Subj: The Letter, Part 14
Date: 8/3/01 1:10:19 AM Central Daylight Time
From: R J Jamison

Quentin Collins stood in the entryway of an old Spanish-style hacienda on the outskirts of Brasilia, Brazil. While the city had only been built only twenty years earlier as the national capitol, there had been colonial lands and plantations. With him were Charles Llewellyn and Douglas Blaylock.

“Quentin!” Hallie Stokes yelled from the top of the stairs. She bounded down them without care and rushed to Quentin for a hug. “I’m so surprised to see you!”

Quentin returned the girl’s overzealous embrace and smiled at her charmingly. “Hallie, this is Charles Llewellyn and Douglas Blaylock.” Hallie smiled politely and led the three men into a small sitting room.

“Mrs. Neto said I had visitors from the States. . . I was so surprised.” Hallie’s smiled faded as she saw the serious expressions on those around her. “What is it Quentin?”

“Hallie, where is your uncle?”

“Uncle Eliot is in the rain forest visiting a great healer.” Hallie’s eyes darted to the two unfamiliar men. “Why Quentin, what is wrong?” Her voice started to register some alarm. Quentin tried not to frown remembering Hallie’s easily triggered hysteria

Quentin took Hallie’s hands. “Did you see Barnabas and Julia when they arrived earlier this week?”

“Mr. Collins and Dr. Hoffman are here?” Hallie recalled the odd pair. She recalled meeting them in a hallway months ago when they appeared out of nowhere in the West Wing of Collinwood. She had not gotten to know either of them very well. “What has this to do with my uncle, why are they here?”

“Dr. Hoffman came to try and help my son.” Douglas volunteered and slowly sat on the other side of Hallie.

“Why?” She asked.

“My son is Dr. Hoffman’s husband.” Douglas noted the startled reaction from the young girl.

“But I thought Dr. Hoffman and Barnabas—“ Hallie turned to look at Quentin. “I thought they –“

Quentin patted Hallie’s hand. He had not wanted Charles and Douglas to know of Barnabas and Julia’s long and tortured relationship. He had explained Barnabas’s presence as that of one of Eliot’s closest friends. “Barnabas came because your Uncle asked Julia to come and take care of someone. We originally thought it was you but now we know its Mr. Blaylock’s
son. We need your help to find them.”

“But I don’t know where they went. Helio knows and he’ll be here tonight.” Hallie looked about hoping this information would please the men.

“Helio?” Charles asked.

“He helps my Uncle when he comes here. He travels back and forth between my Uncle and me while my Uncle is in the jungle.” Hallie had originally not wanted to be alone in this strange place without her Uncle. But she had come to enjoy being with the Neto family, they were very fun and she had needed that after her parents’ death and her stay with the Collins family.

“What time will he get here?” Douglas asked the girl.

“For dinner, around ten.”

“Ten!” Charles roared. “We can’t wait that long!”

“Do you have a better idea?” Quentin’s annoyed glare caused Charles to walk away.

“You are certain Helio will be here for dinner?” Douglas asked again. Hallie nodded in a strong desire to please the old man. She could see his kindness and concern for his son in his eyes. “Well then, what would you like to do until he comes?” Hallie
returned his engaging smile.

At Collinwood, Roger listened to his cousin’s faint voice. “Yes, Quentin, I can barely hear you but I understand you’ve spoken with Hallie and will be on your way to Blaylock’s son tomorrow morning.” Roger nodded and stared at his sister and Carolyn. They both stared at him with questions and concerns. “What? Who??” Roger turned to see his son slouching
in a chair with the medical book Julia had given him. “Yes, just a second. . .David.”

David looked up from the discussion of the brain and its particularities. “Yeah?”

“Someone wants to speak with you.” Roger held out the phone. David slammed shut his book and took the phone receiver from his father.

“Hello—“

“You’ll have to speak louder son, the connection is very faint.” Roger instructed.

“Hello!” David screamed into the receiver.

“No more than five minutes David. . .this call is very expensive.” Roger moved away from his son and motioned for Carolyn and Elizabeth to follow him into the foyer.

“What did Quentin say?” Elizabeth asked.

“They found Hallie in Brasilia. She didn’t know where Stokes was but his assistant is coming into town He is to take them to the Village where Barnabas and Julia are tomorrow morning.”

“Village?” Carolyn questioned.

“Yes, apparently, they are in some remote part of the Amazon jungle. . . somewhere near. . what was the name of that river. . zigyu or something similar to that.” Roger shook his head in frustration.

“Did he say anything else?” Elizabeth wanted to know.

“It was hard to make out but I think he said Stokes had known the ‘healer’, ‘shaman’ he called him for several years. Apparently Blaylock’s detectives aren’t very good. Taylor Blaylock is widely known in parts of Brazil as a great healer who can effectively communicate with the Indians in the Amazon.” Roger again shook his head at the thought of an American
doctor going native in the Amazon. “How is it that Barnabas and Julia always end up in the strangest of situations?”

“I hope Barnabas and Julia will be all right.” Carolyn looked in at David as he hung up the phone. “How is Hallie?” She moved back into the Drawing Room.

“She’s cool.” He went back to collect his book. “She’ll be back in early August and will go to school at the Academy too.”

“Did she say if she was enjoying Brazil?” Elizabeth smiled at David’s attempt at being nonchalant.

“She thinks its pretty cool.”

“So everything is ‘cool’ is it?” Roger asked. He hated how David, like all the young people he encountered, profusely used the words ‘cool’ and ‘peace’.

“Yeah. Thanks for letting me talk long distance like that, it was—“

“Cool.” Roger nodded and watched his son rush up the stairs.

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.