Thompson A Spirited Adventure

1. Auflage 2020
ISBN: 978-1-0983-1499-6
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet/DL/kein Kopierschutz

E-Book, Englisch, 134 Seiten

Two young people from very different backgrounds come together in Rome to investigate a 200+-year-old mystery. As they join forces, they find their actions are directed by a ghost who haunts their street. He seeks something lost many years ago but his motives are suspect. Little does the ghost or our two protagonists know that this mystery will lead them further than they could ever have suspected.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Thompson, Michael

Leseproben

Part 1 The Count and I The journey down the narrow street seemed to go on forever for Tony, and because it was someplace he had never been, it was a little unsettling. This was his first day in the big city. The old cobblestones of the street looked as if they had been there for ages and Tony wondered precisely how long that was. Could they go back to ancient Roman times? Of course, they could. He was in Rome . . . Rome never changes. Over the years, the buildings might have been updated and the residents were different, but the layout of the ancient streets never changed. Many people commented that, having been there once, you could always find your way around again with a little searching. If it was not down this way, perhaps it was down that way. And with each turn of the corner, there was always something to enchant the traveler. At the next corner, one might encounter a small piazza, a welcome relief from the claustrophobic, congested streets and tall buildings that lined them. Here, people gathered, usually around a small, central fountain of some forgotten historical importance. There they sat and ate while the pigeons waited their turn to nab a piece of bread. The splashing of the water in the fountains provided a white noise that masked out all other sounds. The water was always crystal-clear in the fountains, being well-maintained by the city. Sometimes, a cobbled street might lead to a space of magnificent proportions. Large piazzas could bring the traveler into the hustle / bustle world of the real-life Rome of today. Congestion from vehicles of all shapes and sizes contributed to the noise. There were blaring of horns and yelling that was common for a Roman driver. All motorists were vying for a different space in line, a faster exit to where they wanted to go, a place to park. And, as is so familiar with most Romans, a loss of patience was no more than a gearshift away! Blowing the horn might be an easy notice of complaint by the driver but the hand gestures that went with it were the frosting on the cake. Most often, they were proffered out the window or through the sunroof. Little did the drivers care that nobody paid attention to their irritability with someone else’s driving. After all, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans!’ So, they all did it. Romans have broad shoulders! Everything rolls off them as they go their testy ways! And everywhere, there seemed to be the pervasive smell of food! The aromas from the open trattorias and i panifici, the bakeries, wafted into the air, enticing passers-by. It overpowered the car exhausts along the sidewalks. It was as if the smells were free advertising for the wares within the shops. The scents of garlic pasta dishes or the fresh breads that were baked that morning, encircled and ensnared the passersby, encouraging him or her to stop in and sample something. Italians love their food and the walk home from work was an adventure in the culinary sense. One needed only to stop in and the gastronomic juices started flowing. The mouth became moist as the mind anticipated the taste of the food. The shops along the crowded streets were all small and family owned. Brightly stocked windows welcomed Romans and travelers alike to come in and sample their wares. Tony, new to the city, enjoyed all of this and more. As he walked along the cobblestone street, he marveled at his good fortune. He came from a small, mid-west city in Iowa and had never been to Rome. As a man in his early thirties, Tony still had the physique of the young man who had worked long hours on his parents’ farm for years. He was muscular in all the right places. His blond hair framing his tanned face gave the appearance of an Adonis. His only flaw was his nose, having been broken while playing football in high school. Despite his good looks and easy-going personality, he still had not found just that right person to share his life, although he had come close several times. Most of the women he had come to know, turned out to be too emotionally or intellectually superficial for his tastes. He wanted to meet someone who had a love for life, but still took it seriously. It was always Tony who eventually backed away from any long-term commitment. A guy from Iowa seldom thinks of a European escape. He is more apt to go to the Texas shores to escape the doldrums of prairie life. There, he could enjoy the ocean and the bars that catered to the younger crowds. And yet, here he was, in Rome. He had never been out of the country until two days ago when he boarded a plane at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago and flew directly to Fiumicino Airport outside of Rome. The airport was Rome’s gateway to the world and it connected to the ‘Eternal City’ via the AutoStrade or a very efficient train system. The reason for his trip was shrouded in a mystery that had thoroughly piqued Tony’s interest. Being a history professor in a community college in Ames, Iowa, anything historical was fascinating. It consumed him. What had led him to this new adventure had begun two months earlier. One day, a letter had come to him that would lead to some life-changing events. It had no return address, but the postmark and stamp indicated Rome, Italy. He was puzzled as to why he would have received something like that. He did not know anyone in Rome. The cryptic message inside was even more bizarre and had prompted him to do some research, resulting in the trip. He had wondered if this was a wise decision, but for some reason, he felt compelled to follow through with this journey. Upon opening the letter, he found a small, folded piece of fragile paper. The parchment looked old and brittle, as if it could disintegrate in his hand, so he handled it with care. When unfolded, it revealed a series of numbers, written in Roman numeral style, I-II-V-VI-VII-VIII-IX, and below, the word Cagliostro in a flowery style of penmanship. Tony had wondered why someone would send him a note with this name. What was he supposed to do with this? At first, he dismissed it as a prank. But, coming from Rome, that was quite a long-distance prank from so far away! The part of the note with the numbers was interesting. He was not sure if they represented a phone number, an address, a date or what. Tony made little sense of them. But the word was something else and appeared to be a name. After much research on the internet, Tony was able to discover some information about the person. The Count of Cagliostro was forty-two years old when he died after being imprisoned for six years in the Forte di San Leo by the Inquisition. Born Giuseppe Balsamo, his life was a colorful one that took him from Sicily to London to Russia to Paris and finally Rome. He was an occultist, believing in the supernatural, reincarnation and magic. He was a well-established magician and alchemist of his time, although, after his death, he was labeled a charlatan and a fraud. But the one thing he held fast to was that he would return someday as another person when his life was over. Cagliostro’s formation of the Rite of High Egyptian Masonry gave rise to the Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis-Misraïm after his death. Among its many held beliefs and sacred symbols was a pyramid with the all-seeing eye placed atop it, sometimes called the Eye of Providence. The day before, Tony had chosen to use the train system to shuttle him from the airport to the main train station in Rome. The short transfer into the city was interesting for Tony as the countryside and the sites of Rome flew by his window. Driving in Rome was a nightmare for anyone new to the city. He had heard horror stories of Roman drivers! So, he had opted not to rent a car. He had been advised it was best to leave the driving to someone else. He had booked a room in central Rome, in hopes of being able to walk most places or take the Metropolitana di Roma, the Metro subway. The Leonardo Express train arrived at the Roma Termini, the central train station of Rome. The ride had cost $54 and lasted about thirty minutes. Tony disembarked with his suitcase and two flight bags, stiff from sitting on the flight over and then the train. He made his way through the crowded platform after exiting the train, destined for the station. The cavernous building seemed to magnify the cacophony of train hissings and screeching of wheels, mixed with conversations of travelers coming or going. Finding a quiet area and pulling out his map of Rome, he soon realized that a walk to the pensione for which he had a reservation was out of the question. Tony went to the taxi park area and quickly found himself in the backseat of a taxi driven by someone who spoke no English. The driver looked to be Middle Eastern, surely an implant from another country along the Mediterranean Sea. All Tony could do was show his reservations which seemed enough for the driver to know where to go. A harrowing ride ensued with what he thought were numerous expletives uttered by the driver at those who were in his way or slowed him down. Tony found himself unceremoniously dumped at the door of the Pensione Tivoli on the Vicolo delle Grotte. The pensione was run by the Capetti family who provided personalized care for its clientele. Their large home which covered three...