Cinderfella 3: Life Continues - 45. Caleb and the Vatican

So, this is 2021.  Big deal.  It feels like the others did to me.  And 2021 is a science fiction year.  It's not supposed to be real!!  Daniel, you are so missed by me.  I miss you  Happy New Year.  I've got more, so.... 

Caleb and the Vatican

The relaxing tea and the calmness, it didn’t take long before saw Caleb’s eyes take a little longer opening and closing. The ability to hold the subject of our discussion also was stretched to a limit.

“I think it’s working,” Seth said quietly in my ear.

I looked over at Toby, made the sign he knew to pay attention, then signed what I was going to do. After Toby nodded, signing he understood, I reached over, held Seth’s hand and touched Caleb. This time a chord was struck. Just one, but it was a chord. You know? A series of three or four notes sound as one sound. A chord.

Seth stumbled, but kept his footing. His head tilted at the sound and he whispered at me, “What was that?”

I had tried to get Caleb in a position to simply lie down on the bed. I had to get him to stand slightly to move him in place. He only roused slightly, so I moved him back and down. “It’s okay, you’re in your room. Go to sleep. You’re fine.” I covered him up. He was in the skins and under the blanket. Yeah, he’d be warm. “I’ll check on you, but if you need me, I’m two doors that way.” I made sure the door to his bathroom was open and the gaslight on very low for it he woke. He could see what was there. I pushed Seth into the corridor. “That sound was my attempt of having some reaction when I use the magic.”

“Oh,” Seth chuckled. “Are you sure whatever you used was in tune?”

I frowned at him, fists on my hips as I said, “It’s always very easy to criticize.” He knew I wasn’t really hurt or angry. I knew it was less than appealing chord. “Besides, it was my first attempt.”

“It wasn’t bad,” Seth said encouraging. “So, the magic doesn’t just do it for you?”

I shook my head, “Not with the creative side of things. Objects are just reach and grab,” I shrugged. “When he said I could put him anything to wear…I didn’t know if I could. I could wrap material around him…” I shrugged a nod, “For instance, when Ceto makes a delicious meal, she should be complimented! It isn’t the magic’s cooking. It’s her! She knows how to make it. She has to. To have it come out right!”

Seth nodded, “She can’t give anyone else’s?” He shrugged. “It seems, if someone you knew made it better, you’d bring theirs.”

I nodded a little, “You might,” then I shook my head. “Then again, it won’t taste right. You need to at least watch a person make it and follow exactly how and how much to add when. The clothes I can do, but I’m not a Taylor…”

Seth grinned, “Does that mean Demetrius has done it?”

“Over four centuries of life?” I asked as I laughed, “I know he has.” I got less than a inch from Seth’s face. “My point is to make a nice chord or sound; I need to know how. The magic is a shortcut. It saves work time.”

“How did you learn this?”

I shrugged again, “I just know.” I began walking back to the dining area.

Seth thought a second, then followed me. “Okay, back to Lilith. She isn’t a demon.”

“I don’t believe so.”

“Then why…” Seth began asking.

“The man to answer those questions will be up again tomorrow,” I assured Seth. “You can ask him then.”

“I’m losing you,” Seth said in a somewhat gloomy voice, “aren’t I?”

I stopped when he said that. His face told me was kidding, but there was some concern there, too. “What!?”

“Caleb’s as smart as you are about some things…” Seth pointed off to the side at nothing there, “Like all that Church stuff. You two had a pretty intense discussion going…”

I know my eyes widened, because of what he may have felt. “Was it my imagination that remembers you contributed to that conversation?”

“With ignorance,” Seth shrugged. “I asked questions from that ignorance.”

“Oh, no, Baby!” I pushed Seth back against the wall. “There is nothing wrong with ignorance.” I shrugged, “That simply means you don’t know.” I waved back at Caleb’s door. “He knows the scriptures…”

“A hellofalot!!”

I nodded, “And so do you! You know when the right time is to encourage the grapevines to expand. If I mention gridling the cane, thinning the clusters to make them bigger and sweeter…” I brought him to me kissing him. “And you do it better than anyone…” I thought of the various vineyards around, “There’s no one who does it as well as you do.” I pressed my own chest, “At a resent time, I didn’t know what those things were. I’d stick something in the ground and pour water on it. That’s it.” I kissed him. “You took what Arthur took for granted and made it the biggest vineyard on this continent! You are brilliant, Seth! The subject matter back there was a little specific, but that’s what he does!”

“You kept up with him,” Seth said.

“It’s what I sort of did,” I confessed. “Not enough, but I knew what to ask.” Then I narrowed an eye and put us so my nose touched his. “You,” I placed a finger on his chest above his heart, “are my husband! My partner in life and my best friend. Do you know what that means?”

Seth chuckled, “Generally, I do, but tell me what you mean.”

“No one can ever,” I did a hand sweep in the air, “and I mean EVER hold a candle to you.” Our lips were now brushing as we spoke. “I’d kill for you, Seth, but most important is I will live for you, too.”

We began moving, but in the direction we’d come. His kissing and our path said we weren’t going back to the others. Our room was just two doors down. Remember? I did quickly check on Caleb and he was just gone. Physically here, but sleeping so hard! I’d find out why in a few more hours about that.

It was just after sunup when I ventured out and knocked gently on Caleb’s door.

“Come in,” a voice said calmly.

Entering, I found Caleb awake, showered and sitting cross-legged on the bed. He almost looked like he had been praying.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” I apologized.

“You didn’t,” Caleb waved me in. “Is there somewhere we need to go?”

“Breakfast in a few minutes,” I smiled, “How’d you sleep?”

Caleb chuckled, “I haven’t slept like that…” he thought and then shrugged, “I can’t remember when.”

“The working days at the Vatican?” I asked.

“We get up as the sun rises,” he chuckled, “Then we have prayer.” He grinned, “Then we have breakfast and more prayer.” He shrugged a nod, “Depending on the day and which topic of the day, season and other things that would guide our prayers.”

“When did you work?” I asked.

“When did they work? Or when did I work?” He chuckled again. “It sounds like a lot, but I would work twelve or more hours a day.” He nodded and smiled, “I got used to it and became dependent of the prayer times to clear my mind and keep my focus. I was thinking about the scriptures.” He looked at me. “About this Father Markham, you have a history with him.”

“You can say that,” I nodded. “Because of the charges he brought against me and Seth…and about twenty other couples in Royal Valley in same gender relationships and brought before King Samuel.”

“Seth’s brother!?”

“Yep,” I shook my head. “He didn’t know that I found out Seth was really Prince Phillip and King Alexander’s son. I married Seth to make the marriage solid. By the laws Blethos and A’Dore, Seth was presented as a candidate for selection to ascend to the throne in case someone accused anyone of faking the evidence of his birth. Either way, Seth was king!” I shook my head. “Arthur Thorne didn’t tell the people of Thorne Valley this fact. Father Markham didn’t know and was banished from Blethos and A’Dore for his charge against a king, by way of another king.”

“Damn,” Caleb said quietly.

“And another thing,” I grinned and said in all sincerity. “I LOVE Seth! I would face life and death for him.”

Caleb nodded as he smiled at that, “I get that.” He pressed both hands on his chest. “I have no problem with it.” He chuckled. “People misinterpret things from the Bible and just run with it.” He smiled slyly. “You know about King James?”

I smiled, “Sure. About a hundred years ago he had the Bible written in English. I think it should be. You get rid of the need for a priest to tell you what’s said where,””

“Sure, but what’s the source?” Caleb grinned.

“Isn’t it the scriptures?” I asked.

Caleb shook his head and then stopped, “Well, yes. In a way. It is an English paraphrase of the Latin Bible the Church uses.”

“It’s not even a translation of the scriptures?” I asked.

“Not from the original language to English,” he shook his head. “No.”

I groaned, “All of those thees and thous…” I pointed upward, “I’ve never heard Him personally. He can, but He doesn’t speak the King’s English!!”

Caleb chuckled and said in a deep voice, “Thou shalt not…whatever.”

“Why is our English so different?” I asked, but not really to him. I just asked.

“Are you kidding?” Caleb asked, “Mom said we were like a giant cauldron. We’ve had Vikings from Norway, Sweden…and all those Norse countries, people from Britannia,” he waved at me, “Francs,” he pointed to himself, “Italia, Greco, Española, and Germania…”

“Don’t forget the Natives!” I bounced.

“No! We can’t forget those!!” Caleb nodded. “A very generous and happy people!”

“Well…” I began.

“Yes, yes,” Caleb waved me off, “some of aren’t so generous and happy. These men coming are not from the Church.”

“Not from the Church in Roma.” I confirmed.

“They split from the Church to form their own Church in England,” Caleb said. “But the Church in England was still too Catholic for many.”

“It isn’t,” I frowned sitting on the side of the bed. “Not those who settled in the Northeast of our continent.” I shook my head, “They took what pleasures there were being a part of the Church and threw them out, too.”

“I never had the pleasure,” Caleb said and thought. “Almost two years ago, a ship from New Amsterdam travel to Roma. On board were two men who begged us to help rid themselves of a horrible evil.” Caleb thought again. “A great demon was said to be at work in the Northwest of our continent. It was evil that went way beyond simple witchcraft.”

“There was,” I admitted. “Wahkooha the threat. He was defeated and the tribes executed him. He was no demon.”

“A witch or sorcerer?” Caleb asked.

“I don’t believe in witches,” I said. “He was a Human that could access the magic.”

“Just like you,” Caleb’s smile was small and he wasn’t accusing me of anything. “What’s the difference?”

I sighed, “The biggest difference is, he got his access and wanted it.” I shrugged, “I was fine without access to the magic. I was happy. I was given access and had it, but didn’t know it.”

Caleb nodded as he did before, but now he wasn’t trying to escape me. “No secret pacts with Satan or hidden meetings with the Devil?”

“Of course not!”

Caleb touched my arm. “I can see that.”

“There are no real witches,” I said, but his smile said he knew better. “Real witches aren’t real, are they?”

Caleb shrugged, “I can’t say. There are many stories in Human culture that say they do.” He held his hand up. “I’m not talking about any beings that gave so much of themselves to serve Satan and the forces of Hell that it permanently alters their appearance. I’ve not encountered any of them. I’m talking about Humans who are sooo,” he stressed that last word so long and adamantly, “so evil to their very core; I’m glad they can’t access magic.” He grinned at me. “I think you knew a few of them. They only thought about what they wanted.” He cocked his head slightly. “Anyone coming to mind?”

“And how,” I nodded. “The first is Seth’s pseudo-father Arthur and his children…” I shrugged, “and Candor…that was because of Arthur, too. He was just…” I did the circular motion around my head and whistled out of tune, “crazy. He thought of nothing but getting one of his children on the throne.”

Caleb waved both hands at me, “There you go.”

“Part of the problem with Lukus…” I frowned, “Well, it was Seth’s problem with Lukus. Lukus was sort of Arthur’s Fairy God Father, to help Arthur get that. An evil fairy godfather…” I looked at Caleb and frowned, “but Lukus wasn’t evil. A lot of what he did was to use the magic to help Alexander uncover an enemy and restore the throne of Blethos.” I waved it off. “It’s complicated.”

“I bet it is,” Caleb nodded and grinned. “You guys didn’t have too much trouble after you were married, did you?”

I shrugged, “We had some, but nothing we couldn’t handle. Why?”

“News takes a little time to travel,” he leaned to give me information privately, even if we were the only ones in the room. “Normally.” He sat up again. “Word of the wedding in Blethos to you arrived in Europa. In particular, the Vatican.”

“I gather the news that arrived wasn’t well received,” I smiled.

“It was the beginning of the Apocalypse!” Caleb said grandly, but not the least upset. “By the time we heard, you two were married and Seth was king!” He smiled at the memory. “We went into super-prayer mode! Priests, nuns…I mean everybody was to pray nonstop! We did that for three months! It was changed to do it in smaller groups for a year and then…”

“And then?” I asked.

“Nothing!” Caleb said happily. “Nothing happened good or bad!” He held his hands out helplessly. “The story of you two was like lightning, it traveled so fast! Two well connected men marry and nothing bad happened! In fact, the idea of two people of the same gender marrying was so bizarre anymore.”

I chuckled, “Seth and I still get stares in more remote villages, but…”

“Stares!” Caleb said. “No more accusations or insults! No one would dare assault you!” He pointed at me. “In fact, I can think of no one better to give the ability to use magic to. You wouldn’t abuse it! I can not think of a single couple that would be better to get people to rethink their stance on things! You and all of Royal Valley and Blethos are the examples to follow! You are the leaders of this new age for mankind!”

“Our boys, really, but you don’t disapprove?” I smiled.

“Before?” Caleb shook his head. “No. Now? Hell, no! You married for love!”

“But in the scriptures…”

“It is often misinterpreted!” Caleb said. “In the book of laws, Leviticus had many laws for the Children of Abraham. Not just about sex and marriage, but what to eat and when things should be done. Like kosher and food that was not kosher. I for one love a rump roast! It’s not kosher, or shrimp! The newer scriptures need the whole story around what was said we should not do. Corinth had some pretty evil people there. People were using others for sex often and they thought nothing about it! Jewelry! Women were not to wear jewelry or makeup to set themselves apart from the many that wore jewelry and makeup who were not nice at all! English and even old Latin just…doesn’t translate it right. There are many people that use sex, but don’t want the commitment. Sex is a gift and we were made to do it!”

“What did Lilith do to make her a demon?”

“Nothing!” Caleb said. “According to the first version of Genesis, it says that God made man and woman, just as he did with other animal life.” Caleb grinned even more. “Long before Eve. God had not put Adam to sleep and taken a rib from him for Eve. Who did he create? Lilith was the same as Adam! As far as Lilith was concerned, he didn’t always have to be on top! She was his partner and equal to Adam.”

I smiled, “I see. We can’t have women thinking they are our equals.”

“No!” Caleb said in clear mocking lament, “Many times I think they’re superior!!”

In the same manner, I said, “No!”

“Yes!” Caleb insisted. “Papa Bear is tough and will rip you apart, but Mama Bear…protecting her babies!! They would be nothing left!”

“That is so true!!”

“I’m hungry!!” Seth suddenly announced from the open door.

Grinning at Seth, I stood up. “That was one of the reasons we get up. To have breakfast.” I did the invisible things in the air as I pointed to them, “You know? We break, the fast we did during the night.”

Seth nodded and asked Caleb, “I recently broke a foot and had to take opium for the pain.” Seth gave a smirk and disgruntled nod. “I slept hard, but woke in a fog that took a while to get rid of.” He motioned toward Caleb. “Any for you?”

“Not a bit!” Caleb stood and we began to walk to the main room. “I slept very well and comfortably and woke refreshed!”

“Great!” He smiled a little. “We didn’t make it back to the main room last night. We’re understandably hungry.”

“We were…” I grinned, “delayed.”

We arrived just as some of the Children of Lilith were arriving.

“…and I don’t mind,” Eabha said to Ceto as they both arrived. “You’re often cooking!”

“I like to cook!” Ceto shrugged.

“So, do I,” Eabha insisted and turned to Seth, Caleb and me. “What do you want? A Native breakfast or a delicious Irish breakfast?”

Seth shook a finger at them and grinned, “Oh, no. We’re not answering that. What I want is more of that danger coffee.”

Caleb’s eyes widened as he leaned toward me. “Danger coffee?”

“It’s very strong,” I simply said to him and said, “You can ask Beau for his opinion.”

“He’ll pick Ceto!” Eabha objected.

“If you want to,” Ceto smiled, “Do it, but I get dinner.”

Seth settled down with his precious coffee with a satisfied sigh. “If Lilith is written so little about in the scriptures, how do we know so much?”

“She’s written about in other scriptures,” Caleb nodded. “Writings like the Babylonian Talmud, Sumerian writings…they knew who she was.”

“It’s not just old scriptures,” Seth said.

“No,” Caleb sipped his coffee, “Whoa!” He held the coffee out a little more. “That will wake you up!”

Seth nodded with an appreciative smile. “I know!”

“I read original works for the Church, but I have to read a lot of Rabbinic literature. And the Quran!”

“Quran!?” Seth asked. “At the Vatican?”

Caleb nodded, “Judaism, Islam, and Christianity have the same God. All the trouble in the Middle East is Sarah’s fault.”

Almost everybody knew about Abraham and Sarah.

“What!?” Seth said surprised. He looked at me, but I was smiling and nodding.

“She didn’t trust God,” I shrugged. “She thought she was too old to have a child, sent her handmaid Hagar to have Abraham’s son. Then resented Hagar and sent her and Ishmael, Abraham’s son, out in the desert!! If God hadn’t sent the angel, they would have died!”

“That’s right!” Caleb agreed. “We are all Children of the same creation!”

“And Children of Adam and Eve!” I added.

“Now, you’re doing it,” Seth growled. “Was Lilith mentioned in the Quran?”

“No,” Caleb smiled. “She is mentioned in many other texts.” He held a familiar finger up to make a point. It must be something taught in A’Dore. “We know about Jesus. He was born, then smuggled out before the attack and lost on the way home where He began is ministry at around thirty?”

Seth shook his head, “There’s nothing in the scriptures.”

“There is in the Quran,” Caleb chuckled, “Jesus was a brat.”

“He was not!” Seth argued.

“You weren’t there,” Caleb pointed out. “How do you know? A record was left that Jesus was a mischievous little boy. There is a book about Jesus’ childhood. The Infancy Gospel of Thomas covers those years. The Church didn’t approve of that one.” He shook his head. “There are so many discrepancies between the Hebrew Bible, Gnostic Bible, Ethiopian Bible and others…I have to read all the versions to find the common points and the things that go too far off!” He smiled at Seth, “and He performed miracles long before that wedding where He turned the water into wine.” He gave Seth a clicking sound he made and winked at Seth. “I’d show you where it’s written, if we go back.” He looked at me. “You might want to. I have a running translation stashed. It’s in English that you might find helpful.”

“I thought you could read all those languages!” I grinned.

“I can!” Caleb shot back. “But sometimes even I need to go back and read it again to be sure I really understand what I translated! You know? Get back in the feel of it?”

“Is that all?” Seth asked.

I knew there was something else, but held Seth hand to assure him.

Caleb nodded, “There is another thing.” He could read our expressions. “Oh, no! I don’t want to stay once I’m back. The Church was a big help, in the past. I couldn’t have learned a fraction of what I have without it. I have to consider a future and this can be a sign for me to change jobs!”

I nodded a man who could read many of the older languages was greatly needed, and not just by the Church!

“I can guarantee you’ll have job,” I said. “The sources the Church has…can’t be duplicated.”

“No,” Caleb smiled. “They’ve been building that resource over a thousand years. Cleopatra probably wanted to throw Caesar out when he burned the library in Alexander.” He shrugged. “Keeping everything in one place is dangerous. A fire, an earthquake…all those thoughts, ideas and history was lost.” He looked at me earnestly, “But if you can get me in and out…I can make a copy…” Then a hurt look came on his face. “I’ll be missed for all the services I’m missing. God knows what they’re telling Lia, but it won’t be the truth…”

“In a few hours,” I said. “What’s afternoon here is the middle of the night in Roma. I’ll take you. You’ll talk to Lia, get what you stashed that you’ve translated…”

“And a couple of manuscripts, please.” Caleb smiled. “There is a very old text. I meant to look at it in more depth,” he smiled, “It’s a very old text…” he paused.

He stopped, so I asked, “And?”

“See?” Seth hissed at me, “He’s doing it again! Dropping that he may know something and make you beg to know what it is!”

I grinned at Seth, “No.” I looked at Caleb, “No, you wouldn’t do that. Why this text?”

Caleb laughed, “I don’t do it on purpose, but…” He sighed. “The text that is more complicated and complex for it’s age.” He saw Seth frown, so he grinned and added. “About four thousand years before Christ, the Sumerians had the first written language,” the finger went up, “we think.” He bobbed a nod, “But this one…” he struggled to explain it and shook his head, “Look, Sumer language is isolated. It’s older than Egyptian! Yet it the language on this older text is more advanced in the past?”

I frowned, “It grew into a more a simple language? How?”

Caleb shook his head, “If I knew that…”

“It’s guarded?” Seth asked.

“It’s secured,” Caleb looked a little uncomfortable, “Parchment and paper were really just started. Most of this is etched on stone tablets. They’re heavy. They don’t know what they’ve got yet.”

“Oh,” I nodded. “We’ll deal with it.”

Eabha presented a wonderful breakfast. She was from Ireland, so naturally that was her preference when cooking. She served us typical breakfast foods of hot toasted bread recently made, bacon, pancakes and kedgeree. I had no idea what kedgeree was either! It was uncooked basmati rice, a smoked white fish, with butter and milk and it cooked together. I tasted the small amount of curry, too. I needed to be careful, I could easily grain weight in these days. I needed to work out, spar or something. Learn to cook? I had to!! If I learn to do it well, it would be good all the time! I wondered if simple lunch foods, like sandwiches. Yes, there was a man accredited for it, but he was not the first in a rush and called it lunch!

I saw my cousin speaking with Dakotah. I felt a little guilt about Chitto. I hoped he didn’t think I used him just for his Native connections. I did, but he was my family. too. I needed to talk to him, for my sake. He wasn’t being neglected. I didn’t think all of this was about me. The thought that it could be made me sick. I was no more important than anyone, but I was expected to do something about this whole mess.

“I found you, because I know you,” I explained to Caleb. “I knew met this Lia.”

Caleb looked at little puzzled, “But we haven’t spoken, except by mail in a long time!”

I shrugged with a smile, “You haven’t really changed, Caleb.” I touched his arm. “You’re still the same little boy in a slightly bigger package.” I held my hand up to his forehead. “Just slightly bigger.”

Caleb frowned, “My feet hit the same ground as yours does.” He turned to Seth and was a whole head shorter than he was. “Is there a difference in pressure up where you are? Do your ears pop up there?”

Seth threw an arm over Caleb’s shoulder and practically lifted Caleb off the ground, “You and I are going to be good friends, Caleb.” He kissed Caleb on the head. “I like you already!”

“Sorry, I’m late!” Demetrius said, who hadn’t been there are now simply was. “I got us some help.”

Lukus was suddenly there, but I was surprised! He was dressed like a priest! He wore all black! Everything was black, except the collar that told everyone what he was. He wore a single gold cross around his neck. He looked down at himself and shrugged, “If we’re stopped and questioned…”

“Which I hope we don’t,” I said.

“I do, too.” Lukus nodded, “but if we are! I will be a priest and you…” We were also in black robes, with the crosses and white collars, “are, too.” Only Caleb wore that crimson robe. This crimson robe was pressed and fit better than the one Caleb wore before. “We’re visiting the Vatican.” He pointed at Seth and me. “You two won’t speak. You’ve taken a vow of silence. Caleb, as the one from the Vatican…” He stopped and looked at me. “Demetrius gave you a ring that you made you unrecognizable to people when you were at that ball ten years ago. Do you still have it?”

“Of course!” I took the Royal Family Ring from my right index finger. “I never take it off.” I looked at Seth. “Do I look the same?”

Seth grinned, “You always did, remember? With the ring, without the ring, you looked the same to me.”

“That magic has worn off,” Lukus shrugged as he held the ring. “I’m giving it a quick recharge to work now.”

The trick was, getting the ring to stay on. He finally settled for his right thumb and put it on. He didn’t change. Lukus nodded and a large mirror appeared. We looked like us, with a stranger in Caleb’s place.

“Everybody’s magic is different,” Lukus shrugged. He pointed at the stranger’s reflection. “This is what others will see, except us.”

“You’re going to help us bring things back,” Seth began.

Lukus nodded. “I was told there were a lot.”

“You can move things, but not people,” Seth said to qualify.

“That right,” Lukus replied. “Nothing living.”

Seth’s eye narrowed, “So what about Dara changing a pumpkin into a carriage? The animals she used to create the horses, the driver and footman?”

Lukus nodded again, “Yes, Dara changed them, she didn’t transport them. You know we can’t do that.” He sighed. “We can do it to ourselves, but the soul of others need converting to energy, like lightning. Even the soul of Dennis’ Kitty can’t be touched by us.”

“Our souls are like lightning?” Seth asked.

“I’ve never seen one,” Lukus stated. “I know when we travel, we can see where we’re going.” He waved his hand at Seth. “Remember when we went to Demetrius’ home? What did you see?”

“It was so fast! I barely remember vast amounts of water.”

Lukus smiled as he nodded, “That was the Pacific Ocean. You’ll see some land on this one and the Atlantic Ocean.”

I took a deep breath, “Okay.” I held my hands out. Caleb told me where Lia lives. I’ll try to get us there in one piece.”

“You do fine,” Demetrius assured. “We’ll be with you.”

I chuckled, “I’m working on something to make a sound when I use the magic.” I warned. “It’s in the making, be gentle with any comments.”

Things started to blur and there was a tone like air through a big flute or pipe. It grew louder as the air seemed to increase. We were suddenly in a dark alley between houses as the chord sounded again.

“Was that in tune?” I asked Seth.