The Way into the Mountains

"Pieces of Eight, English pounds, Russian rubles, gems, jewelry,
who knows what else?"
"You really think that is up there?"
"I won't bet my life on it, but I will wager some of my time on it."
"Speaking of time, have you seen Cosmole lately?"

Still waiting on Destiny

Spring is 19 days old and a birthday announces how much closer to my death day I am. The funny thing, even if you do it correctly you only get to celebrate your death day once.

We are inside an impenetrable bubble, until our fragility breaks and we give up our pink green shine and disappear in a few teardrops. In the brief exposure of lightning, you cannot read, only remember.

Stamping the Envelope

"There is a place on the mountain that these people have gone, we think we know where it is, but irregardless we need to find them. They have already been gone thirty hours. The weather is moving in. But remember no haste. Any questions?" Sheriff.

"Do you think there is a treasure up there?" Ben.

"No. Serious questions?"

"Do we get to keep the treasure if we find it?" Hunter.

"I can't tell you that." Sheriff.

"So there is reasonable doubt?" Ivan.

Whose day is Tuesday?

"It is unfortunate, but it is Tiw or Tyr, a Norse god of war, one armed. It was interesting how they saw the world. Ragnorak is especially interesting. but another day.

How many we got out?

"There are six going going up now as the hasty team. In about two hours I hope to be sending eight more in the strong team." Sheriff.

"Is there anyway to get a helicopter?"

"Right now it would be a waste of time since we are not sure where they are at... Are you sure you have told everything you know about this?" Sheriff.

"I have. She's my sister, one is my niece and the other is my friend. The clues, I can go over those again if you'd like. But we were all convinced the old mine was the site of the cache."

"I hope you are right. I'll be going up with the next team. And the weather says storms. Do you think these ladies are prepared? Food, weather gear, shelter?" Sheriff.

"Electra knows what she is doing, so I imagine they are ready."

"Besides general worries why did you call us?" Sheriff.

"Well..."

How much do you think it could be worth?

"There could be several thousand dollars worth of gold, which could be worth more than the value by weight, depending on the form it is in." Mr Chas

"What sort of forms do you think most likely?", asked Liz as she took a sip of tea.

Mr Chas looked over at Fed?, raised his eyebrows and took a sip of tea. Fed? sighed sipped his tea, paused then spoke, "It is probably mostly in the form of chalices, implements of the rituals, gilded squares, compasses, trowels, maybe some sceptres and orbs. I think that most of the lists we have looked at were fairly accurate, with some 'wishes' in there... This isn't National Treasure, the film, this is Crestone, the blog..."

"The value is in the provenance, the history, it is very unlikey there is any of the treasure of 'the Czars', as it is being called, in the Masonic cache. That I think purely pie in the sky." Mr Chas

Liz sipped her tea...

Everyone was looking for them.

"The Sheriff is on his way, Search and Rescue are over at the Firehouse getting ready, what else can we do?"

"Stay out of the way, we are probably in enough trouble as it is.."

"But you said we weren't going to get in trouble?.."

"You two are always in trouble.."

"What about you? Oh no I tried talking you two out of this. Let's go see if they are up at the coffeshop."

"Might as well."

"I thought you said they were lost up in the mountains."

"Not them, Brassy and her crew."

More Info

Downhome at the town pump the pews and aisles were filling ahead of the worship service. The pastor and the deacon made ready. "What’s the special?", Mellow. "#3!", PastorAl.

"It doesn’t bother me to remind people. Otherwise it gets lost or grows stale, neither one a good condition." PastorAl.

"What movie is it gonna be?" For you see on Friday night the music and praise portion of the schedule, the TV at the end of the bar can be on, but the sound is turned down. It is usually the TCM channel, sometimes it is call and response: "You’d be surprised how much old dialogue is stored in the heads gathered there."

"No, no sports come back on the Sabbath, the specials are seven and ten. It’s a good time... We’ve got three TVS going, the one in the bar, but we put two out in the great room, one by the pool and shuffleboard and one by the fire. No, no, billiards.", Mellow.

"I think three TVs is a good idea, healed many a case of ESPN neck.. I mean you can sit on the couch.", one.

"Yeah and it gets some of the more odious fans of repellant teams outta the bar.", another.

Start of the spike

"Happy does the cleaning, splits Wednesdays between the firehouse during the afternoon and the library after they close. We’ll get her to let us in, you'll distract her and I’ll have a look at the books."

"Why don’t I get to look at the books while you distract her?"

"My dear, do you remember the xrays at the denstist office, when we had a dentist? You’re better at distractions and I’m better with details. What does it matter since we both share the details?"

Later halfway home, in the library. "Where’s Grams?"

"That’s not her name."

"Where is she?"

"Probably in the little girls’s room. Can I check my email or not?.. I just know he is going to be a match for me... Please?"

"This matchmaker service, is it free?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Aehh, couldn’t possibly work. I got to finish the vacuming. Hurry up."

She’s like a pigeon on a ledge. She’s there but she’s not comfortable.