The Fisherman's Niece

Chapter 6

       Meriel took a pill for her ache and sat down on the end of the bed. Wine in the afternoon, pain killers for breakfast, a tasty meal, and now more pain killers. A hazy film was settling over her brain, and she figured it wouldn't be long before sleeping and drooling into her pillow would be the only activities she could manage. There was so much thinking she needed to do, but at the moment she couldn't focus on much. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Dylan.

       He was everything she could want in a man, and everything she feared as well. If he wanted her, would she be able to resist? Did she want to? His confession today about his wife had been a shock, especially since they barely knew each other, but it had also made her feel more at ease with him. Could she talk to him about Mom? Did she want to? It didn't take long for the physical pain to subside. She still felt a bit woozy and decided that after everything that had happened, it might be a good idea to lock everything up tight, crawl into bed and pull the covers over her head. There was still light in the sky, but sleep was all she wanted now. Then she remembered her uncle's room. Surely it couldn't hurt to just take a quick peek?

       She padded down the hallway on barefeet, the worn hardwood was covered with sand. She and Dylan had walked right through the house with sandy feet and she hadn't even noticed. Hopefully there would be no need for pain killers before dinner tomorrow night. There was still so much she needed to know about him, he was exciting, but scary too. She'd need her wits.

       The door still stood cracked open, just as she'd left it. One good push and she was staring into the darkness. Only she didn't feel as though she was alone. What looked to be a thousand eyes appeared to be winking back at her. Her pulse quickened and her body flushed with adrenaline, but she steeled her nerves and reached inside to flip the light switch. Several cold, rounded objects brushed her finger tips before she found it.

       When she did, her already adled brain had trouble processing what she saw. The walls of his room seemed to be completely covered in polished agate. The lighting of the room was such, that it came up from the floor as well as down from the ceiling. Fortunately the lights were soft or the effect would be blinding. Stepping into the room she felt a wave of warmth and awe wash over her. There were so many of them! How many hours had he spent securing each one? There was one small patch that was still bare, in the corner by a small table that looked as though it served for a desk. The rest of the room, including the floor and ceiling, was completely covered by glowing stones that ranged from milky white to a rich amber.

        Carefully, she made her way over to the desk. The smooth stones were cool beneath her feet, and their irregular shapes made them difficult to walk on. It was a relief when she reached an oval-shaped, braided rug that lay in the middle of the room. There was still plenty of open floor space, and Meriel knew that if she wanted to spend much time poking around in here, she was going to need shoes.

       There were several bundles of netting, some very large fish hooks and even what looked like a harpoon propped up in one corner by an old dresser. On top of the dresser were more jars of agates, and a framed picture. These things she decided could wait. There were several papers scattered ontop of the desk and she thought that if he'd kept a journal, a desk would be a likely place to stash it. If Matthias was right about them, then she had to find at least one. She had too many questions at the moment and could use a few answers.

       The desk sat directly beneath a pair of heavy, dark curtains, that she assumed were guarding a window, but when she pulled them back, all she found were more agates. The putty that held them in place was flaking and she picked at a spot that was cracking until she'd worked one of the stones free. A beam of soft evening light poured in. So there was a window. Why would anyone cover up a window?