Tree of Life
Page 17
But then she remembered her vision in the cavern, the wild women who tore a man apart, and the tree that feasted on blood and thrived on sacrifice. Humanity was cast out of Eden for their own protection, and even now, the world wasn’t ready for the knowledge of what the Tree of Life could do. Perhaps one day, but for now, the Seed must rest here, far from those who would turn Her loose to destroy or try to tame Her for their own purposes.
They emerged from the tunnel into a long main chamber with three doors. A thin layer of ice lay on the outside of the middle entrance, hinting at the temperature inside.
“Only one of the vaults is used right now,” Kristofer explained. “But hopefully, we’ll fill them all over time.”
He indicated a metal table in the middle of the room with a neat pile of silver packets, test tubes and a vacuum packing machine. “It’s not too complicated. We pack the seeds carefully and then store them at sub-zero temperatures.” He smiled, brimming over with enthusiasm for his chosen field of expertise. “But think about it. Seeds are the basis for everything. What we eat, what we wear, the very fabric of life. We have to protect them, for our own sakes.”
Morgan exhaled slowly as tension seeped from her body. Kristofer’s words made her confident that this was the right place to leave the Seed. She opened her backpack, pulled out a clear plastic bag and placed it on the metal table.
The Seed was small enough to cup in her palm and shaped like the curve of a kidney bean or the spine of an embryo. Its surface was silvery grey and slightly pitted, a hard shell that protected the genetic riches within. This tiny package was Nature’s perfect way to preserve and pass itself down to the next generation.
Kristofer bent over the bag, a crease forming between his eyebrows as he considered the Seed. “It’s a tree of some kind, but this pitting has some similarities to poppy, even some fruits. It’s also akin to some resurrection plants.” He looked up at Morgan. “They feign death for years but can rehydrate to full function. Do you know what it is?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know exactly, but it was given to me in the mountains of north-western Iran before a volcanic eruption destroyed the area. The eco-system is gone, and this is all that remains.”
“It’s the only one?”
Morgan nodded. “As far as I know.”
“Then it will be safe here until it’s needed once more.” Kristofer pulled on a pair of gloves and carefully opened the bag. He lifted out the Seed and placed it on a sterile surface, took several photos and then packed it inside one of the silver bags.
As he sealed it with a delicate finger, Morgan’s heart beat faster. Part of her wanted to reach out and snatch it back, keep it close to her. The Seed still wanted to be free.
She clenched her fists, restrained her urge and watched as Kristofer noted the number on the silver packet and typed a description into the computer log.
“That’s it,” he said. “Now I just need to put it in the vault. I’ll catalogue it alongside other Iranian material.”
He pulled on a heavier jacket and thicker gloves and carried the silver packet to the door of the vault. “You’ll have to stay out here, but you can catch a glimpse inside as I open the door.”
Morgan stood with her back against the wall of the main chamber, her breath frosting in the air. As the cold seeped through her padded jacket, she became aware of the thousands of tons of rock and ice above her and the millions of precious seeds in the vault beyond. She was truly insignificant against the vast timescale of the Earth, and that thought was strangely comforting.
Kristofer opened the vault door. Tall metal shelves laden with boxes stretched toward an ice-covered ceiling, each labeled with letters and numbers with no sign of the true nature of what lay inside.
As the door slammed shut and Kristofer disappeared from sight, Morgan smiled. Humanity protected a future Eden here in the ice, and now the Seed lay within its safe haven at last. It instinctively knew how to wait. The life inside would lie dormant until conditions allowed it to grow once more in a perfect alignment of light, temperature and moisture. It waited in the dark to live, while humanity existed in the light, waiting to die.
Morgan walked away, down the long corridor and back out into the Arctic sun, ready for a new day.
<< THE END >>
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Day of the Vikings, an ARKANE thriller
A ritual murder on a remote island under the shifting skies of the aurora borealis.
A staff of power that can summon Ragnarok, the Viking apocalypse.
When Neo-Viking terrorists invade the British Museum in London to reclaim the staff of Skara Brae, ARKANE agent Dr. Morgan Sierra is trapped in the building along with hostages under mortal threat.
As the slaughter begins, Morgan works alongside psychic Blake Daniel to discern the past of the staff, dating back to islands invaded by the Vikings generations ago.
Can Morgan and Blake uncover the truth before Ragnarok is unleashed, consuming all in its wake?
Day of the Vikings is a fast-paced, supernatural thriller set in London and the islands of Orkney, Lindisfarne and Iona. Set in the present day, it resonates with the history and myth of the Vikings.
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Day of the Vikings features Dr. Morgan Sierra from the ARKANE thrillers, and Blake Daniel from the Brooke and Daniel Psychological/Crime Thrillers, but it is also a stand-alone novella that can be read and enjoyed separately.
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed this adventure with Morgan and Jake. I had fun putting it together, and I learned a lot along the way. One of my favorite aspects of being an author is the research, and I certainly loved this one! As ever, I try to stick to the truth as much as possible in terms of locations and historical events and then spin that into a story.
Ets Haim Portuguese Synagogue, Amsterdam, Netherlands
I recommend visiting the synagogue if you’re in the city. It’s truly a beautiful place, and I would never wish to see it harmed. Quite the opposite. I believe that stories can highlight places that deserve more attention and protection, and I write about the synagogue (and all my locations) with that intent.
You can find more at www.esnoga.com and www.etshaimmanuscripts.nl
You can see pictures from my Amsterdam research trip at www.booksandtravel.page/unusual-amsterdam
I also found an intriguing book in their fantastic store, Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean by Edward Kritzler. This unusual title sparked my imagination and led to the scenes on the island of Jamaica.
Lisbon
We had a wonderful long weekend in Lisbon, relaxing in the glorious weather, and yes, enjoying several pastéis de nata in Belém! They’re definitely my favorite pastries. You can find pictures and recommendations from our trip here: www.booksandtravel.page/lisbon
Macau
I picked Macau as a setting because of the ruins of St Paul’s, and I wanted to show the extent of the Portuguese Empire. I was stunned to find that there really is a Tree of Life engraved on the facade. This kind of synchronicity often happens in my book research process, where I think I am writing fiction, but then real life happens to fit with my story.
Brazil
Aurelia’s family mine is based on the Carajás Mine, the largest iron ore mine in the world.
The synagogue in Recife is considered the oldest in the Americas, but the Museum of the Inquisition is actually in Belo Horizonte, not Recife. I didn’t want to add another Brazilian location to the story, so I moved it. The details of the museum are accurate based on researching through the site www.museudainquisicao.org.br
The locations in Rio de Janeiro are as accurate as possible and there are indeed hatches leading onto the top of Christ the Redeemer, although access is not available to the public. I based the scene on photos taken by travel blogger, Lee Thompson, who gained special access during the World Cup.
Location of the Garden of Eden
It’s fascinating to read research from different perspectives, and there were two books that primarily informed the possible locations.
History of Paradise: The Garden of Eden in Myth and Tradition by Jean Delumeau and Legend: The Genesis of Civilisation by David Rohl. The latter book is the primary source for the location I decided on.
I would love to visit Tabriz one day, along with Isfahan and the other incredible sites of Iran. It’s on my list, but I haven’t been yet, so these scenes are written entirely from books and online research.
Svalbard
I based this chapter on a Time magazine article about the real Seed Vault: Time.com/doomsday-vault
Thoughts on Nature
I love being in nature, but we live in a world where ecological catastrophe seems closer every day. The dichotomy at the heart of Eden is real, and this book is all about balancing the things that seem impossible to balance.
Aurelia believes that the natural world would be better off without humanity, whereas the Order acknowledges Nature’s destructive potential and wants to protect mankind from it while also exploiting its resources.
I love the natural world and want to protect it, but I also believe that humanity is a valuable part of the biosphere and has the potential to fix the problems that face us all. I highly recommend reading Novacene: The Coming Age of Hyperintelligence by James Lovelock, the original proponent of the Gaia hypothesis, and his thoughts on how we might save the planet from ecological collapse.
During the process of writing this book, I learned of the rate of destruction of trees and donated to The Woodland Trust, woodlandtrust.org.uk and The Tree Council, treecouncil.org.uk
Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart inspired the deadly possibilities of the Order’s garden and author J.T. Croft made sure the botanical aspects were as accurate as can be in a novel.
Morgan’s vision of the women at the Tree is based on The Bacchae, a Greek tragedy by Euripides. I saw the play in my teens and have never forgotten the bloody rage of the women in their violent frenzy.
Bibliography
Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire — Roger Crowley
Ets Haim: 18 Highlights from the Oldest Jewish Library in the World — Emile Schrijver & Heide Warncke
Evil Roots: Killer Tales of the Botanical Gothic — Edited by Daisy Butcher
History of Paradise: The Garden of Eden in Myth and Tradition — Jean Delumeau
Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the New World in Their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom — and Revenge — Edward Kritzler
Lab Girl: A Story of Trees, Science and Love — Hope Jahren
Legend: The Genesis of Civilisation — David Rohl
Novacene: The Coming Age of Hyperintelligence — James Lovelock
The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon — Richard Zimler. I read this book many years ago, and it inspired thoughts of Jewish history and the rich traditions of Portugal decades before I visited the country itself.
You can also listen to an interview I did with Richard about his books at www.booksandtravel.page/richard-zimler
The Bacchae — Euripides
The Portuguese: A Modern History — Barry Hatton
The Portuguese Jews of Jamaica — Mordechai Arbell
Wicked Plants: The A–Z of Plants That Kill, Maim, Intoxicate and Otherwise Offend — Amy Stewart
More Books by J.F.Penn
Thanks for joining Morgan, Jake and the ARKANE team. The adventures continue …
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Stone of Fire #1
Crypt of Bone #2
Ark of Blood #3
One Day In Budapest #4
Day of the Vikings #5
Gates of Hell #6
One Day in New York #7
Destroyer of Worlds #8
End of Days #9
Valley of Dry Bones #10
Tree of Life #11
Brooke and Daniel Psychological/Crime Thrillers
Desecration #1
Delirium #2
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Map of Plagues #2
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Risen Gods
The Dark Queen
A Thousand Fiendish Angels: Short stories based on Dante's Inferno
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Thank you!
About J.F.Penn
J.F. Penn is the Award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the ARKANE action adventure thrillers, Brooke & Daniel Psychological Thrillers, and the Mapwalker fantasy adventure series, as well as other standalone stories.
Her books weave together ancient artifacts, relics of power, international locations and adventure with an edge of the supernatural. Joanna lives in Bath, England and enjoys a nice G&T.
You can follow Joanna’s book research and travels on Instagram and Facebook @jfpennauthor and also on her podcast at BooksAndTravel.page or on your favorite podcast app.
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For writers:
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Acknowledgments
Thanks to my readers who continue to buy my books and enable me to keep researching the fascinating history and places behind the ARKANE adventures!
Thanks to Jen Blood, my fantastic first reader and story editor, for her continued insights. Thanks to author J.T. Croft for his botanical expertise, and to Wendy Janes for another great proofread.
Thanks to Jane Dixon Smith for the cover design and print formatting.
Copyright © J.F. Penn (2020). All rights reserved.
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www.JFPenn.com
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This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is fictionalized or coincidental.
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Published by Curl Up Press
www.CurlUpPress.com
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For any inquiries regarding this book, please email:
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