"Of the Valkyries. Of Valhalla."
"That's crazy."
"But this is my quest. I brought you with me because I wanted you at my side. But there are certain things I have to do alone."
"I want to go with you," she said.
"Magic has never been important to you before. Why now?"
"Because I began the journey. And I've asked that I not be abandoned in the middle of the road," she answered, putting the matter to rest.
The silence was complete.
Everyone was wearing sunglasses against the blinding sun. Everyone--except Chris and Valhalla. Chris had removed hers so that Valhalla would know that she was looking directly into her eyes.
Chris had been bearing up under the woman's gaze for some time.
The minutes passed, and no one spoke. The only word that had been spoken the entire time had been Paulo's hello when they had arrived at the meeting place. His greeting had not been returned. Valhalla simply approached Chris and stood directly before her.
And, since that moment, nothing else had happened.
We must have been doing this for twenty minutes, Chris thought, but she didn't know how much time had actually elapsed. The glare of the sun, the heat, and the silence confused her.
She tried to distract herself a bit. They were at the foot of a mountain--wonderful, the desert once again contained mountains! Behind Valhalla, an entrance had been carved into the stone. Chris tried to imagine what the door led to, and found that she wasn't able to think clearly--just as on the day they had returned from the salt lake.
No one was perspiring--the dryness of the air was so great that all moisture evaporated immediately, as Gene had said. Chris knew that they were rapidly dehydrating--even though she had drunk as much water as possible, and even though she had prepared for the noonday desert. And even though she wasn't nude.
The other Valkyries had formed a semicircle; they wore their kerchiefs on their heads, in the manner of gypsies or pirates. Valhalla alone was bareheaded--her kerchief encircled her neck. The sun seemed not to bother her.
She is dismissing me with her eyes, Chris thought.
She knew this could not continue forever. There was a limit. She didn't know what that limit was, nor how or when she would know, but very soon, the sun would begin to be damaging. Meanwhile, everyone continued immobile--and all of this had happened because of her. Because she had insisted on coming along. Messengers of the gods, they lead the heroes to death and to paradise.
She had made a bad mistake, but now it was too late. She had come because her angel had required that she do so; her angel had said that Paulo was going to need her that afternoon.
No, no, it wasn't a mistake. My angel insisted that I be here, she thought.
Her angel--she was conversing with her angel! Nobody knew it, not even Paulo.
She began to feel dizzy, and she was certain she would faint soon. But she was going to see it through--it was no longer just a matter of being at her husband's side, or obeying her angel, or being jealous. Now it was a woman's pride--face-to-face with another woman.
"Put your glasses on," Valhalla said. "This sun could blind you."
"You're not wearing glasses," she answered. "And you're not afraid."
Valhalla gave a signal, and suddenly, the blazing light of the sun was multiplied a dozen times.
The Valkyries were using the mirrors on their motorcycles to reflect the sun directly into Chris's eyes. She saw a gleaming semicircle, knitted her brows, and kept her gaze upon Valhalla.
But she could no longer see clearly. The woman's image appeared to grow and grow, and the confusion in her mind increased. She felt she was about to fall, and at that moment, leather-covered arms came to her support.
PAULO WATCHED VALHALLA CATCH CHRIS IN HER ARMS. ALL of this could have been avoided. He could have insisted that she remain at the hotel--no matter what she was thinking. From the moment that he had first seen the brooch, he had known which tradition the Valkyries came from.
They had also seen his ring, and they knew that he had been tested in many ways. That it would be difficult to frighten him. But they would do everything possible to test the fiber of any stranger who entered their group. Even if that stranger was his wife.
But they could not prevent Chris, nor anyone else, from learning what they wanted to learn. They had taken a vow: Everything that was hidden had to be revealed. Chris was now being tested in the first great virtue of those who seek the spiritual path: courage.
The Valkyrie looked at Paulo. "Help me."