The Divining

by Wood, Barbara

  "We will lay Venerable Jacob to rest here," she said. "We will rebuild the altar, and then a shrine so that people can come and seek the help and solace of the Goddess and pay respects to the holy man who sleeps here."

  As she placed her hand upon the altar, Ulrika closed her eyes, calmed her breathing, whispered her mantra, and received a vision. "Years from now," she said, "a magnificent house of worship will be erected upon this spot, and millions of pilgrims will come from the far ends of the earth to pay homage to the remains of Venerable Jacob, whom they will know as Sant Yago. And this place will be remembered for the stars that fell in the nearby fields, the campus stellae."

  Sebastianus said, "I will make the route of the pilgrimage safe once again. I will put up signposts and establish resting places. I will place guards along the route who will patrol the roads, for I know now that this is what I have been called to do, to be a protector of pilgrims. This is the real reason I was sent to China, so that I might perfect my skills in escorting caravans, and in learning how to keep travelers safe."

  Thinking of China and his visit there, which now seemed almost like a dream, Sebastianus knew that, because of Nero's madness there would be no more expeditions to China. Perhaps not for years, or even centuries. Sebastianus would always cherish his time there. He had walked upon the yellow soil of Luoyang, had exchanged ideas with a wise emperor, had known such friends as Noble Heron and Little Sparrow. But now Sebastianus must turn his eyes to the future.

  "Ulrika, I have for so long thought I was fated to yearn to explore new lands while longing for my home. But I am home now, with my true work about to begin. I realize, too," he added, "that there is both order and predictability in the world, and randomness. Life is neither one nor the other. Just as there are fixed stars and falling stars, in our own hearts we are certain of some things, and uncertain of others. We may never understand why, all we know is that while we walk this earth, we do our best, and live in love and peace."

  Ulrika removed the scallop shell from around her neck and placed it on the altar. "This is the end of my road, for I will be the guardian of the shrine. When people come for solace and answers, I will teach them my meditation. Perhaps all people have the gift of the Divining. It simply has to be found and tapped into. Or perhaps, in the end, the Divining is not about finding sacred places, but finding the sacred within ourselves. And I will teach others how to identify the Venerable Ones, for surely St. Jude and St. James," she added, using their Romanized names, "are not the only ones."

  A familiar voice now whispered in her mind: "You have done well, daughter. I will not be visiting you again, for you no longer need my guidance."

  "One question, Honored Lady," Ulrika said silently, with her thoughts. "Why did you come to me? Why not go to Sebastianus, for you are his ancestor and this is also his destiny?"

  "Because I am not his ancestress, I am yours. The Gallus family came late to Galicia, and although you were born of a Roman mother and a German father, your bloodline reaches far back into the mists of time, on the rocky coast of Galicia where I built an altar of scallop shells. You are my descendant, Ulrika of Galicia. And while you will not see me again, be assured that I am with you always. Farewell, daughter, and remember to guard the secret from the Book of Prophecies."

  The cryptic secret that Rhea Silva had told her, and that Ulrika in turn had whispered to the Chief Vestal: that the reign of the gods of Rome was coming to an end. Ulrika wondered if laying Jacob to rest in this ancient altar were part of that change, for he had been the follower of a new faith, he had believed in one God, and now he was buried in ground sacred to the Goddess. Perhaps not a change, she thought, nor an ending, but a joining ...

  Ulrika took Sebastianus's hand and said, "Long ago I asked a question of a fortune-teller. Where do I belong? Does where I belong define me? She did not give me an answer, but I know now that who you are doesn't depend on where you are. Who you are is something you take with you wherever you go."

  Sebastianus smiled. "And now we are here. Home ..."

  BARBARA WOOD

  is the international bestselling author of

  twenty-five acclaimed novels, including the New York Times

  bestseller Domina. Her work has been translated into over 30

  languages. Barbara lives in California.