“I have something to show you. I hope you’re feeling better. How’s that bump?”

“Great! Thanks again for your help. I can’t believe how clumsy I was.”

“As long as you’re okay.”

I felt a surge of happiness knowing that he cared. In the back of my mind, I heard Calpurnia’s question: “Are you a scoundrel, Captain Garrett?”

Ashland continued, “I want to show you an interesting discovery. It takes a little walking, but it’s nice out. And I think we’ll have a clear path getting there. They’ve cut back some of the underbrush already. This find is truly amazing. TD found it this morning. That’s why I was late.”

He had certainly piqued my curiosity. “What is it?”

“You’ll see, but wait; do you have your phone?”

I patted my back pocket to make sure. “Yes, of course!”

“You’re going to need it.” He laughed.

“How mysterious.”

We jumped off the back porch; the steps were soft and spongy, too hazardous to use. I was happy that I didn’t embarrass myself and fall in front of him—again.

“It’s a ways ahead, past this small section, into the…”

“Moonlight Garden…” I blurted out.

“Yes, the Moonlight Garden. How did you know about that?” He paused on the pathway, looking like a Greek statue standing in a wild, green garden.

“I must have read about it someplace. I mean, I am a researcher.” My excuse sounded weak. I knew about it because I had already been here, along with Calpurnia and Muncie, cowering under a sculpted fir tree. I had seen the two friends huddled in the wet rain, fearfully praying.

“Not many know about the garden. Even I’m not sure about the actual layout, and I own it. Still, it’s not common knowledge that it’s called the Moonlight Garden. Do you happen to know why it has that name?”

I felt my cheeks redden again. I wondered how much I should tell him, from what I had heard in Calpurnia’s mind in my dream. How she had subconsciously named the statues as she wove through the complex arrangement of hedges and trees. The Moonlight Garden was a maze, with seven landmarks, statues of the demi-goddesses of the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. They were Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygete, Celaeno and Alcyone. Their parents, Atlas and Pleione, stood in the center. I decided not to tell him these details; how could I explain that? Instead, I said, “The statues of the garden were made of white marble that reflected the moon. During a perfectly full moon, the statues shone bright, like a Moonlight Garden. It’s not as mysterious as you think.”

“You seem to know a lot about it. I’m glad I hired such a good researcher.” He led the way to the beginning of the maze. It wasn’t nearly as beautiful as it had been, but I was happy to see that some of the important spots remained—a tree here and certain flowers there. I caught my breath just realizing how much I could remember.