A day after the girls had gathered at the shop, Steve, completely unsuspecting of what had happened, took Veronica and drove to visit their aunt and uncle. They, in turn, were eagerly awaiting their arrival. The brother and sister did not keep them waiting long. Uncle Brandon and their daughter Sophie came out to meet them. They warmly invited the guests to the table.
A minute later, Aunt Drusilla herself appeared. She loved her nephews dearly, so she immediately hugged and kissed them.
— Why haven't you visited me for so long?
— You know, Aunt, we have a lot of things to do, — Steve tried to justify himself.
— Still, you must visit me more often, my dears! You know how much I love you. You can find time between chores too.
— Aunt, forgive us, we will think of you more often now.
— I am so glad to hear that! — Drusilla smiled.
— Mom talks about nothing but you, — Sophie added. — I miss you too.
— My sister and I are to blame, — Steve replied to them.
— Yes, kids, you are very, very much to blame, darlings! — the uncle said, smiling. — Now, let's go to the festive table.
Everything in the uncle's house was cozy. The guests went into the living room. There hung an old wall clock decorated with artificial flowers and leaves. On the walls, portraits of unknown people and strange paintings darkened, giving the room a mysterious look. In the corner stood a multi-tiered bookcase packed to the top with old manuscripts and notes. Seeing this, Steve immediately felt a surge of inspiration. Nearby stood imposing furniture, also full of old letters and notebooks.
During the meal, they talked for a long time about all sorts of things. The uncle asked about the state of the shop. Steve informed him of his new business plans.
— Now, — he said, — we will earn from the tourism sector. Paul and I have thought it all out.
— If you need an assistant, hire Sophie. She will be very useful to you.
— Of course! Veronica and I will be only too happy to have our cousin. She is such a bright girl.
Sophie smiled, showing her appreciation to Steve.
After lunch, Drusilla and Brandon left the young people alone. Sophie loved Steve and Veronica very much: they talked and laughed a lot. But Steve was most interested in the old letters and notes, which were in abundance in this house. Among them, he found several letters from Grandfather Dex addressed to Uncle Brandon.
— In his letter, he mentions a certain creature that helped him in the battle with the dolls. Can you tell me about it? — Steve asked. — Uncle, what is this creature and where did it come from?
— Oh! That is a creature loyal to Dex from the Valley of Unfinished Buildings, which is located near the summer villa. That is where it dwells. He and his kin helped win the first war between dolls and humans. After that battle, nothing is known about either Olkis or his tribe. As for me, I participated in that war myself and saw Olk with my own eyes.
— It can't be! — Steve exclaimed. — For I have also seen this creature several times at the estate!
— Where exactly? — Bran smiled strangely.
— I met him several times on the outskirts of the valley. He vanished immediately as soon as I discovered him. So, that is Dex's mysterious patron!
— Besides Olkis, Dex was friends with the creatures of the Phantom Forest. But his main friend was the hunter Volien.
— I saw this creature several times in the same place, — Steve continued. — Then it appeared to me near our house, and once more—by the library. It seems to me he is looking for something or someone.
— He is guarding your valley.
— How interesting all this is! — Steve rejoiced. — Uncle, it is so important for me to talk with you. I will definitely find this creature.
— I don't advise it, Steve. Meeting him can be dangerous for a human. He only left your grandfather alone. If someone follows him, he will certainly take measures. That's what your grandfather told me.
— Uncle, may I take your letters and papers with me?
— Of course, you may! I know your passion for antiquity, — Uncle Brandon smiled friendly. — You might find many more curious things in them.
— For example? — Steve looked at him questioningly.
— For example, at least the story of the mad, lonely postman.
— Is there information about him in these letters?
— Of course, his life was amazing. He is a figure no less legendary than your grandfather. I treasure this information very much.
— And what was his name?
— Hall the Postman. By the way, the clock hanging on the wall belonged to this unknown Hall and your great-grandmother Stella, as did those portraits.
— It can't be! Uncle, are you serious?
— Quite serious! Here is Hall himself, and here is the beautiful Stella.
— My God, how much he looks like you! — Veronica was no less amazed than her brother. — And Stella looks like…
— Our doll! She is an exact copy of her! — Steve exhaled. — No, this is some kind of absurdity.
— I give all these treasures to you, my dear, — Brandon said solemnly.
— We will be very grateful to you for this, Uncle! — Steve, beaming with happiness, hugged his sister.
— But you must give me your word that you will find out everything about this person. All my life I dreamed of uncovering the postman's origin, but I couldn't. I think you will succeed in solving this mystery.
— I give you my word, Uncle! — Steve replied, his eyes fixed on the paintings. — Now I have a compelling reason to do so.
— Yes, these paintings have intrigued me too.
— These canvases are priceless. Now they should belong to you because you look so much like me.
— Yes, — Steve confirmed. — They will decorate our living room in the large **country house**.
— By the way, they used to hang there once. There should also be a portrait of our ancestor—Spain.
— And who was he?
— He was the grandfather of your grandfather Dex. The portraits of the master of the house, Spain, his wife Monica, daughter Stella, and the portrait of the unknown Hall, Dex, and silhouettes of other people—all of this was in that house.
— What?! Uncle, why didn't you tell me this before? — Steve jumped up from his seat. — So Hall the Postman is directly related to us!
— What makes you think that?
— People don't just hang portraits of strangers in their house for no reason. Maybe he's our relative?
— No, impossible! He was only the postman for your family.
— And who was grandfather Dex's father?
— Your grandfather's father was a great man. They say he was a major landowner and the owner of the local bus station. All the residents of Paradise Valley respected him. They say he destroyed a gang that operated in the forests. Dex and Nixie were his children. People were afraid to pronounce his name aloud.
— Then Hall has nothing to do with us?
— I think not, Steve. Most likely, his portrait ended up in the house by chance.
— And I think otherwise. There are no coincidences. He looks like me like two drops of water!
— Yes, Uncle, Steve is right, — Veronica intervened in the conversation.
— Perhaps, my dears, — Uncle Brandon smiled. — A great discovery awaits you. If he turns out to be your great-grandfather, be sure to tell me. But there is one "but"…
— What are you talking about, Uncle?
— They say Hall was insane. Quite mad.
— I'm mad too, — Steve smirked.
— That's for sure! — Veronica confirmed.
— I have collected all the letters and notes about him in one folder. I haven't read them all myself. All the responsibility is now on you, the new hero of our valley.
— Thank you, Uncle, for everything! They still talk about him here, but before I didn't take these rumors seriously. If Hall is an important person, I will definitely study everything. His portrait in our house has puzzled me greatly. He is connected to us, I'm sure. He is our great-grandfather, who later became a powerful man.
— Ha-ha! What a fine fellow you are, Steve, my friend! — Uncle Brandon patted him on the shoulder. — To tell the truth, I think so too. But others don't believe me.
— To hell with the opinions of others, dear Uncle! Only yours matters to me.
After staying with their uncle for two days, Steve and Veronica returned home. Sitting on the sofa, Steve rummaged through the letters until late at night, looking for information about the old postman.
— Steve, why aren't you sleeping? — Veronica asked in a sleepy voice.
— I'm looking for information about Hall. I think our whole strange story goes back to him. His adventure-filled life is the foundation of future legends. Look here: once Hall enters the Phantom Forest. There he finds a strange letter from another dimension! Why wasn't I interested in this before? I won't rest until I find out everything, sister!
— Steve, I really want to sleep, — Veronica smiled tiredly. — Tell me when we wake up, okay?
— Okay, go to sleep.
— Good night, brother, — his sister kissed him. — Don't stay up too late. Mom asked me to look after you.
— Okay, I'm going to bed now. Thanks for the concern.
— You're welcome! — Veronica yawned, going to her bedroom.
They lived in a two-story mansion. Now the light was on only in Steve's room. Outside the window, a sudden wind raged. Clouds gathered into a huge dark mass. Despite this, it was quite bright outside from the night lanterns. Rain began to drum on the roof and glass—now subsiding, now intensifying, it gave our hero no peace. By midnight, both the rain and wind had died down. A fresh, quiet night arrived.
Steve didn't close his eyes all night, thinking about the former residents of the estate. He found a story about a wonderful family where the postman visited most often, and about Hall's love for a girl. "What happened to him, what was his fate? Was he able to win the hand of his beloved?" — these questions gave Steve no rest.
The next day Steve did not go to work. He decided from that moment on to write down everything that came to mind and everything that happened to him. When Veronica went to the shop, he sat in his favorite chair and set to work on the letters. The information about Hall amounted to several hundred pages. In addition, he had notes that he had collected bit by bit at the estate itself. After sorting the information, there was even more of it.
"How did I not find out about this before?" — Steve wondered. — "So much data about one postman speaks of his key role in our story. I was right. It seems Hall is the true culprit of all events. He is my true great-grandfather and the husband of Great-grandmother Stella! First, I will finish reading everything about him here, and then I will immediately go to the estate."