The Librarians ...and the Sleepwalking Caretaker (Budapest Mysteries - part 2)

Merlin's tomb

"Wait."

Colonel Baird stopped, ordering everyone to do as well.

"We can't rule out a trap. We better split and rejoin at the tomb."

Silently, she gave directions to her companions. Jake and Flynn would walk straight to the monument, while Eve, Cassandra and Ezekiel would bypass it, and come from the opposite direction.

The two groups started moving towards the tomb, carefully surveying the path. There was nothing notable about it, nothing out of the ordinary. Birds were singing, the wind was gently brushing trees and bushes leaves.

"It reminds me of the enchanted forest in the fairy tales," whispered the mathematician.

"Well, from what I know, it is an enchanted forest," smiled Ezekiel.

"I really hope that this forest is everything but enchanted. I wouldn't mind some normality for a change," said the Guardian who was also keeping an eye on Flynn and Jake's progression.

Both men were walking cautiously but in a casual manner. They stopped just at the opening of a small round clearing. A circle of big cobblestones was set in its middle, marking out an area of grass on which heavy Neolithic stones were standing.

"So that's Merlin's tomb?" Wondered Stone. "I never thought that I would see it with my own eyes."

"Never say never," joked Flynn whose attention was turned towards Cassandra, Eve and Ezekiel about to reach the other side of the clearing. Once they were in position, the two groups met in front on the stones. Jake immediately started to examine them, checking for some unusual markings. Cassandra seemed to be deep in her thoughts, probably trying to find a pattern between the recent events. Just as she was about to speak, Flynn staggered. Eve immediately rushed towards him and supported him.

"What's going on? Are you alright?" She asked worried.

When the Librarian didn't reply, she gently helped him to sit down. The rest of the group gathered silently around him. Flynn was quite pale, a blank expression on his face.

Baird had kneeled beside him, trying to understand what was happening. She couldn't know that Carsen had started to hear small bells and a now familiar humming in his head. Before he knew it, the sounds had cut him from reality, transporting him to a different time.

He recognised the forest and the stones, but not the people gathered around it. He was standing a few feet away, unable to move, silent witness of a scene that was obviously taking place in the past. Flynn saw a man in robes laying motionless on the ground. Knights were all around him, sharing the same expression of sadness. The Librarian realised that he was most probably witnessing a burial ceremony. The bells and the strange humming were still loud in his mind, preventing him from hearing what one of the men - the leader from the look of it – was saying. One of the knights suddenly turned and stared straight at Flynn. He would have startled if he had been able to, but he was totally powerless. Still he felt that he knew the knight. There was something very familiar about him, about the way he looked at him. A picture came on top of his mind.

"Jenkins!" Carsen cried out.

Eve firmly held Flynn's shoulders to prevent him from jumping on his feet. She had foreseen a violent return to reality. The Librarian gazed at her with astonishment.

"What happened?" She asked before he could even open his mouth.

Ezekiel kneeled in front of him:

"You called Jenkins, did you see him?"

"Yes... No," replied the Librarian.

His companions glanced at each other.

"Yes or no?" Jake finally asked.

"Just make your mind, mate," muttered Jones.

Flynn stood up, waving Eve away.

"I'm fine. It's over now."

"What is?" The Guardian wanted to know. "Is there something we should know about you?" She went on, her voice reflecting some annoyance.

The Librarian smiled shyly: "Not really. I think that I experienced some sort of vision, that's all."

He then related what he saw. When he was done, he looked at Ezekiel:

"I'm not too sure what to make of this..."

The young librarian looked pretty disappointed. Cassandra was deep in her thoughts again.

"Since this is Merlin's tomb, the man you saw laying was probably Merlin," explained Jake.

"Also, we now can tell that there is a link between this place and Jenkins," added the mathematician. "The fact that you saw him in your vision is the clue we were missing. We couldn't be sure that we were following his trail."

Jones didn't look convinced.

"Yeah, great. And how are we supposed to jump into time to get to him?" He grumbled.

Flynn made a funny face:

"That's the thing. I didn't see our Jenkins, but a younger version of him."

Eve suddenly started to feel uncomfortable.

"You mean..." She started.

Carsen nodded:

"Yes, I believe that I witnessed a scene from his own past."

"I know he is old," whispered Cassandra who was shocked by the revelation, just like the other young librarians. "But could he be that old?