Previously, on "Jennifer Vanishes"...

"It happened that there were some young folk, not yet adults, no longer
children. As is the way of these younglings, they were more interested in
pranks than chores. They took it upon themselves to have sport with the
Foundress whom they thought as nothing more than a doddering old woman.
There were two things she held sacred above all else. The Compass and her
sword and those foolish young ones made off with both one night as the
Foundress was helping with a difficult birth.
"The Compass was found the next day, buried 'neath the muck of a pig pen
but, the sword never was found. The young ones said they had buried the
sword outside the village a ways up on a hill. The top of the hill was
flattened from all the digging that went on searching for the sword.
"In her anger, the Foundress left Arcadia in the same manner as she arrived after cursing it for the ingratitude of the young ones. There would be no prosperity until the family lines of the offenders died out and she would not return until that time had come."
"How long ago was that?" asked Jennifer.
Duncan scraped the last of his porridge from his bowl and washed it down
with the dregs of his coffee. "My great grand sire's grand sire was one of
the offenders. I'm the last in the line of offenders and the curse ends at
my death."...

...Jennifer walked over to the Compass. "Why is it under your bed?"
"In the short run, to remind me of my vow. In the long run, it fell to the
offenders to keep it safe for the return of the Foundress."

**********************

Jennifer walked around the Compass until she was behind it, facing the door to the cottage. She sat down on the floor. Through her dark eyes, she could still see the blue aura emanating up from it as a fog. She reached out with her right hand and placed her palm on the marble surface. It was very warm. A symbol at one of the star’s seven points was glowing red.

Duncan was about to ask her if she saw anything, when a commotion and a bell ringing from the dock area caught their attention.

"There’s a ship come in." There was more than a hint of surprise in Duncan’s voice.

They went outside. Jennifer tossed a pecan to Julian and put her arm out for him. When the trio reached the dock area they could see the ship very clearly. The figurehead on it was an angel, an angel with armor, a sword and black wings. The name of the ship was ‘Zophiel’.

"Will ya look at that?" Julian exclaimed, "Dude gets around, don’t he?" "I don’t think he’s on that ship, Julian. At least, not in person. I think it’s more his emissary." She gave the toucan another pecan. "Let’s hold off saying anything until we know what’s up, OK?" She shrugged the shoulder Julian was on to emphasize her point. "All right, all right. I'll be quiet like a good little toucan." Jennifer turned her head towards him and nuzzled her nose into the side of his feathered neck. "I like you much better when you’re sober." "CREEEAAAAKK!!" was the avian response.

"’Tis been a year and some since we last had a ship come to port and never to my memory one as large as that," said Duncan. Indeed, the good ship Zophiel was a large one, too large to anchor at the modest dock of Arcadia. It anchored some ways out in the bay and was lowering a couple of goodly sized rowboats into the water.

By the time the trio had made its way to the dock area, a large crowd had gathered. There were people clustered at the dock, others were at waters edge. Word had apparently spread even to the hills as more people came from up the few roads that led away from the village.

A woman broke away from one of the groups and came up to the Blacksmith. "Perhaps, Duncan, ‘tis a day to rejoice?" "Aye, Marta, let us hope so. We are in serious need."