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  The Grand Master

  Author Bill Stenlake 2013

  The Grand Master Copyright © 2013 William (Bill) Stenlake

  The Grand Master is the second book of The Keeper Trilogy

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form, by any means without the prior consent of the author.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Some places named in the book exist and are real and some do not exist and are not real. The placement of all things geographical is relevant to this story only and as such should be deemed fictional.

  Book Cover Picture: Dreamstime/Clearviewstock

  Other books by Bill Stenlake:

  THE KEEPER

  HOLLOW MILL

  KENAN’S LEGACY

  BILL McINTYRE

  CORNERSTONE

  BRAMLEY THE 9 O’CLOCK GANG

  RANDOLPH

  The Grand Master by Bill Stenlake

  This is the second book of The Keeper Trilogy

  Chapter 1 The Story So Far

  I am the Keeper of The Balance. I have no idea what any of that means. I am not alone in that, as no one else has an exact definition either. I am watched over by a very tall man. He always wears a long black coat, which he wears unbuttoned come rain or shine. On his head he wears a wide brimmed hat pulled forward, so it is really difficult to see his face. This man is The Watcher. The Watcher is really an android, a Mark 2. He never lets anyone get close to him, unless he wants them to. His purpose is to watch and protect me, the Keeper.

  When the Universe was created it was decided to have a structure to oversee how the Universe operates day to day. Accepting in all things that there is good and bad, they decided that they would create a mechanism to keep the Balance as it should be. This is monitored by three Guiding Masters. The current incumbents of those positions are GM3, GM6 & GM7. At any one time there must be two of them at their base. The only more powerful being than they are is ‘O’.

  In addition to the Guiding Masters there is also one other in the structure. This person is the one who is the Keeper of The Balance of the Universe. This person lives and dies as any other, but in real terms they are always the same person. The Keeper is always an only child and always male. The family have traditionally lived together for most of their lives. They are aware that they are The Keepers, but not of what they are keeping.

  Through time this process has been allowed to continue without anything ever having to be done by anyone. That is until one day on the planet Velchitta, created to be home for The Keeper and his family, there is some serious unrest. Nobody knows where the idea came from. But for some reason it was decided by the committee who rule this planet, that they would give power to everyone on the planet to make all the decisions. In the light of the rioting and deaths that followed, there was a rebellion in the ranks of the surviving members of the committee. Algreb seized the moment and took control of the committee and the planet. He likes having the power and knows the planet is also home to the Keeper.

  The Watcher felt it prudent to take the Keeper and his family away for a time, until it is clear that the planet Velchitta is stable again. There was an experiment being planned to send some people off to start a new colony. The Watcher took advantage of this and brought the date forward. He used this as a cover to take The Keeper and his parents away from Velchitta. The Keeper’s Grandparents stayed on Velchitta to try to cover for the fact the rest of the family have gone.

  The Watcher took the expedition to a new planet, Parlantte, where they established their new colony. The Watcher then had them build some new trailers for his space craft. His idea was to take the Keeper away from Parlantte. Take him and his family somewhere, where hopefully nobody will find them for a very long time. He succeeds in doing that, eventually landing on the planet Earth, having taken advantage of a Time Jump. His arrival is spotted by a solitary shepherd who helps The Watcher secure the lands he needs to give the family a farm. The Watcher ‘hides’ his craft under a mound of soil and grass. The field this mound is in has a covenant that requires the field is never ploughed and is only used for grazing cattle. The cattle enjoy lying on the mound, as the temperature is always a fraction warmer than the rest of the field. Generations go by and their escape has been trouble free until now.

  With the disturbance on Velchitta there is a change in the Universe. One of the Guiding Masters takes it upon himself to take advantage of the situation. He leaves the other Guiding Masters in a dilemma as they can’t leave the base, but they know he is up to something bad. His plan is to track and trace the Keeper and kidnap him. He is the going to use him to become the ruler of the Universe. Using Algreb to assist him, he makes for Earth and the Keeper.

  On Earth, The Watcher is alerted to the danger coming from space. He is also alerted to two other dangers on the planet Earth. One of these dangers is only a minor threat to the craft. George, along with his girlfriend Cassie, are intrigued by the mound and set out to investigate it. George and Cassie find themselves roped in by The Watcher to help him. The other danger is something of a mystery. Ricardo is a strange character. It would appear that he may have had something to do with the death of his parents in the USA early in his life. Something appears to be controlling him and he makes his way to England to help GM3 and Algreb in their quest to capture the Keeper.

  The Watcher fails to adequately protect the Keeper, so GM3 is successful in capturing him. Ricardo is injured in the clash near the mound, but has survived. Bluechen and Marlitta, the Keeper’s grandparents from Velchitta, have managed to pursue GM3 and Algreb to Earth by means of a tracking device designed by the Wise Soul. Their craft does not arrive in time on Earth to help stop the Keeper from being captured, but their arrival is timely in that they can assist The Watcher, George and Cassie in their pursuit of GM3. The Watcher’s craft in the mound has been crushed by GM3’s craft when it landed on top of it, sadly killing the Keeper’s parents here on Earth.

  So now the story continues:

  Chapter 2 The Grand Master

  As his journey continues towards his new destination, the Grand Master starts to wonder if he has been a little hasty in disposing of his companions. But then on the other hand, Algreb has already risen up once against his peers and masters, to take control. What would there have been to stop him taking that action again. No, although it may have been a little hasty, on reflection Algreb would have always been a hard one to trust implicitly. To be truthful, the others he had disposed of to a floating everlasting journey in space were of little threat other than the fact they too, like Algreb, came from Velchitta. His assumption had been that they would have had a stronger allegiance to Algreb than him. The deed has been done now, so there is no way he will ever know which way it might have turned out.

  He is really tempted to go into a travel pod. It will save him having to sit here and think all the while, when there is nothing much he can really plan for, until such time as he talks to The Keeper. Interrogate is the word that is actually floating through his head. Find out what he knows and then use the information to take power and rule the Universe. It briefly crosses his mind that he does not know what he wants to achieve by all this. Anything more that is, that he can’t by just abusing his position as a Guiding Master a bit. The answer is quite simple, in that he is quite simply bored of his position. He has been there since the start of life in the Universe. It is boring and repetitive. Nothing ever seems to happen to change the routine. Nothing ever happens to upset anything. Even when they are allowed to go out, it is never for long. It is only to show a face, when things may be swinging away from acceptable actions.

  The only dark
cloud on the horizon is that it will only be a matter of time before he is deemed to be no longer a Guiding Master. When he is no longer a Guiding Master he will have a finite lifespan. He won’t be the first Guiding Master to give up the position. GM1, GM2, GM4 & GM5 all decided at some stage that they had had enough of eternal living. The difference with him will be that he could well become the first Guiding Master to be stripped of the position. As it hasn’t happened before, there is no way of knowing if it will happen. If it does, then how long before the decision is taken? If the decision is taken, how will he know? The others had all resigned and were at base when they did so. They were informed of the consequences of what they were asking to do. His circumstances are completely different.

  Of course any decision wouldn’t be taken by GM6 & GM7. That is way beyond their remit of action and power. No, there is only one person who can do that and that will be O. He almost wishes it could be GM6 & GM7. He has worked with them and lived with them for longer than is good for anyone. The problem with O is quite simple. He hasn’t ever seen the man. Well he is assuming O is a man, but O could just as easily be a woman. The real problem is that he has never had any dealings with O whatsoever. As far as he is aware, none of them have. There has never been any call for anyone to go to O. The facility has been there, so he was told, but has never been used. Now he thinks of it, he can’t remember what he has to do to see, talk or whatever with O. He has little doubt that GM6 & GM7 have found out how to contact O by now.

  He settles back in his chair. Something in the thoughts he has just had, has stirred something inside him. He sits and chews things over in his mind for a while. He is not bothered by the fact that he will become mortal. He took that chance the moment he veered off his role in the Universe. It is something else that has stirred his thoughts, something that would truly, in his eyes, make him the Grand Master indisputably in the Universe. He can’t help but let the smile spread across his face. He is not confident enough to add laughter out loud to this, but it is close. Doing that would be unworthy overconfidence at this stage.

  One thing he knows he is going to do, is spend as little time interrogating the Keeper as he can. Then, if he can manage to do that as swiftly as he managed to capture him on Earth, it isn’t going to be long before he makes for the base.

  Who needs the likes of Algreb and his companions when you have the power of being a Guiding Master? The Guiding Masters don’t need an army and millions of followers to command respect across the Universe. They have that by right!

  Chapter 3 Ricardo

  Ricardo can remember opening his eyes at one point. When he did so there was someone bending down peering at him. He can remember that. He knows he has never seen this man before, but he cannot explain the feelings of hate for him that he knows he felt for the man at the time. In fact just thinking about the man is starting to bring back extra strong feelings of hatred within him. Whoever he is, Ricardo knows he is not a friend. The way he makes him feel can only mean he is one thing; his enemy!

  Ricardo thinks a little more about the man he briefly saw. He may have been bent down to look at him, but the impression he has left is that he is a very tall man. He will never forget two things about the man. He was wearing a wide brimmed hat and even though the man was looking directly at him, the brim was pulled down over his eyes. However hard Ricardo thinks he cannot bring a vision of the man’s face into his mind. The other thing that has stuck in his memory about him is his coat. Was it a windy day? He can’t remember, but the coat was hanging open and the yards of loose cloth were flapping. That is what he can remember now he is thinking about the man.

  That is not enough to recognise him by, but he isn’t worried about that. He knows he will be able to recognize the man by the hatred he stirs up within him, just by being in close proximity.

  ‘When I get to move, I know who I am going to be going to look for.’

  Ricardo is aware that he has spoken the words, but he doesn’t hear them coming back to him through his ears. His thoughts are interrupted by something happening to his body. He may not be able to move his arms or legs by his own volition, but that doesn’t mean he can’t feel them when someone else is touching them.

  ‘Can you hear me chappie?’ Ricardo’s thoughts are further interrupted by hearing this voice. It has come just after he has felt someone roughly, in his mind, touching his body. While he is trying to work out why he can hear this voice but not hear his own, the person speaks to him again.

  ‘Can you feel this when I touch you?’

  Ricardo can certainly feel this when the man touches him. The question is; is he going to let them know he is in a position to communicate. He is still trying to decide on this one when the person touches him in a different place. Ricardo knows he has flinched at the touch and a quiet moan exits his mouth involuntarily too. The question shifts as to whether this person can hear him talking or making noises. Yes he can!

  ‘Ok chappie, that’s a nasty looking wound you have there. You lie still and I will dress it for now, so we can move you to the hospital.’

  Ricardo hears him turn round to talk to someone else. He hears the tension rise in the person’s voice as he tells whoever else is there that he is conscious. The words the man speaks next clarify his reasons why.

  ‘Whatever he may have done he is a prisoner now. He is injured and it is my job as the Medic to treat his wounds. You know how it is lads. Now back off a bit while I get to work to tidy up his wounds a bit.’

  Ricardo isn’t concerned about the words he hears. He hasn’t been concerned about any words anyone has ever spoken to him in his whole life. He isn’t going to start worrying about them now. Anyway, he knows he is not in a position to defend himself. If he can’t move his own hands and legs, he has to take what comes his way. Same old same old! Another voice interrupts his thinking this time.

  ‘I am just going to give you something for the pain. It should make you a little more comfortable, until we can get you properly sorted out in the hospital.’

  Ricardo doesn’t feel anything after the words. He presumes that he is going to be given an injection or something like that. A few minutes later he feels his ability to think drifting a little. He makes no attempt to hang onto his thoughts. He feels a wave of calm sweep over his body and mind.

  Ricardo doesn’t feel his gunshot and bruised body being lifted carefully onto a stretcher. He doesn’t feel the men carrying that stretcher out of the ditch and along to the nearest gate of the field. He feels nothing of the journey in the back of the ambulance. He doesn’t open his eyes and see the look of despise on the faces of the two soldiers who are accompanying him on his journey to the hospital. He doesn’t hear the words of loathing about the way their comrades were blown apart without warning in a country lane in rural Devon, England.

  Ricardo experiences none of these things, but even if he had it wouldn’t have had an effect on him. Ricardo has little feeling for the thoughts of others. He never has had, so why would he start to have any now.

  Ricardo remains unaware of his surroundings as his clothes are cut from him and he is examined. Ricardo is put further out of it, as he is anaesthetized while they remove the two bullets out of four that are still in his body. Ricardo is still well out of it when they wheel him up to a special ward for his recovery. It is not deemed wise or safe for him to be put in the usual recovery room after the operation. Ricardo doesn’t hear the surgeon’s words as he finishes the operation. They are to the effect that the wounds look worse than they are. The patient is more likely to be sore from the obvious kicking he has taken at some stage, rather than the results of the bullet wounds. He believes Ricardo will make a full recovery.

  Chapter 4 The Watcher

  The Watcher is disappointed in what he has let happen. In all the time he has been The Watcher, he hasn’t really had a test of his efficiency. When the time came he wasn’t even doing what his name suggests he should be doing, watching the Keeper. Thankfully his programming allows hi
m to move on and not dwell too much on his past failure. What he has to do is make right the wrong. Very probably it is going to be so much easier said than done?

  He does not go to a travel pod. He could have gone there, but he wants to be conscious all the way of their journey. Even though he knows the tracking device they had used to find him on Earth is no longer on the craft taking the Keeper away from them, he still wants to be awake in case a clue comes as to their destination.

  Velchitta is the obvious one, seeing that there are a number of people GM3 appears to have brought with him, according to the reports of their brief encounters on Earth. Somehow The Watcher gets a feeling that they will not take the Keeper back there first. He thinks that it is quite likely that GM3 will want to stop somewhere else first. Who knows what the mood will be on Velchitta when he gets back there. One thought leads to another and The Watcher starts to believe that Algreb and the others may not be a welcome part of GM3’s future. There are a few reasons why he thinks that. The mood on Velchitta may be against Algreb for taking over, for the Keeper leaving the planet, for changing the way things are. GM3 may be worried about Algreb trying to overthrow him too. Would GM3 want anyone else to know where he is taking the Keeper? That he thinks is doubtful. He has a bad feeling about the survival chances of Algreb and his cronies on board with GM3.

  The more he thinks about it, the less likely the chance of GM3 confiding in anyone else; except there is one person who he might. The Watcher doesn’t know why that might be. However the thought of someone has just catapulted into the forefront of his mind. That person being the one who before GM3 arrived was the unknown danger on Earth. The one who had been shot and all the soldiers were convinced was dead; yet he wasn’t dead when The Watcher made them look again.