The Great Thirst Boxed Set

by Mary C. Findley

  The man woke up fast and grabbed his headset. “Security, lobby, right now. We have a possible assault and the perpetrator may be in the elevator right now!”

  Keith was grateful that they ended up not calling the police. He figured they would not want to publicize the incident, and, as he feared, the attacker got away. They found the taser and the ski mask, and the dents in Keith’s briefcase matched the taser, so they couldn’t say he was making it up. Finally a security guard escorted him up to his room and checked to make sure no one was in it.

  “I don’t get how that taser didn’t knock you down and keep you there,” the guard said as they parted. “They make us take a shot from one in training, and I tell you what, I couldn’t stop twitching for an hour at a pretty low voltage. That thing was set high enough to uncurl your hair. Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that, sir.”

  “I don’t understand it either, but thanks for everything.”

  “Hope the rest of your stay with us is nice and boring, sir,” the guard said. Keith closed, bolted, and chained his door. He dropped his briefcase and put his hand on his chest where the taser had struck. That was when a thought struck him, and he dug in his shirt pocket. The tiny fragment of corundum caught the light and glittered blood red between his fingers.

  “Hello, beautiful,” Keith smiled. “I can see now how the ax of Britomarte can be some next-level awesome protection.”

  Chapter Thirty-five – Built Upon a Rock

  The rest of the conference had passed without anybody trying to taze him or harass him at all. Keith was startled to be complimented numerous times on both his questions and comments by session leaders. He kept looking at the collection of business cards scanned into his phone. He wasn’t sure he hadn’t dreamed what these people who had never met him before said to him. They offered him recommendations for grad assistant positions or even internships. Some had real jobs, and flexible scheduling to finish his degree along the way.

  He also had to pinch himself hard when he looked over the certificates for course credits that appeared in his inbox as he waited for the flight out to Turkey. These meant a Master’s Degree by December if he could just get into the last few online classes he had queried about as soon as he had his proof of attendance coded in. For the first time in five long years, life seemed to be heading in the right direction.

  Can I do any of this stuff, though? Can I just go for a PhD, or take a job, or move into college teaching? As he opened his briefcase to put away the phone, he saw the glint of a loop of coated orichalcum and hurriedly shut it. Everything about the Golden Testaments, the survey trip, and Talia and her quest crashed back into the front of his memory.

  Christians claim their life belongs to God. We say that all the time, but this thing with Talia, it’s changing my whole life. Does it mean giving up my plans, my goals? Could I end up living on the run with people trying to stab me, or steal what I worked years to find, or kill somebody I love? It’s already happened with Remmy and Sophie. It could have happened to Talia if that guy at the cafe hadn’t been one of the Guardians. And that crazy person in the elevator, trying to get this briefcase – What have I gotten myself into? Do I want to get myself out before I get any deeper?

  Keith heard his flight called, jumped up, and headed for the gate. He couldn’t help remembering the argument over the survey trip.

  I told them back then that my family has to come first. I told them I didn’t even see how I could be a part of their mission, the way things are with Joana and Grandma. They can throw all the money at my family they want. It doesn’t change the fact that I have to be there for Dad, and Joana, and Grandma. Me, not somebody else’s money.

  The opportunities that had been extended to him at the conference would allow him to stay close and continue to be a help at home. He might even be able to continue living there. He’d have to get his own car, but the budget he’d scribbled on a napkin during the morning break, based on just two different offers he gotten, was very conservative and realistic. It would make a world of difference in how his family could live.

  Reality. That was what he had to focus on. Unlike the fantasy of globe-trotting with the Ramins. It was just not going to continue beyond this field trip and the rest of the school year with the Bible as Literature class. After that I have to get busy and make things better for my family, and maybe just help a little with the Testaments on the side, when I have time.

  Talia had gotten permission for the kids’ plan to hide behind every planter and post in the lobby of the hotel in Turkey. They jumped out screaming “Hey, Mr. Bradley!” Every hotel employee scowled in perfect unison like they despised all Americans. Keith groaned but accepted the hugs and kisses, especially from Talia.

  “Am I glad to see all of you. Man, oh man, temptation reared its ugly head, but all I could think about was my cute little co-teacher,” Keith whispered to her as they went into the dining room for the evening meal.

  “What?” Talia blushed. Keith told her briefly about Jenny Kaine and Talia chewed her lip. “Uncle Naddy has a private conference room reserved for us for later so we can talk. It sounds like you have a lot to tell us, and we have a lot to tell you, too.”

  “Yeah, my head is exploding with stuff we need to do when we get hold of the Testaments,” Keith replied.

  The kids monopolized his attention during dinner, all trying to tell him at the same time about the things they had already seen, especially at Gobekli Tepe, the site they had visited today before he arrived. They didn’t seem to care that he could barely pick out one word out of ten.

  “So how much sugar have they had today, exactly?” Keith chuckled.

  Talia snickered. “I think they have made a pact not to sleep the entire trip. The screeners at the airport confiscated all the energy drinks and drops and whatever the kids thought they were going to hide, of course, so they were going through withdrawal. They were delirious to discover Turkish coffee can give them as much of a charge as they wish, if they just consume enough. ‘Ms. Ramin! It’s coffee with coffee in it!’”

  Talia watched Keith. He seemed happy to be surrounded by crazy students. He had hinted in his texts from the airport taxi to the hotel that he finally felt he had some idea of how to crack the mystery of the map, and maybe even the location of the Testaments themselves. At least, she cautioned herself, He said we’ve got some baby steps we can take that might go in the right direction.

  Talia couldn’t stop sneaking looks at Keith. She was glad he was wearing the Have Faith T-shirt, as were all the rest of the group, in celebration of his arrival. She had wondered if he thought they were stupid. Maybe he did think they were, and humored her by wearing it now.

  “Ms. Ramin, you can eat Mr. Bradley for dessert if you want!” teased Jayna. The kids burst out laughing and Talia and Keith both turned red.

  “It’s okay,” Tom insisted. “I’ll be glad to eat your cake for you.” He snatched Talia’s small plate away as soon as the waiter set it down. Talia snatched it back.

  “I’ll eat it myself, thank you!” As she bent over her pastry, she glanced around the table, but no one else seemed ready to rib her about too much staring at Keith. Oh, just stop it! She pinched herself hard and made her eyes water. Uncle Naddy had hinted to her that Keith’s family might be in danger and she had to take that possibility seriously. She knew Keith would be doing so, and wouldn’t want distractions while he tried to make their mission a success.

  Time to pray, girl. Talia continued nibbling at the very rich dessert. She prayed for protection, clarity, strength, and for these innocent students. Talia and her aunt and uncle knew about the threats against believers in the states. They were holding their breaths but had heard not a whisper of trouble here. Tears gathered in her eyes.

  “Hey, are you okay, Ms. Ramin?” Keith asked, touching her shoulder.

  “Sure. Just praying,” she mumbled around her fork.

  “I’m so glad to be back with all of you. My family loves God, but I tell you w
hat, the passion ripples off of you and your aunt and uncle. It’s like a revival meeting. I love this feeling. God waves. Energy from heaven. Something like that. You know what I mean?”

  “I didn’t used to, but I do now that Uncle Naddy got himself right,” Talia nodded. “They used to fight about everything, but now they’re like those couples you hear about that finish each other’s sentences, that cuddle up together, and it’s so wonderful. Energy. Yes, heavenly energy. I love that thought, Keith. And you’re part of the energy. We have so much to praise God for. I can’t believe how good He is to us. But we need to pray for your family, for the times that are coming, for the Guardians of the Testaments and the persecutions they are already enduring. We need to pray that we can help and encourage them, and that we’ll know what to do to slake the thirst when the time comes.”

  “So many people have sacrificed so much to protect these Testaments. I feel unworthy to even be involved in this. But I’m so glad I am. And I’m so glad I’m involved with you, too. What a privilege. I thought I was going to be a geek science teacher in a small town all my life.

  “I never imagined God had a plan like this for me. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us next. And I can’t wait to see those Testaments. What must they be like? We still don’t even know what language they’re in. I want to be calm and trust God, but the thoughts won’t stop going crazy in my head.”

  Finally the chaperones assured Keith and Talia that they would do their best to keep the students in their rooms and they were able to join Naddy and Sophie in the conference room.

  “Since we last met with the Guardians of the Testaments, there has been a death,” Naddy said. “It was our acquaintance from Naxos. The hiding place beneath the church on Cyprus was discovered, but by his sacrifice the others were able to get out with the map artifacts safe and intact. It may take a little time before they can regroup and contact us.”

  Talia sobbed and Sophie held her tightly.

  “What?” Keith stared at Naddy. “They didn’t have anybody to spare. So what do we do now? How do we help? I mean, I’m ready to figure out power supplies and transmission devices. Give me the artifacts or whatever pieces you have, or stuff that looks like junk, so I can get to work. But Naddy, people are getting chased, driven away, attacked, or killed too fast. If we don’t hurry and figure this out, who’s going to be left to hear the message of the Testaments?”

  “God will not leave himself without a witness,” Naddy said. “This is not a time for discouragement. It is a time for encouragement. Those who suffer and are scattered will go everywhere bearing more seed. God prepares hearts. The seed with find homes. If the faithful die, they go to Christ, and new faithful will be raised up to hear. This is the resolve we must forge in our hearts: That we will communicate the message to whomever God give us to hear it.”

  Talia listened intently while Keith sketched out the lab session and showed them the insulated wire. He also shared his discovery of the protective power he had gotten from the corundum.

  “Someone attacked you during the conference? They tried to taser you?” Talia gasped. “Are you sure you’re okay? No delayed effects?”

  “I’m fine. I’m wondering who that person was, and how he knew about the stuff I was carrying. Pretty sure he was trying to steal my briefcase to get the last of our samples. Anyway, my idea for the antenna cables is that there are satellite towers almost everywhere. I think that we need to get the wire wrapped up on those towers, and once we figure out the power source, we can use them to relay our messages, even if the satellites or existing power grids are taken out.”

  “We must arrange for you to work with the Guardians to set up the antennas,” Naddy said. “Do you have thoughts on the power source as well?”

  “I think we can get piezoelectric principles to work,” Keith answered. “Rochelle Salt, quartz, different kinds of ceramics – all of them can have the right properties. We’ve got to be able to tap into materials that are pretty common, available wherever people are, and use them to power the transmitters, when we figure out how those will work. So I think I know how to make the power source, and I think we’ll spread the message with the help of the antennas, but I still don’t know how to build transmitters.”

  Talia invited Keith out to a coffee shop after the meeting, and startled him by driving up to the hotel front doors in the Tesla.

  “You brought your car over here?” Keith exclaimed as he climbed in. “How come, as cool as it is to have it here?”

  “I assumed we’d have to split from the main group to make contact with the Guardians. I know this car sticks out, but it’s fast, it’s quiet, and obviously it can give us more mobility than the tour bus. We need to move quickly to put you in contact with people who can use what you’ve figured out, or help you figure out more. Someone already knows you have valuable information, based on that attack in the elevator. They might have followed you here.”

  “You mean I might have put everybody in danger by coming here?”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. Searching for the Testaments and trying to help the Guardians is already dangerous. You know that from Uncle Naddy being stabbed and the attempt to snatch Aunt Sophie on the survey trip. We’re trying to be so careful with the kids, though. Uncle Naddy has security guards following us in plain clothes. Obviously we should have had someone with you, too. But now, they’ll keep us all safe, and you had to come. We need your insights.”

  “This is the real deal, isn’t it? I didn’t think persecution meant somebody in a ski mask attacking me in a hotel elevator.”

  “However it comes, it’s a reminder that what we’re doing matters. Here’s the cafe I told you about. And I hope we get more than coffee here. I only said that in case anyone was listening.”

  “Listen, Talia …” Keith began, and then hesitated. “I want you to know I had a bunch of great stuff happen at the conference, besides what I learned to help with the Testaments. I was ticking off all this stuff in my head and making plans for the future. I had my degree finished, and jobs lined up, and my family all taken care of. I was going to tell you that after this trip, and the Bible as Lit class was done, I was going to have to split from you guys and go live my life. I really had that speech all planned out.”

  Talia pulled the car over and stopped. She sat and looked at Keith expectantly. She didn’t look sad, or angry, or anything. Just waiting to hear what he had to say. But he didn’t say anything. The words dammed up in the back of his throat and he sat there looking into those patient, sweet, beautiful brown eyes.

  “Okay, well, go ahead and give me the speech,” she said with an encouraging smile. “Amu and Zanamu and I talked about this possibility. We knew we were presuming too much on you all along, and don’t think we forgot how you read us the riot act before Christmas. I bet people noticed you at the conference, and said call them about a job, or a fast-track to an internship, or whatever you needed to get what you always dreamed about, right?”

  “Yeah, pretty much,” Keith replied, but he still didn’t go on.

  “Keith, that’s wonderful. We knew you’d be a shining star there. Remember, Amu and Zanamu both told you how they were impressed by your knowledge and preparation. This was your first chance since your mom died to start making contacts and getting attention in your field, and you did it. I’m so happy for you. So the rest of the speech, since you’re still not giving it to me, is how you have to pull out, maybe go part time, with the search for the Testaments, because you have to be there for your family. There’s no future, no safety, and certainly no chance to help, physically, by being out here with us. We completely understand, and we know you have to do what’s right.”

  “Yeah, well, the speech you just gave was the one I already wadded up and tossed,” Keith said with a deep breath. “I do have to take care of my family, so I can’t go crazy. But when I saw you again, and when I heard the man from Naxos was killed because he cared enough to keep doing all this, it was li
ke God said, ‘There’s a hole for you to step into, right there, Keith.’ So whatever that means, I’m doing it. I’m in it for the long haul, as long as I can still help my family somehow. That’s my new speech.”

  Talia clapped her hands, slowly at first, then faster, and stood up, right behind the steering wheel of the Tesla. “I like that speech a lot,” she said, and bent down to kiss his cheek. Afterwards she sat down and started the car again.

  Chapter Thirty-six – Prepare to Be Amazed

  They entered the otherwise empty cafe and Talia led Keith to the counter, where she spoke rapidly to the man at the counter in – Turkish? Is that the name of the language here? Is there any language she doesn’t know?

  The man nodded and disappeared into the back. They stood there a few minutes until a man sauntered in and sat at a table in the middle of the small customer area.

  “There goes our privacy,” Keith grumbled. Talia hushed him with a gesture and spoke up in the same language she had used to address the clerk. The man at the center table got up and started hastily for the door.

  “Stop! Stop. Please,” Talia said hastily. She lowered her voice. “I wanted to make sure you were a friend. We have been to Cyprus, Crete, Rhodes, and several sites in Turkey, and have found a three-dimensional map and a red crystal ax.”

  The man relaxed and sat back down. Talia pulled Keith over to the table.

  “What did you say to him?” Keith demanded. “He looked scared to death.”

  “She told me she was an investigator looking for stolen artifacts,” the man said with a thin smile, speaking English. “She spoke Cypriot Turkish, and she nearly convinced me that we had been discovered. It was an excellent test, but my heart felt about to leap out of my chest.”