desk. Dane slid the video into the machine and pushed play.
The screen went blue, then Sin Fen’s exotic Eurasian face appeared. Dane took a step back, remembering the last time he had seen her, her head changing into crystal, focusing the power of the pyramid in the Bermuda Triangle and shutting the gate there.
“Eric,” she said. “I never called you by your first name and I imagine I haven’t since I made this. I am sorry I lied to you about some things, but it was necessary.” She held up a hand in front of the camera as if forestalling a response. “Yes, that is the excuse Foreman uses isn’t it?” The smile was gone. “If you are watching this then I am no longer with you. But do not think I am gone. If you are watching this, it means I succeeded. And you—and the world—are safe for the moment. But my role—the role of the Oracles and priestesses—is defensive. And that can only work so long.”
Dane realized he had stopped breathing and that there were tears flowing down his cheeks. Chelsea whined, her tail smacking against his legs. “Easy,” Dane whispered. “Easy, girl.”
Sin Fen continued. “You are the one who has to change things. From Atlantis forward, the Oracles and priestesses—the Defenders, of which I was one—have always been women. We have used warriors to help us in the fight and to keep the line alive.”
“But from the first, the very beginning, there was a prophecy. That there would be a man who would be a warrior and an Oracle. A Defender who will be more than that. I believe you are that man.”
Dane took another step back, hitting the bunk with his legs and dropping to a sitting position.
Sin Fen tapped her head. “I told you some of how your mind is different. Left brain, right brain.” She smiled once more. “Redundant. Except for the areas of speech. Broca’s Area, which in ninety-seven percent of all humans is controlled by the left side of the brain. And Broca’s area on the right side? Dormant. Un-used. And smaller. Except in a small percentage of the population again. So combine the two exceptions and you have less than one-one thousandth of one percent of the human population. People like you and me.”
“Why are we different?” Dane whispered.
“I was only told so much,” Sin Fen said. “That is wrong. I know that now.” Her face shifted, a perplexed look crossing it, something Dane had never seen in the short time he knew her. “Or maybe I am wrong. Maybe there is a valid reason why I was not told things. But I have told you all I know. I believe you are the one who is to take the fight to the Shadow. I don’t know how. I don’t know what you are to do. But you do.”
She closed her eyes. “I wish I was with you to help. I truly do. Trust the voice. It is from the gods.” Her eyes opened. “I think there are other Oracles like me in the world. You might find help where you least expect it.”
The tape froze with the image of Sin Fen on it.
Dane stood and reached forward, touching the screen. “Who are we?” He was startled by the sound of a light knock on his cabin door. “Who is it?”
“Ahana.”
Dane opened the door, his mind still on Sin Fen. The Japanese woman entered the cabin, glancing at the image on the screen. “A friend?”
“Yes.”
Ahana clasped her hands in front of her. “I do not wish to disturb you.” She edged toward the door.
“It’s OK,” Dane said. He indicated the chair in front of the desk. “Please. Sit.”
“I do not wish to disturb—” Ahana stopped herself and gave an embarrassed laugh.
Dane reached over and turned off the TV. “What is it?”
“Mister Foreman,” Ahana began, then seemed to search for words. “He is a—” she said something in Japanese, then tried to clarify. “A man who works in an office for the government.”
“A bureaucrat?”
She nodded. “Yes, that is the word. You, on the other hand, are a soldier.”
“I was a soldier.”
“Once you have served it is
The screen went blue, then Sin Fen’s exotic Eurasian face appeared. Dane took a step back, remembering the last time he had seen her, her head changing into crystal, focusing the power of the pyramid in the Bermuda Triangle and shutting the gate there.
“Eric,” she said. “I never called you by your first name and I imagine I haven’t since I made this. I am sorry I lied to you about some things, but it was necessary.” She held up a hand in front of the camera as if forestalling a response. “Yes, that is the excuse Foreman uses isn’t it?” The smile was gone. “If you are watching this then I am no longer with you. But do not think I am gone. If you are watching this, it means I succeeded. And you—and the world—are safe for the moment. But my role—the role of the Oracles and priestesses—is defensive. And that can only work so long.”
Dane realized he had stopped breathing and that there were tears flowing down his cheeks. Chelsea whined, her tail smacking against his legs. “Easy,” Dane whispered. “Easy, girl.”
Sin Fen continued. “You are the one who has to change things. From Atlantis forward, the Oracles and priestesses—the Defenders, of which I was one—have always been women. We have used warriors to help us in the fight and to keep the line alive.”
“But from the first, the very beginning, there was a prophecy. That there would be a man who would be a warrior and an Oracle. A Defender who will be more than that. I believe you are that man.”
Dane took another step back, hitting the bunk with his legs and dropping to a sitting position.
Sin Fen tapped her head. “I told you some of how your mind is different. Left brain, right brain.” She smiled once more. “Redundant. Except for the areas of speech. Broca’s Area, which in ninety-seven percent of all humans is controlled by the left side of the brain. And Broca’s area on the right side? Dormant. Un-used. And smaller. Except in a small percentage of the population again. So combine the two exceptions and you have less than one-one thousandth of one percent of the human population. People like you and me.”
“Why are we different?” Dane whispered.
“I was only told so much,” Sin Fen said. “That is wrong. I know that now.” Her face shifted, a perplexed look crossing it, something Dane had never seen in the short time he knew her. “Or maybe I am wrong. Maybe there is a valid reason why I was not told things. But I have told you all I know. I believe you are the one who is to take the fight to the Shadow. I don’t know how. I don’t know what you are to do. But you do.”
She closed her eyes. “I wish I was with you to help. I truly do. Trust the voice. It is from the gods.” Her eyes opened. “I think there are other Oracles like me in the world. You might find help where you least expect it.”
The tape froze with the image of Sin Fen on it.
Dane stood and reached forward, touching the screen. “Who are we?” He was startled by the sound of a light knock on his cabin door. “Who is it?”
“Ahana.”
Dane opened the door, his mind still on Sin Fen. The Japanese woman entered the cabin, glancing at the image on the screen. “A friend?”
“Yes.”
Ahana clasped her hands in front of her. “I do not wish to disturb you.” She edged toward the door.
“It’s OK,” Dane said. He indicated the chair in front of the desk. “Please. Sit.”
“I do not wish to disturb—” Ahana stopped herself and gave an embarrassed laugh.
Dane reached over and turned off the TV. “What is it?”
“Mister Foreman,” Ahana began, then seemed to search for words. “He is a—” she said something in Japanese, then tried to clarify. “A man who works in an office for the government.”
“A bureaucrat?”
She nodded. “Yes, that is the word. You, on the other hand, are a soldier.”
“I was a soldier.”
“Once you have served it is
Similar Books
