The Rings of Hesaurun Page 19

  For the first time, Stone got a good look at the bloodied ring. He was surprised to find it was a simple thing, a dingy brown band with five insignias pressed into its face. It looked like cheap dime-store jewelry, the sort of cheesy junk one might expect to win at a fair for guessing the weight of the fat lady. He judged it to be the sort of thing no one would ever buy. It was just too cheap-looking to spend cash money on. But he guessed none of that mattered, as long as it did what it was supposed to do; turn river rocks into big fat gold nuggets.

  Stone climbed the stairs to his room, feeling the stiffness in his lower back with each step. By the time he reached his room on the fourth floor, he was cursing the Vista Hotel’s entire existence. It was then he recalled the good weather he knew growing up as a boy in California. With unlimited funds, why shouldn’t he find a private place somewhere on the Southern California coast? They had palm trees there, didn’t they?

  Stone scanned the dingy three-room suite from the open doorway. He hung his head, realizing for the first time the grimy world that was the Vista had sucked his life away, turning him into the boogeyman, and he was the shell of the man he once was. At that moment, he determined to change that. There was nothing here for him anymore. His belongings were meager: a few clothes, old books, kitchen, and bath items. Everything he actually needed was already in his car or on his person. With the decision to move on from here made, he closed the door and turned away from the room, knowing he would never miss anything he left behind at the Vista Hotel.

  Chapter 8

  Ammon. January, 2431 BCE.

  Four hours past sundown, Pearse, Tierney, and Valerie continued their trek through the snow guided by a beacon of light that shone atop a ridge. That light was produced by Lauryn’s bonfire

  to help Pearse and Tierney find their way home. Still, more than a mile away, Valerie’s solar torches provided enough light to make the journey safely through the woods and deep snow of the river valley.

  As they approached the little homestead on the edge of the forest, Pearse called out Lauryn’s name to prevent her from being startled by their approach. But she had seen the lights of their torches and was waiting for them. As they broke out into the clearing, Lauryn ran to her husband, eager to put her arms around him. However, she stopped short, puzzled at the unexpected sight of the strange torches they carried and the old woman trailing them.

  Lauryn took Pearse’s arm, guiding her husband to the fire. Once they were gathered around and enjoying the badly-needed warmth, Lauryn leaned in close to Pearse and whispered, “Why did you bring that old woman to our home? Is she dead?” Lauryn’s intense expression revealed her concern.

  “That old woman is not dead,” Pearse explained. “She is a traveler, a healer from a land far away. Do not worry; the old woman just looks dead,” Pearse explained.

  Valerie overheard the conversation and smiled. Then Pearse, who was always eager to tell a story, began relating his version of the day’s events.

  “When we reached a hill with a good view, all the trees were lying down in rows. It was as if a mighty hand had carefully laid them down! Not one of them was missing or out of place. But that is not all.” Pearse met every eye but lingered on the impressionable children whom he knew loved his stories. With the firelight playing on his face, Pearse continued.

  “That mighty hand had swept the ground so clean— so clean that even the smallest pebble was thrown into a pile surrounding the great glass fish. That pile was so big that it was a mountain—we had to climb over it! And as we got closer, we could see that it was made of glass!”

  “Glass?” squeaked a little voice. Saoirse, Pearse’s smallest one, wanted to know more.

  “Daughter, you remember glass; we saw a man making glass at the summer gathering in Erlin. That man,” Pearse continued, “had white glass and black glass. But this great glass fish shines like a new silver coin. Since it was shaped like a fish we decided to call it a glass fish even though we know it really is not a glass fish. We just did not know what else to name it.”

  “If it is not a glass fish, what is it?” Lauryn asked, wide-eyed.

  Peering into the night sky with arms spread wide, Pearse’s voice lowered to a whisper. “The glass fish is a great flying boat,” he proclaimed, “that fell from the heavens! And we all saw it—did we not?”

  Lauryn and the children all nodded and smiled as one, caught up in the story. Valerie Dunne paid rapt attention as Pearse wove his verbal description of The Dreamer lying at the center of the crater. She remained silent though, listening intently, patiently waiting for an invitation to talk, but had to stifle a laugh at Pearse’s dramatic description of how the ship fell from the heavens.

  Pearse went on, the firelight playing on his face adding to the drama. “We approached the glass fish cautiously, careful not to frighten it—”

  This time Valerie couldn’t help herself, laughing so hard she choked and went into a coughing fit, which narrowly saved her from embarrassment or insulting Pearse. She stopped for a moment as everyone turned to see what was wrong with the strange old woman with the dead eyes.

  Is this old woman so near death that she is dying? Lauryn wondered.

  “—and when I reached out to touch it,” Pearse continued, “the glass fish bit me so hard I fell asleep as if dead! Tierney took care of me and kept me warm, but I could not move. I was a dead man until this old woman came from the glassfish to heal me. I would not be here unless she healed me,” he assured everyone.

  Lauryn gasped, horrified to learn that her husband had been seriously injured, and she hung on to him tightly. But now she understood why her husband had brought the old woman with him and was thankful for the healer. Lauryn showed her appreciation with a nod and a smile.

  “How?” Lauryn insisted. “How were you healed?”

  Pearse gazed at Valerie for a long moment before answering. “Her eyes. She healed me with the magic of her eyes.”

  “She is a witch then?” Lauryn asked cautiously.

  “I thought so at first,” he admitted, “but then she made me understand she is a healer, not a witch, and I knew I had to bring her with us. She wants to help us,” Pearse assured her. “She told me she is a gift to us from the people of the glass fish.”

  Lauryn eyed the old woman warily, wondering if what Pearse said was true, but said nothing more about it. If her husband was convinced she was a healer, then that is how she intended to treat the old woman.

  “Father, tell them about the others from the ship,” Tierney interjected.

  “What is a ship?” asked Lauryn, the word being unfamiliar to her.

  “The healer told us to call the glass fish that,” Pearse explained. “She said the ship is like a flying boat that carries people in the sky. I would not believe it myself if we did not all see it this morning. That ship is what caused the great sound we heard.”

  “They came from the sky?” Lauryn asked, dumbfounded.

  “You saw it yourself.”

  “There were other people?”

  “Yes, and besides the old woman, there were three soldiers, and one of them was yellow!” Pearse exclaimed.

  “Yellow—and hairless!” Tierney added.

  “Husband, these people are very strange. Are you sure they are safe?” Lauryn said, her voice betraying the fear she felt of the dark-eyed stranger. “Why did they come here in that—ship?”

  “I didn’t have time to ask; we were in a hurry to leave. I think she was worried the people in the ship wanted to keep her.”

  “But I can tell you this,” Pearse assured his wife. “The woman—Valyri—may be old, but she is a strong healer. So I welcomed her to come with us. Our people can use such a good healer.”

  Lauryn agreed with a nod, then snuck a wary peek at the strange visitor. Pearse and Tierney had nothing but praise for the old woman who had saved her husband, a fact not lost on her. Regardless of the older woman’s appearance, having a powerful healer around had a definite appeal.


  “Welcome, Valyri,” Lauryn said warmly.

  ________________________

  The fire provided enough light for Valerie to make out some details of her surroundings, most noticeably a modest but well-built stone structure she assumed to be the family home. There was a barn with fenced paddocks and a woodshed, all made of shale stones. While the house was of a simple design, she was impressed with its pitched roof, also covered in stone shingles. Square-cut window openings, with wooden shutters, hung in place beside each window, no doubt to keep the cold out. The wood plank door looked solid.

  “Valyri,” called Pearse, offering his hand welcomingly. “Come meet Lauryn and the children.” As they came together around the fire, he praised her generously, saying, “Without her help, I might not have walked again. This woman saved me with her eyes. Now she has come to live with us; she will be one of our family,” he pronounced, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument. Valerie was pleased by that. She had gained these people’s trust through actions rather than words.

  That night, Lauryn prepared a place inside the little stone house for Valerie and the old woman’s strange pet—an Orson she called it. The children had never seen a pet Orson, so they took turns holding it. Orson responded to their friendliness by nestling into their arms. The bedding was laid out on the stone floor, but Valerie was comfortable enough in the wool blankets.

  Valerie contemplated her prospects for life in this realm. She considered herself to be more than seven thousand years in the past. While the supplies she brought with her were well thought out, they were meager, consisting of just two cloth bags and a backpack.

  Aside from a few personal items, the only concessions she had made to tech included the three torches, a solar generator, a tablet containing the accumulated knowledge of humanity, and some printing materials, which were carefully chosen for practicality and durability. She assumed they would have to last for hundreds of years or until her death, whichever came first. There was comfort in knowing she had made quality, not quantity, her priority. She was fully aware that any one of these items could change the future if lost or stolen she was determined to destroy them before that could ever happen.

  Aside from the rings, her most prized possession was an ancient booklet kept securely hidden within her undergarments. Back when she was a teenager, her mentor Corell Paris had given it to her, along with the fifth ring of Hesaurun. With his tutelage, she learned the five rings had been passed down through her family line for generations.

  That booklet contained priceless information about the five rings, in addition to guiding, motivating, and providing her with a purpose in life for more than three thousand years.

  Initially, each ring was paired with a booklet. Since no two rings were alike, each booklet was unique, highlighting each corresponding ring’s attributes. However, the first thing Valerie did whenever she reclaimed a ring was destroy the book that came with it. She couldn’t risk anyone discovering the secrets it held. Other than the one she retained for sentimental reasons, she ensured none of the other booklets would ever be used against her.

  All but the fifth ring had been stolen from the rightful owner at one time or another. Narcissistic people bent on grabbing power and riches for themselves used their rings for selfish reasons, often to the detriment of humankind rather than their benefit. The rings’ master, Osomario of Hesaurun, intended for them to be used to help humans evolve into a mature society, preparing them for integration into the greater community of sentient beings in the galaxy.

  Unfortunately, Osomario’s well-intentioned plan had backfired, and humankind’s progress was delayed rather than accelerated. Even he could not control time and unforeseen circumstances, so Osomario used his gift of Orson the cat as a proxy to monitor the situation for him on Earth.

  The realization that she had authored the books herself was a startling epiphany for Valerie, one that drastically altered her life’s trajectory. Valerie had known for centuries the timeline must be reset. There was no other way to right the wrongs of the past. She was confident it was possible, but for her to make the necessary corrections to the timeline she would have to live out the remainder of her life in the distant past.

  A time loop was the only way to accomplish her goals. Sure, she would meet her end here in this realm, but time would continue marching inexorably forward like it always has. Then in the twenty-first century she would be born, just like she had been the first goaround. Once again, Corell Paris would be there waiting diligently for her appearance, and she would have a second shot at achieving her goals.

  Valerie remembered the hard work and the careful preparations. She had traveled to this time period on multiple occasions, scouting out pre-historical societies and individuals she not only suspected of being her forebearers but felt were worthy candidates of being so. And now, the circle was complete, she told herself. She had successfully inserted herself back at the starting line and intended to prove that do-overs were possible.

  Moreover, for the first time in human history, she had the exclusive prospect of selecting her own ancestors. No one had to tell her she must choose well if she wanted to retain her core self, which had now become within her power to manipulate. The responsibility she had assigned herself was weighty, considering the dangers she faced.

  All it would take is one bad choice to upset the cart , she thought.Influence the past too much, or in the wrong way, and I could diminished myself in some unknown or unexpected way. Or worse, unwittingly erase me from existence, producing a paradox that changed the timeline in a way that had devastating repercussions. I must be careful because I am playing with fire!

  The long-term plan was for each member of Pearse’s family to eventually receive one of her five rings, but before doing so, Valerie would have to teach them what it meant to be a ring bearer and what would be expected of them. Each ring possessed a unique ability, so each individual would need to be schooled separately.

  Above all else, Valerie knew the burden rested squarely on her shoulders to instill in these people an unyielding resolve to protect their rings from loss to thieves and tyrants who would take them for their own advantage. She had seen first-hand what happened when they fell into the hands of selfish or ambitious individuals. She had dedicated her life to the classic struggle of good versus evil, and she intended to win.

  Pearse and his family weren’t Neanderthals; these were intelligent, sophisticated people. That knowledge helped ease Valerie’s anxiety over the radical decision she made to leave her former life behind, abandoning everything and everyone she knew. Making a clean break from her life without notifying family, friends, or colleagues was by no means easy. She had made the difficult choice of selecting a one-way ticket to nowhere— or was it no-when?

  Valerie was determined to make this her last jump in time, no matter the consequences. She regarded the time and people she had seen grown old, with great affection. Still, now she must consider them dead to her because they existed only in memory, no different from the generations of people she had outlived in her more than three-thousand-year lifetime.

  Sleep took its time carrying her away that night as she worked on the long list of challenges she would face in the morning. But when she began remembering the people she left behind, sleep took her within a few moments.

  ________________________ The next day Valerie began implementing her plan for the future in earnest. Her goal for the day would be to give Pearse and his family sound reason to believe in her. Valerie intended to put on a demonstration of power they wouldn’t soon forget. She wanted lives forever changed by what they were about to witness. She planned to play the healer trump card to the hilt but knew she couldn’t go too far with it. If she did, she stood a chance of scaring them off.

  Valerie helped the family with the morning chores, and once everyone had eaten and were gathered together around the warmth of the roasting pit, the same one used for the previous night’s bonfire, Valerie spoke.

  “
Friends,” she began, “I want to tell you how much I appreciate being allowed into your home and into your lives. Thank you. I am your healer now,” she said graciously with a polite head bow, then paused, allowing a moment for her words to settle before continuing.

  “I have important news to tell you that you need to know and understand.” She focused on each family member individually, knowing that would add weight to what she was about to say and do.

  “Please know that I now consider myself part of your family. As long as I am welcome, I intend to stay here with you. Do you consider me a member of your family?” Pearse, Lauryn, and the children nodded their heads, although with a hint of reservation. By all accounts, she was a newcomer who carried with her the lingering suspicion of being the Cailleach Bhéara. Depending on what she said and did next, her status could shift back to a witch in a flash.

  “I have been sent to you as a gift from my people— the people of the ship that arrived yesterday. We saw that you people need a good healer. Pearse was dying, so they sent me to help him, which I did. Now I am your healer. Do you accept this gift?”

  “Yes,” they answered as one, this time with less hesitation. Valerie saw that she was making progress and continued.

  “Alright. You have already seen that I am a powerful healer, but there is more. I am also a teacher and a warrior. I can teach you many things that will make your lives better, and I can protect you. I may be old, but I think you will be impressed when you see my power for yourselves. However, you must promise never to share what I tell you or show you with anyone. Ever. This is very important! Do you promise?”