Cinderfella

Story: Cinderfella 2: A New Life

Chapter: 25 The Lie

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Mature Readers only due to sexual situations and graphic sexual content

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The Lie

Toby came up behind Seth and me after breakfast. We were in a circle around a nice warm fire in a tee-pee on pillows. Whatever he was thinking about was torturing him. "Dads," he started, but his emotions were causing our deaf son more problems speaking. "Are you still angry with me?" He had cried before, but now it came fresh again. Neither Seth nor I were ready the previous night.

He was our child. As parents, we were supposed to be guiding him where to go and even to show him how to get there. He was suffering and I hated that he and his cousin had chosen to do something we had thought he shouldn't. I never lie to him. "I am still very angry that you feel you knew better than we do. So, yes, I'm still angry."

Seth sighed and moved to make room for Toby between us. "Have a seat, please."

"Your Dad and I have to trust you," I began. "As when we were attacked in Royal Valley...we told you to go below with Grace so we knew you were safe."

"We did the same thing leaving you in A'Dore with your Uncle Christian and Aunt Ella," Seth said. Toby missed nothing. His peripheral vision had sharpened so much he clearly saw what Seth and I both told him.

"When we tell you and Thomas to do something next time," I began, "Are you going to do it?"

"Yes!" Our deaf son swore, kind of. He really can't yell or even whisper and feeling the difference was tough and I still marveled he could talk at all.

"How will we know?" Seth asked. "You said you'd listen and wait in A'Dore, but here you are."

I sighed, "I don't want to minimalize this," I began. "Will we get over this?" I gave a wobbling shrug, "I hope so." I did turn to look more directly at him. "I hope we survive..." I watched Toby's eyes widen. I nodded, "Yes, even with Demetrius' protection we could be killed." I waved at the world beyond the tee-pee. "This Wahkoowah is getting people killed. This is very serious!" He might not express emotions with his voice, but he showed it on his face. "When we met on the floor of that hotel when you crawled in my lap, you climbed in my heart and I vowed to God, you and your mother I would never allow you to be harmed. I love you and Dennis. I'd give my life to help you and your brother!"

"Your Dad and I both do," Seth said, "We are both mad as hornets about this, but we both love you. That won't ever stop."

Toby was crying but tried to see what we said to him, "I swear, I will do whatever you say. I will."

I smiled a little at him. "You are a miracle, son. You are so talented and smart. You'll do some amazing things. I know it."

"Me, too." Seth smiled and we hugged him between us. "Enough about this." He suddenly sat back. "You and Thomas traveled alone?" Toby nodded and Seth's eyes grew. "What did you eat?"

Toby grinned and shrugged. "I also read about setting traps. We had rabbit, fish, and wild roots." He shook his head. "Thomas can cook!"

I sat up straighter, "He can?"

Toby nodded again. "He had that taught by Jason, the Head of Security training?"

I laughed thinking of the man, "Oh, yes. I know Jason well. He taught me how to fence."

"I can help, Dads!" Toby declared. "I brought something I was working on." He jumped up, but before...whatever he hugged Seth and me hard. "I love you, and I know this will help." He ran off and came back with a large leather sack. He began digging in it and produced a strange...stick? It was the length of a crutch, but I saw it was a hollow tube of metal, maybe?

"What on Earth..." Seth began as he asked taking it as Toby handed it to him.

"It's a fire lance," Toby replied quickly as he dug for more from the sack. He paused as he thought, "Well, in China it is a fire lance." It was a little comical as our son got charged up with excitement, he got harder to understand. He was saying something that was getting garbled as his attempts to speak caused problems even for Toby. He sighed with frustration and put the sack down and began signing again. "Sorry," he signed. "I'll use the other way. In China about five or six hundred years ago, they developed the fire lance. They came up with this combination of elements that explode when a flame is added." He huffed as if tired from signing so fast. "They created this..." he had to think how to say it, "this fire tube can send a projectile a great distance!"

"A projectile of what?" Seth asked.

Toby shrugged, "The fire tubes in China were made from bamboo or other woods." He spoke again. "They tried metal to make it possible to fire something heavier farther and cause more damage." He was getting excited again and resumed signing. "This can be carried and do it farther!" He shrugged and handed us a small leather bag of things that made a sound almost like coins. I pulled one tiny metal balls out and rolled it in my hand. Rocks are unpredictable, but these were made to be correct.

"They had a book of this at the Book Lender!?" I asked in surprise.

Toby smiled again a little embarrassed. "Not exactly, I was told about the other book of Asianic Weaponry at the Book Lender when I got the one about the gauntlet. So, when we went to A'Dore in the past, I looked and found it in the military archive."

Seth held the long tube up, "Your Dad and I really need to be aware of what you read!" He tried to figure out this fire lance just by looking at it. "How do you use it?"

Now Toby bounced, "I've tested it. It works!" He went back to signing. "I'll show you outside!" He smiled. "I'm told it's loud, so..."

Seth looked confounded at me, "He's ten!"

I chuckled, "Yes." I patted Seth on the back, "And you know what's also scary? He learned to speak and about all this without our knowing about it. Imagine what he'll be like in ten more years." I watched as Seth's eyes widened under the weight of what I said.

We weren't in Royal Valley, that was clear. It was cold. Not cool, it was cold. The dampness just seemed to eat through any clothing we wore. Except for the thick fur. It kept the bear, cougar, and other animals warm in the winter, it did for us now. Chitto had been invited to see this, too. As with Thomas, Max, Val, Reese, and Beau. Chitto had spoken to members of this tribe and was told of a safe area. Toby worked on the one fire tube. He got out another small sack. I had seen what was used for fireworks to send them in the air. He used a long stick to pack down the powder, after he put a fuse in a hole, dropped one of the little metal balls in and lit the fuse. It sparked and fed the flame of the fuse toward the little hole as he propped up the tube. When the flame got there, there was a loud "thunder crack" sound, making everyone jump. We saw a branch near the bottom of a tree have a sort of eruption and fall away.

Beau again summed up what we all felt saying, "That was very loud." He had covered his ears after the loud bang. Probably because his ears still rang with the sound even as it was over. It did in mine.

"That's an understatement," I muttered. Of course, Toby didn't hear it, but someone told Toby. "That's impressive," I admitted. "You aimed for the tree?"

"Yes," Toby answered. "It can be accurately aimed up to about a hundred feet or less. The numbers rise the further away you are."

"How'd you keep this secret?" I asked squinting at him, "A noise like that will bring people running, I would think."

"Not all the time," Toby said. "I didn't fire often." He chuckled, "I made sure things were set up correctly and did it, but..." he began signing again. "When they did come, no one would even ask me if I heard something." He enjoyed that.

We all went to the tree and saw the damage. It wasn't an old or rotting tree, but the damage was evident. It this had been a human body...I shuddered at the thought. The splintering of young wood, I couldn't imagine what would happen to a human body. I wasn't sure about the new armor. Would it stop the projectile?

"This should be as a last resort," I said quietly. I had eyes look at me curiously. I looked at Toby. "How many do you have?"

"Three, including this one," Toby answered.

I sighed, "Our friends in the many tribes don't see people we consider mad as being..." I gave a frustrated shrug, "well, mad. If a man says he sees or hears something we don't, is he mad? Or can he see and hear what we can't? Who's to say it's just inside the man's head? He's often considered to be touched by the gods."

"But he's nuts!" Max argued.

It was the perfect word. Short, concise, and expressed surprise so well. I chuckled with a shrug. "By what authority can you say that?" I shook my head. "He has a following." I began, "People believe him and we risk creating a martyr by killing him. Then we'll never get rid of him."

Chitto nodded, "Erik's right."

"About what exactly!?" Seth asked.

"All of it," Chitto said. "The many tribes don't see human nature as one or the other. We know there are many shades to a man's personality. We also don't see evil as much as those from Europa." He chuckled he threw a chummy arm around my shoulder, "Such as our excepting Erik's marriage to Seth."

I nodded, "And they weren't surprised when told about Demetrius. This...Wahkoowah can access some of the magic." I saw Reese's and Val's face and hurried on, "You came to A'Dore by what many claims is magic, but you know it works." I waved at Seth, "I offer him as proof. Do you see any scarring? Miracle or magic his scars are gone." I looked at them all, "He knew about the magic and thought he could access it."

Chitto nodded, "He's also right about the martyr thing." He shrugged, "I don't believe one of your disciples weren't martyred. I'm not sure he won't be if we do or don't."

"He needs to be discredited and then exposed?" Max said to see if he understood.

I nodded, "Preferably." I smiled at him. "But first, though...we need to find him." As we gathered things together to leave, I stopped Toby. "This is impressive," I admitted. "I will also say this also scares me."

Seth walked over, "Me, too." He waved his hand as Toby, "You're ten!!"

I nodded, "We were warned." I said to Seth.

"Yes," Seth agreed. "We were." He waved at Toby. "You're ten!"

"The fact we didn't know is scary," I said.

"That you were handling something dangerous is scary!" Seth added. "You could have been badly hurt, lose fingers, or become blind and even killed!"

"I was careful," Toby defending weakly.

"I'm sure you were," I nodded. "I have no doubt you took every precaution you could think of. You're brilliant." I pointed to the sack of powder. "You never brought this in the house, have you?"

Toby held the sack up, "Not like this. I've brought the charcoal and sulfur in the house and I brought the saltpeter in, but ground together? No."

"Good," I nodded, "Your brother is very smart, too. He could hurt himself. I wouldn't be doing my job as a parent if I let this slide. There is no way this is isn't over, but I'm proud of you."

"The problem is," Seth went on, "You are too smart. You may think you understand and maybe we won't."

"But you tell us before you do anything like this again," Yes, I did the parental finger-shake in his face.

"If we aren't getting it," Seth suggested, "try using smaller words."

Smirking, I elbowed Seth lightly in the gut causing Toby to laugh. "And don't give up," I added. "If we're still not getting it, explain again to get us to see it as what you want us to and what you want to do, but never," I held the finger steady, "and I mean never," I did tap his forehead lightly, "do it alone again. Smart people can have accidents, too."

Toby nodded with a shy smile, "Yes, sir."

He moved t resume gathering his things, but I stopped him, "Not good enough." I made him look me in the face. "You state your understanding verbally and in sign. We need to be sure."

Toby thought a moment and put the few things down and sighed as he consented. Raising his hands he signed and spoke his promise. "I will not hide my experiments from you or experiment with potentially dangerous substances without telling you again."

Seth looked at me, "Is that good enough?"

I thought about what he said and replied reluctantly, "For now."

What Demetrius and Dara explained a decade before, Seth and I knew Toby would do amazing things, but just as with Seth, I was unprepared for this so soon! He was a ten-year-old boy! I hated it when grownup predictions came true. To me, it seemed to take forever to get the age of double digits! I said that at this age and told I would see it differently soon. It was different now!

As we were putting the finishing touches to get ready to head out again when He-lush-ka, the Ute tribal warrior to originally greeted us in Ute territory, came jogging up.

Just a little information for you, they had ways of sending messages the great distances between tribes. Quickly over some miles, they used smoke to send messages. I had learned a little as a child from my cousins to read some of that which worked well during the day. At greater distances, a message with a lot of content was sent by runners. A more detailed message needed a person to deliver the message. There were still some tribes that didn't use a written language and...sorry, I got off-topic. The runners could run day and night without stopping. They covered hundreds of miles in a matter of days. Some were said to be faster than any deer! When those Vikings, Espanians and Brits, we came with horses, they weren't just here, that was over a thousand years ago! Some horses broke free or got loose and bred in the wild, but until then the runners were it. Looking around the terrain, I'd guess runners were preferred with all the twists, turns, dips, and other hazards.

He-lush-ka was a warrior but wasn't a runner as he panted a little and touched Chitto and said something quickly to him. Chitto's face became confused a moment as he asked He-lush-ka a question.

"We're asked to go back to speak with Dyami again," Chitto reported and said something again to He-lush-ka. "Our friend here doesn't know why."

We entered Dyami's tee-pee again, but he was a hard man to read. The day prior he had been casual and at ease. He was...preoccupied now. His blank, white eyes turned to us as we entered. "This has never happened before." He was upset, but not angry. Not exactly. "Sit." He more ordered than offered. "What I saw yesterday?" He asked. "Was a lie!"

"We need a little more," I said. "All of it? Parts of it? What?"

"I'm not really sure," Dyami then seemed to look up, but he didn't see so... "What I told you about was inaccurate. It was a world of things I was shown to tell you about. That was the lie!" He reached over and grabbed a clay jar. The same jar he used the day before. "I began my daily rituals and..." he searched for the right word, "something was off." That's when he became more animated, "That should be impossible!" He was again trying to find a way to describe it. "I struggle with how to explain what I see in words...it's like when someone tried to tell me about the color red! How do you do that when I have no clue what you're talking about?" He evened his breathing. "This morning, I read the situation again. It was exactly the same!"

Chitto nodded, "I take it that's not a good thing."

"No!" Dyami stated, "It's impossible! Two sunny days, the exact same temperature and no variation in events just don't happen. This morning it was exactly the same and the night before." He shook his head. "It was created for me to see and believe it is real." He put the jar down and picked another one up. "I made this new see elixir. It's very strong and I was shown what was really there." He shook his head. "It gets worse each time now." He poured some of his elixir on the coals and there was the familiar sizzle. The smoke rose waved toward Dyami's face again only this time he pulled away from it as if it was badly soured milk or worse. He let out a grunt and didn't hide his adverse gastric reaction and he repressed a little gag and retching. Even my untrained sense of smell got this burnt flesh smell. I had gone with Christian to a village once where they had a bad fire and the smell of burned human flesh was nauseating. Now, there was the smell of human waste and other rotting garbage and you'll get a better understanding of this smell.

"And none of this is because you mixed the elixir wrong," Max said carefully.

Dyami gave a look with a face that said he had to be joking, "I mixed it three times. If I didn't know better, I'd think a Yendalooshi was involved." He stopped a second and said, "That's a witch."

"Aren't they Navajo?" Chitto asked.

"I'm sure they're more than willing to share," Dyami muttered. "Unlike the God you worship," he pointed in my direction and Seth's, "our deities and spirits are capable of good and bad. There are many tricksters. A great spirit can do something miraculous and the kill out of simple jealousy the next. Few are solely good or evil." He waved the smoke into his face again and his reaction was pretty much as the last time. "Wahkoowah believes it is Tawa that speaks through him. It isn't. Whoever it is can hide what he is and makes it hard to see Truth."

"But it's a Child of Eve, not Lilith!" I stated and then closed my mouth quickly. "Sorry."

Dyami smiled, lowering his arm. "You know more than you admit to." It wasn't an accusation and more of a confirmation.

"We know a lot," Seth admitted.

I sighed, giving Dyami a condensed version of Demetrius, Dara, Lulus, Le Nah, and what they said they were.

Dyami chuckled and nodded, "The story of Prince Charming and Cinderella has traveled here, too. Truelove's Kiss also."

"Truelove's kiss?" Seth smiled but questioned.

"The story about you two!" Dyami stated simply. "An evil wizard cast an evil curse on a young prince who was scarred and cured with truelove's kiss given by Prince Eric."

"That beats the Hell out of Cinderfellas," Seth muttered to me.

"You know of the Children of Eve and the Children of Lilith?" I asked.

Dyami chuckled, "I do! They have appeared to many of us over the many centuries."

I looked up in the air, "Demetrius! I know you're listening."

Someone came in the tee-pee and stood up straight in the tee-pee. "Yes, I'm always listening."

"What's going on?" Seth asked Demetrius. "Is it a Child of Eve?"

"Yes!" Demetrius swore and he gave grudging shrugging nod. "My guess is he's a prodigy. Some people are gifted at math or music. He's a prodigy accessing the magic!"

"You knew that!?" I asked.

Demetrius grunted, "I didn't know then," he pointed to his right, "I wasn't sure later," he moved his hand closer. "I do now." He pointed in front of him. "I'm getting more now." He frowned. "The Children of Eve access magic differently than Children of Lilith. It is harder to track."

Seth threw his hands out. "We can't access magic at all!"

"That's not true!" Demetrius shot back irritated. "We still don't know who cured your scars! It wasn't a Child of Lilith!"

Dyami was listening and hearing this new voice, his head cocked. "Have we met?"

Demetrius turned leaned in toward Dyami. "No. I'm Demetrius. I'm Erik's and Seth's Fairy Godfather."

I laughed, "You said you weren't anymore!"

Demetrius rolled his eyes. "Semantics!" He gave me a look. "Are we still family?" He placed his arms with Dyami's in greeting.

"What's going on here?" A woman's voice demanded, but in a nonhostile way. A woman I didn't recognize suddenly appeared. Seth, Toby, and I had gotten used to the sudden appearances. Max, Chitto, and Thomas jumped startled, but not alarmed. Val, Beau, and Reese had their hands on their swords ready to fight.

"Ceto!" Demetrius' greeted as his eyes widened as he smiled. He stopped and thought. "It's been a while!"

"A hundred and twenty years." She greeted Demetrius with a hug.

"She's a Child of Lilith!?" Seth pointed at her with his mouth open in shock.

Demetrius nodded, "She is!"

Here was the confusion part, for me as well! I hate to admit it, but meeting Demetrius I wasn't surprised that he looked like us! I'll explain it. Chitto and I are cousins, but we are of different...races? We are Humans and of the same species. That's how Christian's and my Great-Grandmother was Muscogee and we had several members of the Cherokee Tribe. After almost fifteen hundred years...we better! This woman was gorgeous! I'm very serious! She tugged at a part of me I thought would be unknown.

No. I had no desire to have an affair with her, but...(sorry, Ella) she was in my book the prettiest woman I'd ever seen. In her middle to her late thirties and a brunette! Sam's Queen Theresa was a brunette, but this woman... Her hair was a rich dark, dark brown, but clearly not black as with Christian, Seth, Toby...all of us. While Ella had a fair complexion because of her ancestry with Vikings, this Ceto was dark like Chitto and his father. She looked more like an Aborigine. Almost. Ceto's hair was straight but cascaded in a long luxurious wave past her shoulders. Demetrius, Dara, and Lukus looked like they'd stepped off a boat from Europa! I knew Demetrius had a Child of Eve as a husband for three decades in Italia before Dara. Ceto was dressed in light-colored deerskin.

"She looks like many women from the tribes!" Seth stated.

Ceto looked down and held her arms out, "Do I?"

"You had other Ethnicities as Children of Lilith?" I asked.

Demetrius chuckled, "According to the Old Scrolls, you all descended from Noah and his wife. After the flood mankind came from them."

"We missed that boat," Ceto chuckled.

"What was the Ethnic Group Adam and Lilith came from?" Demetrius asked and pointed to himself and Ceto, "We don't even know!"

"From those scrolls, you find out that these people, those from Europa, Asia, and Africa came from the same people," Ceto said, "but did they?"

"The Tower of Babel maybe?" I asked weakly.

Ceto grudged a nod, "That's a good possibility, but that's just conjecture with no proof."

Max and the others relaxed a bit and he took his hand off his sword. "I heard about the Tower of Babel, but can you remind me, please?"

"After the floodwaters receded," I began, "The generations of man from the ark resulted in one people and one language. Pride and confident they could do anything, they began to build this tower to reach Heaven and God."

"That's impossible," Toby said simply.

"Noah? You mean Noah and the ark!?" Max asked in disbelief.

"Yep," I nodded and grinned at my son, "They didn't know that and started to build the Tower." I laughed at a thought, "I even remember it said that God laughed at our audacity." I shrugged. "To complicate things God changed the languages of the people. My instructor even speculated he changed their Ethnic Groups. The man working next to you was now a different race and you couldn't understand him anymore." I looked at Seth, "It's just a theory."

"And a very good one!" Ceto added impressed.

"The Tower of Babel affected you?" Seth asked doubtfully.

Demetrius shrugged, "It takes a thousand generations of men living in an area to cause changes. A lot of sun or a little sun changes things. Is it warm or cold? Your bodies were created to react and make the necessary changes." He waved at himself. "This is what I am. It's been like this for hundreds of years."

"You're balding a little by choice?" I asked with a grin.

Demetrius shrugged, "The image of myself in my mind looks this way." He physically changed to look...I didn't recall ever seeing him before. He quickly changed back. "I can hold the other form, but I have to think about it constantly. This, I don't. I just am."

"Is this the real you?" I asked and he merely shrugged with a grin.

"Fine," Seth muttered, "but these names! What happened to Liz, Karen, Jane, or any other name we're comfortable with?"

Demetrius nodded and growled, "Yep, it's all about you, isn't it?"

"Never mind about that," I said to Demetrius and Seth. "How is Wahkoowah doing this..." I wasn't sure what to call it, "this creating a false world for you to see?"

"Good question," Dyami nodded. "He was thorough with it. Everything was complete." He chuckled, but held his hand up, "But he didn't count on me. My visions don't require vision at all. Other shamans or oracles use what they're given to see with to see things. I don't."

"He may not know about you," Seth suggested.

"I don't believe he does," Dyami admitted nodding. "He may know of a Medicine Man or Shaman with Weeminuche People, but he doesn't know how my vision works. He went into fine detail, but it was constructed."

"How'd he do that?" I asked.

Ceto came closer, "Perceptions are easy."

Demetrius nodded, "We did it with Arthur Thorne's home, remember?" He had a look of pleading on his face. "We did it with all of Royal Valley and with Grace while she was in the house! If you ask her, she will tell you about men working hard for weeks on the new house, but would have trouble remembering who they were."

"I remember," Seth said, "But this is a bit different." He shook his head, "When there needed to be an explanation, you gave them one. Yes, it was a deception, but when Lukus blocked you from seeing Sam he didn't give you a false sensation that Sam was dead. You were blocked from seeing him at all."

I nodded, "That's right! Giving everyone an explanation to prevent concern or worry is one thing. It really was to stop questions from even starting. I don't recall anyone asking about the house's construction. This thing with Wahkoowah is a lie!"

"That's really different," Seth continued. "Even Len Na," he glanced at Max, "As nuts as she was, she didn't lie. Her purpose just became confused."

"And in that confusion," I went further, "Many people died."

Dyami sighed, "I felt you needed to know more about Wahkoowah. No one is perfect. There are spirits and beings we hold reverence with. As I said, they can be good and bad. You needed to know, this man is evil. Pure and simple. He presents himself as one kind of being but is another. From what I understand, I believe you call him Satan."

There were several gasps from those with us.

Val strode forward then, "Okay, everyone stop for a moment." He looked frustrated now as his "intelligence" was being challenged. "Noah, from the scriptures. You spoke of the Children of Eve and Children of Lilith. Do you mean Eve as in Adam and Eve?"

"Yes." I nodded. "The Garden of Eden...all of it." I recognized the look on Val's face as he struggled to accept what he trusted we'd tell the truth, but his mind was telling him "it couldn't be." Quickly, I explained who Demetrius and Ceto were. How Dara helped Ella win my brother Christian over and my getting Seth. I explained about Len Na. I left out the part where Len Na knew if she got rid of the Children of Eve, Children of Lilith would once again give birth. I explained the disease she started and I explained how the juice from the Forbidden Fruit saved Christian and in fact flowed through Val's blood right now.

"And there is no proof of any of it," Seth shrugged and waved at Demetrius and Cote, "except they can do amazing things and those little warriors in your body. They can't even prove it and they live almost a thousand years!"

Val was nodding as he listened, but it was one of those "of course" nods. He still wasn't believing it, but how could he argue? People appear out of nowhere, they traveled a thousand miles in a single minute. And don't forget the fact he hasn't had even a cold in years. "Fine." He stated flatly. "I'll work on this, but Lilith?" He pounded his own forehead lightly to get what he was told in his head, as he paced back and forth. "I read a passage about a wife before Eve, but she became a demon!"

I chuckled, "I took issues with that, too." I shook my head. "She isn't a demon, not the woman I met."

Val's eyes widened now. "You met!?" He balked. "You met Lilith!?" He pointed straight down for unknown reasons. "You met the real Lilith?"

"We both did," Seth confirmed.

"Are Adam or Eve alive?" Val asked.

"No," I answered. "They ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Lilith did not. She wasn't thrown out of Eden but left. She and Adam were created immortal."

Ceto bounced and clapped, "You are right, Demetrius. These two Children of Eve are very smart! Bravo! That makes a lot of sense."

"Whatever the Church started out as," Seth began, "They gained power and began using the Church to say what we can and can't do." He shook his head. "My father didn't trust priests."

I nodded in agreement, "My family didn't either. It was more than just Seth and I can't marry or even have a relationship. My Grandfather refused to let the members of the Church from going into the surrounding villages and force people to convert or die." I smiled. "I can go on and on, but," I turned to Val. "You're life and your spiritual journey is yours. No one is saying do it this way or die."

Dyami was nodding, "And there is the problem. Wahkoowah is presenting himself as speaking for a deity. He is smiling and winning people to him by this lie." He pointed at no one, but said, "That's where it smells the worst."

"The smell of burnt human flesh, human feces, and rotting garbage?" Toby asked.

Dyami smiled, "You could smell that?"

Toby shook his head, "How can anyone miss it?" He looked at me. "Right after the attack on Royal Valley. That's when I first smelled it coming off the battlefield."

I had gotten it, too. A little. Dyami and Toby had lost senses, Dyami lost his sight and Toby lost his hearing and they both had other senses enhanced to make up for it. Toby knew what Grace was cooking when he was still outside and a good distance away. Once, I challenged him on the way home. He knew we were having baked chicken and what it was seasoned with...and the green beans, potatoes, tomato and zucchini pie, and her special crushed apple cake! He swore he hadn't known that before school and he was right. I didn't doubt him.

"But Satan?" Max asked. "Do you know about Satan?"

Dyami chuckled, "I do! Being aware of other philosophies is important. The God you follow and Saints are a big part of you. Wasn't he called Lucifer?"

I nodded, "That's right. He was originally an Archangel and trusted by God."

Dyami cocked his head. "This Wahkoowah is presenting himself as someone who can lead the way and to follow him."

"So," Max said carefully, "he's not the Satan." He wanted to be sure.

"No," Dyami replied. "He's Human."

"Could he fool you?" Toby asked. Dyami looked up quickly. He couldn't see anything, but you felt he could. Toby didn't back away. "Yesterday he did. Could he be doing it now?"

Dyami wasn't angry or annoyed. "I could be, but like the lie yesterday, I would smell it's spoiled like I did this morning."

"Wait," I said, getting confused and turning to Chitto. "Is it just the Muskogee? There are no priests in your population. No churches as such. You said religion is more or less a way of life. No one converts."

Chitto nodded, "That's right." He looked at the many curious faces of the many confused European descendants in this tee-pee. "I know with you, it matters if you believe in God or don't. That determines where you move to after death. Our deities could care less if you believe in them or don't. They're still there. It doesn't affect your afterlife. It's who you are that matters."

"There are people such as myself that are shamans and medicine men are often consulted about spiritual needs," Dyami said. "Shamans don't necessarily have a connection with any religion. We direct rituals that connect with nature. I was gifted with my ability to see when I can't physically see at all. Over the years I developed ways to read what is in this world others can not. I'm not always right. I can make mistakes."

Seth shrugged, "No one's perfect." He grinned.

Dyami picked up the new jar of...whatever he made to pour on the coals and "saw" the world through the smell. "This is a precisely measured content of elements from The Plant Kingdom, or the three sisters; corn seed, bean seeds, and squash seeds. There is the Animal Kingdom, soil from Mother Earth and I added powdered forms of flint and amethyst to ground and calm." He chuckled. "I even added agate to help with worry."

Chitto nodded, "Our spiritual practices are to help keep things in balance with the spirits, the Earth, and each other."

I couldn't help it. The feelings were so nice and so comfortable, I hugged Chitto.

Dyami smiled, "I think there are some here who feel that connection now."

How did he do that? He saw that?

"I've known some Cherokee and these of the Muscogee Creek," I said, "And one of the most beautiful things about them is this Holy reverence for the land and animals." I waved at Chitto. "He and I hunted together once!" I emphasized. "Two years before I even met Seth! He had told me about Fayetu, the god of the hunt...after a few rabbits, I had heard him saying something each time. So, I asked. He was thanking Fayetu and the spirit of each rabbit for their sacrifice!" I threw my hands out. "I loved it!" I turned to Seth. "At the Hunt right before the Ball where I named you as my choice. The words you said to Darius about his callous disregard for the buck's life and you said it was wrong to waste what God has given you." I grinned, "That won me over!"

Dyami nodded, "We call that god Herne." He shrugged. "But, it's the same god."

"There is a lot of Este Mvskokvlke in you," Chitto nodded and turned to Seth. "You must have a tribe in you. Erik recognized something in you." Seth's reply was a shrug.

"My point is," I continued. "There were bands of priests and monks that roamed the countryside. They want to convert everyone. You don't."

Dyami nodded with a shrug, "We don't have to, but once in a while, a great Chief and warrior will come along, offering to show a way to greatness. That is what Wahkoowah is offering everyone."

"To everyone?" Seth asked. "The few men who weren't from a tribe, but not citizens of Blethos or A'Dore have been outlaws."

"A good question for Wahkoowah!" Dyami nodded.

"When we find him," Max muttered.

Dyami poured again from his jar and the sizzle came again and those ghost-like tendrils of smoke rose.

"How is it smelling different?" Toby asked Dyami.

Dyami smiled again, "Because the situation has changed. What are you smelling now?"

"I still smell the burnt flesh," Toby replied. He shrugged, "I even smell the fecal matter and rotten...something, but it's not as strong. Now, I get this clean soap smell." He looked at me, "Like those fancy soaps from the Parisian Shoppe, but I also smell sweat;" He turned to Seth. "Like you after working in the vineyard all day. It's not bad, but just strong like you."

Dyami smiled even more and relaxed, "Okay. Is there a meaning to this? What impression are you getting?"

Toby didn't hesitate, "That part is coming to a conclusion and will get better, but will take a little work?" He answered more like a question rather than a certainty. "Is that right?"

Dyami shrugged, "It wasn't my reading."

"How do I know if I got it right?" Toby asked.

"You'll know," Dyami said. "Just as I knew this morning I had been fooled last night." He grinned. "There were finer points you didn't mention, but that comes with exposure, but if I ever need someone to do this for me a while, you'd be perfect."

Ceto reached over and slapped Demetrius on the arm lightly, "You said they were hard to work with! You haven't guided a single step yet!"

Demetrius recoiled from the non-painful slap and frowned pointing at us, "It took Dara, Lukus, and I a decade of pretty intense work to get them here!" He turned and pointed at her. "And it's not fair to compare your people with my people!"

"They're all Children of Eve!" Ceto argued.

"Yes," Demetrius nodded with a finger of exception, "but at least your people knew there was magic and aren't as surprised as my lovely people are by it! Something miraculous happens and my people get all upset and look for demons and witches, yours just accepts it!" He waved at me. "I started off from nothing!"

"Hey!" Seth objected.

"Almost every one of you," Demetrius pointed at me and Seth. He came toward me a little, "Even you to a point, after finding out I was different, you all asked if I was a demon." He looked at me. "Not as much with you, because you asked me to come!" He started counting off others, "There was Sam, Terry," he pointed at me again, "you're brother Christian..."

"And made you family!" I argued with a grin. "There is a new Reformation happening in Europa. Protestants. The Disciples all did these traveling conversion trips. Is Wahkoowah doing that here?"

"He refuses their worship," Dyami said, "and that just makes it worse!"

"What?" Thomas asked. He hadn't spoken to me or Seth that morning. He messed up! He was cowering away from any reprisals Seth and I would give him. He was right. Toby had at least spoken and gotten some of the reprisals already. Thomas had not. Physically he was an adult now and capable of making his own choices. Seth and I weren't his parents, but as Dilbert wasn't here to protect him, or his father, it fell to us.

Again, I hated the adult prophecies that came true. He was an adult now, but I saw him as a baby! When he started to walk, talk...I shook my head. "You've met people with false modesty and humility," I said to Thomas. "You pay them a compliment and they deny the truth, but also can't get enough. Saying no to the compliment encourages people to continue complimenting them. Your Dad discovered that. He compliments, but stops it there when it's denied."

"Which makes his followers worship him even more," Dyami said.

"How does that make any sense?" Thomas asked.

"I know your Dad taught you to receive compliments as well as give them," I said to Thomas. "If someone thanks you by mistake, point out the error but accept it. You know that."

He poured some of his elixir on the coals and inhaled, "These people that follow Wahkoowah like this will gladly step in the line of fire for him. Be very careful." He smiled at what he "saw." "Your search will end in two days."

"That's..." Max began slowly, "is some very unusual stuff you use to smell all that."

"Yes, it is," Dyami chuckled.

We went again to the horses to resume our journey.

"Uncle Erik," Thomas came to us, but his head was lowered and appeared much younger. "What can I say?"

Seth shook his head, "This is unfamiliar territory for me. Ask your Uncle Erik."

I sighed and stopped walking, "You know you were to come with us." I stated. "You are. In A'Dore or Blethos a young man can marry at sixteen. He can work, earn wages, and pay for housing then. The general consensus between two separate countries was he needs to be eighteen to be better able to understand any contract he enters with that country." I smiled. "That's why it was important I married Seth after my birthday." I took him by the shoulders. "Legally, you are an adult and can decide for yourself." I raised the exception finger, "But, you are special. You are A'Dore's Crowned Prince. Nothing can happen to you."

Thomas grunted but didn't say anything. He'd done this when he was smaller and he was thinking something he shouldn't. He also knew he'd be fussed at if he did say it.

"What?" I called him on it. "Go ahead, say it."

"It's damned unfair!" Thomas shouted. "Because I am who I am, I can't do anything!?"

"Unfair!?" Seth bellowed. "It was unfair that you had three meals a day? Unfair to have clean clothes, and for you to have parents that love you and..."

"Stop," I said softly to Seth. "He knows this," I assured him. "But he's right."

"He is?" Seth asked and Thomas blinked and said, "I am?"

"Absolutely," I said with a smile. "Is it fair? Hell, no! Life isn't fair!" I nodded getting nearer my nephew's startled face. "While other children struggle with having enough to eat, a comfortable and warm bed, Thomas lives in a palace, has the best education, nutritious meals...this is something he's heard for years growing up." I chuckled and leaned closer to Thomas a little. "I had that when I lived in the palace." I gave a grudging nod, "Our roles were only slightly different, Thomas. I had to be there just in case I needed to step in. The years passed and you were born, pushing me away. Your sisters would have to step in if anything happened to you and me. Edward came and I was pushed farther away again, but I was married to Seth then. When the threat Anastasia posed, if she succeeded, I would have to step in again." I looked back at Seth. "You had it a little when your father gave the crown to you, but I knew my entire life." I pulled Thomas closer. "You're given so much, but allowed almost nothing."

Thomas was now nodding, "That's right. I see something that interests me, but I can't go do it." He pointed at a memory he saw. "Sometimes, the palace workers would have to bring their children to work..."

I nodded and looked at Seth, "Not every day, but if their caretaker was sick or injured," I laughed, "and not all of them at once."

"Right," Thomas nodded, "but sometimes two or more were there. They'd play in the Palace Courtyard and I could see them and it looked like fun," he shrugged, "but I couldn't. I either had lessons or something else to do."

"I know," I smiled. "You made friends with the others Jason was training, didn't you?"

"Yes," Thomas nodded, "but we never pal around after practice. I can never go to a tavern and unwind with them." He blew a frustrated breath, "but I hear about the good time later and I never get that. My whole life is structured and the outcome is determined." He shook his head. "I have no say about any of it! I will take Dad's place."

I nodded again, "That's right. I knew I would most likely be given in marriage to form an alliance. No love for my intended wife," I chuckled at Thomas, "and it would be a wife, but the situation in Blethos..." I waved it off, "you know it. You knew it at six! Your Dad sort of broke that tradition and married your Mom. You know there is a duty you have."

Thomas looked away, nodded, and said glumly, "Yes." Then he looked directly at me. "How can I prove myself if I can't do anything? You did. Dad did..."

I nodded, "The situations will arise, I promise."

"I don't want you angry with me," Thomas said.

"Too bad," I shrugged, "I am. You and your cousin followed us here!"

Thomas' eyes widened, "No." He shook his head. "I left and he followed me! I didn't know it for three or four days!"

"You came through the mirror and what?" Seth asked. "Whose horse is that?" He pointed to the horse that was waiting patiently. He looked at the horse, "I remember him a little."

Thomas nodded, "He's your horse. You had six in the barn." He looked at us. "You're my uncles, it's not stealing."

I grudged a nod, "Well, you borrowed him without our knowledge, so...yes, you did."

"I'll give him back!" Thomas defended, "I'm family!"

"Who would know that in Royal Valley?" Seth asked with a laughing question. "Grace would," he began to speak of the possibilities, "but you got to Royal Valley with no horse, to borrow a horse? Only Grace would know how you got there."

"You couldn't talk to her," I reasoned. "She would have thrown you back through the doorway! Three or four days until Toby caught up with you. You were in Creid?"

"Yes," Thomas admitted.

"And you couldn't tell anyone in authority," I said, "they would tell King Yannick and he would have you escorted back to Royal Valley and they would throw you back in A'Dore!"

"Probably personally," Seth added.

There was a two-edged sword with Toby. He learned to speak out loud, but he couldn't really vary his tone or add emotion to his voice. You know he couldn't whisper. The other edge was we couldn't shout or whisper either. Or should I say, we could, he could see the anger or whatever, but he couldn't hear it. His vision was better than anyone or thing is known about. Volume wasn't necessary. He could see and understand conversations no human could expect to hear and understand.

"The reason Tom didn't," Toby began as he got close enough, "is because I threatened him."

Seth looked puzzled, "You," he pointed at Toby and then at Thomas, "threatened him?"

Toby shrugged and looked guilty, "You have to know-how. Not with violence or anything like that, but..."

"He threatened to tell everyone what I was doing," Thomas growled looking at his cousin. "They would stop me and haul me back to Royal Valley! Then he'd tell Grace and she would send me home! I wasn't ready to do that!"

"Aha!" I said in a loud shout. "Now, we get to what I am angry about." I kept my voice stern, but I hoped I didn't sound as angry as I felt. "To keep out of trouble, you endangered your ten-year-old cousin?"

Thomas threw his hands out. "It was too late! We couldn't go back without problems." Thomas waved at his cousin, "And I don't think of him as ten. He's no child! He hasn't been in a few years!"

"You're wrong!" Seth shook his head. "He is a child. He is your uncle's and my child! And he always will be even when he has children of his own!"

I nodded, "Or even when he has grandchildren!" I added.

"If we're still here," Seth muttered.

"He threatened you?" I asked as I was kind of amused that Thomas said Toby could. I tried to keep that from my face.

Thomas nodded vigorously, "Oh, yes." What also amused me was Thomas' bosom-buddy hug to Toby. "You see this cute little boy." He squeezed Toby's cheeks as he looked at Toby. "I see this guy who is a sneaky, conniving, genius." Thomas leaned toward us. "I want to keep him on my side."

Toby rolled his eyes and said, "Don't be idiotic, Tom."

Say what you will. Hard feelings aside, they were family and comfortable with each other. They weren't just allies. We would protect them both. We hugged them both. "As I said to Toby. This isn't over by a longshot."

Seth nodded, "But we'd love front row seats when you tell your Mother in person, Thomas."

I laughed as Thomas' face got a little worried.

"I have to say," Ceto said behind me, "You and Seth are amazing people, Erik."

Turning to her, I again noticed that she was exceptionally, breathtakingly beautiful. Again, just to be clear, there are paintings and sculptures I find breathtaking, but I don't want to mate with them. Keep that in mind and don't forget that. Her skin was dark like Chitto's and had dark, dark brown eyes. That sort of feature was preferred by me. Her hair was thick! Hanging loosely around her shoulders was a silky, amount of hair that hung in an attractive...mess? Different groups of ethics had unique features, such as Asians and slanted eyes. Africans had coarse hair. The Aborigine tribes had hair that was always black or dark brown and it varied from curly to straight. Some were thin. Ceto's was not. One of my fellow European descended country men commented that they should wash their hair. That really bothered me. I knew their hygiene was better than many of ours.

"They use a plant they call Yarrow." I said holding my anger back. "I've used it. There are other plants added to that for fragrance. Such as mint." I looked at the man who was missing three teeth. "I'm sure they have things to say about some of our habits."

"Thank you," I said bowing slightly. "I've seen other Children of Lilith. I've gotten to know three," I waved at Demetrius who was still talking to Chitto. "That one extremely well."

"Most Children of Eve find him a bit odd," Ceto said.

"He is!" I agreed with a smile, "but I like his brand of oddness." I looked at her. "Are we going to see you again?"

She shrugged, "I looked in on you occasionally." She put her hand on my arm. "Would you mind if I did?"

"I'd love it," I confessed. "Demetrius and Dara are good friends. We can always use those."

"You will in a couple of days," she said with a gloomy tone.

I frowned, "I've had enough Lilith-speak to ask, is there something I should know?"

She sighed. "I don't know." She saw my face and hurried on. "The way this Child of Eve uses magic is..." she paused thinking.

"Different," I offered, "and harder to track?"

Ceto nodded with a smile, "That's right. So, the outcome is harder to foresee. Some of the blocking comes from you."

"Me!?"

"Yes, you." Ceto laughed. "All of the Sons of Adam have access to the magic. As Toby was describing what he saw when Dyami poured that elixir, you were getting it, too. I could tell."

"Maybe," I admitted.

"Those touched often by the magic sometimes pick it up," She frowned, thinking, "This man claiming to speak for Tawa, picked it up quickly and became more powerful. I will be there. Have a safe journey." She hugged me but disappeared during the hug. There and then not.