The Gemini Child

by Shea Meadows

  “Is it because we’re getting closer to Xian?” Ricky asked.

  The baby shook her head no. “That’s coming, too, along with the ghost of my former father, but this is closer. Moon is checking it out. She says things are shifting, but whoever is doing it is camouflaging it well,” Nory replied.

  “Is something going to happen to the ship?” Ricky questioned.

  The baby shivered. “Doesn’t feel like it. But something… I’ll tell you about it when I figure it out. I’m not used to having a body, and sometimes it gets in the way of seeing clearly. One thing I know for sure: you, Daddy and I have to stick together. No venturing off on our own.”

  “You have a good size group of bodyguards, dear heart,” Ricky said. “All of them are aware of things in other dimensions. If Moon is looking for potential problems, I’m sure we’ll be safe.”

  “Can we go down to the stateroom? I’m hungry. I don’t want to get off the ship with an empty stomach. Shibaozhai is just down river,” Nory replied.

  Ricky took Nory to their stateroom and moved a chair next to the porthole. As the baby quietly nursed, the ship moved closer to the red pagoda and the temple on the side of a steep cliff. The temple, which could be reached by way of the pagoda, was now on an island due to the flooding caused by the construction of the dam. There was a long pedestrian suspension bridge used to access the cliff where the pagoda was built. The mountain was called the Precious Stone Fortress and was said to have been created by the Chinese gods to patch up a hole that threatened the stability of the earth.

  David came into the stateroom, quietly sat down next to Ricky and the sleeping Nory and whispered to Ricky, “Are we touring the Shibaozhai Temple? From what Ho says, it’s a long climb on the side of a steep cliff. There are a lot of artifacts in the temple at the top, dating back to the time of the Three Kingdom Dynasty.”

  “Honored Chi told me the pagoda was built to make the climb possible for those who want to see it. It’s a rather recent addition, built only about a hundred and seventy-five years ago in the Qing Dynasty. That’s brand new by Chinese standards,” Ricky whispered back. “If we go, you’ll have to carry Nory in the baby pouch on your back. I wouldn’t feel safe doing it.”

  “No problem. But the question remains: do you want to go?” David asked.

  Ricky shrugged. “We’ll probably never get here again, and Nory is anticipating seeing it. Maybe we’ll learn something new that will help us with Norton.”

  David nodded. “The rest of the group wants to go. Honorable Chi, Ho and Susan all have been here before the dam was built. Chew plans to photograph the whole thing. He’s as excited as one kid can get. He’s heard a lot about the villages that disappeared, as well as the loss of ancient sites. He’d like to bring proof home. Besides that, Bonta is already drawing a picture of what she says is coming.”

  “I’d like to see what Bonta has drawn before we get off the ship. Usually there is some metaphysical event on the way when she feels an urge to draw the future,” Ricky said with a frown. “If it’s something we’d rather not be part of, we can decide to stay on the ship or wander around in the town where we’ll disembark. Susan says there’s good shopping.”

  David nodded. “We are getting close to the docking area. I’ll tell Bonta you want to see her picture.”

  After Nory woke from her catnap, Ricky changed the baby’s clothes and packed her diaper bag. Bonta then knocked on the door.

  “David told me you wanted to see this drawing. It’s rather confusing. There are many beings in ancient dress. I’m not sure if they are temple statues or ghosts. Take a look,” Bonta said as she spread out the drawing on the bed.

  The drawing depicted a being that appeared to be half woman and half snake, her face covered with a white mask. She was levitating giant boulders as if to cover a deep fissure where two other beings were battling. David, with Nory in her baby pouch on his back, stood watching them as if entranced. Three women dressed in flowing white robes were moving up behind David and Nory unnoticed. They had long fingernails that were shooting energy. Honorable Chi was coming from the left side with a long silver sword. He looked considerably younger than his actual years. From the right side, a Native American warrior with head bonnet and war paint moved toward the action.

  “Oh, my,” Ricky said with a shudder. “Is this in this dimension or another?”

  Bonta shook her head, a bewildered expression on her face. “I’m not sure. It feels like a little of each. I showed it to David, and his response was that he’d have to watch out for people with long fingernails. He’s sure he can protect Nory from anything. We have to do something to change the balance in this.”

  Ricky nodded. “Remember the mummified monkey that Du Yuesheng gave Nory in Shanghai? He said if we suspected we’d be drawn into other dimensions, we should keep it near us.”

  Ricky went into her suitcase and dug out the green silk bag with the ugly mummified monkey inside. She held the bizarre gift and looked at it without touching its fur.

  “Mommy, that makes me feel better about going to the temple. I’d forgotten about Houzi, and I’m sure he’s felt neglected. Put him in my carry pouch, right next to me, so Daddy and I will have a bodyguard,” Nory said when she saw the monkey.

  “Are you sure? It has a strange smell. Like it’s been in a crypt for a couple hundred years,” Bonta said, wrinkling her nose.

  “Smells like the museum we went to in Shanghai. Perfect thing to bring to an old place filled with strange-looking spirits,” Nory said, reaching out to the monkey which she cuddled to her overalls.

  Ricky shrugged. “You know what feels right to you, dear heart, but touch the silk bag not the monkey. We have no idea where it’s been. And don’t put your fingers in your mouth, okay?”

  “I’ll try not to, but baby bodies don’t always obey,” Nory answered.

  Having done all she could to prepare for the tour, Ricky slathered sunscreen on herself and the baby. Then Nory and Bonta went with her to join the others waiting to disembark. A fresh-faced young woman guide named Lien, who had a big smile and braids, was telling them what they would be doing.

  “You leave the ship and walk a short way to a pedestrian suspension bridge constructed to allow access to the Precious Stone Fortress. Before the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, the water level was much lower. Now, many villages and ancient locations have disappeared under water. Engineers were able to save the red pagoda and its ancient temple by building a concrete wall around it and creating the bridge so visitors could reach it.

  “The bridge is called ‘The Drunken Bridge’ since it sways from side to side when people walk over it. Do not attempt to make the bridge sway. What might be fun to you could be dangerous to others. Keep small children in a stroller or carry them.

  “Before the bridge, you will walk along a road with many vendors. Consider waiting if you wish to buy anything unless it is something to eat right then. You will not want to carry souvenirs while climbing the stairs that bring you to the nine levels leading to the temple and the two levels following the temple. There is much written in many languages about what you will see, so take the time to enjoy each level. If you have questions, I will be somewhere close to answer. The ship will leave in two and a half hours. Please coordinate your watches with mine. It is ten in the morning. Thank you, honored guests, and enjoy your adventure.”

  It was a fifteen-minute walk through merchant kiosks to the suspension bridge. Ricky was tempted by a silk, handmade Nory-sized quiapo but resisted the urge. If it still looked tempting after two hours of climbing up and down the pagoda, she would buy it.

  On the path to the bridge, there were pillars with the heads of the animals symbolizing the months in the Chinese horoscope. Nory had to pat the monkey which was her traditional animal. Following the kiosks was a red and blue gateway with Chinese calligraphy describing what came next. The bridge was wide enough for three people to cross together, so the group broke up into threesomes with th
e more vulnerable people in the middle.

  “Mrs. Ricky, you can practice your Mandarin,” Chew said as he pointed to a sign that said “No Rocking.” “See, next to it is the translation. It will only take a few months to figure it out.”

  Ricky laughed. “I have an instant translator. When I need to speak any dialect, I call on Siam Qian and the words flow out of my mouth.”

  Chew looked at her wide-eyed. “Does that go for writing as well?”

  “A couple of times it has, but mostly for understanding words previously written, if it’s something important,” Ricky replied. “That’s why we’ve been surrounding ourselves with people who can translate. You will be a valuable friend to have along. We are grateful you came.”

  “I think Honored Grandfather will be even more valuable,” Chew said.

  Ricky looked over at Honored Chi who was gazing toward the pagoda with a serious expression. She and Chew walked over and stood beside him. “You look troubled. Is there something we should know?” Ricky asked.

  “I am sure your sister Moon has already told you to be alert. The energy configuration of the fortress is unusual. It keeps shifting in and out of this reality. Knowing Norton Reston, I am concerned he might have something to do with it,” Chi answered.

  Ricky nodded. “Moon has looked into it because Nory could feel the shifting. We are paying close attention. I am happy to hear you are watching with us.”

  Chi smiled. “Your baby was a dear friend when she was Nelly. Her father treated her disrespectfully and was worse to her mother. I will not allow that to happen another time.”

  The group continued across the nerve-wracking bridge, arriving at the newly formed island on the other side. After a short walk, they passed through a brightly colored archway with Chinese characters and drawings and carvings of mythic creatures. Chew smiled. “The writing says: ‘Welcome to Fairyland,’ which is fun but inaccurate. From what I’ve read, we will see representations of ancient legends based on a fantasized history.”

  Honorable Chi shook his head and leaned in close to his grandson. “That might be the opinion of the current government, but if you study what your father and I have taught you about shamanism, there is more truth than fiction in many of the stories. They represent non-physical reality, or are you learning things that make you wonder why we try so hard to keep the old traditions alive?”

  The boy blushed and looked down at his shoes. “I apologize, Grandfather. I said that wrong. That is what I’ve read, but not what I have found to be true from working with you and my father.”

  Chi gave the boy a loving thump on the shoulder. “Thank you for reporting your error.”

  Waiting in line to pay their admission fee gave them time to admire the carvings on the front of the building and the roof. “It is said there isn’t one nail in this structure, and it is the only temple in China that has three wooden walls that are attached to the stone of a cliff,” Ho said. “I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to build.”

  Ricky looked at the red pagoda and could see it shifting in and out of their dimension. At times, it looked solid, with places of grazed stone, broken shingles and peeling paint. At other times, a golden halo surrounded it, and it shimmered and emitted a barely audible gonging sound. It reminded her of what things had looked like in the visions of Celestial Heaven that Milton Running Deer had shown them before their trip.

  She nudged David. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?

  He looked at the building. “It seems to be phasing in and out. It reminds me of the planet Prime. Things aren’t what they seem to be. I wonder if it’s like this all the time or if someone is doing this just for us.”

  “More likely it’s like this all the time and people with our skills are the only ones who see it,” Ricky said.

  “Mommy, it’s a little of both. Someone is messing with the energy, but they’re not here physically. I’m suspecting it’s my former father,” Nory said telepathically.

  By then, they were at the head of the line, had paid for admission and had entered the first level of the structure. They could choose guidebooks in Chinese or English, but in either one, the descriptions of the art they were seeing was confusing.

  When all the people on their cruise had gotten by the pay stall, Lien, their guide, gathered the thirty people who had come on the tour in one corner of the first floor of the pagoda. “Each of the levels honors various generals of Chinese history and the dynasties which ruled before the time of the Qing dynasty. The Qing were the last dynasty before the governing of the country changed, ultimately evolving into our glorious Republic of the People.

  “This level is the only level big enough for us to gather as a group. The stairs go up to the next levels, where new dedications are noted, and artifacts are displayed from previous dynasties. Some of you will want to linger on each level; others will wish to go up quickly to the temple on the tenth level. Both methods are acceptable.”

  Ho and Susan climbed to the next level, laughing and talking and noticing things that were new. Chew and his honorable grandfather were showing George around and explaining some of the history. Bonta was sticking close to Ricky, David and Nory.

  It took over an hour for the Clark group to make it to the Lanruo Temple which was much older than the rest of the structure. It was built in about seventeen-fifty. There were statues of Buddhist notables and figures from Taoist legends.

  “That’s interesting that the temple is dedicated to Mansjuri, who is revered by the Buddhists, but there are also Taoist gods and goddesses from the first dynasty legends,” Ho noted.

  “Chinese spirituality has always been a mix of many paths. Buddhism is not nearly as old as the early gods. They have been around for thousands of years. The people prayed to whoever seemed the most likely to help them,” Honorable Chi remarked. At the end of his reply, he staggered and then sat down on a stone bench, his hand and legs trembling and his color looking pale.

  Chew turned to his grandfather and saw him lying on his left side on the bench, his eyes vacant, barely breathing.

  “Mrs. Ricky, you said you used to be a nurse, and Dr. Fry is a worker of medicine. I think my grandfather needs you both,” Chew said, panic evident in his voice, as he patted Chi’s face softly.

  Ricky left David and Nory standing in front of what was called the Spirit Wall, where a painting of a story about a Chinese goddess was depicted. David heard his wife talking to Chi and his grandson and could hear Susan’s voice, but something unusual was happening to his perception. Usually he would have rushed over to help, but all conversation seemed meaningless. The only voice he could understand was Nory’s telepathic narrative.

  “Daddy, that’s Nuwa. She is the mother creator. Look, her body is part snake. She’s the one that formed the rocks. See what’s happening?”

  Ricky was trying to get a response from Chi, whose breathing was shallow but normal. Susan was looking for signs of a stroke but said she didn’t think that was the problem. Chi seemed to be sleeping with his eyes open.

  “David, would you come over? Something is happening to Chi. I think he’s left his body,” Ricky said. But David and Nory were deep into a vision that only they could see.

  David watched Nuwa, the strange snake woman who resembled other spirit beings he’d encountered. She glowed like a thousand suns. Her face kept changing from dark to light, from young to old, from fierce to joyful. Her lower body twisted and turned snake-like as she levitated the huge boulders over the top of two struggling beings that were battling deep in a crevice, slamming into each other.

  Ricky came up behind David and tried to get his attention, but her husband and the baby were enthralled in something only they could see. Susan was watching over Honorable Chi, so Ricky decided to shift into the dimension they were seeing but her inner essence seemed stuck. She turned to the rest of the group. “Can any of you slip into a higher frequency?”

  George sat down on the floor along with Bonta, both attempting to lea
ve their bodies, but after a moment or so, both opened their eyes. “I can’t do it,” George answered.

  Bonta looked frightened, sweat and tears intermingling on her face. “I can’t even shapeshift. I made this happen. I drew it. How can we get through to them?”

  Ricky attempted to speak telepathically to Nory. “Take the monkey out of your pouch. Tell him to send help.” Nothing changed. David and Nory stood like statues, watching something only they could see.

  Somehow, both David and Nory knew the combatant’s names. One was Gonggong who had nine heads and the body of a snake and controlled the flooding of the land. He fought with Zhanxu who appeared as a dragon but was really the god of fire. Gonggong was losing the fight but was not taking it well. He started slamming his heads into the cliff over and over again. The earth rocked; the waters above the earth bore down and around them. Soon there would be no difference between wet and dry and everything would disappear. Even with the flooding, fierce fires sprang up within the cliff, turning the rock to molten lava. It would be the end of those who inhabited the Earth; those who were the children of Nuwa.

  “Will it end everything?” David asked the goddess. “Are you going to let them destroy the world?”

  Nuwa looked towards him, her hissing voice saying, “No, the baby must live so I will repair the world.”

  Nuwa allowed the five boulders which she had been levitating to crash into the crevice, burying the warriors. Nory and David watched each brightly colored stone thunder into place: red, blue, black, yellow and white. The boulders sizzled as they were surrounded by the chilling flood water. Nuwa then supported the sky that was threatening to crash to the Earth, using four pillars made from the legs of a giant tortoise. “You are safe for now, but if you want to be truly safe, come with me. I have a hiding place for you.” She beckoned toward a portal that was opening behind her.

  Ricky felt a vibration that was rattling the Spirit Wall. The ancient stones first used in the Han Dynasty had been reused for the construction of the temple. They had begun to lose the mortar that joined them. A small hole opened in the wall, and Ricky looked through it. An interdimensional portal showed what was happening to the inner essence of her husband and daughter. At last she could see what they were seeing as their physical beings stood staring at the paintings and statues on the cave’s wall.