The Gift

by Bryan M. Litfin

  The nail protruded from his hand. However, its tip had been moved at the last second. Instead of going through the thick flesh, it had only pierced the web of skin at the base of his thumb. As the initial burst of pain subsided, the Overseer yanked out the nail.

  “It is enough,” he said. “You have passed the test.” He came around to Teo’s side of the table. “Come now. We will climb to the roof and espy the land. There I will speak truth to you.”

  Brother Toni brought ointment and a bandage. Still somewhat shaken, Teo allowed him to bind the wound, then followed the Overseer toward the exit. Sol’s face was pale as he walked silently at Teo’s side.

  An exterior door led to a staircase. Teo climbed the twisting stairs until his thigh muscles burned. It seemed the steps would never end, but at last he reached a roof with delicately carved pinnacles sprouting everywhere. Saints and gargoyles and lovely angels adorned every available surface. Following the Overseer, Teo traversed the roof’s length by walking under the buttresses that supported the temple’s mighty columns.

  More stairs brought him to the main peak of the roof, which was lined along both sides with slender spires. A breeze cooled Teo in the afternoon sun. The ruined metropolis of the Ancients lay spread before him. Farther from the temple, the urban core of the Forbidden Zone gave way to a dark ring of forest that receded into the distance.

  Sol joined Teo on the roof, panting with his hands on his knees. “This is amazing,” he said between gasps. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

  The Overseer approached and removed his hood. A jagged scar stretched across his forehead. He smiled as he saw Teo’s eyes go to it.

  “You notice my crown, do you? It was put there by my own hand so that I might become one with the flock Deus has given me.”

  “You’re a Defective by choice?”

  “Yes. And in this way I am truly whole.” He touched his fingertips together and gazed into the distance. “Do you know what is done with those whom the Ulmbartians call Defectives?”

  “It’s said they are taken by the shamans to a pleasant valley.”

  “It is enslavement, make no mistake,” said the Overseer. “They are worked to death in frightful conditions, mainly in quarries. The Ulmbartians’ desire for marble is outstripped only by the insatiable appetite of the Likurians.”

  “I don’t doubt it. I sensed evil in the practice of banishing the Defectives.”

  “Some flee here to the Forbidden Zone for refuge when they receive their defect from the hand of Deus. I am here to welcome the weak.” The Overseer turned and faced Teo. “I believe you may one day understand the nature of weakness, Teofil of Chiveis.”

  Teo was startled. “What do you mean?”

  “Deus favors the weak and the downtrodden. He hides his strength in them. Sometimes they will surprise you.”

  “I will look for that,” Teo said, nodding.

  Evidently it was the right thing to say. A broad smile crossed the Overseer’s face. “Well spoken, O Seeker. And now, if you would learn of the Pierced One, listen to these words.”

  The Overseer removed a book from his sleeve and began to read. “So says the prophet Zacharias: Aspicient ad me quem confixerunt et plangent eum planctu quasi super unigenitum et dolebunt super eum ut doleri solet in morte primogeniti.”

  “The Old Words,” Sol whispered to Teo.

  When the Overseer finished reading, he translated the text. It described a man who was pierced, a man who would be looked upon with grief. His death would be mourned like that of a firstborn son. The Overseer explained that the text was a prophecy of Iesus Christus, the servant who suffered.

  “What about the Promised King?” Teo asked. “How did the death of Iesus help him?”

  The Overseer looked at Teo sadly. “While we know the servant was pierced on a cross and suffered for his beliefs, we do not know what became of the king who was prophesied. It is said he followed in David’s mighty footsteps and established a kingdom for a time. Beyond that his story is forgotten.”

  Teo was dumbfounded. “What then are your beliefs? Tell me everything you can.”

  The Overseer folded his hands into his sleeves. “Much has been lost through the ages, and what remains is only dimly remembered. Traditions and rituals have come down to us, and we observe them, though we do not know their full meaning. Nevertheless, I will give you what knowledge I have. The brothers and sisters here belong to the Universal Communion of the Christiani. Twenty of us are in holy orders, and none but I have ever set foot outside this forgotten city. Each week we celebrate a meal of bread and wine in memory of the Pierced One’s death. In this sacrifice we feed upon him. In our brokenness we find the way forward. In our suffering we bind ourselves to Deus. In love we serve the abandoned, until the day of victory comes. More than this cannot be known in the Forbidden Zone.”

  “What? Surely you have a complete version of the Sacred Writing? What does the New Testament say about all this? I thought you’d be able to answer my questions!” Teo could feel disappointment rising within him, though he tried to keep the edge out of his voice.

  “The Testament of which you speak is lost among us. It is lost in Ulmbartia, and it is lost in Likuria as well. It has nearly been wiped from the face of the earth. The Exterminati have made sure of that—those whom you call the shamans. Yet we believe a secret copy of it still exists. There is but one man alive today who can recover that book: the leader of the Christiani. His servants scour the earth even now, always looking, looking, looking . . .”

  “Then I must go to him,” Teo declared. “I am sworn to it. I will help him find the sacred book, so that we might know the whole truth.”

  The Overseer looked at Teo with a strange expression in his blue eyes. “Perhaps you will, O Seeker of wisdom. Yes, indeed, perhaps you will. My prayers and my dreams and my thoughts have been visited of late by a man like you. I think it is time for you to play a role in the great and mysterious saga of Deus.”

  “I’m willing, sir. Where can I find the man of whom you speak?”

  The Overseer went to the edge of the roof and spread his arms to the distant horizon. “Far to the south, across both land and sea, lies a great city. It is the home of the Universal Communion, though evil holds sway there now. You must go there, Teofil the Wisdom Seeker. You must go to Roma, and there you will find the Papa.”

  Exhilarated, Ana swept around the ballroom in her flowing silk gown. The steps to the waltz were much like the folk dances she had enjoyed in Chiveis, but the setting at the Harvest Ball was infinitely more elegant.

  “You are as graceful at dancing as you are in conversation, Lady Anastasia,” Dohj Cristof said as the music came to an end. He bowed, and Ana returned the compliment with a curtsy.

  The night was magical. Vanita had loaned Ana a gown of the finest silk in a delicate ivory color, with bare shoulders and gloves that came to her elbow. The triple strand of pearls around her neck added a lovely finishing touch. Ana felt like a princess.

  Vanita floated up to Ana and Cristof, her diamond jewelry glittering in the bright light of the chandeliers. “Anastasia, are you going to monopolize our Likurian guest all night? Other men would like to dance with you as well—and there’s a certain lady who’d like the dohj to lead her around the room at least once tonight.”

  Cristof nodded politely. “It would be an honor to dance with the daughter of a gentleman as noble as Duke Labella.” He took Vanita by the hand and led her out to the ballroom floor. Ana used the moment to slip outside to collect her thoughts.

  She stood for a long time at the railing of a broad terrace, enjoying the cool air of the early autumn evening. The grape harvest had begun, and all of Ulmbartia was in a festive mood. A sliver of pale moon shone in the sky as Ana gazed out on the splendid city of Giuntra. Her thoughts went to Teo. I wonder where is he right now. He had said something about visiting a distant library with his new teacher friend, though that didn’t seem like a good reason to be gone during the Ha
rvest Ball. Ana found herself wishing she could have danced with Teo on a night like this. In fact, she wished she could have been his escort at the ball. She sighed and shook her head. Would he have wanted that? She didn’t know. Ever since the embarrassing events at the count’s chateau on the lake, she had felt confused about Teo.

  “There you are. I’ve been looking for you,” said a voice from behind.

  Ana turned to see Dohj Cristof walking toward her. He was a remarkably handsome man, about thirty years old with sandy blond hair and a strong jaw. He wasn’t rugged like Teo, but he had a certain polish about him that was attractive. Ana felt more than a little flattered by the attention the esteemed prince had shown her all evening. She wasn’t sure what to make of that.

  “I’m just enjoying the gorgeous view out here on the terrace,” she said as the dohj approached.

  “As am I,” Cristof replied.

  From his tone and the look in his eye, Ana knew the dohj’s words were intended as flirtatious, but she didn’t rise to his bait. Instead she made polite conversation for a while, then offered an excuse about needing a drink and hurried back inside.

  For the rest of the evening Ana danced with anyone who asked her, enjoying the fine music, the glamorous atmosphere, and the magnificent architecture of the grand ballroom. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed dancing. As she was whisked around by her partners, she experienced the same exuberance she often felt at the barn dances back home, though her elation was more intense in such enchanted surroundings. Everyone was nice to her—the men so complimentary, the women so lighthearted and congenial. The Ulmbartian aristocrats genuinely seemed to want her in their midst.

  As the evening drew to a close and the guests began to leave, Ana found Vanita, and the pair made their way to the Labellas’ waiting carriage. A tall man in commoner’s attire stood next to the tailcoated coachman.

  Someone approached Ana unseen, startling her by slipping his arm around her body in a familiar way. She turned to see the smiling face of Dohj Cristof. “Did you think you could leave without saying good-bye?” he asked.

  “I looked for you, Your Highness, but I missed you in the crowd.”

  “That’s because I was waiting out here to be sure to catch you.”

  Vanita laughed melodiously and put her hand on the dohj’s shoulder. “It’s certainly hard to escape your watchful eye, Dohj Cristof.”

  The Likurian prince faced the two women. “If I may,” he said in a more formal tone, “I wish to extend you an invitation. I’ve already cleared it with your father, Lady Vanita, but I would ask you in person as well.”

  Vanita’s eyes shone. “Do tell,” she giggled.

  “As you are perhaps aware, the Likurians and Ulmbartians have recently concluded a commercial pact. It seems appropriate to celebrate this event with an exchange of hospitality. In that vein I have invited the Labella household to join some other noble families in spending a few months in the pleasant confines of the Likurian seashore. All guests of your home would be welcome to stay at my palace at Nuo Genov”—Cristof fixed his eyes upon Ana—“and that would of course include you, Lady Anastasia.”

  Ana was taken aback. Before she could answer, a voice spoke from over her shoulder. “Good evening, Ana.”

  She recognized the voice at once. Teo!

  Ana whirled to greet him, suddenly realizing he was the man who had been standing by the carriage. He was dirty from his travels to the distant library. His hair was unkempt, and his chin sported a few days’ worth of stubble. Nevertheless, the comforting feeling she always experienced in his presence flooded her heart in a rush.

  I’ve missed him so much!

  She started forward to embrace him, then hesitated, uncertain about what was appropriate.

  “Oh, gods,” Vanita muttered. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Lady Anastasia, do you know this man?” Dohj Cristof asked.

  “Yes, he’s . . . a friend of mine.”

  Vanita rolled her eyes, and Cristof uttered a dismissive grunt.

  Teo laid his hand on Ana’s upper arm. “Listen,” he said quietly, leaning close, “there’s something—”

  “Get your dirty hands off her!”

  Dohj Cristof smacked Teo’s arm away from Ana’s shoulder. Teo drew back with an annoyed expression, staring at the dohj.

  “A noble lady doesn’t want to be manhandled by the likes of you,” Cristof said.

  “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t mind,” Teo retorted.

  Cristof stepped to Ana’s side, placing his arm protectively around her waist. “The lady is in my care now, young man. She is to be a guest in my home for the next few months.” He waved Teo away with the back of his hand. “Be off with you, before I have you tossed into an alley on your ear.”

  Teo shot Ana a questioning glance. She sensed anger in his expression, or perhaps disappointment.

  He’s drifting away from me, Ana realized with a panicky feeling.

  “Is that true?” Teo asked. His tone was sharp.

  “Well, yes, I’ve been invited to the coast. And I was . . . um . . . yes, I was considering it.”

  “Are you going?”

  “Why shouldn’t I?”

  Ana kicked herself as soon as she said it. Her words sounded like a challenge, though that was the last thing she intended. She desperately wanted Teo to give her a reason to stay.

  Teo folded his arms across his chest and looked away. He exhaled a deep breath through his nose. Ana couldn’t read his emotions, though she knew irritation was certainly one of them. Teo grimaced and shook his head but said nothing.

  “What, Teo? Do you want me not to go?”

  As Ana stood waiting for Teo’s answer, a powerful emotion swept over her. She felt alone and anxious and afraid. Please, Teo! Just say it! Say you want me to stay with you and I’ll do it in a heartbeat!

  Teo stared at the ground. The moment was poised on the edge of a knife. Ana felt herself starting to tremble. Her knees sagged, and Dohj Cristof instinctively tightened his grip around her waist. With sudden clarity Ana knew she had reached a turning point in her life.

  At last Teo looked up and met Ana’s eyes. “This isn’t a decision I can make for you, Anastasia.”

  Ana’s breath caught. Teo just called me Anastasia!

  Darkness invaded Ana’s soul. She felt as if her heart had been crushed like a flower under a boot heel. Everyone else called her Anastasia, but Teo always called her Ana. It was her familiar name, her intimate name, her special name that she had invited him to use as one whom she loved. Long ago, in another land, they had stood together on a balcony in the moonlight. On that night Ana sensed she had become inextricably bound to Teo. From that time on, through all their many adventures, he had never addressed her as anything but Ana. For Teo to call her by her formal name—now, in this vital moment—conveyed more to her than anything else he could have said. Not only had Teo refused to claim her, he had symbolically rejected the bond they shared.

  Ana’s heart fell. For a long moment she stared at her feet. A queasy feeling roiled in her stomach. Tears rimmed her eyes, but she blinked them away before they could be noticed. She lifted her chin and turned toward Dohj Cristof.

  “I’d be delighted to come visit you, Your Highness,” she said.

  CHAPTER

  6

  Around noon on her third day of travel, Ana arrived at the most beautiful city she had ever seen. Giuntra was lovely, but Nuo Genov—the artistic though not the political capital of Likuria—was even more stupendous, a gleaming city of milky marble palaces and sun-drenched vistas. Everything was clean and pure and grand beyond imagination. No building was without domes or arches or colonnades or balconies. Innumerable statues of muscular men and voluptuous women celebrated the human form in the many spacious plazas. The city clung to the steep coastal hillside in terraces that descended to a bustling commercial port. From the harbor the great ocean at Nuo Genov stretched toward a horizon so distant Ana could scarcely compr
ehend it. On the journey down from Ulmbartia, Dohj Cristof had described the infinite salt sea of the Likurians. Still, when Ana saw it with her own eyes, it took her breath away.

  “The Ancients destroyed this city, but now we’ve made it even more superb than it was before,” Cristof had bragged. It truly is superb, Ana decided.

  The dohj’s palace was as elegant as the man himself. All the visiting Ulmbartian aristocrats were shown to private rooms with balconies overlooking the ocean. Ana threw open her glass doors and walked outside, inhaling the foreign smells of the seashore. Though it was now the ninth month of the year, a warm sun still shone down on this southern locale. Ana felt she had arrived in paradise.

  The first evening was spent at a sumptuous casino. Ana didn’t know the rules of the games, so she merely stood at Dohj Cristof’s table and watched him lose huge sums of money as he placed bets and moved his chips around. The losses seemed to bother him no more than if a penny had fallen from a hole in his pocket. Ana wondered if he even knew how much wealth he possessed. Cristof laughed and bantered with a crowd of gorgeous girls in sequined gowns as the house took his money again and again. The dohj was oblivious to his bad luck.

  Breakfast was scheduled suitably late the next day. In fact, in most places it would have been called lunch. Ana awoke three or four times with bright rays of sunshine slanting across her bed from the shutters, but each time she managed to fight off morning’s arrival and slip into a doze again.

  At last she put her bare feet to the floor and stumbled into the bathroom. Although a bowl of cold water and a bar of soap were all she was accustomed to back home, here in Likuria morning ablutions were done differently. An iron stove was set into the wall, tended by servants on the other side. The stove heated a tank of water, which could be released from a spout to trickle over one’s shoulders. Ana had always enjoyed soaking in a tub, but the unusual feeling of warm water running down her back was a new and decidedly pleasant sensation.