Beyond the Valley of Mist

by Dicksion, William Wayne

  In the evenings they sat around their fires, asked questions, told stories, and discussed the best ways to defend their village. When the outcome of a battle was in doubt, they called upon the wisest in their village for counsel, and the Keepers of Fire were often the men they called on.

  ***

  Chapter 3

  Temple of Fire

  Many generations passed. The Lalocks depended on the fire so much that fire became their God, and they built a special place to keep it, and called it a temple.

  The temple was in a separate cave in a hillside near the village. The people designated the cave as a holy place and called the Keepers of Fire, who lived in the cave, “priests.”

  Even though the cave was large enough for the entire clan, the Lalocks preferred to live in smaller caves that were carved into a sandstone cliff near the stream.

  If their fire went out, they could get a start from the priests, but they had to give something of value in exchange. The priests allowed only the most respected to enter the temple; soldiers, who answered only to the priests, guarded the Fire.

  As priests, they were dedicated to caring for the fire and were required to know the names of the men who first brought the fire to Lalock. The men who discovered the fire were legends, and their story was told around the ceremonial fire, generation after generation. The priests repeated the discoverers' names to each new generation. When the priests grew old, it was their duty to train new priests, so the knowledge was passed down through the ages from priest to priest. Fire became their God. The priests were the men who cared for God, and they were highly revered. The people went to them for solutions, believing that the priests had special powers.

  The priests told the people that they talked to God, and that God told them what to say. If the people asked for something special, the priests would ask God to grant their wishes. When the people got what they asked for, the priests told them that God had answered their prayers, and if they believed that God would answer their prayers He would. But if they didn’t believe strongly enough, then God would not answer their prayers, and it was the fault of the one praying, not the fault of God. God knew what was in their hearts, and if their beliefs were not strong, God would deny them what they asked. This encouraged the one praying to try harder to believe, and relieved the priests of any responsibility for the outcome of the prayer. Worshipping in groups helped them to have faith and to support each other.

  ***

  Since the priests had direct access to God, they controlled the people by controlling their access to God. When the people could not understand what they were told, the priests instructed, “We talk to God, and God tells us what to tell you. You have to accept God’s word on faith, and because of your faith, you will believe. If you do not believe, it is your own fault."

  The worshippers developed a religious ritual, and the priests conducted the ceremonies in the large opening to the temple. The temple, which was well-suited for their meetings, extended far back into the mountain and provided living accommodations for the priests and all their soldiers. The whole clan could sit in front of the large mouth of the temple, and the ceremonies were conducted from an elevated area they called the stage. The temple had another area large enough to accommodate all the priests, and in the center of this highest area was a pit that contained the sacred Fire.

  “God has given us the authority to conduct all religious services,” the priests said.

  The priests wanted special recognition, so they designed unique garments: the High Priest wore a high, cone-shaped hat and carried a staff of authority—it was made of a rare kind of wood, carved in a distinctive way. This staff had a religious significance, and was passed down from High Priest to High Priest.

  When the people argued, the Priest had the authority to settle the arguments, and his decision was final. When there was a disagreement among the priests, the High Priest had the final say, and his word had the authority of God. At times, the worshippers disagreed about how to conduct the ceremonies and whom they should allow to attend. For example, women who were experiencing their time of the moon could not attend the ceremonies for fear they would offend God.

  The people enticed the priests with gifts. The priests said that their gifts were given to God, and the greater the gift, the greater the reward. If the people gave generously, the priests would say special prayers for them.

  After a good hunt, the hunters gave a portion of the meat to God. The priests offered the meat to God, but if God didn’t eat it, the priests and their soldiers did.

  The worshippers gave exotic types of wood to the priests, and when the priests inhaled the smoke from these special woods, it caused them to experience states of euphoria that they believed gave them the power to see into the future.

  The priests became more and more powerful until they ruled the village; after all, they had an army to enforce their rule.

  When another clan threatened the Lalocks, they prayed to Fire and asked Fire to give them power over their enemies.

  When their battles were victorious, they believed Fire had given them the power, and they gathered at the temple to give thanks. They showed their appreciation by watching their enemies being thrown into the Fire by the soldiers.

  When a member of the tribe did something that displeased the priests, their soldiers threw the offender into the Fire. If Fire did not harm him or her, it meant that God had found the person innocent, but if they did not survive, it was because God had found them guilty and thus they were removed from the tribe. In this way, the priests were relieved of the responsibility of making judgments. God did the judging and the punishing.

  Of course, someone had to do the preliminary work of throwing the accused into the Fire. Therefore, the soldiers helped the priests. It was the duty of the soldiers to be the eyes and ears of the priests.

  The High Priest presided over the sacrificial ceremonies and declared that God had ordained him to perform the tasks. If anyone objected, he or she was defying God, and the priests ordered the soldiers to throw that person into the Fire, and God would deal with them.

  Fear of God became the order of the day. No one dared voice an objection. The Lalocks who meekly accepted the dictates of the priests were deemed to be “God-fearing men," and the Lalocks revered them.

  More and more, the people became fearful of the Fire God. It would do wonderful things for them—if they gave it gifts and paid it homage—but if they didn’t, it would do terrible things to them.

  Fire was now a full-fledged God, and the Lalocks gathered nightly to worship it. They knew they had to do what the priests told them to, or the priests would expel them from the temple and deny them communication with God. It was no small punishment, because it denied them the use of Fire.

  ***

  Chapter 4

  Zor

  A group of Lalocks gathered around their God to worship. In the group was a man called Zor.

  Zor was a little different from the rest. He was no bigger, stronger, or braver--he was just a curious man. He was interested in everything, and had a driving need to know. He asked, how do birds know how to build their nests? Why do birds fly south when it starts getting cold?

  His main interest at that time was fire. He didn’t believe that fire was God. He thought that fire was hiding in wood, and that if you rubbed the wood hard enough, it would release fire. He noticed that by rubbing two pieces of wood together, the wood got hot. He reasoned that if he rubbed hard enough and did not let the wood rest, it would have to let fire come out. After many days of trying, it finally worked.

  When fire first came out, it was small and weak. He fed it tiny pieces of dry wood and blew into it until it got stronger. He then gave the fire larger pieces until it was strong enough to put logs on it. He did it repeatedly until he was sure he could make fire anytime he wanted to. When he was sure his method worked, he demonstrated it to his friends. He showed them that not only did he have power over fire, but they also could make fire
, and that they didn’t need the priests as their source of fire.

  By showing the Lalocks how to make their own fire, Zor had diminished the power of the priests. The priests therefore saw Zor as a threat and looked for ways to get rid of him. But the priests knew they had better be careful, or the people would question them for sacrificing Zor without a well-established reason. They had to handle the excommunication of Zor very carefully. The priests had their zealots watching Zor day and night so they could justify doing away with this meddlesome man.

  The priests labeled Zor a troublemaker, but many Lalocks depended on Zor for information other than how to make fire. The priests noticed. Among other things, Zor told the townspeople when to plant their crops.

  At first, the Lalocks didn’t believe what Zor told them, but he was right so often, they eventually relied on him for knowledge. He said rather strange things, such as why their crops wouldn’t grow when it got cold, and why they had to give the plants water. Some Lalocks wondered how anyone could know such things—did Zor have connections with the dark world? Perhaps they should keep an eye on him. Others thought that since he was smarter than the rest, he should have a special place in the clan.

  The people knew that Zor was a little different, but yet he told them useful things, such as, the reason it got cold was that the sun took a journey south, and that it got warm again when he sun returned.

  The priests had been telling the Lalocks that only God could know the answers to those questions, and that anyone who claimed to know was claiming to be a God, and must be punished.

  One night, while the Lalocks were gathered around Fire, Zor stared at it and thought, I do not think that Fire is God. God would be all-powerful and nothing mortal could have power over it; yet, I can give it life, and I can take life from it. I can kick dirt on it and kill it.

  That same thought kept running through his mind, until one night he just couldn’t stand it anymore. He nudged his friend Arber. “Arber, I don’t think Fire is God. I can kick dirt on it and put it out.”

  The idea of killing God terrified Arber. “Zor, you'd better not, and don’t even say that to anyone else. I will come to your cave tonight; we will talk, but please don’t do anything or tell anyone else.”

  When Arber arrived at Zor’s cave, Arber said, “I think the priests are just looking for a reason to sacrifice you to Fire. Your idea would cause people to have doubts, and the priests would lose control. They can’t let that happen. Most people already know in their hearts that what they are pretending to believe is not true. Nevertheless, they need something to believe in. Without God, they would be lost. If you take their God from them, you must give them something to replace it. If Fire is not God, then who is?”

  “I do not know who or what God is,” Zor said, “but I know for sure that Fire is not. God would be all-powerful. God would be good. God would be the giver of life, not the taker of life.”

  “How do you know that Fire is not God? Our people have been worshipping Fire for a very long time.”

  “I think God gave Fire to man for man to use. Man can control Fire. He can give it life, and he can take its life. Rain is stronger than Fire. If rain blows into your cave and gets into Fire, it will put Fire out. Dirt is stronger than Fire. One day, wind blew Fire into my collection of skins. I prevented Fire from burning all of the skins by throwing dirt on it. Man can use Fire to cook his food, light his cave, warm himself on cold nights, and keep the beasts away, but Fire needs man to exist. The way we are worshipping Fire, we have made it a bad thing. Fire takes the life of our clansmen when the priests throw them into it. I don’t think Fire is bad by itself—only when it's used in a bad way.”

  Arber was worried. “But the Lalocks must have a God, and if you do not have another God to give them, I don’t think you should take this one away.”

  “Perhaps Earth would be a good God,” Zor responded. “Earth is the giver of life. All life comes from the earth, and all life goes back to the earth when it dies.”

  “Are you saying that you think Mother Earth is God?” Arber asked.

  “No,” replied Zor. “Earth cannot give life by herself. She must have help from the Sun, and they must have the help of wind and water. If any of these things are not present, there can be no life.”

  “Maybe Sun is the Father God,” pondered Arber. “And Earth is the Mother God. But how can that be, when Earth is so much bigger than Sun? We can see the sun go into the earth each evening, and we watch Mother Earth give birth to a new Sun each morning.”

  Zor questioned, “If Sun is the father God, and Earth is the mother God, then what are the moon and the stars? Are they the children of Sun and Earth, or are they gods also?”

  “Why does it matter? Why do you need answers to these foolish questions? No man can know the answers.”

  “I think we can know the answers, but we are afraid to ask the questions.”

  “Why do you think we can know,” Arber asked, “and how will it help us to know?”

  “I once noticed that the sun goes south when it gets cold, and then it returns to the north, and it gets warm again. I wanted to know how far south it goes before it starts back.”

  Arber shook his head in disgust. “You see what I mean? That's a foolish thing to ask. No man can know the answer, and what good is it?”

  “I did not find out where it goes, but I found out how far it goes by watching where it went down each night for two summers,” Zor replied.

  “How did you do that?”

  “I went to the top of a steep hill, and I placed two pointed rocks in a line that ran east and west. By standing behind one of the rocks and aligning both rocks with where the sun went down at the beginning of each phase of the moon, I could tell how far the sun moved during each phase. By watching the movement of the sun for two summers and placing a rock where the sun went down at the end of each phase, I was able to tell when the sun began its trip back north.”

  “What a foolish thing to do. How did that help you?”

  “When the Lalocks ask me when they should plant their crops, I could tell them. You say I cannot know, but I do know, and that's because I was curious enough to want to know, and I took the time to find the answer. I think there are answers to all questions if we will take the time to find them. We need to overcome our fears and quit pretending to believe the things the priests tell us when they themselves don’t know—they only pretend to know. When we ask them to explain, they cannot explain; they tell us to have faith. I do not believe faith helps us to know. I think faith prevents us from looking for the truth. The truth is knowable if we have the courage to look for it.”

  Zor stood up and looked into Arber’s eyes. “When my son was born, I placed a rock beside the cave, and each summer I placed another rock on the pile. In that way, I could remember how many summers my son has been here. Now I know how many summers it takes a baby boy to become a man. There are many questions for which I myself will not find answers, but I think that someday, someone will find answers to all the questions. I feel compelled to tell the men in our town that they are worshipping a false god.”

  “But why tell them that?”

  “It is not just the fact that the men are worshiping a false god that bothers me; it is that they are allowing innocent people to be sacrificed to that false god. If they know that Fire is a false god, maybe they will stop the priests from killing people and pretending it is God who is doing the killing. The priests are doing a horrible wrong, and we are allowing them to continue doing it. I think the men should know the truth.”

  “There is so much we don’t know,” Arber said, shaking his head.

  “I would like to know how far it is to the ends of the earth,” Zor answered. “I want to know if Sun goes into Earth at night. I believe Earth is round and that Sun goes around Earth. Why does the wind blow only occasionally? Where do we come from, and where do we go when we die? I'm sure we did not come from Fire.”

  “Those are all interesting questions
, Zor, but I’ve got to go home now. Again I caution you, do not tell the men that Fire is not God.”

  ***

  Time passed, and Zor waited until the moon had gone through several changes, but he still couldn’t rid his mind of the idea that they were worshiping a false God. Then one night, another young girl was put to death because she could not bear a child. That was just too much. He had to think this out, so he went into the forest and started a fire. After the fire was burning strongly, he took a burning stick and began another fire. Then he turned to the first fire and kicked dirt on it. Sure enough, it went out. He turned his attention to the second fire, but he didn’t give it wood, and it slowly died.

  It was obvious that he had power over the fire. He had given the fire life, and he could deny life to the fire. The fire, in truth, needed him. Zor was sure the townspeople were worshipping a false god, but should he tell them? Surely the men would want to know that they were allowing the priests to sacrifice innocent girls for no reason.

  Zor couldn’t sleep; still, it took him several more changes of the moon to get up enough courage to tell them. Then one night during the ceremony, he jumped to his feet and told the men of his experiment with the fire. The men were bewildered, confused, and terrified. They did not want to know that Fire was not God. If what he was saying were true, they had no God, and that was intolerable.

  The zealots, who had been waiting for Zor to do something like this, told the priests right away.

  The priests called all the Lalocks together and predicted that Fire God would be offended and would rain destruction down upon them. They had to do something to make peace with God. The priests wanted to sacrifice Zor, but Arber spoke in Zor’s behalf and reminded the Lalocks that Zor had helped them many times.