The Egg Of Ra

The Call To Duty

The evening horizon showed a great night in the making; dark grey clouds were slowly rolling in, faint rumblings of thunder could be heard, with the occasional burst of light indicating electrical activity. Well, everyone would fear what is forming on the distant horizon. Everyone, except Simon Wunderlicht. He liked nights like this. This sort of atmospheric disturbance created awe inside of him, an awe most people would have trouble understanding. Strangely, it relaxed him.

Half an hour later, the first drops of rain began to gently fall, its tempo increasing as the dark clouds reached his vicinity. The thunder also was now louder, more consistent as the storm drew ever nearer. The flashes of lightening grew brighter, casting an eerie display of flashing light through the dark clouds. The wind too was howling, rustling the tops of the trees as if a huge hand was wildly ruffling them. The fury of Mother Nature, so Simon mumbled to himself.

Darkness was creeping up as the night grew colder. It was time to withdraw inside where the fire was blazing. Nothing better than an old wood fire. Like it used to be in the olden days. Sure, he could have electric or gas heating, the lazy man's way, but there was plenty of forest and still cheap enough to cut and gather yourself. So much per tonne but with the lack of forestry supervision, he often got more than his money's worth, like two or three extra tonne when the going was good.

He grumbled to himself as he slowly rose from the porch chair as a cold chill bit him in the spine. Damn, getting older, he thought to himself. Most of the evening he had been reflecting on the years gone by. When he was younger. More energetic. Life was more active and interesting. People were constantly seeking him out. Now, he felt that he was no longer needed, so now forgotten. But even in his younger days friends just came and went. Such is life. People move on with their lives. But is that how it should be?

He paused to look up at the power pole. Even the old black crow had gone to find shelter. He dried to focus through the encroaching darkness - yep, she's gone. The Old bird's been hanging around for the last few weeks, sitting there on the top of the post, observing him. Damn crow, thinks I'm a fool, eh, he smirked to himself. Oh, yes, thinks I'm a fool.

"Now who the hell is that?" He muttered to himself, curious of the light streaking through the trees up the road ahead. It was a sure sign a vehicle turned off the main highway on to his forest road leading toward his dwelling. The road was rough, crushed gravel, only leading deeper into the forest. So no one ever used this road unless they had a specific purpose. And certainly not after dark.

The vehicle approach slowly, it was long and black, wipers thrashing furiously to keep up with the rain now starting to pelt down. Damn, is that a hearse?, Simon thought to himself, as the vehicle slowed to a stop before the front gate. The passenger side door flew open and the figure of a male quickly rushed to the gate, shouting, "Do you know the where abouts of Simon Wunderlicht? I was told he lives up this road but there don't seem to be too many houses further along."

"What do you want him for?", Simon shouted back, gesturing the man to come under the shelter of the porch. He could see now that it wasn't a hearse but a stretch limosien. You don't see these kind of cars out this way, in fact he can't recall when he last did.

"I was informed he was a psychic detective," the man stuttered, obviously effected by the wet and cold as he joined Simon under the porch, "I wish to attain his services. Damn this weather has changed quickly."

"Yes, this is the country. The weather changes quickly around here," Simon answered, looking the man up and down with interest. He was relatively young, tall and rather handsome, from a males perspective. "It's been a while since someone addressed me as a detective. I'm rather amused."