#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 113 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 Paper #TimeTravelAuthors 06/25. Proud

In the morning, we met Georgina in the shrine’s courtyard. The sky above was the color of fine linen #paper, tinged with satiny pinks in the east. I didn’t know if that was a good or bad omen.

“Are you sure you don’t need an escort to the fortress?” our guide asked.

“I’m positive. Just tell me where it’s safe to appear. The Lord will take care of the rest,” I said.

“We have secured a room for you at Michael's Inn just outside the fortress gates. The guards you met yesterday await you there. I pray St. George and the Theotokos guard you.”

Kneeling, I let Georgina bless me. I wasn’t too #proud to accept any help that was offered. This included divine or supernatural aid. I had seen enough to believe in its existence.

“May the Lord and all the apostles protect you from the Evil One,” she finished.

Still on my knees, I asked, “When am I expected?”

“Before the sun reaches its zenith. That’s when the conclave begins.”

I nodded, took Emily’s hand, and wished, “Take me to the room at Michael’s Inn where the Coptic guards await me, an hour before noon.”

The ground grew soft under me, and the monks' faces blurred and then vanished.

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#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 112 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 gelatinous #TimeTravelAuthors 06/23. Do any characters use certain words/phrases/speech styles?

Emily and I could have time-tripped to the castle immediately, but the conclave wasn’t until tomorrow. Besides, would they even let us in at night? We certainly shouldn’t trip right into the fortress.

In the meantime, one of the shrine’s servants used a #gelatinous substance made from ground walnut shells and herbs to dye my hair brown. She also stained my teeth so they wouldn't be a brilliant white. There was nothing she could do about their health, but at least I wouldn’t have a twenty-first-century smile. I found it all gross.

My partner, on the other hand, was in fine fettle, spouting thirties jargon. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist. You’ll look peachy when she’s finished.”

I stuck my tongue out at her. “You’re funny. Not!” I retorted, being careful not to move my head.

“You’re a hoot when you get your Irish up.”

“Whatever,” I said, falling silent.

“You know I’m only pulling your leg.”

I laughed. It was a game we played. The maid was giving me an odd look, though, so I stopped. All she could see was me talking to thin air and making faces.

After my hair and teeth were finished and the servant left, my partner and I made plans for the following day, which mainly consisted of going over hand signals. That done, we turned to playing cards, poorly. The anticipation of the next day's adventure weighed on us, so our play was desultory and error-ridden.

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#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 111 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 deliverance #TimeTravelAuthors 06/19. Do characters travel through space, or just time?

I reached and took the ring from Georgina. It tingled like a spider walking across my palm. The front featured an emblazoned ivory crest. What was engraved there gave me a chill: a comet or shooting star above a dragon rampant.

“The mark of the Ancient Serpent,” our host said.

In my hand was a ring of power that would draw its bearer into the service of a greater malevolence.

I muttered in English so only Emily understood, “In the darkness to bind them.” I would have to repeat the whole rhyme and explain it to her later.

My fingers closed around the artifact. I didn’t know what evil I faced, but something had surely restored me to existence to combat it. As for Emily, I knew where she stood. She had never been one to shy away from danger.

I looked at Georgina and said, “I am your servant. Tell me what to do.”

She gave a grave nod while my partner threw me a thumbs-up, a gesture I had taught her.

“You’re William de Lancaster,” our host said, “in the service of the Prior of Aymer and have recently escaped from the infidels. We’ll provide you with priest robes and a hood, so you can play the part. Walnut dye so your hair shines not so bright. William was a youth, so your smooth face and voice should not be an issue. Still, keep your countenance hidden and speak as little as possible.”

I nodded, memorizing the information.

“The ring will allow you to enter the castle and attend the conclave. Reaching the fortress is our main challenge, as the people despise the Frankish priests and may waylay us.”

“That won’t be a problem,” I said. “I can travel to any place or time you direct. My concern is not being observed when I appear.”

She nodded and resumed. “Tell them you carry the concerns of certain English bishops. Your presence requires no further explanation. Brian de Bois-Guilbert may question you, since there were reports of your capture and death at Acre. Reply that you were indeed captured but owe your #deliverance from the infidels to the grace of God. If he presses you further, say you escaped Salah ad-Din’s massacre of prisoners due to a miracle. Otherwise, remain silent; your French won’t pass as William’s.”

I nodded again.

“I can’t help you with what you will find in the castle, but your silence and the ring should carry you through. When you leave, I will have an escort waiting for you.”

“No need,” I said. “I’ll appear in this shrine’s courtyard in a week’s time.”

“Then rest well tonight, for tomorrow you enter the Evil One’s lair. May God and the Theotokos be with you.”

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#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 110 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus
#Wss366 perch #TimeTravelAuthors 06/17. glimmer/shine)

Everyone at the table fell silent as Georgina continued in French, “The others here are aware of what is needful for them to know. They only require your answer to our request. From time immemorial, the Illuminated Ones have held conclaves with the earthly forces of the Tempter. With a net of lies, they draw them in, seeking the downfall of mankind and the spread of their unholy domination.”

“Tomorrow, the vultures will leave their #perch to meet with the Frankish devils to form a compact. I would seek knowledge of their council, but the Evil One guards them too well. As light repels dark, so darkness negates the light. But you, a follower of the holy man of India, dwell not in the dark, even though you have not embraced the light of the true faith. You who are neither mortal nor divine, are a torch by which we may illuminate their den of iniquity. The Lord has answered my prayers and sent you.”

“Then you don’t know their goals?” I asked.

“Nay. Just that they seek the downfall of the Race of Adam and a return of a great evil: the people of the Ancient Serpent.”

“How are we supposed to get in if she can’t?” Emily asked me. “We’d be mugs if we tried time-traveling in?”

While it was possible to do that, as Emily indicated, the risk of discovery was extreme. So far, I had arrived in places with a passable identity, but no one had been trying to detect intruders. This time, however, we’d be arriving among fellow time-trippers: hostile ones, at that. Even if they didn’t discover us outright, our ignorance of the situation would surely trip us up.

I repeated my partner’s question in French.

“We will supply you with robes and a passkey.” With these words, Georgina removed a packet from her sash. Greek writing and sacred Christian symbols adorned the wrapping. Without touching the contents, she unwrapped it, revealing a gold signet ring. Just as the Lance of Longinus back at the British Museum had given a holy radiance, so did the ring, only it #glimmered with malevolence.

The priest grimaced, shielding his face as he leaned away, but the guards failed to react. Clearly, not everyone was “privileged” to know its nature.

Georgina held it out to me and said, “This contains a fragment of salt from Lot’s wife. It is unusable by me. It was taken from a young chaplain who perished in Palestine. With this, you may gain entry into their council.”

She paused and asked, “Will you take it and aid us, daughter of the Indian Sage?”

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#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 109 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 liquid #TimeTravelAuthors 06/13. rich/poor)

I bowed to the Copts assembled around the table. “It is my honor. I am Henrietta Bijou, and you have my humble apology if I have desecrated your robes.”

Georgina conferred with the others in what sounded like Greek, then returned to French to speak with me. “We understand your need. Please sit and break bread with us. Tell your companion she may join us if she is able.”

“She can’t,” I said, sitting down on a rough stool.

The priest broke off pieces of a loaf of coarse brown bread and handed them around. Set within easy reach was a dish of olive oil and another of salt to accompany the bread. He then poured a heavy red #liquid into our cups, and we all sipped the contents: a Greek wine laced with resin that was not to my taste. The fare was #poor, as the prior dinner had been #rich, but the meal was no less hospitable.

Emily took a small piece of bread and a sip of my drink. “A token of my friendship,” she said.

When I translated, Georgina nodded and spoke to the wide-eyed guards. The priest protested, and I made out just enough to tell he was saying something about magic.

When they were done, our guide said to me, “He thinks you’re a sorceress, but I’ve assured him you’re not. He’ll be guided by me. I hope you will as well, for what I need to speak of is grave. The true sorcerers and spawn of Satan hold a conclave on the morrow, and we must know what devilry they plan. The Holy Spirit has sent you to us to be our ears. Do not fail us.”

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#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 108 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 skate #TimeTravelAuthors 06/5. A relationship you love in your story

I followed Emily’s gaze across the shrine’s courtyard to the priest who was now approaching. I dematerialized the mask. The Coptic robes were going to be problematic enough without the mask adding complications. I might have #skated by fooling Byzantine Christians, but these were real Copts.

The man stopped a few paces away and examined me. Then, in barbarous French, he said, “Come, she awaits you.”

“Who is ‘she?’” Emily asked.

I didn’t answer, of course. Not only didn’t I know, but the priest was too close not to have noticed me speaking.

He led me to a room off to the side of the courtyard. At a glance, I could tell it wasn’t the main shrine. Instead of an altar, icons decorated the bare walls. Their lamps shed a faint light over the chamber, scenting the air. Cowled figures rose from where they sat around a table.

I recognized the bodyguards who had accompanied us earlier. Their scowls remained unchanged. To them, I was still an outsider. There were two other people present: a priest in finer vestments and our original guide. Her (And I do mean her) cowl was thrown back, revealing the face of an Egyptian woman with dark hair and darker eyes.

“Two can play at that game,” Emily said. “But she does a better job.”

As much as I like Emily, it wasn’t the place for that. Had she forgotten that our guide could see and probably hear her?

“I bid you welcome, travelers. I am Georgina of Alexandria,” the woman said. “Will you sit and refresh yourselves? You are safe here, and we have much to discuss. The Illuminated Ones are meeting tomorrow, so we have little time.”

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#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 107 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 stake #TimeTravelAuthors 06/3 raise/rise)

The evening had cooled, and the streets were nearly empty. Mosquitoes had replaced the daytime flies. The stench was unchanged.

The servant hurried us along. His glances around him revealed his nervousness.

Emily scouted ahead. This was an occupied city, temporarily ruled by the iron-fisted Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon. We had yet to learn what their link was with the Lapin Cabal, though it seemed clear one existed. Why else would the Templars be hunting us?

The Shrine of Saint George was nearby, and we soon arrived there unharmed. The servant took his leave as we entered a torch-lit courtyard.

Emily and I stopped just inside the arched opening and stood in the shadows to talk. A priest across the yard glanced my way but made no move to investigate.

“What occurred back there?” my partner asked. “Did you really create a relic?”

“Yeah, I think so. Don’t ask me how. When I tried manifesting one a second earlier, I couldn’t, but when I broke off that piece of the crown, it was magical. I didn’t ask for that; it just happened.”

“I lost my faith a long time ago, but I have to ask: Are you a saint? You’re not like any ghost I’ve ever heard of.”

“Absolutely not! I’m not even a Christian. That whole idea makes me very uncomfortable.”

“What if the priest were right?”

“I wouldn’t #stake my ‘life’ on it.”

“Ha ha. A holly #stake, no doubt.”

“I’m #rising in the world,” I thought. “My bad jokes are getting a response.”

“Furthermore, I would ask, which priest and about what? You just saw a Buddhist impersonating a Copt perform a miracle: a fraud, a flagrant liar, and most would say an unredeemable heretic. How does that fit into any conventional theological framework?”

She nodded.

“Regardless, it means something, but what? Why could I manifest a relic?”

She nodded again and turned toward the sound of footsteps crossing the courtyard.

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#TimeTravelingGhost EP 10: Post 106 1191, Nicosia, Cyprus

#Wss366 buzz #TimeTravelAuthors Whatever)

The meal was excellent, and I resisted the urge to overindulge in the roast lamb, fragrant with garlic and rosemary. Communal loaves of bread accompanied the dinner. I was surprised to find that it was white, though still coarser than what I was accustomed to. There were greens as well, and lentils stewed with onions and cumin. The Delphinas had plainly spared little in welcoming me. It almost made me feel guilty for deceiving them.

Cool, watered wine, faintly scented with bitter orange, accompanied the food. Emily didn’t need to remind me to drink sparingly. Heavy drinking was inappropriate for the role I played, as well as socially gauche and dangerous.

At the end of the dinner came honey cakes and dried fruit. Despite my attempt to eat sparingly, I was stuffed. Honestly, it was the best meal I could remember having. While the meals on the Hindenburg and Titanic were superbly prepared, they were pretentious. The food here was cooked with love and impressed one by its own merits rather than fancy ingredients.

When the meal was done, I murmured a prayer blessing the family, and then I gave my excuses for needing to leave for the shrine. I was sure the tutor was relieved to hear that, even if Zoé’s face fell when he interpreted what I said.

The master of the house provided me with a servant to light my way.

At the door, the wife pressed upon me small loaves of bread, wrapped in cloth. The scholar translated, “For the road, holy pilgrim.”

The daughter rushed forward, pressing a bundle of honey cakes into my hand. In turn, I attempted to manifest a fragment of St. Catherine’s Wheel to present to her, but was horrified when it failed to appear. I was unsure why. Manifestations had always succeeded as long as they were period-appropriate. Had I overreached? Perhaps what I’d asked for was a holy relic like the lance we had seen in the British Museum, and if so, why didn’t I get a substituted sliver of ordinary wood similar to how I had manifested rough natural chalk in the coral pyramid?

I still wanted to give the child something and to show my appreciation for the hospitality I had received, so I reached up and broke off a small fragment of the carved crown of thorns decorating my mask. When I held it out, the wood gave off a faint glow.

The mother gasped, and everyone signed themselves. From somewhere came the #buzz of amazed servants. Personally, the miracle shocked me speechless. Most surprising of all, the tutor fell to his knees and begged, “Forgive me, holy one.”

Finding my voice again, I said, “You don’t need my forgiveness. Your faithfulness to your master suits you well. May the Lord bless you for it.”

With that, I left the stunned family behind.

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