The Last Oracle

by Colvin, Delia

  “It’s a lousy substitute,” she said again.

  “Please promise you won’t leave me,” he pleaded.

  “Genni will need your love. Please don’t forget that.”

  “Val?” Alex cried frantically.

  Her eyes shined with love. “You are always in my heart.” She leaned forward and kissed him and then she was gone.

  ∞

  “Val!” Alex cried as his head bolted straight up from the mattress. But his wife was in bed, still covered with equipment, breathing the mechanical breaths of the machinery.

  It had been three weeks since he had been told that she was gone...and in his dreams, she still came to him every night. But the harsh reality was right in front of him. Mani came in and pulled up a chair next to Alex.

  “My friend, I have been monitoring Valeria and she is in labor.”

  Alex sucked in a deep breath wondering if this time his dream was real.

  “Could she be—”

  “No, Alex. Valeria is gone. We will do a cesarean section. You may stay if you wish.”

  “But what if she isn’t...gone? What if you’re wrong?” Alex brushed the tears from his face—he couldn’t seem to get a hold of his emotions this time.

  Considering Alex’s question, Mani said thoughtfully, “After the cesarean, we will turn off the equipment. If she is alive, she will continue to breathe.”

  Alex nodded in defeat. It had been just a dream. “I’m going to go for a walk.”

  He left their bedroom and passed his family. He needed someplace where he felt her with him; someplace where he didn’t need to tell anyone that he was “fine.” He couldn’t be there when they turned off the equipment and he felt that there was something wrong with him because he didn’t particularly care about their child. He should care! She was his child...their child! But he battled his emotions and wished he had something other than his grief to offer the baby.

  He found himself walking down toward Mani’s house. From there, he couldn’t decide where to go. The last thing he wanted was to see or talk to anyone. He found himself walking near the cemetery and then he noticed the activity. Homer, the ancient caregiver, was working. Alex stopped in his tracks as his heart began to pound furiously. Efficient Homer was already digging her grave!

  “What are you doing? She isn’t even gone yet!” Alex cried. Homer looked up, concerned that he had upset Alex.

  As the rage built in him, Alex marched to Homer and ripped the shovel out of the old man’s hands. “We’re not burying her! Not until...not until...” Alex began shoveling the soil back into the hole and then, in a moment of fury, he took the shovel and swung it against a boulder. It felt good to hit something. He swung it again and again.

  Ingrid, Homer’s wife, saw his actions and ran back to the cottage for help, for once concerned about her husband. Alex continued to swing it against the rock over and over until the shovel broke in half. Then he dropped to his knees and used his hands to continue refilling the grave. “No one is burying my wife! Do you understand, old man?”

  Alex glanced up and saw fear in Homer’s eyes. The kindly old man who had been there with him for so many years—generations of his family had served at Morgana—was now afraid of him. Seeing what he had done to Homer, Alex felt ashamed. He stopped refilling the hole as the sobs overtook him and he dropped into the soil. Would Homer and Ingrid leave now? Probably.

  In an instant, the sadly familiar pain hit his heart. He grasped at his chest and struggled to breathe...knowing that she was gone. Moments later, it stopped with a finality that tore at his soul, as he lay in the dirt, sobbing. He felt a hand on his shoulder and when he turned, he saw Homer looking concerned.

  Alex sobbed, “Please, forgive me.”

  The old man nodded his head sadly and then shuffled off. It was nearing sunset when he heard Lita’s soft voice and realized that he had been asleep.

  “Ava and Lars found Myrddin and he’s now fully recovered,” Lita said. Alex lifted his face from the dirt as she passed him, walking into the cemetery. “Homer and Ingrid felt terrible to have upset you,” she said gently.

  He brushed the side of his face and felt the dirt crumble to the ground. Lita was holding something and he tried to focus...finally seeing a pink bundle that she held with one arm, but there was no crying from the bundle.

  It was early evening and cool. Still, Lita wore no coat as she stood near her former gravestone with the statue of the angel that was in her likeness. It was odd to see her standing next to the angel that Alex had carved nearly 500 years earlier. Alex thought of how appropriate the selection had been.

  “You did a beautiful job on this sculpture. I think we’ll have to do something different with it now.”

  Finally, Alex found his voice. “Isn’t it too cold for her...out here?” he asked.

  Lita bounced the pink bundle just a bit and looked adoringly into her face. “I think she’s just fine. Although, she would like to meet her papa. Isn’t that right, beautiful girl?”

  Alex shook his head. “I’m...filthy...and I...I...” He swallowed, terrified of the flood of emotions that he was barely holding back. “I’m not ready for that,” he said.

  Lita smiled at the infant and said, “It’s just a little dirt. In a few years, she’ll be eating mud pies and...” she sighed happily and glanced at Alex with tears in her eyes. Then she knelt down by him and turned the tiny pink bundle to face him. She had a pink cap and a few brown curls escaped from the edges. What amazed Alex was the expression on the baby’s face, as if she understood his agony. He took in her milky white complexion and the long, dark eyelashes that framed her oracle blue eyes.

  Alex was too mesmerized to care about dirt or tears as he gazed at his daughter. “She’s...beautiful,” he said in hushed reverence.

  “Yes. She is truly one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen.” Lita turned her slightly to look at her face. “And look at her watching you. You know what she’s wondering?”

  He shook his head.

  “She’s wondering when you are going to hold her.” Alex was taken aback by this but he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off his daughter. Lita passed the baby to Alex. “So you’re going to support her neck and her bum—like this.” Lita moved Alex’s hands on the tiny bundle.

  He laughed and although tears fell from his eyes—he no longer noticed. “She’s...so light!” he said holding her inches away from him so that she wouldn’t get dirty.

  “You can hold her closer. She prefers that.”

  “Isn’t this blanket too tight around her?”

  “No. It’s called swaddling. It helps new babies feel safe.” Lita glanced around. “But she probably needs to go back inside now. Let’s take her back up to the cottage.”

  Alex stood up and cautiously carried his daughter back to the cottage.

  “What’s her name?” Lita asked.

  “We’re going to call her Genesis—Genni.”

  CHAPTER 29

  Valeria stood on the back of Charon’s ferry as it moved down the river causing her white gown to flow behind her. On the edge of the dark cave was a ledge where three women worked with a spinning wheel. One woman sat at the spinning wheel although it was covered with cobwebs and no longer seemed operational. Another woman held a ball of yarn and she was locked in the motion of wrapping and rewrapping the same thread. The youngest of the women walked to the edge of the river. Leering at Valeria, she reached out to the string leading to the ball of yarn, and snipped the thread.

  Time passed, but it was only a consequence of motion. As they came to a fork in the river, an ominous figure stood as if passing judgment. The figure nodded at Charon and they proceeded toward the light. Then, from the darkness of the cave, she noticed they were moving up a stream and it seemed to be getting lighter.

  The surroundings were transformed and it was as if the River Styx was a gentle creek moving through a beautiful, golden countryside. The boat pulled up along the field and Valeria stepped off t
he ferry as Charon nodded to her with the coin still in his hand.

  Valeria began to walk through the field. The sky was a brilliant blue and, in the distance, she saw a beautiful oak. She watched as it transformed into a ginkgo tree that was even more magnificent than her tree at Morgana. There was a tug at her heart, but soon it was gone.

  There was an odd ruffled movement up the hill as if someone had cut a video and hastily taped it back together. Valeria noticed that the shape—or lack of shape—seemed to be moving toward her, and then it morphed into nearly a mirror image of herself.

  “Cassandra!” The woman said as she ran through the field with her brown hair flowing behind her in a light breeze. Valeria took in the startling resemblance of this woman.

  Suddenly, Valeria felt the most joyous of feelings and held out her arms for the woman. “Coronis!”

  The two women hugged each other and, if tears had been possible, they would have been on both of their faces. Valeria noticed that Coronis’s eyes were a far lighter blue than her own. That must have been how others could tell them apart.

  Coronis took Valeria’s hand to lead her near the ginkgo tree. Lifting a brow, Valeria said, “So, tell me cousin. Is it possible for a mere mortal princess to truly find love with a god?”

  With a glow, Coronis looked up dreamily as a spark brushed her eyes. “I can tell you that the mere mortal princess has been in a beautiful dream for...ever.” Turning playfully to Valeria, Coronis asked, “And so?”

  “Yes, I found Alexander. We have a child!” Then her smile faded and she again felt the tugging of her heart. “Is your child...Asclepius...is he here? How does that work?”

  “No, cousin!” she said, as if that were an absurdity. Then her smile widened. “He was left to live his life...with my closest and most trusted of friends.”

  “Where?” Valeria asked, but Coronis’s attention was diverted by a magnificent figure on the hill. Immediately, Valeria recognized Apollo. “That must be the god who is now my cousin!” she giggled.

  Taking her hand, Coronis gushed, “He will not admit this to you, but he is so grateful for your matchmaking. Otherwise, he may have continued to chase those silly and unattainable maidens...and I might have ended up the object of some lesser god’s affection...or worse—a prince!” They laughed, but as Apollo drew nearer, Valeria became more serious and reverent. “I will see you again, cousin!” Coronis whispered as she blew Valeria a kiss and then faded and, in an instant, was gone.

  Apollo looked as though he had inspired Michelangelo’s David. He was over six feet tall with light brown hair and soft blue eyes.

  “Cassandra!”

  Valeria bowed. “My, lord!”

  “I have something for you! But now, come, let us walk,” Apollo said as he took her arm and led her up a hill. Somehow, despite Apollo’s stride, Valeria had no difficulty keeping up. “I am pleased to see you here.”

  “I am pleased to see you, my lord. The sky is not so blue without your presence.”

  Apollo offered her a knowing smile as he said, “But I am not your symbolon.”

  Glancing away, Valeria said, “No.”

  Apollo lowered his brow and slowed his pace. “You are not happy here?”

  “As happy as one might be...without one’s symbolon,” she said.

  “Of all the symbolons, you and Alexander have always been special.” He stopped and turned to her. “I’ve come to realize that the oracles will require the power of the gods to fight the gods.”

  “My, lord, I am concerned about this battle...and I wonder if there will ever be a time when I am again with my symbolon.”

  Smiling gently, he took her arm as they continued their walk.

  CHAPTER 30

  That night Alex sat in the bedroom and rocked his daughter—with his wife’s lifeless body on the bed next to him. His anguish over Valeria was still devastating, but now he had something to cling to and something else to occupy his mind. He had returned to the cottage with Genni and then passed the infant to Lita. Once he had Lita’s assurance that she would hold Genni until he returned, he showered and cleaned up.

  Now sitting in the darkness, he heard a discussion outside the cottage. Lita returned with a bottle. “Would you like me to feed her this time?” she asked.

  “Yes, please.” He narrowed his eyes as he glanced out the window. “What’s going on out there?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure. It’s been going on for hours.”

  “I think I’ll go see for myself,” Alex said.

  As he opened the door and saw Lars, Ava, Myrdd, and Paolo.

  “Lexi!” Lars said. Alex quickly placed a finger over his mouth to quiet him.

  “Genni will probably be asleep any minute. Lita’s feeding her,” he explained. Although his world had crumbled, there was a light in the darkness that was Genni, and he pledged to battle the darkness that threatened to swallow him. Lars and Ava smiled and nodded.

  “She is a good baby,” Myrdd said.

  “I’m glad you’re back, Myrdd,” Alex said, his eyes betraying the bittersweetness of the moment.

  Alex sat down and said, “You don’t need to stop your discussion on my account.”

  Ava brushed a hand over his shoulder. “Honey, we should have been discussing this at the main house but...” Ava said and glanced at Myrdd. “Evidently, Myrdd wants to be here.” She shrugged, indicating that they had no control of Myrdd’s actions.

  With a fire in his eyes, Myrrdd pointed to Alex. “You must go to her!”

  Alex turned his head to peer into the bedroom window with sudden hope and anticipation, but Myrdd shook his head. “She is no longer there.”

  “Where then, Myrdd?” Alex asked, as he felt his heart beginning to pound again.

  “The Elysian Fields,” Paolo said. “Daphne says that is where she is now.”

  Alex shook his head cynically. “I no longer believe anything Daphne says!”

  Paolo looked down and pressed his hands together.

  “Alex, Myrdd said the same thing as soon as he recovered,” Ava added, as Lars nodded in agreement.

  Alex glanced in through the bedroom window where Lita was smiling as she rocked the pink bundle.

  “What about Genni?” he said, feeling torn. “Val’s father deserted her—although that was mostly an emotional desertion. But how can I do that to her daughter?”

  Myrdd spoke, “It is part of his plan.”

  “Whose plan, Myrdd?” Lars asked, but Myrdd was lost again. “Myrdd?”

  Paolo drew a deep breath and said, “Alex, I believe that you must go to Valeria now if you are ever to see her again.”

  “No offense, pal, but you aren’t high on my list of trusted sources either,” Alex said lowering his brow.

  Paolo continued, “It makes sense though, does it not? That is why Myrdd insisted that Valeria go to Cuma—”

  “Please!” Alex said raising an arm and gulping back the tears. He couldn’t have this conversation with Paolo right now.

  Standing to return to his daughter, Alex felt a delicate hand on his shoulder and turned. It was little, blond Olivia.

  “Hello, Alexander!” she said as her face turned beat red—reminding him of his beloved. She cleared her throat. “I apologize for the intrusion.” Alex narrowed an eye and saw Elliot standing at the base of the porch. “I had a dream—”

  “Despite your hardships at this time, I told Olivia that she must share this with you!” Elliot interrupted.

  Alex nodded, and Olivia continued, “I had a dream that you were wandering your way through a labyrinth,” she said.

  “That’s hardly news,” Alex said, and then instantly regretted it as Olivia’s blush increased and she stared at her feet.

  “I am so sorry to be intruding at such a time. Perhaps Elliot was wrong and I should come back later,” she said in almost a whisper; then, with a small curtsy, she turned.

  Realizing what he had done, Alex put his hand on Olivia’s shoulder to stop her from runni
ng. Instantly, Elliot was on the porch and physically removing Alex’s hand.

  “Unhand her!” he said. The first word came out bravely. The ‘her’ came out in a screech. But Alex removed his hand.

  “I am so sorry, Olivia,” Alex said. Then he glanced at the red-faced young man, and added, “And Elliot! I just have not been myself. Please forgive me!”

  Elliot looked down and, even through his light hair, his scalp was red. He looked up and his eyes were big and terrified.

  “Olivia, please have a seat and tell me about your dream,” Alex said gesturing to a rattan loveseat.

  Nodding to Elliot, Olivia took his hand and they sat next to each other as Olivia pressed her ankles together.

  “Well,” Olivia started, “you were walking through a labyrinth. Only there was...I think it was more like a...like a maze. There were different ways that you could turn. You were guided by—”

  Ava interrupted, “I hope it was Virgil, because we’ve probably burned bridges with the Cumaen Sibyl.” Olivia and Elliot glanced at her accusingly. “I’m just saying,” Ava said as she shrugged in apology.

  “Go on, Olivia, please,” Alex urged.

  Elliot nodded at her and she gathered her courage again. “Well,” Olivia said in an embarrassed whisper, “actually, I don’t know who the guide was...because he was in a shadow...” Olivia narrowed her eyes for a moment before continuing, “But it felt like there was...I suppose it was like, an angel who was guiding you.”

  “Olivia, have you been reading Dante recently?” Alex asked.

  She shook her head innocently, and Elliot spoke on her behalf. “I asked her the same question when she told me of her dream. But Olivia has never read or studied Virgil’s Aenied nor Dante’s Divine Comedy,” Elliot said. “That is why I determined that we should approach you with her dream.”

  Lars drew a breath. “Olivia, as an oracle, what visions have you had?”