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  "Pensri please take Mister Reno to room 4A. I will inform Tah Tah that you have arrived Marcus Reno. Please make yourself comfortable in the meantime." “Don’t you need a credit card for the room?” Marcus asked. “That’s not necessary Marcus Reno. Your room fees have been taken care of.”

  Room 4A was up three flights of narrow stairs. Turning right and pushing through a velvet curtain he passed two rooms before finding 4A. Inside, the room wasn't small. It was maybe thirty feet by twenty feet. It had an upholstered couch by the window, double bed against the wall, one lamp on a nightstand and a battered armoire in the corner.

  "Where's the bathroom?" Marcus asked. "Down the hall on your right," Pensri replied with a smile. "And the air conditioner?" Marcus asked. "I'm afraid not, but there is a ceiling fan," she replied. "If there's nothing else I'll leave you now. My mother will inform you when Tah Tah arrives." "Thanks," he replied placing his suitcase on the couch. "Who is this Tah Tah?" "He is your contact here at The Libby. Now I must return to my duties," Pensri replied bowing slightly.

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  Tah Tah's three-wheeled cycle was parked on the curb, off Libby Street, while he lunched on pat tai, a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with egg. It had been a busy morning transporting passengers throughout the downtown area. He smiled broadly as he saw Pensri approach. "Good afternoon," she said excitedly.

  "Yes, it is," Tah Tah replied. "May I offer you some lunch?" "Thank you, no. I had mine earlier back at the hotel." "And how is your mother?" Tah Tah inquired. "Very fine. Thank you for asking."

  "Please have a seat while I finish my lunch," he said pointing to his cycle. "Thank you. I will," she answered taking a seat on Tah Tah’s cycle. "I'm pleased you decided to visit me today," Tah Tah said.

  "I am on an errand from my mother. She asked me to tell you that an American checked in a short while ago." "What is this American’s name?" "Marcus Reno." "Ah yes," Tah Tah replied. "I was told he would be arriving soon. Please thank your mother for informing me. May I give you a ride back to the hotel?"

  "Thank you, but I'd prefer walking." "Please send word to this Marcus Reno to meet me this evening at sunset on the terrace at Chote Chitr." "I shall," she replied.

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  Tah Tah was responsible for the Honolulu area for the Mandela. He'd been introduced to the Mandela in his hometown of Manila. Being Filipino in Hawaii had its drawbacks but he'd acclimated to the area well over the past few years. Fluent in Tagalog, Phasi Thai and English, he could communicate with most of the travelers who came his way. Aside from Marcus Reno, it had been well over two months since anyone had asked for him at the hotel.

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  Off the beaten path, Chote Chitr is one of the family owned restaurants prominent in this old section of town. Middle-class Hawaiians and Thais eat there the way their parents and grandparents did before them. Tah Tah found an American he thought might be Marcus, nursing a beer, at a table on the terrace.

  "I believe you are looking for me," he said bowing his head. "My name is Tah Tah." "Yes, I am," Marcus said excitedly standing up. "How may I be of service?"Tah Tah replied, taking a seat at the table. "Now that I've found you, I hardly know where to start," Marcus said. "Perhaps an introduction is a good place to start," Tah Tah said. "Of course," he replied. "I'm Marcus Reno. I flew here from San Diego at the suggestion of an acquaintance of mine to meet you."

  "I see," he replied ordering a beer from the waiter. "He said to go to the address on Libby Street and someone would contact me." "Why did this acquaintance send you here?" "I'm not sure exactly. Something about a job," Marcus answered.

  "Where is this friend now?" "I'm not sure about that either," Marcus replied with a smile. "He must be a very good friend for you to travel all the way to Honolulu without knowing the specific reason."

  "I was hoping you could help me discover the reason, Tah Tah," Marcus said. "Perhaps, Marcus Reno. Perhaps. Do you at least know what your friend's name is?" "Vidur Padmavati," Marcus replied. "And what does this Padmavati look like? Age, height, weight and so on?" "Tall, thin, late fifties I'd say with black short-cut hair. A very well-dressed Indian gentleman."

  "You'll pardon me for being so inquisitive Marcus. I just desired to verify that indeed Vidur was the one who sent you to us. The pumpkin stir-fry with crispy fried noodles is the house special. Place two orders with the waiter and I shall return shortly," Tah Tah instructed walking away from the table.

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  Willy wasn't about to give up just yet. He'd invested the last of his money in rental equipment, travel expenses and hotel rooms in his search for James Gang treasure. There was no money left to pay his young hired hand, and it didn't sound like Marcus would be joining him so he'd just have to go it alone. At least he wouldn't waste anymore time exploring the area Jesse had marked as a blind.

  The gold must be buried nearby; he thought to himself, as he loaded the Range Rover with his gear. All he had to do was locate the true marking that Jesse left. But that was 135 years ago. Would the mark still be visible, after all, this time? These thoughts and more were rumbling through his head as he prepared to leave his motel for another day of searching. "Willy," the feminine voice said. "Thought I might bump into you out here."

  Turning around Willy exclaimed with a shock. "Cracker, what in the world?" "Marcus here with you?" she demanded. "No," he blurted. "How long have you been here?" "Two days," she replied with a smirk. "The desk clerk told me a William Boggs was staying here. Knew I'd bump into you sooner or later."

  "How did you know where to go?" "I made a copy of the recordings too Willy." "I see," Willy replied closing the hatch on the Range Rover. "Where's Marcus?" she asked walking closer to Willy. "In San Diego last I heard," he replied.

  "When will he be arriving here soon?" she countered. "He won't. It appears that he's given up on our quest." "Well, I guess it's just you and me then," she replied with a wicked smile.

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  Tah Tah returned just as the waiter brought their dinner to the table. "All is well Marcus Reno," he said as he sat down. "Forgive me for making you wait but I had to verify your identity." "No problem. So can you help me understand why I'm here?" Marcus asked.

  "Of course. I am a member of a society known as The Mandela. Your friend Vidur is a member as well. Based on your recent experience and your current financial situation Vidur felt you could benefit from the resources we have to offer."

  "Resources, what resources?" Marcus asked. "They are many and varied my friend," Tah Tah replied. "I see," Marcus said taking a sip of beer. "And this hotel I'm staying in is your headquarters?" "Not exactly," he replied laughing. "Our headquarters are in Adyar, India. We have stations throughout the Globe. I am the coordinator for our station here on Oahu. The hotel on Libby Street is merely a lodge we use for guests who are staying for a few days."

  "Do you have a station, as you called it, in the San Diego area also?" "Why yes we do,” Tah Tah replied. It is located in the Hillcrest area of greater San Diego," he answered. "Then why did Vidur send me here?" Marcus asked. "I'm not sure I can answer that my friend. Perhaps it has something to do with a young lady friend of yours who resides here on Oahu. Your sponsor Robert Albrecht may be able to answer that query." "My sponsor?" Marcus exclaimed.

  "Don't look so surprised young Marcus. Yes, Robert Albrecht has recommended you for membership and employment and Vidur concurred." "What's with all the secrecy then?" Marcus asked. "Is the Mandela group some kind of cult?"

  Smiling broadly Tah Tah replied, "No, not a cult Marcus. Not at all. We are more of a private society than a secretive one." "Please understand it is not our intent to convert anyone. We offer no organized religion to convert them to. An individual either finds merit in our teachings or he does not. On my part, I have benefitted immensely from the teachings. So much, so that I no longer have a fear of death or what comes after. One might even say that I look forward to it once my time here is done
."

  "And just how am I going to benefit from resources provided by the Mandela? Are you going to help me discover something?" "Not discover but rather uncover. Uncover what has been known and forgotten," Tah Tah replied. "Known and forgotten by who?" Marcus questioned.

  "By you, my young friend. By you!"

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  "We may as well team up Willy," Cracker said. "We're the only two left of our little band. Roy's in the Brig and Marcus is I assume off chasing after little Miss Priss." "I thought you didn't believe in any of this my dear," Willy replied with a smirk. "I didn't originally," she replied with a toss of her hair. "But I've had a change of heart."

  "How so?" Willy asked.

  "After the third or fourth session with Doctor Pete I started to believe what I was seeing. I don't pretend to fully understand this past life regression business, but I know what I saw and heard while under hypnosis. If I wasn't Frank James in a past life then where did all this stuff come from?"

  "Where indeed?" Willy replied.

  "Either way," she continued. "We have some fairly solid info to go on don't we? I assume you listened to the remainder of the recordings? The last session, in particular?" "I did yes," Willy replied. "So we're both aware of the blind and true markings left by Jesse?" he continued.

  "We certainly are," Cracker replied. "We make an odd couple don't we Willy?" "Odd is hardly the word for it my dear." "Let's be practical," she continued. "You have the equipment we need and I have some cash to keep us going for a while. What do you say? Are we a team?"

  "For better or for worse yes," he replied. Opening the passenger door she said with a grin, "Great, let's head for Buzzard's Roost."

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  "What is it I've forgotten Tah Tah?" Marcus asked taking a bite of his dinner. "That is for you to discover my friend. I shall but open the door and point the way so to speak. You are welcome to stay at the Libby while you get your bearings.”

  “The Libby is not a plush hotel, as you have no doubt already discovered, but it is an economic one. Your room fees have been taken care of by Robert Albrecht. If you require anything during your stay, simply consult Pensri or her mother. For transport, I am at your disposal if you don't mind hitching a ride on my cycle."

  "I don't mind at all," Marcus replied. "What's our next move?" "After you've had a night’s rest I will pick you up in the morning for a ride to a Mandela warehouse in Pacific Palisades." "A Mandela warehouse?" Marcus asked looking surprised.

  "Yes, most of our remote stations are in local homes. A few are located in private offices or leased buildings. We're fortunate to have located a small local warehouse for rent at an affordable price. Benefactors like Robert Albrecht, as well as others, help with funding."

  "Albrecht again?" Marcus exclaimed. "Yes, he's been intimately involved with the Mandela for over thirty years. I'm surprised you're not aware of that Marcus your being so close to him and all." "It seems there's a lot I'm not aware of regarding Albrecht," Marcus said with a sigh. "What about Vidur?" Marcus continued. "How does he fit in?"

  "Vidur coordinates Mandela activities for our station in San Diego. He and Robert Albrecht are old friends. In fact, Mandela meetings were conducted in Robert Albrecht's home for many years prior to the acquisition of our Hillcrest location."

  "How many locations worldwide does the Mandela have Tah Tah?" "I'm not sure Marcus. I have heard it said that we have over fifty, but I don't know for certain. Again I'm puzzled why you did not ask this question of Robert Albrecht. He is the head of our society, after all."

  "Robert is head of the Mandela?" Marcus asked sounding shocked. "Yes, he's served in this capacity for the past eight years. Did he not inform you of the job opening we have here for you?" "Not exactly, no," Marcus replied. "Looks like there's a lot Albrecht didn't tell me."

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  "Before we head off," Willy said turning to face Cracker, "we should discuss our plan of attack. The news that Jesse moved the treasure was quite disappointing. I'm beginning to worry that we may never find the Mexican gold."

  "Buck up Willy," Cracker replied. "Let's analyze this. We know that Jesse moved the gold sometime during the winter of 1876. So Frank obviously never found all of the treasure. Jesse never told him that he'd moved it. Presumably so that he Jesse would have the gold all to himself. It's also a good bet that no one else found it either. Apparently, the only person Jesse told was Cole Younger and Cole spent the next twenty-five years in prison."

  "Yes, but Cole was paroled in 1901. He could have gone back then to search for the gold," Willy countered. "First of all," Cracker replied, "Jesse didn't tell Cole where he'd moved the gold only that he had moved it. Secondly, you said yourself that Cole performed with Frank in a Wild West show sometime in the early 1900's. If he'd found the treasure why was he working for peanuts in a side-show?"

  "How do we know that Jesse didn't tell someone else besides Cole?" Willy asked. "We don't, but why would he? I'm certain that Jesse intended to go back for the gold at a later date when things calmed down."

  "Then why did he decide to tell Cole Younger?" Willy asked. "Who knows, for bragging rights probably? Besides, Jesse knew that Cole was going away to prison. The only fly in the ointment is Albrecht's theory."

  "Albrecht's theory?" Willy responded sounding surprised. "Yes, suppose Albrecht is right, and Jesse did fake his death. He could very well have lived out a long life as that Dalton guy or under another alias. If so, what was to stop him from recovering the gold? He knew exactly where he buried it."

  "That's quite a jump, my dear," Willy responded. "Perhaps but you must admit it's a possibility." "If you're right about that then the search is over," Willy said. "There's nothing left to look for."

  "Hey, I'm just spit-balling here Willy. Let's not give up yet. Besides I have a plan."

  ≈≈≈≈≈≈

  Nestled in the mountains above Pearl City, the Pacific Palisades warehouse sat at the end of a one-way street on Komo Mai Drive. The warehouse, an 8,000 square foot one-story building with covered loading dock, was partially hidden behind a grove of Eucalyptus and Acacia trees. With floor to ceiling windows facing the street, the warehouse was often mistaken for a single family home.

  Unlocking the front door Tah Tah and Marcus entered a small office painted in a bright green containing over a dozen plants in dire need of watering. "Jason, our prior librarian, was fond of house plants as you can see," he said.

  "Prior librarian?" Marcus questioned. "Yes regrettably, he resigned a few weeks ago for personal reasons. You'll be taking his place. With your background in Library Sciences, you should do well." "Whoa, there a minute buddy," Marcus replied. "What classes I did attend in college I mainly slept through. I'm far from an expert in Library Sciences."

  Leading the way into the warehouse Tah Tah replied, "Robert Albrecht seems to think you're an excellent candidate Marcus, and that's good enough for me. As you can see, Jason did an outstanding job in categorizing and organizing our many titles," Tah Tah continued waving his arm towards the racks of books.

  Down the center aisle of the warehouse, Marcus gazed upon row after row of ten-foot high pallet racking holding full cartons of books and periodicals. To his right, a long row of six-foot high shelving contained loose hard and soft cover titles stacked one upon the other. "Over here," Tah Tah said walking towards the dock door, "is the staging area where incoming and outgoing product is prepared for storage or shipping."

  "How many different titles are stored in here?" Marcus asked. "The term Jason used was SKU which stands for stock keeping, or individual if you will, units. I believe the total is somewhere around 3,500 SKUs." "3,500 titles?" Marcus declared. "These are all Mandela publications?" "Not all," he replied with a smile. "We carry a large collection of material from other secret and social organizations as well."

  "And I'm to manage this inventory?" Marcus asked. "Yes, among other tasks." "What other tasks?"

  "For some time now Ro
bert and Vidur have been exploring ways and methods to bring our society into the 21st Century. One of the changes they intend to implement is to make our many publications more readily available to the public. To that end, their desire is to turn this warehouse into both a fulfillment and an information center."

  "You have a generous budget including a salary and adequate funds to hire a warehouse assistant. You'll be charged with distributing Mandela publications to a wide variety of members and subscribers as well as converting our many titles to a digital format for publication as electronic books."

  "That's a tall order for someone who has next to no experience in warehousing and fulfillment Tah Tah." "You'll learn as you go young Marcus," Tah Tah replied slapping him on the back.

  "When do I start?" Marcus asked. "Right now my new friend," he replied. "There is a company car parked behind the building. It is for your use as you get settled. It’s not much to look at, but it should provide dependable transportation."

  "Jason compiled an operations manual before he left. You'll find it on one of the desks out front. Everything you need to know regarding running the facility and categorizing the inventory is listed. My cell number is included as well should you need me."

  "And all this talk about Mandela resources to help me uncover something I've forgotten? What about that?" Marcus implored.

  "Every book and article ever wrote about, for or by the Mandela is housed here in the warehouse. Study them at your leisure. In particular, be sure to read and study the material in A Wink from the Universe by Jamison Tolliver. His observations may answer many of your questions.”

  “Also, I've made arrangements for you to meet Patricia and Gerald Garfield. They operate a Mandela station in their home here on the Island. There is a group meeting there this Friday evening. You've been invited to join. Give Pat a call," Tah Tah said handing a slip of paper to Marcus.

  “Study the manual left by Jason and familiarize yourself with the layout of the warehouse. I’ll check in on you in a few days,” Tah Tah said as he headed for the door. “Call me if you need anything.”