got back.” He met my stare. “The whole deception came so naturally. It kinda scared me.”

“Do you think this has been happening for a while and you didn’t notice it?” I asked. “At school, you’re famous for your sarcastic wit.”

“I may be a sarcastic ass, but this is something different. I don’t think I ever had this happen before. Do you think it happened to me because of something at the carnival?”

“I doubt that,” Flower said. “This is a true blessing, a gift, and there is no blessing for anyone at the carnival, only hopelessness.”

Sitting there in the Roundhouse, I remembered Reuwel’s question, “What blessing do you choose?” and I understood. This was Roger’s blessing—the fleeting gift of wisdom.

“Roger, you have a few qualities we can always count on, even if this gift comes and goes,” Rose added. “One of them is your wonderful wit, and the other is your incessant desire to toke your first doobie.” She giggled.

Roger’s face took on an indignant expression. “Me? You think I want to smoke pot?” he put his tongue in his cheek. “Well, maybe a little.”

Flower gasped, got wide-eyed, and stood up. “I know what town the talisman is in.”

Roger said, “Are you also getting the gift of wisdom? Maybe it’s the gift of knowledge?”

“No. Nothing like that. I just remembered something.” She leaned on the table with her open hands. “There is a town named for its postmaster. This is the only town I’ve ever heard of that might remotely be named after a gifted person. They named the town after his strikingly beautiful blue eyes.”

“Alright. Sounds like you’re on to something. What’s the name of this place and how far is it?” I asked.

“It’s called Blue Eye, and it’s two cities—one is Blue Eye, Missouri, and the other is Blue Eye, Arkansas. It straddles the state line, and it’s not far from here. Not nearly as far as Eudora.”

“Since there are two towns, side by side, with the same name,” I asked, “which one has the book?”

Flower answered, “I don’t know.”

“Okay, tomorrow we head for Blue Eye,” I got up and casually looked out the door to see if anyone was listening. The poll lights in the meadow clearly outlined the silhouette of a large man strolling through the meadow, walking back toward the Roundhouse. I added, “Right now we better get back in our bunks and pretend we don’t know any more than we did.” The dark shape stepped under the first light this side of the meadow. It was Jimmy. I dogged back before he could see me. “Here he comes.”

In a few moments, Jimmy opened the door and shut it quietly, as to not awaken anyone. He scanned the room for anything out of place, but Roger and I were in our bunks feigning sleep.

He fell into his bunk, and in moments his unmistakable snoring told me he was asleep. As for me, rest didn’t come easy. I stared out into the darkness of the Roundhouse, wondering exactly how dangerous this version of Jimmy Dugan was. Would he murder us in our sleep? My silent question drew an answer in the form of another loud snore.

The darkness drew me into a black void and created a relaxing calm. I pulled the blanket up around my neck, and sleep overtook me. I drifted into its warmth.

“Where are we?” Mr. Dark asked.

“I don’t know,” I answered. “I can’t see a thing in this darkness.”

“It's nice here. You should dream like this more often.”

“You like it because it’s dark.”

“Perhaps, but you must admit it’s pleasant.”

He was right. It felt like I was blindfolded and floating in a pool of sweet freshwater.

“I know. It