CHAPTER 64

Bill Cotton’s House

Amidst boisterous complaint from the grandchildren, Bill stopped telling his story long enough for the family to eat supper. The world was dark outside when the family returned to the parlor, but once everyone was settled around the fire, he continued.

“Words cannot describe what I felt as I gathered your grandmother into my arms.” Bill ruffled Robbie’s hair. “Just think: after all those months of searching, your grandmother was right there in the Master’s house.”

“What did you do, Grandpa?” Robbie asked with wide eyes.

“I told Thomas my news from Gaff, and then I whisked your grandmother away to the library where we could talk. I started talking that day, and I guess I’ve never been able to stop.”

Bill glanced at Mary across the room. She looked up from her needles and smiled.

“But, Grandpa,” Joshua said, “what about the final battle with Jabin?”

“Well, I felt different about going to war, knowing that your grandmother was alive,” Bill said. “But I had made a vow to follow Thomas, and I intended to keep it.”

“I’m sorry, Mary,” Bill said, shaking his head. “I don’t want to leave you again, but I promised.”

“I know,” Mary soothed, pressing her finger to Bill’s lips. “You have to go, but I’ll pray for you every moment you are away.”

Bill hugged Mary so hard she thought her bones might break, but she didn’t want him to stop. She was determined her husband would carry a different memory with him this time when he went away.

“You’ll be late,” she whispered, pushing Bill ever so gently away. She turned to lift his shield. She’d worked very hard to design a harness that would hold Bill’s shield in place even without a hand. She began to strap the shield to Bill’s arm.

“Mary,” Bill teased, “I’ll be the only man to eat with his shield, sleep with his shield, and take a bath with his shield.”

“Well, you’d better not take it off or mess with the bindings, Bill Cotton, or you’ll have me to contend with when you return!”

Bill pulled her close. “You’d better believe I’ll contend with you when I get back, young lady!”

Mary smiled, brushed her husband aside, and returned to her work. When the shield was securely in place, she stepped back to examine her handiwork. Looking up at Bill, she scowled and said, “Remember what I told you.”

The two suddenly laughed, and Mary gave Bill a hug and kiss that would carry him for weeks on end.

Bill looked around the parlor at his family. “It was early morning when we rode through the massive gates at Green Meadow,” he said. “Scouts had informed us Jabin was with a vanguard of elite troops somewhere across the meadow, hidden in the darkness.” Bill spoke quietly as he gently caressed Robbie’s small mop of curly hair.

“Lord Hesketh had driven Jabin’s troops away from the gates of Gray Haven, but they were regrouping in the wilderness of the Gray Lands. Gaff was unable to come to our aide, for he was under attack near Great Bend. We had to face Jabin alone.

“I glanced around at those who were assembling on the meadow, and it seemed we all had one thing in common: not one man in the leading vanguard was entirely whole. Every man I saw was scarred in some fashion. For some, the scars were emotional and didn’t show, but for others, the wounds were obvious. Larry Chavez was there. Though he was missing a leg, he refused to stay home, and he was as mobile as anyone when mounted on a horse. He caught my eye when he rode through the gate and waved. He may have been the only man to act as though he was going on a picnic.

“I watched as the strength of Amity poured onto the field. Captains arranged their men, and I took my place beside Philip.

“Finally, Thomas drew his sword and raised it to the sky. The darkness had given way to an overcast dawn. One single ray of sunshine broke through the clouds and struck Thomas’s upturned blade. A shiver ran down my spine, and I wondered if God had given His blessing.

“But time for contemplation was over, for with a loud cry, Thomas surged forward. Philip and I were hot on his heels. I could hear the thunder of horses racing behind me as we charged down the hill. Far overhead I heard an eagle cry, but I felt no fear. After all, this was the Lord’s battle!”

“Ahem!” Mary cleared her throat. “Don’t you think we should let the children get some sleep tonight?” she asked.

“Oh, Grandma!” a chorus of voices complained around the room. “Can’t Grandpa tell us more about the final battle?”

Bill glanced at Mary and grinned. “Well, I will tell you this much: we won! Jabin fled before us. His armies were routed, and we drove them all the way to Promontory Point.”

“What about Lord Hesketh?” Joshua asked.

“He had driven Jabin’s army from the Gray Lands by the time we could assist him, and Gaff had routed his enemies in Emancipation. You know,” Bill said, “many people from the Gray Lands and Emancipation have come to Amity to live, and many from Amity have gone into the wider world. The mixing of our peoples has been a good thing.”

Mary smiled her approval. She was quite sure their talk the night before had given Bill those words.

Bill winked and grinned. “Now, I think your grandmother is right. It’s high time we all went to bed.”

There were grumbles from the children and a general commotion as people began to stir from their places. Suddenly everyone heard Robbie ask, “Grandpa, do you believe in angels?”

“Why, yes, I do!” Bill answered immediately, though a little surprised at the sudden change of subject. “Why do you ask, Robbie?”

“Can they really protect people?” Robbie asked.

“Well, yes,” Bill said. “I’m sure they can and do keep people safe.”

“I mean, wasn’t that an angel that helped Grandma escape Capri?” Robbie continued.

The room grew suddenly quiet as everyone began to focus on this unexpected conversation. Destry looked uneasy. “Really, Robbie,” she protested, “do you have to ask such questions?”

To everyone’s surprise, it was Ned who came to Robbie’s defense. “Robbie has a story I think everyone ought to hear.” The entire family turned their gaze upon Ned, and his face grew quite red. He didn’t like the attention, but he continued. “It’s all right, Robbie. Go ahead and tell the story you told me this morning.”

All eyes turned to Robbie, and Ned sighed with relief.

“Robbie, were you bothering Uncle Ned?” Destry asked.

“He’s the only one who would listen,” Robbie said, his voice wavering. He glanced at his uncle, glad to have one ally in the room but a little unsure of his uncle’s support. “You believe my story, don’t you, Uncle Ned?”

Once again Ned found himself the center of attention. He rubbed his forehead nervously. “Just tell your story, Robbie. We’re all listening.”

“Well,” Robbie said, “this broken leg didn’t happen the way everyone thinks it did.”

“What?” Destry began, but Bill raised his hand for silence.

“I wanted to tell you, Mother,” Robbie said, “but the man told me you wouldn’t understand.”

“Who told you I wouldn’t understand?” Destry fumed. “What are you talking about?”

Robbie was still on his grandpa’s lap, but he squirmed nervously. Bill leaned close to his ear and said, “Why don’t you tell us your story, Robbie?”

“Well,” Robbie began again, “the day I broke my leg, Mother told me not to play too far from the house. I went to play in the barn, but I started to pretend I was Thomas of Amity, and soon I forgot where I was. I started chasing bad guys around the barn and out into the woods. I ran and ran until suddenly I was at the top of Promontory Point.”

“Robbie!” Destry exclaimed. “That’s nearly two miles from home. What on earth were you thinking?”

“Please,” Bill said, holding up his hand. “Let’s hear what Robbie has to say.”

Robbie was glad to have another advocate in the room, and when it was quiet, he began yet again. “Bad guys were all around me, but I was safe because Bosco, our dog, was with me. I drew my knife and slashed back and forth, driving Jabin’s men right to the cliff. I must have gotten too close to the edge, because Bosco began to bark. When I turned to see why he was barking, I slipped and fell.”

“Robbie Cotton!” Destry shouted, leaping to her feet. “You’re scaring me to death!”

“I’m sorry, but the angel said I wasn’t supposed to tell you that until Christmas,” Robbie whimpered.

There was a rustle of surprise around the room, but when Destry spoke again, the anger in her voice was unmistakable. “Robbie Cotton, this has gone on long enough.” She was about to take her son out of the room when Bill again motioned for calm.

Robbie looked rather pathetic. “I really met them, Mother.”

“You met whom?” Destry snapped.

“The angels!” Robbie answered. “Well, I only saw one, but I know there was another.”

“Robbie!” Philip said, rising from his chair. “I think you’ve been listening to Grandpa too long, and now you’re making up stories of your own. We need to have a talk.”

“But the angels are real, Father,” Robbie protested.

Bill opened his mouth to intervene, but Ned spoke first. “Listen, everyone. I think ya need to hear Robbie’s story. Please let him tell it!”

Robbie watched as his parents slowly settled back into their chairs. When he glanced at his mother, he read a clear message in her eyes: “You’d better not embarrass your father or me any further!” He gulped and hesitated.

Grandpa whispered in his ear, “It will be all right. Just tell us your story, Robbie.”

Robbie stirred uneasily. “I was so scared when I fell. I cried for you, Mother. All I could see were rocks getting bigger. I don’t know what happened next, but when I opened my eyes, everything was dark, and I hurt really bad. I couldn’t move or see, but I could hear.

“Somewhere in the dark I heard someone ask, ‘Where did you come from?’

“I wasn’t sure the voice was talking to me, but when I tried to answer, I couldn’t make a sound. Then I heard a second voice ask, ‘Who are you talking to, Wart?’

“By now, I had heard two different voices, but I still couldn’t see anyone. I did want to see the second voice, though, because that one liked to laugh.

“The first voice said, ‘Look who dropped in!’

“And the second voice said, ‘Why, it’s the little Cotton boy!’

“The first voice said, ‘I know who he is, Rudy, but what are we going to do with him?’

“Maybe I should have been scared, but I wasn’t. That second voice sounded so happy; somehow I knew everything was going to be all right.

“The jolly voice said, ‘Well, make him comfortable while I see whether he stays or not.’

“Someone picked me up, and I realized again that I hurt all over, but my leg was the worst. I wanted to ask where we were going, but I couldn’t talk. Someone moved me very gently, and it should have been nice, but all I really wanted was you, Mother.”

Destry instinctively rose, crossed the room, and knelt beside her son. She could not stop the tears from sliding down her cheeks.

Robbie continued. “The first voice said, ‘I think you could use some water.’ The man must have left, but he was back so soon that I couldn’t be sure. ‘Here!’ he said, lifting my head. ‘Drink some of this.’

“The water he pressed to my lips was so cold it hurt my teeth, but with each sip, I began to feel better.

“Just then the jolly voice shouted, ‘Wart, what are you doing?’

“The man giving me water answered, ‘I’m just giving him a drink.’

“‘Well, all right!’ the jolly one said, ‘but don’t make him too comfortable; the boss says he has to go back.’

“The man with the water said, ‘That’s too bad. You know he’d fit right in, even though he is pretty beat up.’

“The jolly man said, ‘I know, Wart, but orders are orders. Why don’t I take him back? You go on to the party.’

“The first voice said, ‘You’d better hurry. The celebration is about to begin, and we don’t want to be late!’

“Again, someone picked me up, and this time I felt like I was floating. I still couldn’t see anything, but I felt much better than I had before drinking the water. Whoever was carrying me was a big man, almost like Uncle Ned, and while he was carrying me, he said, ‘I can’t take you back looking like this! Maybe some of the leaves from this tree will help.’ He gently laid me on the ground, and in a minute he was rubbing something scratchy all over my body. Whatever he put on me began to burn like fire.

“‘Hey, stop it!’ I yelled. ‘That burns!’

“I wanted to cry, but this didn’t seem like the kind of place where anyone ever cried. So I shouted again, ‘Please, get it off!’

“The jolly voice just said, ‘Steady, lad.’

“If the burning wasn’t bad enough, the man began to pull what felt like a big scab off my body. It kind of hurt, but it kind of felt good too. As he peeled something off my face, the darkness around me became lighter, and when he was done, I could see!

“I couldn’t understand where I was. Everything was so green, like spring, only more so. And there, standing in the tall grass, was a huge man as big as Uncle Ned, laughing as he watched me.

“‘Where am I?’ I asked. ‘And who are you?’

“He just smiled and said, ‘It doesn’t really matter who I am or where you are, because you can’t stay. I have to take you home. My boss heard your request.’

“‘What request?’ I asked. ‘I couldn’t talk until now.’

“The big man looked very serious. ‘My boss listens to people’s hearts. He knows what they need even before they know it themselves. He knows you want your mother, and he knows she needs you too.’”

Destry held a hand to her trembling mouth as tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

“The big man suddenly laughed and picked me up like I was a twig. ‘Now to get you home,’ he said.

“One moment we were in a place of bright colors and warmth, and the next everything was brown and cold. I shivered and cuddled closer to the man for warmth. ‘My leg still hurts,’ I complained.

“The big man looked at me soberly. ‘I’m sorry, lad. I can’t do anything about that.’

“‘Why not?’ I asked.

“He shook his head. ‘Pain and suffering help us remember. Now, if you felt no pain, this would all seem like a dream to you, wouldn’t it?’

“‘I suppose,’ I said. ‘I sure never had a dream hurt this much.’

“At that very moment we rounded a bend and saw our farm. ‘Your leg is broken, Robbie,’ the big man said. ‘It will heal in time, but I think your broken leg will help your mother heal too.’

“‘Is my mother sick?’ I asked.

“The big man grinned. ‘She’s not sick in the way you are thinking, Robbie, but she’s not ready to believe everything you’ve just been through.’ He stopped on the far side of the barn and set me on the ground. ‘This is as far as I go.’

“‘Why can’t you take me to the house?’ I begged.

“The big man actually looked sad for the first time. ‘No one can see me in your world, Robbie, only you—and that will only last a few more moments. You need to keep this adventure to yourself, at least until Christmas. Your mother would never understand right now, but there will come a time when she will, and you’ll know when you can tell her.’

“‘But my leg hurts,’ I cried. ‘How will I get to the house?’

“The big man grinned and said, ‘Your dog is almost back from the mountain. He’s going to start barking and bring your mother on the run. She’s going to take good care of you, Robbie. She loves you so much! Now, I have to go, but I will see you again someday, and that is a promise!’

“I blinked, and the man was gone. Before I knew it, Mother was hovering over me, crying and scolding. She thought I had fallen from the barn loft. I wanted to tell you, Mother, but the angel who brought me home didn’t think you’d believe me.”

Philip suddenly stood and crossed the room. Pulling a broken knife from his pocket, he held it out for his son to see. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, Robbie: Is this knife yours?”

Robbie’s eyes grew big and round. “Yes, it is!” he said excitedly. “Where did you find it?”

Philip was now visibly shaken. “The day you broke your leg, I was watching your grandfather’s sheep not far from Promontory Point. Several lambs had strayed, and I wanted to check the rocks below the cliff. While I was down there, I discovered this knife, bent and broken, and the rocks covered with blood.

Destry pulled her son from Bill’s lap and held him close. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she sobbed.

“The man said you wouldn’t believe me, Mother, and I didn’t think you would, either,” Robbie said timidly.

Destry began to weep without restraint. Holding Robbie tight, she whispered, “I feel so ashamed, but you were probably right!”

“Do you believe me now?” Robbie asked.

Destry glanced around the room. Mary sat quietly by the fire, her snow-white hair a vivid reminder of the trials she had endured and the miracles surrounding them. Looking quickly at Philip’s father, a man she had both feared and refused to accept, she now failed to even notice his missing hand. All she could see was the love in his tear-moistened eyes.

Doubt and fear had always kept Destry from exercising the faith she tried to profess. Wanting desperately to start a new chapter in her life, she hugged her tiny son and whispered, “Yes, Robbie, I believe I do!”