With a deep breath and forced confidence, Frac said, "I'm going for it."

"Let me know when you're leaving the pool so that I can meet you down there--by the lake!"

Frac ran through all that Forneus had instructed regarding the twists and turns through the shaft. Forneus better not be pulling anything. Frac did indeed want to make it to adulthood, a Nuemerican's thirteenth birthday. Just two weeks. Raziel was born a couple of hours after Frac. A Nuemerican's thirteenth birthday was the major rite of passage for each villager and a great celebration for the entire village of Nuemerica.

"If you're not coming, I'm outta here," Forneus's voice called from the shaft.

Frac pushed off, slipped down the shaft and was gone before Raziel realized it. At first, Frac thought the slide down the shaft was going to be pretty smooth and easy, as it started out very slowly, until the first twist. This twist seemed to put Frac's world upside down and inside out, twisting and shooting Frac through the shaft at speeds like that of a hawk diving for a field mouse. Either time slowed, or the shaft was much longer than Frac had been told, as the twisting, turning and sliding didn't seem to end.

On the second twist, Frac's left arm caught a sharp edge and it felt as if the muscle was being ripped out, and it seemed to Frac that a fan of blood sprayed from the gash. But things were happening too fast and frantically for Frac to really know what was going on. Frac thought that Forneus was yelling something and it seemed Raziel was yelling as well. Frac could smell the air change, then another twist quickly spun Frac and flipped Frac upside... sideways. Frac's head bumped the wall of the shaft and Frac saw stars. "Lucky it wasn't a sharp edge," Frac thought, amazed at all the thoughts flashing through mind. The stars quickly grew in size and brightness until they were one, engulfing Frac's entire field of vision.

It seemed that Frac could see the end of the shaft coming into view and noticed a body on the path ahead. Then it occurred to Frac that... Frac was viewing Frac! As the body of Frac dumped into the pool below, Frac watched it from several feet above, bob a few times, then it slowing began to sink. Frac's vision still seemed to be engulfed in brightness, though Forneus could hazily be seen pulling Frac's body up to get the head above the surface of the water. An unworldly sort of voice was scolding Frac for doing foolish things, and though Frac didn't readily recognize the voice, it seemed strangely familiar. Frac heard Forneus yelling, and heard Tau, Resh, Janax and Olivier splashing through the water around a curve.

"Keep doing foolish and reckless things Frac and you will lose your self," the familiar, unworldly voice was forewarning, as it was cut off by the commands that Olivier was yelling to Forneus. Janax grabbed Frac from Forneus and held Frac's upper body back against Resh's chest and pressed hard against Frac's chest. Janax pressed three times and the next thing Frac knew was being back in body and coughing water and staring into Janax's frightened? eyes.

"What's going on down there? Is Frac alright?"

"Frac's fine," Forneus replied, "Just a bump on the head, that's all."

"Frac, hold your breath," Janax said. Janax lowered Frac underwater--for what seemed like quite a long time and Frac began to wonder if Janax's intent was--a drowning! Frac began to panic, while realizing that the head bump was exceedingly painful, as well as the arm gash. Frac could no longer hold the breath of air and watched the bubbles escape. It seemed like the lights went out, but when Frac's eyes opened--above water--no more head pain and Frac already forgot about the arm gash.

"Wow, I feel great!" Forneus, Tau, Resh, Janax and Olivier were all standing, no, floating around Frac.

"I can't believe you actually did it! Isn't this keen?"

"You know that your Guardians are not going to be pleased with this," Dagon chided, coming around the corner the others had, "Just remember, this was your own decision--no one forced you to come down here," Dagon continued while swimming up to Frac. Frac thought--for a second--that Dagon's legs looked like the back half of a fish--fins and all, and startled, quickly checked Frac's own legs--to relief--still legs. "There are rules down here. Follow me around the corner."

"FRAC! Is everything alright? Answer me!" Raziel commanded from above.

"I'm fine. Great! I'm great!" And Frac was. Frac never felt better.

"Let me know when you leave," Raziel replied, but Frac had already been led around the corner by Dagon.

"Now before we go any further, are you with us, or not?" Dagon asked Frac.

"Well, I'm here am I not? How could I be anywhere but here?"

"That ain't what Dagon means, you goose!" Tau snapped. "Can you keep secrets? Are you loyal? Loyal to us? To what we can enlighten you with?"

"Frac's keen," Forneus said.

Dagon cut back into the conversation, giving Forneus and Tau hard looks, "Frac, if you follow us, you must NOT tell anyone what you experience here, feel here, see here. No one."

"Not even Raziel?"

"Especially that chump," Resh said.

"Not unless Raziel comes down right now," Forneus added.

"Raziel won't."

"Then no, Frac, you can't even tell Raziel what goes on here," Dagon spoke with command in voice.

"And certainly not Haniel!" Forneus quickly added. Haniel was Frac's First Guardian, a well-respected member of Nuemerican society, a great mathematician and peculiarly, the tallest person in Nuemerica, though Frac was of no unusual size.

"You want me to lie?" Frac asked, surprised at this request, or more like--this command.

"Just forget," Tau suggested.

"Are you in or out?" Olivier curtly asked.

"Give Frac a minute for crying out loud," Forneus said to the older consorts, "How would you like a head bang like that?" directing that particular comment to Olivier and being vague as to whether that meant "show empathy to Frac" or "back off or I'll smash your head against a rock." Regardless, Olivier said no more and Tau, Resh, Janax and Olivier all went around another corner.

"Don't be long," Dagon instructed Forneus, "We have to get started and there's much to do," and followed around the corner.

Forneus waited a moment while Dagon moved around the corner. Frac again thought Dagon moved like a fish. "Listen to me Frac!" Forneus said, pulling Frac's attention away from Dagon. "Don't blow it now. You got past the worse of it. Isn't this place keen? Don't you feel wonderful?"

It indeed was an amazing place and Frac did feel wonderful. The light that entered this Underground Pool seemed to come from... no where in particular. It was just there--gamboling a strange and enchanting dance with the waves of the water. This reflected on the ceiling of rock above, mixed with sparkles in the rock that reminded Frac of twinkling stars.

"Forneus, this is very keen, but I don't think I can lie to anyone, particularly Haniel and Raziel."

"No one's asking you to lie, just forget, like Tau said. Your word will not be compromised. No one here will jeopardize that."

"I don't know if I could look Haniel in the eye, and Haniel would surely know if I was lying or holding back." Actually the whole village of Nuemerica will very soon find out and Frac will sort of be a legend for a short time, being the only non-adult to ever make it down here. "And, Raziel will want to know every detail."

"Forget that lame-O," Forneus snorted, "Do you realize what this place is?" Forneus looked past Frac to where the others went around the corner, could hear splashing and muted voices. Forneus, with lowered voice continued, "Do you know what this place really is?" Frac's head shook "no." "Dagon says this is a direct ladder to the Great One's village. Raziel would never get that. Unless the fool can see it, touch it or taste it--it doesn't exist."

"Where's such a ladder? Wouldn't we see it above ground?"

"Not a real ladder, you lunkhead. Take a drink of this water," Forneus said while lifting a cupped hand of water to Frac's lips. Frac sipped and felt a head spin like when coming down the shaft. The rock ceiling seemed to begin breathing and Frac began to feel an intregal part of the frolic between the light and the waves. "Dagon's has not left this place for several moons and says the longer you stay here, the closer you get to the Great One's village, and even claims pounding on the gate at one point."

Frac really didn't understand what Forneus was saying. It just made no sense... but then again this whole doing has not been anything that Frac has ever sensed. "So why the secrecy? What are you doing that should be so secretive?"

"For one," Forneus said, "The whole village of Nuemerica would invade this place." Nuemerica was the village in which Frac, Raziel, Forneus, Dagon and everyone in the world lived, about 500,000 now, quite a number from the original 233 families at the Big Bang. Nuemerica has grown tremendously since the Remnant found safety in this oasis at the birth, or rebirth as some may have it, of civilization. A born again civilization. "Two, and more importantly--The Keepers of The Truth would banish us, if not destroy us, for even kidding about such a thing as I've just said to you, and I'm trusting that you'll at least keep that to yourself--no matter what."

"Yeah, yeah... for sure," Frac said. The Keepers of The Truth are a group of persons who are the keepers and providers of Truth (of Creation). They stand above all civil and societal laws, the judgements of The Elders, and are the moral voice of Nuemerica. Disputes with their authority can cause the disputing voice banishment from society. They alone wear clothing of color, and alone are privledged enough to use and adorn the rare metal--gold. Their lot is a very secret sub-culture, and their claim is only they have access and understanding of The Great BOOK, the ancient writings of the history of The Old World, written by none other than The Great ONE--the sole entity who created the whole world; the Supreme Ruler of the world. The World One is the highest member in an archaic, complex hierarchy, and proclaims to be the only one in The World who speaks directly with The Great ONE, thus--speaks for The Great ONE. Frac definitely knew the seriousness as to what Forneus was saying.

Frac's own Guardian, Haniel, has come very close to being banished on more than one occasion presenting mathematical theories that rocked some of the very foundations on which The Keepers of The Truth stood. Frac can remember each charge though was no more than four years old when Haniel was last brought to trial. Frac has held no affection for The Keepers of The Truth since then, seeing the anguish that Haniel and Pronoia, Frac's other Guardian, went through, though that in itself can be cause for banishment. How many Nuemericans have been banished since the beginning, Frac wondered.

"Look at the cut on your arm. A slight scar. That thing was spraying blood all over the place when you came tumbling through the shaft. A couple of more times down here and that scar will disappear." That gash had been spraying blood, as Frac imagined while coming down the shaft. "And does your head still hurt? Let me tell you," Forneus added, while looking around the corner, and with lowered voice, "I've never seen anyone come back from not breathing. I'm still amazed by that."

"I quit breathing?"

"You were breathing like a rock! And, you sank like one."

"Well...how?..."

"Forget it," Forneus cut Frac off, "Not now. Dagon will explain it all later--that is if you are with us."

Frac wanted more than anything to find out more--to experience more, but the thought of lying to Raziel, and to Haniel, was more than Frac thought possible to do. How could one deceive one's best friend, no less one's Guardian?

"We're ready to start," Olivier shouted from somewhere around a bend in the rock wall.

"Well?" Forneus asked. "Are you in?"

Frac had no idea beforehand that such a choice would have to be made. This was the biggest decision that Frac ever had to consider. "What if I'm not?"

Forneus seemed taken aback as if this question was unheard of, and with all seriousness said, "Then you are on your own." With great concern added, "And, you better stay away from the others, because Dagon sure won't understand your decision, I guarantee you that!"

Frac was torn and Forneus could clearly see that. "Frac, this is the greatest adventure you'll have ever had, I'm not kidding." And in a whisper, "You'll see... hear... and feel things that you could never even imagine. You'll understand like... like--like The Keepers of The Truth! Dagon says that they must get their power... their understanding from these very waters somewhere. This is the ladder. Dagon was at the gate! We are now searching for the key. We are almost there!" Frac thought about the trip down the chute--the bright light--the warm, bright light--the voice. "I was in there," Frac spoke, without thinking and without realizing the words said.

"What?" Forneus asked.

"Huh? What what?" Frac replied, having not realized saying the prior statement.

"You said that you were...," Forneus replied, but was interrupted by Resh who came splashing around the rock bend.

"Dagon's starting in two minutes--not a second longer," Resh stated and turned back.

"Frac, you have to decide now. This here," pointing around the small cavern they were in, "is nothing compared to around the bend. If anyone in the village asks what it was like down here, just say it was refreshing. That's no lie. Your "word" will still be golden."

A Nuemerican's word was as sacred as life, and it was as limited. One could not refill one's word like a mug of water. Once a drop is gone--it is gone. And Frac had only lied once--at four years old. Pronoia had made a beautiful clay urn, in which to store their water. While away to get water, Frac, Raziel and Forneus had been playing "hide, find & tag" and the playing got a little wild--Raziel finding, chasing and tagging Frac, Frac then finding and tagging Forneus. Then Raziel took to hiding behind Pronoia's big, new water urn and Frac across the compound under a table. Forneus now the prowler, had climbed on the roof of Frac's home, instead of prowling the grounds, and with a bird's-eye view, seen Raziel hiding behind the urn and dove arms-stretched, head-first from the roof and tackled Raziel crashing them both into the new urn, smashing it and drenching them both with half an urn full of water. Pronoia had come back moments later. Frac taking blame, claimed to have pushed Forneus into Raziel.

Why Frac had taken the blame, so thoughtlessly and without hesitation, Raziel to this day could never figure out, but Raziel wasn't about to lie when questioned by Pronoia and told what really happened. Pronoia and Haniel had a long talk with Frac after this, commending Frac for sticking up for friends, but very sternly explained the worth of one's "word." Frac never forgot this and held it to heart everyday. Forneus never forgot Raziel's truth either, and the two grew very much apart over the years. Frac had no hard feelings against Raziel's admission and was really a bit relieved, as having told a "commendable" lie was not as serious as having foolishly destroyed an item that apparently meant a lot to Pronoia.

"I gotta go. Are you coming?"

"Forn, I don't know if I can lie?

"I'm not asking you to. Just forget. Hey, you had one heck of a bump on your head. Look at Zavebe. Zavebe couldn't "remember" hardly anything," Forneus stated with a sly look that caught Frac by surprise. It was an eerie type of look that Frac had never seen on Forneus before. "You have twenty seconds."

Frac wanted very much to go with Forneus and the others, and learn all that this mysterious and wonderful place held, but had serious reservations about having to lie about it, or least cover up the activities held here.

Forneus gave Frac a look that both questioned Frac's intent, as well as was persuading in an odd way. The "look" seemed to pierce Frac's very soul. Forneus turned and began to swim away. Several feet away, Forneus turned and looked at Frac in a most mesmerizing way. Frac began to follow.

"What's it like down there? Frac! Frac, can you hear me? Are you alright?" Frac stopped swimming, much to Forneus' discontent, and was suddenly again aware of the decision that must immediately be made--follow Forneus, or not.




© 2001 John Gnotek