A Grain in the Sands of Time - 8. Eagles Nest

Andrew looked out the window of the helicopter as it descended among the higher peaks of the surrounding mountain range and was in awe of what he witnessed below. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but seeing the sprawling compound below him coming into view was overwhelming. He didn’t know much about large houses. Even though he lived in a converted mansion, it felt to him more like an apartment building given that eight families lived in the house he lived in. As large houses go, this one was the largest he had ever seen. In fact, if he didn’t know that they were dropping onto Matt’s property, he might have mistaken it for a mall.

“Matt, are we planning on going shopping?”

Michael laughed into his headset, and looked back to see Matt’s confusion. “The first time someone sees your place Matt, it’s kind of like landing on the roof of the Fashion Mall.”

“Oh, really. I guess it’s a little big huh?”

Both Michael and Andrew laughed.

“Ah ya, Matt, it’s a little big.” Andrew shook his head in wonder at how a complex below could be considered a house. There were three concentric square courtyards that surrounded what was obviously the main building. Each of them contained a number of gardens lined with small hedges that outlined the intricacies of the paths and sitting areas. From the air it looked like a giant maze, and Andrew knew that you would never understand the symmetry of the gardens if you were walking through it. To see it from the air was spectacular.

The only way Andrew could compare the size of the courtyards was to figure that you could fit a city block into the largest of the three. There were three ponds of varying sizes inside the largest of the three squares. Various buildings that looked small enough to be supply sheds for the gardens. Outside the main house and gardens was a sprawling compound of utility buildings and the landing pad that they were descending toward. Beyond that was a huge fenced area and attached stable. Andrew could see many round bales of what most likely was alfalfa and hay for feeding and bedding the horses. The surrounding land was sloped gently away from the housing complex and then dropped severely to several lower plains and eventually down the slope of the mountain. Paths had been worn between the plains and wound their way up the various slopes. Most likely worn by the horses Andrew thought. Beyond the mountain that Eagles Nest sat on, the terrain was severe and characterized by both higher and lower peaks. There was no doubt that they were in a mountain range.

The building that was Matt’s “house” was an architectural feat. It was situated at the center of the concentric square rings that made up the gardens, and built in levels, each level cantilevered above the one below and skewed off the other at a consistent angle. A large pool dominated one of the levels and disappeared under the one above it. Slicing through the levels at the far end of the building and resembling the pivot point for the fanned out levels was a large cylinder dominated by tall windows that took up the space between each level. It was at least seven stories high. The easiest way to describe Eagles Nest was that it resembled a large spiral staircase.

It was too much to take in and Andrew was speechless. For the size of the complex there were surprisingly few people around. There were a few here and there tending to the gardens outside, and a woman was walking out of one of the closest buildings to the pad they were descending to.

In the distance he saw the horses that Matt was talking about. There must have been a hundred of them! They ran in a roaming pack through the valley below them. The pad was on the side of a large drop and the horses were hundreds of feet below them even though they were only 50 feet from touch down. Looking further down from the horses, Andrew could see down the side of the mountain, and off in the distance the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Andrew was a little embarrassed as he thought about bringing Matt home to his one bedroom apartment. What must he have thought of me?

“Hey,” Matt was looking at him intently, “if you want to leave, we’ll go, we don’t have to be here. I know it’s a little overwhelming right now, but trust me.” He smiled his best smile at Andrew, and Andrew returned the favor and grabbed Matt’s hand.

“Thanks Matt, I’ll be okay.”

Michael set the chopper down expertly even as he battled the cross winds that were common at Eagles Nest. Matt looked out and expectedly saw Jacks making her way to the chopper to meet them. They settled on the landing pad and Michael shut the bird down piece by piece, until the noise gave way to the soft thwap of the still spinning blades overhead.

“Ok gents?” Michael asked.

“Beautiful flight as always Michael,” Matt complimented.

“How long we hear for Boss?”

Matt looked at Andrew. “We’ll stay the night and head back tomorrow sometime?”

Andrew shrugged, “Sure, I don’t have to be at work for another few days.”

“Well at least until tomorrow then Michael, but maybe longer.”

“Alright boss, let me know when you do, I am off to the wilds of Albuquerque, well after I fuel the chopper.”

“Will you be back tonight Michael, you’re welcome to join us for dinner.”

“Hm… I may be, I’ll have to see. I might have a date.” Matt raised his eyebrow in question but Michael didn't bite. “I’ll give you a text to let you know.”

Matt and Andrew exited the chopper and made their way to the woman that was walking toward them. She was tall, and gorgeous making Andrew sweat. He knew he was gay, but she would make even a gay man question his priorities. Short dark hair, dark eyes, and cheekbones Andrew would kill for dominated her features. She was outfitted in what most people would describe as a business suit, but on her it was about the sexiest thing he’d seen on a woman. Her legs were bare from the knee down where her skirt ended and the heels she was in looked impossibly high. She received Matt’s kiss on both of her cheeks and turned to Andrew holding out her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you Andrew, my name’s Jacqueline, but you can call me Jacks.” She said in what must have been an Eastern European accent, but took nothing away from the crispness of her speech. She flashed Andrew a genuine smile and he was instantly put at ease.

“Thank you Jacks, but how did you know my name?” he asked curiously.

She smiled and said simply, “It’s my job to know your name.”

Andrew wasn’t sure how to respond so he looked at Matt who was grinning from ear to ear. “Don’t mind Jacks, Andrew, she scares everyone the first time they meet her.

“Yes, well thankfully, sir, you keep me up here on this God forsaken mountain and no one ever gets the pleasure of meeting me.”

Matt laughed, and pulled her arm through his, patting her hand gently. “There, there Jacks, we’ll find you a man soon.”

She looked at him in disgust, “What makes you think I want a man? They seem to be highly overrated if you ask me.”

“Did you hear that Andrew, we are apparently highly over rated!”

“I’ve often thought that,” Andrew felt like he should only agree with this formidable woman.

The dirty look he received from Matt made no difference, and Matt returned his comments to the woman beside him. “Well, I can see why you don’t have a man currently.”

She smirked at him as she opened the door to the building they were walking inside.

Andrew was confused as they stepped through the door. What looked like a hanger from the outside was a tiny room that mimicked a storage space. Jacks opened a small panel on the wall and punched a code into the small box with raised numbers on it. Immediately the room began to descend startling Andrew.

“Don’t worry Andrew,” Matt said sensing his trepidation, “We’re almost home.”

“Andrew I took it upon myself to put some clothes for you in Matt’s bedroom, where I assume you’ll be staying?”

“He will.” Matt spoke before Andrew could answer.

“You’ll find everything you need in the closet. Please wear the formal jacket and pants for dinner tonight, you can borrow a tie from Matt.”

“What?” Matt looked concerned. “Why would he put on formal wear for dinner, when I was just planning on a quite meal in front of the fire?”

“Because an hour ago your mother called a meeting for this evening in the council hall. You’ll eat dinner with the family Andrew, but will have to excuse Matt when the Arcana meets.”

Andrew didn’t know what to say. He was thinking that the Fashion Mall might not have been such a bad idea.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Matt was starting to panic.

“Calm down Matt, I just heard an hour ago myself what use would it have been to contact you in the chopper, I knew you were heading here, Michael phoned in that he would need the fuel truck at the landing pad when arrived with you.”

“I can’t believe this! So much for our romantic adventure!” Matt was flabbergasted.

“Oh I don’t know, I’m sure your mother will leave you two plenty of time for romance,” Jacks said with a smirk on her face.

The room stopped descending and the door that Andrew thought was the back wall slid open to reveal an underground white concrete complex that Andrew could best describe as a parking garage with only one vehicle in it. A large black stretch limousine was waiting with the door open and the driver holding the handle. The trio approached the car from the elevator.

“Hello Matt, good to have you home sir!”

“Thank you Eddie. Andrew this is Eddie, if you need to get around the place or feel like going into town while we’re here, just ask Eddie, and he’ll take you to where you need.

“Nice to meet you Andrew,” Eddie stuck out his hand and smiled. “You’ll like it here at Eagles Nest.”

“I’m sure I will.” Andrew shook the man’s hand enthusiastically and followed Matt into the car.

Jacks didn’t get in behind them. “Matt I have some business that Michael needs to take care of, I will be in my office after that if you need me.”

“Right you are Jacks.” Matt replied and Eddie closed the door.

“Oooo…” Matt leaned across Andrew’s lap and held the button down for the window. Poking his head out the window he called back to the retreating woman, “Hey Jacks!”

“Yes Sir,” she turned back from the elevator, which was waiting for her.

“Give him a kiss for us, huh, and have a good time.”

She hesitated for half a second before responding in her professional tone. “I don’t know what you’re referring to, sir.” And with that she was in the elevator.

Matt laughed climbing back in from the window, and before he could get back to his own seat, Andrew grabbed him around the waist and hung on tight. Bringing Matt to rest on his lap facing him, Andrew looked into his new lovers eyes. “What have I gotten myself into? First a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon, then whisked away to a mountain fortress, now cruising through a secret tunnel toward said fortress, and soon I will apparently be meeting your mother over dinner and, it sounds like, the rest of the family!”

“Cheer up babe, it wont always be this boring!” Matt chuckled and fell forward into Andrew’s chest as the car pulled away and sped to its destination.

“Oh I like that,” Matt smiled and kissed Andrew passionately.

They spent the short ride underground to Eagles Nest joined at the mouth, Matt never leaving Andrew’s lap. When they arrived, Eddie opened the door for them and Matt led Andrew into the heart of his sprawling home.

The underground entrance that Eddie had brought them to resembled a hotel lobby. As Matt and Andrew entered, Andrew realized that they were stepping into the bottom of the cylinder that he had seen from the air. At least a hundred feet in diameter, he followed the cylinder up and counted 8 separate stories. The large cylindrical anchor to Eagles Nest rose to its full height where it was capped by one solid piece of domed glass that hovered over the space making Andrew wonder what would happen if it ever fell. Each of the levels moved off at a different angle from this cylindrical point and Andrew turned in quarter circle staring up at each one. He brought his eyes back to Matt who was watching his with a smile.

“I’m sorry Matt, but this just wont do.” Andrew stated sarcastically and sauntered further into the lobby of Matt’s home and directly up to the reception desk with a guard standing behind it. Matt watched him in wonder, the smile never leaving his face. “Two to check in please,” he told the guard.

The guard looked at Matt with a question and received a nod from his smiling boss. He handed Andrew an electronic pad and asked him to sign his name handing him a stylus. Andrew took the pad and flourished a signature on it. The guard waited a few seconds for his computer to load the information from the pad, combine the signature with the photos from the facial recognition cameras installed in the entrance tunnel, and pull up Andrew McMillian’s background check, criminal record and driving history. Everything checked out and the signature matched. He unlocked the safe under his desk and pulled out a thin black metal wristband and held it out to Andrew. “For your wrist, sir. It will allow you to access to the parts of Eagles Nest that are open to guests.”

Andrew offered his wrist, and the guard slipped the small bracelet against his skin. “You’re not getting one?” He looked at Matt who was waiting behind him.

“Don’t need one, I own the joint. They let me go wherever I want to go.”

“Oh Mr. McMillian,” the guard said to Andrew, who looked back. “You might want to pay those parking tickets, they go up in price in a few days.”

Matt laughed, but Andrew was a little intimidated. “Erik, play nice. Andrew, that’s just Erik’s way of letting you know that he cares about me.”

“Well Erik and I have something in common then,” Andrew eyed Erik who gave him a small nod and a hint of a smile.

Matt looked on in wonder. Erik you traitor! Matt thought to himself. Is there no one this boy can’t charm?

“Shall we?” Matt took Andrew around the waist and led him to another elevator off to the side of the security desk. It opened immediately and took them quickly to the third floor.

“Your bracelet will give you access to most areas of the house – bathrooms, closets, my quarters, the kitchens, the pool, the gym, there’s a basketball court if you want to throw some hoops later.” Andrew stared at him stunned, so Matt just continued.

“You will be able to access pretty much anything in the 3^rd to 5^th floor. Anything lower, you’ll run into Erik. Anything higher and you’ll be shot.” Andrew didn’t laugh.

“Kidding! But it is off limits, work stuff. The pool, exercise room and gym are on the forth floor just above us. This floor is my living quarters, so you are welcome to be anywhere, although you wont be able to get into my office with your bracelet. Unless you’re with me and we are making love on my desk.” Matt wiggled his eyebrows at Andrew who gave Matt a small smile. “The main kitchen is on the 2^nd floor and you will always run into staff there, but they will know you are with me and wont bother you in any way. If you need any help just ask one of them.”

“Are you planning on not being around,” Andrew asked concerned that he was being abandoned.

“Certainly not, but with the family coming, I will be working a bit over the next couple of days. Meeting mostly, and they shouldn’t take me away from you for too long.” Matt leaned into Andrew and gave him a loving kiss, which was reciprocated with the passion of a starved man who just arrived at a banquet table. Matt smiled widely when he departed from Andrew’s lips.

“Wow,” was all he managed.

They made their way from the elevator, which opened onto an expansive carpeted space with plush brown leather furniture arranged in sitting areas around the space, down the curved hallway that bordered the cylinder that made up the heart of the house. Andrew realized as soon as he stepped out of the elevator that the floor was sloped as it arched around the cylindrical axis of the house. Andrew looked over the brick wall with a short metal railing on top, that ran along the inside of the cylinder, and saw Erik three floors below, and could see the hallway spiraling down the entire central cylinder.

Matt anticipated the question watching Andrew’s eye move from floor to floor following the curve of the walkway. “It has no stairs, it wraps around the entire column passing through each of the eight floors. I tried to skateboard down it once, but I broke my arm when I careened out of control on the second floor.” He looked at Andrew sheepishly.

Andrew just smiled and shook his head continuing on around the cylinder and approaching the area that made up Matt’s living space.

Andrew wasn’t sure why he was so surprised at the size of the space, but what he saw from the air in no way prepared him for the vastness of the room before him. The entire rectangular floor was mostly open and he could see to the very end of the huge room that was completely lined with floor to ceiling windows. The room was easily 3000 square feet. The only obstacle was a large stone fireplace. The ceiling was at least 15 feet high and added to expansiveness of the room. As they entered Andrew was stunned at how such a large room could feel so cozy. He attributed it to the hundreds of art pieces that lined the entirety of the two walls that led to windowed expanse at least 75 feet in the distance. The art itself spanned what must have been Matt’s lifetime, ancient mixed with modern. The simplicity of a folk art weaving, beside the richness of an impressionist painting. Andrew’s eye was drawn to a flat stone mounted in a deep wooden frame. The river stone had a handprint outlined by pigment most likely blown onto the rock by the owner of the hand. Each of the pieces was unique; each seemed to represent an era or a location in the world. It could have been chaotic, but together as a whole, it represented a walk through history – human history.

The first area in the room was designed as a large square in the center of the open entry space. Three of the sides of the square were lined with overstuffed grey couches, a white shag rug anchored the space and sat under a large three tiered glass coffee table. Each of the tiers, like the house itself, cantilevered off of a central point. The forth side of the square, which was made up of the large stone fireplace that must have been 20 feet at the base of the huge mantel, was facing the area where Matt and Andrew stood. On either side of the square, you could walk into the rest of the space. Andrew took the path on the right of the sitting area and continued into the room.

Behind the sitting area, was another space designed as a media and entertainment area. Set up similarly to the sitting room in a large square, three 50 inch flat screen TV’s sat on a long low set of drawers that was up against the back of the fireplace. Various remotes and game console controllers lay about the space. Surrounding the screens was a set of modern black leather chairs and couches, each with a small table next to them. The low wooden table was made from a solid block of thick wood that showed the concentric rings of the tree it had been taken from, and sat on a charcoal grey shag.

Further into the space was Matt’s bedroom, again entirely open to the rest of the space, and set up as the third large square in the massive room. Past the Media space and facing the windows at the back of the room sat Matt’s extremely large bed, aligned diagonally in the space, made up with pillows of various sizes sitting against the sleek low headboard. The rest of the bedroom had a variety of large chairs to sit in and various storage compartments. Wondering where the closet was that Jacks referred to earlier, Andrew brought his attention to the doors on either side of the room and decided these were most likely bathrooms and closet spaces. He popped his head into one and saw a large roomed lined with shelves and cupboards made of beautifully warm maple wood. Stepping into the space the light turned on automatically and he was led through the dressing space and into an adjoining travertine-tiled bathroom that made Matt’s bathroom at the hotel look like public washrooms at the local mall. He walked back out into the main room and saw Matt standing and watching him.

He continued on his journey, through the bedroom space, and to the end of the room. This final space was lined with three smaller separate seating areas. Each one had its own arrangement of comfy chairs and a small table. Andrew imagined curling up in one of the chairs and reading while he was looking out over the endless view of mountains in the distance. Looking out he could see the next level above them jutting out at an angel. Although the room ended, on either side of the back windowed wall, were two doors that led out onto an impressive patio with more seating area, and a large sunken hot tub.

Andrew looked back through the room he had just walked and settled his eyes on Matt who was waiting patiently for him.

“I have more questions.” Andrew stated.

“I’ll answer them as best as I can.”

“When we are having sex, how will Erik not hear us given that this whole room is open to the rest of the house?”

Matt grinned. “I have that covered.” He picked up a small remote control that was lying around the room and pushed several buttons on a touch screen. Instantly a quiet hum filled the air and at the other end of the room, where they had entered earlier, Andrew saw a glass wall making its way out from the side wall and across the entire expanse of the room. Once settled in to the adjoining sidewall across the room it essentially sealed sealing them into the space. Matt touched another button on the remote and the entire glass wall became opaque.

“Oh that’s good.” Andrew marvelled.

“You said questions.”

“I did. How long have you lived here?”

Matt thought about the question for a few seconds. “I first came to this part of the world thousands of years before the settlers, but I had very little contact with the first people’s of this land. When I interacted with them, they saw me as a spirit, and really for all intents and purposes I was. I would come, they would remember me from the stories of their ancestors and I would live with them sometimes for many years. At one time or another I have lived with most of the tribes in this area, the Anasazi, the Hopi, The Zuni, the Taos, and many others, but always when my task was done, I would disappear from existence. It was different then. There weren't so many people in the world. The Native American's had a connection that couldn't be seen, but they felt it. I felt it, but I wasn't part of them and they knew it, even though I looked like them. Their spiritual leaders would eventually approach me, and tell me that they had been waiting for my arrival. They knew I had a lesson to teach them, and they looked to me for guidance. In that way they accepted me, but never was I one of them. They called me the man of two spirits. Knowing that sometimes I would appear as male and sometimes as female."

Matt took a deep breath and shook off the memories that had clawed their way to the surface. "In 1641, over 600 years after Europeans stepped on this land, I returned, and the people here were practically wiped out. Their communities had fallen apart, their culture in many places was outlawed. European disease has taken its toll, small pox, was the American plague to these people. I eventually made my way to the mountains here where I began, with much help, to build Eagle’s Nest. It’s been my home and the home of the Arcana in the US ever since.”

Andrew looked at Matt in confusion. "You said 600 hundred years after Europeans came to America, but Columbus came here in 1492."

Matt shook his head, "No, that's what American history books say, but its not true. The Norse came much earlier, and they came with their fiery spirit which did not go over well here. I had tried to prepare the people here for what was to come. I had seen the disease, the pestilence, the greed of the Europeans. The first peoples here, had their issues no doubt, but they lived in a way that sustained the land they lived on. They have deep respect for the land, their mother, they care for her deeply and would only take what they knew they needed to survive. The population in Europe had exploded, and plagues helped but people are people, and eventually they reproduced and the population had all sorts of negative effects on them. They grew too fast for the land they occupied. They needed to spread out, and this land was waiting nearly unoccupied, at least to European standards.

“When you were with these people, what is the task that you have to complete? You talk about it as if you don’t know what it is you are suppose to do?”

“That is because I don’t know what the task is. I follow my instincts, and interact with people like I would normally interact with them. I help where I can. I know that given my role as Fool, that part of my purpose is to help people in transition. I am often an agent of change. I often facilitate a new beginning, a new era. I have been at both the beginning and end of wars, I have seen the birth and death of plagues, I have destroyed and created life that has gone on to both destroy and create new life. In all aspects of what I have done, I am the herald of a change to come. I ease the way, prepare the path. Sometimes I feel like the line between me and Death is blurred. I think I am here to help and my actions lead to war. And when it does, I die and am reborn knowing that I was the herald of Death to millions.”

Andrew considered Matt’s statement. He thought about the burden of carrying the responsibility for the unfolding of human history. Andrew decided it was too much for anyone to handle, ruling family or not, and he found himself getting angry that anyone would pout Matt in a position of having to do this thousands of times over. It was like hell. Rather than allow his thoughts to take him further, he decided they needed a break from the conversation.

“I have to say you look pretty good for an old man.” He said with as much seriousness as he could muster.

“Well… I feel it in my bones.” They both laughed, breaking the tension of the situation.

“Alright then, let’s see if we can release some of the tension in your bone,” and with that, Andrew flew at Matt and tackled him into the big bed. Pillows flew in every direction as they tumbled on top of one another, eagerly tasting each other’s lips. They playfully rolled in each other’s arms, taking turns being on top of each other, and slowly working out of their clothes. They made love slowly, enjoying each other’s bodies, touching, exploring like they hadn’t been with each other before.

It was all so new to each of them. Matt had never made love with someone he felt so strongly about. In fact, Matt had never really made love. He had sex more times than he could count, but in the end it didn’t feel any different than any other time he had sex. But now, after so long, when he held Andrew in his arms, and when those grey eyes settled in him, he felt like he was home. Like he had found the one place that he wanted to be for the rest of his time.

And Andrew, falling in love after being in a relationship that made him almost give up on love, couldn’t believe at he was experiencing when he crushed his body against Matt’s. It was like they were meant to find each other. They fit perfectly together. Their bodies wove together like a tapestry. They fit like pieces in a puzzle; the last piece pulling everything together until finally you could see what you could never see before. The completed picture, and Andrew saw a completed life that he would do anything to hang onto.

Each one, Matt and Andrew, healed the other through their kisses, through their touch, through the sheer pleasure of moving against each other and watching the longing and the love in each other’s eyes.

Afterwards they lay entwined on the top of the covers neither cold despite being exposed to the air. They dozed for a few minutes until Matt convinced Andrew to follow him naked out onto the deck. Matt grabbed a small towel and cleaned Andrew off under the outdoor shower next to the hot tub. Then he grabbed the hand of his lover and pulled him into the hot tub behind him. They sat huddled together in bliss and warmth as Sun made her way through the sky atop the distant mountains.