Raven's Key: A Novel

by Siomonn Pulla

  Hopefully it’s not his buddies. That would be really nasty.

  Maeve unlocked and opened the door a crack.

  “Hi, what’s up?”

  Maeve didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence. The door swung wide open and a tall man with long grey hair pulled back into two braids and dressed in a dark suit came rushing in through the door.

  “Where is he?” pressed the old man anxiously.

  “Back there,” Maeve stammered, pointing at the back of the house.

  Before she could say anything else, the old man darted down the hall.

  Chapter 25

  Iyash rushed into the darkness of Maeve’s apartment. He could feel Raven’s energy signature. His vibration was strong and unique, unlike any other being he had ever tracked. There was an ancient quality to it that Iyash couldn’t quite place. Almost like the vibration had been altered by time itself, which Iyash knew was impossible.

  Even non-humans come into existence with a unique vibration that doesn’t change or shift. Even though we may change physically and grow and develop energetically. Maybe that’s part of his vibration? The shifting quality that he uses to his advantage to hide his tracks. Pretty smart this one. But not smart enough. We’ve got him cornered.

  Iyash could see Raven at the end of the hall. There was look of surprise on his face, as Iyash got closer.

  “Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.” Raven stood still at the end of the hall, clutching his black bag tightly to his chest.

  “We’ve got you Gaagagshiinh. You can’t hide any more.“

  “Don’t call me that old man. It’s an insult to my ears.”

  “You’re an insult to your kind.” Iyash made his way closer to Raven. “Now enough small talk. You know what I’ve come for. Hand it over and I won’t have to take it by force.”

  “You mean this?” Raven dangled the black bag in front of Iyash. “I worked hard for this. I almost had to peck the eyes out of a security guard to get out of that museum this morning.”

  “So that was you!” Iyash wasn’t really surprised. He had suspected all along that Raven had been right in front of them. His energy tracks had been that fresh.

  “Yea. I beat you to it,” said Raven. “You’re getting slow in your old age.”

  “Give me the bag.” Iyash reached out for the bag.

  “Not so fast Gramps.” Raven was now behind Iyash. “What’s the magic word?”

  Iyash turned around quickly and grabbed Raven’s arm.

  “This isn’t a game. You know as well as I do what Marduk is going to do with those objects.”

  “It’s of no consequence to me. Marduk and I have a deal.”

  “You think you have a deal with Marduk.” Iyash tightened his grip on Raven. “But you know as well as I that he’s going to screw you over. He never honors his word.”

  “Well this time he has no choice.” Raven tried to shake Iyash’s grip off of him. “I’ve made sure of it.” Raven looked deep into Iyash’s eyes. “Now let go of me old man or you’ll regret it.”

  “As soon as you give me that bag I’ll let go of you.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  Iyash could feel small tremors in the hand the was gripped tightly onto Raven’s arm. There was a momentary blur and Raven’s human shape shifted into a bird. Iyash still had a good grip on Raven, but now he had a handful of feathers.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Raven’s voice was directly in Iyash’s mind.

  “There’s no way you’ll be able to fly with me hanging onto you like this,” replied Iyash.

  Raven started flapping his wings faster and faster until a blurry hole appeared on the wall in front of them.

  “You forget I’m not just any Raven.”

  Raven lifted them both of the ground and flew directly through the hole in the wall. There was a momentary flash of darkness and then they were up in the starry night sky. Iyash tightened his grip as Raven whizzed past trees and houses, flying higher and higher towards the full moon.

  “Don’t worry old man. I’m not going to drop you now. Marduk is going to be upset that I’m not bringing the girl so I better bring you instead. Right now you’re worth more to me alive than dead.”

  “What does Marduk want with the girl?” Iyash was surprised. The council had never mentioned anything to him about the girl before.

  “I don’t know and I don’t care. You’ll have to ask Marduk yourself.”

  “You realize you are sealing the fate of humanity and this earth to a long descent into darkness.”

  “I’m just confirming what the humans have been saying with their actions for the last two hundred years.”

  Raven had reached a cruising altitude high above the cityscape. They passed the museum and were now flying due south over the city.

  “They’ve had the opportunity to prepare for this shift and they’ve made their choice loud and clear. They obviously don’t care about the earth or raising their own vibrations through the cultivation of the light. They’re more interested in killing each other, pillaging the riches of this planet and enslaving themselves to their own creations. Marduk is just capitalizing on what humans already seem to want. He’s a savvy business man.”

  “He’s evil.”

  “Aww, come on old man. That’s so passe´. You know as well as I do there’s no such thing as good and evil.”

  “You know as well as I do that Marduk is a very dangerous man. As much as he wants to be, he’s not like us.” Iyash was starting to get a serious cramp in his arm. “He’s the perfect example of the worst possible evolution of humanity.”

  “I don’t really care. It’s not my business.”

  Raven dipped down lower in the sky and then swooped up past a flock of geese flying south. They were now flying over the Mountains, heading southeast.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  Iyash was starting to worry that he was going to lose his grip and fall. Not like it would kill him, but it would put him out of commission for a while and he couldn’t afford to lose that time. The situation was reaching a critical junction.

  “We’re heading to big city so you and Marduk can continue this conversation face to face. I’m sure he’ll really appreciate you telling him how disgustingly dangerous he is.”

  “Maybe this is my chance to convince Marduk he’s doing the wrong thing. The council has tried for years to talk with him and he always refuses our invitations. Now I have this unique opportunity to bring him into the light. Even if I can touch a small piece of him, it may be enough to turn things around.”

  “Hold that thought old man. We’ll be there shortly.”

  Raven flew up and over the mountain peaks and into a large cloudbank. As the clouds parted Iyash could see the vast lights of the large city spreading far out into the distance.

  Chapter 26

  Seth Marduk sat at his desk on the top floor of the Amar-Uutu Inc. office tower.

  The floor to ceiling windows gave him an unmatched view of Central Park and the skyline of Manhattan. He could still remember when the building at 10 West 57th Street was built. The modern concrete skyscraper seemed like a natural progression from the early years of stone and wood when he first moved to Manhattan.

  Stuyvesant would be happy to know that the vision for this little colony exceeded his wildest dreams. I’m glad I convinced him to deed half of the colony to me as payment to wipe out his debt. It was hard to persuade the British to give it up though. Good thing I controlled the flow of gold.

  I enjoyed watching Washington squirm, as his troops got more and more angry. I especially liked watching those boats fill up with the bloated stinking carcasses of the American soldiers. Even though Washington was an arrogant bastard, I did the right thing. The British vision for the colony was not what I wanted. They liked their rules and bureaucracy too much. I liked the reckless spirit of those young American colonists. So much easier to manipulate with the promise of unfettered power and p
restige.

  Marduk was enjoying the view of Central Park out the window in front of his desk. Lately he had been feeling tired and nostalgic. The years were starting to creep up on him and the memories kept flooding into his mind. Sometimes he could turn them off, but most of the time he chose to let the memories come.

  Over the last hundred years he invested an unimaginable sum of money and resources into the development of his media empire, and it had grown at an unsurpassed rate. He realized that controlling finances and the supply of crude oil was only part of the puzzle of maintaining ultimate control of humanity and creating his new world order.

  Information is the untapped resource. With it I can create the new world order to support my own vision.

  He was especially enjoying the media’s attention to his latest creation.

  I’m surprised how easy this economic collapse has been to manufacture. These stupid people are so insecure and fragile. I’m crushing their petty, meaningless lives so easily. Little do they realize that I own every last media outlet. I not only control the ebb and flow of information, I control the ebb and flow of their pathetic existence. They’ve sold their empty souls to me for a hyper-reality of assurance.

  Marduk buzzed his assistant.

  “Shelly, get me Frank Hoskling on the line.”

  After a few seconds Marduk had the president of Public Research Inc on the phone. He liked to use the company to track down potential information leads. Marduk especially enjoyed working with Hoskling. He was a sniveling ass-kisser, easy to control and ready to do anything to please.

  “Frank give me an update on the post-2012 apocalypse story.”

  “My researchers are still working on it Sir.”

  “I need that information pronto,” barked Marduk. “You dropped the ball three years ago on our golden opportunity to dig up something good. You better make it up to me this time or heads are going to fly.”

  “We’re following a few leads,” answered the Hoskling. “We’re developing some links to the swine flu story and the peak oil crisis. I think you’re going to really like it.”

  “I better. Get it to me by the end of the day.” Marduk hung the phone up.

  The 2012 apocalypse story didn’t go over as anticipated. Marduk’s interpretation of the timeline hadn’t taken into consideration the directed efforts of the Council. Marduk sunk a lot of money into information streams and various media presentations in an effort to enhance the fear and anxiety around that particular date. The success of the movie he funded was only the tip of the iceberg. But the Council of Light had proved to be more of a force to contend with than he reckoned. While his apocalypse story gained increasing momentum as Winter Solstice 2012 approached, the Council was able, somehow, to mitigate the effects of his information bombs, and shift the energy back to their favour.

  This time the Council has no chance. I’ve already planted the seeds and now all I have to do is keep watering them with all this information. People’s fear and insecurity is exactly what I need to complete this shift. The stronger their intent the easier it is to manifest the world I envision. Stupid people, so powerless yet so powerful.

  Marduk laid out two small lines of black powder on his desk, snorting one vigorously up each nostril.

  He could feel the warm glow of the drug instantly enveloping him, clearing his mind of the foggy memories. Although Marduk liked to credit his success to his superior intelligence and breeding, he knew the drug gave him a special edge. It sharpened his senses, giving him access to a world that no other human visited. A world where he observed the various time-lines unfolding and where he learned about new technologies and developments in the social order.

  The drug also extended his life and allowed him to communicate more freely with his best clients, who indirectly financed most of his new enterprises.

  Lately Marduk had been revisiting that day, many years ago when his father Ea had given him his first two lines of the black powder.

  “Son, you have a very important choice to make today, ” his father’s tone had been very serious. “You can take this powder and the reign of Babylon or you can continue your life as is, marry the beautiful daughter of Asarluhi, and one day be a lord of this kingdom.”

  “I think you know my answer father.” Marduk had always been a serious young man. He wasn’t interested in the petty trivialities of life in the Court. “I will take this powder and make you proud of me as I rule over Babylon.”

  “You understand that your first task will be to stop the continued advances of Enlil of Nippu on the kingdom of Babylon.”

  “Yes. I’m very aware of Enil’s continued threat.” Marduk had been warning his father for years about the strategic advances of the King of Nippu.

  “If it is to be, the powder will not lie.” Ea stepped back from the table and gestured to his son.

  Marduk remembered feeling like this was going to be the last day of his life. After snorting the powder, his father encouraged Marduk to lie down and wait for the drug to take effect.

  “They will either come to you or they won’t.” His father warned him before quickly leaving the room. “If they do not come, you will not survive.”

  The effects of the black powder came on fast and strong. Before he could lie down, Marduk felt his body painfully start to dissolve. He felt his skin burning off, while his bones melted in the heat of the flames. He saw his own blood pooling in a black oozing mass all over the floor. Lying there writhing in pain, he could hear footsteps coming closer.

  “Does it hurt?” The voice was soft and smooth.

  “You poisoned me.” Marduk never did trust his father. He was a ruthless despot, bent on taking and maintaining control over Babylon.

  “Perhaps,” replied the voice.

  “But why. I’m no threat.”

  “Not yet.”

  “But you gave me the choice.” Marduk realized that he wasn’t speaking. He was having this conversation in his mind. “Am I dead?”

  “Yes and no,” answered the voice “Follow me.”

  A tall and very skinny figure dressed in white appeared. Its large head was covered by a white cloak that contrasted sharply with its large black eyes. Marduk couldn’t feel his body, so he didn’t know how he was going to follow this figure.

  “Will yourself up,” encouraged the figure. “Just vision yourself walking towards me.”

  As soon as Marduk thought about it, he found himself walking beside the figure.

  “Excellent. There are some very important details we must deal with.” The figure pushed open a doorway and walked out into a dark field of stars. “From now on you will deal directly with me. Your father is a threat. Your first task is to kill him.”

  Marduk tentatively followed the figure out into the field of stars.

  “Where are we? I must be dreaming?”

  “You are not dreaming. This is the pathway to Niburu.”

  “Who are you?” asked Marduk.

  “I am Anu.” The figure stopped. “That is all you need to know. I will contact you when we need to discuss important issues. Use the powder to contact me directly if you have any questions. The powder will also let you see far into the future. Use it wisely.”

  “So will you help me become the supreme ruler of Babylon.” Marduk felt a surge of power inside of him, like he could easily crush a thousand charging warriors with his bare hands.

  “Under your reign humans will bear all the burdens of life. They will be your slaves so that you can live like a God.” Anu pointed one of his long fingers back towards the doorway they had just come through. “Now return. After your father is dead. I will summon you and we will discuss the terms of this arrangement more fully.”

  “How am I to trust you?”

  Marduk needed more assurance. He understood to well the duplicities that ran foul in the royal court.

  “Faith.” Anu handed him a dagger. The blade was carved out of hard black stone, which was seamlessly attached to a strang
e black metal handle. “Use this to kill your father.”

  As soon as Marduk took the dagger, he felt the hot searing pain return to his body. Anu and the field of stars disappeared and he found himself back on the floor of his father’s inner chamber, curled up in a ball retching blood. In his hand was the black dagger, the cold blade pressing against his skin.

  After what seemed like a lifetime lying on the floor, he could hear footsteps coming towards him.

  “So Anu has blessed you.” His father’s voice floated down to him on the floor. “Looks like it was rough. You can tell me about it when you are feeling better.”

  Marduk could hear his father’s footsteps leaving the chamber. Knowing that this was his only chance, he gripped the dagger tightly and peeled himself up off the floor. Surprisingly, he felt light and clear, the strength he felt on the pathway to Niburi still flowing through him. Without even thinking, he raced down the hall and sunk the dagger deep into his father’s back.

  “Now I am King.” He proclaimed as his father’s blood seeped into his hand, dripping onto the floor.

  “You’ll regret this son.” His father had managed to say before he died. “Anu is not who you think he is.”

  He was wrong on both accounts.

  Marduk watched the sun rising over the trees in the park outside his office.

  I certainly don’t regret the day I killed that spineless bastard and Anu has been everything and more than I ever expected him to be.

  Chapter 27

  Raven was happy he was almost finished this job.

  I think it’s going to be time to retire after this one. I’m getting too old for all this flying around.

  Stealing the first three items had been challenging.

  The Cairo museum was probably the hardest. The Egyptians were very protective about their cultural heritage and Bast security services kept a vigilant watch on the priceless sacred and more obscure objects in the museum’s collection.

  The contact in Old Cairo was supposed to help him get around Bast’s expert security team but working with him turned out to be more of the challenge than sneaking into the museum.

  The contact, a dour man named Apep, had this major chip on his shoulder that, in retrospect, made Raven appreciate why he liked working alone so much.