Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave by Deron R. Hicks

Author:Deron R. Hicks [Hicks, Deron R]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Chapter Twenty-one

A Monument Upon Thy Bones

Stratford-upon-Avon, England

Wednesday, December 17

Colophon and Julian arrived in Stratford-upon-Avon in the late afternoon. The day was cold, overcast, gray, and wet—the usual conditions for much of England. As they crossed the Avon, Colophon could make out the tall spire of the church rising along the banks of the river. Dusk was setting in quickly, so the duo wasted no time in parking the car and heading to Holy Trinity Church, the location of Shakespeare’s monument. Before leaving the car, Julian retrieved a well-worn leather backpack from the trunk and threw it over his shoulder.

“That thing is huge,” said Colophon. “What do you carry in it?”

“Oh, the usual,” replied Julian. “A couple of bottles of water, my journal, my backup journal, flashlights, a map, my Swiss army knife, chewing gum, breath mints, a GPS locator, tracing paper, a camera, trail mix—the kind with cranberries—tissues, my Fiji Islands good luck charm, my cell phone, an extra cell phone, and—”

Colophon rolled her eyes. “Forget I asked—let’s just get to the church.”

The entrance to the church was located at the end of a long stone pathway lined with large weathered gravestones. Everything seemed to take on a gray, flat tone.

Colophon grabbed Julian’s hand as they walked along the path. “The tombstones are kinda spooky, don’t you think?”

“Of comfort no man speak,” replied Julian. “Let’s talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs.”

“Gross. Shakespeare?” asked Colophon.

“Yes, from King Richard II.”

“Are you going to keep quoting Shakespeare?”

“Probably,” replied Julian.

A small group of tourists mingled outside the church as they approached the entrance. The large wooden door creaked slightly as Julian pushed it open and they stepped inside. The light was dim, and it took a couple of minutes for Colophon’s eyes to adjust.

“Do we just wander around until we find the monument?” Colophon whispered.

“Apparently there is an admission price,” said Julian. He pointed to a sign that requested a donation of £1.50 for adults and 50 pence for students. “Maybe they’ll have a guidebook. Wait here while I go pay.”

Julian walked over to a small stand and returned shortly thereafter with a brochure.

“Well,” said Julian, “according to this guidebook, the monument is located in the chancel.”

“What’s the chancel?” asked Colophon.

“Follow me,” replied Julian as they walked to the center of the church. “The church is shaped like a cross. Many old churches and cathedrals were constructed in that basic shape. This long central hall is where the congregation sits. It’s the longest part of the cross. It’s called the nave. The short parts of the cross, which extend off to either side of the nave, are the transepts. Now, Shakespeare’s monument is located in the chancel, which is located at the top of the cross, separated from the nave by the crossing of the transept.”

Colophon and Julian walked slowly up the center of the nave toward the crossing of the transept. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the dim light, Colophon realized that there were a number of other visitors in the church.

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