LeOmi's Solitude (18 page)

LeOmi nodded in agreement.

“Here is something to think about, Henry Ben
Franklin. He was your last teacher. Well, his name sake, Ben
Franklin made it a routine to ask himself every morning: What good
shall I do today? Then in the Evening he would ask himself: What
good have I done today?”

Did I get you riled up yet?

* * *

That night in her room she read the
journal.

The best place to start is at the beginning,
or so they say.

But the beginning was a long, long time ago,
so let’s start with the recent…then come back to the beginning some
other time.

Elizabeth Joan Henderson is an ordinary
child—or so it would seem.

She lives in an ordinary house on an ordinary
street. Her parents are ordinary too.

There is also an ordinary dog and an ordinary
cat.

Everything about Elizabeth seems ordinary—but
it is not.

Of course she did not know that while she was
growing up. How could she? Everything seemed perfectly normal to
her.

Naturally there were times when she thought
she was too tall—but really she wasn’t.

She thought her hair grew too fast—because it
seemed to always be in her way, but that was just the way that her
hair grew.

She thought that her fingers were too long
when she was little and too short as she grew older—but they were
just right.

She thought that her feet were bigger than
everyone else—but...well maybe a little.

No, the most un-ordinary thing about
Elizabeth was, well, let’s say that she was very quick at
learning.

She was curious more than anything. She loved
to learn about things and how they worked.

When she was very young she would take apart
the little plastic dolls to see how they were made and when she was
a little older, her parents found the mantle clock taken
apart—piece by piece—springs were everywhere.

What do you do with a child that is so hungry
for knowledge?

Eventually her parents took her out of the
public school system because she was so bored.

They taught her at home—everything from
Astronomy to Zoology. She studied twelve months a year. Still she
wanted to know more.

When she wasn’t learning something new—she
was reading.

Her mom volunteered at the local library,
helping to put books up on shelves and helping people find things
that they needed.

Elizabeth helped too. She learned all about
books and she loved them, so it was natural that she always had
one. She read everything from little girls with rabbits to men who
fought ogres and evil giants. This is where her imagination really
began to grow. Imagination is a wonderful thing. It can take you
away from your everyday life into—The Fantastic.

I suppose that is why it didn’t seem so
abnormal for her to dream those dreams. They began when she was
very young. Probably when she was about four years old. She would
speak of what she called her guardian. He would just sit by her bed
while she slept. He didn’t do or say anything. He was just there,
watching and making sure that she was safe.

It wasn’t until recently that he began to
show her in her dreams of a place in the dessert. A wonderful
mountain that held her future secrets. He still didn’t speak in her
dreams. He was just there. Kind of like the lock on the front door.
As long as it’s locked, nothing bad can get in.

It’s not that her parents didn’t keep her
safe. They did. Her father was a big strong man who worked on ships
in the local shipyard. He could tell you just about anything about
all kinds of different ships. Everything from aircraft carriers to
the smallest life boat. Her papa is where Elizabeth got her dark
hair and hazel eyes, from her papa. Her papa as she would call
him.

LeOmi read the journal and then read it
again.

What in the world could this mean?
There was nothing remarkable about the pages or the outer cover.
Very perplexing.

She got out her pen and paper and wrote a
letter. The first letter that she had ever written in her life, and
she didn’t know where to send it.

She put it in an envelope and addressed it
simply with a name and laid it on her pillow.

“The waiting for a response is the hard
part.”
If a response comes.

* * *

A short breakfast with Bekka and a run to the
Wildlife and Game Preserve wall became her morning routine. She was
there for about an hour studying the placards and indentifying all
of the extra plants and animals that she could.
This was the
easy part, the learning.

“I’ll be there with you for your first guided
tour, in case you need some assistance, but I think you will be
just fine. Nein?”

LeOmi nodded, and Mrs. Kirby nodded too.

After LeOmi’s time with Mrs. Kirby, Bekka was
able to have a short chat with her before she had to shower and
change into the uniform of the Magi.
Survival or ruin.

* * *

The first class of the first day was with Mr.
Diefenderfer. She got to class with a few minutes to spare. The
room was filling up fast. Mr. Diefenderfer stood on a low stage.
There were older students standing beside him, two per tribe.
Twelve large oval tables were in the lecture hall. Placed in
semicircle fashion and facing the black board, reminiscent of the
semi circle that the horses made on Choosing Day.

The students gathered by tribe and so LeOmi
found a seat down in front.

The first hour was Motivation and
Methodology.

“Ah …it is time to begin…Close the door
please…It will be beneficial…for new students…to be seated in
groups …with their own tribe. … Take the time now …to affirm …that
it is so.”

No one moved from their seats, it seemed the
proper thing to do –sitting with your tribe and years.

“Very well. This is a mandate...to be
performed… whenever you begin a new page…in your notebooks. You
will write…at the top of each page …words…to this effect… The
Magi’s power is derived from… the secret acts of kindness…shown to…
another individual.” This will be done… when the page is turned. It
will not be …pre-inscribed …on any page. Fail to do this…and you
will…fail this class.”

Second hour was History of the Magi skills
and powers.

Magi are very secretive. A spouse will keep
the secret away from a non-Magi spouse, unless they have children
that are called to be Magi.

Third hour was on the first skill to be
learned: Aaron’s Grasp.

Mr. Diefenderfer said, “Aaron’s Grasp…is the
easiest skill…to learn. It is… the ability...to carry
things…invisibly…Not living things…movement from living
things…cause them…to be brought…out of hiding...dropping to the
floor…injuring whatever…may be in …your…Aaron’s Grasp. Inanimate
things…stay put …until they are…consciously grasped…Continue
practicing...consciously inserting…and withdrawing…items behind
your… invisible shield.”

* * *

Lunch came none too soon. She grabbed a quick
sandwich and then changed into work tunics. Her black and white
hair was not spiked. In fact she wore a headband that pulled her
hair flat and away from her face. She looked like a completely
different person.

I wonder if anyone will notice.

Ms. Vanmie was waiting for her at the Combat
Class. There were two other students trying to climb their way up
the wall and two more came in as she greeted LeOmi.

“Before you,” Ms. Vanmie made a flamboyant
gesture, “You see an inside wall corner. Inset into this corner,
are stones protruding two inches and eight inches.”

Ms. Vanmie pointed at the stones.

“You will notice that the protruding stones
on opposite walls alternate. This forms a type of ladder or
stairs.” She demonstrated by going up a few stones and she stopped
and jumped back down.

“You will use this to get into class.” She
walked up the wall and walked back down with little effort at
all.

“There are seven other corners here. This
corner is for freshman.

“You will notice that the protruding stones
get progressively smaller.”

“The eighth and final corner is smooth.”

“For those of you that are counting the
stones, the walls are forty feet high. There are thirty protruding
stones in each wall, sixty in total. For the next class, I expect
each and every one of you to be in class, on time. If it takes you
two hours and you have skip lunch, I expect you to get up the wall.
Whatever it takes, however you do it, I expect you in class on
time.”

After she finished, she effortlessly went up
the smooth corner to the top.

“Who wants to try first?”

LeOmi went to the smooth corner and after one
failed attempt made her way up and back down the wall. She did it
again and joined Ms. Vanmie up on the second level of the Combat
classroom. Several of the others were already at the top with
bamboo batons sparing with one another.

LeOmi joined the row of students that was
slowly forming. Ms. Vanmie smiled and nodded at LeOmi.

“Grab a baton, and take turns sparring with
one another.” Then she made her way back down the wall. LeOmi heard
her begin…

“Before you, you, see an inside wall corner.
Inset into this corner, are stones protruding two inches and eight
inches thick.”

* * *

Flags Practice on Monday was strategy. Krisa
drew diagrams on a chalk board and explained the concepts. There
were extra technicians that participated as guards and coral
workers; they were also used as alternates at practices and
sometimes games, when they were needed.

* * *

The morning routine was good. A short
breakfast with Bekka and a run to the Wildlife and Game Preserve
Wall where Mrs. Kirby escorted her to the shack.

“Tomorrow I will not be there to meet you; if
you have anyone stop you just tell them to check with me.”

LeOmi nodded, and Mrs. Kirby nodded too.

She was there for about an hour reviewing the
placards again. She never saw any other students, but she knew that
there was a back entrance behind the cliff and lagoon. Like Mrs.
Kirby said,
“There was always someone there monitoring.”

* * *

The second day of class, Tuesday Morning, was
Mrs. Julia Diefenbuacher –Ancient Languages.

The first hour was Hebrew in Ancient
Languages.

Mrs. Diefenbuacher covered the story of
Mushi, a family of Levi most popular during the Exodus of Egypt.
She spoke of the Four Divisions of the Levites.

She gave the lecture in English then she
translated it into Hebrew. The next hour was the same study of
Mushi done in Ancient Greek. The next hour was the same study done
in Ancient Latin.

Some of the students were actually falling
asleep from her flat monotone voice.

The afternoon class was Algebra and Numeric
Logic with Harmonious Thorpe. This was a difficult class.

All classes were passed and failed on the
accumulated number of points earned on tests and assignments: 1000
to pass, 1400 for a perfect score.

* * *

The hard part of the everyday schedule, was
avoiding Slone and his friends.

They had become persistent.

LeOmi kept thinking that maybe they would
change, but their superior attitude just seemed to get worse and
worse making their meeting unbearable to LeOmi. But it seemed to be
just what some of the other students wanted to hear, and the number
of students attending the meetings just kept growing.

Some things just had to take their
course.

She tried to think of pleasant things like
Flags Practice on Wednesday–and,
Time with Fireball.

* * *

Saturday came and the first guided tour
wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. The tours were geared to
the well being of the animals and no more than twelve people could
tour at one time. This was completely manageable.

Bekka was on the first tour and LeOmi found
herself calm and patient. Bekka and Mrs. Kirby walked along and
smiled encouragement to LeOmi.

As soon as it was over Mrs. Kirby patted her
briskly on the shoulder and said, “Good job LeOmi. See you
tomorrow. Nein?”

“Yes” said LeOmi.

“I believe that is the most words I have ever
heard you say—and I mean ever. It was great.” Bekka giggled.
“Nein?”

Chapter 9

Communicate to Stay
Enlightened

Routine, the best thing for LeOmi was
routine, like jogging, one foot in front of the other. However, the
festival of tents was a welcome distraction from the usual classes.
It started one day shy of three weeks after classes had begun. On a
Friday, the beginning of the weekend, tents started to pop up on
the grounds of the school. The tents were small, only big enough
for one person. They were a simple design to keep the sun and rain
off–if it rained, which hadn’t happened during tents for the entire
recorded history of The Seventh Mountain. It was agreed by the
freshmen that it had to be divine intervention.

“All students…are expected to live…in their
tents…for the duration of the fest.” Mr. Diefenderfer’s lesson hit
upon some of the highlights of the fest. There would be a Hot Air
Balloon Show and competitions.

Slone’s group was getting bigger. Almost
every day, LeOmi was asked to come to a get-together. His small
troop hung around him as if his words were more educational than
any teacher’s, but the free food was a big draw. Food wasn’t
expensive, but it started adding up.

When the first list of expenses were sent,
Slone used it as one of those points of contention in his ever
growing list of how to make The Seventh Mountain better.

“I have seen some of your expense sheets, and
I did some calculating. We all know that the expense for a year’s
tuition is weighty—one hundred ounces of gold or two years of your
life.”