Marriage is Murder

"And when did you all start thinking my judgments were so incompetent?" Robert looked at them all, scowling. "How would you have handled it differently? Do tell, if you have an idea you think would have been better."

"I'll get you some tea," Kate told him softly.

"I think I'd like the paper too, if we have it," he said to her.

"Certainly, Dear," she said. "Its a little early for breakfast, but if you want..."

"The tea is fine," he said to her.

Khaat remembered where she left off last exploring the area, and she returned to it easily. Aware of traps, the three men with her were prepared to be alert to them. They seemed to sense that she wasn't focused on looking for traps. She was being drawn by something else or to something else.

Brant looked at Robert and saw the frown. "We don't think that Robert, not in the least." He said and every one nodded they agreed. "We'd follow your word to the letter if needed." he added.

" I just spoke of Khaat dealing with the issue down there alone" He said and handed Robert the paper " here " he said and lent against the railings. Steven and Cassidy looked at Robert. Brant looked at both of them as he walked up wondering what was happening.

"so did I miss anything?" he asked sitting with a coffee next to Kate. " you still doing the weaving?" he asked her hoping to lessen the tension even he could feel in the air.

"She's not alone," Brian said. "She's got Angus, Michael, Marcus, and Edward. And Edward is a seer too. I would rather be there with her myself, but I have apparently been forbidden."

"Yes," Robert said. "You were. Live with it. You'll have to put up with her being in the company of old men for an hour or so."

"Marcus and Angus will so appreciate being called old, I'm sure," Brian said.

"And they'll have to live with that too," Robert said.

"You're in fine form," Kate said, bringing his tea to him. "Let's be honest. Nobody likes this business, but no seer is led to something this strongly unless there's purpose to it. I doubt its a wild goose chase."

"I'd be good with a wild goose chase. Its the wild monster chase that I don't like," Brian said. "And somehow when this much magic is involved, it never seems to be something benign."

Brant shrugged and continued to sip his coffee, Jim looked at Robert and sighed " Robert, we aren't insinuated that your orders are wrong nor that there too old for anything" he said and walked down to the bar below. Cassidy looked to Steven and sighed.

" I'm sure Khaat can take care of herself and the others too, I know Angus can and has several times" Cassidy said taking out the weaving loom and began again. Jess walked up and looked at Kate and sighed.

"That creature kept me awake all night" she said " that noise it makes " she said softly as Jack walked up with some aspirin and a glass of water for her.

"Now you're taking him too seriously," Brian said. "Now he's yanking my chain deliberately. And he's enjoying it."

"That's because, as you are, there's not a damned thing you can do about it," Robert looked at him.

"You're an evil old man," Brian said, pretending to be serious.

"Yep, and I worked hard at it," Robert said.

"You didn't notice, Jess, did you," Kate said, "that it was quieter for a couple of hours between 2 and 4 this morning. We did an experiment, and it seems like it worked--minimally. Not that it necessarily means much. But--we fed it a couple of drops of my blood and it seemed to quiet it somewhat. Then we gave it just two of Khaat's, and it got quiet for awhile, but it seemed to just increase its cravings."

"That told me that it really wants her attention," Robert said. "I had to let her go back so it leaves her alone eventually. I am hoping that having a second seer with her underwater will help her to get this unraveled."

Brant watched as the others spoke Jim cracked a small smile at Brian and Roberts banter. Jess looked at Kate and shook her head "Sorry I didn't notice any change, but I was sleeping and I guess it was a heavy sleep." she told her glancing for a moment at Jack as he stood at the entrance to below deck.

Jim looked at Jack as he stood his arms folded watching Jess and the water around the back of the ship where the others went in. "They will get to the bottom of it" he said and moved to the front of the ship carrying a cup of tea as he went. Brant shrugged and watched Kate weaving her scarf.

They stayed underwater until almost the last little bit of air was gone from their tanks. They came up, and Evan helped Angus up. Then the two of them helped everyone else on board. They removed their tanks and gear.

"We are so close," Michael said. "If we'd just had a bit more air we might have gotten it."

"As it is, we were down long enough for now," Angus said. "I'll have them serve breakfast now. Sorry we were later than we expected.'

He went below to send up breakfast.

"What did you find?" Robert asked.

"More locks but these were designed to be found and opened by a seer. That's probably why the plant affects our seers," Michael said. "I think the plant is a type of a sentry."

Brant stood and listened to them watching as they changed out of the scuba and into normal clothes. " Hum...might have been a seer that created them." he said softly as he headed down to his room returning moments later with a large old book that he flicked the pages one by one as he read the words on each.

He gave a deep sigh and closed it shrinking it he slipped it into his pouch and shook his head. " nothing in the reference about a seer who preferred to live under water." he said " unless its a mer-folk" he added closing the leather pouch and looked at both of them. Jess sighed deeply and headed below Jack moved to sit beside Jim who watched him closely

"I'm not so sure that they were merpeople," Edward said. "We found some arches and doorways. The scale was human sized. Merpeople would have been much smaller. But I do agree that it was created, at least partly, by a seer. It would have also taken a very knowledgeable alchemist. Or a series or wizards. But I'm seeing the same runes that were on the trap. This is old. Very old."

"What it looked like to me was a group of people trying to protect something," Michael said. "Something important enough to go to great lengths to protect. I don't know that they had to be merpeople. All they had to know were some simple charms or herbs--like gillyweed or the bubbleheaded charm, or something like that. My best bet is that the next time we go down, we'll find it."

"Come eat," Angus said. "Breakfast buffet is on in the dining room. They had too big a buffet for me to have them move it up here on deck. If anyone is hungry, that is."

Brant listened and nodded " thats true, its simple enough and it makes sense, since its so close to the shore." He said now wishing he'd gone with them just to see the runes and arches. He thought about it and wished he could have to translate them to help them understand who or what was being protected.

He sighed and knew Edward would not want him in harms way. His potioneer side was fighting to get out he moved down to his room and started to go threw his books. Jack shook his head and chuckled.

"Looks like Brant's curiosity over all this is just as bad as Khaats" He said drinking his tea,