Sanjay smiled. “I can see why. You make a good team…apart and together.”
“What about you, Sanjay?” Anlon asked. “What’s next for you? Pebbles said you were contemplating heading in a new direction.”
At that moment, Happy awoke and stared up at Sanjay. “You are spot on, Anlon. I have spent a great deal of time thinking about our adventure, about the implications of psychic energy living on past death, and it has inspired me to take a harder look at reports of past-life recall — my own Pearl Harbor experience and recall experiences of others.”
“Sounds exciting,” said Anlon.
They talked about Sanjay’s plans for another hour before the visit ended. As they stepped outside Sanjay’s house, Anlon said, “We’re gonna miss coming out to see you, Sanjay.”
“We shall miss you both too. Won’t we, Happy?”
Happy barked and pawed at Sanjay’s legs. As Sanjay bent down to pet the dog’s head, he asked Anlon, “How long will you be gone?”
“If all goes according to plan, about a year.”
“Good, good. Well, I hope you both have a wonderful time.”
“Thank you, Sanjay.” Pebbles hugged him. “Thank you for everything.”
“It has been my pleasure.” Sanjay hugged both of them and then urged Happy to say goodbye.
As Pebbles knelt to kiss Happy on the head, the dog looked up at Sanjay. To all of them, Happy seemed confused.
Sanjay knelt down and scratched Happy’s back. “It is okay. I am sure they will come for a visit when they get back.”
“Count on it,” said Pebbles. “Until then, I made a little something for you. To say thank you, to let you know how much I appreciate everything you did for me, for Citali, for all of us.”
Pebbles took hold of the bag Anlon had been carrying and handed it to Sanjay. He reached into the bag and pulled out a large picture frame. In it was one of Pebbles’ savant sketches depicting the ritual at the Three Sisters Falls. In a pool at the base of a waterfall, a bare-shouldered woman reached up to take hold of the hand of a man bending over at the water’s edge. As Sanjay studied the picture more closely, he noticed there was a reflection of the man’s face in the water. But it was not Tuka’s face he saw; it was his own.
Sanjay smiled when he realized the meaning behind the gift. During a break in one of her therapy sessions, Pebbles had told him she believed the ceremony had been more than just a symbolic re-enactment of the Keeper welcoming a new one.
“I think it was also intended to symbolize the arrival of the Munuorians after the day of darkness,” Pebbles had said. “The new one in the water became one of the asteroid survivors, someone in need of help. The Keeper on shore became one of the Munuorians, someone offering aid.”
“A role reversal,” Sanjay recalled saying.
“Exactly. The person who conceived the ritual wanted to make sure both parties remembered they had an obligation to help each other, even when their roles were reversed.”
Inserting Sanjay into the picture as the Keeper was Pebbles’ way of telling Sanjay that he had been there to help her when she needed it, just like the Munuorians had helped the traumatized survivors of the day of darkness. Sanjay looked up at Pebbles and said, “I will treasure this always. As a reminder of the journey we shared and of the people who sacrificed so much for so long to make sure we remembered the most important of memories.”
Aboard Sol Seaker
En route to the Galapagos Islands
January 18
Anlon stood in the background as Pebbles addressed the crew. She wore jeans cut off at the knees, and a blouse two sizes too big. She was barefoot and wore a patch over one eye. Strutting back and forth in front of the crew as if she was a military commander reviewing her troops, she said, “From this moment forward, ye shall refer to me as Pebbles or you’ll be walking the plank. Understood?”
Confused looks abounded on all the crew’s faces except for Popeye. He grinned and said, “Aye, milady.”
She wheeled around and stepped up within inches of Popeye’s face. “It’s Pebbles, Popeye. Not milady.”
“Aye, me Pebbles.”
“Better.” She slapped him on the shoulder. Turning her attention back to the rest of the crew, she said, “There’s gonna be some more changes around here too. Cap’n Hansen?”
Anlon fought back a smile as the captain first looked at him before answering Pebbles. “Yes, miss, uh, me Pebbles.”
“The proper response is aye,” Pebbles said, lifting the patch to glare at Hansen with both eyes.
“Aye, me Pebbles.”
Pebbles turned and winked at Anlon before returning her attention to Hansen. “When we are at sea, we’ll be flying the skull and crossbones. There will be no bowing. Only high-fives and fist-bumps are permitted. And under no circumstances are the crew to button the top buttons of their shirts. Is that understood?”
“Aye,” Hansen answered, his face turning crimson.
“What about the rest of you salty dogs?”
There was a smattering of tepid ayes. Pebbles shook her head and said, “What kind of pirates be ye? Give me a hearty argh.”
Nervous looks drifted Anlon’s way. He shouted argh and motioned for the crew to join him. Popeye laughed and slapped Hansen on the back. Then he stood in front of the crew like a symphony conductor and coaxed a boisterous argh from all but the captain.
“That’s more like it,” Pebbles said.
Moments later, she dismissed the crew and turned to face Anlon.
“That was epic,” he said. “Feel better?”
“Argh, matey.”
GLOSSARY OF MUNUORIAN TERMS
Enjyia – (n-gee-yah) – a drink produced from flowers of plants, the seeds of which are altered by a Terusael (described below). Enjyia’s taste is similar to sweetened herbal tea and it has a translucent, pinkish appearance. Munuorians who consistently imbibed enjyia were able to live for up to five hundred years.
Gensae – (jen-say) – the Munuorians’ magnetic sixth sense.
Lifintyls – (liff-in-tills) – Munuorian translation: survival tools. The set of six Munuorian tools/stones depicted on the etching carved into a Sinethal. The Lifintyls were magnetized devices forged by the Munuorian civilization. Except for Sulataers (described below), the composition of each Tyl (tool) was a combination of three magnetic stone types: olivine basalt, kimberlite and pure diamond. The Tyls’ different powers were dictated by the relative concentration of the three magnetic stone types and their unique shaping. The six Tyls are described below:
Aromaegh – (air-uh-may) – Munuorian translation: teacher, helper. A square or rectangular tile that houses virtual-reality-like recordings (sights, sounds, aromas, touch and taste). A Sinethal is one type of Aromaegh. Aromaeghs were created to store the collective memories, skills and accomplishments of the Munuorian civilization. They were used to transfer knowledge from one generation to the next, to teach specific skills and to retain important cultural events and memories.
Breylofte – (bray-loft) – Munuorian translation: air mover. A bowl-shaped stone that amplifies sound waves to levitate and move objects. Devised as a building tool, Breyloftes helped Munuorians place or remove large, heavy objects. They are also used as medium-range weapons to blast or throw opponents and objects.
Dreylaek – (dray-lock) – Munuorian translation: healer, defender. A cookie-shaped and -sized stone. Two of them are needed to create their desired effects. When two Dreylaeks are rubbed together or slapped one against the other, different powers are generated. If slapped with no grinding, Dreylaeks can generate a close-quarters blast of air. If slapped together after grinding, Dreylaeks emit a thin laserlike beam that can be used to treat injuries (e.g., cauterize wounds, conduct surgery) or as deadly short-range weapons.
Sulataer – (soo-la-tare) – Munuorian translation: stone melter. A token/coin made of pure, 24-karat gold. Sulataers are embossed with a fish symbol on each side. The coins were used by the Munuorians to trade w
ith foreign nations/tribes, and they also served as electricity conductors during overtae, the mind-transfer process, regulating the flow of electricity generated by a Tuliskaera into a Taellin.
Terusael – (tare-uh-sail) – Munuorian translation: the refresher. An egg-shaped stone, used in conjunction with a Breylofte, to alter the chemistry of the seeds from poisonous flowers into seeds that produce life-extending flowers. The altered flowers are crushed into a tincture called enjyia. The enzymes in enjyia attack diseased cells in the body, which slows the aging process, thereby extending life.
Tuliskaera – (tool-uh-scare-uh) – Munuorian translation: fire cutter. A cone-shaped stone that produces a powerful laser when used in conjunction with a Naetir (described below). Tuliskaeras were used by the Munuorians to cut and shape objects (mostly stone objects). Tuliskaeras can also be used as long-range weapons against structures and people, and they provide the jolt of electricity needed to facilitate the transfer of a Munuorian’s memories and consciousness into a Sinethal.
Maerlif – (mare-liff) – the vaults/chambers where the Lifintyls were stored prior to the Munirvo catastrophe. Maerlifs were also used as burial tombs of Andaers and prominent Munuorian citizens.
Munirvo – (moon-ear-voh) – the passing asteroid that nearly wiped out all life on Earth ten thousand years ago. The name means “star washer.”
Munuoria – (moon-war-E-uh) – the Munuorian homeland.
Munuorians – (moon-war-E-uns) – the lost civilization. The name means “star watchers.”
Naetir – (neigh-teer) – Munuorian translation: spark. A hockey-puck-shaped stone that served as a catalyst to operate Tuliskaeras, Dreylaeks and Aromaeghs (including the Sinethal).
Seybalrosa – (say-ball-rose-uh) – a Munuorian cliffside shrine that features a massive ceiba tree surrounded by a garden of saguaro cacti.
Sinethal – (sin-uh-thawl) – Munuorian translation: mind keeper. A specific type of Aromaegh that houses the memories and partial consciousness of select Munuorians, including Malinyah. Unlike other Aromaeghs (which contain static presentations or tutorials), Sinethals are interactive. A user can ask questions of, and receive answers from, the Munuorian whose memories and consciousness are stored on a Sinethal. Not only does a Sinethal interactively share sensory experiences (sights, sounds, aromas, touch and taste), but it also shares emotions associated with memories.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Patrick Donoghue is the author of the mystery thriller series the Anlon Cully Chronicles and the science-fiction thriller series the Rorschach Explorer Missions. He lives in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., with his wife and two sons. His books include:
The Anlon Cully Chronicles:
Book 1: Shadows of the Stone Benders
Book 2: Race for the Flash Stone
Book 3: Curse of the Painted Lady
Book 4: Priestess of Paracas
The Rorschach Explorer Missions:
Prequel: UMO (novella)
Book 1: Skywave
Book 2: Magwave
Ways to stay in touch with the author:
Click here to join K. Patrick Donoghue’s email subscriber list
Click here to follow on Facebook
Click here to visit the author’s website
COPYRIGHT
This book is a work of fiction. All the characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual locations, events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
PRIESTESS OF PARACAS
Copyright © 2019 Kevin Patrick Donoghue
All rights reserved.
eISBN: 978-0-9997614-8-9
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9997614-7-2
Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-9997614-9-6
Published by Leaping Leopard Enterprises, LLC
www.leapingleopard.com
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
First edition: December 2019
Cover art and design by Asha Hossain Design, LLC
Print edition interior design by Amber Colleran
CONTENTS
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTES TO READERS
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1: HOUSE CALL
CHAPTER 2: IN THE DARK
CHAPTER 3: COLLECTED WISDOM
CHAPTER 4: FRACTURED MIND
CHAPTER 5: A FLOCK OF FLICKERS
CHAPTER 6: BONFIRE OF THE MEMORIES
CHAPTER 7: TOUCHY SUBJECTS
CHAPTER 8: DESERT OASIS
CHAPTER 9: FLASHBACK FURY
CHAPTER 10: A BAG OF SURPRISES
CHAPTER 11: INVADERS IN THE TEMPLE
CHAPTER 12: DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
CHAPTER 13: A LINK IN THE CHAIN
CHAPTER 14: UNMASKING THE ENEMY
CHAPTER 15: LIFE AFTER DEATH?
CHAPTER 16: KEEP YOUR HEAD
CHAPTER 17: FOLLOW THE RIVER
CHAPTER 18: DIVIDE AND CONQUER
CHAPTER 19: PECKING THROUGH THE RUINS
CHAPTER 20: TRAPDOOR
CHAPTER 21: SLEEPLESS IN AYACUCHO
CHAPTER 22: MUDDY WATERS
CHAPTER 23: SPEAK THE WORDS
CHAPTER 24: RETURN OF THE NEW ONES
CHAPTER 25: RAGING SOUL
CHAPTER 26: UNDER THE SAME SKY
EPILOGUE
GLOSSARY OF MUNUORIAN TERMS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COPYRIGHT
Priestess of Paracas Page 33