Two Crowns for America by Katherine Kurtz

Author:Katherine Kurtz [Kurtz, Katherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-81354-1
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2011-12-27T16:00:00+00:00

In one of the galleries of the Philadelphia statehouse, Andrew Wallace sat quietly in a back row and listened, eyelids lowered, his empty eye socket filled by an orb of precious Venetian glass given him by a king. Disguised by the rusty black raiment of the Professor, he was aware of Another’s presence all but overshadowing his own will, focused through the moonstone pendant hanging next to his heart, but he was content that it be so. Arabella sat in the opposite gallery, doing her best not to look as if she was watching him, but no one else had noted his arrival or his presence; the Master’s glamour ensured that. All the galleries were packed with patriotic citizens waiting to see what would transpire, and the lower doors had been locked and guards posted to prevent interruption.

Andrew had been here for several hours already, for the matter under discussion was of grave importance. After the reading of the draft declaration submitted by Jefferson’s committee, Jefferson himself had spoken at length, followed by John Adams of Boston and Dr. Franklin of Pennsylvania. As the summer hours stretched on, some of the delegates remained undecided, for passage of the matter now under consideration would have drastic implications for everyone. The conclusion of the declaration had said it all, following on the words of the motion originally made by Richard Henry Lee: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

It was late in the afternoon by the time discussion began to focus on just what the would-be signers were risking, with mention of axes and scaffolds and gibbets. As the images washed over Andrew, so also did the Presence that had been watching and listening through him; and at length he found himself rising to move to the edge of the gallery, setting his two hands on the balcony railing as all eyes lifted to him and silence fell upon the occupants of the statehouse.

In the weeks leading to this day, he had spoken several times to the framers of the declaration about the document they were preparing: that the parchment on which it would be written was, in fact, a Golden Fleece. Not the secret of immortality, like the original golden fleece, but a magic formula of human hope—the secret of the immortality of human society.

Now he spoke of the words on the document that lay before them, which would live long after the bones of every man and woman present had returned to dust, whatever means of death might claim them. They must not fear gibbet or scaffold or the most ignoble grave, for the ideals enshrined in that document would never die, if only those present had the courage to pledge their all. He spoke of a New Order, and the benevolent Providence that had decreed the proliferation of freedom in this New World, to be bought with the blood of its sons and daughters upon the altar of freedom.

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