"She doesn"t understand," Monk Lin said. "She thinks you are the father and have many wives," he said to Rider.
Rider laughed. "I look that old? Gee, thanks."
"No, no, no, it is a great honor she is trying to express. She doesn"t understand why you have no wife, so she says you must be the father of all." Monk Lin stepped closer to the group and turned to introduce the small clan that had gathered near the smiling woman. "Mei has seventeen children."
Marlene and Marjorie opened their mouths, and glanced at Damali and the others.
"My, how wonderful," Marjorie said, her eyes wide.
"Girl, you look good," Marlene said, meaning it. She glanced at Damali, Juanita, Inez, and Kristen. "Now, she"s a warrior- seventeen kids? Puhlease."
Monk Lin relayed the sentiment, and Mei laughed. She pointed at the younger women in the group, a question on her face.
Damali opened her hands and shrugged to tell the woman that she didn"t have any babies, as did everyone but Inez, who held up one finger. Again, the woman seemed puzzled and she consulted Monk Lin.
The monk smiled. "This may help clarify why Mei is having difficulty with your family structure. Let me introduce her husbands."
The men in the group gave each other very curious glances. Now it was their turn to scratch their heads and smile silently like Mei once had.
"Each of these men are brothers," Monk Lin announced casually. "There were five in the family, no women in the hills, and they all shared very prosperous herds of sheep, goats, and yak."
"Wait," Big Mike said, "that little lady there, uh."
"Yes," the monk said without batting an eye. "She is very loved and very revered in the family, because they came to a good compromise." His smile broadened as Jose shot Carlos a look.
"Now, dude, for real, how do they work that out?" Rider rubbed his chin and looked at the brothers, who all seemed pleasant and smiled proudly at their prize, Mei.
Monk Lin blushed, but relayed the question. The Tibetan brothers laughed and slapped each other, as Mei retreated to uproarious giggles behind her hand."They think you all are foolish, this is why there aren"t enough babies in your family. The eldest brother says you have an embarra.s.sment of riches in your family," he added, waving before the women in the group. "He believes there should be fifty children or more."
Inez covered her face and laughed hard, making the others on the team do the same. "Chile, no!"
"The second brother is open for a wife who is strong, as he says he must always wait for his youngest brother-who leaves his shoes outside the tent too long. This is how they compromise. Each man leaves his boots outside, and his time alone with their wife is respected. The others tend to the children so no young ones are hurt... uh, while... one of the husbands is unavailable."
Damali laughed so hard that she had to turn away as the brothers nodded and gave her shy smiles. "Monk Lin, I"ve heard enough," she said through the giggles. "We are all up in these people"s business and shouldn"t press our hospitality."
He bowed and turned to the group of men and spoke to them in gentle, easy tones. But whatever he said made them burst out laughing. Then they offered the men on the team cigarettes and pieces of smoked yak by pa.s.sing the items first to Monk Lin, a revered holy man, without touching him. Their trust was implicit, so was their generosity.
Carlos shook his head and pounded Jose"s fist. "That is deep, man, but would never work in our house."
Jose glanced at Juanita and smiled. Damali nodded and let the tension drop from her shoulders. Juanita let out her breath and moved beside Jose. Peace on the team had been restored just that quickly.
The rest of the team joined in the camaraderie as bits of foodstuff were exchanged, all being careful not to actually touch the gracious herders. Everyone used Monk Lin as a go-between, a cleansing conduit, as not to harm a family that deserved never to have its innocence stolen.
Damali offered an earring from her ear to Mei via Monk Lin, and people gave whatever they had handy to show friendship and appreciation. Children danced by and looked up at the Guardians that seemed to be giants compared to their much shorter fathers. Big Mike"s sheer bulk captivated them, as did the younger Guardians that seemed as anxious as the children to run in the field for a quick a game of chase.
"I"m still getting over the shoes thing," Rider said as the team was invited into the huge, yak-hair tent.
A central hole sent a column of smoke up and out, but the rank smell of yak b.u.t.ter used to help waterproof it, and the yak chips added to the fire to help keep the embers going with nominal wood tinder available, made their eyes water. However, it was warm and cozy as they all sat on the floor, and hospitality was hospitality. They shared what food provisions they had, but Mei wouldn"t hear of it. She"d prepared b.u.t.ter tea and what seemed like roasted barley, and made her humble offering to the group.
As Monk Lin pa.s.sed out small bowls of tea, he offered a discreet warning to the team. "The people of the mountains don"t have much, and roasted barley flour, tsampa, is somewhat bitter. But to decline an offering is to make the offerer lose face." He hesitated until all Guardians nodded, and kept his focus on Kristen and Bobby. "Their sweetener is salt. Sugar is not well known in these parts, so a bit of salt flavors the tea. But the yogurt is freshly made and is very, very tasty."
All heads nodded, knowing exactly what that meant. The tea and the barley was gonna be pretty rugged going down, but chase it with yogurt, smile, and only accept a little bit to show consideration for this woman"s large household.
Damali watched with a smile as the noses in the group battled for composure. The moment Jose and Rider brought the cups to their mouths, they paused, tossed it back like it were a shot of whiskey, and winced. Mei nodded and clapped her hands, elated.
Marlene sipped her tea slowly to hide a broad smile. Carlos held a bowl with two hands, calmly took a sip, shuddered, and grinned.
"This is good," he wheezed, trying to offer the woman a compliment, even though she couldn"t understand him.
Mei apparently did understand a smile, and having a generous spirit, she got up quickly to refill Rider, Jose, and Carlos"s cups, much to their chagrin-always offering it through the presiding monk who blessed it first. Bobby looked green, and Kristen was taking teeny sips with shaking hands. Marjorie sipped hers with one pinky out, and swallowed the nasty brew with such elegance that Emily Post would have been proud. Marjorie cast a lethal glare at her children, and they ate without missing a beat. Her husband, however, was having issues, but one glance helped him resolve his resistance.
The tactical sensors were cool, though. Damali watched Shabazz go to some far-off place in his mind and chew in a steady motion like a cow absently munching cud. J.L. fell in line with Shabazz"s approach, and shortly thereafter Dan got the hint and was able to hang.
Laughter and banter filled the tent, as did multiple languages and soon after came songs. Monk Lin was the bridge between worlds, filling in the blanks, but after a while much of what was being said required no translation.
From a distance, the young girls and Mei studied the varied types of hair each woman had, marveling at the differences between Damali"s locks; Juanita"s straight tresses, which matched their own in color and weight; Inez"s soft braids; and Marlene"s thick silver hair, as well as the color variations of Kristen"s and Marjorie"s hair, which was like theirs in texture, but the hue fascinated them.
They showed off jewelry, different pieces of turquoise and beads. The men showed off bows and small rifles, and Monk Lin offered the Guardian males a warning via a raised eyebrow not to make the tent lose face by pulling out a bazooka. They drew on the dirt floor with sticks, telling of how they had been blessed with large herds, and how they would go up into the mountains in the summer to further expand the herds. It was rutting season now, the eldest husband explained, and soon the flock would double. All was well in their world.
Damali noticed Rider had fallen quiet, and Mei had, too. Their hostess had sidled up to Monk Lin with a puzzled expression, seeming afraid that she had caused some offense.
"Rider," Damali said quietly. "You okay, brother? The lady of the house thinks something"s wrong. Is it?"
Rider smiled sadly and looped the long leather thong over his head that held an old worn eagle feather, a piece of jade, a small turquoise stone, and a bag of magic dust that he"d never understood. He held it out to Monk Lin to give to Mei and bowed his head.
"Tell her this used to belong to my first wife... Her name was Tara, and your people remind me so of her people, this should be yours."
Monk Lin bowed and accepted the gift, spoke in soft tones that stilled the mirth in the tent, and pa.s.sed the jewelry to Mei. To everyone"s surprise, tears instantly filled her large brown eyes. She clutched it to her breast as though Rider had given her a bag of diamonds. She made a gesture over her chest and then in the air toward his and looked down at the bag as her husbands drew near. Her voice was so soft and so sweet that tears filled Monk Lin"s eyes.
"She said, man with a good heart, you have come to the oracle. I cannot hide from you and your family. Old turquoise from the ancients has spiritual value that is without measure. Ask your questions. You are part of her family now. You have pa.s.sed the test."
Stunned silent, the group looked at Rider.
"What did she call me?" Rider whispered, his voice raw.
"Man with a good heart," Monk Lin repeated.
Rider nodded and drew in a shaky breath. "That"s what she used to call me."
Mei nodded, not requiring interpretation. She reached for Rider"s hands and then clasped them hard."Oh, my G.o.d-no!" Rider drew back quickly and was on his feet within seconds. "I"ve just poisoned her house. All of "em, her husbands, the kids. Jesus Christ, this lady and her family didn"t deserve it!"
The team was paralyzed. Monk Lin was also on his feet in an instant and held his hands out for everyone to stay in place and remain as calm as possible. He spoke so quickly and frantically that no one in the tent moved. Mei clutched the bag Rider had given to her chest and smiled oddly. Slowly Monk Lin"s expression became one of stunned awe and he sat slowly with a thud.
"How do we fix this?" Damali said fast, her gaze ricocheting to Marlene then over to the monk.
"We can"t leave "em like this," Carlos said, his voice straining to stay even as his gaze bore into Monk Lin"s.
Mei held up her hand, her gaze gentle, and she patted the ground for Rider to return to the place before her.
"The damage is done, Rider," Monk Lin said quietly. "Let her finish the divination, and then... I don"t know."
Mei spoke softly to Rider, while Monk Lin interpreted. Strained gazes holding empathy settled on the woman as Rider simply hung his head.
"Your first wife is in a better place," Monk Lin said quietly, waiting for Mei to speak in slow, calm tones. "You have a large family to care for, much yet to do, and she cannot go where you must... but her love lingers forever."
Rider stood and walked out of the tent wiping his face. Carlos stood to go to him, but Mei held up her hand and spoke quickly, making Monk Lin nearly talk over her to keep up with her flurry of words.
"The spirits will heal him, but you, too, are a man with a good heart. It is different. The spirits are guiding you. What was sickness in you has pa.s.sed. There were two of you; one side dark, one side light. The Naksong had to be sure of this before teaching you," Monk Lin said, stopping as Mei stared at Damali. "You have lost a child, but it was sick. You will have many in days to come, but not today. Be patient. Be as one. Fight as one. Help fill the tent with goodness and love. The Naksong is ready for you now, because you are ready for the Naksong. My third husband will show you the way."
"But the contagion," Damali whispered, her eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears of compa.s.sion. "You have to tell her, Monk Lin. We never meant for this to happen."
Mei sighed and stood, making all eyes follow her as she spoke in a very calm voice and walked deeper into the tent.
"She says you have the tears of an angel," Monk Lin said, his voice hitching with emotion. "May they fall upon you at the Roof of Heaven and never hit the ground."
"Tell her," Damali said, choked up, "that I wish I could find them so I could spread them to save her family and mine...
everybody"s, really. Just tell her how sorry we are." She looked at Monk Lin. "She"s an oracle and knows her family is infected, doesn"t she?"
"Yes," Monk Lin said, tears shining in his eyes. "She knows and is unafraid. The people here are very philosophical about the whims of fate."
"It"s not right, though," Carlos said, swallowing hard and standing. The walls of the tent were closing in on him, and he knew Rider was about ready to pitch himself off the edge of any given cliff. "Tell her we"ll all pray for her family, and go do what we"ve gotta do to keep them whole... Tell her, man, that I"d open a vein if I could, if I had silver in it, anything to reverse what just went down."
Mei turned and looked at Carlos and pointed to his eyes.
Berkfield nodded and stood. "I"d open one, too, for this family. I got kids..." he shook his head as the Guardians slowly stood.
"Any of us would do that."Mei murmured softly and closed her eyes.
"She says you have the eyes of compa.s.sion and good now. There is no more evil within you," Monk Lin said to Carlos. "Your eyes hold silver, their sacred metal." He waited until Mei had spoken again. "She said your brother has the sacred in his veins, and your mother-seer has the salt of sages. Your mate has cried many tears of heartbreak and worry... now she will give her tears to replace that."
"Aw, man," Carlos said, rubbing his jaw, unable to look at the family they"d polluted.
Rider stood at the door of the tent. "I"m so sorry, lady."
But Damali slowly broke away from the group and went to Mei. "What did you say?"
Mei held out a small silver container no larger than a pillbox covered in coral and turquoise. Monk Lin rushed over and nearly swooned.
"The tears from Heaven."
The members of the team shared confused glances.
Hot tears streamed down Damali"s face. "She said in the greatest temple of all..." Damali pointed to the tent door. "Not a man- made structure, but these majestic mountains created by G.o.d. That"s the most spectacular temple."
Mei nodded and folded the box into Damali"s palm, and began speaking quickly.
"Make the antidote," Monk Lin breathed out in a rush. "The tears, the Red Sea salt from Marlene"s bag-held by the salt of the earth, wise team mother. Berkfield, get a blade and nick yourself. Do it now, in this tent, heal the team, then this family."
Mei nodded as everyone crushed together to gather around Damali and Mei.
"She had to be sure first that whatever was in Carlos was no longer there. His call for prayer did it. Damali"s tears of compa.s.sion confirmed it, and they were lead there with a man with a good heart and nothing left to give but his heart... and he did-Rider.
That was the test, and she"d been waiting for a sign."
The group dropped down on the dirt floor and formed a circle while Damali carefully uncapped the delicate container. A thin layer of white substance like confectioners" sugar, barely covered the bottom of the quarter-size silver box. She looked up confused.
"There"s so little, just enough to maybe do the people in this tent once we add the other elements-but the whole world out there needs the antidote. How will the Covenant get it out to cure everyone else who has been infected?"
"The antidote was for you so that you could complete the mission that will cure the others, once the dark energies are sealed away and the names released from the book," Monk Lin said, his tone awed and reverent. "They overturned temples and pillaged sacred places looking for this rare element, never seeking the humblest of herders, and a female who resided within the greatest temple of all."
He closed his eyes. "Profound and ironic, but so obvious that a shepherd family should be the keepers of this sacrament...
people with grace, humility, ordinary weapons, compa.s.sion, hospitality, and love enough to even share one another without struggles, so that no man in their group should suffer. This is why the Naksong would not touch you or teach you to find the Chairman"s lair until this was learned and the antidote discovered and administered-not even the Covenant could have foretold this. It all depended upon the choices and statements each of you made as one. You all revealed your inner hearts, your willingness to selflessly give what you each had to protect people you didn"t know, Mei"s family, and did so within her inner sanctuary, the oracle"s home. The man with a good heart, Rider, led the way when he parted with magic that covered his heart and had helped him for decades." He bowed where he sat. "I have learned much this day myself.""Very, deep," Marlene whispered. She looked at Damali. "Do you know the formula, baby?"
Damali nodded and swallowed hard. "Yes, my angel-mother told me."
The group filed out of the tent anointed and considerably sobered. They accepted bits of prayer cloth and tied them to their wrists and hair, anyplace that they would remain fastened. And they waited behind a sinewy young man, whose eyes blazed with an important mission within them. A small caravan of yak lumbered behind the group gently swaying with trunks of highly explosive ammo tied to their sides. Glances of concern were shielded beneath lowered hat brims as each Guardian mounted a horse and nudged the creature to follow husband number three.
Within an hour, one of Mei"s husbands held up his hand, calmly stopped, dismounted, and motioned for the others to do likewise. He spoke in an unfazed tone, and began to unhitch the harnesses on the burdened beasts.
"He says, from here, the yaks cannot pa.s.s. The horses have difficulty. It is not the normal grazing lands. But the Naksong is wise."
To their horror, Mei"s husband dropped a trunk and wiped his hands on his coat.
Big Mike and Shabazz were off their mounts in seconds, going to help the man before he dropped another trunk. Carlos rounded a huge beast"s side with the other men, as Inez and Juanita covered their heads. Marjorie practically fell off her horse, and it whinnied and shied at the affront. Everybody quickly jumped down off the pony they were riding, and glanced around confused.
"He"s gonna just leave us here?" Damali couldn"t believe it as Mei"s third husband smiled, waved, and called to his animals to follow him in the direction they"d just come from.
"He says to take our possessions to the clearing, and it would be best to pitch a tent. Sometimes Naksongs can be fickle, and may decide to change their minds if the signs aren"t right."
"Oh, my G.o.d," Inez wailed, boxing the chilly temperatures away from her arms. "Monk Lin, tell him to stop playing out here!"
"Be cool, "Nez," Big Mike said, hoisting down a trunk with care.
Damali went to the top of the ridge. "There"s a fairly flat valley here, a pocket we can set up shop on," she said, looking at the small expanse of green around them.
"Lord have mercy," Marlene said with a deep sigh. "All right, folks, we know the drill. Mount up the equipment, we get it over the ridge and-"
"Leave it," a crotchety voice ordered. "It is unnecessary at this juncture."
The team whirred around and a small, wrinkled face popped out from behind a rock. For an elderly man, he moved down the rocks with unusual grace to stand before the team with his arms folded. "You are persistent. I suppose that has merit. At least you have been anointed and cleaned. Humph. Now I can work."
No one moved a muscle as his beady little eyes surveyed the group.
"The first time I saw you, you were blind," Carlos said, half-ready to draw a weapon, his nerves were so shot.
"Yesterday, so were you," the old man said, and smiled. "Things change."