The Emerald Key - By Christopher Dinsdale Page 0,75
up towards the top lock. Along the way, he interviewed three more groups of workers. Many agreed that he did look eerily similar to Patrick Kell. Upon reaching the top, Jamie took a moment to catch his breath and looked back over the massive engineering project that descended to a sparkling Lake Ontario far below. A cool breeze brushed across his brow. For just a moment, Jamie closed his eyes and allowed his imagination to take him back to his homeland. He saw the cobblestone streets and thatch-roofed cottages of his family’s village. He smelled the rose-scented gardens and heard the moans of the oxen plowing patches of field for spring potato seeding. His family milled about, chatting about the day’s events, sharing a laugh. He could even hear his brother guffawing with them in his own unique style. Jamie blinked hard in the bright sun. The guffawing was not coming from his imagination! Jamie spun around. Much to his disbelief, Ryan, his brother, walked out of a nearby cabin, laughing with an older gentleman who was holding an unrolled diagram in his hands.
“How did you become so rich when you think so small?” said Ryan.
The older man smiled. “All right, stop all the laughing at my expense and tell me what you mean.”
Ryan pointed to the diagram. “Just make those conduits a little bit bigger and we could build a mill that could grind grain not only for the southern section of Canada West but for upper New York State as well!”
The man chuckled, rubbing his grey beard. “That’s what I like about you, Patrick. You never stop thinking of new ways to spend my hard-earned money.”
“Ryan?”
Unable to control himself, Jamie sprinted across the construction site.
“Ryan!”
Ryan staggered backwards at the sound of his name, shocked. “Jamie?”
Jamie charged in and threw his arms around his brother. The man accompanying Ryan stepped back in surprise, and nearby construction workers lowered their tools. The moment seemed to freeze in time as the two young men hugged and slapped each other on the backs with unbridled happiness. Jamie gripped his brother’s face.
“You don’t know how good it is to see you! I thought you had died at sea!”
Ryan beamed an ecstatic smile and embraced his brother. “It’s so good to see you, Jamie!”
Jamie wiped back a tear. “I don’t know where to begin.… I can’t believe you’re alive! What happened? Why are you here? I thought you were dead!”
“Everything is all right, Jamie. I’m right here and I’m very much alive.”
“But how? I don’t understand.”
“Well, there’s no mistaking that you two are indeed brothers,” said the older man. “I take it that this a reunion of some sort?”
“Yes, sir,” agreed Ryan, grinning from ear to ear. “Mr. Montgomery, I’d like you to meet my little brother Jamie. Jamie, this is Mr. Thomas Montgomery. He’s the owner of the canal.”
“A pleasure,” he replied, shaking Jamie’s hand. “Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve had the privilege of witnessing a reunion on my worksite. You and Jamie take as much time as you need to get reacquainted. I’ll be in my office thinking about your conduit idea.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Ryan.
Jamie laughed, still in shock, as Mr. Montgomery walked away and the workers turned back to their tasks, looking pleased to have been part of such a happy moment.
“It’s so good to see you!” exclaimed Jamie.
“And you! The last thing I expected to see at the canal site was my little brother from Ireland. How did you find me?”
Jamie smiled. “It wasn’t easy.”
Jamie related the entire adventure to his brother while Ryan listened, awestruck. Ryan looked off past the blue horizon of Lake Ontario, trying to imagine the incredible scenes. Then, he sank to his knees when Jamie described the moment of finding the family text within the burning House of Parliament.
“The book was destroyed in the fire?” Ryan whispered, his face turning ashen.
Jamie grinned and lifted up the leather flap to his satchel.
“Wrong. I rescued it.”
“You have it now?”
Ryan wiped his sleeve across his face to remove the tears that streamed freely down his cheek. He took the book from Jamie, holding it against his chest. Jamie waited patiently while his brother recomposed himself.
“I thought our family’s book had been lost forever! I’m so sorry, Jamie. This was all my fault! If I hadn’t rushed into that skirmish with the British soldiers, none of this would have happened.”
Jamie helped him back to his feet. “We can’t change the past. But tell me, how did