Stealing Sacred Fire

by Storm Constantine

  There was silence for a while, then Gadreel said simply, ‘to us, its inheritors.’

  Daniel saw the guardian draw back his lips into a snarl. He made a sudden movement, as if about to pounce. ‘No,’ Daniel said bleakly. ‘That’s not the answer.’

  ‘To Anu,’ Salamiel said, ‘the first Lord. It is his key.’

  Again the guardian snarled and stamped his feet, sending a spray of bone-dust up into the smoke of the fire. ‘No,’ Daniel said. ‘Think! Rabisu is impatient with your answers.’

  ‘What do you think, Daniel?’ Salamiel said. ‘You’re the vizier. You answer the question.’

  Daniel shook his head. ‘I don’t know.’ His mind was whirling; it was impossible to organise his thoughts. What was the answer? He felt the air move around him as Rabisu struck out with hooked fingers towards his face. Daniel uttered a gasping cry. He could feel the guardian’s power building up, his impatience and scorn. They should not have considered summoning him until they were surer of what they wanted from him or indeed from themselves.

  ‘The key belongs to the Yarasadi!’ Gadreel said. ‘This is their secret place of worship.’

  Rabisu growled and his long, black fingernails raked Daniel’s brow. Daniel heard Salamiel and Gadreel utter soft cries of surprise, and knew that the spiritual guardian had left a physical mark. He could feel a trail of blood begin to seep down his face.

  ‘Shem!’ Daniel yelled. ‘You answer him! Speak! Do it now or everything will be lost! Say it, Shem! Say what I know you can say!’

  Shem stood up and Daniel opened his eyes. The two realities were overlaid upon each other; the cold cave in afternoon light; the fire and the guardian. Daniel blinked blood from his eyes. Shem seemed contained and almost dazed, as if his mind was elsewhere. ‘The key,’ he said, ‘belongs to me. Shaitan. It belongs to me.’

  Abruptly, the guardian uttered a wild scream, which everybody heard, then jumped up into the air and vanished. The company all opened their eyes and looked around themselves in astonishment for a few moments, then Salamiel said. ‘I can’t see any key. Where is it?

  Gadreel glanced at the ground and sighed, ‘No key.’

  Daniel shook his head. His brow was stinging now; he felt dizzy. ‘We failed,’ he said. ‘I don’t know if we’ll get another chance to speak with the guardian. It won’t trust us, and probably won’t even make another appearance.’

  Gadreel slapped the ash-strewn stone floor with the flat of her palms. ‘Damn! We should have been more prepared!’

  ‘But how were we to know what the guardian would ask?’ Salamiel said.

  ‘I should have known,’ Daniel answered in a dull voice. ‘Site guardians often set riddles, ask questions. Gadreel is right. We were too impetuous.’

  Shem was staring out of the entrance to the cave. Daniel looked up at him and sighed. Shem was an unpredictable creature; he could not be relied on. ‘What do you want to do now?’ Daniel asked him.

  Shem did not answer, but walked out of the cave. His three companions swapped a few incredulous glances, then followed him.

  Shem stood upon the narrow ledge gazing up at the sky. Tahira and the other Yarasadi, standing below with the horses, were looking up at him. For a moment, Daniel wondered whether Shem was possessed by Rabisu, for he was acting strangely. He laid a hand upon Shem’s arm. ‘What is it? Are you all right?’

  Again, Shem said nothing, but slowly raised an arm to point up at the sky.

  Daniel shaded his eyes with one hand, and squinted to where Shem was pointing. He saw a pin-prick of light against the clouds.

  Gadreel came up beside him. ‘What’s that light?’

  Daniel shrugged. ‘I’m not sure…’

  Suddenly the light began to zoom towards them, becoming larger and brighter, until it hung above their heads as a hovering sphere of radiance about two feet in diameter. The Yarasadi below began to cry out in Kurmanji and gestured at the apparition in surprise and fear. The sphere emitted a high-pitched hum. It swerved to the left a few feet, then to the right, before shooting off to the left, towards the cliff face further along the path. Here, it collided with the rock and exploded with a deafening blast. Everybody on the cave ledge cowered down, while the Yarasadi below uttered panicked cries and covered their heads. Stones showered downwards, and a cloud of rock dust billowed out from the cliff face.

  After a few moments, when everything seemed quiet, the group straightened up, brushing dust from their clothes and faces.

  ‘Incredible!’ Salamiel said. ‘Our own UFO.’

  Shem glanced at him inscrutably, then said, ‘Daniel, come with me.’ He began clambering along the tortuous path that hugged the face of the soaring rocks. Daniel followed him. Dust clouds still hung in the air and there was a smell of ozone. Daniel didn’t know what it was they’d seen and questioned the wisdom of going to investigate the explosion. ‘Shem, shouldn’t we wait a while?’

  Shem glanced back at him. ‘It’s quite safe.’ Shattered rocks shifted beneath his feet. He stumbled, yet kept on moving. Daniel could not let him go alone.

  Presently, Daniel saw light reflecting off something that lay in a pile of rubble that had demolished a stand of shrubs. Shem said, ‘There!’ and increased his pace, clawing his way through the debris. He bent down and sifted through the stones. ‘Daniel, come here!’

  Cautiously, Daniel approached. Shem squatted with his arms resting on his thighs. He gestured at his feet. ‘Look. There.’

  Daniel looked over Shem’s shoulder. In the rubble, he saw a shining shape that lay partially buried. ‘What is it?’

  Shem gestured for him to come forward. ‘Take a look. Pick it up.’

  Daniel paused for a moment then knelt down. He saw a perfect crystalline cone about the size of his fist. Strangely, he could not tell whether it was green or red. The colours seemed to shift within it. Carefully, he picked up the cone and dusted it with his sleeve. ‘What kind of stone is this?’ he asked Shem.

  Shem shrugged. ‘It must be alexandrite. In daylight it appears to be one colour, in artificial light another.’

  ‘So what kind of light are we in at the moment, then?’ Daniel held the stone up before his face, turning it this way and that. Still, the colours merged and flowed.

  ‘It must be an effect of the earth-light that carried it,’ Shem said.

  ‘It’s incredible,’ Daniel said softly. ‘This is what I saw in my dream vision of the Elder. He was holding it out to me. And in Cornwall, at the eclipse. I saw it in the dark sun…’

  Shem reached out and touched Daniel’s hair. ‘It’s the key,’ he said.

  Daniel handed it to him. ‘And it’s yours… apparently. Apported straight to your feet.’

  Shem nodded distractedly and put the crystal cone into his jacket pocket. He looked around himself. ‘It’s very close.’

  ‘What is?’ Daniel stood up.

  ‘Kharsag, the garden,’ Shem answered shortly. ‘This is Eden, Daniel.’

  Daniel observed the barren terrain, the harsh cliffs of splintered rock, the wheeling carrion birds high above. If this was indeed the ancient land of Eden, then not even a memory of its former splendour remained.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Finding Kharsag

  Eden

  The group elected to spend the night in the Valley of Stones, and here they erected their tents. Jalal built a fire and together with his grand-mother set about preparing a meal. The other Yarasadi sat around smoking and laughing, but their laughter sounded forced. Everyone felt tense.

  Shem sat down on the ground and asked Daniel to massage his shoulders. ‘Invoking ancient entities is bad for the bones!’ he said.

  Daniel could not share Shem’s light-heartedness. As he dug his fingers into Shem’s muscles he said, ‘I should have guessed the Elder was offering me the key. Mani virtually said so. What would have happened if I’d had the sense to take it in my vision? Would the key have manifested at Qimir’s camp?’

  ‘We’ll never know,�
�� Shem said, reaching up to squeeze one of Daniel’s hands. ‘But we’ve found it now, and the next stage must begin.’

  Salamiel sauntered up, his expression tight. ‘It’s at times like that that our beloved Shemyaza shows his true colours,’ he said.

  ‘His true power,’ Daniel amended.

  ‘You knew exactly what to say to the guardian, didn’t you,’ Salamiel said. ‘Why did you wait until Daniel got attacked before you said anything?’

  ‘He didn’t know!’ Daniel said, before Shem could answer. ‘The Elders were working through him, then. He spoke with their voice.’

  Salamiel snorted contemptuously. ‘Oh, of course.’ He laughed to lessen the sting of his sarcasm. ‘Why did you refer to yourself as Shaitan, Shem? What’s the significance of that?’

  Shem shrugged. ‘Rabisu would not have recognised the name Shemyaza. Shaitan is a local form of my name. It seemed obvious to use it. As for knowing what to say, it wasn’t the Elders speaking through me. Something much more prosaic.’ He turned and glanced over his shoulder at Daniel. ‘Remember when I entered the underworld in Cornwall? I was asked a similar question and by some miracle — or perhaps divine coincidence — got the answer right.’

  Daniel frowned. ‘I don’t follow.’

  ‘I said that I and the serpent of the underworld were one. It’s all the same thing, really. God, king, serpent, light, chamber, keeper and key. All one. They key had to be mine. I’m learning the script. It’s not that original.’

  Salamiel laughed again. ‘You are unbelievable at times.’

  ‘Many people have thought so,’ Shem answered dryly, ‘but despite unbelief, I still exist.’

  While they waited for their meal, Gadreel and Salamiel wanted to examine the key. Shem handed Gadreel the crystal. She turned it in her fingers, watching the colours, refracted by firelight spinning over her hands. ‘It holds all the light of the world,’ she said, ‘and it feels so unbelievably cold. Where did it come from, and how?’

  ‘It’s what we call an apport,’ Daniel said. ‘An artefact that simply manifests out of thin air. The arrival of this one was more spectacular than I’ve ever seen, though. The key itself was never at the cave. We simply had to perform the right actions there, say the right words for it to be summoned.’

  ‘Then where was it before?’ Gadreel asked. ‘It must have been somewhere. If we knew the answer to that, I feel we would be approaching the answer to everything.’

  ‘Yes,’ Daniel agreed. ‘Unfortunately, nobody really knows the science behind the appearance of apports.’

  Gadreel pulled a wry face. ‘Perhaps it will disappear just as easily.’

  Daniel shrugged. ‘It’s possible, but it has been summoned for a purpose. We have to suppose it will remain with Shem until that purpose is realised.’

  ‘Presumably, there’s a niche somewhere,’ Salamiel said, ‘that the crystal fits into. The gate to the Chambers of Light? All we have to do now is find out where they are.’

  ‘Are they here?’ Gadreel asked Shem.

  He shrugged. ‘I’ll go and investigate in a while, after we’ve eaten.’

  ‘Shall I come with you?’ Daniel said.

  Shem shook his head. ‘No, I want to do this alone.’

  ‘But it might not be safe,’ Daniel argued. ‘Who knows what’s wandering around these mountains. All it would take is for you to go into trance and anything could jump you — spiritual or human. Let me test the waters, Shem. You were never averse to that before.’

  Shem shrugged nonchalantly. ‘Whatever…’

  After they had eaten, the group sat around their horses in a circle, and passed round a flagon of rough wine. Conversation was easy, to the point where Daniel almost forgot why they were there. He listened to the musical language of the Yarasadi, watching Tahira and Gadreel placing brass bowls of water around them in a wide ring, in which floated crushed flower petals. This was their protection against whatever stalked the night. Once the ritual was complete, Tahira sat down among the men and began to regale the company with colourful tales of her youth, most of which sounded like fantasy, but perhaps were not. Daniel lay on his side, his head supported by one hand, staring at the fire, while Tahira’s lilting voice washed over him. The fire held them in a capsule of radiance. Beyond it was utter blackness, and the sigh of the wind against loose stones. The horses munched their fodder, snorting and blowing into the food, striking the ground with their hooves. Daniel almost fell asleep; his mind wandered, until in a hypnogogic state, he became aware of slow-moving, stooping forms hovering beyond the sanctuary of firelight. Drowsily, he acknowledged that these ancient mountains would be full of spiritual entities, who would be drawn by the fire and the brighter lights of living beings.

  Then Gadreel snapped, ‘What was that?’ She sat upright, her nostrils flexing like a cat’s.

  Daniel felt as if a cold wave had crashed over him. Reality came surging back and the sound of the flames suddenly crackled wildly in his ears. The horses had become nervous, flinging up their heads and whinnying to one another. Daniel sensed that there was something more solid than spirit forms beyond the fire, but they were not entirely human either.

  Tahira sucked in her breath through her teeth, and hissed, ‘Djinn!’

  Gadreel stood up and peered into the darkness.

  ‘You placed the usual protections,’ Salamiel said, standing up slowly. ‘We should be safe… surely.’ The wind played with his hair so that it appeared uncannily like shifting flames. He could have been a djinn himself.

  ‘I hope so,’ Gadreel murmured, ‘but this is strong, very strong.’

  Daniel said, ‘Where’s Shem? I can’t see him.’

  Everyone looked around. ‘Gone!’ Salamiel said. ‘The fool!’

  ‘He’s slipped the leash, Daniel,’ Gadreel said. ‘He has gone looking for Kharsag’

  Daniel groaned. ‘I can’t believe he’s done this! He called out. ‘Shem! Where are you?’

  ‘Sssh!’ Gadreel hissed, grabbing hold of Daniel’s arm. ‘Be quiet. Don’t alert whatever is out there.’

  ‘I think it’s already alert,’ Salamiel said softly.

  ‘Just be quiet!’ Gadreel said, raking her hair back from her face. Her eyes looked wild in the fire-light. Tahira stood gaunt beside her, muttering at the darkness, her shawl pulled tight against her lean body.

  ‘Jalal,’ Gadreel whispered. ‘Calm the horses. If they take flight, we will be stranded in this place.’

  Jalal and the other Yarasadi guards obeyed her word, although Daniel suspected that if the animals panicked, there would be little anyone could do to restrain them.

  For a few moments, everyone held their breath and listened, but the only sound was the crackle of the fire and the susurration of the wind. Even the horses had gone quiet, their postures rigid and alert.

  Daniel’s flesh crawled. Whatever stalked them had come looking for Shemyaza; he was sure of it. Perhaps it was fortunate the hunter had found only the fire. Now, he could hear a soft, crunching sound as of light feet pacing over the stones of the valley floor. It sounded as if it wasn’t far from where they were all sitting, but he could see nothing. ‘Can you hear that?’ he asked Gadreel.

  She narrowed her eyes, concentrating, holding her hair back from her ears with both hands. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Children of the fire,’ Tahira hissed, ‘the evil ones.’

  Her words seemed to act as an invocation. Some yards away from the group, half a dozen new fires popped into life, glowing at ground level, before leaping towards the sky. Purple-blue flames danced in the dirt. ‘Ai,’ breathed Tahira. ‘They come. They smell us.’

  The horses began to shuffle again, although it seemed they were too petrified to try and escape. Gradually, tall, motionless shapes could be seen forming within the spectral flames. They illumined the small brass bowls of water and petals, and then the water began to bubble and steam, the flowers to curl up into crisps.

  ‘Yai!’ Gadreel yelled. ‘Tahira! The swo
rds! Quickly!’

  She and the old woman ran to Gadreel’s baggage, which had been taken off her horse for the night. Frantically, they tore at the wrappings and the swords spilled out in a clatter onto the stony ground. Gadreel took the largest blade and began to run around the camp in a circle, dragging the sword’s point in the dirt to create a shallow channel. Tahira scuttled along behind her with the six other swords, which she plunged at intervals into the ground. Each time she struck the earth, silver sparks shot out from the blades.

  Gasping and breathless, Gadreel and Tahira ran back to the others who had now all gathered in a huddle in the middle of the circle, the shivering horses in their midst.

  ‘Will it be enough protection?’ Salamiel asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Gadreel snapped back. ‘Pray!’

  The Yarasadi had all begun to mutter a chant, their bodies stooped into postures of alertness, ready to defend themselves if necessary.

  Tall figures stepped forth from the blue flames. Daniel watched them examine the swords from a distance, as if considering whether the defences could be breached. The figures were robed in black, faces and heads covered but for the eyes, which glinted wetly. Then one of the creatures elected to test the power of the swords. It loped towards the nearest one, somehow transforming into a thick, twisting skein of red-shot black smoke before it touched the blade. Upon contact, the sword emitted a sound like a gigantic tuning fork and vibrated in the ground. The creature was hurled backwards. Daniel saw it regain a more humanoid shape. Its robes had fallen from its head, and what he saw resembled a man who had been hideously burned. The flesh was black and smoking, only the piercing amber eyes uncharred.

  For what seemed like an eternity, the djinn assaulted the protective swords, but on each occasion were repelled by their power. Those within the circle sat close together, holding hands and uttering the same charm of protection. Daniel was sure he had never experienced such terror. The djinn were so persistent; they never tired. And he could feel their passionless determination. They were hunters, but he had a suspicion they were seeking live captives. Being captured alive by the djinn might be worse than death at their hands. Daniel hoped that Shem was safe. It was impossible for him to try and concentrate on picking up Shem’s presence psychically. Perhaps he was meant to leave them. Perhaps, if Shem was here, the djinn would be stronger somehow. Daniel knew that Shem’s power had two sides to it; the dark side was the lord of djinn.