Chapter Sixty-Six

Mosby was dreaming. He was dreaming about a woman in a multi-colored skirt dancing around a crackling campfire. She was laughing. She was laughing at him. She was singing.

Gelem Gelem lungone dromenca,
Maladilem chorore romenca.
Gelem Gelem lungone dromenca,
Maladilem baxtale romenca.

Ala voliv lake kale jakha,
Kaj si gugle sar duj kale drakha.
Ala voliv lake kale jakha,
Kaj si gugle sar duj kale drakha.

"Sing with me, Mosby. I have taught you this song. Sing it with me."

Mosby woke up. It took him a moment to remember where he was. He had fallen asleep on a couch in the hospital lobby. The words of Djelem, Djelem were still on his lips. It was an old Romani folk song. He had often listened to Lilly sing it while she cooked her stews. One day Mosby had asked her to teach it to him. He thought it might be fun to share it with his fifth graders. But then Lilly translated the lyrics for him. The song that had been so romantic before he knew its meaning had taken on the heartbreak that was the story of the Romani people.

Oh, Roma, from wherever you have come
With your tents along lucky roads
I too once had a large family
But the black legion murdered them
Come with me, Roma of the world
To where the Romani roads have been opened
Now is the time - stand up, Roma,
We shall succeed where we make the effort.

Now Lilly had also been murdered. Mosby had done all he could to save her, but still he felt responsible. He looked at his watch. It was 2:00 A.M. In a few hours he would have to face a roomful of fifth graders. How could he do that when the person who murdered his best friend was still free? We shall succeed where we make the effort.

Mosby sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Lilly, Lilly, Lilly” he whispered. The lobby was empty except for the policeman at the elevator and the old woman at the information desk. It looked like she was napping. “I feel so helpless just sitting here while the monster who killed you is out there somewhere. What would he do? Where would he go?”

He stood up and walked to the entrance and looked out at the parking pavilion where he had last seen Carl Stone. He knew that from there he had gone to Charlottesville where he held Pete Britt at knifepoint until he saw the tape of her boss being arrested. Then he’d fled. Where? It was obvious he would be trying to do something to help the Senator. But where was he? Suddenly it came to him. He pushed the door open and jogged across Hospital Drive to the parking pavilion. His plan was nearly stymied at the exit. He only had three dollars in his pocket. “I’ll bring you the rest later, promise.” The parking attendant had been sympathetic and had opened the gate for him to exit. The traffic was light on Irving Street. Mosby only had a vague idea of how to get where he was going. He’d just have to trust Lilly’s spirit to guide him. As he drove, he sang. Kaj si gugle sar duj kale drakha.