Concerns about air rose again and her fear along with them. She hadn’t planned a deep or extended dive of any kind. With her air so low already, panic threatened. Dana gulped air she couldn’t afford. At this rate, her tank wouldn’t last for long. Dana struggled against the light, pulling back with all her strength as she attempted to swim back toward the surface. It was like trying to pull her fist through concrete. Dana flailed harder and succeeded only in losing her facemask.
Instinct urged her to inhale through her nose and Dana quickly pinched her nose closed with the fingers of her free hand. She could feel the pressure building on her eardrums and worried how much farther they would fall. Unexpectedly, the light ball leveled off and zipped ahead. Dana calculated they had traveled well past the edge of the Euphrates’s boundary.
Now that they weren’t dropping, Dana wrestled her panic under control. As a Divemaster, she knew panic was the fastest way to drown. If she kept her head, she might get out of this alive. She concentrated on watching where they were going. In this clear water, Dana could keep track of the route traveled so that she could make her way back.
Suddenly, the creature headed upward and relief washed over her. As they traveled toward the surface, the sight of sunlight surprised her. She had no time to reflect on it because the illuminated creature didn’t stop when Dana’s head broke the surface. The thing hauled her toward the bank and didn’t let go until her feet cleared the water. It released her abruptly and the last she saw of it, the light ball zipped off into the trees.
Dana spat out her regulator and coughed until she almost threw up. She had pinched her nose closed when she lost her mask to avoid inhaling water, but felt like it must have seeped in through her eyeballs. Dana was sure she’d coughed up half the Euphrates before she finished. The first thing she noticed when she could focus properly was her regulator lying on a verdant bed of green. Dana rested on her hands and knees and slowly looked around in shock. This couldn’t be. She closed her eyes and shook her head in an attempt to clear the hallucination. She felt the heaviness of the air tank on her back and the weights settled on her hips. Dana pushed up until she was in a kneeling position where she discarded both.
She had performed these actions so often there was no need to look. Instead, she surveyed her surroundings with wonder and a bit of evaporating doubt. Dana had quickly discounted the hallucination theory, but had a hard time believing this was truly the one and only Garden of Eden. The dancing ball of light as well as the splendor before her certainly seemed to indicate that it was. Dana stood slowly.
Lush, heavy forest grew all around and dew shimmered on the grass. Trees of every description surrounded her; bearing fruits so varied and colorful they reminded her of a rainbow. Some of the fruits Dana easily identified, but others she’d never seen before. Some sported thorns and others appeared somewhat furry.
Birds called from the treetops. Those she couldn’t see very well, but flocks of intensely hued parrots zipped by overhead, playing and squabbling without concern for the uninvited woman who stood nearby. In addition to the glorious flora and fauna, Dana couldn’t help admiring the grass. Thick and lavish, it felt like a carpet under her feet. Considering their location in the Middle East, that was surprising enough. Even more shocking was that all the grass for as far as she could see was neatly trimmed at ankle height. It appeared as though the groundskeeper had been hard at work. Then again, a supernatural garden probably trimmed itself.
Out of habit, Dana glanced down at her equipment. She jumped sideways when she spotted the mask she’d lost lying in the grass at her feet.
“Dear God!”
The sound of her own voice in the jungle startled her further. It took a minute to get her racing pulse under control. The fact that nothing had threatened her in this magnificent setting went a long way toward calming her fears. Once her hands stopped shaking, Dana finished taking inventory. She left everything on the bank. Wearing only her wetsuit and booties, Dana set off to explore the area. A path appeared that she hadn’t previously noticed. Though it was a hard-packed dirt trail, it proved surprisingly free of debris. Dana thought she could probably walk on the trail barefoot without fear of injury.
Dana felt like she was in the middle of a Jules Verne novel. She looked up toward the sky and that impression grew stronger. The sky was in fact a gorgeous baby blue and the sun a bright yellow, but super-imposed over that was an image that forced her to question her sanity. Above the treetops and a single snow-covered mountain, the entire region was surrounded by earth. As though submerged in a pit, Dana could see walls of dirt, rock and tree roots high above and all around.
Her first impression was of a giant projection, lending her the claustrophobic sensation of being buried alive. The scientist in her perked up to analyze the situation. While Dana realized that logic wasn’t strictly reliable here, the basic laws of physics still must apply. Searching carefully, what she could see of the terrain above confirmed her suspicions.
She thought the Garden must reside in another dimension, far below the desert or perhaps on another plane altogether. Either way, it existed outside time and space. Mankind could search until the end of days. Without supernatural intervention, as she’d had, they would never find the lost paradise.
She forgot about Lil and her life previously as she traversed the dirt path. A cool, sweet breeze gently lifted her bangs, drying her hair and suit. At one point Dana grew concerned about so much sun exposure. She had fair skin and practically lived in sunscreen. Despite that, her arms showed no indication of sunburn.
Motion from her right drove the mundane thoughts from her mind. Dana crouched as adrenaline surged. In seconds, she shifted from worried to astonished. Her smile grew wide at the sight of a jungle cat carrying a cub in its mouth through the woods. The animals were less than thirty yards away. The creature had to know she was there, but showed the same lack of concern as the birds she’d discovered on the riverbank. Of course it had been millennia since humans walked the Garden and animals that lived here had no reason to fear them. Their lack of concern didn’t surprise her as much as the cat itself. How long had it been since saber-toothed tigers walked the Earth?
Pristine white teeth curved from the upper mandible, resembling the tusks of an elephant. The huge, shaggy coat made Dana want to bury her face in its softness. She felt her heart expand in joy and wondered what possible temptation would be worth throwing away life in this paradise. Then she remembered Lilith. How much worse it must have been for her. To awaken into such a magical existence and be summarily expelled before there were words or emotions to describe her pain and sense of betrayal. Her only crime the inability to fit into a predetermined model of behavior.
Tears choked her and Dana suddenly wanted nothing more than to return to Lil’s side. She must be out of her mind with worry. She turned to retrace her steps to the riverbank and stopped cold. This couldn’t be right. The lane was there right before her, but Dana could have sworn it curved back in the wrong direction. She’d carefully kept track of the terrain as she strolled through the Garden and something was very wrong.
Despite her concern, Dana started back down the path. Instead of turning right in her previous direction of travel, the trail curved sharply to the left and led off into the thickest part of the jungle.
“This is impossible!”
The sound of a woman’s laughter echoed all around. Startled by the unexpected noise, Dana quickly searched her surroundings, but she remained alone. Thinking she’d imagined the laugh, Dana shook her head and persevered in attempting to backtrack her way to the water. In minutes, she realized it was hopeless. The trail definitely twisted in such a way that she couldn’t possibly reach her intended destination.
The possibility of becoming lost in this strange and beautiful land that time had all but forgotten forced Dana’s earlier joy to evaporate. Now, worry caused her heart rate to elevate slightly. Shadows grew around her and Dana cast overhead for the source of the penumbra.
Clouds obscured the previously clear sky and currently blocked the sunlight. Along with the unexpected cover, the breeze grew chilling. Dana’s breath frosted as she exhaled and she suddenly had the distinct impression that she wasn’t alone on the path.
She spun around expecting to find something menacing stalking her, but she was alone. As a scientist, Dana didn’t believe in premonition or precognition, but she did believe in instinct. She sensed a dark presence. She didn’t have to see the source of her fear to know that something malevolent stalked her in this angelic setting. Intuition told her that she couldn’t continue blithely down a path to an unknown location. Because she felt that staying on the path would lead to her demise and because her terror insisted that she had to run, Dana took off across the perpetually maintained grass. She struck out in the direction from which she knew she’d originally come.
Dana stalked across a meadow, refusing to turn around though there was no one present to witness her irrational fear. Sweat beaded on her upper lip despite the sudden chill. She felt like a kid afraid of the dark. If she turned to look, the monster would get her. The only trouble was, the monster felt like nothing more than a cloud of hate and paranoia.
Up ahead she spotted something that eased her panic. From her vantage point in the clearing, she saw a large brown lump with something red and much smaller tucked against it. The two somethings turned out to be animals. Specifically, Dana saw a large brown bear sleeping near the tree line. Tucked up against the creature’s side was a small, reddish fox.
They picked up their heads in tandem and watched her in a sleepy manner. Both appeared perfectly relaxed and Dana took her first calm breath in several minutes. She tried to tell herself that if there were something to be frightened of, these animals would know long before she would. As if to confirm her thoughts, the fox actually panted with a dog-like grin.
Dana still sensed the dark presence behind her, though it seemed like she’d put some distance between them. It had definitely been the right decision to leave the path.
When the animals unexpectedly jumped to their feet and scurried into the woods, she changed her mind. Dana finally gave in to her fear and sprinted across the meadow. She jumped over a fallen limb and raced into the trees. Where the grass was trimmed and the path unblemished, here the woods were thick and obstructing. Thorns and brambles grabbed at her wetsuit and hair, struggling to keep her from fighting her way through. Blood dripped from a scratch on her hand and she realized this wasn’t going to work. An adversary could easily lay an ambush in this terrain.
Dana glanced around quickly, never catching sight of her pursuer. What she did see was the leading edge of something that appeared to be a game trail.
“Please be the right path,” she whispered, making a break for the tiny groove.
Judging by the previous trail’s condition, Dana hoped this one would be clear enough for her to see anything dangerous coming toward her. It was a struggle to reach the path, but she didn’t stop running when she hit the packed dirt. Instead, she sprinted down the lane until her breath came in bursts and her heart threatened to explode. She rounded a corner blocked by a particularly large tree and tried to stop.
Right before her, something that resembled the mixture of a gerbil and a porcupine stood directly in her path. Dana barely managed not to run the poor beast over. Running for all she was worth, she couldn’t stop in time. She sidestepped the little animal and lost her balance, crashing into the neatly trimmed grass.
Dana started to rise, but realized the dark presence had faded entirely. She was once again alone. She lay panting and trying to regain her composure as her heart slowed to a normal cadence. When she felt she could stand up without puking, Dana sat and looked around. She caught sight of the strange looking animal waddling into the woods.
After a few minutes, she finally stood and walked to the center of the trail. Dana looked overhead and in all directions, but she couldn’t deny the truth. The sun stood directly overhead, just as it had since she’d entered the Garden. She was lost.
“Oh, now what? I’m never going to find my way back.”
“Not with that attitude.”
“Who said that?”
Dana spun around and saw a woman standing directly behind her. The stranger had a dimple in the corner of her mouth, enhanced by the huge smile she sported. Somehow, Dana was angry that this woman seemed to take pleasure in her predicament. More focused on her exasperation, Dana absently noted that the stranger wore a diaphanous, white gown secured with a simple gold belt around her waist. The woman’s blond hair was piled up high on her head and secured in some mysterious way. She carried a single purple flower in her hands.
“Who are you? How did you get here?”
The woman laughed, reminding Dana of the sound she’d previously heard before her fright. “Which question would you like for me to answer?”
Dana frowned. “How did you get here? I thought humans were prevented from entering the Garden.”
“They are, but I go where I choose. My name is Asherah and I have always been here.”
“Uh-huh.”
Great. The first person she encountered in the Garden of Eden had a screw loose.
“Not so,” Asherah surprised her by saying.
Dana wondered if she’d unwittingly spoken aloud. She was more rattled than she’d thought.
“You might know my compatriot,” Asherah said. “He goes by the name of Yahweh or Jehovah. Whichever you prefer.”
Now the woman was claiming to know God himself. That confirmed her suspicions. “Uh, you should know that I don’t really believe in God.”
Asherah laughed. The sound was like the tinkling of bells. Unaccountably, it set Dana’s nerves on edge.
“That’s okay. He believes in you. How else could you have breached the barrier? Besides, how can you say that anymore? Look where you are standing, Dana Reed.”
“You know who I am.” That wasn’t really very surprising. “Okay, if you’re a friend of Jehovah, shouldn’t you be some sort of angel or something? You look very solid to me.”
Asherah held her arms wide, the bloom in her left hand. “This is merely a form with which you are more comfortable.”
The humor in her smile had expanded to her eyes. The unique blue color reminded Dana of Lil, but that was where the similarity ended. Where Lil was brunette, Asherah was a blonde. Lil was also a pretty serious person most of the time, but not Asherah. In fact, Dana had the impression this woman was not above a practical joke.
“You’re responsible for the changing pathways.”
“What’s wrong with a little fun?”
That was not an answer, which miffed Dana even further. “What about that thing stalking me through the woods. Did you do that, too?”
Asherah actually bent over at the waist and guffawed like Dana’s question was a huge joke. When she could speak again, Asherah said, “Oh no, that was not me.”
“But you know what it was,” Dana accused, pointing a finger at this truly weird stranger, “being omnipotent and all.”
“Of course, but I’m not giving that little gem away.”
Asherah winked at her and Dana’s head reared back. From the way she’d spoken, Asherah was hinting at something. Dana wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Then again, she wasn’t sure she couldn’t afford to know.
“Then what are you giving away?”
“This.”
Asherah held forth the purple bloom. Before Dana could take the offered floret, Asherah waved her hand and the flower disappeared, to be replaced with a remarkable piece of jewelry. Dana took the bracelet, captivated by the size of the ruby set in the center of a gold and silver circlet. She estimated the ruby at a good five karats. The gold and silver strands were woven together in such a way that Dana couldn’t tell where one began and the other ended.
“What’s this for?” Dana couldn’t lift her eyes from the shiny bauble. It was breathtaking.
“For Lilith of course, silly.�
�� Dana was starting to become accustomed to the sound of Asherah’s laugh. “It will allow her to breach the barrier.”
The comment made her look up. “I’m not an idiot, Asherah. It was you. You led me to believe that God let me in, but you sent that dancing ball of light to lead me here. Why?”
“Let’s just say, I think Lil deserves a chance at happiness. She’s always been my favorite.”
“So what? You want to let her in to die? Just like that after all these centuries?” Dana felt fury descend over her, forcing logical thought to take a backseat. “Where were you before?”
“Indisposed.”
Dana waited, but there was nothing else forthcoming. Asherah merely offered her one of those innocent-appearing smiles.
“That’s all you have to say? Listen, I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m done with these games. We don’t need your help.”
Dana pitched the bracelet toward Asherah, but blinked when it reappeared in her hand. The breeze picked up without warning and the sky darkened. Lightning split the sky and thunder boomed so loudly that Dana jumped. Asherah’s countenance had lost its light and playful demeanor. Dana felt her knees tremble in response.
“Watch your tone, human. I could blast you into dust with a single thought. My whereabouts are not your concern. You should be on your knees before me.”
Dana felt Asherah’s power humming through her veins. Barely able to speak, she whispered, “Who are you?”
“You know that man was created in God’s image. In whose image do you presume woman was made?”
Dana swallowed hard as the implications hit her full force. She was unable to meet the amazing blue eyes. Fear chased along her spine and awe threatened to drive her to her knees. Standing in such a being’s presence was almost more than she could bear. She trembled from the effort not to slump.
Beyond the Garden Page 23
