"Yeah, everything went fine. Thank you very much. That was a once in a lifetime chance," Raziel replied, "But I'm not sure what I found out. I'm going to have to think about it awhile. And, thanks for covering for me. I seen what you were doing."

Frac and Raziel each had a deep dish of flamingo stew and a slab of roasted pig ribs. The festivities were in full swing and though Frac had been to these celebrations hundreds of times, being the honored one made it a hundred times sweeter. After Raziel's life proposal, Iofiel made a short speech honoring Gadal, Frac and Raziel, then handed each their special gifts. Gadal received a cart and a hardwood scoop, and was very grateful for it, as was Gadal's Main Guardians. Raziel was given a set of Nuemerican History scrolls, a rare gift for new Nuemerican citizens. Frac received a saber with a forged metal blade and a handle adorn with abalone. A special gift indeed. Abalone was plentiful, but metal was fairly hard to come by. Afterwards everyone joined the gathering below, except The World One who retreated inside the enclosure as soon as Iofiel's speech began. "Do you think The World One will figure out that we were in the Inner Chamber?"

"I put everything exactly as it was. No one came by, though I had a feeling that someone was watching me, but no one was there."

"It was close though. You were brilliant--acting like you were tying your laces, sitting in the shadow."

"That was closer than you know. Had The World One been a few seconds quicker...I mean I just slid down there."

"It worked!"

"Yeah, but the weird thing was the way The World One looked at me. It was like looking in me. Made me feel like my mind was being read like an unrolled scroll."

"I know what you mean, but...on the other hand, I looked into The World One."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I read The World One's eyes!"

"How?"

"I don't know, but The World One isn't the nice, loving person one thinks, I'll tell you that. I got scared."

"You got scared," Raziel laughed.

Frac laughed too, "I'm serious though, we're really lucky we didn't get caught. Sorry about even suggesting this crazy scheme, really."

"Are you kidding, this was the greatest adventure I ever had, and well worth the risk. Let me tell what I think I found...some kind of secret language...maybe a cryptograph. I don't know."

"Yeah, so what? There are cryptographs all over The Temple of Truth. All the artwork has secret meaning." "Nothing like this. Some were all numbers, some were letters and numbers, like ÔD14S72, GATA-P7042,' and but most, almost all, were different combinations of G,C, A and T. Endless stream of the combinations! Not pictures."

"That's strange," Frac said, "Why no pictures? What's the purpose? What else did you find?"

"On another scroll I found a bunch of sayings. I'll show them to you later."

"You took a scroll?" Frac exclaimed.

"No, no, but I copied several. I would have loved to spend a week in there," Raziel said, then realized the statement, ÔDon't get any ideas Frac. That was just a figure of speech."

"What ever you say," Frac replied, with a sly eye.

"Take a look at this though," Raziel said, pulling out a piece of parchment from under the robe and showed Frac. "This is how some of that cryptograph read, except there was nearly an entire scroll of it." The parchment, in Raziel's scrawl, read:
AGTCCGCGCGA
ATACAGGCTCG
GTGCCATTGAC
GTCCCCTTGAA
AGAGAGAGAGA
CTCCGCATGCG...

Before Frac could finish following the sequence, the parchment was yanked from Raziel's hand. Both Frac and Raziel felt their hearts leap to their throats. Forneus stood behind Raziel and Frac, holding the parchment. Tau and Kezef stood on each side of Forneus, both looking at the scroll Forneus held.

"What do we have here?" Forneus sneered and then asked, obviously perplexed, "What the alligator breath is AGTCCGC.."

Just as quick as the parchment was yanked from Raziel, Frac snatched it out of Forneus' hand. "That's not yours. Keep your claws off of it," Frac said, sneering at Forneus. Tau and Kezel glared at Frac, but Frac didn't avert gaze from Forneus and like Frac did with The World One, began to read Forneus's eyes. Frac read a conflicting mix of emotions in Forneus's eyes--fondness and contempt; deceit and honesty; enchantment and obnoxiousness; ignorant and enlightened. Forneus seemed to be doing the same thing to Frac. Both their glares were averted by Kezef who was moving toward Frac, but was stopped by Forneus's extended arm. "Look's like it's not yours either," Forneus said, laughed, and walked away with Tau and Kezef following.

"Happy birthday...grownups," Tau said and laughed. Kezel glared Frac a loathsome stare. Frac handed Raziel the parchment after they were gone.

The two finished eating, and drank their papaya juice, then went over to the tent designated for dancing and singing. Gadal was the center of attention. Frac and Raziel hugged up to the back tent wall to allow Gadal the attention, and who was enjoying it immensely. Gadal was a simple, but humble and honest person, who was fated, rather foreordained, to be a dung collector, as that was what Gonael was, as well as Gonael's 1st Main Guardian before them. Their family was such that each generation followed what it was that the previous one did. At a time, all families followed this procedure, and it wasn't until the last 70 years, or so, that progeny began diverting from this practice. Society had began to be much more complex, and diverse jobs had to be procured. Some families stuck with tradition. Lucky for Frac, that Haniel's family was contemporary, otherwise Haniel, and thus Frac, would be living the wretched life of house servants to some Keeper Of The Truth. Frac would never have met Raziel, who would have been a boar hunter in the swamps of the setting Day-Torch.

On the other side of the tent, the flute players began a cheerful farrago, and Gadal began a hopping around, apparently dancing. Others followed suit, and soon over half the tent was dancing and singing.

"So what do we do with those cryptographs, Raz?"

"I don't know. I mean, I have no idea what they mean. We would need someone who could read such things."

"What, like a Keeper Of The Truth?"

"Or, maybe a mathematician," Raziel said, turning to look at Frac.

"I don't think so. Haniel would definitely want to know where we got this from."

"I'm not talking about Haniel."

Frac looked at Raziel, right into Raziel's eyes--Agla!

"Your not talking what about me?" a very familiar voice asked.

Frac and Raziel both whipped around, a bit startled. Haniel and Pronoia were standing aside them.

"Ah-h-h," Frac mumbled.

"Who was it that proposed the ground that Nuemerica sits on is a huge, round rock? It wasn't you, I know."

"No, it was a great scholar named Agla, who, when you both were very small, proposed this idea and showed evidence to the theory of it, but was exiled by The Keepers Of The Truth for it, so you two better be careful what you talk about," Haniel warned, "And what you do!" Frac seen that Haniel had a most serious look.

"You two better get out there and enjoy the moment," Pronoia said, "You only turn thirteen once."

Frac looked, and seen that Gadal was still immensely enjoying the attention, "In a bit."

Pronoia looked out to the dancers and Gadal, smiled and gave Frac and Raziel an affectionate hug, "You two--don't lose these immaculate souls." Haniel squeezed each of their shoulders, Frac's three times. They both stayed with Frac and Raziel until the two young adults finally joined Gadal, who was very pleased for their accompaniment. The young in the crowd hailed Frac, while Raziel began dancing with the very young. The night ended a special day, permanently seared into Frac and Raziel's memory, with the older adults and young children retiring to their huts around the mid-part of the night, while the young adults celebrated for several more hours, dancing, singing, playing games--roller ball, guess-the-creature, go, coconut shuffle, and hide-find-&-tag among others. Frac fell asleep in the dance tent, telling the story of venturing into the Underground Pool, but omitting mention of the others there. Raziel had left a couple hours after the mid-part of night, with Psisya--to their hut.

The next morning, after the morning meal, Raziel met Frac at the Village Round to clean up the the mess from the celebration--as was customary of honorees. Gadal joined them soon after.

"Thanks," Gadal said to the both of them.

"For what," Raziel asked.

"I seen you two standing along the back of the tent. I know what you were doing. I appreciate it, and I owe you one."

"Aw-w, you owe us nothing. Don't sweat it," Frac said.

The three of them worked all morning, when Gadal's Second Main Guardian brought the three of them coconut cooked fish patties, something Frac loved. Along with this they had fresh mango and papaya juice left over from the celebrations. Afterwards, Frac, Raziel and Gadal finished taking down and storing the celebration banners, flags and decorations. Frac and Raziel wished Gadal well, and then headed down the path toward Raziel's hut.

"Are you going tonight?" Raziel asked.

"Are you going with me?"

"We could get in big trouble if we got caught, but if you're going--I want to."

"Isn't this a switch," Frac laughed, "Usually you're the one talking me out of such nonsense. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure it's a good idea." Frac didn't really believe that and had every intention of meeting Agla tonight, but after considering what the consequences could have been from the previous day's stint, the last thing that Frac wanted was to get Raziel in any kind of trouble that would jeopardize a scholarly life. Getting caught with Agla surely would. "Are you sure that you want to take that chance?"

"Well, I'd like very much to find out what that cryptograph might mean."

"Let me take then."

"Forget it, if you're going, I'm going."

Frac gave Raziel the look that Raziel usually gives Frac.

"So are we going?" Raziel asked.

Frac thought about it a moment and as they approached Raziel's hut said, "If we are going, I'll be here about two hours before the Day-Torch rises. If we're not going, I'll see you tomorrow."




© 2001 John Gnotek