by L. M. Roth
“Harto and Sinti saw that the mountain must be appeased. They declared that only they and those they would choose to succeed them could make the sacrifice. From their hands alone could the flaming flowers fall into the fiery mouth of the mountain.
“A day came when Harto and his wife strolled along the beach. A fierce storm blew up and pelted rain from the sky. They sought shelter in the caves that connect the islands to one another. There they waited out the storm until it passed over.
“When it ceased, they began to emerge from the caves. Sinti asked a question of Harto. He turned back to look at her, and the sun struck something in the cave wall, making it glow.
“He picked up one of the smooth sharp rocks that the volcano leaves after it spews out its anger, and began hitting the wall of the cave with it. He saw now a stone of clear orange, the color of the sun when it rises at dawn, was lodged in the rock wall. He struck the wall many times, until at last it was free.
“He held in his hand a slab of stone as clear as water, as alive as fire, like nothing he had ever seen before. He took it with him back to their hut, and fashioned it into small stones, which he bore holes into and strung with flax. And these he placed around the necks of himself and Sinti. For it was a sign, he told his wife, a sign that they were chosen by the mountain to offer the sacrifice.
“For from the mountain’s caves he had taken it, and those who wore them would surely be protected by the mountain, for they wore its fire around their necks.
“And so, Harto and Sinti wore these stones, and when it came time to choose their successor, they passed the stones to them. For all who wore them would be protected from the mountain’s wrath when offering a sacrifice; and so they have been handed down over the years.”
Here Bimo paused in his narration. He picked up a small pebble from the beach. He rolled it idly in his hand, and then chucked it into a passing wave.
“It is considered a grave offense to challenge those who are entrusted with the Sacred Stones. For now I must speak out against all that they believe in, all they have clung to. Tomorrow is the night of the full moon, and then I must refuse to obey. I can no longer pretend to believe in a lie.”
Bimo sighed deeply and shook his head. His earlier elation had lifted, plummeting him into a mood of somber gloom as he anticipated the coming confrontation with Yudo and Intami, and the rest of his people.
But the heart of Marcus could not be lighter. For what else could the Sacred Stones be but the Rays of the Sun that the Empress had commanded him to bring back to her?
They strolled back to the cluster of huts, deep in thought that left no room for idle conversation. Bimo occasionally stooped to pick up a stone and roll it in his hand, only to fling it in the surf, which now pounded higher on the beach. Felix whistled aimlessly, glancing from the booming surf to the sky now graced by a yellow orb perched directly overhead.
“It is noon,” Marcus announced. “We should eat our lunch, which I am sure Kyrene and Elena have prepared for us. Although I must say that I have no appetite for food. Indeed, I feel a need to abstain today.”
Felix shot a glance at him.
“Do you intend to fast, my friend?” he asked Marcus. “If so, I am with you, for in truth I have a strange sense of foreboding in me, like that of a battle about to be waged.”
“Yes, a battle,” Marcus agreed. “I share Bimo’s dread, and I sense we must prepare ourselves for whatever we shall face on that mountain tomorrow night.”
Their friends greeted the glad news of Bimo’s new allegiance with unrestrained joy. Dag clapped a large hand on Bimo’s small shoulder that nearly knocked him off his feet. Kyrene hugged him warmly, and Cort jumped up and down with an excitement he could not contain. Only Elena remained calm, receiving the news with a slight smile and nod of her head.
When Marcus and Felix shared the concern of Bimo coupled with their own sense of foreboding for the morrow, Kyrene and Dag agreed to fast also. Cort’s face fell, while Elena shrugged her shoulders.
“Does that mean I cannot eat if you do not?” Cort inquired anxiously. “I have to eat. I simply must! How can I grow if I do not eat? How can I?”
Dag chuckled at the boy.
“Do not fear, small one!” he reassured him. “You may eat. You are young yet, and do not need to fast as we do.”
Cort’s face relaxed in relief and he promptly served himself from the pan of fish and the bowl of fruit the girls had prepared for lunch. In this repast he was joined by Elena, who did not believe as the others did, and therefore saw no need to deprive herself for spiritual purposes.
After Cort and Elena had eaten, they decided to spend the heat of the day on the porch of the little hut. With its thatched overhang they were amply shaded from the worst of the sun’s intensity. The stilts on which the hut was positioned allowed the breezes to circulate freely around them, bringing cooling relief to their faces dripping with sweat.
From their perch over the water they could watch the reflection of the sun’s rays on the aquamarine of the crystalline water, sending a shimmer over the expanse of the sea. The azure sky was dotted with tiny clouds like wisps of downy feathers, and the peace of the scene seeped into their bones, making some of them drowsy.
Cort soon nodded off, and slept where he sat. Elena and Kyrene withdrew into the hut and soon followed him into the hallway of slumber; but Marcus and Felix manfully resisted the pull of sleep. For they had much to speak of with Bimo, not the least of which was to prepare him for what they felt would become a confrontation on the mountaintop the following night, when the moon rose to her full in the night sky.
They spoke until sounds from within the hut warned them of the awakening of the sleepers from their slumber. They tried to encapsulate in just a few hours time the teaching their mentor Xenon had spent weeks drilling into them.
Marcus spoke of the need to love, even those that hated you, and to never take your own revenge when wronged or persecuted, but to leave room for Dominio to render justice if He felt the occasion warranted it.
Felix taught Bimo about the weapons of warfare and the armor necessary to don for protection when faced with battle. And how imperative the need to stand one’s ground and wait on the Spirit in prayer, for direction and guidance to know Dominio’s will.
“And most important,” Marcus concluded, “be on the alert for the Astra.”
“What is that?” Bimo asked, a frown creasing his brow.
“The Astra,” Marcus replied, “are creatures that once lived in the Heavens and served Dominio, the All Supreme. But one of them, Leon, became lifted up in pride, and attempted to usurp the throne of Dominio. He led many of them against Him and those who remained faithful. But he could not overpower the omnipotent One, and so he and his fellow rebels were cast down to the earth.
“Here they wander, watching for the unwary, plotting how they may deceive them and bring them down. They may appear in their true form, which is distorted from their former glory. This they do to intimidate the fearful. Or they may appear as beings of light and beauty in order to lead astray, so that men worship what is not God.
“But, most dangerous of all, they may overcome a man or woman so completely that they make them a slave, so that their whole being is given over to do evil. When that happens, you must be careful that you do not hate; for they have been blinded, and are only puppets after all, held captive to do the evil will of the darkness that consumes them.”
The silence was long and deep. Marcus wondered whether Bimo fully understood, or if the Astra was beyond his comprehension. Was it too much to grasp for one who had been brought up so simply and primitively? He sought for another way to warn him of the necessity of guarding against them when Bimo at last spoke.
“I must be ware against them, as when I gather berries,” he began. “When they are past their prime, they are rotten to look at, and not safe to eat. When they are about to ripen, I must guard against the viper who stings with her poisoned fangs as she hides in th
eir bushes. But on the day they are full ripe, I must pick them quickly before the heat of the day when she is roused and ready to strike.”
Bimo stopped, and Marcus looked at him, amazed at how quickly Bimo had learned the rudiments of warfare.
“Yes,” Marcus said simply. “Yes, that is how it is.”
“Felix,” Marcus whispered to his friend as they all strolled the beach as the sun set in a blaze of orange and gold skies. The tall frond trees looked black against the fiery backdrop, and towered like sentinels on guard, as though eavesdropping on their conversation.
Marcus tugged unobtrusively at the sleeve of his friend, and they dropped back from the others as gradually and inconspicuously as possible. Then they stood still while the others walked on ahead of them.
“What, Marcus?” Felix inquired in a low tone.
“Those stones Bimo spoke of, the Sacred Stones,” Marcus said in a voice throbbing with repressed excitement. “Do you realize what they are?”
Felix turned a blank stare on him.
“Those orange stones that Yudo and Intami wear around their necks? What of them?”
“Those stones, my friend,” Marcus continued with eyes alight and his foot pawing the ground eagerly, “are like the setting sun according to Bimo. Do you see? They contain the Rays of the Sun that Aurora commanded me to bring back!”
Felix’s eyes widened and he gasped as comprehension dawned in his face.
“Yes! You are right,” he breathed. “But how do we obtain them? We can’t steal them from their necks, and I can’t even imagine when we would have the opportunity to attempt it. What do we do?”
“Bimo said the stones were part of a rock wall in the caves around the mountain. It is a long time since they were found, yet there may be more still. I propose that we explore a little and discover whether more are to be found.”
“Of course!” Felix exclaimed. “And we will take what we find and deliver them into the hands of our greedy Empress!”
Marcus simply nodded and smiled into the eyes of his friend.
Chapter XXI
The Rays of the Sun
Marcus rose the next morning with the firm resolve to explore the caves near the mountain to find the orange stones Bimo spoke of. But everything seemed to conspire against him to prevent his doing so.
First, it was decided that intense prayer was necessary to prepare for the events of the evening. So Marcus and the others spent the morning in solemn prayer and introspection, searching their own hearts for any darkness that might ensnare them and cause them to fail in the battle to come.
In the afternoon, they were honored with a visit from Yudo and Intami who wished to make their further acquaintance, although they had had ample opportunity over the past few days which they had not availed themselves of. They spent the whole of the afternoon grilling the young people on their personal histories and inquired about their native lands and customs, with Bimo to facilitate between them. Taking into account that there were six of them and everything had to be said twice, it was a lengthy process.
Then Yudo and Intami felt the need to relate the customs and history of their own land in excruciating detail, with Bimo repeating their words through translation. Marcus did not quite believe that purely friendly intentions inspired this visit, especially when Intami bored holes into their souls with her piercing black eyes as though determined to read the secrets of their hearts.
Either she suspects we are going to hunt for the stones, or the Astra have inspired this visit in order to prevent our hunt, Marcus thought. But either way I do not trust this lady!
He glanced at Felix, who was discreetly stifling a yawn at the tedious recital, some of which they had already heard from Bimo in more succinct detail. He caught his eye and lifted one eyebrow, but Felix merely shrugged his shoulders.
Only when the hour for dinner came upon them did Yudo and Intami rise to take their leave. There was, they informed them through Bimo, a great celebration to take place at sundown. A time when they all gathered on the mountaintop when the moon rose to its full. They hoped that their guests would join them, as it would be an honor for them to join the villagers in their festivity.
“We will expect you, Bimo,” Yudo announced as they left the hut.
Bimo flinched but did not reply.
“What am I to do?” he asked of Marcus. Then he sighed, with the air of one who knows that any choice he made would bring pain to another.
The sun was beginning to set. Marcus and Felix announced to the others that they wished to take a walk but would join them later on the mountain. Then they left the hut, being certain that no one followed.
Not even to Kyrene did they confide their quest. It would not be right, they told each other, to expose her or the others to danger if their taking of the stones were discovered. Marcus suspected that the penalty for such an offense would be death, as the stones were regarded as sacred; if he faced such a risk, he would not ask his friends to share in that penalty.
They followed the shoreline until they were out of sight of the hut. Then they veered sharply inland and headed for the mountain.
Because they had been confined to the shore during their stay, they were not aware of the lush foliage and strange wildlife that thrived in the heart of the island. Large plants with fan shaped leaves grew along a narrow path, and indeed threatened to take it over as they nearly obscured it from view. Long ropy vines trailed from some of the trees that were encased in a green slimy growth, promoted by the abundant rain that fell on the island.
As they struggled uphill along the path, beating back the huge leaves and occasional vines, they heard strange calls from various animals, none of them exposed to their eyes. The sounds were unsettling and prickled their skin as they listened. What creature, for instance, made that low growling sound, so much deeper than that of the ordinary dog one kept for a pet? And how large was that bird that shrieked loud enough to wake the dead? How wide its wingspan, how large its talons and beak? And what manner of animal shrieked repeatedly as though it spotted some terror they could not see?
“Where do you suppose these caves are, Marcus?” Felix panted as he swatted back a vine and crushed a small insect exploring his forearm.
“I do not know,” Marcus confessed.
Then realization smote him.
“Of course, how obtuse I am!” he smacked his forehead in consternation. “Felix, we hid the boat in a cave along the beach. We need to walk to the beach, not inland at all!”
Felix groaned.
“You are right. I also had forgotten. We must retrace our steps then. I will not be sorry to bid farewell to this jungle!”
Marcus pondered for a moment, and then shook his head.
“No, we must not be seen in the open, I fear. Let us continue, but go around the mountain and down to the beach instead of climbing further.”
They changed their course at once, and worked their way down to the bottom of the hill. Then they stayed partially screened by the outer trees and walked in a sideways direction.
Finally, they saw the mountain ahead of them. And at its foot, they spotted a slight opening.
They sauntered slowly in its direction, chatting as they strolled, in the hope that a stray passerby might believe they were merely taking a walk.
When they reached the foot of the mountain and the small opening, Felix casually turned and looked around as though admiring the sunset.
Marcus darted into the cave, quickly followed by Felix, who kept a lookout for intruders. Marcus struggled to explore the interior, but the waning light failed to illumine the darkness.
“Felix!” he whispered. “You have the vision of a lynx. Can you see anything?”
Felix entered with a backward glance outside. Marcus took his post at the mouth of the cave while Felix gazed intently at the smooth rock wall.
“It is difficult to see much,” Felix murmured. “Perhaps if I ran my hand over the surface, I may detect a different texture.”
He put both hands over the wall and ran them down the length and breadth of it.
“Hurry, Felix, the light is waning!” Marcus cried.
“No, not here,” Felix said as if to himself. “No, that is merely a crack in the rock.”
Marcus stifled a scream of exasperation.
“Wait!” Felix exclaimed. “There is something! It is smooth and somewhat glassy and protrudes from the face of the wall.”
Marcus flung caution aside and rushed to examine it. He too felt an obtrusion, and now as the sun flared to a ball of flame, he saw a faint orange glow.
“You found it,” he breathed. “The Rays of the Sun!”
They scoured the floor of the cave and found several jagged edged rocks. These they tapped gently on the wall above and below the orange stone. Repeatedly they pounded, until it at last broke free.
Marcus rolled it in his hand, marveling at the guidance of Dominio.
“We have succeeded, Felix! Only one more object to obtain for the Empress!” he exulted.
“You forget, my friend,” Felix reminded him. “We have the evening ahead of us yet, and will no doubt be called on at some point to show the error of their ways to our island hosts, something I do not think they will welcome from their guests.”
“Yes, Felix,” Marcus felt chastened. “In my joy I did forget. And Bimo will need our support if he speaks out against his own people.”
And in his heart Marcus wondered what kind of reception awaited them if such an occasion arose.
Chapter XXII
Confrontation On the Mountaintop
They left the cave and headed back for the shoreline, where they continued their apparently aimless stroll. As they walked they prayed for Bimo to be strengthened for the celebration to come.