Druid's Future

Chapter 6

Uther, a curious name since the only person that Richard could think of
with that name was Uther Pendragon. Could it be that the castle was
Uther Pendragon's?  Richard checked the front of the book for any other
signs.  The handwriting was small but delicate.  It had faded somewhat
with age and there were waterspots on the page.  That did not prevent
Richard from reading what was written there.  Births and History of Clan
Pendra.
 
This was a find indeed.  Richard recalled all he knew of Uther but it
was sketchy.  Most of his knowledge was based on the fictional legend of
King Arthur and the wizard Merlin who helped him to become King.  Any
other factual account claimed Arthur to be a warrier; maybe a clan
leader but not a King involved with magic.  Were these books the actual
account?  Did someone like Merlin keep a written history, hoping some
day, it would be found so the truth could be known?  What was the
truth?  Richard would simply have to read the books to find out. 
Richard examined every scrap of information he could find to discover
the answer.  Slowly he read and translated what he could find until one
day, he found the key and the reason.  Richard read further.  

*****

An unnamed Druid had gotten involved with the Pendra clan many years
ago.  Long before Uther's father had been born.  He had been keeping
birth records and making predictions for the clan until one day he was
thrown out.  There had been a dispute but it wasn't clear what it was. 
One day the Druid gazed within his Crystal (Could the writer mean
crystal ball? thought Richard.) and he saw something that would change
the course of history.  However, he knew that if he told the clan, he
could be in great danger.  They had no love for him because of the many
times he predicted disaster.  However, he knew that he would be needed
to work with the one that showed the sign.  That was still two
generations away.  So the Druid waited and when Garth had been born, all
in the clan knew that something special would happen surrounding this
child.  Then the head of the clan did something that had long been
forbidden.  He summoned the Druid.  The Druid came and told the clan how
Garth was destined to lead the clan to greatness and that a descendant
would hold in his hands the instrument to keep that greatness.  Garth
had been born with a special sign.  A sign that meant strength and so
the clan became known as Pendragon from that day on.  The Druid,
however, was troubled.  Even though Garth would bring greatness to the
clan, there was something else that was foreshadowed.  Along with that
greatness for the clan, there would also be much sorrow.  That did not
stop the clan, though.  They had their luck but their luck was about to
run out for the time being.  Garth indeed won greatness for the clan and
even came close to uniting all of England but something went wrong. 
Garth did not live long enough to claim the right.  An assasins arrow
cost him dearly and the clans once again were torn apart. He had only
one regret.  He died without seeing his sons born, but left for each a
ring.  In this way, they would know their birthright.  

The narrative went on.  Uther continued where is father had left off
though he did not have the luck of the clan.  Uther was a warrior.  He
did not have the skills that his father had that included the ways of a
diplomat.  Hearing of the Druid's prophecy, Uther demanded to have what
his father should have had; the instrument to win the right over all the
clans.  Though, no mark was on his arm to claim his right, he believed
that he was destined to have it by right of birth.  He believed he could
achieve his father's dream, by a force of strength.  After he did this,
he again demanded his legacy to keep that dream.  The Druid gave in but
not without seeing another vision.  This he kept to himself for he knew
that Uther would not listen but a ray of hope whispered to the Druid
that all would be for the best and the son of Uther would be the one. 
The diary went on for several more pages.  Then the handwriting
changed.  It recamped what Richard already knew about the birth of
Arthur and the related events of Arthur's kingship; up to his betrayal
and of Modred.  What Richard read finally made the statement in the
library clear or so he thought.  Then the handwriting changed again. 
Richard read the last entry.  What he read provoked other images. 

Richard sat back for a moment and thought about what the last entry had
revealed.  Then an old memory tape played and he saw his mother, again. 
On her arm had been a birthmark.  She usually kept that covered from
prying eyes but on that day Richard had come in the room without her
knowing.  He was only five years old.  She was getting dressed and on
her arm was the sign of the dragon.  A flurry of questions went through
Richard's mind.  How was it that their mother had the same mark as the
legendary King Arthur if he didn't have any children?  There had been
more to the story of King Arthur than Richard remembered at that time. 
Arthur did father a son by his half sister Morgana.  His name was
Mordred.  But Arthur killed him in a fight over the Kingdom.  Mordred
didn't have any children or did he?  Now reading the last entry in the
diary Richard understood.  Richard wrote to his brother about his
findings soon after that. They kept in contact with letters for several
years but that soon stopped, too.  Robert was reluctant to go into
anything that his brother was cooking up.  He didn't want to believe
that they were related to King Arthur.  He believed it was nothing but a
story that Richard cooked up to make more money.  Robert hoped that his
brother would come to his senses.   He believed his brother after being
in that castle for over a year was ready to be put away.  Believing in
fairytales was crazy.  Besides, what good would it do?

*****

'What good would it do?' Robert repeated the words again to himself. 
What good did it do them even if they were related to King Arthur.  Even
if what my brother had written to me was true, the present monarchy
wasn't going to give up the throne.  What would Jim do with the
information any way?  Even if he heard the rest of the story what good
would it do?  

The lawyer cleared his throat.  He was still there after all this time. 
Robert felt embarrassed having to reveal even just part of the story in
front of a stranger but his son had insisted.  He was wishing the lawyer
would go away, but he knew he wouldn't until he did what he came to do. 

"Give your letter if you must," said Robert Daniels.  "I will not stop
you."

"It is not your decision to stop him, father," said Jim.  "May I see the
letter."

"I have here not only a letter but something else as well," said the
lawyer.  The man reached in his briefcase and pulled out a bundle
wrapped in brown paper and handed it to Jim along with the letter.  Jim
unwrapped it carefully not sure of what to make of the bundle.  Inside 
was a collection of notebooks and a small box.  The notebooks were all
the translations of the diary that Richard Daniels had worked on. 
Included with the translations was the complete geneology of the
Pendragon line.

"Inside you may find the answers that you seek,"  was all that the
lawyer said as he left.  It was a curious thing to say.  How did he know
that Jim had questions?  Maybe it was natural to assume that he would. 
The letter revealed that which Robert had known; that Jim had inherited
a sizable fortune plus the castle.  For Jim, the adventure was just
beginning.

End of Chapter 6