Chapter 22; Judgment of the Watcher
Lar went to where the men had placed Kal’s bargaining chair from the wagon where it had been stored. All around him, the People were gathering their families and flocks and getting them back inside of the circle of the Watcher's arms. Lar made a line of jewels across the space. Kal took the Gathering Stick as his only weapon, drew a symbol in the sand, and sat in the chair.
Lar kissed Jin quickly. “Stay with your mother. Don’t worry. They are only men and we have the blessing of the Watcher. This is His work.”
She went to the widows hiding by the pool. In the confusion, no one had seen that the Watch Man rush into his cave and up the steps. At the opening of the cave he had turned to take a final look. In the distance he saw the Strangers approaching and the Tear Master sitting calmly in his seat. He looked down at the People huddled by the pool and began his prayers. As he sang, Lar went to his post deep within the Watcher.
The sand cloud grew as the Strangers drew closer. Soon Kal could hear their yells and the clank of their weapons. The sounds of the People's fear drifted to him, but Kal felt no fear. The Watcher protected his Tears. That was the Law. Now Kal could see the markings on the shields of the Strangers.
They were lead by the same two Tall Ones that he had traded with last winter. Filled with confidence, the infidels stopped a spear's throw from the old man in the chair.
He rose. "Why do you enter Holy Ground, Strangers?"
Jud moved his horse forward. "You call this rock holy ground, old man?”
“Yes I do.”
“We know your truth…”
“A little truth is a dangerous thing…”
“It looks like a simple jewel mine to me."
"These jewels, as you call them, are the sacred Tears of the Watcher. They are given to His People as a promised blessing. No other may touch them in his presence."
The strangers had continued coming closer. They looked along the side ridges of the Wadi, seeing Kiv’s men spread in a defensive posture. Jud's brother, Hul, laughed out loud, “Look…they give us freely. Not a spear at ready or a bow bent.”
Behind Jud, the other men noticed the jewels scattered on the sand in front of Jud. Nudging each other they began to point to one or another. Jud turned to his men. In mock fear he said, “Don’t even think about those jewels…Didn’t you hear the old fool? They are the sacred Tears of the Watcher, men. We should leave right away."
Hul spoke, “Not me… I didn’t spend the better part of a moon frying in this God forsaken place just to go home poor…” Then he spurred his horse forward, jumped down, and picked up a large red one. In a flurry of dust the others joined him, but they never got to touch a second Tear. In a mighty roar, the ground below them opened. In a cloud of dust and screams, they and their horses disappeared as if swallowed whole by an unseen mouth.
The shaking ground and clouds of dust made Jud's horse scream and rear high in the air, throwing him clear of the hole. The horse tried to run away, but its reins got tangled in a sage bush. It danced and bucked out of fear but was not freed. Disoriented by the dust and the fall, Jud crawled around like a baby, crying for his brother.
Kal just sat and watched. Jud finally sat on the ground. As the dust finally settled, he saw the gash in the earth, filling in with sand. In a moment, the surface was just as before. A howl of pain came from deep in his throat as he looked at the grave of his brother and his men.
Kal stood and pointed the Gathering stick at Jud. "I told you, stranger. You would not listen. I say again, this is Holy Ground. Only the Watcher blesses His people just as He only punishes trespassers.”
Jud began to crawl away. Kal shouted after him, “Tell all you meet what happened here. If you return, you and anyone you bring with you will feel the wrath of the Watcher.”
Jud ran to his horse. He freed him from the bush he had been tethered to. Spurring madly, he drove the animal into the desert. He soon disappeared over a dune. Kal turned and walked slowly toward the pool. the People cheered. Jin ran to kiss her father. Seeing the look on his face, they fell silent. "Why do you cheer me, Fools? I did nothing.”
The People parted for him as he walked slowly toward the face of their God. He held up his hands and fell to his knees., “The Watcher protects his People."
As one voice, they intoned the second line of the blessing, “The Watcher blesses us yet again…”
He walked up to the pool. He took a Tear from his pocket and threw it into the pool, then knelt to pray. All of the men laid down their crude weapons and did the same, their families kneeling behind them. In a rising swell, the people began to sing the songs of thanks giving and praise.
When the prayer was ended, Jin looked around. “Where is Lar?”
Kal was not surprised. “Hold, Jin…”
The older man looked at a bit stunned “You know very well where our Watch Man is…”
Jin nodded, pulling absently on his grissled beard “Aiya…I forgot for a moment.”
Kal finished his thought, “Our Watch Man’s post is inside the Watcher. Your place is with him there. Go to him. We must finish getting ready to leave.”
She kissed her father, found and kissed her mother as well. Slinging another bundle of wrapped belongings over her shoulder, she began the climb up to her new home. She turned at the opening to the right eye and watched the column form in the oasis below her.
For the first time in her life, her People began their trek out of the great desert with out her. She knew from long habit that they were headed toward the shore of the Great Water to feed and water their flocks. Putting her bundle down, she sat on it and leaned against the cool rock face over the nose. Contented, she watched the column become a row of black dots shrinking out into the desert. She watched until the last dot disappeared over a dune leaving only a cloud of dust to mark their passing.
Entering the cave, she hunted deeper and deeper. In a far back passage, a desk was carved out of the rock. There she found Lar, staring at a large white Tear. The only candle had gone out, leaving the room in darkness. She relit it. She touched his arm and he jumped. Only then did she see, written in large, clear script, all that had happened on the plain below.
Suddenly she was filled with fear. “What manner of man are you? How can you sit in the dark cave and see what happens out in the world?”
Before she could run out, Lar grabbed her wrist and drew her to him. Gently he held her close. Laying his hand on her forehead as Watch Men had done to their mates many times before., Relax, my love… I see nothing but the Watcher sees all… Relax!”
As if in some dream, she saw their people in a happy caravan heading toward the Great Water. “In this room the Watchman sees what the Watcher sees. Do not be afraid.” From that time on, she was never lonely. She could follow her People as they went about their lives in the away places. She would come and sit in the great stone chair while Lar would write his histories.