The Prodigal Sun: A Novel

by S. E. Meyer

  -THE END-

  prologue from eden rising

  Third Book In The ORIGINS Trilogy

  (Expected Release 2016)

  A gentle breeze played with the fruit trees that lined the path to Barb's cabin, rustling leaves and wafting the fresh blossom’s scent past Jenny’s nose. The branches swayed back and forth in the warm draft, mimicking Jenny’s stride from the heft in her midsection. She placed the wicker baskets she was carrying under her arm, and then rested her right hand on the swollen shelf in the middle of her chest as she waddled up the front steps. Jenny squinted up at the bright sun, feeling its warmth envelope her, cradling both mother and unborn child, as it bathed them in its morning rays. She took in a deep breath of fresh, exhilarating air, and then knocked on the door.

  “Jenny!” James exclaimed, smiling as he opened it.

  “You’re here early,” Jenny replied. James had to move out of the way so she could fit through the doorway. Jenny brushed past him and walked inside, setting the baskets down on the kitchen table. Barb came out of the bedroom displaying a sheepish grin. “Ah, I see,” said Jenny looking at James. “You never left last night.” Jenny smiled. “Well it’s about time.”

  “You finished making your baskets,” said Barb, eager to change the subject.

  “Yep, I finished them last night. Where’s Aurora? I thought she might want to go and pick some berries today. The raspberries are ready at the far end of the garden and I want to make some jelly.”

  “Are you sure you should be out wondering around away from the cabin in your condition?” asked James. “Aren’t you about ready to pop there, momma?” He smiled.

  “Yes, I think we figured my due date should be sometime next week, but I’m fine James,” replied Jenny. “I’ve been a little tired and I have to pee every three minutes, but otherwise I feel pretty good. Besides, I’ll have Aurora with me and she can always go and get help if needed.”

  “Aurora’s in the back yard. She’s been picking daisies since first light,” said James.

  “Thanks,” replied Jenny. “We’ll be back before lunch, the baby will need a nap by then.” Jenny smiled brightly. She turned, picking up the baskets off the table, then slowly made her way out of the cabin and down the front steps. “Oh my,” Jenny said, finding Aurora in the back yard among several piles of freshly picked flowers. “You’ve been busy.”

  “Uh huh,” Aurora replied, holding up a large daisy with petals as white as the puffy clouds hovering over the mountain peaks and a center as yellow as the sun, scaling the sky between them.

  “Thank you honey, it’s beautiful,” Jenny said and placed it behind her ear. “Do you want to go pick some berries with me?” she asked.

  “Okay Aunt Jenny, but first I want to give all these pretty flowers to my mom.”

  “Okay Aurora, that’s fine,” Jenny replied and patted the girl’s blond head.

  They brought the flowers to Barb, who placed them in clay vases with fresh water. “Are you ready then? Jenny asked. Aurora nodded with a smile.

  They took the path that wound its way past the clearing and followed the river until they came to a field of strawberry plants that had grown higher than Jenny’s knees. “I think you should have brought bigger baskets Aunt Jenny,” said Aurora with her head cocked to one side.

  “I think you’re right honey. That’s okay, we’ll load up the ones we have.” Jenny scanned the leading edge of plants. Some of the fruits that littered the stems were the size of Jenny’s small fist. “It probably won’t take very long,” she added.

  By the time they sang ‘You are my sunshine’ five times, their baskets were towering with the ripe red fruit. They would have filled them sooner, but the pair’s ruby stained lips and chins had added at least one chorus.

  “Aunt Jenny?” Aurora asked as they made their way back up the path.

  “Yes dear.”

  “Are you going to get my cousin out of your tummy soon?” she asked.

  “I hope so honey,” Jenny replied, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her free hand and letting a puff of air escape her lips.

  “I hope so too because then I’ll have someone to play with,” Aurora replied excitedly.

  Jenny stopped walking for a moment, trying to catch her breath. “That would be nice wouldn’t it honey?” she said, waddling over to a massive fruit tree, and with much effort, sat beneath it, placing her back to the cool trunk. “Believe me sweetie, I’m just as anxious as you are to bring this little playmate into the world.” Jenny patted her bulging tummy. “I’m going to take a little rest here for a minute okay?”

  “Okay, I’m going to pick some more flowers for my mommy,” Aurora replied. She placed her basket of berries on the path, and then skipped along it, humming quietly.

  “Don’t wander too far dear,” Jenny called after her. She closed her eyes and rested the back of her head against the large trunk as a fresh cool breeze washed over her.

  “Hello.”

  Jenny opened her eyes. “Who’s there?” she asked in a whisper.

  “A friend,” the voice inside her head replied.

  She looked around, but didn’t see anyone. A friend, she thought.

  “Yessss.” The voice responded. “I’m here to help you,” it said.

  “What do you mean? Who are you?” Jenny asked.

  “There is a tree in this garden. A tree that has the best tasting fruit. It just so happens that this tree is the one that shades you from the sun, even now as you sit beneath its boughs,” the voice explained.

  “No, I can’t eat from this tree,” Jenny replied, slowly shaking her head back and forth. “John said the fruit from this tree would kill anyone who eats it.”

  “That is rubbish, impossssible. You have already eaten from this tree. It is the one that healed your womb. Did you die from eating of its fruit? Do my eyes deceive me? Are you just an apparition sitting there in front of me, or do you live and breath?”

  “That was different,” Jenny replied, still looking around in all directions for the source of the voice in her head.

  “Different? No. Jenny, aren’t you tired of John always being able to read your thoughts? He always knows what you are thinking and yet you never have any idea what is on his mind. How issss that fair?”

  “How do you know our names?”

  “And what about John’s lifespan. He will live much longer than you because he is a Sura. Doesn’t that make you even the least bit jealoussss?”

  “There’s nothing I can do about that!” Jenny spat in an irritated tone. “Show yourself! Who are you?” she asked.

  The bright green snake dropped down in front of Jenny, hanging by its tail from the tree’s lowest branch and holding the ripe fruit in its jaws. Jenny was lost in the snake’s brilliant blue eyes. The snake wove back and forth in front of her as it continued to speak telepathically. “Are you sure there issss nothing you can do?” the snake asked. “Here, takessss it,” the reptile coaxed, dropping the fruit into Jenny’s lap. “What Enlil and John don’t want you to know is that the fruit will make you just like them. With just one bite Jenny, you could be the same as John. You would be just like your husband in every way. You could share thoughts together and even speak telepathically. That sounds much more fair to me.”

  Jenny picked up the fruit off her lap and turned in over in her hand. She stared at its succulent flesh, feeling its sun warmed skin. “I shouldn’t,” she whispered.

  “Yessss. You should. You will never have to worry about who John will marry after you die. You will live just as long as him. That sounds better than picturing John re-marrying and having a new family with a new wife. And who would it be? Maybe your sisssster? Or maybe Inanna would make a good mate?” the snake hissed as it continued to bob its head back and forth in front of her. Jenny held the fruit up to her lips as she contemplated the scenario the snake was placing into her mind. She wondered if the snake was right. Would it make her like John? Jenny opened her mouth.

/>   “Yessss. Takes it! Eats it! Itssss delicioussss.”

  I hope you enjoyed this preview into Eden Rising, the third and final book in the Origins trilogy.

  Expected Release 2016

  Other Books By This Author

  ORIGINS (April 2013)

  ASIN: B00CEKDQO6

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CEKDQO6

  The Crossing

  ORIGINS Book II (March 2014)

  ASIN: B00J44TO46

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J44TO46

  The Prodigal Sun

  First two books in the Origins series, revised, re-edited and re-released as a stand alone novel. (January 2015)

  Like S.E. Meyers work on Facebook to get special offers and updates on new releases. Www.facebook.com/semeyerbooks

  Or you can e-mail this author directly at originsseries@gmail.com

  Sumerian Inventions Still Used Today

  Time. Yes, you read that correctly, time. No, the Sumerians did not invent time itself, but rather the detailed measurement of it. From the hours that pass along Big Ben's face to the minutes that silently change on your microwave display, down to the seconds ticking away on your wristwatch as you read this. The Sumerians invented all of these measurements. The sixty second minute, the sixty minute hour and the twenty-four hour day. I find it hard to believe that with all of today's technology and massive computing power the most accurate measurement of time is still the one that was invented over five-thousand years ago. It continues to beg the question that I have asked myself through years of research; how did they do that?

  The measurement of time, not unlike many of the following list of inventions, according to the Sumerians was a gift given to them by the Gods.

  Arts & Music – Clay sculptures and the first stringed instruments were invented as well as singing. Art and music was an important part of Sumerian life and culture.

  Beer – Yes it truly is the nectar of the Gods. Beer and fermented drinks were a staple of the Sumerian diet.

  The Wheel – This invention greatly improved the Sumerian's daily lives as well as all civilizations that came after them. With the invention of the wheeled cart they could transport goods much more easily and it could be pulled by mule or ox. They also invented the wheeled chariot for battle.

  Writing – The first form of a written language called Cuneiform was invented. In addition to writing they also invented the precursor to our modern rotary printing presses. They used carved stone cylinders that could be rolled into clay in order to make several copies of a document or text.

  The Use of Fossil Fuels – It may be hard to believe that the Sumerians discovered this abundant, cheap energy source thousands of years before the industrial revolution but the fact remains that they did use bitumen and other petroleum tars that seeped out of the ground in the oil rich sands of the Middle East. They primarily used these as fuels to fire their kilns, crucibles, forges and furnaces. They also used petroleum products in road building, painting and waterproofing. The most common word for petroleum is Naphtha. It is derived from the Ancient Mesopotamian word Napatu, which means 'rocks that flare up and burn'.

  Advanced Metallurgy – This could not have been possible without the above mentioned fossil fuels. Sumeria was renowned for its advanced ability to extract, crush, smelt and refine ores. The Bronze age could not have been possible without the advanced knowledge of alloying copper invented in Sumeria.

  Agriculture & Gardening – Sumerians were the first to cultivate crops and learned the process of genetic seed selection for the best yield results. Some of their strains of high yield and pest resistant wheat are believed to still be cultivated today. As their cities grew they needed large areas of agricultural land to feed the populations and this could not have been possible without their invention of the plow.

  Farming & Raising Livestock – The first domesticated animals raised for food and other animal products.

  Mathematics – The Sumerians had an advanced knowledge of mathematics and are attributed to inventing the first mathematical system. Many Sumerian forms of measurement are still used in our everyday life. A few examples are the inch, twelve inch foot, twelve unit 'dozen', grain, pound, bushel, rod, league, and mile as well as the 360 degree circle.

  Clothing and Textiles – The first weaving, leather tanneries and textile mills were in Sumeria and their clothing was the envy of the world. Other ancient texts describe a coat or other clothing out of Shinar (Sumeria) to be some of ancient peoples most prized possessions.

  Advanced Medicine – The Sumerian symbol for Medicine is still the one used today. It is the serpent coiled around a staff or tree. There are many references to medical procedures and even surgeries in the ancient Sumerian texts including brain surgery and removal of cataracts.

  Sailboats and Seafaring Ships – Sumerians constructed the first boats used for transporting goods and people as well as fishing and exploring faraway lands.

  Government and the Court System – Sumerians invented the first systems of Government and courts where fines and taxes were levied as well as other punishments for not adhering to their written laws.

  Money – Sumerians invented the first money system. Unlike the worlds current 'fiat' money system, the Sumerians backed their shekel with commodities like bushels of wheat and barley.

  As we learn of so many monumental inventions given to us by the people of Sumeria we start to get a picture of how life was like. It would seem that with the exception of gun powder, the steam/petroleum powered engine and electricity, ancient Sumeria would not have been much different then life in the eighteenth, nineteenth and even the beginning of the twentieth century. The following is a list, although not all inclusive, of additional Sumerian inventions still used in our everyday lives.

  Levees, Canals, Irrigation Systems, Jewelry, Astronomy, Geometry, Water Wheel, City Sewer Systems, Pottery Wheel, Bricks, Architecture and the Arch, Chisels, Leather, The Plow, Saws, Hammers, Braces, Bits, Nails, Pins, Rings, Hoes, Axes, Pulleys, Knives, Lance Points, Arrowheads, Swords and Daggers, Glue, Water Skins, Sundial, Bags, Harnesses, Yoke, Armor, Quivers, Scabbards, Boots, Sandals, Harpoons, The Signs of the Zodiac, Our Current Calendar System and our Current Lunar Calendar System.

  Quotes from the Sumerian Creation Tablets

  Please keep in mind that these texts are some of the first to have ever been written. They were carved in clay thousands of years before the Koran, the Bible and even the Torah (Old Testament) were ever produced. (The parts where there are … in parenthesis are words that were too worn to read or where small chunks of the tablet had broken.)

  Third Tablet, verse 6 through 9

  6. ''[...] thou shalt cause to be brought before thee.

  7. [... let] the gods, all of them,

  8. "[Make ready for a feast], at a banquet let them sit,

  9. "[Let them eat bread], let them mix wine,

  Fifth Tablet

  . He.(i.e. Marduk) made the stations for the great gods;

  2. The stars, their images, as the stars of the Zodiac, he fixed.

  3. He ordained the year and into sections he divided it;

  4. For the twelve months he fixed three stars.

  5. After he had [...] the days of the year [...] images,

  6. He founded the station of Nibir to determine their bounds;

  7. That none might err or go astray,

  8. He set the station of Bêl and Ea along with him.

  9. He opened great gates on both sides,

  10. He made strong the bolt on the left and on the right.

  11. In the midst thereof he fixed the zenith;

  12. The Moon-god he caused to shine forth, the night he entrusted to him.

  13. He appointed him, a being of the night, to determine the days;

  14. Every month without ceasing with the crown he covered(?) him, (saying):

  15. "At the beginning of the month, when thou shinest upon the land,

  16. "Thou command the horns to determine si
x days,

  17. "And on the seventh day to [divide] the crown.

  18. "On the fourteenth day thou shalt stand opposite, the half [...].

  "When the Sun-god on the foundation of heaven [...] thee,

  Sixth Tablet

  1. When Marduk heard the word of the gods,

  2. His heart prompted him and he devised [a cunning plan].

  3. He opened his mouth and unto Ea [he spake],

  4. [That which] he had conceived in his heart he imparted [unto him]:

  5. "My blood will I take and bone will I [fashion],

  6. "I will make man, that man may ... [...].

  7. "I will create man who shall inhabit [the earth],"

  8. "That the service of the gods may be established, and that [their] shrines[may be built].

  9. "But I will alter the ways of the gods, and I will change [their paths];

  10. "Together shall they be oppressed and unto evil shall [they ...]."

  11. And Ea answered him and spake the word:

  12. "[...] the [...] of the gods I have [changed]

  13. [...] ... and one ... [...]

  14. [...shall be destroyed and men will I [...]

  SUMERIAN DICTIONARY (Partial)

  Names of People|Gods|Places / Words for People|Gods|Places

  ADAR = Star of NINASU

  AMAUSHUMGALANNA = Lord of Bread of Life ('date clusters')

  ANSHAR = Foremost of the Heavens

  ANSHARGAL = Great Prince of Heaven

  ANU = the Heavenly One