Place: The Oculus
Location: Unknown
Time: Present Day
Vincent Thys descended the wide staircase that ended in a massive vaulted ceilinged chamber. He paused at the foot of the stairs and collected himself. This was his first time being summoned to The Oculus. Directly ahead of him was a wall of highly polished wood planks with portrait paintings of former members of the Noble Seven Families. There were portrait paintings of men and women from the 14th century to the present day hanging in gilt frames staring down at him.
Whispering footsteps came to his right. It was the Chamberlain. Thys handed over his summons and the Chamberlain carefully unfolded the heavy parchment and read it. He looked up at Thys and smiled. "Welcome to The Oculus, Mr. Thys. The Sept is expecting you, please follow me."
Thys walked next to the Chamberlain to the right toward a set of tall metal doors of polished brass. Two guards were standing with crossed lances in front of the doors. Their uniforms reminded him of the Vatican's Swiss Guard but dressed in far more somber uniforms of black, and grey and touches of scarlet at their collars. As the Chamberlain and Thys came up they uncrossed their long lances, the blades making contact briefly creating a shimmering chime. The hair on the back of Thys' neck stood up. The guards took the heavy rings of the doors and pulled them open. They were well oiled for they made only a whisper as swung wide in their heavy iron hinges.
"I leave you here, Mr. Thys," The Chamberlain replied. "Proceed to the end of the hall and when they are ready to receive you the guards will give you entrance."
"Thank you," Vincent said softly. He stepped into the hall, where more haughty-eyed portraits stared down at him from their gilded frames. He had only gone a few steps down the hall when the guards closed the brass doors with a rumble and the sound of iron meeting as the lock was set in place. He paused. He was locked in and the only way to go was toward the wooden double doors at the other end of the hall.
The hall was more of a gallery with a wide richly woven Persian carpet that ran from one end of the gallery to the other. He only glanced at the portraits as he walked silently over the carpet. He came to the double wooden doors and stopped. He smoothed his hair back and tugged nervously at his shirt cuffs. He checked to make sure his tie was straight and was about to check the fly of his pants when the doors swung open silently.
Thys was briefly blinded by the brightness of The Oculus. "Come in Mr. Thys." The voice was accented, but the quality was crisp, and one Thys recognized as the Dominus, the head of the Sept. He stepped into the domed room with the two guards flanking him. They stopped just short of the center of the room where the eye of the dome beamed brilliant daylight down to the center mosaic-tiled floor. Thys took one more step and was standing at the very center of the tiled floor. The medallion was a depiction of the blazing sun against a cobalt and sky-blue background. There were gold and silver tiles that glittered in the sunlight that streamed from above. The guards turned left Thys and disappeared through the doors of the gallery.
"Tell us what you've discovered, Mr. Thys." Came a female voice to his left. She was one of the Seven.
He turned toward the voice and sketched a slight bow. "I have discovered the location of the third gladio Potential."
"You are certain?" came another male voice to his right, heavily accented English.
"Where?" asked the voice Vincent now knew as his employer and head of the Sept.
"The United States," Thys answered. "In the town of Atlanta, the state of Georgia."
There were whispers from the edges of the dimly lit dome. The Dominus rose and silence immediately fell. He moved with the ease of someone who was comfortable in his surroundings and aware of everything around him. He came to sit on the edge of the table. "Tell us, Mr. Thys from what family was the 'blade' forged?"
"Metaphors, Nicklaus?" It came from the left again. "And how do we know for certain this is the Potential 'blade' you have found?"
"I know!" Vincent declared and even the Dominus sat back in surprise at the vehemence of the young Indago. Vincent cleared his throat and smoothed down his dark paisley grey tie. "I beg your forgiveness. The potential is of the family Van Dermeer."
"Your blade Nicklaus." Came a sonorous voice from the right. "So, we now have three potentials to test."
"Do you have a full name, Mr. Thys?" the Dominus asked.
"Katherine Elena Van Dermeer." Vincent announced.
There was a chilled silence that filled the room and the Dominus stood and came from the shadows. He extended his hand toward Vincent, and they briefly shook hands. The doors behind Vincent opened and the Dominus dismissed Thys with an eloquent gesture of his hand toward the open doors. "Mr. Thys, please wait for me in my chambers. The Chamberlain will take you there now. I will join you shortly."
"Yes, of course." Vincent left the brilliant Oculus and entered the dimly lit gallery. The doors of the Oculus closed and the Chamberlain took his elbow and steered him mid-way and stopped. The Chamberlain pressed a panel of wood and the wall slid back. An elevator waited! Vincent laughed in surprise. "Does it go up or down?"
"We are going up," the Chamberlain replied, "After you, Mr. Thys."
Vincent stepped into the elevator and the Chamberlain joined him. He pressed a series of numbers on the keypad and the elevator doors hissed closed and they began to go up. The elevator doors slid open, and they stepped out into a modern-looking hallway with chrome and frosted glass panels. The Chamberlain moved off down the hallway and Thys followed. They came to a set of frosted glass doors and the Chamberlain pressed the center panel and the door canter-leveled open. "Go and make yourself comfortable, Dominus Vanderau will be with you in a few minutes."
Vincent was left in an open airy modern office with a bank of windows from floor to ceiling. In the center was a chrome and thick blue glass desk there was a stack of file folders set neatly in the center of the desk. To the left was an entire wall of books on pale blonde oak shelves. There was a spot for reading with a pair of comfortable leather chairs, a leather couch with tapestry pillows, and an oval coffee table. It all looked out of place in the backdrop of the modern chrome and glass. On the opposite wall of the office was a bank of ultra-modern cabinets and a wet bar. The glass shelves above the base cabinets had a variety of liquor bottles.
The front office door whispered open, and Dominus Vanderau walked in with a young man pushing a tea and coffee service cart steaming behind him. "Mr. Thys, would you care for tea or coffee? Let Dominic know."
"Coffee please," Vincent said, "Cream no sugar."
Dominic nodded silently and prepared the cup of coffee. Vanderau prepared his tea. Pouring a cup from the white China teapot into a plain white teacup. "Let's sit over where we'll be more comfortable." He moved over to the leather chairs. Vincent accepted the coffee cup and saucer from Dominic with a nod, moved over to the chair opposite Vanderau, and sat down. Dominic brought over a tray of finger sandwiches placed linen napkins over Vanderau's knee and did the same for Vincent. He rolled his cart out through the front office door and was gone.
"Now, what can you tell me about Katherine Van Dermeer," Vanderau asked.
Thys sipped his coffee and placed the cup and its saucer on the coffee table. "I wish I could tell you more, sir, but all I have is scant information. I have not been able to contact her or even speak to her. She refuses to see or even speak to me."
"Tell me what you do know, Vincent."
"Katherine Van Dermeer is 27 years old. Blond hair, blue eyes. She lives alone in a leased two-bedroom duplex. She has a late-model SUV. She had been teaching in a private elementary school for about five years but is no longer employed there. I spoke with the principal of the school, and he had nothing but good things to say about her tenure. He did indicate that she was having personal issues, but it had never interfered with her teaching. Her students and parents all cared deeply for Ms. Van Dermeer. The teachers liked her but as the school principal said, she seemed sad." Vincent paused and Vanderau saw his Indago was struggling. He set his teacup aside and leaned forward watching the young man.
"Take your time Vincent," Vanderau said softly.
Vincent nodded. He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and thumbed it open and began quickly going through the photos, when he found what he was looking for looked at it and felt the same ache in his solar plexus as when he had seen her for the first time. Vanderau recognized the look! "She has college debts," Vincent continued still looking at the photo. "She was paying regular monthly payments but has requested deferment until she finds a new teaching position. She has a part-time job teaching English to foreign students via the Internet. She has very few friends, but many acquaintances. She visits the library often. She belongs to a book club that meets there once a month."
"You have a photo of Ms. Van Dermeer?" Vanderau asked.
Vincent looked up from his phone. Suddenly he did not want to share the photos he had taken of Katherine! Vanderau smiled at Vincent, "It is all right, Vincent. I can see you have imprinted, that is how it should be, if she is the Vanderau Potential, then you will be bound to her and protect her."
Vincent nodded. "I – Forgive me, Dominus." He handed the phone across the coffee table and as Vanderau took the phone from his Indago he saw the young man's hand trembling. He turned the phone face down and laid it on the coffee table.
"Please go on, Vincent."
"She had been living with a man, but they are no longer together. I witnessed him picking up crates and returning his keys. I was unable to find out specific details that led to the breakup. She had been seeing a psychiatrist. I spoke with the office manager, Margaret Cameron and she indicated that Katherine seemed only to have trouble sleeping and was experiencing bouts of night terrors and migraines. Margaret said she suspected the boyfriend was the cause of Katherine's stress. It has been more than a year since she's been to an appointment. She does not drink, and she does not smoke. She is in good health. She has an older cellphone, but no house phone. Most all the normal luxuries have ceased. Financially, she is struggling."
Vanderau nodded. "You have attained more information than I realized, you've done well!"
"Thank you, Dominus," Vincent murmured. "If she would only speak to me!"
Vanderau nodded silently then reached over and picked up the phone. He was afraid to look at the images on Vincent's phone, but he was also compelled to see the Potential! He turned it face up, the image of Katherine lit up the screen and he gasped in surprise and pain, clutching his chest. "Mother of God! It's her!"
"Dominus? Do you recognize her?" Vincent started to rise, but Vanderau waved him to stay seated. He stared at the screen in the same way Vincent had. He moved his thumb across the face of the phone and studied the next picture, then the next, and the next. Each time a new image appeared he felt a thrumming pain in his chest! He looked up at Vincent, "Make arrangements to clear all debts she has, Vincent. I need you to be persistent, there must be a way to reach her and convince her to hear you out." Vanderau replied. "Whatever has happened recently has made her feel vulnerable. She has shut out everyone and given up everything that gives her pleasure so she can protect herself. If she is manifesting her powers without understanding what is happening, she will be in pain. See to it that she has funds to put her at ease."
"Yes, sir," Thys replied.
"How have you presented yourself?" Vanderau wanted to know.
"She believes I am trying to scam her," Vincent replied. "She said if I show up again at her door she will have me arrested."
Vanderau smiled. "I understand your dilemma, Mr. Thys." He studied the final image on the phone and the smile faded away and his black eyes narrowed as the pain in his chest grew sharp. "If Ms. Van Dermeer continues to deny you, then I permit you to use any means necessary to deliver her here before the month is out. That will leave exactly two weeks to prepare her for the testing."
"Including telling her the truth?" Vincent asked.
"Whatever it takes," Vanderau replied.
The Chamberlain appeared at the door. "Your car is waiting for you, Mr. Thys."
Vincent got to his feet and sketched a bow, "Your will, Dominus."
"Have a safe trip, Mr. Thys." Vanderau returned.
Vincent backed away and joined the Chamberlain. They took the elevator down to the basement. When the doors hissed open, his car was there, door open and engine running. "Safe travels, Mr. Thys." The Chamberlain said and smiled pleasantly. The elevator doors closed, and Vincent got into his car and drove out of the parking garage into the bright afternoon. He glanced over to the passenger seat and saw an itinerary he would heading straight to the airport and getting on a jet to Atlanta.
"By any means necessary."
Vanderau was in shock! Just as Vincent Thys had connected with this woman, he had already been introduced to her. It was time to tell the Chamberlain. He picked up the phone and dialed the extension. The Chamberlain picked up, "Yes, Dominus? How may I help you?"
"I need to speak to you, and I need you to keep this between us," Vanderau said.
"Shall I come to your office?" The Chamberlain asked, the prickle of worry sliding under his shoulder blades.
"No, I will come to you," Vanderau replied. "I'm on my way."
The Chamberlain hung up the phone. His conversations with Pierre came ringing back to him. This was about the Potential Vincent Thys had encountered. Pierre was convinced this would be the most powerful blade since Alister of Madron, the first Dominus to come into power over a thousand years ago!
There was a knock at his door and the Chamberlain rose from his desk and strode to the door and opened it to give entrance to Nicklaus Vanderau. "Do come in and have a seat." The Chamberlain said.
Vanderau nodded and sat down in one of the guest chairs in front of the Chamberlain's office desk. Jan Huyghs had been Chamberlain for many years, and this was the first time a Dominus had ever been in his office! He returned to his office chair and sat down, laced his fingers together in front of him. He looked at the young Dominus. "How can I help you, Dominus?"
Vanderau sat forward. "This woman Vincent has identified as the third Potential I have encountered her before."
"In a dream?" guessed Jan Huyghs although he already knew Vanderau had not dreamed of the woman.
"In the Oculus," Vanderau said. "The day Jedediah Lee stepped down. I walked to the eye, and I had a vision of her – only she was transformed. She had wings!"
The Chamberlain blinked, his expression did not change and Vanderau jumped to his feet and paced the room. "I know it sounds preposterous!"
"No, actually it does not," the Chamberlain said as lightly as he could. He sensed the confusion and agitation in the Dominus, and this was unusual. "If the prophecy is true, then this blade will be the most powerful since Alister of Madron became the first Dominus."
Vanderau stopped pacing and looked at the Chamberlain incredulously, "You've been talking with Pierre Sauvageon."
"Yes, he has read as extensively as I have, the portents and signs," The Chamberlain replied. "It could very well be this young woman is your elemental gladio."
Vanderau scoffed, "I had hoped she was my blade, but not in the way you and Pierre are thinking!"
"If she accepts Vincent and comes to the testing," Jan Huyghs said, "You will need Pierre to help prepare her. I will make certain the families agree to this. If she is to have a chance in the Oculus, she will need Sauvageon's help."
Vanderau nodded, then angled a critical look at the Chamberlain, "Lord Chamberlain, you are certain of your information – enough to take such a risk?"
Jan Huyghs rose to his feet. "I stake my life and reputation on it!"
Vanderau nodded silently. "Very well I will do everything in my power to help bring the woman to the Oculus and I've given Vincent my permission to use any means necessary to bring her to us."