It was late. Any other day, Pharaohs' would be closed. The employees would have retired to their quarters. Today, however, wasn't any other day. Today, the grand elder had come visiting.
As we were driving away, I saw the relief on the faces of the security. Eowyn was even waving, almost too happily. I could think of things to say, but I kept them to myself. Dia had taken the stage, and she had a lot to say.
Jerry was driving. I was by his side. The twins were in the back.
"We should see the peak," Pratt said as we were leaving Pharaohs'. "Since we've come all this way."
Dia agreed immediately. And that meant the decision was made.
"I'm driving," Jerry said, grabbing the keys.
"Pratt's not very safe driving up the mountains so late," Dia explained.
She was hanging onto Pratt's arm, smiling as he offered no denial.
"And he's scared of heights," Jerry added drily.
"I'm not," Pratt argued instantly. "Don't believe him."
I nodded. It wasn't a difficult request.
Jerry sighed, shaking his head, grief painted over his face.
"It is true," he repeated in a voice only I could hear.
As the engine roared to life, Dia got started too. And she wouldn't stop.
"It's a dull road up, really. Some say it's better under the light of day. Others say the dark of night brings out the character. I think it's the same whenever. Compared to the road up to Pharaohs', the road further up to the peak is rather dull. The only thing interesting are the lightning trees."
I looked out at the trees all around, and easily recognised them. I knew the folk tale that told of how the lightning trees came to be.
There was a tree down below that was so majestic and so grand that the heavens above burned in envy. And so, the heavens sent a lightning to burn the tree down. The lightning struck. The tree burned for a whole week, until it was only charred remains. The heavens were appeased. Little did the heavens know that the tree had the blessing of nature. And that very same nature, blew life into the charred remains. For a month, the tree appeared charred. Then, birds stamped the branches. Gusts of wind blew away the black charring. A brown tree, full of vigour and full of life, blossomed. A day later, bright green leaves covered the branches. The tree had returned to life, grander and more majestic. The only change, was that the branches were all shaped like bolts of lightning. Birds carried the seeds of the tree all over, so the lightning trees filled the lands. And the heavens looked on in defeat.
The story was a folk tale of our civilisation. Dia's excitement clearly had nothing to do with us and everything to do with the Nashi.
"Ryirawra's more playful notes talk about how all the children were amused by the lightning trees. And how she longed to see them. There were none that grew anywhere near, so she couldn't see them from her window. She never got to see them. But she described them in so many different ways over the years. Not once getting it right."
We had driven some distance when she jumped in her seat.
"From this point on, the road we drive on is the exact same as the road they walked up along. We're actually treading the steps of the Nashi. Dinah found evidence in multiple runes, spanning generations. That's actually one of the more amazing things about Dinah. The way she's able to chart trails and events in the Nashi history. Makes her one of the finest runic archaeologist in all of history."
Madam Rosza said something very similar. The finest archaeologists were those who could draw a chart of the civilisations buried in the dirt as well as they would their own. Dinah Pharaohs must have been a fine runic archaeologist. I wondered what Dinah's song could have been?
We were almost at the peak. Dia was extremely emotional.
"On the right days, if we get the time right, we can see the sun rise up over the peak, and at one point, for a brief while, the sun rests in the embrace of the Nashi homes. It's the most amazing thing you'd see in all of your life. It's like a moment cutting through time, connecting the time of Nashi with our time. One day, I want to witness it too. We all should, together."
"We will," Pratt promised.
Dia smiled. Pulled close to him. Resting her head against his.
"She's like that," Jerry said to me. "Very emotional. Get's deeply attached."
"It's not a bad thing," I said.
"Of course not," Jerry replied. "And of course you'd get it."
"What does that mean?"
"We're talking attachment," he said, and stopped, like he didn't have to continue.
We fell silent. I did get it. But I wasn't going to admit that.
Not too far ahead, I could see the dark silhouette of the walls against the purple sky. It was truly beautiful. I could hear Ryirawra's voice whispering in the night. We truly were driving through the fabric of time, into the time of Nashi.
I smiled at myself. I was feeling too much like Dia.
We drove into the village, and all that greeted us were the broken walls in silence. There were lightning trees in and around the village. If Ryirawra looked out her window now, I was sure she'd be able to see a lightning tree.