The Wishmonger Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 THE MAN IN BLACK REVEALED

Roger ran to the door of the elevator. He nearly tipped over one of the heavy book carts dragging it out of the way. He flipped the power on and pushed the basement button, the old machine rattled and thumped its way down. The gate flew up with a bang and dust billowed from it as Roger bolted out of the elevator car.

“It's about time,” Joey said, looking up from a book he had been calmly reading.

Roger smiled, “You won't believe what just happened to me while you were sitting down here reading.”

The boys rode up, Roger recounting his adventures while Joey listened, wide eyed. The front door refused to open, but it only took a minute to find a modern fire escape door with a push bar that led to a ramp and the boys were out in the open air.

From their vantage point near the steps of the bandstand gazebo they watched the library for the rest of the afternoon, looking for some sign of a fleeing Matthias, none came. After their harrowing moments in the library basement, Joey and Roger were both certain they would never feel the same about a trip to the library again.

Being none the worse for wear the two were now doubly determined to solve the mystery before them. What was the purpose of the skeleton key, and where would they find the key to the fountain? Undoubtedly, as Matthias had said, it would be in the last place they looked.

Roger was now convinced that a part of the answer lay in the hall of records on the top floor of the library. Why else would Matthias be headed there after hours? And what about the voice? That was one part of this riddle that neither of the boys was eager to investigate.

After much discussion they decided that the answer lay in solving Matthias’ riddle. They would assume for now that they had already asked, and received the small silver skeleton key. Now, they reasoned their next step would be to seek out the lock that it opened. Having no other leads than the idea of searching the hall of records, and since the library was closed for the day, Roger suggested an expedition to the fountain. It was just now four o’clock and both boys were expected at Roger’s house for dinner at six, so they should have plenty of time.

They hitched Joey’s chair to Roger’s bike and set off. After making certain they were not being observed, Roger turned off into the drive that lead to the park. Joey’s chair fit neatly through the door in the gate, which was a bit of a concern, and in less than a quarter hour they found themselves in the fountain gazebo.

Joey spent several speechless minutes just letting the reality sink in. Although he had complete faith in his friend this was truly the kind of thing you had to see for yourself. The boys were enjoying the moment so much they almost didn’t hear the voices.

As usual it was Joey that heard them first, “Sshh! Listen! I hear voices!”

Roger froze, he heard them too. If someone was coming he knew they couldn’t be seen here. He ran quietly back toward the Gazebo trail. From his vantage point behind the trunk of a huge oak tree Roger had a clear view of the gate. Parked in the middle of the drive, its brilliant chrome grill gleaming like a monstrous set of teeth was a huge, jet-black limousine. Two men stood at the gate, fumbling with the lock.

“Are you sure that’s the key?” The first one, dressed all in black, with his face wrapped in a black scarf, wore dark glasses. Roger thought he recognized the voice from the library.

The second man was nervous, “Yes, I’m sure! I have used it before, you know!”

The first one was definitely in charge, “Hurry up, you fool! I can not afford to be seen here!”

The key slid into the lock and the second man wrestled the chain off the gate, “You? Nobody here knows you. What about me?” There was something familiar about the second man too! It was Mayor Wish, Roger was certain of it!

The two men pushed the gates open and climbed into the back of the car. Roger wondered why they hadn’t made their chauffeur open the gate. They were headed to the fountain, that much was certain. He and Joey would only have seconds to hide the bike and find cover. Roger ran for all he was worth.

When he entered the gazebo he knew something was wrong! Where was Joey, where was his bike?

“Psst! Hey! Up here!” Roger looked up in amazement, there was Joey safely nestled in the arms of a giant Oak.

Roger ran to the tree, “How’d you do it?”

“I’ll explain later, give me your hand,” Joey whispered.

Roger reached up and Joey hauled him up into the branches of the giant tree, “What happened to your chair, and my bike?”

Joey threw a thumb over his shoulder, “I improvised”.

Roger looked to where his friend had pointed. He hadn’t realized it, but the fountain set on the crest of a steep hill. Joey had managed to roll both the bike and his chair down it. They lay tangled in a bush, dusty but unhurt. He didn’t even ask how he’d gotten into the tree. Due to propelling himself in a wheelchair Joey had the most developed arms of any thirteen year old Roger had ever seen. Combine that with a grip that could practically crush a cue ball, and you get the idea.

The boys watched in silence as the limousine pulled to a stop at the foot of the fountain path. Two men got out and walked quickly up to the fountain.

“They’ve been here already!” Mayor Wish said.

“I told you! I knew this would happen. We should have stopped him permanently years ago!” The man in black snarled, “You didn’t have the guts years ago! Now that our plan is in place…” he cursed. Roger was sure now, this was the voice from the library.

“As long as they don’t find that key…”said the mayor.

“ Yes, as long as,” said the man in black, “By the way, where is that key?”

“I told you it’s somewhere safe!” the mayor was practically cowering.

“What you mean is you don’t know. I want you to spend

every available moment on it, do you understand? I want that key found yesterday.” The man in black removed his dark glasses! He was blind! Just like the dragon in Roger’s dream. No wonder he couldn’t find Matthias in the library. “What’s over there?” he pointed straight to where the boys lay hidden!

“Just an old oak tree.” the mayor grew more nervous by the second.

“Just a tree, you’re sure? I could swear we were being watched!” the boys shuddered and hugged the trunk closer.

“No, there’s no one there. Just a tree like I told you. We’d better go. I’m due to hand out awards at the festival picnic. If I’m late there could be questions.” The mayor walked to the limousine and stood glancing fearfully around while the man in black surveyed the hillside with his blind although, Roger thought, far from unseeing eyes.

Finally he seemed satisfied and walked back to the car. The mayor opened and held the door for him. They both climbed in and the limousine sped down the hill, stopping so the mayor could hop out to close and lock the gate. The mayor turned nervously and looked back up the hill to their hiding place. Both boys gulped! Then he climbed in and the limousine roared away.

“Whoah! What was that all about?” Joey turned to Roger who sat speechlessly watching the speeding limousine.

“I’m not sure but it seems like our friend in black has every intention of beating us to that key.” Roger let himself down from his perch and scrambled down the hill to retrieve the bike and wheelchair.

When Roger and Joey wheeled into the driveway of Roger’s house his father was packing the picnic things into the trunk of his car, “There you are. We were just about to leave without you,” he joked.

Joey laughed, “What, and eat all that chicken by yourself?”

“Jeanie was going to help, of course,” Roger was glad to hear his Dad in such a great mood, “Roger, grab that other camp chair out of the garage. It’s on the top shelf.”

Roger climbed the stepladder and tugged the nylon, folding chair off the shelf. Behind it Roger saw the corner of a carton. It was exactly like the pressboard cartons in the library basement. Roger had just spent the better part of two days filling a rental truck with every earthly possession the Pine family owned, and he was certain this had not been among them.

“Hey, what’s the hold up with that chair?” James Pine stood smiling, with hands on hips, watching Roger

Roger looked at the carton wistfully. It would have to wait. Besides, there had to be millions of boxes like that, it was probably left here by the previous owners. He tossed the chair in the trunk, and helped his Dad fit Joey’s chair between the picnic basket and the cooler.

“Boy that salesman was right when he sold me on the big trunk. I never thought I’d need all this space, but look at that.” He ruffled Roger’s hair and shut the trunk.

Picnic blankets decorated the library lawn like a giant patchwork quilt. Roger and Joey helped carry the picnic things to a spot near Joey’s parents and then hurried off to enjoy the festival. The last night of the festival of wishes was like New Years and the fourth of July rolled into one. The boys bought sparklers, noisemakers, and party hats. A big band played in the bandstand. Clowns strolled through the crowd making balloon animals, and a stilt walker juggled flaming batons, it was great!

At eight o’clock, on the dot, the band stopped. The stilt-walker blew out his batons and the clowns tied off their last balloons. The crowd began to migrate toward the bandstand where a podium had been erected for the annual mayor’s address. Roger and Joey found their parents. Both boys were curious to hear what the mayor would have to say. They wondered if the events of the afternoon would color the evening.

At precisely five after eight a busy little man with a large
red bowtie took the stage. He walked excitedly to the microphone, “My name is Herbert McEldrew. As many of you know it has been my honor to serve as deputy mayor of our fine town for more than twenty years.” A few hoots and a ‘way to go Herb’ greeted this introduction.

“Thank you, thank you very much. I hope that you all have enjoyed our seventy-fifth annual Festival of Wishes! Now, without further adieu, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the man that has made this wonderful evening a reality. In truth, without his generous family, our little burg would not exist. Please welcome our Mayor, Mr. Ishmael Wish!”

There was a flurry of applause as Mayor Ishmael Wish walked to the microphone, “Thank you! Thank you Herb for those kind words, and thank you citizens of Wishful for your warm welcome. As Herb so graciously mentioned it has been my honor to follow in the footsteps of my father, grandfather, and great grandfather as mayor of Wishful. On this the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of wishful it is my privilege to bring to the microphone the lady of the evening, the queen of this fair festival, Miss Wish, Lacy Gillespie!”

A highschool girl mounted the steps of the bandstand. She wore a red evening gown and a gilt banner that proclaimed her as ‘Miss Wish’.

“As is our custom on this occasion I will now ask Miss Wish to make the ceremonial wish for continued prosperity and health in the coming year. Following that she will be giving her rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star,” the mayor proclaimed, dropping a golden coin into her hand.

The crowd collectively held their breath as Lacy flipped the coin in a perfect arc toward the water of the “official fountain of wishes” which was conveniently placed on the bed of a trailer parked next to the bandstand.

“Joey, look!” Roger hissed. His attention had been drawn

to the steps of the library. The boys watched as a dark shadow bolted down the stair, flashed across the lawn weaving through the crowd toward the bandstand. Amazingly it seemed as if the two boys were the only ones to see the little old man until he reached the steps of the bandstand, “that’s Matthias.”

By now the whole crowd was aware of the storyteller as he leaped between the girl and the fountain. Just as the coin reached the peak of its travel, his grizzled hand shot out and snatched the golden disk, then, he was gone!

The crowd sat in stunned silence. The mayor appeared to be undergoing core meltdown. The only person that seemed unfazed was the man in dark glasses that now stood at the microphone.

It was the man in black! Without the black scarf Roger thought the man looked vaguely familiar, “Citizens of Wishful, listen to me.” The crowd was coming alive. Scattered murmurs were hushed by the man’s next statement, “Your town is in grave danger! The man you just witnessed stealing your wish is a despicable character. He and his cohorts are plotting a diabolical scheme to turn the hearts and minds of every citizen of this town away from the steady course that has guided you for the past fifty years. He and others like him do not believe like you and I. They will stop at nothing to destroy your town, your livelihood, your very way of life. They are determined to stop progress in its tracks. I am here to see that that does not happen,” with that the man took a golden coin from his pocket and without so much as a glimmer of hesitation flipped it directly into the fountain.

He left the bandstand followed by the mayor and two other men in dark suits. The crowd’s eyes followed the man as he and his entourage swept out of the square and leapt into a black limousine, speeding off in the direction of the Fountain Park.

Suddenly Roger knew what it was that was familiar. He looked to his left where James Pine sat with his face buried on his mother’s shoulder. Minus the dark glasses, the man in black looked exactly like his father!

The Pine family rode home in silence. Joey had opted to ride home with his parents. Roger’s mother caught his eye in the rearview mirror. She was driving, his father was too upset, “So, now you know,” she said.

But he didn’t, he didn’t know anything and something told him that now was definitely not the time to ask. The next morning was Sunday and Roger and his mother went to Church by themselves for the first time in recent memory. His father was still soundly asleep thanks to two extra-strength sleeping pills.

Roger and Joey sat together on the outside aisle talking quietly, “So, your Dad’s pretty wigged out, huh?”

“You could say that, wouldn’t you be?” Roger asked.

“Yeah, I guess so. So the man in black is your uncle, huh?” Joey’s eyes were as big as dinner plates.

Roger squirmed uncomfortably, “That’s about all I could get out of my Mom. She wouldn’t even tell me that much until after my Dad fell asleep. I get the impression that no one has seen him for a long time.”

Joey scratched his ear absently, “I wonder why?”

“Me too,” Roger thought to himself.

When Roger and his mother got home the long black

limousine was parked outside their house. Roger’s heart felt like it would explode! His head was tight and he could hardly breathe. The man in black was sitting in his living room!

“Well, hello Benedict. Roger this is your father’s brother, Benedict Pine.” Roger’s mother said all of this with icy politeness.

“Hello, Roger, you can call me uncle Ben,” the man in black held out his hand.

Roger felt his mother’s hand on his shoulder gently, pushing him toward the man in black. He looked up at her, pleading.

She smiled at him apologetically, “Shake hands with

your uncle, Roger.”

The man’s hand felt like ice. “Look at this, almost a man and never met your uncle Ben. That seems a shame.”

Actually, Roger couldn’t think of anything that was less of a shame, “Where’s my Dad?” he asked.

“ I don’t know. The door was unlocked so I let myself in. I thought he was at Church with you.” The man said.

Shuffling footsteps announced James’ late arrival to the family reunion, taking place in his living room, “You,” he said quietly, “Are not welcome here. You need to leave.”

Benedict Pine didn’t scare easily, “I just came to meet Roger.”

“ You’ve seen him. Now you need to leave.” Roger knew that his father had chosen that word carefully, -seen-, if it was intended to hurt it had no visible effect on the man.

“You should be careful who you try to intimidate. I just came to “see” my nephew. Roger, I wondered if I might talk to you alone?” Benedict smiled, sending shivers down Roger's spine.

Roger swallowed, hard, “Alright, but then you go, deal?”

Benedict Pine extended his hand, “Deal.”

Roger led the blind man out of the house without shaking

his hand. They stopped on the driveway, “I came to warn you. You and your little friend don’t know what you’re messing with. You have no idea the power that fountain can wield.” Benedict spoke calmly.

“You sound scared,” roger said. The next thing he knew his feet dangled in air and his uncle’s face was so close he could feel his stubble.

The man in black, who looked like his father, whispered in his ear, “If you think I care whose kid you are, you’re wrong. Now, you tell that old meddler to stay out of my way, that means away from the fountain too, do you understand?”

Roger rubbed his raw neck as he watched the limousine
drive away. His father sat at the table drinking a cup of coffee. “A twin brother? What else don’t I know?” the boy demanded.

James stood up and began to pace. He didn’t think he could do this sitting down. “Yes, ironically enough I have an evil twin. Now you know my deep dark secret, happy?”

“But that doesn’t explain anything! Who is he? What is he doing here? And why were you keeping him a secret?” a million other questions burst in Roger’s mind but they would have to wait.

Roger’s father let out a deep sigh, “He is my brother, the owner of Wishful first bank and trust and all around power broker. I’m not really sure why he’s stayed here all these years, but he’s never up to any good. And last but not least, I’m keeping him a secret for personal reasons, satisfied?”

“I guess I’ll have to be,” Roger fumed.