GABRIEL (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 4) (37 page)

As they continued to creep their way along the rows of flowers, gradually filling the collection basket, Jarad brought them up to date.

Saturn expanded the laws set down by his half brother, further limiting the freedoms of the natives, while also requiring them to give pleasure or receive pain at the whim of the nobility. Like Atlas, he espoused his sister, Rhea, not because of lust or love, but to keep her from running off with a native man. It was said that he forced himself on her when and where he pleased to constantly remind her of obedience, then kept her chained in his room when he wanted her out of his sight.

The numbers of men and boys required to become soldiers multiplied again and again as Saturn altered the purpose of the army from one of protection to one of waging war on their neighbors. His attitude had been, why trade for goods that could be taken by force just as easily?

He demanded that Poseidon's Temple be enlarged and gilded with metals that shone and sparkled, even when no light was on them. Simultaneously, he ordered that another enormous monument be constructed in his own honor. Before it was finished, however, he disappeared and his son, Jupiter, became king. Though some said Rhea killed her brother in his sleep, most suspected that Jupiter murdered his father to gain the power before it was due him. No body was ever found however, and no one dared accuse the new king.

Jupiter's reign began when Ester and Jarad were children. None of the people believed their fate could worsen, but it did. Jupiter was even more twisted than his father. As if Rhea had not withstood enough, her son continued to keep her a captive, which endorsed the theory that she had killed Saturn. Thus, Jupiter appeared to be punishing his mother for her wickedness. Though he did not use her publicly, she was required to sleep in his bed each night, even when he ordered other women to come to pleasure him. He was also known to keep a number of female animals in his court for variety whenever he grew bored with his human slaves.

Under his rule, perversions were added to the royal ceremonies as well. He claimed that God had demanded human torture and sacrifices. A ceremonial meal often included cooked body organs of his enemies so that he and his princes might ingest the victims' strengths.

The war to conquer all the neighbors to the east escalated, and though he now controlled Libya, rumors were spreading that Athens was not so easily defeated. At each new moon another vessel carrying Atlantean soldiers left for the lands beyond the great rocks and none had returned in a long time. Most of the men remaining on Atlantis were descendants of God or slaves captured in raids on other lands. Those poor souls were forced to work on the monument Saturn had begun and Jupiter now claimed as his own. They were beaten, abused and often worked to death, because it was assumed that Athenian replacements would be coming on the vessels returning in victory anytime now.

Only the poppy-field workers were free of mistreatment. Each field was maintained by the family that had been its caretaker before Poseidon arrived. The families survived by keeping the secret of how the potion was prepared and convincing the rulers that sorcery was involved.

"We have passed our middle age," Ester explained. "And Rebekah is the last of our family line. If she passes on without having the chance to find a spouse and bear children to inherit our field, it will be given to a child of another caretaker family. Then we will be lowered into the fire pit like all the old ones who are no longer useful."

"It is time to return to the shelter," Jarad said, rising and making one last trip to the collection basket with the buckets.

Gabriel helped Jarad lift the load of raw opium and Shara and Ester each carried a bucket away from the field.

"Where is Rebekah now?" Shara asked as they walked.

The mere mention of her daughter's name brought tears to Ester's eyes. "She was taken to stay in the temple so that her purity could be protected until the final ceremony. We have been told she is being kept in the female slaves' quarters but we have not been permitted to see her since the meetings began."

"How well guarded are the quarters?"

Forget it, Shara,
Gabriel silently warned.

"Extremely well," Jarad said. "The women are used for too many purposes to be allowed any freedoms."

Shara had an idea brewing. "Do any of them serve the nobility's meals?"

"Yes, there are those assigned to the cookfires and meal service."

Shara cut off Gabriel's automatic objection before he could transmit it.
I have to get inside the temple and, since they're at war with the entire civilized world, visitors might be suspected of being enemies. Better that I pose as a household slave.

"What about male slaves?" Gabriel asked Jarad.

"There are a few in the temple but most healthy males are put to work on the monument."

Gabriel was torn between wanting to see and record everything he could no matter what the risk and wanting to keep Shara out of harm's way. When they reached a small wooden shelter with a thatched roof, he helped Jarad dump the contents of the basket onto a large stone slab and spread the tiny chunks out for further drying under the next day's sun.

"We will share some food and drink with you," Jarad said. "Then we must make our delivery to the temple but you are welcome to rest here."

"That's very kind of you," Shara said as they all went inside the shelter. While Ester rekindled the fire under the cookpot, Shara communicated with Gabriel.
Do you agree with me or not?
She felt his concern for her safety.
We'll keep the channel between us open at all times.

What if you're in danger and I'm too far away to help?

I have my powers to protect me. I know you're dying to get a look at Poseidon's Temple and Jupiter's monument. I'll be fine. And I promise to keep our stay here as brief as possible.

Gabriel reluctantly agreed and asked Jarad if he could help them get into the temple. "We need to observe more before we can be of any assistance to anyone."

Without hesitation, Jarad nodded. "We are well known and are familiar with the design of the temple. But I believe the easiest plan would be to take you both inside to the cookery, where we must deliver the potion. There are other slaves as fair-skinned as you but you will need to be clothed as they are."

Shara glanced at Ester's nearly nude body and inwardly cringed.

Ester walked over to a chest in the corner and took out some folded copper-colored garments. "We have been ordered to serve in the temple on occasion. These robes must be worn by all servants so that they will blend in with the walls of the temple."

Shara breathed a sigh of relief as she noted that the robes were full length, with long sleeves and hoods. They would be somewhat short on her and Gabriel but it was much better than the wrapper Ester was wearing. Immediately she saw another advantage to the robe. It was large and loose enough for her to wear the tempometer belt and conceal her microputer and supplies beneath it instead of leaving them behind in her bag. While a large pot of lamb and vegetable stew was reheated over the fire, she excused herself to fetch her equipment.

Gabriel felt somewhat better knowing she would have the tempometer on her so that they could make an instant escape if it became necessary.

Suddenly the tin cups on the table rattled. Jarad put his hands over them to stop them from tipping over, while Ester guarded a row of vibrating clay crocks on a shelf above the fire. A thunderous rumble sounded in the distance and grew louder as it seemed to be rolling toward them.

Gabriel felt the floor beneath his feet begin to quiver and lurched out of his chair.
Shara! We're out of time! Run for the raft and program the tempometer. I'll be right there.

Chapter 20

"Jarad! Ester! You've got to get away from here now," Gabriel exclaimed, throwing open the door. The entire shelter trembled as if a giant had reached down and given it a mighty shake. A moment later, everything was calm again.

The couple was completely bewildered by Gabriel's actions. In a polite tone, Ester said, "We find it best to stay in one place until the shaking passes."

Only a minor earthquake,
Gabriel thought with relief.

Or the local volcano trying to clear its throat.

Are you all right?

Just a bit shaken.

He felt her laughing at her own joke and smiled in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "Jarad, how often is that happening?"

"A few times a day. That one was mild. Sometimes it is so violent the ground cracks wide open. Noe says it is God's warning that the end is near."

"Have you made preparations to leave... in case the warnings are true?"

Jarad glanced at Ester. "We have a small vessel hidden. But if Rebekah is lost to us, we have no reason to flee."

Gabriel suddenly realized he had automatically tried to warn them when he thought disaster was about to strike.
Drek!
He didn't want to feel anything for these people. Whatever happened was done twelve thousand years ago. The girl and her family either survived or they didn't. It was wrong to interfere, even if it felt immoral to ignore their need for help. It was definitely unethical to lead them to believe he and Shara might be their salvation.

Interesting dilemma, isn't
it?
Shara reentered the shelter with the tempometer belt around her waist and a soft black bag tied to the side of the belt. Ester and Jarad looked at her curiously but they didn't ask about the items and she didn't offer any explanations.

During their meal, Gabriel asked Jarad for another favor. "Please contact Noe and tell him that if he hears from God again, to let Him know that two others are here from, uh... the Otherworld. Describe us and where we can be found then have Noe ask God to contact us. It's vital that we have a talk with Him."

Professor! You're not planning to interfere, are you?

Of course not. But I can't think of any faster way to get to the truth of what happened here than a personal interview with the one who may have been responsible.

A loud trumpetlike noise outside the shelter caught everyone's attention.

"Aah," said Jarad. "He's right on time to take us to the temple."

"He?" Shara inquired as he and Ester both rose from the table and swiftly cleared the dishes away.

"Yes. Elo has been visiting us since he was a calf. Jarad trained him to come to the shelter each day at sunset." Ester took a crock off the shelf and peeked inside it. With a shake of her head, she emptied a quantity of light brown powder from another crock into the first then put a lid on it. "That should do it. Put the robes on before we go, in case we are stopped on the way to the temple."

Shara was more than pleased with the garment. With the hood up and her head and shoulders bent, she could be mistaken for a man. The last thing she wanted to do was attract attention to herself as a female slave in Jupiter's court.

At least we agree on one thing.

Her self-confidence faltered the moment she stepped out the door and saw Elo. Shara had never in her life seen a creature so enormous. She knew it was an elephant only because she had seen its image in a children's book on Terran animals that her mother had given her when she was learning her alphabet. It had two dangerous-looking ivory tusks that were longer than Gabriel was tall and gigantic ear flaps that it fanned in warning upon seeing the strangers.

Shara froze in place as the elephant gracefully extended its long trunk up to her face, made a noise that could have been a sniff or a snort then pushed the hood off her head. The animal gave a mournful squeal then withdrew its trunk and rocked its great head back and forth.

"He thought you were Rebekah in disguise," Ester explained. "Elo misses her too. Elo, this is Shara and Gabriel. They would like to ride with us today, if that is all right with you."

The beast took another whiff of Shara, inspected Gabriel then folded its two front legs beneath its body. Though less intimidating like that, it was still frightfully large. Shara was wondering how one actually got on an elephant to ride, even with its permission, when it bowed its head with the underside of its trunk on the ground and its nostrils curved upward. Jarad sat down on the trunk as if it were a swing.