Chapter 8

Presti awoke slowly, not recognizing her surroundings. The tent, with various decorative pillows and blankets, smelled of a rich floral perfume. Her head rested on a plush pillow with blue frills. Beside her bed rested a plate with nuts, raisins, and a goblet filled with milk. She felt a deep hunger, but wanted to find Otti before she ate.

“Otti? Did I fall asleep? Where are we?”

Something entered the tent, but not Otti. An unfamiliar animal with a cream fleece and pointy ears entered the tent. After gracefully eating some of the white grass, it went toward the goblet of milk and drank with its long tongue. Presti wrinkled her nose.

“You weren’t going to drink the milk. We should not let it go to waste,” the animal said.

Presti screamed.

 “No need to scream. You reek of stubbornness and devalue glory. You had no intentions to drink the milk. I will drink it for you.”

Presti looked at the animal with a grand expression of confusion.

 “You are unfamiliar with milk? That is great ignorance.” The gazelle laughed and walked out of the tent with victory beaming from his face.

After the animal exited, a foreign and overwhelming hunger gripped Presti. She ate everything on the plate before her. Hearing approaching footsteps, Presti felt a sudden shame. A female’s hands tied the tent flap to a wooden pole, letting in a slight breeze. This meek female entered with little noise. Her bare feet caressed the white grass, and she kneeled near a basin of water.

Her silky, black hair was held in a low pony-tail. Her eyes were the color of wheat, and her skin was bronzed. She was so beautiful she could have been a king’s daughter, but she was dressed in the rags of a peasant. Taking a white towel from a shelf, she soaked it in the water.

“May I have your name?” Presti asked.

“My name is Ruth. It was rude of me not to introduce myself.”

Joy and contentment saturated every word. She was only a teenager, but her voice reverberated with wisdom and clarity. She sounded like a protective mother.

 “I am glad you entered the path.” Ruth wrung out the towel.

Presti swallowed hard, “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“Your friend, Otti. He brought you to us, this morning. Our entire village is celebrating. I was granted the privilege of preparing you for the celebratory dinner!”

Presti rose quickly and stormed toward the exit, but before she could leave, Enhon entered. His entrance changed the atmosphere. Presti lost her footing and fell onto a wooden crate. Ruth knelt on the floor.

Enhon raised Presti from the crate. “I trust your rest was pleasant. I see you have eaten the food prepared for you.”

“Your voice! You’re him!”

“Yes. We finally meet face to face. It grieves me that we didn’t meet under better circumstances. Otti is sorry for his actions, but he felt it was necessary to bring you here.”

“Kidnapping is never necessary! Where is Otti? He knows how I feel about this wretched place! I must return!”

All though angry, Presti couldn’t directly confront Enhon. She found herself yelling at the floor. If she looked into his face, her anger vanished. It must be an enchantment, she thought. The tent was too intimate a place for her and this stranger. She clamored to the far side corner of the tent.

“I must return!’

Ruth rose and grabbed Presti’s arm. “Are you even aware of who you are? How could anyone in your position want to return to that dreadful place, when you are granted paradise?”

Presti felt breath escape her lungs. Ruth’s words sounded full of admiration and honor. Maybe Ruth was a victim of a foul deception as well. Suddenly, she felt compelled to save the sweet teenager from her life of service.

“Ruth, come with me. I can take you away from this man and his treachery. He is holding you captive. Promising you wonderful things, but making you his slave. If you return to my village, we will show you the path to righteousness.”

“I have already entered your village, and I know it’s not righteous.” Ruth rushed to Enhon’s side.

Enhon placed an arm on Ruth’s shoulder. They both held a look of sympathy and grief. Then Ruth again rushed to Presti and beckoned her toward the tent’s exit.

“Master, may I show her now! Our village has waited for a long time.”

“You may. All is prepared.” Enhon smiled with grand delight.

Ruth pull Presti forward, out of the tent, onto the clearing. The powerful smell of honey and lilies filled her lungs. Green vines decorated the landscape, as children played in the white fields. Villagers danced, as they danced, laughter grew louder and louder. Animals of every kinds, roamed freely with no sense of danger. Nothing burned. Nothing was on fire.

“We will eat the dinner there!”

            Ruth pointed toward a massive building of gold. White columns supported a balcony with a glass table, decorated for a luxurious feast. Presti searched the landscape, hoping to find Otti.

            “I give you all this, and all you search for is revenge.” Enhon approached Presti.

            “Otti, brought me here against my will. I need to speak with him.”

            “Sometimes our will is dangerous, and should be defied.”

            “All of this is too wonderful. It must be a deception.”

            Enhon lifted Presti’s chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

            “So if something is too wonderful, you can’t accept it as truth?”

            “Yes. Life is hard and terrible. We work to make it better, but it will never be perfect. Righteousness is about working toward perfection, not obtaining it.”

            “Your Elders teach you that perfection is the act of pursuing righteousness. What if I told you they are only partially correct?”

            “I don’t think you are an Elder. You don’t have the knowledge to teach me about righteousness.”

            Ruth gasped, “Enhon, does she not know who you are?”

            “Ruth, my faithful one. I have given you truth, and I will continue to reveal myself to you. Presti will know me. Continue to prepare for tonight. You are dismissed.”

            Astonished and submissive, Ruth headed toward the golden building.

            “Does she always do exactly what you say?” Presti gritted her teeth.

            “Do you always do exactly what the Elders say?”

            Presti spun away and searched for the path back to her village.

            “You won’t find it. I hid the path from our villagers. You can only return to your village, if I accompany you.

            “Well, accompany me!”

            “Not just yet. After the meal. My village has prepared for a long time. I can’t demean their efforts.”

            “You are crude. You are holding me prisoner!”

            “Presti, you are here. You should make the best of it. Delight in the glory, while you can.” Enhon took her hand and directed her away from the golden building.

            “I thought we were going to the dinner.”

            “We won’t eat till later tonight. I wish to show you the Gethsham Garden first.”