The Scroll

Chapter Six

Was that him? She was sure of it. Marilene starred incredulously through the bushes, behind which she had hidden, on the other side of the road. Her thoughts had been bouncing frantically around her head as she walked aimlessly through the trees. The picture of Templer's disturbed grave was still fresh in her mind. Marilene was unaware that the riders she had fled from were now pursuing her, and would have been surprised to know that the same questions troubled Cue Ball and Flat Top that she kept returning to. What had happened in the copse, had someone tried to dig Templer up or was it simply animals.

What Marilene had no way of knowing however was that Templer had dug himself out, an answer that Cue Ball and Flat Top had laughingly dismissed. The sound of the accident had snapped Marilene out of her trance and drawn her towards the road. She was half way across it when she heard the approaching sirens. Marilene had frozen in the middle of the road, like a doomed rabbit in a car's headlights. She had looked back over her shoulder at the woods she had just left and the same instinct for survival that had caused her to run from the copse now drew her to hide in the bushes.

The emergency vehicles were on the scene almost immediately. Marilene knew she had done nothing wrong and had nothing to fear from the police but she could not shake the sense of danger that had her on edge. And so she remained where she was, thinking of Templer. That was when she saw him. Of all the thoughts that had tumbled around her brain walking through the woods the notion that Templer may still be alive had never entered her head. Marilene had seen the Reverend John stab and kill Templer.

At first Marilene had refused to believe her eyes, after all no-one rose from the dead anymore. No, she thought, it must be coincidence. It is just someone that looks like Templer, who just happens to be in the woods near to where he had been secretly buried. "Ridicules, get a hold of yourself Marilene," she whispered to herself, "he's dead."

Marilene watched the man in the woods closely for a few minutes, the accident and emergency vehicles forgotten. The way he moved, the shoulder length hair black as night, the piercing blue eyes when he seemed to look directly at her momentarily; and the ever-friendly smile. Marilene would recognise him anywhere; it was Templer. She could not even begin to think how, but he was still alive. Tears welled up in her eyes and her heart felt as if it would burst.

At first Marilene was too stunned to move, but then she decided to wait for the police and fire brigade to leave. She could not take her eyes off of Templer. He was obviously talking to someone, except that Marilene could see no one else. Alive. If her thoughts had been in turmoil before then they were totally shot now. He's alive, but how can anyone that was stabbed in the heart and buried in a hidden grave be alive?

There was something happening that was beyond her comprehension, but Marilene was convinced that it had to do with her heirloom. The small clay tube with the ancient Hebrew script on it had fascinated the Reverend John. He knew exactly what it was, that was obvious to Marilene, and Geoffrey had simply given it to him. Reverend John had been unable to hide the look of greed in his eyes when he put the tube in his pocket. Marilene felt the anger rising in her again. Reverend John always had an excuse not to bring it back and Marilene knew that he had no intention of doing so.

It was the absence of noise, except for the scurrying of small feet and the unhurried flapping of wings, which finally broke into Marilene's thoughts. Startled she looked around. The road was empty. The accident scene had been cleared and the emergency vehicles had left. And so had Templer.

Forgetting all of her previous caution Marilene stood up to get a better view. There was still nothing to be seen except the trees, although hidden amongst them on the other side of the road two pairs of eyes now locked onto her. Marilene dashed across the road towards where she had last seen Templer. She searched frantically through the trees and ferns but he was nowhere to be seen. For a moment Marilene doubted herself. No, she shook her head he had definitely been here. If he had come out to the road she would have seen him, Templer must have gone further into the woods. Marilene quickly followed in the direction she hoped that he had taken.