The Elves of Woodhaven
The Legacy of Hickory Robinbreast
Chapter 7: Hickory’s Last Request
“How long have you been down here sonny?” Pappy asked Ho. The usual gleam of humor was missing from Pappy’s face.
When he looked like that, Ho knew that it was no time to play around. “I’ve been here from the beginning,” he answered as bravely as he could.
“And what did you hear?”
“Everything,” Ho said sheepishly.
For a moment Pappy did not say anything. He looked like a kettle ready to boil. And then he could not contain himself any longer. He bellowed as loud as ever he bellowed to his son, “I don’t find it humorous that a son of mine goes sneaking about the house listening to stories that were not meant for his ears. Go to your room this instant, Ho! I will deal with you in a minute.”
“But there was no harm done!” Mammy cut in at her son’s defense.
“Go to your room Ho!” Pappy said sternly and firmly. He chose not to listen to his wife.
Ho bowed his head and went like a scolded puppy to his room.
“Pappy, Merek, what is wrong with you?” Mammy cried. “There’s been no harm done. The story Mr. Bobbs told us was interesting and it came to a good end. A child should hear about the history of his family. Hickory was Ho’s relative too!”
“Mammy, be quiet! No child of Ho’s age should know about the evil that lurks in the world at large. It will give him bad dreams. Do you want to sit up all night tending to a frightened child?”
At that moment Talla Bobbs stirred in his seat. He cleared his throat. “Excuse me Merek, Silvie, I know that it is none of my business but had I known that the child was hiding in the room, I would never have told my tale!”
“It’s not your fault Mr. Bobbs. A mother and father should know at all times where their children are,” Merek said in a softer tone. His eyes never left Silvie’s.
Mammy had the feeling that he was blaming her and not himself. He had that streak in him. The entire Robinbreast side always felt that they could do no wrong and that others were always to blame. This infuriated her because he was just as much at fault as she was. Why hadn’t he seen Ho in the room? He’s got eyes in his head too.
“Perhaps you had better get to the point Talla,” Fender Apple cut in. “Tell Mr. and Mrs. Robinbreast why we are here.” The old elf finally took his eyes away from Pappy.
Talla’s face flushed. “I don’t know if this is the proper time to bring that up, Mr. Apple. Perhaps we should leave now and come back tomorrow when things have cooled down somewhat,” the chubby elf replied nervously.
Pappy’s eyes shot over to Talla. He felt a shock of foreboding unsettle him. He had an instinct that told him that he was not going to find Messrs. Bobbs and Apple’s purpose pleasant. “Why have you come Talla? Fender?” he asked with an air of warning that relayed the message that the two guests had better be careful in what they request.
“Perhaps, you had better take a seat again, Mr. Robinbreast,” Talla muttered deferentially.
“No, if you request something it will require action. No action can be done while sitting down!” Pappy said. He wanted these two guests out of the house as soon as possible. He didn’t care if they were his Great Uncle’s friends or not.
“Please sit,” Talla was practically begging.
“Very well Mr. Bobbs, if it pleases you,” Pappy said stiffly. “Mammy you had better sit down too.”
Talla’s eyes were fixed upon the swollenness of Mammy’s belly. He groaned aloud, “Maybe it would be better if we come back another day. This matter is not as urgent as the urgency of your wife’s condition.”
“It is urgent!” Fender Apple said in a huff. “You and I are not as young as we were thirty years ago, Mr. Bobbs. If we tarry any longer we will never be able to do it.”
“Yes, please, Talla. Be on with your request!” Pappy said.
Talla Bobbs groaned. “I feel most uncomfortable in saying what I have to say in front of an expectant mother. It would be more appropriate to have Silvie leave the room.”
“That’s nonsense Mr. Bobbs! Whatever that can be said in front of me can also be said in front of Silvie as well!” Pappy patted Mammy’s knee. He smiled at her and Mammy felt more relaxed now that Pappy was not in a gruff. “Besides,” Pappy continued, “My son Ho takes after his mother. He got his sneaky behavior from her. If I was to send her out of the room you can bet your britches that she would have a snooping ear cocked against the door!”
Pappy was only joking but the truth of the remark struck Mammy deeply for it was only yesterday that she had lied to his face.
“I would say that the boy Ho is a Robinbreast through and through. He bears a striking resemblance to Hickory when Hick was that age,” Talla commented.
“Mr. Bobbs will you please stop dawdling and tell this good couple why we came here!” There was a nervousness in Fender Apple’s voice that told Pappy that this elf was very eager to get on his way.
Talla Bobbs cleared his throat. There was a nervousness in him as well but it was of a different nature than Mr. Apple’s. Talla seemed to be nervous about having to do something that he did not wish to do. “We have come here, Merek, Silvie, because of something I received from a messenger not more than one month after Hickory’s death.” Talla’s pudgy hand started to dig into the kangaroo pocket of his jerkin.
Out of it came a crumpled piece of paper that Pappy reckoned must have been similar to the one that Talla described in his tale.
“That’s not the very note that the guard-keep deSousa scribbled upon all those years ago, is it?” Mammy blurted, revealing that she was thinking along similar lines as Pappy.
Talla chuckled. “No, but I still have that one somewhere in my pockets! A memento of my Iberian vacation, you might say.”
“What is it then?” Pappy asked.
Talla could hardly bring his eyes to meet those of Pappy’s. “It’s a final request from one friend to another,” he mumbled.
“Is it something from Great Uncle Hickory then?” Mammy asked.
The bulbous elf nodded. “I received this note from a messenger not more than a moon after your Uncle Hickory’s demise.”
“It’s not a will, is it? Hickory is not leaving you all of that junk of his that we have been storing upstairs in that chest, is he? Not that I don’t mind you taking it,” Mammy was excited with the suspense and excited about the possibility that she could be relieved of that messy old chest outside Ho’s room.
“Ah, I wish that it was just merely a will,” Talla sighed. “I’m afraid that it is something that may have unfortunate consequences for the two of you, particularly you Merek.”
Pappy felt a pit as big as a stone suddenly develop in his stomach. He steeled himself against it. “Read the letter if you please, Mr. Bobbs,” he said coldly.
Talla Bobbs unraveled the letter. All eyes were glued on his trembling hands – even those of Fender Apple.
Talla cleared his throat. “This letter is dated the fifteenth. That would be two days before Hickory Robinbreast departed from this Good Earth. It’s a shame, you know. I thought that he would live forever. I didn’t think that that setback would be his final undoing.”
“We were all shocked at the news,” Fender Apple commented. “But now that it has happened, we must accept it. Read the letter Mr. Bobbs. Sometimes you are such a dallying old coot.”
“At least I’m a coot that still has a sense of humor. I daresay that there’s more life in some cemeteries than there is in you, Mr. Apple!”
“Read the letter,” Mammy and Pappy said almost at the same time.
Talla’s eyes went back to the piece of paper in his hands. “As I said, this was dated on the fifteenth. Two days before he died. It reads, ‘My dearest Talla, when you receive this message I fear that I will be no longer among the living. The fever is deep set in my veins now and my physician tells me that my blood is infected. He tells me straight that my chance of survival is minimal if not nil. As the saying goes, I can live with that knowledge and my fate is not why I have sent this message to you.
“’I am writing because I have some unfinished business that must be sorted out. Remember our Portuguese adventure? What a fiasco! I daresay that it will take us a long time to live down any stories about our boatmanship! Two desert snakes would have fared better.
“’Remember the emeralds? The ones that that big eagle, the Questioner gave me. Well, they are still where I left them. Nobody would be ever able to find them, of that you can be certain. When I hide something I hide it for good. I made a promise to the Questioner, as you know. I promised him that I would toss those emeralds into the Portuguese ocean.
“’Remember when I had taken that stroll from our roadside camp? Something more happened at that time besides me just hiding the gems. I met our friend the Harpy once again. This time he was not perched on a tree like before. This time he was just simply hovering at a very low altitude over top a slight clearing in the brush.
“’He spoke to me. There was much concern in his voice. He told me things that he did not say earlier. Some of these secrets I will take to my grave with me but there is one matter that I now have to confide to you, seeing that I have not that many days left to me.
“’I trust that what I am about to reveal to you, you will keep strictly to yourself. Don’t let anybody know except for those that I will name. If you can promise me this you can read on. But if in your heart you know that you cannot keep it a secret then I ask you to tear up this letter right now.
“’If you are still reading like I know that you are, I will tell you why we did not fetch the gems after Fender Apple and that sweet old deSousa procured our escape from that wicked baron.
“’You see the Questioner told me that for this act of casting the gems into the ocean to be valid it must be cast on the night when two comets will blaze their tails. There is some magic behind this of which I do not fully understand although the Harpy did his best to instruct me. I will not disclose the Harpy’s reason to you for sometimes ignorance is bliss and if even I try to explain I fear that all that I say will only confuse you.
“’Now, what I want you to do, what the Questioner wants you to do, is to contact one of my descendants. I have in mind young Merek, my sister’s grandson. He will be of age at the time of the twin comets to carry out this task.
“’It is of utmost importance that you persuade young Merek in obliging to this request since the Questioner has informed me that the gems can only perform their magic through Robinbreast blood.
“’I always wished that I could have done this grim duty. It is a task that will weigh heavy on the emerald-bearer. But now I know that it cannot be me. I will not live to the night of the twin comets. With rueful heart, I must pass this duty on to one of my descendants. I am sorry that it has to be this way but I cannot grieve the decisions of Time. This was not meant for me to do.
“’Please tell Merek that I did not wish for this to be. Tell him that my spirit will be with him as he goes about this quest. I know Merek. He is a good boy. In his heart, he knows where duty lies. Impress upon him with my word that this is of the utmost if not supreme importance. Dire consequences will follow if these emeralds do not find their way to the bottom of the Portuguese ocean.
“’Now Talla, if your bones are not weakened as mine, and if your heart is stout enough for one more adventure, accompany Merek. You have been there once. You know the way. If you cannot go, I will understand.
“’I will now tell you of my secret map that will lead Merek to the gems. This too, like the gems, I have hidden in a place where it cannot be found and to avoid any trespasses by spies or nosy messengers, I can only give you a clue to where the map lies. I am betting upon Merek Robinbreast’s wit to figure out this hint.
“’This is the clue. When the ear is hot you will find it at the bottom of the pot. I sincerely hope that Merek can figure that out. Everything depends on it.
“’One more thing must I say. I have been to the observatories of the astronomers in Holland shortly after our Portuguese adventure. I asked these learned men when it would be likely that two comets will be visible in the night sky. At first they laughed at me. Comets are very rare in the first place. To have two of them at once is a mad proposition. But I insisted that they research this out for me and to do the calculations. Twenty-five years I have waited for their reply. To tell you the truth, I had almost forgotten all about it. I had started to think that the Questioner was more a lark than a Harpy.
“’But then about three months ago, a Dutch messenger sought me out. He handed me a note that stated that on Christmas Eve, next year hence, there will be a comet in the constellation Leo that will be quite vivid to the naked eye. On that same night, a very faint light will appear in the center of the Big Dipper. It will only be visible for about twenty minutes at about two in the morning, Portuguese time. It will be very faint. Most eyes will not detect it but there is no doubt that it will be there that night.
“’From what the Questioner told me, the emeralds must be cast in the ocean somewhere within those twenty minutes. I hope Merek’s eyes do not fail him. I hope that there is no cloud in the sky to obscure the Big Dipper. Inform him of this Talla my friend.
“’Now, I prepare myself for my end. In a life there is so much to do and I’m afraid that I have not accomplished the one act that should have been my burden and nobody else’s. To death I go sadly, for I have charged someone else to do what I should have done.
“’I say farewell to thee, Talla Bobbs. You have been a true friend. Wish Merek all the best and tell him that I will understand if he is angry and curses me for what I have left him. These things he should feel if he is a Robinbreast. But please, Talla, please beseech him to carry out this forlorn quest. All depends on it.’
“It is signed Hickory Robinbreast.”
There was sweat all over Talla Bobbs’ grotesque form and his breathing was labored. It had not been an easy task for him to read this letter.
Mammy could discern that Uncle Hickory had been a very good friend to Talla Bobs. The fat old-timer missed Hickory’s mirthful character very much. Yet she could not feel pity for this gentle elf because there were things in that letter that profoundly disturbed her. Hickory had practically given her husband no choice but to accept a venture that he in his spry days could not complete. Hickory had died last year in April on Good Friday of all days. The night of the two comets was to be this Christmas Eve. This was just a month and a half away. Her thoughts all of sudden culminated in words. “To make it to the Portuguese coast by Christmas you would have to leave within a week!”
“I was hoping to leave at once,” Fender Apple said. “We must make allowances for the unexpected. On a trip of this nature the unexpected should be expected,” the thin gangly elf said while staring at Pappy.
Pappy sprang to his feet in a dither. “Will you stop staring at me! You’re driving me batty!” he cried. His fist slammed into his open palm.
“Merek!” Mammy was shocked.
“I’m sorry Mammy but there is something about Mr. Apple that gives me a sour taste. I apologize to you, Sir, but sometimes one has to give expression to those things that irk him. Haven’t you ever learned that people do not like being stared at?”
“Er …” Fender Apple cleared his throat. His eyes were now averted away from Pappy.
Talla Bobbs took the pressure away from Fender. “I know that this is very short notice but …”
“How long have you had that note?” Pappy cut him off.
“Well, I …”
“You’ve had it for over a year Mr. Bobbs. Almost a year and a half! Why couldn’t you have come earlier to let me know this? I can’t just pick up and leave. I have the orchards to tend to. I have a family that has to be cared for. Do you think that I just can up and leave? My wife is expecting a baby. Do you know when that baby is due Mr. Bobbs? Mr. Apple? Dr. Cherrydown says that come Christmas Day we’ll be hearing a new voice in our home. You’re not going to give me the opportunity of seeing my new child on the day of his or her birth! You’d rather have me gallivanting about a strange land just so that I can throw some stones in the water. Do you think that I am a fool? I’m staying home, here with my wife and children where I belong! Find somebody else to do your silly work because I am not doing it!”
Pappy stormed out of the room and out of the house. Mammy went after him, crying out his name. Talla Bobbs and Fender Apple looked at each other.
“He’s right. He doesn’t have to do it. We’ll just do it ourselves,” Fender Apple said.
“Only a Robinbreast can do this task,” Talla Bobbs said sternly.
“Well, he’s not going to do it. It’s much more likely that it will rain from the ground to the sky than for Merek Robinbreast to change his mind.”
“He’ll change his mind,” Talla replied. Tears were in his eyes. “He’s a Robinbreast. He knows where his duty lies!”
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