Marika

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Book excerpt

Chapter 1:  Marika’s Vision

Marika was squirming on the Way Meeting’s pew. The Way Readings were for big people and at five-years-old, she found them boring. Mama insisted she sit quietly with hands folded. Her green eyes looked up at the three huge golden stars above the heads of the Teacher, Brother Philip, and Brother Anton. She then shifted to look out the window. It was frosted to keep the parishioner’s eyes forward and minds on the Readers. With a sigh she sat back and bolted upright as the hate-filled words spilled into her mind.

‘Heretic! You so-called Teacher, tonight you will die!’

The message roared into her mind like red hot coals being stirred with a poker. She whimpered, grabbed her mother’s arm for protection, and snuggled closer to her mother’s body.

Venta remained intent on the final blessing and patted Marika’s arm, murmuring, “Shush, shush,” and then folding her hands as she and the rest of the congregation stood and bowed towards the Teacher.

Then the congregation waited for the Teacher, Brother Philp, and Brother Anton to march down the aisle and out the doors, before following them. Marika escaped her mother’s hand and scampered ahead to warn the Teacher. Venta’s green eyes widened in horror as her daughter pushed through the others and grabbed the Teacher’s hand.

Marika’s green eyes were wide and filled with tears. “Teacher, someone wants to kill you tonight. I heard him.” The words were a wail of fear for him.

The Teacher looked down at the child and saw the distress that had propelled her to dare such a breach in manners. He knelt beside her, his brown eyes warm and a slow smile beginning on his full face. “It’s all right, Marika, my Star Pathway will protect me.”

Marika looked doubtful. He heard Venta Strauss behind him saying, “I’m so sorry, Teacher. I will take her home immediately and make certain this never happens again.”

The Teacher stood, but as he did, he picked up Marika and hugged her before turning to Venta. She was a small, but sturdy woman of the frontier with the same green eyes as Marika.

“My, dear Mistress Strauss, to punish Marika for caring so much would be wrong. I absolutely forbid it.” He set Marika down. “She may have fallen asleep and had a bad dream.” He shook Venta’s hand and turned to the others in the line.

Venta swallowed a couple of time, but grasped Marika’s hand and marched down the steps and turned towards The Haven. They would have to walk through the gates that led out of the Silver and Green Institute as she had never been able to rebuild elsewhere. It was all she could do to provide room and food for the forty elderly woman that had somehow managed to come one, by one to her Haven.

Venta’s lips were still in a straight line and she was almost dragging Marika in her hurry to put distance between the Way Meeting congregation and her child. How many had heard that outrageous outburst? She still meant to have a “talk” with Marika. She must learn not to intrude on Teacher’s time like that, nor was she to talk with someone so important without permission.

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Night spread its cloak over the earth and Teacher looked up at the tower the Brothers had erected. The tower was built besides the Administration building and was as high as a four story building in Anoth. The top level had a four foot wall to help prevent any papers from becoming windblown. The plan called for windows and the rest to be built in, but so far, they had not installed any. Instead, they had surprised the Teacher with a fine telescope. They had taken two days to anchor the scope. Now instead of enclosing this one, they argued that it would be best to build an even higher tower and install a scope with a mirror like they had in Anoth and Port Haven.

The wind had picked up and the Teacher donned his hat and took his folio with the implements for measuring and marking the charts. He also carried his walking stick. He entered the door and climbed the spiral staircase that wound around the walls of the tower. He had told them a ladder would do, but the wood shop workers had insisted stairs would be easier and safer when carrying his equipment. Fortunately, he was in his late thirties and still sturdy from the years of hiking across the continent of Anoth while he was a Seeker looking for his Star Path Way and the ancient Institute.

Once at the top, the Teacher considered. Yes, Marika was but five-years-old, but only he and Brother Philip knew of her strange heritage. What if that also endowed her with the ability to see ahead? Jack Donald, her father, had not mentioned that, but he had insinuated that there was more to tell. There had not been time. The attack on the Haven by the Green Marauders had taken that possibility away and Jack had died trying to save Venta and his child.

The teacher placed the folio on the bench that was pushed against the wall towards the West. He took out the two sheets of paper he would use first, and the sharpened pencil. He placed the protractor on one sheet and the caliper on the other. He strode to the telescope and swung it across the heavens and returned to the bench and bent over as though writing something. That meant he was hidden from view. He placed his hat on his walking stick and from the bag at his side, he pulled out a forty inch length of wool yarn and tied the hat to the stick. These he propped against the wall and sat cross-legged on the floor. It wasn’t as though he had never studied the stars without the telescope as there had not been one until six months ago.

Within seconds the Teacher was intent upon the sky and noting the position of each dot of light. One page was almost filled when he leaned back to stretch and the shot whizzed over his head and blasted the hat from the walking stick. Splinters of wood from the walking stick flew at him and over the wall. One managed to lodge itself in his cheek. The Teacher felt the sting and reached up. He realized he must be bleeding as a red drop fell on the clean paper, and his fingers felt sticky. Below he could hear them yelling, “Teacher, are you all right?”

He certainly hoped they didn’t expect him to answer or lean over the wall. He made his way over to the stairway. He could hear someone running up them, and then realized it was Brother Anton as the call came from the stairs, “Teacher, I’m coming. Are you all right?”

“Do not come any further,” the Teacher yelled. “I should be able to descend, but it is too dangerous for anyone to stand up here.”

Brother Anton, of course, ignored the command and continued upward. The Teacher managed to swing his legs over the stairwell, and reached out to grasp the railing. He had insisted it be added. It meant the costs had risen, but he knew too well the fact that too many people could become dizzy for no reason. Right now he could feel his head spinning. Then he felt Brother Anton touching his leg.

“Teacher, you are hit. Let me help you.”

“If I move downward, is there enough room for us both to stand?” Teacher was finding it difficult to talk with the splinter of wood and blood in his cheek and mouth.

“Yes,” Brother Anton’ answered. His strong arms were steadying the Teacher and pulling him onto the stairway. “Careful, Teacher, we’ll take this one step at a time.”

The Teacher would have liked to bark at him to stop the condescending speech, but he was too woozy and his mouth had too much blood in it. Somehow Brother Anton continued to guide him downward and then out the door into the evening breeze. The Teacher spit out the blood.

“Someone run and get a stretcher. The Teacher has been wounded,” Brother Anton yelled at those milling around.

The Teacher straightened. “They should not be outside the compound,” the Teacher managed to say. “That will just mess up the tracks for anyone from the Beltran Enforcers to follow.”

“Teacher, don’t worry about that. Beltran won’t care. We are now going to the infirmary,” Brother Anton informed him.

Two brothers arrived with the stretcher and they made Teacher sit on it “I can walk,” he protested.

“It’s faster this way,” replied Brother Anton as he broke into a run with the two younger ones with the Teacher on the stretcher following him.

The infirmary was still inside the Administration Building on the right side and Brother Anton led the way into the main medical room, and pointed to the bed for them to place the Teacher.

“Shall we get Brother Everston?” The Brother at the door asked.

“No, don’t wake the good doctor.  Our Teacher isn’t shot. This is a wood splinter,” Brother Anton looked up. “Put some pillows under his head,” he ordered. Then he turned and grabbed the alcohol, swabs, and bandages.

“Someone hold the Teacher,” was his next command. That left the two young brothers staring at Brother Anton as though he were mad. How could they do such a thing? Then both realized they would be helping the Teacher and moved forward to make sure the Teacher was pinned to the bed. Brother Anton yanked out the splinter, and applied a cloth. “Hold that,” he commanded the Brother closest to him. “I’ll need to use a stitch or two to close that. “

Fifteen minutes later, Brother Anton had sent the Teacher to his room and was washing up when a sleepy Brother Philip appeared in the doorway. “How is the Teacher? Those two young dolts guarding his door, didn’t want me disturbing him.”

Brother Anton grinned at Brother Philip. “They are obeying my orders. He should be fine. It is a freak accident that the splinter even embedded itself in his cheek. It may leave a bit of a scar. Any word from those outside?”

“Of course, not. Whoever tried to murder our Teacher has disappeared. I don’t believe it would be safe for him to gaze at the Stars again. Someone else will have to do that for him. He will just have to read the charts as did the Teachers of old.”