For Lilian and the Indigos - Above Top Secret

Several people we did not know, but exchanged smiles with, walked through the staticcurtain
of the J.D. and moved off in their own directions. And then Lil walked through.
She smiled brightly and came towards us, hugging first me and then Lee. We turned to
watch the J.D. together.
Another stranger, smiling to us as she passed by, came through, and then Nassim stepped
out. Whereas Lil was tall and fair, with blond hair that loosely curled, Nassim was
shorter – nearly as short as myself – and had close-cropped, brown hair and olive
complexion. He, too, came and bear-hugged both Lee and me, as we exchanged the
greetings of friends.
Together we headed towards the Sphinx, looking in awe at the remains of the stone
creature and marveling at how wrongly an age we Humans had been told this very
ancient work was and, despite the evidence, we had blithely accepted. As we walked, Lil
could contain herself no longer.
“So, Lee… Izzy said you found something interesting on this last trip of yours. I
gathered it was something out of the ordinary. What could a photographer find of interest
except interesting things to take pictures of?”
I watched as Lee looked first at me with a flash of mock reproval – I knew it was mock,
because I knew he was looking forward to announcing his find – and then turn to Lil to
answer. He launched into the story of what he was photographing, what happened with
the floorboards, what he saw and picked up out of the hollow beneath, and ending with a
description of what it was and who wrote it.
Like me, Lil asked, “THE Amelia Ringer?” Nassim mouthed the question silently, in
near sync with Lil’s voiced question, his eyes widening even as the implications hit him.
“The Amelia Ringer,” Lee confirmed, without the stressed word.
I added, “Yes. THE Amelia Ringer! I held the diary in my hands and read the
bookplate! Isn’t that awesome?!?”
“Well, what does it say…I mean, anything new to add to her story?” Nassim asked.
“We don’t know yet,” I jumped in ahead of Lee as he opened his mouth to respond.
“We’re going to read it together.”
Lil sighed, smiling. “You two are just too romantic!”
“I promise we’ll keep you two posted,” I offered eagerly.
“You’d better,” Lil said, and Nassim’s body language echoed. “Or else!” Lil added with
a wry grin. I laughed and Lee smiled widely.