by Mina Carter
It wasn’t long until the room phone rang, announcing that Abraham was waiting in the lobby. When Lexi and Ryan arrived in the lobby Abraham was back to his earlier cheery self. The trio headed off to a nearby restaurant that Abraham assured would allow them privacy. Once they had made themselves comfortable, Abraham set out a few books and some images he had copied from others. He quickly set himself in teacher mode, and began to point out what they could make sense of from what happened earlier. “I know you two have a lot of questions. I may have some answers, but certainly not all of them. Oh, and I am not as long winded as Jakub.”
“First, a quick down and dirty lesson on the Sumerian belief system. The Sumerians were the oldest known civilization. Their beliefs originated long before their cities were built. So this is some old stuff we are talking about here. Everything we’ve learned about their complex religion has come directly from them. The Sumerians had the first written language and they left tons of information for us on clay tablets. We have incantations, magic spells, curses, and cures written by their priests, sorcerers, and fortune tellers. These writings tell us they lived in a world with hundreds of Gods, spirits, and demons. Somewhere between six hundred and a thousand different ones, maybe even more.
None of these supernatural beings were purely good. Most of these Gods would act with benevolence or wrath whenever it pleased them. You could say they were very fickle and could turn on themselves or people at any time, much like the Gods of Greek or Norse mythology. The demons however, were incapable of good, they were pure evil. There was a constant struggle in the realm of the spirits between all of these with mankind caught in the middle.”
“What about the amulet? Have you-” Lexi asked.
“How do I kill a demon, Abraham?” Ryan interrupted a surprised Lexi.
“Hold on to that question, Ryan. Lexi, I think you wanted to know about the amulet. I had a good look at the thing when Jakub once came to me with it many years ago. At that time, my work was focused on other studies and I didn’t have the time or resources to identify any of the characters or symbology on it. I talked about this briefly at Jakub’s house, but I think it would be good to give you a little more information. First the image on one side depicts Lilitu, the female night demon that transforms into an owl. This is what I know of Lilitu from the original Sumerian clay tablets. These are the things they said about her. She is a demon, so she is only capable of evil. It is said she can fly at night as an owl. She is a succubus and devours the spirits and blood of the living.
The unusual thing about this amulet is the seven pointed star on the other side. More commonly we find the eight pointed star represented Inana. So this seven pointed star is always unique to find. The seven pointed star, or pentagram, has been used as a symbol for thousands of years, and with very different meanings. In this case, I have concluded that each of the seven points of the star represent a powerful force which radiates to the center. The crossing lines create the pentagon shape in the middle. The pentagon shape has its own meaning. It means creation or rebirth.”
“So what exactly are those seven forces? And what would they be creating?” Lexi asked.
“I was confused about that myself, Lexi. I had no idea what these seven forces could be, until I decoded the language of the markings surrounding the star. They indicate a conjuring spell. It conjures a demon known as The Seven. This was a demon I had never heard of. I dug through everything I had with no luck, until one day I stumbled upon an excellent research paper.”
Abraham shuffled through the photocopied pages from his stack of reference materials. “I have something somewhere.” He looked closely at each page. “Yes, here it is. Read what this says.”
Ryan and Lexi looked over the highlighted words and attempted to make sense of the ancient reference.
They are Seven:
Seven are they in the depth of the primeval water,
They are Seven,
Seven Witches are its adornment,
They are the ones who fly around,
They roam the world,
Together Seven witches are the Utukku,
They are Seven of Seven, Seven Times Seven
“Okay that is interesting, but it makes no sense. What do you think, Lexi?”
“My guess is that it’s about seven witches?”
“Yes, seven witches. Together, their powers combine to become an Utukku. The Utukku is a very evil demon. The use of the number seven in the last line tells us this evil demon is incredibly powerful. Seven was a magic number to the Sumerians and when they wanted to express a very large or important quantity, they would often use the number of seven multiplied by seven.”
“Okay Abraham, do you think the star side of the amulet conjures these seven demons that are also seven witches?” Ryan was trying to grasp what Abraham was speculating.
“Yes, that is it exactly. Seven witches who were really seven demons, demons in human form. The seven pointed star symbol is a diagram that represents this unique combination of witches and demons into one force.”
“Okay guys—now that seems a little frightening to imagine.” Lexi seemed unnerved as the image filled her mind.
“Lexi, guess who found this reference? It was none other than Kate. I found an article she submitted to the department of Mesopotamian studies in Ankara, Turkey. As a normal routine they send me copies of these sorts of things for my review. This came in last month. I thought it was something old because the name was Ekaterina Salenko, I assumed it was something I had received from your mother. She was very much involved in the work at the Gobekli Tepe site, by the way. Then I saw the dates and realized this is not from your mother’s research, but your sister’s from about six months ago.”
Lexi looked surprised. “Wow I didn’t know what research my mom was involved in. I didn’t even know what Kate was working on, even though I tried to find out. When I went to Kate’s house to retrieve the amulet I looked at her computer. There was nothing there. No research work, no travel plans. It looked to me like she barely used it, but it doesn’t surprise me at all. Kurt was always preaching about how most of the programs and websites on the internet were being used by the government to snoop on people.”
Abraham continued, “I have to tell you something that Kate hid from Jakub. She did discover that the amulet was indeed magical. In the course of her research, she discovered that it was linked to an ancient Sumerian witchcraft cult.”
“The Seven?” Ryan speculated.
“Exactly. She learned that in ancient times these same witches had occupied the temple at Gobekli Tepe, and that is where they performed their rituals. The witches had the power of possession. They also had the skill to conjure a specific demon to let it take possession of them. Perhaps in the world of so many demons the seven demons were sort of on the lower end of demonic ability. At some point they decided to join forces to become one very uh, how would you say? Badass demon. Conceivably the only way they could achieve that type of super power was by possessing these human witches and performing their special magic. The only thing they feared was one specific demon. It was their only known enemy.”
“Lilitu!” Ryan and Lexi announced together. “Jinx!”
“Very good. The two of you are excellent students.”
“So, they WERE witches, right? I mean thousands of years ago. They would be long dead now. So what is the danger?” Lexi pointedly asked Abraham.
“I would say that their bodies are dead, yes. I just wish I knew if their spirits survived.”
Ryan thought about why Lilitu would want to pursue The Seven and announced a theory of his own. “What if Lilitu thought that if she devoured these witches, she could achieve the power of possession?”
“That would be very bad if she did, Ryan.” Abraham seemed surprised that he hadn’t thought of that. The apprehensive look that crossed his face showed his concern when he considered what that would mean.
Ryan speculated further. “Alright, so the amulet protects some
one against Lilitu, and it also is used by The Seven to conjure up their super demon. I think Jakub was sincere about what he told us. The thing we don’t know is where Shandor got it or why he had it. We don’t know exactly what Kate is up to. Is she trying to tap into the power of The Seven? I’m going to say she isn’t. Otherwise, she would have taken the amulet with her. I suppose we’ll find that out when we meet.”
“You make a pretty good detective, Ryan. Also, you two make a good team. Wouldn’t you agree, Lexi?”
“Oh, I would say we definitely make a great team.”
Abraham smiled at the two as Ryan took Lexi’s hand. “You know I have to tell you something. Some of the Sumerian magic often relies on the assistance of what they believed was a very powerful Goddess named Inana, also known as Ishtar. She is the Goddess of war and erotic love. It was thought that people involved in her magic could be affected by some of the energy. Even though this amulet does not bear a direct tie to her it still may have been used to some degree by the witches to invoke Inana’s help. Therefore it could emulate the erotic power of Inana.”
“Um—you mean the amulet could make people fall in love or something?” Lexi worried.
“Oh no. Absolutely not. None of these demons or spirits are capable of any type of love. Love is purely a human power they simply can’t fathom. You also have to understand that the ancients differed between what is love and what is erotic. There is a very strong energy from erotic love, lust, and desire. I can’t say a spirit like Inana could create that kind of power, but I would suggest a theory that perhaps a little spark of magic could kind of push one’s inhibitions aside...to enjoy the erotic love. I can’t imagine a more powerful combination, love and passion. Yes? What do you think about my theory, Lexi?” Abraham leaned back in his chair, his smile broke through his curly gray beard as he watched Lexi blush beyond her control.
Lexi took her hand and put it under the table. She laid her hand on Ryan’s thigh and moved it up until she grasped the bulk of his manhood. She answered Abraham. “Well it can become very hard...you know—to accept magic, but it sounds like you are onto something very big. What do you think, Ryan?”
Ryan’s thoughts were already drifting back to the memories of their intimate moments as Lexi’s hand toyed with the hardness that now strained against his zipper. He had completely missed what Lexi had asked him.
He took a chance at agreeing with whatever it was Lexi asked. “Uh, yes. I suppose. Say when are we going to get something to eat? I’m starving.”
Abraham waved through the window of the private dining room, and two waiters immediately arrived with platters that held a variety of dishes for them to try. Ryan gently placed his hand on Lexi’s thigh. His hand along the seam of her dress, before diving under the silky material. He slid one finger under the edge of her panties, teasing her lightly, briefly, to let her know that two could play that game.
Ryan continued his train of thought. “I’ve figured out the best way to get into the region without alerting anyone who might be keeping an eye on who shows up.”
Abraham seemed puzzled. “Why not just get a flight up there and rent a car?”
“Well, I would much rather it be a surprise visit. You never know what Kate is involved in. We have to anticipate that they watching for us. I’m not going there without my gear, and it’s not like I can board a commercial plane with it.”
“We’re going for a little cruise on a private yacht. It will take us into a coastal city in Turkey, where we’ll pick up a vehicle. From there we will drive east to the area in question and locate Kate. I’ve already arranged for a contact with the Turkish intelligence group to get us in there without any hassle. We’ll meet you at the Haifa port terminal tonight at ten.”
The rest of their meal was met with little fanfare, and they managed to avoid any further discussion of the amulet or Kate. After they were finished Lexi and Ryan parted with Abraham, and the two headed out for Lexi’s badly needed shopping trip.
Rather than visit the mall, they opted to stay in the bustling streets and scenic plazas of the area near the hotel. Lexi loved the vibrant atmosphere of the area that Ryan had told her was called The German Colony. It was the same area where he had placed the owl pendant around her neck. Lexi couldn’t help but wonder what the future would hold for them.
As they walked in the early evening light past the tables of the sidewalk cafés and bistros, Ryan held her hand and led her to a perfectly manicured garden. He found a lone bench in the garden and urged Lexi to sit and wait for him while he jogged the short distance across the plaza. Lexi tried to peer around the people milling about, but she couldn’t see what had caught Ryan’s attention.
She was startled when a stranger joined her on the bench. Lexi quickly turned to see her visitor, and was shocked at the sight of Ryan holding a bouquet of red and yellow roses.
“Wow, I didn’t expect-” Her words were cut off by Ryan’s soft full lips meeting hers. Her arms wrapped tight around his torso, pulling him closer. Eventually she finished her sentence. “I didn’t expect anything like this. Thank you, Ryan. They’re absolutely beautiful.”
“Hey Lexi, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you all afternoon. I was just waiting for the right time.”
Lexi’s mouth dropped open in complete awe. “Uh...okay.” She couldn’t believe her own mouth. That’s the best you can do? He does the most romantic thing ever and you say “Uh okay”? Come on Lexi, think of something else. “Okay this is as good of a time as any. I think I want to talk to you about something too.”
“Well, I want to ask you something. How do you see us? You know what I mean? Do you see us together after all of this is settled? Before you answer, I want to tell you that I do. I can’t see it any other way, Lex. For now that’s all I can say. I’m not asking you to commit yourself to me or anything like that. I’m just asking if after this can we continue with where we are, so we can find out where we might be going.”
“Holy Cats!” Ugh. Holy Cats? What the fuck? Lexi interrupted Ryan’s laughter. “Sorry I meant to say something a little more graceful. Of course we can. I’ve been thinking about the exact same thing all day. I wanted to ask you about it, but I guess I chickened out. I was worried that I’d come off as trying to be pushy or something. I’ve been hoping that after this we can continue to see each other. I don’t know how we could work it out with you being a hermit in South America and all, but maybe we can visit?” Lexi’s heart fell when she realized the logistics of such a long distance relationship. She tried to choke back the tears, and keep a happy look on her face as she sniffed the flowers Ryan gave her. “Well we’ll see, won’t we?”
“I was thinking we could work out something, Lex. That’s why I said that I didn’t want to ask you to commit to anything in case, you know, we just can’t work it out.”
Lexi felt like her heart was bleeding. She had told herself that she needed to enjoy life as it was in the present, and not worry so much of the future. It didn’t seem to help much.
They walked back to the hotel holding hands. Ryan carried her shopping bags while she held the flowers. These were the first flowers that she had ever been given and they were from the man she hoped would be the only one to ever give her such gifts.
She had one more nagging concern. She wondered if she should have talked to Abraham about her strange dreams. Not to mention her experiences with the owl that seemed to be watching her.
Chapter Thirteen
BEN AND ABRAHAM were already waiting on the pier, illuminated by the blue glow of a light post. Ryan carefully maneuvered into the marina parking lot and as soon as he parked the SUV, Ben jogged out to meet them. “Hey Ryan. I’m sorry I can’t go with you because I think it will be an interesting journey for you guys.”
“Well, to be perfectly honest, I’m hoping it will be very uninteresting. Ben, you wouldn’t believe my day. I don’t even know how I can believe it. Uh, hold on a second, Ben. Hey Lex, we can get the bags.” Le
xi had just stepped around from the back of the SUV with her backpack and a freshly packed duffle bag.
Lexi realized she may have interrupted a conversation between the two and decided to head over to the pier. “Hi Ben. I’m going to let you guys say your long goodbyes in private. Abraham looks kind of lonely over there.”
“Alright, Lex. Yeah Ben, without going through the whole story, I think that Lexi’s sister is mixed up with some damn witchcraft cult up there. Have you ever heard of anything like that?”
“Well, not in Turkey, no. Just the local ghost story stuff you find anyplace. But just to the South and East of that area inside the Syrian border there are some people that I have been told are sorcerers, or something. Of course it’s difficult to say what that is all about, because for one thing, it’s in Syria. Another thing to consider is that if someone was practicing any kind of sorcery or witchcraft, they would have to really hide it or you can bet they would pay for it. Probably by stoning. Or burning. Or maybe drowning and beheading or-”
“Alright Ben, I get it. Sorcery isn’t a socially acceptable behavior there. Well that kind of thing isn’t widely accepted in most places, anyway. Say, I haven’t heard back from your contact that was supposed to be checking on Kate. I tried contacting him again, but no luck. Do you know of any way to reach him?”
“Here, let’s try my phone. You know I have all the good gear. Completely encrypted signals, my friend. Say, if this Kate is even half as hot as her little sister, you had better hook me up. Maybe then I’ll get you one of these nice phones and you can dump your Jurassic era phone off with the CIA.”
Ben punched in the numbers on the screen and quickly began a conversation in Hebrew. Ryan glanced up the pier and saw Lexi and Abraham talking under the light. “Hey Ryan, can you believe I am on hold? I had to call in to the communications center first. So are you and Lexi the real deal? It seems so strange to see you getting into anything serious with a chick.”
