The Bones of the Earth (The Dark Age) (40 page)

“
And the most important is wisdom, or Sophia, that which emanated, ultimately—”

“
Sophia! I know her!” Javor exclaimed.

Austinus smiled. “Yes, many feel they have encountered wisdom in others …”

“
No, no, I actually met Sophia, in Constantia. Photius knew her …” his voice trailed off; he hadn’t mentioned his visit to Constantia. “He, uh, called her ‘Paleologus.’”

Photius. He could picture the old man, horribly wounded on the mountainside.

“
Constantia? What were you doing in Constantia? And when?” Philip demanded. Austinus was looking at him closely, too, his face grim.

“
Photius told me to find ‘Paleologia,’ in Constantia, who would direct me to the Order. I didn’t know she was a woman, though.”

“
Paleologus,” Philip nodded. “‘Old wisdom.’ Who could that have been?”

“
You remember what Photius was like?” Malleus said. “That old scoundrel had a love affair with a barbarian woman, Sandra, who had the audacity to call herself ‘Sophia.’”

“
Oh, yes.” Philip nodded. “What happened to her?”

“
She vanished years ago,” said Austinus. “Shame, really: she was very wise, very sensitive.”

“
How did you get to Constantia, Javor?” Philip asked.

Javor took a deep breath. “After Photius died, the soldiers helped me to reach Drobeta, and I took a boat down the Danuvius to Constantia.” He told them how he found Sophia in a little wooden shack hanging on rotting piles over the harbour, how she had examined his dagger and told him it could protect him. He did not mention his amulet. “And she said that Photius had chosen the wrong side,” he recalled. “She said ‘Sky has turned on Earth,’ and that the gods were fighting a war.”

“
Did she really still believe in gods?” Philip asked Austinus, who shrugged. “What else did she tell you?” he said to Javor.

Javor closed his eyes and shuddered as he recalled the night on the harbour. “She said that my great-grandfather’s dagger was the only thing that could protect me.” Reluctantly, he told them about the wind that tore the shack apart, about how Sophia sent him away. “She told me to run to Constantinople, to stay away from—from ‘them.’ I don’t know who she meant. She said she would delay them until I could escape, but she wouldn’t come with me.” He slumped. “I think they killed her.”

Austinus was leaning close. “Think carefully, son. Did she give ‘them’ a name at any point?”

Javor thought hard. “‘Archons,’” he said. “She called them ‘Archons.’”

Austinus gasped and sat up straight. Philip jumped to his feet.

“
What is an Archon?”

“
Powers or spirits, emanations of the Demiurge,” Austinus said—which did not explain anything to Javor. “The Christians mistakenly think they’re angels or demons.”

“
If Javor is correct, dark forces are moving aggressively,” Philip said. “Did Sandra’s chthonic allies turn on her?”

“
Archons are not necessarily chthonic, Philip,” Austinus answered. “But I fear that a powerful ally of ours has been destroyed.”

Javor was weeping. “I’m sorry,” he sniffed, trying to dry his eyes. It was futile. He felt crushed by guilt. “I led them to her.”

“
What do you mean, son?”

“
They were following me!” he sobbed, hiding his face in shame. “From Ghastog’s cave, they followed me, and I led them to her, to Sophia.”

Austinus put his arm over Javor’s shoulder. “Now, son, don’t blame yourself. Sandra—Sophia—was a powerful mystic who dealt with, even tempted these forces all her life. She lived a long time, longer even than Photius. You couldn’t have known what would happen.”

“
I
should
have known! I should have known I would lead those … things … wherever I went.” He jumped up. “Maybe they’ve followed me here! I’ve put you all in danger!”

Austinus tried to make soothing motions. “Do not worry, Javor. We are safe, here. We are protected by the proximity and the blessing of the Church, which is a powerful solar aeon.” He gave Javor another cup of wine. Javor felt a little calmer.

Austinus murmured to Philip. “Bring Spiridon here. He was right. We need to confer and we need to send out agents to gather intelligence in the North.” Philip nodded grimly and disappeared out the door. “Nikos, take care of Javor. Give him what he needs and make sure he finds his bed.”

Javor barely noticed Nikos taking him back to his cell through his tears.

Chapter 24
: Initiation

After breakfast, Javor’s chore was to shovel the manure out of the stable . It was a job he was used to, but still hated. It was smelly and dirty, and often as not, a cow or a pig would give him more to shovel just as he thought he was finished.

But this morning, the load seemed lighter than usual. “What’s the matter, cows? Don’t feel like shitting today?” He swept a little stray dirt out the back door and stood straight to enjoy the feeling of late autumn sunlight on his face.

First, he felt the weight, then the wetness covering his head, shoulders, arms, the liquid immediately soaking his clothes and his hair. Then he smelled it and heard the laughter from the loft above him. “Right on him! Perfect!” It was Fuscus and Timotheos. Horrified, Javor opened his eyes to see his arms and body covered in animal shit. He dodged and looked up, catching a glimpse of Fuscus and Timotheos leaving the loft door.

All around, novices and monks pointed and laughed. Javor tried to shake off some of the manure, and the others laughed harder.

“
That is not a Christian thing to do! You up there!” Brother Theodor marched across the yard. He had an oddly high-pitched voice. “Brother Javor, are you all right?”

“
I will be if I can get this shit off of me.” He pulled off his robes and stood in just trousers in the cool autumn air.

“
Go and get cleaned up. I will deal with these ... pranksters,” said Brother Theodor.

Javor walked across the yard to the novices’ quarters, the smell of cow dung thick in his nostrils. But worse was the shame.

The novices and monks were surprised the next day when Brother Theodor called Javor aside.

During the midday meal, Brother Theodor walked in his smooth, calm way down the rows of tables directly to Javor. The murmured conversation allowed in the Abbey ceased. Brother Theodor was almost never seen, especially in the refectorium.

He stopped behind Javor and placed a small, elegant hand on his shoulder. “See me in the Abbott’s chamber after the meal,” he said in his smooth, musical voice.

Theodor left, and all the novices stared at Javor. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“
No one has ever been called up by Brother Theodor,” Flaccus said.

Javor finished his lunch quickly—something he almost never did—and as he left the hall, he passed Timotheos and Fuscus sitting together. Fuscus looked right at him and laughed aloud. On a sudden impulse, Javor leaned forward and slammed their heads together. Fuscus fell off his bench, howling.

It was very satisfying.

He found Brother Theodor alone in the Abbott’s office, sitting on a comfortable couch. “What did you want?”

“
That’s not a courteous way to start a conversation with an elder and superior,” said Brother Theodor. He gestured at a couch opposite him. “Please, sit.”

Javor looked at Brother Theodor, who as always, still had his hood over his head. Something about his face was so familiar.
Well of course, I’ve seen him here. I’ve been here for months.

But still. It’s like I’ve seen that face on someone else ... no. That’s crazy. This place is making me crazy.

“
Javor, how do you feel here?” Brother Theodor asked.

The voice, too. Where else have I heard it?

“
Fine, I guess.” What is he getting at?
No one at the Abbey ever says what they really mean.

“
Do you feel that you fit in here?”

Javor thought about that for a long time. “No. Why? Do you want me to leave?”

“
No, no, of course not!” Brother Theodor protested. “Far from it! This is an Abbey of God, and open to all men!” He smoothed his habit and chose his words carefully. “Do you feel you have friends here?”

“
Sure. Flaccus and Ammon and Sandulf are my friends.”

“
That’s all? What about the other novices? Or the monks? The priests?”

“
No, no other friends. Lepidus doesn’t like me, which means that none of his friends like me, either. I really hate Fuscus. He’s mean.”

“
Javor, Our Lord commands us not to hate.”

He has such green eyes. Like Danisa, almost.

“
Sorry. But he is mean, and I do not like him. But I will try to love him. Is that all?”

Brother Theodor paused again. “Javor, do you ever feel that you are different from others? Not just because you’re from a different country. But back home—did you feel different from the other boys?”

“
Yes! Yes I did!”
What is he getting at here?

“
Do you find it hard to understand what other people really mean when they talk to you? Do you find it confusing when their faces don’t always match their words?”

“
How do you know?”

“
I’ve been watching you.”

“
Why?”

Brother Theodor reached forward and touched Javor’s knee. “Javor, there is something different about you. I cannot say exactly what that is, and I am certain that sometimes it may feel like a curse. I notice that you do not understand Greek humour very well—your own sense of humour is much more straightforward. And you have trouble making friends and participating in group conversations.

“
But at the same time, I sense that you have a great many gifts. Your intelligence, for instance. You learned to read faster than I have ever seen anyone. That makes others jealous of you. Jealousy is a sin, yes, but it is something that happens even here in the Abbey.

“
I know you have been through a lot in the past year: losing your parents, travelling a long way, losing Photius, your friend ... I want you to know that if you ever feel the need to talk to someone, even if there are things you feel you cannot tell your confessor, you can come to me. I can’t promise I can solve every problem, but it does help to talk about it.

“
That’s all. You may go now.”

Javor left, more puzzled than when he went in. But strangely, comforted as well.

Every few days, usually in the afternoons, Brother Theodor would send Javor a note asking him to come to the Abbott’s study. He always found the mysteriously familiar monk alone, comfortable on the couch, very much at home. Theodor would ask him how he was doing at the Abbey, how he was fitting in, whether he had made any new friends. Javor would usually just say he was doing fine, felt well, did not have any new friends but was happy with the friends he already had.

One day, Brother Theodor surprised him. “You know, Javor, you do not read people very well.”

Javor had no idea what he meant. “You know, often what people say is not the same as what they really mean.”

“
I know. It’s stupid. Why don’t they just say what they mean?”

Theodor smiled strangely, and Javor wondered what that meant. “Well, sometimes they’re making a joke—that’s called sarcasm or irony. And sometimes, it’s a way of telling you whether you are part of their group of friends. And other times, they may be afraid of saying something directly, for fear of hurting your feelings.”

Javor thought about that. “Or maybe, they are afraid of hurting their own feelings,” he said.

That surprised Brother Theodor. “I have never thought of that before. But it’s true—sometimes people  say things that disguise what they are afraid to admit, even to themselves.

“
And sometimes, people are just out and out lying.”

On the night of the winter solstice, Javor went to bed especially depressed.
Has it really been half a year since everything went wrong? Since I lost everybody?

He felt like his had just closed his eyes when Nikos shook him awake. His face yellowed by the flickering candlelight, Nikos said “Tonight is the Winter Solstice.”

“
I know,” said Javor. “The longest night.”

“
Dress in your cleanest robe and bring your dagger,” Nikos said, as if that explained why he had woken Javor in the middle of the night.

Carrying his dagger in its sheath, Javor followed Nikos through the twisting corridors. He had done this several times already, but realized he still could not retrace the steps alone. “What time is it?” he whispered as they approached Austinus’ tower and council room.

“
It’s almost sunrise,” Nikos murmured. He held out his hand. “You must give me your dagger now. Don’t worry,” he added, taking the dagger from Javor’s hand. “I’ll give it back after. You just can’t take a weapon into the council room. Not yet.”

He pushed the tall door open. Inside, the room was still dark except for a few scattered candles. The high windows in the eastern wall were grey. Austinus’ table was in the centre of the room, bare, and Javor realized it was actually an altar. Behind it, a long curtain shrouded half the room.

Austinus stood behind the table, dressed in his fine black and silver robes. In front of it was Mother Tiana. She wore a simple white gown, and a pearl hung in front of her forehead from a gold chain around her head. On the right side stood Philip in a plain white robe, holding a large jar. On the opposite side of the room in a simple, unadorned black robe was Malleus.

Nikos shut the door behind Javor, staying outside. Philip said, “Lie down, son, on your stomach and close your eyes.” Javor complied.
Another ritual
. The floor was cold.

Tiana stepped close and said, “Rise, aspirant, into the salvation of Sophia, the true wisdom of Gnosis.” As he rose, Tiana reached down and pulled the robe up over his head.
Now it’s really cold!
He was nude in front of robed Gnostics.

Nikos gave Tiana a candle. She held it over Javor’s head (standing on tip-toe and stretching as high as she could) and moved the candle in a circle in front of Javor. “As he is ready to come into the world of true knowledge, I anoint this aspirant in light,” she intoned. Nikos took the candle from her, and Philip came forward with the jar. He lifted it above Javor’s head and intoned “As he is ready to enter the world of true knowledge—”

Cold!
Javor gasped as freezing water poured over his head.

“—
I anoint this aspirant in salt and water,” Philip concluded.

Dripping and shivering, Javor could taste salt in the water that dripped from his upper lip. Nikos brought him a long, plain white cloak. “As this aspirant is bathed in water and light, I enrobe him in the colour of pure knowledge,” he said as he wrapped the cloak around Javor’s shoulders.

Austinus came around the table, took Javor’s hands in his own, and led him to the curtain. Tiana and Philip each pulled the curtain apart just as the sun rose and light streamed into the chamber. Blinking, Javor let Tiana lead him to the altar. Sitting on it were a large golden goblet filled with dark red wine, and a golden plate holding three small, round, white cakes.
These aren’t like the communion bread
.

Austinus and Philip stood on either side of Javor, while Tiana began a soft prayer. With the golden morning sunlight on her white robe and fair hair, she seemed almost to be glowing.
This must be what an angel looks like. No, an Aeon.
Murmuring a prayer in a language Javor had never heard before, she picked up the goblet, raised it high toward the sun and sipped. She raised it again, then held it to Austinus’ lips for him to drink. Finally, she lifted it a third time and held the goblet to Javor’s mouth.