Treasure Hunt - CLUE #4

 
This week we carry on with Week  4 of our biggest ever competition, here in Monaghan’s 4th largest workwear store. Don’t panic if you missed any of the previous weeks’ clues, you can still find it on the blog on the website.

FIRST PRIZE - €500 cash + €500 work wear + weekend stay in The Westenra Hotel , Monaghan + meet the Brix team for dinner and copious amounts of alcohol in The Squealing Pig.

Second Prize - €500 work wear of your choice on Brix

Third Prize - €250 work wear of your choice on Brix

This is a 10 week competition. There will be a clue in this blog each week, and you’ll need them all to determine the answer. All of the winning entries will be entered into a draw which we’ll stream live on Facebook on December 22nd.

 Over the  10 weeks we’ll print a part of a story and ask a question at the end, the answer will be that week’s clue.

You can email and ask any questions you’d like and we’ll help the best we can.

Bon chance !

The common room was directly opposite the front door of the nursing home. This was one of the reasons that Mr.Black liked sitting there, as even though he had very few visitors of his own, he was able to observe everyone that entered and left. It wasn’t nosiness, not really, it just helped pass the time, and sometimes if he simply nodded to the visitor they might come over, say Hello and spend a few moments chatting to him. That’s how he’d first met Jake. He liked Jake.  They’d had a chat about what passed for news these days and ever since whenever he’d come across an article in the Irish Times that annoyed him he’d circle it to show Jake if he popped in.

This evening he’d gone early for his tea and left the paper with the Clontibret gold story circled. When he came back he saw that someone had added a note underneath the headline, it was one word written in red ink, it said ‘BOLLOX !’, he laughed. He knew it was Jake and he hoped that he hadn’t left yet. He saw him a moment later talking with an old man at the front door. He tried to attract his attention but Jake hadn’t seen him. He watched the car leave the car park and felt a little sad.

A while later he heard chatting in the hallway and looked up to see two nurses walking  past, they said together ‘Good Evening Mr.Black’ and he nodded back to them.

A moment or two later he heard some raised voices and one of the nurses came running back down the corridor to the common room “Have you seen Jake , Mr.Black ? “ as soon as he shook his head the nurse hurried on down the hall.

He had just returned to reading his paper when the front door opened, a slight draft rustled the pages he was holding, he lowered the paper to see who it was. There was nothing there. He thought it odd. The doors were locked after 6pm and you had to have a code to enter or leave, or a member of staff had to buzz you in. The doors closed again. He tried to get back to the paper. It rustled again.

Nothing  was there.

He addressed it.

“Have you come for me ?”

“No, not yet, soon. Where is the critic ?”

“Whom ?”

“Now, now, Mr.Black, how uncharacteristically disingenuous of you. You do surprise me. You know I will find him, so let’s try again, shall we ? Where is Jake ?”

“I have not seen him this evening.”

“Mr.Black, I have a schedule, you are not a part of it, that can change. I do not come for you, or Jake, not today. He is about to make a grave mistake, he is being misled by someone who should know better and who’s time is long past. So I ask a final time , please, where is Jake ?”

“I don’t know, honestly. He left with an old man I hadn’t seen before , they seemed to argue near the door and then they left in Jake’s car.”

“ Which direction ?”

“Right. They turned right. “

“Thank you. We will meet again….soon.”

“Wait ! I remember something. Jake had asked the old man who he was and he replied that Jake already knew  and would soon remember. When he asked where they were going the old man replied that Jake knew that too. I don’t know if that helps ?”

“It does. Maybe our next meeting won’t be so soon after all.”

Mr.Black shook his head, smiling, “Oh, I’m ready whenever you are. There is very little left for me to do here now.”

At the door of the common room the nurse stood looking at Mr.Black, “Who are you talking to ?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

The nurse looked confused, “How can nothing be something ?”

“Indeed.” Mr.Black raised his paper and went back to reading , the pages rustled as the front door opened and closed again.

Back in the tunnel the wooden door groaned and opened a few inches. They had to push against it together to get it to open wide enough for them to pass through. The hall on the other side of the door was much brighter. The old man was beaming with delight. He clapped Jake on the back and was about to say something when he fell to his knees clutching his chest.

“What’s wrong ?”  Fear coursed through Jake as he quickly knelt down beside the old man to help him up. The old man stared back at Jake, he looked terrified, he struggled to say anything for a moment or two , and then simply said :

“Nothing.”

Treasure Hunt - Clue #3

This week we carry on with Week 3 of our biggest ever competition, here in Monaghan’s 4th largest workwear store. Don’t panic if you missed last week’s clue, you can still find it on the blog on the website.

I have to apologise for last week’s clue, apparently depending on what format you listen to music on there are several versions of the song’s length. The answer you need for week 2 is 4.24.

FIRST PRIZE - €500 cash + €500 work wear + weekend stay in The Westenra Hotel , Monaghan + meet the Brix team for dinner and copious amounts of alcohol in The Squealing Pig.

Second Prize - €500 work wear of your choice on Brix

Third Prize - €250 work wear of your choice on Brix

This is a 10 week competition. There will be a clue in this blog each week, and you’ll need them all to determine the answer. All of the winning entries will be entered into a draw which we’ll stream live on Facebook on December 22nd.

Over the next 10 weeks we’ll print a part of a story and ask a question at the end, the answer will be that week’s clue.

You can email and ask any questions you’d like and we’ll help the best we can.

Bon chance !

When Jake pressed the numbers on the stone it glowed a dim yellow for a moment and then sank into the ground. The old man motioned Jake to move back a little and in front of them , between the yew trees , a passage way opened with stone cut steps leading down .

Jake looked at the old man, he was gleefully rubbing his hands together and beaming as he made his way past Jake and stood at top of the steps looking down. Without looking back he said :

“It gets trickier from here on”

“Great” Jake said sarcastically as he stood beside him. The steps deemed to go down quite a distance , he couldn’t quite see the bottom, but there was a hint of light coming from somewhere.

“Come on then , Jake, destiny awaits…”

“Great” he said again….more sarcastically.

He counted thirty three steps on the way down before the tunnel revealed itself. The tunnel was lit at twenty metre intervals by large candles placed on the floor. Oddly they seemed to emit more light than one would expect from a candle.  The walls of the tunnel were made od stone blocks, uncut, apart from the arched roof. There were some markings on the walls but Jake hadn’t really time to take them in as he was hurrying to keep up with the old man.

“Who lit the candles ?” Jake asked.

The old man stopped.

“Seriously ?”

“Yes, who lit the candles ?”

“St Aidan, moody chap doesn’t like the dark, or company, so come on , we can chat later.”

“Did you say St.Aidan ? He was run out of Kilmore in the sixth century.”

“Yes. Your point being ?”

“That these candles, according to you, have been burning for well over a thousand years. That’s some fine candle.”

“No, I simply answered your question and told you who lit them, I didn’t say when he lit them.”

“But that’s….”

The old man held up his hand to interrupt Jake and asked him to take out his phone and tell him what time it was. Jake took his phone out of his pocket and said “Ten thirty two.”

“Does it have a stopwatch ?”

“Yes.”

“Hit the start button.”

Jake pressed the green start button. Nothing happened. He pressed it again. Nothing. He looked confused. The old man simply said “There’s nothing special about the candles. Now come on.”

He hurried off again, and Jake hurried after him. They continued on in silence for a few minutes and then they came to a large wooden wall blocking the tunnel completely.

“Bugger ! This door wasn’t here the last time.”

They stared at the dark wooden beams for a moment . Jake spotted it first. On the floor , right against the tunnel wall and at the foot of the door was another stone with numbers carved into it.

The old man rubbed his hand along the top of the door.

“Something is carved here.”

But I said to you that you have sen me , and yet do not believe.

“That’s it ! What’s the number Jake ?”

Treasure Hunt  - Clue # 2

This week we carry on with Week 2 of our biggest ever competition, here in Monaghan’s 4^th largest workwear store. Don’t panic if you missed last week’s clue, you can still find it on the blog on the website.

FIRST PRIZE - €500 cash + €500 work wear + weekend stay in The Westenra Hotel , Monaghan + meet the Brix team for dinner and copious amounts of alcohol in The Squealing Pig.

Second Prize - €500 work wear of your choice on Brix

Third Prize - €250 work wear of your choice on Brix

This is a 10 week competition. There will be a clue in this blog each week, and you’ll need them all to determine the answer. All of the winning entries will be entered into a draw which we’ll stream live on Facebook on December 22nd.

Over the next 10 weeks we’ll print a part of a story and ask a question at the end, the answer will be that week’s clue.

You can email and ask any questions you’d like and we’ll help the best we can.

Bon chance !

Karma

The old man smiled at Jake, “Correct! I knew you’d get it right. Now , time is of the essence, let’s go.” And with that he took Jake by the arm and led him to the front door. “Which horseless carriage is yours ?”

Jake stopped just before they got to the door. The last half hour had been a blur of frantic screaming, Beethoven, shock and surprises. He’d answered a seemingly random question from an old man that he’d never met before and yet here he was , arm in arm with the nameless stranger heading out into the dark October night….

“Stop !” The old man stopped. “Just hang on a second. Who are you and how do you know my name ?”

The old man smiled again, “You know my name. Now, which car is yours ?”. He had his hand on the door to open it. Jake held his hand up to hold it closed. The old man looked at him , a little concerned , but still smiling. “ You do know my name, it will come back to you. Now please, we really have little time.” Something in his voice reassured Jake and he let his hand fall from the door. And they were across the car park and sitting in Jake’s car heading towards Monaghan town before either of them spoke again.

Jake broke the silence “ I’m sure at some point you’re going to tell me where we’re going , and more importantly, why ?”

“You know where we’re going.”

“I don’t .”

“It’ll come back to you.”

“I hope it comes soon, the lights are about to turn green.”

The old man simply smiled. The lights turned green and Jake duly turned left up the Broad Road and then straight through the roundabout out the Clones road. As he approached the turn for Ballinode he decided to ignore it and continued on out the Clones Road. He was sure if he made a mistake that the old man would simply correct him……quite sure.

The next turn off this road would be left to Threemilehouse, towards Rossmore Park, but again he kept to the main road. On he went, ignoring the crossroads at the White Bridge, and although he was tempted to dart a look at his passenger as he approached Carson’s Bridge and his turn for home, he didn’t, and kept on going. To break the silence he switched on the radio, it was rubbish, he flicked to the cd player and selected OK Computer, ‘Karma Police’ started to play. The old man said “ Well , well, still listening to that one ? Odd that you should play it tonight.”

Jake ignored him. He was getting a little annoyed by this faux familiarity, but drove on. Just as the little green numbers approached the end of the song he turned left and just exactly at the moment the song finished he stopped the car at the gate of the old Drumsnatt  graveyard . The old man clapped his hands in joy. He pointed at the digital green numbers on the cd player, frozen now at the end of the song, then pointed his finger at Jake, started wagging it and laughing “ You, you , you.I told you , you’d remember. This is too good !” He opened the door and got out.

Jake had no idea why he’d driven here, not really. He’d been here before, but he was interested in local history, he’d been here a number of times. Not at night though.

The old man waited at the gate for Jake to catch up “ Why’d you stop here at the old graveyard instead of the new one ? I thought you’d have gone to the Wilde Sisters grave. That’s what most people think is special about this place.”

“I’ve stood at Mary and Emily’s grave many times and said a wee prayer, but …….You do know that the ‘new graveyard’ is 300 years old ?”

“It’ll always be the new graveyard to me. Anyway, answer the question, why’d you stop here ?”

“Not sure, you’re old and decrepit, this place is old and decrepit…I thought it was apt.”

“Still as funny as ever Jacob.  Joking aside, this is a special place, always has been, older than the graveyard, older than the monastic site, it was revered before any…….Anyway, you know all of this. Now where would it be ?”

“Sorry, can I just stop you there again. You keep talking as if we’re old friends reunited, and that I’m in on whatever this is we’re doing. I really haven’t a clue. Where would what be exactly ?”

The old man, smiled, opened the gate and just said “After you “.

Jake sighed and walked up the little rise to the first yew tree. The old man followed him and when he got close he placed his arm gently on Jake’s shoulder. Jake felt a surge of warmth throughout his whole body. The old man spoke “You have simply been distracted these last few years. I thought it easier for you that way. But now you have to focus. It will gradually come back to you. But right now I can’t wait for ‘gradually’. “We’re looking for a tunnel , the entrance is marked with a very old stone. You know where it is, lead me to it”.

Jake turned and walked slowly to the third yew tree and without saying a word knelt at the base of the tree and cleared away some long grass to reveal the old stone. The man knelt down beside him and placed his open palm flat on the stone. After a moment a grid of numbers started to glow.

“Quickly now, Jake. You need to press three digits.”

Jake was startled to see the three numbers from the car’s cd player immediately pop into his head. He touched the numbers on the stone in order.

 *The numbers Jake pressed are your second clue