Excerpt: Inanna returns to Aretta

“I am Abu'l Qasim Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn ‘Al called Mohammed El-Mahdi, twelfth in the line of succession, the twelfth Imam, and I command you to let the girl go. She has done all that has been required of her. She has found Aretta. There is no need for you to do this.”

“Where is Aretta then? I do not see it?”

“”She was expected to find Aretta not bring it back to this world.”

“How an I know that? How can I take the chance that you are correct.”

“Look to the skies woman. For weeks Allah has shown us the coming of Nabiri. Do you see it now.”

Narinna looked, giving Eric, Tom and Sue even more time to reach the top. She never saw the tell tale white dot, that was the ever growing presence of the Planet of the Gods. But doubt kept gnawing at the edges of her consciousness.”

“Narinna,” shouted Erik. He was almost upon them.

“No,” Narinna shrieked. “It's all a trick.” She moved, spinning and Inanna ducked. But the motion unbalanced her, sending Inanna over the edge. The last thing Inanna saw, as she toppled over was a shining flashing light and the astonished look on Narinna's face as her head slid from her body in a fountain of blood.

“I'm gonna drown,” Inanna thought as her feet and hands scrabbled for anything that would stop her from sliding into the lake that now filled the Chalice, at least to the point where it flowed through a crevice, and down into the valley below. She was nearly beyond reach of the top when a hand gripped her wrist and roughly yanked her to a stop. Slowly she felt herself being pulled up and another hand reached down and she grabbed for it. It grasped her instead, and she was hauled up even faster, skinning herself as she was pulled up over the edge. By both Tom and Eric, who were laying with their heads and shoulders over the edge. Sue had thrown her body over the men's legs, hoping to use her weight as an added anchor.