Tree of Life

by J. F. Penn

  They walked for several hours without seeing much change in the landscape, circling the side of the volcano with careful steps on the rocky ground. A few mountain goats kept them company, springing along a series of boulders higher up, but Morgan had a sense that someone else watched them too, and tracked their progress over the mountain.

  When they stopped to rest, Aurelia sat on the ground and sipped at her water bottle while she recovered her breath.

  Jake led Morgan out of earshot. “Someone’s following us, I’m sure of it.”

  She nodded. “More than one, perhaps. But if this is such a protected area, why haven’t they shown themselves? Why haven’t they warned us away? There aren’t even any signs.”

  Jake stared out across the rocky terrain, scanning for movement in the rocks. “Darius said that villagers disappeared up here without a trace. Perhaps whoever it is wants us to proceed?”

  “Then let’s give them what they want.” Morgan looked down at the map. “It’s not much further.”

  They walked on and finally rounded the edge of the volcano, emerging onto a high plateau carpeted with wildflowers of every color and shape, an abundance of natural beauty.

  “We must be close,” Aurelia said, her expression alive with wonder as she bent to touch one flower with a gentle fingertip. “The Garden cannot be contained, and She rules here, I can feel it.”

  Despite the surrounding beauty, Morgan sensed eyes upon them once more. This felt less like a garden and more like a honey trap, leading them with sweetness into ruin.

  Jake pointed ahead. “There’s something unusual about those boulders. They don’t look like a natural formation.”

  They walked across the meadow, Aurelia picking her way slowly as she tried to avoid stepping on the blooms. An impossible task as they lay so thickly upon the ground. She soon gave up, almost running to catch Morgan and Jake as they strode to the rock formation beyond.

  The seven enormous boulders were similar to the ones they camped beside, rocks expelled from the volcano in its active years, but these were placed in a protective circular arrangement. Morgan weaved her way between them into the center, following Jake’s path. They emerged on the edge of a fissure, a stony descent into the heart of the mountain. Thick green moss coated the rocks around the entrance with more wildflowers entangled within.

  Morgan knelt on the side and shone her flashlight into the darkness. The edges of the cave beneath were rough and well-textured. They could definitely get down there with climbing ropes.

  The sound of dripping water came from below, and it smelled of minerals with a tang of metal. Could this possibly be the entrance to Eden? It seemed at odds with the myth of an abundant garden, but if there had ever truly been such a place, it would be thousands of years old now. Perhaps buried by time, or volcanic eruption.

  Morgan looked over to Jake. “What do you think?”

  He shrugged. “This is the right area, and we don’t have any other options. Let’s at least go down and investigate further.”

  Aurelia stood with her back against one boulder, staring at the hole with trepidation. She wrung her hands together as she whispered, “This is not how it’s meant to be.”

  Morgan spun around, her frustration with the heiress spilling over. “How do you even know what it’s meant to be? The idea of a mythical garden spans across many religions. You don’t have a monopoly on Eden.”

  Jake put a hand on her arm. “None of us know what might lie ahead, so let’s go have a look.” He pulled ropes and carabiners out of his backpack. “Let me get this set up and we can descend together.”

  Once he had installed the equipment safely, Jake descended into the fissure. A few minutes later, he called up. “You definitely need to see this.”

  Morgan helped Aurelia down and then followed the descent, careful to keep her footing on the slippery rocks. The last thing they needed was an injury out of reach of even ARKANE’s emergency help.

  She touched down on the floor of the rocky cave and removed the harness, feeling the chill of cold air on her skin as weak sunlight faded overhead. As she turned around, Morgan caught her breath at the magnificent sight.

  Two gigantic creatures stood either side of a narrow channel through the rock, carved from the volcano itself, with the powerful body of a bull, the head of a man and the wings of an eagle. Every intricate spiral on their beards, every feather on their wings, and every muscle was etched in fine detail, and they gazed straight ahead, eyes fixed on potential prey who dared to tread the stone of this hallowed place. For such ancient sculptures, they were in excellent condition, protected from the elements down here in the cave system.

  Aurelia walked up to one and reached out a thin arm to touch the rock. She stopped mere inches away, as if she couldn’t bear to know whether this place was truly real.

  “They’re lamassu,” Morgan said, her voice echoing in the cave. “Sumerian deities used by the Assyrians on their temples. This is similar to the Gate of Xerxes in the ruins of Persepolis.”

  Jake walked to the rock face and stared up at one figure. “I thought the book of Genesis said that God put cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden to guard the way.” He frowned. “Aren’t they cute fat children with wings and nothing like these?”

  Morgan shook her head. “Cherubim were never cute. The book of Ezekiel describes them as whirling wheels covered with eyes, four faces and gigantic wings. These might be different from that exact description, but they are certainly scary winged creatures. Besides, why would God choose something cute to guard the way?”

  “Eden is far more than a biblical myth.” Aurelia spat the words, her eyes flashing with anger as she turned to face them. “It is the ancient Garden of the Earth Mother, the Goddess who ruled this planet before a masculine God was ever invented.”

  Her sudden anger was interesting — and dangerous. Morgan saw that Jake was about to say something and she put a hand up to stop him. There was no point in arguing with fanatics, and Aurelia would not listen to any kind of intellectual discussion at this point. Morgan had no allegiance to a particular tradition of Eden, but clearly, Aurelia had a fixed view of what lay ahead.

  “Whatever it might be,” Morgan said. “We can only know for sure if we continue. Together, if you like.”

  Aurelia took a deep breath and sagged back against the stone wall. “I’m sorry. It’s just overwhelming to think that we might almost be there, after everything I’ve done to find it.”

  The heiress looked exhausted, and Morgan tried to recall when she’d last seen Aurelia eat. She seemed to subsist on air and water, but her energy was obviously starting to fail.

  “If we’re going to proceed, we need to go now,” Jake said softly. “We only have a few more hours of daylight and we don’t have the gear to camp down here. Let’s check out the next chamber quickly and then return tomorrow with more equipment.”

  He peered down the corridor between the giant statues and shone his torch into the darkness. “This looks pretty long and narrow. We need to go in single file.” He turned to Aurelia. “You OK with this?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I want to see it. Let’s go on.”

  Jake led the way, Aurelia behind, and Morgan brought up the rear.

  As she stepped between the gigantic figures, the chill in the air deepened as if cold seeped from the surrounding rocks. Her sense of foreboding grew stronger once more, and as she thought of the many eyes of the cherubim, Morgan could almost feel them watching.

  They trespassed in this place, that much was clear. But who else was down here with them, and what waited in the shadows beyond?

  21

  Jake’s head-torch illuminated the way through the narrow tunnel, but the dark stone around absorbed much of the light, dampening it to a mere flicker. There were rough markings on the rock where ancient tools wielded by muscled hands had once chipped away at the heart of the volcano. It reminded him of the men who had descended into the mine back in South Africa, and his own
part in creating the man that Frik eventually became. Jake recalled the South African’s face at the moment he toppled from the shoulder of Christ, knocked off balance by his own ferocious charge. He still raged at his enemy even as he plummeted to the concrete below. Jake had seen death in many guises, but something about the big South African haunted him.

  He pushed away the dark thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell on past mistakes. He could only focus on making sure this mission succeeded, and right now, that was not certain at all.

  After ten minutes of walking, the tunnel narrowed even further and Jake had to squeeze his body through sideways. He took his pack off to drag behind him. If the passage constricted anymore, they’d have to turn back.

  To be honest, he wanted to get out of here. The stone tunnel was a tight, immovable prison. The walls felt like they were closing in. The lack of airflow made his breath ragged. The temperature was rising. Jake couldn’t help but think of the millions of tons of rock above him, crushing down, pressing, constricting —

  He shook his head to clear the thoughts. This place was claustrophobic enough without dwelling on it. He shifted focus and considered the strategic positioning of the narrow tunnel. The end would be a choke point and each would have to emerge alone to whatever waited beyond. Turned to the side as he was, he would struggle to defend himself and that made him seriously uneasy.

  “Stop!” Aurelia shouted behind him in the tunnel, her labored breathing suddenly short and fast in what sounded like a panic attack.

  “I have to get out!” she screamed as she banged her thin arms against Jake’s pack from behind. “Please help me…” Her voice trailed off into piteous sobs.

  “Close your eyes,” Morgan said in a calm voice. “You’re OK. Take some deep breaths.”

  “We’re almost there.” Jake’s upbeat tone hid the fact that he had no idea when the tunnel would end. But surely it couldn’t go on forever.

  He moved faster, ignoring the squeeze of rock against his broad shoulders as he pushed on down the tunnel. Aurelia was tiny, with more space to move, and her sobs quietened as she controlled her fear once more. But Jake knew she might collapse if they did not emerge soon. He understood how exhausting a panic attack could be. They had to get out of here.

  Suddenly, he saw a light in the distance, a flicker of flame.

  Jake turned off his torch for a second to check it was real. The warm glow flared against the darkness ahead.

  “I see the exit,” he called back to Aurelia and Morgan, redoubling his pace. “Come on, we’re almost there.”

  But as Jake drew closer to the end, he could see figures waiting for them. Monks in forest green robes positioned in a fighting stance, hoods obscuring their faces, each holding a huge sword. The Order of the Ignis Flammae.

  Jake stifled a groan. Killer monks were never his favorite foe. They were fanatics, all of them keen to die for their cause and ready to meet their Maker. He had no desire to see God anytime soon, but it was too late to turn back now.

  “We’ve got company,” he called back softly, making sure that Morgan knew what was coming.

  He stepped into the chamber at the end of the tunnel, dropping his pack and raising both his hands in surrender. Aurelia stumbled out behind him and dropped to her hands and knees, panting and coughing as she tried to draw breath. Morgan walked out slowly, scanning the surroundings with a calm gaze, and once again, Jake was glad to have her by his side. Whatever happened, they had each other’s back.

  Five monks stood around them, swords drawn and pointed at the new arrivals. Their faces were mostly obscured but Jake glimpsed some of the men beneath. They were all well-muscled, clearly highly trained, and each held his sword high with unwavering strength. These were not men he cared to fight.

  The chamber was long and wide, almost an underground cathedral in its grandeur. Tall bronze candelabra stood at the sides, casting a warm glow across the stone, next to heavy wooden barrels stacked in alcoves down the cave. More light emanated from the long fire pit in the central aisle. Coals smoldered in the center, generating heat that made the place stifling hot. Jake swiftly took an inventory of the place, assessing their options. There must be a ventilation system and other ways to bring in supplies. There was no way those barrels came in through the tight tunnel they had just emerged from.

  He heard a sharp intake of breath beside him.

  Jake turned to see Morgan staring down the central nave to the end of the chamber where a gigantic ancient door stood, carved with botanical images. In front of it, there was a stone altar, and a figure tied on top. Professor Camara Mbaye.

  Morgan took a step toward her prone figure.

  The monks tightened the circle, raising their swords higher in an obvious threat.

  Morgan stopped, palms open in submission as she moved back into place.

  “Enough.” A deep voice echoed in the chamber and the monks took a step back at the command, bringing their weapons down to hold at their sides, alert and ready.

  An old man walked into the circle. “I am the Abbot of the Order of the Ignis Flammae. Few outsiders have ever made it this far, but your presence answers a question we have pondered for centuries. Back in the 1500s, one of the Brothers was a New Christian, a forced convert from Judaism. When he discovered what lay at the heart of the Garden, he saw a way to give the Jews leverage against the Inquisition. He made a map and gave it to a Rabbi in Portugal, who split it into pieces and distributed it across the empire. We’ve tried to find it over the years, but figured it was lost in time.” He shrugged. “No matter, you’re here now and you can join your friend.”

  He glanced over to Camara. “That one has little left to give, but what she has will soon be offered to the Garden. You’re a welcome addition to the sacrifice.”

  Jake noticed Morgan clench her fists at his words and then relax them again as she controlled her anger. Clearly, they weren’t going to be skewered immediately or thrown into the pit of coals, so they could afford to wait and see what happened next. Every moment they stayed alive, opened up another possible future.

  Aurelia struggled to her feet. “I’ve sought the Garden my entire life.” Her voice wavered a little, and she wiped a tear from her eye as if overcome by the moment. “Please, let me see it.”

  The Abbot smiled. “Of course, my child. You will be the first inside.”

  His tone was gentle, but Jake noticed the predatory look in his eyes. The Garden was no peaceful haven.

  “Bring them.” The Abbot spun around and walked the length of the chamber.

  Morgan didn’t need any encouragement. She followed the Abbot, one monk by her side, to make sure she didn’t try anything.

  Jake helped Aurelia while she was still a little wobbly as the monks escorted them to the altar.

  Morgan couldn’t help herself. As the Abbot walked behind the altar to stand in front of the door, she ran to Camara. The monk behind her brought up his sword, but the Abbot raised a hand to stop him as Morgan bent to the prone figure.

  She had never met the professor before, but Camara was only here because ARKANE had involved her in the mission. As Morgan touched the professor’s neck and checked for a pulse, she was determined that Dr Mbaye would make it out of here.

  There was a faint beating under her fingertips.

  She sighed with relief. Camara had been tortured, the bloody marks on her body and bruised face were testament to that, but at least she was alive.

  The Abbot smiled at her efforts. “Oh, don’t worry, my child. I would never have killed her. She’s an offering to the Garden she has tried so hard to find. And she brought you to us, so the sacrifice will be all the greater. Lord be praised.”

  He stood aside, revealing the giant door in all its glory. Made from ancient wood and etched with writhing vines and blooming flowers, its petals gaped wide in voracious maws, while its leaves dripped with poison. A curious portal to what must surely be Eden, it spoke of unrelenting hunger, a desire to possess the Earth and e
verything in it.

  The Abbot began to chant, his deep voice a sonorous boom in the cavern as he unlocked the door with an oversized antique key.

  The monks around joined him in a chorus, their voices rising to the roof. The words were indistinguishable, some archaic language preserved by the ancient Brotherhood — but the sentiment was clear. It was more a battle chant than a hymn of praise; a declaration of war, not a song of worship.

  Whatever lay behind the door must be faced with courage.

  Morgan steeled herself as two of the monks dragged it open with a creak.

  The smell hit her first, a pungent blend of wet soil and rotting vegetation, quickly overpowered by the heavy stench of spent flowers.

  As the door opened fully, she saw the Garden.

  This was no manicured lawn with pruned trees and tamed flower beds as depicted in every artistic rendering of Adam and Eve in Paradise. This was an underground rainforest, an abundance of color and growth, teeming with life. This was Nature unbound.

  A shaft of light shone down from an aperture high above the soaring roof of the cave, alighting on an immense tree in its center. Crevices and deep cracks riddled its thick trunk, big enough to shelter a human within. Its branches reached high above and out across the cave, protecting myriad species beneath its leafy boughs.

  As Morgan looked up at the ancient tree, a sense of awe rose within. Her life was truly insignificant in the face of its majesty, a brief flicker of light in a galaxy of stars. She had felt this before in the presence of vast natural beauty, but there was something wild about this tree, something untamed and fierce.

  As she stared into the heart of the green, a deep knowledge stirred in some kind of collective memory. The air shimmered and Morgan saw herself dancing with a group of women under the full moon, wreathed in ivy and flowers, worshipping the Mother Goddess together. They circled around the tree, spinning faster, heads thrown back in ecstasy, intoxicated by the sap that was both poison and drug.