"May I ask you a question? Tenzing looked up at Lucy. His English was stilted, but quite good.
"Of course, your holiness."
"Why did so many of you come? You, of course, were necessary. I understand the young man who speaks our language, but what is the purpose of the others?" He nodded to the group in the corner, they were arguing. "And a cat?"
Lucy, her hands on his chest, smiled.
"The cat is our guide. His name is Rudy. He is the force that moves us back and forth. He changes shape. He says a smaller shape, like a cat, is easier to transmit. Plus, he says nobody pays attention to a cat. He can go anywhere, there are cats everywhere. Rudy told us that he originally tried to move about as a small pig. He likes pigs. He says they are very intelligent. He stopped when he was almost captured and eaten in Texas." Lucy and Tenzing shared a laugh. "His twin sister, Kate, is his tracker, his connection to his home. She makes sure he can find his way back."
Tenzing listened, mesmerized. "Continue, please."
"The blonde girl over there is Anne. She sees things. She's the one who found you."
"Fascinating." Tenzing looked harder at Anne. Armies had been unsuccessful in finding him. Spies had been sent all over the country, never able to track him to this monastery.
"The fellow..."
"Fellow?"
"Boy, young man." He nodded his understanding. Tenzing found some of the healer's words confusing.
"Ethan, the boy who spoke with you in your language had never heard it before today. Really." She responded to his skeptical expression. "I was as surprised as you. That must be his gift. We are all discovering our purpose."
"The tall boy is Rufus. He can shoot lightening from his fingers."
"Each talent becomes more amazing as you go along. And what miraculous talent has the fellow...?" Lucy nodded approvingly at his use of the word. "The one who seems rather unhappy with his lot in life."
Lacy lifted her hands from the right side of his chest. She then laid both palms on the left side near his heart. His lungs were especially scarred on this side. Dr. Vandendijk hovered over them. Aba slipped from the room.
"Georgie." Lucy couldn't help the sigh. Georgie's voice could be heard across the room. His never ending complaints were tiring. "We don't know yet. He hasn't exhibited any special skills so far. The plan was to include him, make him a team player. I'm not sure its working." Her lips lifted in a sad, half-smile.
"Patience is its own reward." Lucy found it fascinating that Tenzing spoke as though he were a wizened, old man instead of a thirteen year old boy.
The healing process took just over 3 hours. Lucy's exhaustion disappeared when Tenzing took a deep breath. His face glowed. He jumped up. Dr. Vandendijk wasn't frowning - a victory for sure.
"May I use the..um..?" Both Lucy and Tenzing blushed.
"Of course, down the hall on your left."
When she left the room, the doctor was listening to Tenzing's chest. Her friends were huddled on the far side of the room. Rudy was sleeping in a patch of sunlight. She passed the two monks who were left to guard the door. They leaned as far away from her as they could without tipping over. Lucy thought it funny that they were afraid of her. She passed on the temptation to say "Boo!"
"Okay. We should probably get back".
Ethan had been thanked many times by Tenzing and Dr. Vandendijk. He translated for the others.
Kate would be waiting. Kate had warned them that the longest they could stay was 8 hours. They had just passed the 4 hour mark. After that both she and Rudy became weaker. Neither was quite sure what would happen after the alloted time, but there was a real fear the group would be unable to return. No one wanted to test it.
It was Rufus who noticed that Lucy was not in the room. "Hey, where'd she go?"
Tenzing nodded toward the door. He blushed, too embarrassed to put into words anything to do with female functions.
"Oh no!" Both Ethan and Rufus rushed into the hallway. Rufus yelled Lucy's name. Tenzing asked the guards which direction the girl had gone.
Ethan took charge. "Anne, check the washroom. Rufus, go just to the end of this hall, stay in sight. We can't afford to get lost or separated." Rudy strolled out of the room. "Georgie, stay close."
Within minutes they realized she was nowhere nearby.
Ethan said, "She will be looking for a phone or a way to contact her family. Your holiness, is there any place she could go?"
"Tenzing shook his head. "A female inside the monastery would raise alarms just with her presence. "
"Anne?" Anne shook her head. "I'm getting nothing."
"Then, she's probably gone outside." Tenzing pointed them toward the nearest exit. Ethan led the way. "Let's go."
"I'm starving."
"Quiet, Georgie!" Rufus had no patience for his whining.
Lucy was missing.