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Authors: Daniel Blackaby
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awkwardly blanketed with an ill-fitting disguise of pleasantry.
“Um . . . yes . . . Sir. Very nice weather. Can’t complain,” replied Jade uneasily. The man looked at the piece of paper in Cody’s hand. “I couldn’t help but overhear you reading as I came in. Sounded like po etry. D. H. Lawrence, perhaps? Good poet, nice and British,” he said in the same disinterested tone. Cody shot a side-glance over to Jade. “Um . . . actually no . . . it’s a . . . map . . . of sorts,” he responded nervously, internally kicking himself for revealing too much information. For the first time something spiked the strange man’s interest.
“A map you say? In words . . . like a riddle? Interesting .
. . very interesting. So you guys are on a quest? A treasure hunt, perhaps?” The man’s tongue came out, resting on his upper lip as he leaned forward. Cody could feel Jade’s hand lightly shaking against his leg as she answered. “It’s nothing though. Just two kids with wild imaginations. You know how that can be.”
At this the man let out a surprisingly jolly laugh. “Oh, don’t you kids worry about me. If there’s one thing we Brits know a thing or two about, it’s treasure hunts! I had in my mind once to head off on a search for the Holy Grail! Can you imagine that! Instead I was forced into a much more meaningful job. But just between you and me, every now and again, I still get that hankering for some Grail hunting. It’s in the blood! Your secret is safe with ol’ Dunstan. I promise I won’t mention it again.” With this he heartily slapped his leg and let out another jolly laugh.
“So, what was that meaningful job that put an end to your quest?” asked Cody as he quickly stuffed Wesley’s letter back into his pocket. Dunstan smiled, revealing his uneven yellow-stained teeth. “I’d tell you . . . but then I’d have to kill you . . .” He paused, his stern eyes burrowing their way into Cody’s soul. Cody realized both he and Jade were holding their breath. Suddenly the man’s mouth morphed into a sly grin and he, again, begin to laugh. Cody and Jade joined in half-heartedly.
“So where did you youngins say you were from again?”
“We didn’t. But we are from Havenwood, Utah. You ever visit there?”
The man looked to the ceiling thinking for a moment. “Havenwood . . . Havenwood . . . can’t say that I have,” he replied at last, the words dripping slowly from his mouth. “But I did know a chap who lived there. What was his name? Wesley, Wesley Simon. Yes, I think that was it. Good man. Nice and British! You ever know the man?” Cody jerked at the mention of the name. Surely this man can’t know. Can he?
“Um, can’t say I know a Wesley Simon. Sorry.”
The man didn’t seem to be bothered by the reply; he raised his thick blond eyebrow. “Well, when you get home you should look him up. Believe he owns some sort of old bookstore. You two rascals would probably enjoy that, could get some more of that poetry!” With this he gave an exaggerated wink and let out another chuckle. “Elderly man though, should probably visit him soon, never know how long a man like that will live,” he added sternly. He gazed stilly at the children.
A voice sounded over the loudspeaker: Ladies and gentlemen. We have come to the end of our trip. Welcome to Las Vegas. Please return to your seats. We will be arriving at the station shortly.
Dunstan stood slowly and reached for his hat, having rediscovered his good humor. “Las Vegas! Never been to a city like it. And, I’d bet you thirty pounds that you’ll never find a city as wonderful!” Jade smiled, having been put to ease at the man’s high spirits. “But don’t they call it Sin City? Doesn’t sound like such a wonderful place to me.”
Dunstan grinned. “True, true. But you see, the key is changing your perspective. Nothing is ever how it first appears. Once you step back and look at what is not obvious, then that’s the very thing
“Um . . . yes . . . Sir. Very nice weather. Can’t complain,” replied Jade uneasily. The man looked at the piece of paper in Cody’s hand. “I couldn’t help but overhear you reading as I came in. Sounded like po etry. D. H. Lawrence, perhaps? Good poet, nice and British,” he said in the same disinterested tone. Cody shot a side-glance over to Jade. “Um . . . actually no . . . it’s a . . . map . . . of sorts,” he responded nervously, internally kicking himself for revealing too much information. For the first time something spiked the strange man’s interest.
“A map you say? In words . . . like a riddle? Interesting .
. . very interesting. So you guys are on a quest? A treasure hunt, perhaps?” The man’s tongue came out, resting on his upper lip as he leaned forward. Cody could feel Jade’s hand lightly shaking against his leg as she answered. “It’s nothing though. Just two kids with wild imaginations. You know how that can be.”
At this the man let out a surprisingly jolly laugh. “Oh, don’t you kids worry about me. If there’s one thing we Brits know a thing or two about, it’s treasure hunts! I had in my mind once to head off on a search for the Holy Grail! Can you imagine that! Instead I was forced into a much more meaningful job. But just between you and me, every now and again, I still get that hankering for some Grail hunting. It’s in the blood! Your secret is safe with ol’ Dunstan. I promise I won’t mention it again.” With this he heartily slapped his leg and let out another jolly laugh.
“So, what was that meaningful job that put an end to your quest?” asked Cody as he quickly stuffed Wesley’s letter back into his pocket. Dunstan smiled, revealing his uneven yellow-stained teeth. “I’d tell you . . . but then I’d have to kill you . . .” He paused, his stern eyes burrowing their way into Cody’s soul. Cody realized both he and Jade were holding their breath. Suddenly the man’s mouth morphed into a sly grin and he, again, begin to laugh. Cody and Jade joined in half-heartedly.
“So where did you youngins say you were from again?”
“We didn’t. But we are from Havenwood, Utah. You ever visit there?”
The man looked to the ceiling thinking for a moment. “Havenwood . . . Havenwood . . . can’t say that I have,” he replied at last, the words dripping slowly from his mouth. “But I did know a chap who lived there. What was his name? Wesley, Wesley Simon. Yes, I think that was it. Good man. Nice and British! You ever know the man?” Cody jerked at the mention of the name. Surely this man can’t know. Can he?
“Um, can’t say I know a Wesley Simon. Sorry.”
The man didn’t seem to be bothered by the reply; he raised his thick blond eyebrow. “Well, when you get home you should look him up. Believe he owns some sort of old bookstore. You two rascals would probably enjoy that, could get some more of that poetry!” With this he gave an exaggerated wink and let out another chuckle. “Elderly man though, should probably visit him soon, never know how long a man like that will live,” he added sternly. He gazed stilly at the children.
A voice sounded over the loudspeaker: Ladies and gentlemen. We have come to the end of our trip. Welcome to Las Vegas. Please return to your seats. We will be arriving at the station shortly.
Dunstan stood slowly and reached for his hat, having rediscovered his good humor. “Las Vegas! Never been to a city like it. And, I’d bet you thirty pounds that you’ll never find a city as wonderful!” Jade smiled, having been put to ease at the man’s high spirits. “But don’t they call it Sin City? Doesn’t sound like such a wonderful place to me.”
Dunstan grinned. “True, true. But you see, the key is changing your perspective. Nothing is ever how it first appears. Once you step back and look at what is not obvious, then that’s the very thing
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