"Well, yes. But you may end up walking among them as Ardreyelya for some time, should things go well."
"So to bring this full circle, what does that name mean to them?"
Beam smiled. "Unsurprisingly, it has come to mean something like 'the Elect of God', though it is something of a stretch to get there, since the words for that aren't quite the same as the received pronunciation of your name. The closest I can get to a literal translation is, 'servant handmaid', and even that is pushing the limits."
"But it fits the legend."
"Certainly."
"Did the rest of my name come through?"
"It did not. You may either identify yourself as your mother's daughter, with the poetic meaning you assigned to it before, or come up with something new. The latter is probably better recommended."
They fell silent, and watched as the day drew to an end and the light coming through the huge stained-glass windows began to die.
"I'm reminded," said Ariela, nonchalantly, "of a bit of poetry."
"Ah?"
Petach lanu sha'ar, b'eit n'ilat sha'ar,
ki fanah yom.
Hayom yif'neh, hashemesh yavo' v'yifneh,
navoah sh'areicha!
she recited, then smiled slightly. "It's a piece of the ritual of the closing service for the Day of Atonement. It means, 'Open the gates for us, even as the gates are closing, as the day begins to fade. The day fades, the sun sets, let us enter Your gates!' It's a last minute plea, even as all seems lost at the setting of the sun, for God to relent, grant atonement, and allow His people to enter His holy gates. It just seemed – appropriate, I guess."
"Your people have a saying, 'one gate closes, another opens'," mused Beam. "Is this similar?"
"It can be. It's all in the interpretation. And it's usually 'door' rather than 'gate,' but you have the gist of it."
"Well. At any rate, here they come."
Ariela breathed deeply, and composed herself for her first glimpse of the Ardreyelyan Sardristra.
She hoped things would go better, this time . . .
◆
The Lion and the Darkness will be published sometime in 2022.
About the Author
Nathan C. Brindle
Mr. Brindle is a software engineer of a certain age and girth. He can do nothing about the former, but is attempting to do something about the latter. He is happily married to his lady Sally, with whom he has two cats and several children of other parents, one of whom has graced him with two grandchildren upon whom he dotes. His educational background is in History, mostly American with a side of Japanese.
The cat, pictured, is just an occupational hazard. His name is Frankie, he is a Lynx Point Siamese, and his title is "Lord High Preventer of Work."
Mr. Brindle is a Freemason of long standing; Master Mason, Past Master of his lodge, a Knight Templar in the York Rite of Freemasonry, and a 33° Sovereign Grand Inspector General and Honorary Member of the Supreme Council, 33°, of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America. As if that were not cool and sublime enough, he once held the single most badass title in Freemasonry: Thrice Potent Master of the Lodge of Perfection, 14°. And he has been Secretary of more Masonic bodies and organizations than any sane man should ever aspire to become. And yet, he still cannot manipulate the Mesh.
He was a 40-year veteran Boy Scouter, until they went woke and let girls into the main Boy Scouting program. So the less said about that, the better. (Parents – it's time to find something else for your young boys to do while learning to become men. There are other options. The Order of DeMolay, for one. Check out https://demolay.org .)
He is also an licensed amateur radio operator, Amateur Extra Class, and only wishes he had a broken 6-meter amplifier that could project mini-singularities.
Anyway, that's what he does when he's not working, writing, honey-dewing, or playing with his grandchildren.
This is his third published novel, following The Lion of God and The Lion and the Lizard. He has also written several short stories (really more like novellae) within the Timelines universe: The Reason, A Fox in the Henhouse, and A Dragon in the Foie Gras.
He has also written a couple of short fantasy stories/novellas – his 2020 debut short fantasy offering called Saving the Spring, and its sequel, A Midsummer Night's Hunt. Another of these Seasons series of fantasy shorts is currently percolating in his brain, and may appear later in 2021. We'll see.
The Brindles currently live in Indianapolis. But that could change!
The Lion in Paradise Page 36
