The Face

No one had signed it, but the sender had written these words: This be magic . If there be no blink, you will have great adventures . If there be no tear shed, you will have a long and happy life . If there be no sleeping of it, you will grow up to be the man you want to be.
        This was such an amazing note, so mysterious and so rich in possibilities, that Fric read it several times, puzzling over its meaning.
        He hesitated to open the white box, for he did not believe that anything it contained could equal the promise of this note.
        When at last he peeled away the glossy paper, lifted the lid, and folded aside the tissue paper, he found that- oh! -the contents were the equal of the note.
        On a new gold chain hung a glass pendant, a sphere, and in the sphere floated an eye! He had seen nothing like this in his life and knew that he never would again. A souvenir from the lost continent of Atlantis, perhaps, the jewelry of a sorcerer, or the protective amulet worn by knights of the Round Table fighting for justice under the protection of Merlin.
         If there be no blink, you will have great adventures.
        No blink, no blink ever, for this eye had no lid.
         If there be no tear shed, you will have a long and happy life.
        No tear, no tear from now until time immemorial, for this eye could not cry.
         If there be no sleeping of it, you will grow up to be the man you want to be.
        [608] No sleep, no shortest nap, for this eye was always open wide with magical meaning, and needed no rest.
        Fric examined the pendant by sunlight, by lamplight, by the glow of a penlight in his otherwise dark closet.
        He studied the orb under a powerful magnifying glass and then by indirection through an arrangement of mirrors.
        He put it in the shirt pocket of his pajamas and knew that it was not blinded.
        He held it in his closed right hand and felt its wise gaze on the pads of his cupped fingers, and knew that if he kept his heart pure and dedicated his mind to the defense of what is good, just as knights were supposed to do, then one day this eye would show him the future if he wished to see it and would guide him in the path of Camelot.
        After Fric had thought of a thousand things that he might say and had rejected nine hundred ninety-nine of them, he returned the pendant to the box and, while meeting its patch-eyed-pirate gaze, placed his phone call.
        He grinned, hearing in his mind the first nine notes of the Dragnet theme song.
        When the call was answered, Fric said, “Merry Christmas, Mr. Truman.”
        “Merry Christmas, Fric.”
        With only those words, they hung up by mutual unspoken consent, for at this moment in time, no more needed to be said.

----

    Note
        
        In Chapter 32, Mr. Typhon counsels Dunny Whistler that he should take inspiration from Saint Duncan, for whom he was named. No Saint Duncan has ever been canonized. We can only speculate on Mr. Typhon’s motives for this seemingly minor deception.
        
        -DK
        

    About The Author
        
        DEAN KOONTZ, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives with his wife, Gerda, and their dog, Trixie, in southern California.
        Correspondence for the author should be addressed to:
        
        Dean Koontz
        
        P.O. Box 9529
        
        Newport Beach, California 92658
        
        

About the e-Book
        

    (AUGUST, 2003)-Scanned, proofed, and formatted by Bibliophile .