Chapter 13
Interpretation
She gave him the Reader’s Digest version, not going into full detail. Dr.Kellinglistened without interrupting to the point where she had to make sure he was still there.
“Uncle Chet?”
“I…yeah. I…” He cleared his throat. When he spoke again, it was obvious he’d turned his head to talk to someone else. “Yeah,Irmine. I’m on the phone with her now. She’s okay. What’s up?”
“Dr.Kelling, that big statue? The one you said looks like a gargoyle? It’s gone,” the man intoned in what sounded like disbelief.
Brielle could only imagine what her uncle’s expression was. “It’s…gone?”
“We finally cleared the last of the sand. The pedestal, that big rock is still there, but thestatue is gone. And we know there’ve been no trucks or other equipment come through that could have hauled it away.”
“Have you notified the authorities?”
“Yes. They’re sending a couple of people over to take a report.”
There was a heavy sigh. “Brielle, let me call you back for a video chat.Irmine, stay here. You have to hear this.”
“There’ssomething I need to add,” she hastily told him. “That rock-like thing that attacked the intruder? He,uhh, he kidnapped me.”
“What?”
“Ithoughthe kidnapped me, but now I’m not so sure. I mean, after that guy shot him, then took off, the thing grabbed me, and we flew away from the museum.”
“When I got a call from the museum curator about the break-in,he told me the guards saw you leaving with the suspect. They’re looking for you, Brie. They’re wanting to question you. Where are you now?”
“I don’t know. Inside some warehouse on the docks.”
“West side?”
“Hell if I know.”
“Hang up so I can call you back,” he ordered tersely.
She disconnected the call and waited for the manto reconnect them. As she silently counted off the seconds, she glanced over at the creature—atGarenth—who appeared to be asleep. Appeared to be, but she was willing to bet he was listening to everything she was saying. Aware of everything going on around them.
A heavy sense of sorrow covered her like an invisible blanket. This man, this creature, this impossible being had beenliterally thrown into a new time and place he was totally unfamiliar with. Forced to face circumstances and a new life he had no control over. The idea of her having to deal with the same thing was impossible to imagine.
The phone rang again, and her uncle’s face came into view.Irminehovered over his shoulder. Gazing at her,Kellingmanaged to smile. “Hearing your voice is onething, Brie, but I had to see for myself. Where is the giant creature you said helped rescue you?”
In answer, she turned the phone around to show him. Both men gasped in shock. She swiveled the call back to her. “Is that the same gargoyle that you said was in that new excavation?” she asked almost blithely.
“How did it get there?”Irminewondered aloud.
Brielle managed a lopsided grin. “My first guess would be that it flew.”
“And it hasn’t been aggressive at all toward you?” her uncle queried.
“No. Other than trying to talk to me, and then taking me…wait. When the guy who shot at me and him shot out the back door to the warehouse and took off, it set off the alarms. I thinkGarenthsaw some of the guards comingdownstairs and thought they were dangerous, so he left, too. What I don’t understand is why he had to take me with him.”
“Garenth?”
Brielle shrugged as she shook her head. “I can’t understand a single word he says, but we did manage to exchange names. At least I think that’s his name. It could be what kind of creature he is, for all I know.”
IrminepokedKellingon the shoulder. “If he is from that era we believe he’s from, just think of it! He speaks a language no one has ever heard before! A language we’ve only seen inscribed on walls and stone!”
