The Pilgrimage: Book 2 Secrets of the Star Stone Society

By David Marshall Hunt

The Pilgrimage: Book 2 Secrets of the Star Stone Society
As Comet Swarm Hydra gets closer to earth, time is running out. Professor Josiah Craft and his team must extend their search even farther back in time if they are to learn the critical secret that may hold the key to earth's survival. However, panic is rising globally and cooperation between clashing civilizations is critical if the world is to have a future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483544533

Book preview

companionship.

Prelude to

Secrets of the Star Stone Society

Mark Twain, Saint Augustine, and an ancient Muslim Proverb capture the essence of global fellowship, faith and cooperation, central themes in the journeys and adventures encountered in the Secrets of the Star Stone Society.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.- Mark Twain

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.- Saint Augustine

Trust in Allah, but tie your camel. - Old Muslim Proverb

Back Story

I am Josiah Craft, Professor of Business History at River View University in southern Illinois, and this is my telling of the The Pilgrimage, Book 2 of Secrets of The Star Stone Society. The adventure narrated in Book 1, The Star Stone, the Chair, & the Dog, began when I had to return home suddenly from a sabbatical in Kenya due to the mysterious disappearance of my mentor, Professor Dunk Amundsen. It is one thing to succeed your mentor professionally; it’s another to take on the burden of your predecessor’s secrets.

In spite of my selection as Dunk’s successor for the R. V. Curfew Endowed Professorship (also known as the Curfew Chair), I continued to be distressed over my friend’s disappearance. Worse, what had been a quiet college campus on the banks of the Ohio River erupted into a crime scene with the poisoning of the loyal office watchdog, the shooting of my research assistant, and the theft from my office of an historic replica of the Westminster Throne, a replica commissioned by Dunk.

Dunk also had left me a secret e-journal that recounted his discovery of a meteorite with supernatural powers. Resting against a large rectangular rock, he had found himself traveling back in time, the first of several such episodes. During his time travels, he discovered that the stone was once a sacred object used by erstwhile kings to ratify their right to the throne of Scotland. When he returned to the present, he learned that the powerful and ruthless Grey Oil Company and the Grey’s family clan were scheming to acquire the stone and subvert its powers to their own greedy ends. Dunk hid the stone as a ballast weight beneath his replica of the Westminster Throne. But what neither Dunk nor the Grey family knew was that the stone had a far greater mission of its own, one I reluctantly discovered and undertook in Dunk’s absence. In this task, a small team of colleagues assisted me: Matte Morgan, a clinical psychologist and professor and my longtime colleague and companion; Rhyly Raincrow, my graduate research assistant; Ms. Clemmie, the key staff member of the department I chaired; and my granddaughter Kat who soon headed off to Harvard. With their assistance, I began to piece together the history and events surrounding what I now called the Star Stone.

Finally, I yielded to the stone’s call and risked becoming a time traveler in order to learn more about the stone and hopefully an explanation for Dunk’s still unsolved disappearance. In doing so, I learned of the Star Stone’s warning of a comet swarm headed for Earth. Standing in for Dunk, I delivered his speech to a distinguished world conference warning of the impending disaster.

PART I

A NEW COMET IMPACT DATE, 2022CE

C1: Rising Fear and Panic

Fall 2010ce: Back in River View

After I delivered Professor Dunk Amundsen’s speech entitled ‘Saving Spaceship Earth" at the Huntsville G-8 Summit in the summer of 2010ce, Matte and I returned home, along with KC, my Akita watchdog and favorite running companion. Soon, I was back at work at the Track, a converted red brick office/storage building, formerly a women’s gymnasium with an indoor wooden track on the second floor, located near the center of the campus of River View University.

I continued my runs around the gym and campus but without one of my running colleagues. Federal marshals had put Rhyly Raincrow, my graduate research assistant, into witness protection, sequestering her somewhere. We still hadn’t found out who shot her this past year, and the feds wanted her out of sight until the trial of the Grey Oil Company executives and owners. Matte still thought the Greys were responsible for shooting Rhyly.

The rain kept us indoors this morning and besides, KC didn’t like running on the slippery wooden boards. Therefore, only Clare Garraway, the daughter of our local coffee house owner, and I completed the morning run. As soon as we were done, we grabbed some umbrellas, called for KC, and trekked over to meet Matte at Chance Garraway’s coffee house. She was waiting in our favorite booth near the front entrance and had already ordered the double espressos that would accompany our usual hour of companionship and rapier wit. KC greeted her, drank from the dish of water with lemon slices that Clare had placed next to our booth, circled a few times, and then curled up at my feet.

Clare and I were in training for the next Red Brick 5K Road Race in April 2011, and she was a serious contender. As she took over the bar, a news headline—"2022 Comet Swarm Hydra to arrive ahead of schedule"— scrolled across the big screen TV behind her. Chance anticipated our request and turned up the volume.

Above the headline, the newscaster announced One year ago, at the Huntsville G-8 Summit, the late Professor Dunk Amundsen announced to the world that a comet swarm named Hydra would enter earth’s atmosphere in 2032ce. Yesterday, however, astronomers at the Palomar Observatory and NASA released new calculations. Hydra will be here in the year 2022e, ten years sooner. The news shifted immediately to a scene of students rioting at the Malaysia University campus in Kuala Lumpur. Riot police with helmets and plastic shields and batons formed a semicircle at the entrance to the university while firefighters unleashed powerful streams of water to disperse the frenzied crowd. The newscaster continued, News of the arrival of Comet Swarm Hydra in 2022ce has shocked and frightened the people here. A comet is coming! The students shouted. Hydra is coming! shouted others. The end is near read a giant banner stretched across the entrance to the university.

My god. People think Judgment Day is near. Look at the panic. Matte followed my comment by noting that the news of Hydra’s coming was headlining simultaneously on billboard sized screens and iPods in every corner of the world.

This is not too different from what happened in the eighteenth century, I said. Edmond Halley, an English astronomer and colleague of Isaac Newton, made use of Newton’s recently formulated laws of motion to predict that the comet recorded as far back as Biblical times and seen again at regular intervals ever since—1532, 1608, 1684—would return in 1759. As a student years ago, I dreamed of personally meeting both Newton and Halley, wanting to inform them of the fame that would befall them in the centuries to come. My dream always ended before I could open my mouth.

As your full time shrink, Matte responded, might I suggest that that dream is very similar to the dream of falling to one’s death only to awaken suddenly and discover one is still alive.

Absolutely, but what I’m getting at is that Halley’s comet stirred up widespread panic and fears each time it returned. Now another cluster of comets and debris, Hydra, is racing toward earth, I replied.

Yes, Matte added, and because of the Internet, people find out more rapidly than ever before in history, exacerbating the panic before people can be educated and informed as to the validity of the news and how to cope.

I think you’re right, Matte. Moreover, the Internet has so much erroneous, even fraudulent information, including superstitions that have prevailed for thousands of years about comets and sacred rocks from the heavens. All this makes our STOPP Committee task of containing global fear and panic very challenging.

Well, Matte responded, the G-8 has tasked you with chairing a committee to prevent panic; however, you can’t do this alone. The make-up of the committee needs to reflect Eastern and Western attitudes if you’re going to successfully contain the panic and fears of people around the world. I suggest starting with the Turkish Ambassador to the USA and his wife as well as Prince Ahmad Khamal and Princess Zubaida of Saudi Arabia. Ms. Betty-Sue Curfew has more connections than anyone else I know, so let’s ask Ms. Clemmie to set up a meeting with her.

That’s a great start, but I’m not doing this without your help. Will you agree to act as my second?

That goes without saying, Matte replied. Let’s get these people on board and get their ideas on some additions ASAP.

Back at the Track

After I got back from Garraway’s, I watched a replay of my delivery of Dunk’s G-8 speech, followed by Percy Quince’s tirade during the subsequent press conference. Percy was really wound up, telling the press, Amundsen has no authority to pronounce the world in danger. He is not a magician nor is he a genius who can see or predict the future. He is, as his speech has exhibited, no more than an opportunist of the worst kind. An alarmist, using fear to bring about actions that will result in his being a powerful force, indeed a necessity, in the pursuit of saving us from imminent danger, if indeed there is a real danger. Percy was on the verge of shouting. He was shaking all over as he continued his tirade. Amundsen is the imminent danger, not some simulation depicting a comet smashing into our atmosphere and planet. That’s all sci-fi nonsense. I could see spittle gathering at the corners of Percy’s mouth.

Ms. Clemmie’s voice at the door broke into my viewing. But now we have the confirmation of NASA and Palomar, she addressed the image on the screen. Sorry to interrupt, Professor Craft, but you have a call on line two from Dr. B. Free, your astronomer friend at the Palomar. He says it’s urgent.

I punched in the speakerphone. B. Free, good to hear from you. How are things in sunny southern Cal?

Not so cheerful after this morning’s news about the changed timetable for Comet Swarm Hydra, B. Free replied, immediately getting down to business as he always does. We have projected and triple checked all our numbers since yesterday’s solar flares dissolved two of the five comets in the Hydra swarm. I’ll discuss the details with you later. The panic projections are your domain; but, as this news goes public, I’m sure levels of panic are increasing globally and exponentially.

The panic has already increased. It’s all over the Internet and major networks, I replied. I figured as much. I also have Dr. Sandia on the line.

Greetings, Professor Craft. I’m assuming that the next step at my end is developing a revised version of the summer 2010ce G-8 Summit Impact Simulation. I’ll get my team on the task immediately and be back to you within three hours with an estimate of when the simulation will be available. Meanwhile, give my regards to Doctor Morgan and your granddaughter Kat.

Thanks to you both and give your wife my regards, Dr. Sandia. I’ll be in my office the rest of the day. I then signed off. The G-8 Simulation used in 2010ce was already loaded on my computer, so I switched to that and its now obsolete 2032ce timetable.

The first images were of Comet Swarm Hydra, named by an amateur astronomer in collaboration with the Italian astronomer, Andrea Boattini. The first image was dated 20 May 2010ce. The next two showed the same comet swarm later, July 2018ce and 2025ce. The next image, dated 1 July 2032ce, showed the swarm entering Earth’s exosphere, followed by an image of the swarm’s impact with Earth. The last image was seven years later, dated 2039ce or 7ace, or After Common Era. I copied the screen image onto my laptop and replaced the dates with blank spaces where I’d enter the new dates Dr. Sandia would give me later.

Garraway’s Next Morning

After our run the next morning, I concluded that Clare definitely had been training hard and increasing her speed. Too fast for us, old girl, I muttered to KC as I pulled up to Clare who had already slowed to a walking pace. We cooled off for the last two blocks to Garraway’s.

What was that about speed, professor doctor? Clare asked.

Oh nothing, I was just telling KC, I think your kick speed is improving. Don’t suspect you noticed I was lagging behind. Clare laughed and I knew damn well she had heard my remark to KC. The Annual Red Brick 5K Race was coming up in the spring and, unless I missed my guess, Clare was going to make a race of it, determined to bring the women’s title home to River View. Too bad Rhyly Raincrow wasn’t here to push her. A local woman hadn’t won the race for twenty years.

Chance Garraway greeted us with some great news. My youngest daughter, Nikki, just received a text message from your granddaughter. Kat will be back in River View in a few days. She sends her love to all.

After our espressos, I told Matte, Ms. Clemmie put a large folder from Dr. Sandia on my desk this morning, most likely the revised Comet Swarm Hydra Impact Simulation. If you would care to join me, I’m headed back to the Track right now to view it.

I’ll be there, wouldn’t miss it, Matte smiled.

Two days later, after we’d examined the materials he sent us and Kat had made it back from Cambridge, we had a conference call in my office with Dr. Sandia, Dr. B. Free, Matte, Ms. Clemmie, and Kat. We used the Skyview Secured Conference software so that out faces appeared in talking boxes bordering the plasma screen while the revised impact simulation played in the screen’s center.

The new dates scrolled past:

Comet - first sighted 2007ce by Boattini

Comet Swarm Hydra- confirmed as a swarm, 20 May 2010ce

World First Informed by G-8 Summit- July 2010ce

World Informed by NASA & Palomar of revised Impact Date - 12 August 2012

Last feasible date to evacuate earth- July 2013-14

Projected position (Half way to perihelion between earth and sun) - July 2016

IMPACT with earth’s exosphere (Loss of all communications)-15 July 2022ce

A simulation of the aftermath will also be provided for the years 2025ce and 2030ce.

A note at the end stated that since the sun has eliminated two of the comets in the Hydra Swarm, the estimates showed 18% less devastation and a shorter atmospheric clearing date. Even so, devastation would still be significant.

As the video conference call neared conclusion, I clicked on my speaker and asked the group, What do you think about my contacting Walter Kennedy of World News to be the spokesperson to disseminate this news globally?

I like Walter Kennedy as spokesperson, Dr. Sandia responded. He’s well liked, has a calm demeanor, and has tremendous credibility with the public in North America, but we also need someone of eastern prominence that people in the Middle East and Asia respect and trust. How about the Dali Lama?

We’ll check into his availability and willingness, I replied sheepishly. As we disconnected, Ms. Clemmie blew my socks off.

Ms. Betty-Sue Curfew actually knows the Dali Lama. Would you like me to contact her and see what can be arranged?

I never cease to be amazed at the power and contacts of the Curfew family matriarch. I’ll be sitting on pins and needles until you tell me we have the Dali Lama’s cooperation.

Matte said, I’ll be damned. Ms. Clemmie went into her office to use her private cell phone.

What should we do with Percy Quince, I thought. He’s bound to be bothersome again.

C2: G-8 STOPP Committee Meeting

Involving Percy Quince

Matte called Professor Quince on her cell phone and arranged to meet after his 2pm class.

Promptly at 2:10, the three of us converged on a booth at the student commons.

Good afternoon, Professor Quince. Professor Craft and I are hoping to discuss your taking on a role as a key spokesperson for the STOPP panic prevention efforts. She got right to business. Percy just glared at me, ignoring my outstretched hand. Even so, we gained his promise to meet next Tuesday with the members of the G-8 STOPP committee in St. Louis at the River Boat Hotel. We invited him to ride over to St. Louis with us in the comfort of the CROW van, but he declined. Out of hearing range, Matte whispered, He thinks he’ll catch a virus riding in the CROW. After all, it was once the property of the evil Professor Amundsen.

Actually, the CROW van is the property of the Curfew Foundation that twice rejected him as a candidate for the Curfew Chair posting. Do you think we should have told Percy that Ms. Betty-Sue Curfew is the head of the STOPP committee? I said, feigning concern.

Matte gave a mocking grin and replied, It’ll make a nice surprise. Why ruin it for him.

The following Tuesday morning Matte and I drove to St. Louis in the CROW. It was our first few hours of privacy in several weeks even though we lived in the same house.

Care for a cup of hot hojicha, love? Matte said.

I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. You sure know how to spoil a guy.

She laughed and rotated her seat to reach the kitchen counter and went about making the tea.

Once in St. Louis, we parked the CROW in the Cardinals’ Stadium parking lot under a banner that declared St. Louis Cardinals World Champs, then made our way under the Gateway Arch* to our meeting at the River Boat Hotel. The STOPP committee members had been meeting biweekly for over a year now, and the hotel’s twelfth floor Curfew Suite was one of our favorite meeting places. Our main objective at this meeting was to get Professor Percy Quince to be a key spokesperson for the G-8 STOPP panic prevention efforts.

Greetings, Professor Quince, I believe you’ve met everyone here. We’re pleased to have you and if it is acceptable to you we would like to start our meeting today by asking you for your views on the general panic that prevails and seems to be building as the news reports on the threat to earth of an oncoming comet swarm spread around the world. Ms. Betty-Sue gestured to Percy that the floor was his. To his credit, he didn’t flinch when he saw Ms. Betty-Sue was in charge. For the next fifteen minutes, we listened to a sample of the views Percy would be sharing with the world as our