Crystal Line

Chapter 21

Tallinn, 1962

Soviet occupation was hard on Estonia. Many of the citizens of this small nation were arrested, subjugated, controlled, and lived in fear of the Secret Police, the infamous KGB. Back at the Kaarep family house, a good sized brown wooden building on the far side of the bay from Tallinn city, Endel arrives home. Now forty-four years old, an experienced and frankly, excellent Time Custodian, he knows this is his last chance to see his Father. The man that sent him on this life journey, that passed on the family secret to him. That made him be the best he could possibly dream to be.

Johannes, now ninety-one, is sick and laid up in bed. The strength of his past adventures left him years ago, but the glint in his eye always remained, until now. Johannes is close, but holds on with his wife Maria until Endel arrives.

A knock at the door!

Johannes' eyes light up, he can feel its presence, he can feel that the Time Crystal is nearby again. Maria opens the large green door and envelopes her son in her hug, tears and smiles in equal measure. "Come, come, he's through here." she ushers Endel into a small room by the bottom of the stairs. The large window in Johannes' room bathing him in natural light, he manages to lift his head to welcome his son.

Endel rushes to him, props his head with a cushion, "Father, rest now. Rest."

"Endel, my son, it's so good to see you again."

"I couldn't miss this, you know that."

"Do you have it with you?" Johannes asks.

Endel reaches under his shirt and pulls out the Time Crystal. Its metal rings circle the blue crystal that fluxes and forms shapes, like clouds in a storm. Johannes reaches out a shaking hand, and rests his fingers on the crystal as Maria looks on.

"Father, I should have been here, with you two," Endel looks up to his Mother, "here to help--"

"No, no. You did exactly what was needed of you. Are you... are you a good custodian?"

"I think so, but it wasn't easy at first. I lost some." Endel remembers the boy in Nepal, an image he will never be able to forget.

"It was your calling, your mission in life, to right as many of the wrongs in the world as you can... but it's always a balance between that and the ramifications. What is worth the change, worth the chance? And, of course, sometimes, you just--"

"--run out of time." Endel finishes his Father's sentence.

That night, Johannes and Endel recount tales of their adventures as Maria listens on, proud of her family's responsibility. Johannes talks of America, of Finland, London and many other places in the world.

As he slept that night, Johannes Kaarep died, peacefully. Happy.