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Fractured Paradise (Volume III)
Story: Ciriad arrives at Qwinn's island Fractured Paradise: A Novel In Progress by Oliver Smith OliverSmith@CyberPoet.com < Addewid Index < Fractured Paradise Index < Volume III Outline Synopsis : Story |
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O Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Say: Verily I am the `Gate of God' and I give you to drink, by the leave of God, the sovereign Truth, of the crystal-pure waters of His Revelation which are gushing out from the incorruptible Fountain situate upon the Holy Mount. And those who earnestly strive after the One True God, let them then strive to attain this Gate.+F4 Verily God is potent over all things... O peoples of the earth! Give ear unto God's holy Voice proclaimed by this Arabian Youth Whom the Almighty hath graciously chosen for His Own Self. He is indeed none other than the True One, Whom God hath entrusted with this Mission from the midst of the Burning Bush. O &Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Unravel what Thou pleasest from the secrets of the All-Glorious, for the ocean is surging high at the behest of the incomparable Lord. Chapter XXIV. Are ye wickedly scheming, according to your selfish fancies, an evil plot against Him Who is the Most Great Remembrance of God? By the righteousness of God, all who are in the heaven and on earth and whatsoever lieth between them are regarded in My sight even as a spider's web,+F2 and verily God beareth witness unto all things. Indeed they will not lay plots but against themselves. God hath caused this Remembrance to be, in very truth, independent of all the dwellers of earth and heaven. O YE peoples of the earth! During the time of My absence I sent down the Gates unto you. However the believers, except for a handful, obeyed them not. Formerly I sent forth unto you &Ahmad and more recently &Kazim, but apart from the pure in heart amongst you no one followed them. What hath befallen you, O people of the Book? Will ye not fear the One true God, He Who is your Lord, the Ancient of Days?... O ye who profess belief in God! I adjure you by Him Who is the Eternal Truth, have ye discerned among the precepts of these Gates anything inconsistent with the commandments of God as set forth in this Book? Hath your learning deluded you by reason of your impiety? Take ye heed then, for verily your God, the Lord of Eternal Truth, is with you and in very truth is watchful over you O YE kinsmen of the Most Great Remembrance! ...O &Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Deliver the summons of the most exalted Word unto the handmaids among Thy kindred, caution them against the Most Great Fire and announce unto them the joyful tidings that following this mighty Covenant there shall be everlasting reunion with God in the Paradise of His good-pleasure, nigh unto the Seat of Holiness. Verily God, the Lord of creation, is potent over all things. O Thou Mother of the Remembrance! May the peace and salutation of God rest upon thee. Indeed thou hast endured patiently in Him Who is the sublime Self of God. Recognize then the station of thy Son Who is none other than the mighty Word of God. He hath verily pledged Himself to be answerable for thee both in thy grave and on the Judgement Day, while thou hast, in the Preserved Tablet of God, been immortalized as the `Mother of the Faithful' by the Pen of His Remembrance. O &QURRATU'L-'AYN! Stretch not Thy hands wide open in the Cause, inasmuch as the people would find themselves in a state of stupor by reason of the Mystery, and I swear by the true, Almighty God that there is yet for Thee another turn after this Dispensation. And when the appointed hour hath struck, do Thou, by the leave of God, the All-Wise, reveal from the heights of the Most Lofty and Mystic Mount a faint, an infinitesimal glimmer of Thy impenetrable Mystery, that they who have recognized the radiance of the Sinaic Splendour may faint away and die as they catch a lightning glimpse of the fierce and crimson Light that envelops Thy Revelation. And God is, in very truth, Thine unfailing Protector. The Canon of Truth: Qayyumu' L-Asma, Baha'i Memory The once pulsing dot became just another granule in the growing mass of Qwinn's confusion. Raising his fingers to a transfixed chin, he walked over to the base of the blue fruit tree and leaned against the trunk, as his right hand started to move gently on the skin of one of the fruits. The face of his son, Andy, filled his mind. It was the face he saw when Andy would stand by the coffee table in the living room, trying to figure his young world out, the forefinger of one hand tucked inside his mouth, his other hand tugging on an earlobe, deep in thought. Qwinn always wanted to pick his son up and hold him when he saw this. It was painful watching the young child so confused. He wanted to explain that the world was quite complex and that it would make more sense as he grew, and that three years was just not enough. He felt that he was now just like his young son, and he wanted someone to approach him, pull him up into big, warm arms, telling him that this would all make sense some day. But what was a "day" here? where there is no sun? no night? only a continuous stream of existence without measure. He pulled a fruit from its limb and started to pull flesh from it as he thought. Each piece of the fruit's meat dissolved quickly on his tongue and he grew weary once more with his confusion. How long had he been awake? A minute? An hour? Days? He had no sense of how to calibrate anything in this life. Or was this death? Once again, he was that little boy by the coffee table. Suddenly, he was taken with the overwhelming sensation of Cindy's hands and arms on his back, and the softness of her lips. She seemed so far away. From deep within his consciousness he became aware of a presence. It felt like voices inside his head, but when he looked up, toward the shore, he found himself staring at the nude bodies of seven people, four women and three men. They were lined up on the edge of his island, watching, as a large, translucent creature rose from the sea behind them, sliding towards him on rippling skin. Chapter 8 Visitors Qwinn pulled back from the tree as the billowing mass grew large on legs shifting shape from feet to fins to soft intense, organic form, only a low rustle from the grass between it and where he stood. Abruptly, a melody caressed the air around him, strong within his ear. The creature stopped just short of the tree, out of reach from the lowest branch of blue fruit, deep eyes moving from one fruit to the next, hunger trailing from its face, but obedient, to whom? Qwinn sensed the gentle song pull back on this determined beast, holding high on shoulders with its head, leaning hard through its resolve to clutch soft fruit between its teeth revealed underneath exhaustion. One of the seven moved forward from the shore, a woman holding in her hand a tube, fingers dancing on its side, one end tucked within her lips, the source of melody, holding the creature's mind. She passed the creature and stood next to the tree, in front of the hungry face high above her, looking down, her back to Qwinn, hair braided from behind, cascading to firm hips, a tuft at the end. There was a dark green strap across her back with a sheath attached, riding her olive skin as lungs expanded and expelled, notes slowing down, then soft, fading off, then the creature stepped around, climbing limb-to-limb as it sought out the highest place, taking up the space of branches near the top, pulling the blue fruit from their stems, nourishing itself. Placing the flute into its sheath, she turned to face another woman who had approached her. They hugged, kissing each other fully, then both turned to Qwinn studying him. The second woman wore no strap, no apparel of any kind. Her dark hair flowed freely over breasts, tumbling to her waist, pubic hair nestled at the apex of two light skinned legs. She was taller than the flutist, her face longer, with dark eyes calling him with sensitivity. A large birth mark just below her left breast insinuated itself between strands of hair as she approached Qwinn. Kneeling down, she poked fingers through the grass, into the soil underneath, taking her gaze from Qwinn to look at her hand, now hidden by the grass. Standing up she looked to her companion. "This is new felast, no more than a couple of feedings old, so this one," looking a Qwinn, "must have just arrived." He was puzzled at how clearly he understood the words of the woman, although she spoke with an accent he couldn't recognize. He was intensely aware of the scrutiny he was under at the moment and he was curious about whether he could speak and whether they would understand him, but he held to the security of silence. "His name is Ebracken," she called out, startling Qwinn, as she looked back at the flutist, who nodded her head, acknowledging. The flutist lifted her instrument to pursed lips and began to play. Qwinn felt himself sink to the grass and drift away into sleep. In his dreams he felt hands on his skin. They seemed to be searching for something, but he couldn't determine what it was the hands were seeking, or whose hands they were, but his body responded in a language that he couldn't understand. He felt his body answering questions but he was unable to determine what the questions were. When he awoke he was looking into the face who called out the name "Ebracken". She was holding his hand. It felt warm, kind, knowing. He started to speak, but she shook her head and placed a finger on his lips. You are new here. Do not speak. You will speak soon enough and you will have many more questions than we can answer." Qwinn nodded, understanding. "My name is Kuan. I know who you are Qwinn." Hearing the phrase "Qwinn" startled him. That was a nickname his friends gave him back in seminary. How could this woman in this place know this? She was right, his thoughts were full of questions, but he was overwhelmed, so he simply stared into Kuan's face. "Have you eaten any of the Meithrin fruit yet?" she asked. He nodded, not really certain that she was referring to the blue fruit on the nearby tree, but he figured that was the answer. "That's good. You will need to eat the meat of the Meithrin fruit, or you will go into Marwgwsg." The unfamiliar words lodged in his mind without a context, but he didn't trust any of his senses yet, much less any thoughts he might have about the activities around him. Standing up, she tugged at his hand, encouraging him to stand as well. "It is time for you to eat, Qwinn. You were asleep for more than one feeding." "What is this place called", said Qwinn as he got to his feet, surprising himself by speaking. It was not until then that he realized he had not spoken since appearing on this island. His voice seemed to not just come from his mouth but from all around him. He was embarrassed at his reaction and shied away from Kuan's smile. She place a hand on his arm and said, "We all understand," then she guided him to the tree. As he approached he looked around at the others who arrived with Kuan. They were scattered around his small island, preoccupied. One, a small man with dark straight hair was sitting on the grass, facing the sea, his legs crossed, hands extending to knees, meditating. On the other side of the island was a man and woman caressing each other affectionately, hands flowing with the soft fire of intimacy. The flutist had climbed the Meithrin tree to a height of several body lengths, and a few branches higher, another woman, with curled red hair and ghost white skin was sitting next to a man with a wiry beard and skin the color of top soil newly turned on his in-law's farm in Maine when they visited in spring. Qwinn recognized the watchful presence that the flutist extended to Kuan as she pulled a Meithrin fruit down, ripped the skin and handed him a piece. It was apparent that their relationship was long lasting and intimate, but he sensed no resentment from Kuan's attention to him, only curiosity and concern. Vaguely, he was becoming aware of sensations which were different for him as he shifted focus from Kuan to the flutist, then to the man next to the red haired woman, and even to the creature at the top of the tree. There were stirrings awakening deep inside, as though he were able to reach into each of those around him and hear their most primal thoughts and feelings. When he looked at the man meditating by the sea he felt peace, confidence, serenity. Images came to him, coming together, pulling apart, linking into stories of childhood, narrow, crowded streets, bambo. Confused, he looked back at Kuan who had pulled herself up to the limb next to him, eating fruit and observing his behavior. "You have a strong Walker spirit, Qwinn," she said, her eyes moving about his face, concern draping her skin. You must learn to control your ability to see within us, it is a dangerous skill." Within Kuan images of bright swords and shields assailed his mind. Briefly, he saw her brandishing a weapon in battle, then the pictures left his thoughts as Kuan moved toward him, grabbing his wrist firmly. "You must stop! Now!' she insisted. He leaned away from her stern presence, unsure of the situation, afraid. "I know you don't understand where you are or what is happening," she continued, but we do not have the time to explain all of this to you right now. We only have time to rest and eat, then we need to move on." Kuan moved away from Qwinn and started up the tree towards the flutist. "Kuan!" came a voice from behind Qwinn, a masculine voice, one with resonance, but firm. Kuan stopped her ascent to look over Qwinn. "What is it, Hian?" Kuan asked. An average sized man with tangled hair and beard approached Qwinn and Kuan, moving his eyes between the two of them. "Why have you spoken so harshly with this one, he's just arrived and doesn't understand." "He's a strong Walker, Hian," Kuan answered. I'm afraid he will need much training, but we don't have time for him right now. Maybe another Walker will approach the island before too long and help him understand his talent." Hian, looked at Qwinn locking eyes with him, but still talking to Kuan, "The Alliance is almost to this island. We are fortunate to have found him first. Let's take him with us. You can teach him what he needs." "But Hian", yelled the man up in the tree, the Ceffylmôr can hardly carry our current weight, how can we take another? "It's a chance we must take," said Hian, "another Walker will be useful." "It will be many feedings, perhaps a full Droolyn breath, before he is effective as an Walker," added the woman with red hair. "Can we really afford this kind delay?" Another woman came up from behind Hian and placed her arm around him. "Hian is the one they want," she said, "if he feels that another Walker is needed then we should take him, whatever the cost." Hian pulled the woman to his side, kissing the top of her head. "Yes," Hian said, "whatever the price." Hian and the woman turned away and walked back to the other side of the island where Qwinn noticed them before. The flutist stepped down to stand beside Kuan, placing an arm around her, "Kuan and I will help, Qwinn", she said. "Eat well, little do you realize what you have become involved with." |
