A mahogany shaded woman emerged from the grove of trees tohis right. She had a wide nose, full lips and was dressed in a thighlength garment made entirely of overlapping feathers. Her kinky hairwas braided atop her head. Gold ornaments hung from her ears, neckand arms.She had the voluptuous body of a young girl. But her largedark eyes held knowledge no girl could ever possess, and she had all16the earmarks of a preternatural creature – though friend or enemy,Joie couldn’t tell.He decided not to stay and find out.In one fluid motion the warrior rose and leaped on to hishorse.“Joseph wait!” She stepped forward and spread her hands,palms outward, as a gesture of goodwill.Despite the danger, he was curious. And she was lovely.“That’s close enough!”Joseph is not my name. Who is he? Your dead mate? Orperhaps a favored slave?”“I have a message for you…for who you will become leaguesfrom this day.”Her voice was soft and melodic – like a song.Intrigued, Joie leaned towards her, a smile playing about hislips. “Speak beautiful fortuneteller, if that’s what you are.”“You are needed in Topaz.”“Topaz? I have never heard of it.” Suddenly he couldn’t lookaway from her strange eyes… or urge his horse to a gallop. She isbewitching me! With dawning terror, Joie realized he might neverleave the forest.“The city does not exist here, in your time. But your future selfknows it well, and it is to him that I speak. You must journey to findyour heart’s desire, Joseph to find the one you long for.”Now the enchantress‘s brows drew together in anger. Hervoice doubled in volume echoing through the woods. “I’ve visited youbefore! Why have you ignored my commands? When you awake,remember my words and hark unto them! Go to Topaz, we will speakagain at that time.”She turned and disappeared into the forest.Centuries before the Time of Legend, Sorre’s Copper citizens hadbeen warriors and hunters. Now its inhabitants grew vegetables, andherded sheep and goats; for Sorre was the chief supplier of crops andanimal proteins for the New World.Joseph had lived here his entire life. His parents had taught himto grow corn, beans and peas. He’d leaned to listen to the wind to predictthe weather, to put his ear to the soil to hear its heartbeat.And he learned that all creatures have a soul, no less worthy ofrespect than his own. These were the gifts Mata, his mother, and Lowe,his father, had given him.17His grandfather had shared these values too and other gifts aswell – tales of long dead warriors and bloody battles; of evil magiciansand shape shifters; and of a war between good and evil that never reallyended.Joseph stood on his porch for a moment, enjoying the illuminae’sfirst light. Then jumped down, and crossed the street to his grandfather’scabin.As he mounted the steps, an elderly man opened the door andstepped out, his lined face breaking into a smile when he saw Joseph.Ripple had an aquiline nose and coffee colored skin. Thick blackhair laced with gray was spread over his shoulders, and he wore a flannelshirt, jeans and boots.“Good morning, Joe.”“Good morning, Grandfather.”The old man sat in one of the two wooden chairs, and took apipe from the table beside him. “I knew you’d come to see me thismorning.”Joseph sat down next to him. “How?”“Because it’s almost time for you to make your journey.”The young man slapped his thigh. “Damn, you’re amazing! Howdo you always know what I’m thinking?”Ripple chuckled. “An elder’s intuition. She came to see youagain?”“Last night.”“So what are you waiting for? Go to Topaz, find your destiny.”Elbows resting on his knees, Joseph rubbed his hands together.“Just like that huh?”“Why not?”“You don’t think its crazy for me to move halfway across theNew World, because of a dream?”“I think you’d be crazy not to. I’d have left the first night shevisited me. Besides you were never meant to be a farmer. You hate it.”The Copper youth laughed. “Yeah, I do hate farming. But whatabout you, with all your stories of blood and magic. How can you settlefor,” he waved his hand, “this?”“I’m an old man. I enjoy the illuminae setting in the evenings, thefresh air; the peace and quiet. That is enough for me,” Ripple winked,“that, and the frisky widow next door.”For a while they sat in silence.At length Joseph said: “I’ve got some credits saved. I guess Icould take my paintings – see if I can find a buyer. You’ll hold my land in18trust until I return?”Ripple puffed serenely on his pipe. “Sure, I’ll take care of it butyou won’t come back…not as a farmer.”Karla boarded the trolley and took a side seat. Leaning her headagainst a crooked arm, she gazed absently out at the city. Citizens ridingbicycles, and a few on horse back passed the trolley. Auto taxies idled infront of wooden houses, and black garbed enforcers were making theirmorning patrols.Topaz, like all New World cities, was a hodgepodge of the veryold and the very new.Four hundred years ago, before the Time of Legend, war andcrime had almost destroyed the planet.The Book of Records told stories of citizens hiding under theirbeds, as taser fire shattered their windows – stories of gang wars, ofentire city blocks destroyed by explosions – of a world dying of thetoxins that filled its water and air.But in the year of our One 3075, war, crime and pollution didn’texist.Contamination of the environment was illegal. Recycling wasmandated by planet law.Copyright 2009 Valjeanne Jeffers all rights reserved
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