by Teri Barnett
Bethany shook her head to clear it. “I feel like I’m eavesdropping,” she whispered.
“I couldn’t hear you, Beth. What did you see? I’ve never seen you looking this… this… embarrassed? Is that the word I’m searching for?” Ian asked, his lips twitching.
She glanced at him, irritated at his amusement of her discomfort. “Don’t be ridiculous,” Bethany answered, a little too quickly. If Ian expected her to admit to something, he’d have a long time waiting. She held up the comb. “I’ll tell you what I saw. This belonged to a woman. She had long brown hair. Also tall and thin. It was a gift from a man.” She took a deep breath and looked around at the circle of Diggers. “She’s not native to our land. Her clothing is strange.”
Bethany paused as she struggled to interpret the new images that began spinning before her mind’s eye.
A light flashed bright in her vision and Bethany unconsciously held up her arm, shielding her eyes. There, within a Paranian kiyolo, a sacred cave deep in the earth, the same woman who had received the comb appeared from nowhere. It was as if she came on the very wind itself.
Elizabeth looked around. She was in an altar room. In the middle of the space sat a large stone statue. “An odd place,” she commented, looking over the figure. “I never saw anything like it on Earth.”
Then, as if she only just remembered her purpose in coming, she clutched the box to her breast and spoke words that were foreign to Bethany. When Elizabeth was finished, she held the container out in front of her and admired it. “There now.” She smiled. “If anyone opens you, they’ll die for certain. A curse you’ll carry until I say otherwise.”
Suddenly, another light flashed, and a man appeared at her side—but it wasn’t the same handsome, intriguing man Bethany had seen Elizabeth with earlier. He was much plainer, much paler, and didn’t look at all well.
“Oh, Michael,” Elizabeth cooed, “I’m so happy you decided to join me.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. Kissing him soundly, she continued to murmur endearments softly into his ear.
Michael pulled away slightly. “I don’t know about all of this, Lizzy.” He looked around the room. “Maybe we shouldn’t have come.”
“No, no. Don’t say that. Think of all the riches we’ll have. And immortality, Michael. We’ll live forever.” She glanced over to where she’d laid the box down. “I’ve memorized the book. It tells how.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling. Open up that book and say the words that’ll return us to Nevada. Please.”
Elizabeth rested her head against his chest. “I’m not going back, Michael,” she said, her voice low.
As Elizabeth spoke, a light flashed, and the room filled with flames. Michael screamed. The vision ended with the sounds of Elizabeth’s laughter.
Bethany sat still, her face ashen. Never had she heard such a blood-curdling scream. And that laugh; as long as she lived, she’d never forget it.
“Are you all right, Beth?” Ian asked. “What else did you see?”
Bethany ran the impressions through her mind again, focusing on the details. The kiyolo looked like the ancient meeting caves the group had just finished digging earlier in this moon’s cycle. Most of those caves appeared the same on the surface. It was the secrets they held within that made each one different. The kiyolo’s location wasn’t far from their current site and would explain why the book was found here.
The woman’s manner of clothing was indeed strange, foreign actually; a long, ankle length dress with high neck and long sleeves. Her hair, piled high on her head, was held in place by the comb. She’d mentioned something about Earth. Bethany shook her head slightly. No one could travel from there to Paran. Moving between the planes was simply not possible. According to legend, a person would incinerate. Of course, that could explain the final flames that engulfed the pair.
“I need some more time to study what I saw. What I can tell you is that she said something about the Earth plane. When she came here, she brought the manuscript with her.” She leveled her gaze. “And she didn’t come alone. A man followed. It looked to me like they both died after their arrival. The entire kiyolo went up in flames.”
“That’d explain the layer of carbon we scraped off the ceiling during our excavation. But the Earth plane? C’mon.” Ian caught Bethany’s eye. He cleared his throat. “Oh, you’re serious. Can you tell us anything else about her?”
“Only that her name was Elizabeth. She placed a curse on the box. Whoever breaks the lock will die.” Bethany closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they had returned to their normal topaz color.
Later that evening, Bethany and Ian huddled near the fire under a handspun woolen cloth. It was getting late in the year and the time for winter was drawing near. The rain had stopped and Bethany ran her fingers through her long blonde hair, trying to dry it out.
She and Ian had grown up together. He was her best friend and her rock, always there to support her and her work. Since the death of her husband Joseph, five years ago, Ian had become even more protective, almost to the point of stifling.
He loves me, and I love him, but not in the same way. He is more brother than anything else.
She looked up at him, the stubble of whiskers on his firm chin glinting red in the firelight. She shivered and he put his arm around her, drawing her close. His presence was comforting. What am I going to do with this man? Bethany asked herself, half smiling. I don’t want to risk our friendship by becoming lovers. Besides, she just wasn’t ready to give her heart again.
And then there was Sarah, her daughter, who was currently tucked away safely with Bethany’s father while Bethany worked. The child had suffered deeply after Joseph’s death. They both had. She was grateful for Papa and his healing ways.
Bethany closed her eyes and again saw the men dragging her husband’s body from the cave they were excavating. If only there had been a small flicker of life left, she could have saved him. The healer in her was strong, but even she could not surpass death.
“Are you all right, Beth?” Ian asked.
When she didn’t answer, he hugged her tighter and stroked her cheek. He tilted her face to his; and she heard his breath catch at the sight of her face. It was a full moon, and she literally glowed with the light it cast, her hair radiating like a halo around her head. “You’re on fire,” he whispered huskily.
Bethany looked at him. Realizing what he was saying, she wrapped her hair into a tight knot, fastening it in place with the tortoise comb they had found earlier. One of the signs of a Knower was that they drew the moon’s light from its source with every fiber of their being. The night’s glow, combined with the fire, permeated her translucent skin. “I wasn’t thinking,” she murmured.
“Don’t be. It’s part of your heritage. You’re beautiful.” He lowered his mouth to hers.
For a brief moment, she considered what it would be like to kiss him. Before their lips could meet, she pulled away. “I can’t do this, Ian.” She looked up at him and their eyes met. “I love you, but not in the way you want me to.”
“I’ll take your love any way you’ll give it,” he replied, moving closer again.
She turned away, focusing her gaze on the fire. “Ian, I—”
Ian pulled back. “Sorry, Beth.” He ran a hand through his shoulder length auburn hair and shook his head. “I was lost in the moment.”
Changing the subject, he continued. “So, what do you suppose all of this means—the Book of Eitel, the man and woman from the Earth plane, the particles of bone and ash?”
“I don’t know. It seems like all of our legends are coming alive with this find. My guess would be the bones belong to this Elizabeth and Michael. The myths say no one can survive traveling between the planes, and I saw a fire rise up around them at the end of my vision.” Bethany shook her head. It was inconceivable, even to her—someone steeped in lege
nd and lore—to imagine that people could actually travel between the various planes of existence. If true, a world of possibilities were opening before her very eyes as she imagined what might be found. No. Best to keep both feet on the ground. It was the only way to solve this mystery. “Maybe I’m wrong about the box and its contents. What do you think?”
Ian met her eyes. “In all the years I’ve worked with you, Bethany M’Doro, your Knowing has never been wrong. We need to get that box open, if we can find a way to do it without anyone dying. The manuscript will answer our questions.”
“I don’t think we should tamper with it until we’ve put more information together.” Bethany picked up her heavy clay cup from where it rested near the fire and took a sip of hot bitters. She inhaled deeply of the orange and cinnamon scent. “We should find one of the old Weavers. There has to be one who can spin the stories of Eitel for us.”
Ian nodded. “They could hold a clue.”
“That’s what I was thinking. Especially the ones about the Eitellan’s ways of worship.” She looked up at Ian. He was studying her closely. “There’s something I didn’t mention to you before when I was reading the box. In my vision, Elizabeth arrived in a kiyolo. It looked quite a bit like the one we excavated earlier this cycle.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m telling you now.” Bethany shrugged. “I didn’t want to alarm the workers. Considering how superstitious they are about the Eitellans, I was afraid of scaring them more than I already had.”
“I guess I’ll forgive you that one, Beth.” He smiled. “You know, I’m beginning to wish I had paid closer attention to my grandmother when I was a child. She knew all of the stories of the time when this sect ruled Paran.” Ian rubbed his hands near the fire, warming them. “Do you know any Weavers?”
“No, but I would imagine my father does. When we head back tomorrow for supplies and to check on Sarah, I’ll talk with him.”
Chapter 2
The next morning saw the sun shining brightly, chasing away the stormy haze of the previous night. The large conifers dripped sap mixed with rain, their clean aroma filling the air around the excavation site. It was the sound of this gentle rhythm, hitting the roof of her tent, that roused Bethany. The last snatches of her dreams worked through to the forefront of memory and she saw the woman, Elizabeth, again.
Bent over a cooking fire in a small wooden structure, Elizabeth stirred a pot of soup. The door pushed open and a man walked in, closing it gently behind him. It was the same man, Connor, who had given her the tortoise comb.
“Evening, wife,” he called as he hung his hat on a peg near the door. In two strides, he was at her side. He leaned over and placed a light kiss on her cheek. She didn’t turn toward the man, but only kept her attention on the meal she was preparing.
While she cooked, Elizabeth kept glancing at a small timepiece on the fireplace mantel. When the hour struck, she wiped her hands on her apron and slowly took it off.
“Is dinner ready?” Connor asked from where he sat in a heavy chair near the fire.
“Connor Jessup, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Connor leaned forward, his expression closed. “What is it?”
“I’m leaving you.” She wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “Dinner’s in the pot.”
“What do you mean, you’re leaving me?” He studied her for a moment before continuing. “Running off with that silver miner, aren’t you?”
Elizabeth looked away.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” He stood and walked over to a rough-sawn cedar cupboard. Throwing the door open, he grabbed a glass bottle filled with light brown liquid. He returned to his chair and plopped himself down, taking a long drink.
Elizabeth walked into another room and came back carrying a small bag. “This marriage is over. Take care, Connor,” she called as she softly closed the door.
Connor ignored her and continued to drink, keeping his gaze focused on the fire. “You can’t leave, Elizabeth. I still love you,” he whispered long after she was gone.
Bethany opened her eyes and stared at the rough oiled fabric of her enclosure. So, Elizabeth left behind a husband when she traveled here. Perhaps this Connor Jessup held the answer to the woman’s presence in Paran and the Plane of Keilah, and her possession of the Book of Eitel. But how was she going to find him?
Bethany emerged from the heavy-blanketed opening of her tent. It was still early and only a few of the workers had risen. Carefully, she made her way to the stream that ran at the foot of their camp. Fallen branches made up a series of steps, helping her keep her footing on the muddy bank.
Once reaching the water, she turned to face the north and kneeled down. Raising her arms to the sky, she began to pray, “Mother of All, hold me safe in the palm of your hand. Bring me inner peace. Teach me tolerance of others. Teach me self-less love. Dear Mother, guide me on the path of enlightenment.” Bethany lowered her arms and touched her forehead to the water. Standing, she brushed the dirt from her knees and started to walk along the edge of the stream. She pulled the hair comb out of the soft leather pouch she wore around her waist and ran her fingers over it. Again and again, she caressed the tortoise shell and its carvings.
She froze. In her mind’s eye, she saw Elizabeth Jessup once more. Elizabeth was standing in a cave, but it wasn’t a kiyolo. It was different somehow, with heavy timbers bracing the sides and ceiling. The man Bethany saw arriving in Paran with Elizabeth handed her the same silver box Ian had found yesterday.
“One of the men came across it when he was digging last night,” he commented, turning it over in his hand. “Strange, it looks like silver, but it’s not Nevada silver. The patina’s too dark.” He shook the box. “Some sort of book is in here, but I can’t read the writing. Must be foreign or something.”
Elizabeth eyed the box possessively. “You are going to give it to me aren’t you, Michael?” Her voice was a soft caress.
Michael smiled. “You are a greedy one, Lizzy. Of course, that’s something I always admired about you.” He handed the box over to her outstretched hands. “I went looking for the workman who found it, to see if there were any more treasures to be had.” He shook his head. “He was stone cold dead when I found him. Doc said it was his heart.”
“Peace to you today, Bethany.”
Bethany stared straight through Ian as he approached her, trying to make some sense of what she had just seen.
“Are you all right?”
“Y-yes. Of course. I’m fine.” She blinked her eyes hard, clearing her sight. “Are you ready to head for Paran?”
“The wagon’s loaded.” Ian bent his tall frame down near the stream and splashed cold water over his face. It ran down his auburn hair and stained his bright red tunic. “We’re just waiting for you.”
The pair worked their way back up the side of the embankment to where the wagon was held. Two dohas, large four-legged temperamental animals with thick muscles and even thicker fur, were harnessed to the front end with one of the workers, Thomas, astride the largest of the two animal’s backs. With one hand, he held onto the steering rein; the other hand was wrapped tight around the doha’s long, coarse black fur.
“You had better get a move on, I don’t know how much longer I can hold her steady!” Thomas called out as he spotted Ian and Bethany.
They hurried to the back of the vehicle. Ian started to offer Bethany a hand, but she had already situated herself on the padded seat. Ian sighed and took his seat on the opposite bench. “You don’t always have to be so independent, you know.”
Bethany looked at Ian as if she only now noticed his presence. You’d think I was eight instead of twenty-eight. “You really should be used to me by now, Ian.” She rose up in her seat for a moment and called to the driver. “We’re ready, Thomas!”
With a sudden jerk that sent her back into
her seat, the dohas began to push the massive bones of their bodies in unison, pulling the heavy wheeled wood wagon behind them. Since the Digger’s site was located only half a sun’s ride from the town, they would arrive there by the mid-day meal.
Bethany leaned over, resting her arms across her legs. Absently, she rolled the hem of her patchwork blouse between thumb and forefinger, thinking of the vision she’d had at the stream.
“So, tell me, Beth,” Ian interrupted her thoughts, “have you come up with any more details about the box?”
“If you mean have I been in the Knowing yet today, no I haven’t,” she answered, a little more sharply than she had intended. She shifted on the bench, trying to gain some measure of comfort. The road was well laid with smooth heavy stones, but the stride of the dohas was jerky and unpredictable and caused the large cart to lurch with a strange rhythm. Her stomach cramped, and she knew it was nearing the time for her menses. That alone made her reconsider the possibility of taking Ian as a lover, as the act of love helped ease the pain of a woman’s monthly cycle. She looked at him. The wide brimmed hat he wore shadowed his light blue eyes. She had probably hurt his feelings by answering so harshly, though he’d never admit it. He pampered her too much. She wanted to be left to do what she wanted, whether it was traveling with the Diggers or staying home with Sarah.
“I’m sorry I spoke so rudely, Ian.”
“That’s all right.”
She leaned against the back of the bench. For as long as she could remember, once her gift as a Knower revealed itself, everyone expected her to always be in the Knowing. They’ll never understand the mental and physical toll it takes.
“You know I only go there when I need to or when my job with the expedition requires it. It’s not a constant state I care to live in. I prefer to stay grounded.”
Just then, a low tree branch came up behind Ian and knocked his hat free before Bethany had a chance to warn him. She started laughing as he made a grab for it, catching it just before it flew out of his reach. The laughter was exactly what she needed to ease her nerves. “Oh, Ian, this find has me on edge. I’m seeing things without being in the Knowing. I’m not used to that.”