November quite literally rolls out the welcome mat in the valley of the sun. Post-Halloween temperatures drop from exhausting triple digits to gratifying ones more suitable for outdoor activities, a requite for the formerly hibernating children now playing in their streets. The last of the snowbirds seem to have moved back, and in Schuyler’s mind, it’s not really autumn but more like a June day in Oregon, only with an earlier sunset, and no rain.
The fall sports schedule has abruptly ended with unexpected losses for both the Football and Boy’s Soccer teams early in the state playoffs, so Schuyler and Tate suddenly have much more time on their hands than they would otherwise prefer. Ayana enlists the boys to meet up with her Friday after school at the coffee shop on Carefree Highway.
“This is just so frustrating,” Ayana begins to vent as she sips an iced green tea. “I’ve researched in basically every way I know how, and still I’ve run into an absolute road block. What is the meaning of all this cryptic language anyway?”
“Take it easy, Ayana,” says Tate. “You’re kind of taking this personally. It’s not like you lost in the State Playoffs.”
“Hey, I take pride in my investigative skills, and I don’t like to be stumped. I’ve spent way too much time on this. Besides, you guys have taken sore loser to another level. Snap out of it – alright?”
“Ok, let’s go over what we do know,” says Schuyler trying to change the subject. “We’ve got these two scrolls. Obviously, they were planted for a reason.”
“Buried, more like it,” Tate interjects.
“Planted, buried… ” Schuyler answers. “Why would anyone go to such lengths? I mean if the Order had information that needed to be shared, why would they bury it?”
“To go underground?” Tate answers sarcastically.
“We’ve covered that, they were buried underground,” Schuyler looks at him impatiently.
“I mean to take it underground, you know evade someone,” Tate says defensively. “People bury things of value to protect them. Preserve, but protect.”
“Hey, we might be on to something!” Schuyler says. “But why would they need to do this? Who would be after them?”
“Could be just about anyone,” Ayana replies. “Those wild west days brought in everyone. Miners, soldiers, all sorts of religious folks were coming out this way. Jesuits set up missions, Mormons set up communities. The late 1800’s were known as the gilded age.”
“You mean golden age, they were looking for gold – right?” Tate responds.
“Yes gold, but I meant guild,” she corrects him. “Like a gang or union, a group of people trying to protect their interests. Hollywood has writers guilds, actors guilds.”
“What do gangs have to do with this?” Tate asks.
“I don’t know, but she may be on to something. There were a lot of competing interests. Dad’s a Knight of Columbus. They started in the late 1800’s.”
“Whoa, more knights!” Tate observes.
“Take it easy Tate, a lot of groups called themselves knights,” Ayana responds. “Even the Ku Klux Klan members call themselves knights.”
“Hey, I don’t like where this is headed,” Tate responds.
“I think you have to look at their intentions,” Schuyler replies. “The Knights of Columbus at our Parish has a food drive later this month. They also donated books, computers, and playground equipment for one of the mission schools on the reservation.”
“I don’t get it,” Tate asks. “Why do they form a knighthood to do that?”
“It’s a lot like Ayana was describing,” Schuyler replies. “Apparently, they found some need to bind together. Society wasn’t as orderly back then.”
“Couldn’t they just call the police?” Tate asks again.
“They’d be lucky to have a sheriff out in these parts, and the military was preoccupied with securing territory,” Ayana answers.
“Ok, so who was after these light knights?” asks Tate.
“That’s the big question,” Ayana replies smiling at the term.
“What would be the motivation?” Schuyler asks. “Money, power, beliefs?”
“Who knows?” asks Ayana. “I just wish we had just a little more information, more clues.” There’s a brief pause. “Wait a minute, I’ve got it!”
“Hang on Ayana!” Tate says whispering through his teeth. He leans forward, and whispers to them: “Don’t look now, but this dude on my right is listening in on our conversation. I think ‘light knights’ got his attention.”
“Creepy,” Ayana whispers back. “It’s just rude!”
“Hey, grab your stuff and follow me outside,” Schuyler whispers back. They quickly pack up and head out the front door. They walk nearly 10 yards down the sidewalk into an alcove when they notice the man step out the door after them. Seeing them standing there, he quickly puts his cell phone to his ear.
“He’s following us,” she says under her breath.
“It appears so,” Schuyler replies.
“Let me handle this,” Tate says straightening up.
“Wait, don’t do anything rash,” Schuyler replies.
“I have an idea, walk with me around the corner,” she says pulling them along. Once they are around the corner, she says: “You guys engage him, distract him, ask him what he’s up to. I need to get to the museum before it closes. I don’t want anyone following me.” As soon as she finished saying this, the man walks around the corner.
“Excuse me sir,” Tate says to the man. “Do you know what time it is?” Ayana takes that as her clue and quickly walks back around the corner, and takes off on her bike.
It’s about a ten minute bike ride to the Cave Creek Museum. Ayana arrives just as the last remaining patrons are leaving the museum. “Mr. Potts. Something weird is going on. Some guy was spying on us at the coffee shop. He even followed us out of the coffee shop. My friends distracted him while I dashed over here.”
“What has that to do with this museum, young lady?” he answers.
“We were talking about the knights of light, and the two scrolls that we found.”
“Oh, I was afraid of that. You need to be very careful with this information, especially with that name. Not everybody is benevolent like me. You have no idea what their interests are. What did he look like?”
“Probably in his mid-thirties. Balding. Tall and thin.”
“Good. At least it wasn’t…” He stops.
“At least is wasn’t whom?” she asks.
“Look, like I said, not every body can be trusted. You need to be careful.”
“Are we in danger?” she asks.
“No, at least I don’t think so,” he replies. “No, you’re kids. It wouldn’t look good. You should be safe.”
“Safe from what?” she says. “We don’t know anything. We just have a couple of old scrolls. They are so cryptic, they could mean almost anything. In fact, we are completely stumped. That’s why I wanted to look at the diary of the Lost Dutchman, for more clues.”
“That is completely out of the question,” he responds. “That would put you in grave danger.”
“Why? There’s more to this, isn’t there?”
“Look, a lot of stories were spun about Jacob Waltz,” he says. “Most of them were fabricated to cover up certain facts. There was a lot of conflict back then. The Illum… Hold it! How did you get here?”
“On bike,” she answers.
“Go, quickly, you must go! You can’t be seen here with me! You must leave now! Take Military Road and weave back to Tom Darlington Drive. Do not take Cave Creek Road. They will be watching for you.”
“On one condition,” she negotiates. “You let me borrow the diary.”
“Yes, but we’ll arrange something at a later date,” he says. “You must leave now. I will contact you.”
“You better!” Ayana wastes no time doing what he says. Her head is spinning, but she takes deep breaths to remain calm. “Just peddle home,” she tells herself. “Focus. Need to get back. Find
the boys.” She gets up out of the saddle, and begins to peddle quickly. After nearly ten minutes of taking back roads in Old Town, she comes out at Tom Darlington near the Boulders Resort. She stops briefly, checks the area for potential rattlesnakes, pulls out her cell phone, and calls Tate.
“Ayana, where are you?” says Tate. “You sound out of breath. Are you in trouble?”
“We all might be,” she says. “I’m near the Boulders. I took the long way around Black Mountain. Potts didn’t want me to be seen… Where are you guys?”
“We’re in front of Schuy’s house, waiting for you,” he says.
“Can you meet me on Lone Mountain road, near Stephenie M’s house?” she asks.
“Right, we’re on our way. See you in a few,” he replies.
Fifteen minutes later, Ayana arrives at the meeting spot on Lone Mountain road where the two boys are waiting. “What took you so long?” Tate asks. “We were getting worried.”
“You guys ride faster than me,” she responds. “Besides, all those gully’s on that stretch of Carefree Highway. It’s like a flipping rollercoaster ride.”
“What happened with Potts?” Schuyler asks. “Did he let you see the diary?”
“I was explaining our encounter at the coffee shop and he got all worried,” she replies. “He started to mention a name, and then asked me to leave. Elum, I think he said.”
“Illum?” Schuyler asks. “As in illumination? Another word for light – right?”
“Yeah, weird isn’t it. I’m getting the distinct feeling that these knights had enemies. At least people who felt threatened by their message.”
“I wonder why?” Schuyler asks. “It seems so basic, so universal.”
“Maybe, they don’t like to share with others,” Tate observes.
“Yeah, there may be something to that,” she responds. “There are secret societies that want to create a world order, but on their own terms, for their own purposes. It sounds like the Illuminati. That might be what he was referring to. Maybe there was some sort of schism among the illuminated ones.”
“You’ve mentioned them before,” Schuyler observes. “They aren’t still around are they? So we should be good – right?”
“Don’t be so sure,” Ayana interrupts. “The web is full of conspiracy theories about them. Presidents have been mentioned. The Skull and Bones, the Masons, even the Knights Templar.”
“Skull and Bones,” says Tate. “Don’t they still have Geronimo’s skull? One of the nations has been trying to get it back. It’s sacred.”
“What are we getting ourselves into?” says Schuyler. “I’m not a big conspiracy fan, but this is getting weird. That dude back at the coffee shop was pumping us for information after you took off. We ditched him as soon as we got behind the gates in Dove Valley Ranch. Maybe we should just lay low for a while.”
“Seriously?” Ayana replies. “We can’t give in to the fear. I still want to have a look at that diary. We need to find some closure on this. It’s just like fighting to end discrimination. We need to carry on despite pressure from outside forces.”
Looking at his friends, Schuyler senses the gravity of the last statement. He pauses. “Ok, but let’s be careful. I want us all to be around to finish this school year. Let’s make sure we stick together as much as possible.”
“Sounds like a guild idea to me,” Tate observes.
Chapter 16: Crossing the Chasm
The heart sees before the head can see. - Thomas Carlyle