The Mindwalk Pavilion

20211110

Edward Carrick often felt cold during the winter months, and as a consequence, he could often be found close to the fire in the Great Hall. His sparse frame was wrapped up in several rugs, as he sat and dozed. A crown of thin white hair which resembled nothing so much as a dandelion clock, nodded gently as he dreamed.

The dreams of Edward Carrick could be very odd indeed, for he was a Seer, and sometimes they might vouchsafe him a glimpse of the future. Long years of study together with his meticulously recorded notes about every dream and what they seemed to signify, and, more importantly, what they subsequently turned out to signify, made Edward an expert in dream interpretation.

A red haired woman, that at first Carrick mistook to be Boudica was squatting in the sand as if giving birth. From her skirts grew two roses that grew and spread, sending out new shoots in all directions. Two of these shoots crossed over a stream to a grassy bank. Here one of them grew straight, and a bright red rose flowered from it. The other shoot coiled around it, wrapping many tendrils about the upright rose's stems.

When the tendrils reached the bright red rose, Carrick watched as a black scorpion crawled along the coiled stems, to deliver a poisonous sting to the middle of the flower.

A servant added logs to the fire, and pulled straight one of the rugs that was in danger of slipping off. Carrick stirred and mumbled, but the dreams had not finished with him yet.

Now Carrick was walking with a man that he knew to be the alchemist and physician Paracelsus. Paracelsus was offering to reveal the Prime Matter to Carrick, and then showed him a Sardine. Then, in the nature of dreams, the scene shifted. Carrick was now watching as William Cecil was mauled by a lion. Next he saw the lion, it's jaws red with blood, as it stalked through the Inner Pavilion. It stopped in front of Boudica, and from its mouth the ferocious beast launched a huge gout of fire at her. Carrick watched in horror as the Queen was destroyed by the flames,

He gave a loud wail, and half rose from his seat. A servant came over to him and asked if he was alright. Edward sank back into his seat, and assured the servant that he was not unwell. He did however ask for a glass of brandy, which the servant quickly fetched for him. Sipping the warming liquid carefully, Carrick pondered his dreams.

He had more than an inkling as to the meaning of the first part, but the sardine was confusing, and the lion seemed very ominous. He was not sure that he understood its message at all, save for some danger threatened both Cecil and Queen Boudica. Finishing the brandy, Carrick reached for his cane. Using the cane to carefully haul himself up, he questioned a servant as to where the foreign Prince Bayezid might be found, then set off to find him.

As he shuffled along, the dream was playing on Carrick's mind, and he went over it repeatedly, trying to make more sense of it. He was not sure why it had seemed important to talk to Bayezid first, but he felt he was clearer on this part of the dream. Carrick knew that both Boudica and Cecil would take any warning from him seriously. At the moment he was not sure what the warning was. A threat from a fire breathing lion.

Reaching Bayezid's rooms, Carrick knocked and then asked an Ottoman guard if it were possible to see his master. Shortly he was invited to join Bayezid, and Carrick was pleased to see that this was to be in front of a well tended fire.

Carrick looked around for Bayezid's interpreter.

"We do not need him." Bayezid said, having guessed Carrick's purpose in looking about. "I speak Celtic."

"I am Edward Carrick, Prince Bayezid. Thank you for receiving me."

"You are most welcome sir." Bayezid was polite, but obviously curious as to why Carrick was there.

"Do you have Seers where you come from Prince Bayezid?"

"Those who see the future? They are rare, but we do. Though, teir prophecies often only make sense after events have already unfolded."

"Oh dear."

"Why 'Oh dear'?"

"Then you probably do not set much store by them."

"Occasionally we learn something useful, but in general I take what they say with a pinch of salt. Why do you ask about them?"

"Because I am a Seer myself Prince Bayezid and I have had a premonition that concerns you."

Bayezid felt embarrassed.

"I regret if I have insulted you, that was not my intention."

"You answered honestly Prince Bayezid, I am not in the least insulted. There is always an element of doubt or confusion in premonitions. If you will allow me, I shall tell you all that I saw, and then you may take it with as large a pinch of salt as you think necessary."

Bayezid seemed pleased with this, as he invited Carrick to continue.

As carefully and accurately as he could Carrick related the details of his first vision to the Prince, who listened intently.

When Carrick had finished, Prince Bayezid thanked him.

"I am grateful that you shared this with me. May I ask, why did you come to me an not Selim?"

Carrick looked surprised.

"You do not know either of us," Continued Bayezid, "and yet you chose to warn me, and not Selim."

"It was the scorpion. I have some sensitivity to auras Prince Bayezid. That bodyguard, the one who is always with Prince Selim, I have to say he has the most chilling aura I have encountered in a long time."

"Ah! Murad. Yes, I understand now. Thank you again, I will take some precautions, your premonition is I think likely to be very accurate."

The old man smiled.

"And now I must take my leave of you Prince. I have other errands to run, and hopefully other fires to warm myself by."

The Prince escorted Carrick to the door himself.

"If I can repay the favour in some way?"

"There is no need, no need at all. I am old, and my needs are few and my wants even less. It is gratification enough that you have taken me seriously. Goodbye prince Bayezid, and good luck."

When the Seer had left, Bayezid returned to his place by the fire. He was shocked by what he had heard. It seemed so accurate. He doubted that Edward Carrick would know that his mother Hurrem Sultan, was sometimes called Rosa, on account of her red hair.

Bayezid had suspected that Selim might make some move to secure himself as the sole heir to their father, Carrick's premonition seemed to confirm this, if it were correct. Strangulation was the method that always seemed to be used, but Selim had Murad, who would wait in the wings with his sharp 'sting' should Selim seem to be in any danger. Imagining all this sent a shudder through Bayezid.

He began to wonder who he could trust. It was a hard question to answer, when the question was properly, 'Who can I trust with my life?' He suddenly realised that until Selim made his move, his life would have to be lived with the near constant threat of an attack. The alternative was to kill Selim, and necessarily Murad, before they killed him. This would not go down with his hosts, and, he somehow knew, especially not the young Queen. Bayezid found he did not wish to upset Boudica in any way. Sighing he ruled out a pre-emptive attack.


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Lucius de Moncloa wasted little time after his discussion with the Pater Patrum. He penned a formal letter to William Cecil , informing him of his intention to visit the Celtic court to pay his respects to the new Queen. A second letter he sent to Eleanor Ffitzjohn. She had proven very receptive to acknowledging Mithras as God, more so than Mary in fact. He had cultivated her carefully, and now received some intelligence from Eleanor that was proving very interesting. It was from Eleanor that he had learned of Boudica being made Queen, mere hours after she had informed him of the death of his wife and what would have been his son.

He had a faint suspicion that she might have ambitions of her own to replace Mary. This made him uneasy, he decided that he would have to be very careful in dealing with her, last he wind up with a 'woman scorned'. However, since when he'd last seen her, Mary was still alive, and he had given Eleanor not the slightest encouragement, he was confident that he could handle her.

Before he left Rome, Lucius went shopping. For most women he would have been buying jewellery or perhaps fine silks. Knowing Boudica a little, since she had been his sister-in-law, he first scoured the book sellers, and left with three volumes he was certain she would appreciate. His next purchase took some little time to find, and when he had it, still more time to be altered to his satisfaction. Nevertheless he thought it worth both the time and expense, as it seemed just the sort of present that would please her.

These preparations made, he returned briefly to his palace in Lisbon, and ordered ships be prepared for the journey to Albion. Whilst in Lisbon, he received reports of the latest losses to the pirate El Draque. This infuriated him, and he issued a bounty of 20,000 ducats for anyone who could either capture, or kill Sir Francis Drake. That Drake was from Albion made Lucius even more determined to marry Boudica. Once he was in charge, he could order the arrest of Drake, and the cessation of the pirate attacks upon his ships from the South Americas.

As an after thought, he selected some items of jewellery to give to Boudica, deciding that it couldn't hurt to take her some conventional presents as well as his more targetted purchases.


Word count 1,697