The Promise (The Seekers Book 1) Read online

Samael sighed, “If it had been what we seek you would have been annihilated instantly.”

  Now they were crestfallen, “There was no warning Master, they suddenly appeared on the energy shield.”

  He got up from his seat and moved towards them. In order to get his point across he leant into the face of the senior commander and spoke softly but forcefully, “I want to be informed immediately of any sightings. Clear?”

  All three nodded and Samael waved them away. He turned and looked out on the same colourless landscape that had met his eyes since the Rebellion. The world of men was so much more beautiful. His assignment was reasonably straightforward, but the thought of his real enemy daunted him. Even if they located the Cornerstone, how could he take it? It held so much power. It would call for cunning rather than force, and Samael had always been good at that.

  33

  Oliver was lost in thought as Winston waddled along happily beside him. It was a lovely evening but everyone at home seemed a little tense, so Oliver had volunteered to take Winston out. His dad was busy with some tenants meeting, his mum was tired from all her extra shifts and Millie was sulking. Twice they had entered the Portal and twice Quark had failed to appear, so it had been nearly a week now since their last meeting.

  It was only when they turned the corner Oliver realised they were at the Back Lane again. He stopped.

  Winston pulled at the lead and was a picture of innocence as he sniffed at the nearest bush and waited for Oliver. The autumn colours made everything look peaceful and Oliver kicked at some fallen leaves. They crunched under his trainers as he bent down to talk to Winston.

  “Right. This is the deal.” Oliver lifted up Winston’s head and looked straight into his shiny button eyes, “You are absolutely forbidden to go into that garden. Okay?”

  He slipped the lead and Winston turned and ran – straight into the forbidden garden.

  Damn!

  “You can get back here right now, or no more walks –ever!”

  For once in his miserable life the Watcher remembered his orders and made an instant decision, he turned to his partner, “Go tell him that the boy is here alone.”

  While he waited he decided to have some fun, sweeping down from the upstairs room, he scooped up the dog and held him firmly under his arm. The dog tried to bark, but the sound was lost as they arrived back on the top floor of the old house in an instant. The dog was snarling but the Watcher simply kicked it hard to one side, and it lay crumpled against the far wall, whimpering. There was no way out of the room. Now let’s see what the boy would do.

  Oliver was furious. He stomped around the overgrown garden thinking of all the stuff he would say to Winston next time they were in the Portal together. Insubordinate, insufferable, disobedient canine, were some of his more repeatable phrases. “Winston! Where are you?”

  Oliver was standing in front of the Yew tree; surely he wouldn’t be daft enough to do that again? Why was Winston doing this?

  Ten minutes of shouting and searching produced nothing but more frustration for Oliver. He flopped onto a broken wooden bench and put his head in his hands.

  Samael appeared at the Watcher’s side and viewed the stricken dog with obvious distaste. He personally did not enjoy cruelty for its own sake, preferring to manipulate others to do his bidding. “Where is the boy?”

  The Watcher pointed through the dirty windows at the morose figure on the bench. Samael studied him for a while. “They are clearly fond of this creature; this could serve our purpose I think. Summon a Sleeper at once.”

  Winston continued to emit a low growl but did not move from his position and within minutes the Watcher had returned. Accompanying him was a small creature about the size of a sparrow; it hovered a respectful distance away, its black wings humming softly in the silence of the room. It looked like a cross between a mosquito and a bad tempered fly, its spiteful black eyes scanning the room constantly. Its long, pointed, corkscrew beak glistened.

  Samael gave his orders simply, “The boy and girl are protected by Him, but the beast is not. Stay with the beast until they find the Cornerstone. When they do, you are to report to me immediately.”

  The Sleeper danced a figure of eight, but its squeaky voice was crystal clear, “Yes Master.”

  Samael dismissed it with a wave and it began to rapidly decrease in size. When it was barely visible it flew straight at Winston, entering just above his collar. He turned to the Watcher, “You have done well. Return the beast.”

  Winston was dumped in the long grass at the far end of the garden. “Catch you later moron.”

  Winston tried to bite the calloused hand that dropped him, but it had already gone. Oliver was just about to give up and go home when he spotted Winston hobbling towards him. All of his anger evaporated when he saw Winston was in pain, ears down and a droopy tail meant something was definitely wrong.

  Winston stood dejectedly while Oliver fastened the lead and gave him a quick examination but he could see nothing to account for Winston’s strange behaviour. He picked him up and headed out of the garden, “Come on boy we’ll get dad to look at you and if he’s not happy it’s off to the vets for you.”

  Winston closed his eyes and rested his head on Oliver’s arm, content to be carried for a change.

  Jamie Freeman looked at the young Terrier and laughed, “Well that’s two bowls of his food and most of mine, so there is nothing wrong with his appetite!”

  Sarah was tidying up, ready for bed, she folded the last of the tea towels and wiped the breakfast bar, “Yeah, Oliver was quite concerned but the only thing I’ve noticed is that he keeps scratching around his collar.”

  Jamie bent down and pulled Winston closer, “It looks okay but I can treat him again for fleas if you like?”

  Sarah pulled a face. For a nurse she was quite squeamish about the thought of fleas in her lovely home, “Just make sure you keep an eye on him.”

  The Sleeper smirked as he watched them turn off the lights, Actually, I think you’ll find I’m keeping both of my eyes on you two wasters....

  34

  “I’ve found it Your Highness.”

  Millie was hoping for good news, but this exceeded all her expectations, “You have? Is that where you’ve been? I was starting to worry about you.”

  Quark gave a little bow, clearly delighted at being missed and waved his tiny hands around excitedly. “Sorry Your Highness, but it was not possible for you to attend, I had to return to the Temple and go forward from there.”

  Oliver and Millie exchanged confused glances, “What Temple?” they both said together.

  Quark smiled at them both then addressed Millie, “Solomon’s Temple of course.”

  Millie raised an eyebrow so Quark continued, “Well, the Stone was laid to rest there following the dedication of the Ark.”

  “What has Noah’s Ark got to do with it?” Oliver asked.

  Quark shook his head, “Good gracious no. That was much earlier in your history as I am sure your father knows!” There was a glint in his eyes as he said this, and it took a few seconds before Oliver realised Quark had made a joke about the pet shop. Millie was trying hard to be patient, “So not Noah’s Ark then?”

  Quark tapped his tiny fingers together in that strange way that Millie found more endearing than irritating now.

  “Indeed. I was referring to The Ark of the Covenant which contains The Two Tablets of Stone.”

  Oliver interrupted again, “I thought we were only looking for one?”

  Quark gave him a little bow, “Indeed. I was talking about The Ten Commandments.”

  Oliver whistled, “Oh ... those tablets of stone.”

  Millie had heard enough, “Quark, can we please stick to the point?”

  Oliver wanted to know more but Quark did as he was asked, even though he was clearly a little offended, “Very well. The Ark was on top of Jacob’s Pillow so I had to be careful, you understand? It would have meant the end of everything to touch that. So I entered The Stone i
n order to follow it forwards.”

  The twins stared. So Quark continued, “Well, it remained in the Temple for many centuries, always carefully hidden during periods of trouble, of course. But when the Babylonians arrived in 587BC King Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the Temples fabulous wealth to his own land.”

  Millie asked the obvious question, “Did he take the stone?”

  Quark shook his head, “Even if he had seen it he would not have recognised its true value, amongst all that gold, what he would want with an old block of sandstone? No, The Ark and The Stone were removed before the invaders could get their hands on them.”

  Oliver was intrigued, “Was it taken to Ireland then?”

  Quark continued to pace around the Portal, “Indeed. Jeremiah, the Prophet in question, landed in Ireland with a most sacred trust. Not just the remarkable treasures from the Temple but also the only surviving member of the Hebrew Royal Family. The young princess had escaped the wholesale slaughter of all the male members of her family, leaving her the only direct descendent to King David and the Throne of Judah.”

  Millie was speechless for once. Oliver was about to say something but Quark hurried on.

  “The Treasures were priceless, of course, but Jeremiah knew he had to ensure the blood-line continued now their lands were gone. He was aware of the prophecies even though he would not see it in his own life-time.”

  Millie finally found her voice, “Hold on, did you just say the stone and the Princess were important?”

  Quark stopped pacing and turned to face her, “Of course, Your Highness, any Hebrew would have been aware of The Stone’s true value but as a Princess she would guard it with her life.”

  “But why? You never really explained why it was so important. Why have all those kings and queens used it in their Coronations anyway? I don’t understand.”

  Quark looked at the twins, they were so young, but they had a right to know. “Your Highness, the Hebrews knew that Jacob’s Pillow represented the Throne of God on Earth and while they possessed it they would receive His blessing and protection. That’s why it was placed under the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark contained the Commandments of God and the Stone contained the Covenant of God, or Promise, to maintain His throne on Earth, forever. A specific promise, of course later given to King David.”

  Millie was still confused, “But it didn’t work did it? You said they were invaded and lost all their lands, not much of an agreement kept there.”

  Oliver was thoughtful, however, trying to fit the pieces together in his mind. He knew that the nation of Israel had come into being in 1948, just after the end of the Second World War. So, he reckoned they did get their lands back, well some of it anyway, but he knew nothing about the Throne of David.

  Quark smiled, “Your Highness the Hebrew Princess married an Irish Prince...”

  Oliver finally understood, “... and their descendants spread to Scotland, taking the stone with them.”

  Millie huffed, “So?”

  Quark rolled his right hand in the air, unravelling the mystery for her, “So, when the Stone of Destiny was taken from there to England and the English monarchs were crowned on it, they too continued the line.”

  Millie was beginning to see a deeper connection now, “Right ... the line to King David?”

  Quark smiled, “Yes, but rather more importantly, to the Promise of God.”

  Now Millie wasn’t so sure she understood after all, “Wait a minute are you saying this Stone of Destiny links our Royal Family to God?”

  “They were the ones sitting on it at their Coronations.” Quark replied simply.

  But Oliver was equally sceptical, “Didn’t people start revolutions because royalty thought they were infallible?”

  Quark nodded, “Indeed. But you must not confuse the politics of men with the purposes of God.”

  Oliver struggled to recall the history lessons he had enjoyed with his favourite teacher, “So you mean there really is a Divine Right of Kings?”

  Quark touched Oliver’s arm, something he didn’t do very often, “Your Highness, the history of your planet is a complex one, and there has been much mingling of truth and error in order to conceal realities. There is indeed a divine anointing but it has not always been used wisely, as is often the way with men.”

  Millie had heard enough, “Look, this is all very interesting, but what does it have to do with us?”

  Quark turned to face her, “The Stone of Destiny yields great power and in the wrong hands could be disastrous; we are sent to retrieve it once and for all because the Times are ending for men.”

  Millie didn’t like the sound of that, but knew she probably wouldn’t understand the explanation so she decided to stick with her task. “But you said the stone in Edinburgh was a fake, so where is the real one?”

  Quark’s face lit up with a huge grin, “Ah yes, it was right under our feet Your Highness!”

  35

  “Glastonbury!” Oliver gave a slight moan, “We’ve already been there.”

  “And it wasn’t very nice.” Millie added hastily, remembering her strange experience at the well.”

  But Quark was in full flow now. “Well, we had to investigate the items that were removed of course, but not all of the sacred treasures were taken to the Tower.”

  “What did you find then?” Millie was impatient for answers.

  Quark gestured with his hand and an image of the Abbey appeared, but not the ruins from their previous visit, this Abbey was gloriously complete. Quark pointed to it, “A magnificent building for its day. But the monks were rather enterprising, during the Abbey’s existence much work was also undertaken underground as well as above. Many secret tunnels were excavated, some only known to the most senior abbot. When they realised they could no longer hold out against the king, the most sacred relics were hidden away in those tunnels.” He paused for effect, “... including the Stone of Destiny!”

  Millie stared at the image as Oliver came and stood beside her, so it was there all the time...

  But Oliver still wasn’t clear in his own mind, “I’m not sure I follow. There was no mention of Glastonbury before; you said the stone went from the Holy Land to Ireland, then Scotland and Westminster Abbey. How did it get to Glastonbury?”

  Quark turned to face Oliver, “Ah yes, as I followed The Stone I saw that it never actually reached Scotland. Jeremiah was a great Prophet; he would never leave The Stone in the hands of ambitious men. So they dedicated a much larger stone, the Lia Fail. You can visit it if you wish; it is still there in Ireland. Part of this was taken to Scotland.”

  Millie interrupted, “So what happened to the real stone?”

  “It was kept hidden of course along with David’s Harp, the Ark, the Chalice and gold from Gaza. All of the sacred treasures are in your islands, that is why they are a Kingdom.”

  Oliver opened his mouth and then closed it again, what could he say? Quark was still talking anyway, “.....Brit-ish is Hebrew for “people of the Covenant” after all.”

  Millie’s head was spinning. “Quark! How did it get to Glastonbury?”

  If he was offended he was too gracious to show it. He stopped wandering around the portal and stared deep into Millie’s eyes. “You must understand Your Highness; Glastonbury was established as the first Christian community by Joseph of Arimathea shortly after Jesus’ death and resurrection. It was the most venerated of places. You will know, of course that Joseph was the uncle of Jesus and they had visited Glastonbury when he was a boy?”

  Millie nodded but she didn’t know that.

  “The first wattle and daub church at Glastonbury was built by Jesus himself and dedicated to his mother, Mary. As you can imagine many Saints would visit and bequeath sacred treasures to the Abbey. It was considered the appropriate place to send them. Glastonbury was very much the place to be.”

  “Some people still think it is.” muttered Oliver.

  “So to answer your question,” Quark hurried on as he could s
ee Millie was losing patience, “ It was Saint Patrick, as an old man who took it from Ireland to Glastonbury in 443AD, just as it was an old man, Jeremiah, who had taken it to Ireland in 576BC.”

  Millie nodded, satisfied at last with a simple answer to a straightforward question, “So Henry the Eighth was close after all.”

  “Indeed Your Highness, if the sacred treasures had not been buried he would have been in possession of the real Stone of Destiny. But as only the Senior Abbot knew where they were hidden, when he was executed the information was not passed on. So it remains a secret to this day. Abbot Whiting was a man of great conviction and he acted accordingly. He would not let anyone else hide the sacred treasures for fear that they would crack under torture. So in the dead of night he entered the underground tunnels to the Tor, some of which were only known to him. He made the journey several times until all was safely sealed away. He only just made it in time too, for the next day he was arrested and taken to the Tower for interrogation.