Read Eli Arnold and the Keys to Forever Book One: It's About Time Page 29

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  525 A.D.

  When I arrived in the stables, the rain was lightly falling. By the time I had stowed my gear and was ready to mount Goliath, it was raining cats and dogs ... literally.

  As the rain thundered down, small animals (mostly cats and small breeds of dogs) began to fall out of the thatched roof covering the stable. It was literally raining cats and dogs.

  Interestingly enough, this is exactly how that figure of speech came into use. Buildings were once constructed with straw or thatched roofs. Small animals would burrow into the straw and take up residence. When a particularly heavy rain came, the thatch would become saturated and could no longer support the animals’ weight, causing it to ‘rain cats and dogs.’ Sir Mortimer must be rubbing off on me.

  I was seeing, first hand, the origin of the saying.

  Waiting out the storm, Merv, Pat and I quietly discussed the new information we had obtained. Cyrus and Harold the herald stood off to one side, deep in a conversation of their own. Something still tickled the subconscious part of my mind but I couldn’t quite bring it forward.

  The rain abruptly came to a stop, blue skies opening up around us. A second set of thunder makers, as Pat had called them, loomed on the horizon.

  “If we hurry, we can make it back to the castle before the second line of storms hit,” Merv said.

  Pat motioned for Harold and Cyrus to approach and assist us in getting on our way.

  Both men came forward, ceasing their conversation. Harold had the same nervous look on his face that he had in Merv’s laboratory when we first mentioned coming to see Sir Mortimer. He assisted Pat in mounting her gryphon. Merv expertly vaulted into the saddle and quickly brought his beast under control. Cyrus approached Goliath and I and began to tinker with the straps holding the saddle to my animal’s broad back.

  I climbed aboard and adjusted myself into a comfortable position.

  “Have a safe trip.” Cyrus smiled malevolently from below me. “Hope to see you again very soon.”

  The open hostility in his words surprised me. I stared at the dark man and thought carefully about my reply.

  “Careful what you wish for, Fowler. You just might get it.”

  He laughed and handed the reins up to me.

  “It’s you who should be careful, boy.”

  I took the reins and gave Cyrus my best ‘you don’t scare me’ look. Glancing down, I was able to see Cyrus’ right hand as he let go of the reins. A large black ring encircled one finger. Seeing my interest, he quickly snatched his hand away and headed for the stable doors. A familiar image flashed in my brain. I was close to tying this all together but I couldn’t put my finger on it.