The Rickmansworth Chalice
Bridgette, you and Tamsin, and your people are not even on the first rung of the ladder of evolution. Myths and mystics, thieves and scoundrels still guide you and you still listen to them.
I was explaining to Mr Crisis the legend of the mythical Rickmansworth Chalice. The legend had been documented in the history books down through the ages. It was said the gold and jewel-encrusted chalice was used at the marriage of Prince Rolf and his consort Princess Elspeth at Rickmansworth Castle in times when knights and the people pledged their total allegiance to their king.
In those days superstition was rife and it was believed the chalice held magical properties which promised two options; eternal existence or alternatively, on death, to sit at the right hand of God. Mr Crisis added, by all means believe in the golden chalice but not in its magic.
Father had invited Mr Crisis to our home at Inveraray Castle in Scotland. Tamsin currently my second best friend was also staying for the weekend. Mr Crisis was very keen to meet father.
It was the start of the summer break when we arrived at Inveraray. I took Mr Crisis straight to the library to meet my parents.
Lord Campbell extending his hand said “Good afternoon Mr Crisis. I have heard a lot about you from Bridgette. I would like you to meet my wife Lady Campbell, Delilah”. Mr Crisis bowed slightly offering Lady Campbell his hand.
Lord Campbell with a smile continued “my daughter tells me you ‘knocked up a device’, her words I stress, in the science lab and accidentally took yourself and a student named Rhonda off to Proximus Centauri or was it Epsilon Bootis? Either way, I thought this is a man I really must meet. I know my daughter has quite a fertile imagination so I will not bother you with closer questioning”.
“I agree Lord Campbell, but dreamers and humans with fertile imaginations have led to some incredible discoveries and innovations in the past and if we were to touch on the discoveries of these dreamers we can be here all day…and all night”.
Lord Campbell said “Mr Crisis, my ancestors were not dreamers but defenders. It was an ancestor of mine that led an army that fought for Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English, and it was at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314 that he was wounded. The wound was not life-threatening but he was unable to carry a sword or a lance. Robert the Bruce bestowed large areas of land taken from the Lords of Lorne and conferred considerable wealth on him. It was later in the 18th century that Inveraray Castle was built”.
“It is a most magnificent home you have Lord Campbell”.
“Thank you Mr Crisis but I think we can dispense with the formalities don’t you? You may call me David”.
“Alright, David you can call me Mr Crisis. I will be honest with you, Crisis is not my real name as where I come from we do not have two names. One is quite sufficient and there is no equivalent of a Christian’ name”.
Lord Campbell chose to ignore Mr Crisis’s comment and said: “Right Bridgette, you and Tamsin can take Mr Crisis to the front entrance to meet the tour bus and join the 2pm castle tour”.
It was a beautiful balmy sunny day as we walked to the main gate. Passing one of the groomsmen I inquired of Mr Crisis did he ride?
Mr Crisis replied, “Ride what?”
There was no need to answer that question as Tamsin called out that the tour bus had just arrived. The bus disgorged its travellers, many from the Asian Continent. Mr Crisis, Tamsin and I followed the lady with the flag leading the group of tourists. Thus began Mr Crisis tour of Inveraray Castle. After a coffee break in the castle shop, we showed Mr Crisis the stables.
Mr Crisis and father really enjoyed their talk over drinks in the study. If Mr Crisis said it was so, it was so. Father realized early on Mr Crisis was not of this planet.
After two weeks in Scotland we returned to college and the following day Mr Crisis drove Tamsin and me to the Roman Ruins at Chenies. We parked the car at the Red Lion pub and walked across to the ruins.
Whilst Mr Crisis studied the legend on the green board of the layout of the Roman fort, I told Mr Crisis about the mysterious plate which was recently unearthed here inscribed with ancient Chinese symbols suspected of being from the 14 century Ming Dynasty, but after being sent to the Tate Gallery people in London, was found to be one of about 15 million or so plates manufactured in Shenzhen, China for the European market and heavily advertised on eBay as a baking dish.
Mr Crisis said, “Girls let me wander about the ruins for a while. You two look for bird’s nests or something”.
We did not find any birds nests or ‘something’ and I suspect Mr Crisis just wanted to get rid of us while he wandered alone around the site. A quarter of an hour later he called us over. He pointed out “there are three large trees on the far side of the ruins. I suggest you take a close look at the base of the middle tree”. Mr Crisis sat on a low wall of the ruins and Tamsin and I headed for the tree.
There was a hole that looked like a rabbit hole at the base of the tree and after looking around for a stick suitable for foraging, Tamsin started poking and prodding at the dead vegetation around the hole. It was such heavy going. We had to remove some of the dead leaves and dirt by hand.
Tamsin had her arm completely in the hole when she excitedly shouted “There is something here. I can feel it”. I warned her to be careful that it was not something that might bite her. She pulled her arm out of the hole holding a bundle that looked like potato sacking.
“Well, open it up” ordered Mr Crisis. We lay the bundle on the ground and slowly opened up the rough sacking. Tamsin screamed out “I think it’s the gold chalice”. It took a moment to realize what we had found. “It is! It is! It is the Rickmansworth Chalice. I am sure it is. Mr Crisis, what do you think?”
“Yes. Tamsin I have no doubt it is the lost Rickmansworth Gold Chalice. Maybe it was meant to be found one day. Who knows?”
It did not really surprise us when he told us where to search; Mr Crisis, his credentials such as they were. He talks of a singular consciousness, of pure energy and other dimensions in the same way I and Tamsin might discuss at length about who un-friended us on Facebook and why.
The discovery of the Rickmansworth Chalice was going to be the lead story on the national news.
The breathy news reporter on cue speaking to the camera said “On this site this afternoon a discovery as important to our countries history and particularly to the town of Rickmansworth as the Dead Sea Scrolls were to the Holy Land was found hidden beneath an oak tree at the site of the Roman Ruins at Sparrows’ Nest behind the Red Lion Pub at Chenies.
It will go down in history that the discovery was made by two students from the Rickmansworth Young Ladies College, Tamsin Lacey and Bridgette Campbell. Legend has it King Rolf and Princess Elspeth once drank from this gold, jewel encrusted chalice”.
Mr Crisis leaned close and whispered, “Girls the glory is all yours”. I turned and whispered to Tamsin “when we get back to college and tell Miss Pringle she will be beside herself”.
I turned and whispered to Tamsin “when we get back to college and tell Miss Pringle she will be beside herself.”
The Red Lion. Chenies.
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