The Quest of the Empty Tomb

by Elyse Salpeter

  With a deep breath she took in the sight, simply thankful that the pain had vanished. She sat up and recognized where she had landed. When she sent herself to Xanadu, she usually woke near her hut in the woods, but this time she had come to the secret garden Desmond had taken her to when they’d once been in Xanadu together. She rose and strolled around the hidden sanctuary. It looked the same as she remembered. The high stone walls covered in ivy rimmed all four corners of the garden. She moved to one wall and placed her hands on it. Depictions of the Buddha and other deities were etched into the rockface. She turned and saw in the center of the garden the four stone sculptures of the Shitenno. Each one was bound to a square flat pillar which lay on the grass. She moved towards them and marveled at how they each peered out in a different direction, like sentries protecting this hidden world. She spun around, now seeing the deva sculpture in the corner of the garden that had given her such pause the last time she visited. A Trāyastriṃśa deva from the peaks of Sumeru, the tallest mountain in the world.

  She recognized the being in the statue now. It was Pancaggala, her deva protector from her dreams.

  Something different struck her this time that she’d not noticed before. A tree bloomed beside the statue. She moved over to it and squinted. Even in the night, the bright yellow petals appeared so brilliant they mysteriously seemed to light from within like the sunlight. They made her squint if she looked directly into the center of the bloom. She brought one of the petals to her face and sniffed. The sweetly scented pollen tickled her nose and she found herself covered in gold dust. She raised her hand, admiring how her fingers glittered, like the golden stupa of the monastery at the center of Xanadu.

  Someone spoke behind her. “It’s the pollen of the Pāricchattaka tree that’s covering you. At times the tree covers my statue in a glorious gold, making me resemble a golden casket.”

  Golden casket. How very appropriate. Kelsey turned her head, not surprised to see Pancaggala standing behind her. He’d shrunk himself down to the size of the garden walls.

  “I’ve never seen this type of tree in Xanadu before.”

  “It only grows in Tāvatimsa, the second heaven, of course. But that’s not important right now. You should have left the apartment when I told you to.”

  “I did. I went immediately to get the others.”

  His body rippled with disdain. “That’s your downfall. Ever since you decided to live on the human realm you’ve become vulnerable. You should have taken care of yourself and ignored the others like your spiritual sisters would have done. There is not always strength in numbers, Kelsey. Now look what’s happened. The minions caught you, and now you’re here, hidden away in Xanadu while your Ka is separated and unprotected from your Ba. Ustha’s soldiers are milling around your body right now, wondering if you’ve died. You’ve frightened them, and scared humans are a bad thing. They become brazen and rash.”

  “I hoped the idea of killing one of us was something Ustha would punish them for. Maybe now they’ll put the charms back on the others. I was trying to help change the situation in our favor.”

  The deva exhaled loudly and the force of his breath caused her hair to whip around her head. “You hoped? You are a stupid and impulsive girl. Don’t you realize what danger you put yourself in? If they think you’re dead, they’re going to try to get rid of your body before Ustha finds out that she can’t claim your soul. They will make up some excuse for your absence. You’re lucky they don’t throw you in a pyre right now to dispose of you.”

  Kelsey cocked her head slyly. “You wouldn’t let that happen to me, would you, Pancaggala?”

  He stared at her, his expression suddenly unreadable and for the first time Kelsey wondered about his real motives for protecting her. And for the first time, she was on her guard.

  She stared at him pointedly. “Would you let them destroy my body?”

  He remained silent and it chilled her, even in the balmy night air.

  “I’m leaving.” Kelsey wiggled her fingers and began her meditation. Up and down, up and down. She visualized her body and returning to it.

  Nothing happened.

  Something’s not right. Why couldn’t she leave? Kelsey opened her eyes and turned to Pancaggala. He stared at her strangely. Does he have something to do with this? Is he holding me hostage?

  “Are you not letting me leave?”

  His expression darkened. “Don’t blame me for what’s about to happen to you. You set up this path and chain of events yourself. At the beginning, I did try to protect you like Mayadevi asked, but an opportunity too good to pass up came my way and now I’ve made a promise to someone else to help my people. And because of your rash actions, your human stupidity, you’ve played right into her hands. So, no. You’re not going anywhere.” He glanced at her slyly.

  “Yet.”

  Chapter 26

  DESMOND’S DREAM

  Desmond awoke abruptly and wondered where he was. He couldn’t see. Suddenly, he remembered. Feeling stupid, he removed the blanket covering his face and stared around at the first class cabin. A steward was readying it for landing. He glanced out the window and saw the sun blanketing the desert. It looked sweltering outside.

  He rubbed his face and tried not to worry, but Kelsey was down there, somewhere, and in trouble. He felt sure of it. He’d tried to call her all afternoon and email her on the airline’s WiFi connection, but she’d not responded. Though she’d left him in New York to travel alone, he didn’t believe she was also ignoring him. Even contacting Julia for help had been to no avail. She’d been unable to connect to Kelsey, and when she had tried to speak to him about something she claimed was vitally important, their connection had suddenly been lost. For a moment he could have sworn he heard a commotion before the line disconnected, but he couldn’t prove it and he’d had no time to find out the real issue.

  He absent-mindedly patted the top of his head, but the hat he’d been wearing in his dream obviously didn't exist. He’d fallen asleep on the plane and this time he’d been given a vision of something he’d not been privy to before. For the first time ever he’d dreamed about himself as a child in a land neither in Xanadu, New Jersey, or Massachusetts. He had been about ten years old, standing on the edge of a field. He had watched a great city in the distance burn to the ground.

  Plumes of black smoke and streaks of fire filled the nighttime sky as building after magnificent building erupted in flames. The acrid smell of sulfur and the stench of sweat and fear filled the air.

  The glen where he stood held many people, but he couldn’t see their faces clearly. But he knew them. They all felt familiar. As did the mountain ranges stretching beyond the burning land. They rose so tall their peaks disappeared into the clouds above. But these mountains held death despite being alive with light. From where he stood he could see lightning bolts illuminating the tops of the clouds, streaking down below, as if beings from another world above battled for sovereignty over the land.

  Wait, maybe they were.

  A young child sobbed in front of him. Desmond saw only his back and noticed he had the same shock of unruly brown hair, cut short, just like him. The child’s ash-covered clothing, a pair of pants and a shirt, lay on the grass, discarded where they fell. The child shivered, though it wasn’t cold outside.

  Elongated doorways stood at attention in the middle of a small pool of water in front of Desmond. Gateways to lands beyond, where none should have been. He’d never seen them before. The gateways were tall and triangularly or circular-shaped and when you peered into each of them, you could see lands different than the one in which he stood. One entrance showed a world with sparkly mica-filled sand covering a tranquil beach. A gentle surf lapped against its shore. Another doorway exposed a bright yellow sun blazing down on a world filled with desert sand and fruit trees. The final doorway held the colors of the sky of Xanadu. Ribbons of blue and green streaked across its own nighttime sky.

  He felt his own clothes fall to the ground a
nd the cool air touch his naked skin. Goosebumps rose on his arms.

  It will be okay, my loves. Step into the water.

  That voice. He knew it. It filled him with such warmth.

  Mother?

  But no answer came except for a ferocious display of lightning accompanied by deafening thunder as the very heavens above them seemed to explode in fury.

  I know what’s happening… the gods are fighting above us again. The gods on Mount Sumeru.

  Screams pierced the night and he flinched. His hands automatically moved to his shoulder to grab an arrow whose sheaf was no longer there. It lay on the ground next to his clothing. Instead, hands gently coaxed him forwards. Urgency pervaded the situation. He needed to make a decision, and quickly. Yes, he’d been given the chance to choose, and if he didn’t leave soon, he would die. Or be taken.

  Taken? By whom?

  A shrill set of bone-chilling screeches came to him. He turned and saw little black dots forming on the horizon. They flew towards him across the sky, coming closer with each passing moment. Their V-shaped pattern ;reminded him of a flock of birds.

  Fear laced his being, because he suddenly knew what these creatures were. These were not regular birds. It’s the Garudas. They’re coming to take me away.

  Another gentle nudge, this time more persistent than before. My loves, you must choose. Go now. Step into the water where you’ll be safe. It’s the only way.

  The child in front of him bravely stepped into the pool and waded towards the doorway which housed the land filled with sand and a blinding yellow sun. The child placed his hands on the doorway and craned his head backwards to stare at Desmond. Desmond saw his own blue-green eyes staring back at him. It seemed like he peered into a mirror, and in that moment he realized that he and this other child were related. Brothers? Yes, he is my brother. My twin brother. Desmond glanced back at the sky, noticing that the dots grew in size, and the sound of their shrill squeals grew louder. He could now make out the flaps of their massive wings. They’re coming for us, to make us slaves to fight their enemies. We’re being sent away for our own protection.

  Desmond swallowed hard and turned to the boy who now stared at him intently over his shoulder. An emotional pain ripped through Desmond’s core. He didn’t want the boy to leave. He didn’t want his brother to leave.

  Finn! Don’t go! The name came to him without thought and Desmond reached out his hand and took a step towards him.

  A hand gently gripped his shoulder and pulled him back. You must let Finley leave. It is the only way to keep you both safe.

  Why can’t we leave together? We always do everything together.

  Because the doorways only hold one person at a time, my love, and then they close. But you can learn to open them from the other side.

  How?

  You will have to remember. We will leave you clues.

  Mom, no. Please.

  It’s the only way.

  Desmond looked up into the caring blue-green eyes of his mother. He recognized her clearly now. A tall woman, with chestnut brown hair braided up in a tight bun, but now messy from their frantic escape from the ruined city. Tendrils fell around her face. He noticed her cheeks, smudged with ash, and her ripped pants. Desmond saw blood stains on her shirt, but he knew, somehow, they weren’t hers. She was safe. For now.

  But she still looked beautiful to him. Her eyes peered out of a face so filled with love. And when she smiled, the corners of her lips quirked up.

  Will I see you again?

  The woman bit her lip and glanced back at the approaching flock thundering across the heavens. They came ever closer, now soaring over the burning city. From the glen he could now hear the thunderous clap of their wings and make out the golden hue of their bodies illuminated by the firelight of the burning city.

  The woman turned towards the child at the portal door, her body taut with emotion. She pointed. “Finley, go now. I will not ask again!”

  Sensing the fear pouring from his mother, the child fled into the doorway of sand and sun. It blinked out of existence as if it were never there.

  Pain ripped through Desmond and he felt himself torn in half.

  Hurry my love. Choose.

  I don’t want to go. I can stay and fight.

  No, you need to leave, right now. You must choose, Garrett. Please.

  Garrett? My name was Garrett. Crying, he jumped into the pool of water and waded towards the last two doorways. With barely a glance, he chose the door which held the beautiful ribbons of color in the sky. He glanced back once into his mother’s frightened eyes and then turned and entered the doorway to Xanadu. And when he did, his mind was wiped out.

  Until now.

  #

  The plane bounced heavily on the tarmac and the force pulled Desmond from his thoughts. He breathed deeply and his heart pounded in his chest. This had been no regular dream. This was a real memory about his childhood. But how was this possible? Did he actually believe he came from another world, caught in the middle of some ancient battle with mystical creatures coming to take him away? Did he actually think he had a brother named Finley? He rubbed his temple at the ridiculousness of it.

  Ari is right. I’m not that special. I’ve got to stop this line of thought. It was just a dream.

  But the boy? And his mother? Even now thinking about them brought up such emotion. And those birds that had been streaking across the land. Garudas. The mythical birds that belonged to…? He racked his brain trying to remember his Buddhist mythology. Yes! They belonged to the Asuras, those beings of the lowest heaven in the deva realm. The one right above the human realm. Why did he dream of them? What did it mean?

  You must choose, Garrett.

  Desmond said the name Garrett aloud and then sighed in relief. It felt right. Garrett. My name had been Garrett.

  He said the word, “choose” aloud, and it startled him that instead he uttered the word “kalitoos.” He’d bet anything that if he asked Kelsey that word, it would mean ‘choose’ in Tedanaleese. Actually, he knew it would, because he now believed her secret language was the same language he learned growing up before his mind had been wiped out. The language he had been heard speaking when they’d institutionalized him. It was the reason he picked it up so easily. He also believed his incessant doodles in that strange scrawl to be the written language of Tedanalee, too. He’d shown Kelsey one of them, to see if she recognized it, but she hadn’t. That meant nothing, since supposedly she’d never seen the written language of Tedanalee, of Xanadu, before. She could speak it, and even worked with Ari on creating a phonetical dictionary for it, but she’d never seen it written. When Seung had translated some texts her father had written for the monks, he’d done it phonetically as well. But Desmond knew now that The Voynich Manuscript held the original written language of Xanadu and Kelsey’s made up world, Tedanalee – because they were one and the same.

  Desmond rested his head back against the seat. So if this is real and I really am from another land, what is the connection between that world and Xanadu? Why do they have the same language? And why when I left Xanadu did I go to New Jersey and not back to the town in my dream? To that glen with the doorways?

  Because he realized that glen resembled no other place on this Earth, that’s why. He couldn’t ascertain where that city had been in the world. The buildings were as spectacular as the grand hotels in Dubai or Tokyo, but with vast differences in structure. They reminded him of fantastical drawings made by fantasy writers trying to depict what buildings of the future would look like. With that colossal mountain in the background, he also couldn’t place the location. That land seemed closer to the sky somehow, if that was even possible.

  He wished desperately he could talk to Kelsey about this. He felt sure she’d have an idea of what all this meant. Desmond realized he’d been a fool to leave her out of what had been happening with him, thinking he protected their relationship when in reality he hurt it further by staying silent. And now she was in
trouble and he had no idea how to help her.

  But I know I have to kill Ustha to save Kelsey. And I must do it with an arrow on the night of the Blue Moon. An arrow. In his dream, he’d known how to use one and had reached for it.

  You will have to remember. My mother had said that. She knew my memory would be wiped out. And what of Finley? Where had he gone?

  As Desmond sat there, a vision suddenly came to him. He gasped for breath, startling the man next to him.

  “I’m sorry,” he mumbled and the man turned back to his book.

  Desmond rested his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. The vision appeared as clear as a bell in his mind.

  He’d been sitting cross-legged on a thin rug on the floor of a thatched hut. He was in Xanadu, in the outlying town he’d been residing in the entire time he had lived in that land. A group of monks readied their afternoon tea as they always did after completing their daily prayers.

  He’d just taken a sip of the butter tea and he was licking the delicious fat off his lips when one of the monks spoke to him.

  “It’s time for you to leave us, Dawa.”

  “Leave, why?” he’d asked, surprised. “Have I done something wrong?”

  The monk had patted his head. “No, child, you’ve done nothing wrong, but your destiny is not here in Xanadu. It is in the human realms. Come, we must go. It is time you started your path. You’ve remained here far too long as it is.”

  “Too long?”

  “Dawa, you have been with us ten years. Have you noticed in that time, you have not aged? It is time you left to seek your destiny. It is time to seek the human realms that await you. You can’t hide out here forever. You are not of this world.”

  And they’d brought him to the secret garden and bade him to sit between the Shitenno devas where he’d woken up the first time.

  And then he’d woken up again, without memory, this time naked on a beach on the New Jersey Shore.

  Desmond opened his eyes and watched the plane ease into its spot in the terminal. Ten years he’d been in Xanadu? It hadn’t seemed that long to him, but time there seemed to flow differently. He did concede that he’d remained just a young boy the entire time, as if they’d put him in some sort of stasis.