The Divining (56 page)

     "But not with Nero searching for us," Primo said darkly. "He will eventually regret letting us and the Barbarian go. He will send legions after us."

     But Ulrika, gazing into the green heart of the gemstone, shook her head and said, "Nero will not search for us. After today, his popularity will rapidly decline. When word spreads of how he treated General Vatinius, robbing him of a victory parade with his prisoner in chains, the army will turn against the emperor. In four years he will become so unpopular that the Senate declares him a public enemy and orders his execution. Nero will die by his own hand, with a dagger in his throat."

     "It is time to go," Sebastianus said, gesturing to his small party. "The Praetorians will not see us. There is a man who lives north of the city. He will take us in for a while. I did him a favor once ..."

W
E HAVE ARRIVED
!" S
EBASTIANUS
cried as he urged his horse into a quick gallop, while Ulrika rode in his arms.

     They had sailed from Ostia and crossed the Great Green to land at the Roman colony of Barcino, on the northeast coast of Hispania. From there the caravan of horses, mules, wagons, and people had struck westward, to follow newly laid Roman roads and ancient trails carved long ago by forgotten ancestors. They trekked past tiny hamlets and scattered farms, isolated Roman villas, and the occasional military outpost. The terrain was variously flat, mountainous, green, and rocky, with a deep blue sky traversed by enormous billowing clouds. The capricious winds blew at their backs and in their faces, while nights sparkled frostily and days glowed with warmth. In the far distance to the north they saw the towering mountain range named after the mythological princess, Pyrene, beyond which lay the land of the Gauls.

     After weeks of travel, the weary caravan had finally crested the last hill of their journey, and they now saw below a verdant countryside of such deep
and wondrous green that Ulrika thought it could not be real. Set amid steep, wooded hillsides were whitewashed buildings surrounded by pastures and orchards. The villas stood far apart, with footpaths connecting them, and beyond, a bustling marketplace with a blacksmith shop, small ateliers for metal and stone workers, and a wooden fortress housing Roman soldiers. A settlement on its way to becoming a town. More rolling green hills undulated to the horizon, dotted with dwellings, pastures, vegetable gardens.

     Sebastianus's eyes filled with tears as he sat atop his horse, and he could not for the moment speak. Ulrika sat in silence as he steadied her in a tight hold.

     "That is my family home," he finally said, pointing to a sprawling villa with several buildings and gardens and penned animals. And that way," he said, pointing westward, "is the end of the world, which Romans call Finisterre. It is a day's journey by foot. You can stand on the rocky promontory and look out over an ocean that goes on forever. There is no more land after that."

     Ulrika gave him a radiant smile. "From Luoyang to Finisterre, you have spanned the world."

     Before Sebastianus could give the signal for the caravan to move on, the afternoon air was pierced by a high, keening sound. "Look, master!" Timonides said, pointing. He sat astride a donkey, while behind him Rachel rode in a cart drawn by oxen. "Someone is coming!"

     "My little sister," Sebastianus said, dismounting, and then helping Ulrika down. "I see she has been making tarts. I hope you like cherries, Ulrika," he added with a grin. "My brother-in-law is rather proud of his orchards."

     Ulrika stared in astonishment, for rushing up the hill toward them, holding her skirts as she sprinted over the grass, was the plump young woman of her vision long ago. Ulrika saw now that she was not running
from anything
but
toward
something, and the open mouth was screaming with joy, not fear. The "blood" on her hands was the juice of red fruit.

     Ulrika watched as brother and sister met in an emotional embrace, laughing and crying at the same time.

     "We received your message days ago and have been preparing for your return ever since!" Lucia declared breathlessly.

     When they landed at Barcino, Sebastianus had sent a swift rider accompanied
by an armed guard with greetings to his family, announcing his homecoming. Ulrika knew the names and histories of all the family members, who were numerous, as his three sisters lived in that sprawling villa with husbands, children, and a variety of in-laws.

     Lucia looked prosperous, Ulrika thought, and she saw the resemblance to her brother, saw the copper highlights in her long hair. She turned to Ulrika with shining eyes. Her Latin was thickly accented, and so Ulrika knew she must learn the dialect of this region. The sisters-in-law embraced as more people came running from the villa, men in short tunics, women in long dresses, children and dogs, all calling out to their returned brother and uncle.

     The caravan continued on and arrived at the villa in a noisy affair of welcomes and introductions, and everyone talking at once. A lively feast followed, lasting late into the night—a celebration with music and dancing, much wine, and generous offerings of steamed clams, boiled octopus, fried squid, and an endless array of cherry tarts.

     Afterwards, as Ulrika lay in Sebastianus's arms, in the room he had shared with his brother Lucius years ago, she thought of the letter she had sent to her mother from Ostia, placing it in the care of a sea captain bound for Ephesus who promised to deliver it personally. Ulrika had filled the missive with all the remarkable news of her life, and ended it with an invitation, praying that Selene would come to this northwest corner of Hispania for a long visit.

     And now Ulrika's family was complete. She had traveled from Rome to Ostia with her father, during which time they had spoken of their lives, and Ulrika had gotten to know the great Wulf at last.

     A tour of the villa was mandatory the next morning, with the children skipping and running in excitement, and then the noon meal, after which Sebastianus announced it was time to visit the ancient altar.

     They went alone to the hill that rose in a gentle wooded crest, following an ancient path together, through poplar trees, oaks, and firs—a sylvan paradise that reminded Ulrika of the place where she had seen the Crystal
Pools of Shalamandar. One would not have known that the jumble of stones and seashells at the end of the path was Gaia's altar, for it looked haphazard and untended. But Ulrika closed her eyes and sent her spirit out into this protected glade, and she knew they stood on sacred ground.

     "We will lay Venerable Jacob to rest here," she said. "We will rebuild the altar, and then a shrine so that people can come and seek the help and solace of the Goddess and pay respects to the holy man who sleeps here."

     As she placed her hand upon the altar, Ulrika closed her eyes, calmed her breathing, whispered her mantra, and received a vision. "Years from now," she said, "a magnificent house of worship will be erected upon this spot, and millions of pilgrims will come from the far ends of the earth to pay homage to the remains of Venerable Jacob, whom they will know as Sant Yago. And this place will be remembered for the stars that fell in the nearby fields, the campus stellae."

     Sebastianus said, "I will make the route of the pilgrimage safe once again. I will put up signposts and establish resting places. I will place guards along the route who will patrol the roads, for I know now that this is what I have been called to do, to be a protector of pilgrims. This is the real reason I was sent to China, so that I might perfect my skills in escorting caravans, and in learning how to keep travelers safe."

     Thinking of China and his visit there, which now seemed almost like a dream, Sebastianus knew that, because of Nero's madness there would be no more expeditions to China. Perhaps not for years, or even centuries. Sebastianus would always cherish his time there. He had walked upon the yellow soil of Luoyang, had exchanged ideas with a wise emperor, had known such friends as Noble Heron and Little Sparrow. But now Sebastianus must turn his eyes to the future.

     "Ulrika, I have for so long thought I was fated to yearn to explore new lands while longing for my home. But I am home now, with my true work about to begin. I realize, too," he added, "that there is both order and predictability in the world, and randomness. Life is neither one nor the other. Just as there are fixed stars and falling stars, in our own hearts we are certain of some things, and uncertain of others. We may never understand why, all we know is that while we walk this earth, we do our best, and live in love and peace."

     Ulrika removed the scallop shell from around her neck and placed it on the altar. "This is the end of my road, for I will be the guardian of the shrine. When people come for solace and answers, I will teach them my meditation. Perhaps all people have the gift of the Divining. It simply has to be found and tapped into. Or perhaps, in the end, the Divining is not about finding sacred places, but finding the sacred within ourselves. And I will teach others how to identify the Venerable Ones, for surely St. Jude and St. James," she added, using their Romanized names, "are not the only ones."

     A familiar voice now whispered in her mind: "You have done well, daughter. I will not be visiting you again, for you no longer need my guidance."

     "One question, Honored Lady," Ulrika said silently, with her thoughts. "Why did you come to me? Why not go to Sebastianus, for you are his ancestor and this is also his destiny?"

     "Because I am not his ancestress, I am yours. The Gallus family came late to Galicia, and although you were born of a Roman mother and a German father, your bloodline reaches far back into the mists of time, on the rocky coast of Galicia where I built an altar of scallop shells. You are my descendant, Ulrika of Galicia. And while you will not see me again, be assured that I am with you always. Farewell, daughter, and remember to guard the secret from the Book of Prophecies."

     The cryptic secret that Rhea Silva had told her, and that Ulrika in turn had whispered to the Chief Vestal: that the reign of the gods of Rome was coming to an end. Ulrika wondered if laying Jacob to rest in this ancient altar were part of that change, for he had been the follower of a new faith, he had believed in one God, and now he was buried in ground sacred to the Goddess. Perhaps not a change, she thought, nor an ending, but a joining ...

     Ulrika took Sebastianus's hand and said, "Long ago I asked a question of a fortune-teller. Where do I belong? Does where I belong define me? She did not give me an answer, but I know now that who you are doesn't depend on where you are. Who you are is something you take with you wherever you go."

     Sebastianus smiled. "And now we are here. Home ..."

BARBARA WOOD
is the international bestselling author of
twenty-five acclaimed novels, including the
New York Times
bestseller
Domina.
Her work has been translated into over 30
languages. Barbara lives in California.