A Collision In Time
Chapter 29 – Parati ad bellum

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

– Benjamin Franklin

Winter, 3203 BC (November 12th, Gregorian), Eridu, Sumeria

On the upper floors of the ziggurat, inside the main hallway, Cara, Uriel, and Ariel waited for the priest to drag the cedar beam sideways and push open the ornate double red door to reveal the Great Hall of Eridu.

Remaining silent, the newly arrived travelers crossed the threshold, their footsteps echoing on the stone floor. Carved windows welcomed daylight that illuminated the hall. Parchment scrolls decorated the walls, depicting battles, hunting scenes, and tributes to Enki. The ceiling soared above them, supported by enormous round limestone pillars, hung with towering candles that further brightened the room.

Cara smiled and quickened her pace. Dov stood at the far end of the hall, gazing through an open window. She turned and their eyes caught.

Dov raced to Cara. “I heard you had arrived.” Her face flushed red. “I thought the worst had happened.” Dov’s posture noticeably relaxed, relief evident in her eyes. They embraced.

“I missed you, Dov,” Cara whispered. “I missed you so much.”

Stepping back, Dov raised her voice. “Why did you go to the market? I thought I would never see you again. I was so worried.”

Cara squeezed Dov tightly. “I let my guard down. I am sorry. Never again, I promise.”

Cara flinched as they hugged, and Dov noticed. She stepped back. “What happened?” Her fingertips traced the bruises on Cara’s cheeks. “What did they do?”

“Listen, I need time to process, and I’d rather wait until we’re alone. I’m not too sure how to explain, to be truthful.”

“He hit you?” Dov pressed.

“Yeah…”

Dov nodded. “We can talk later. I understand.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it. I missed you. I do…” Cara wavered. “I do love you.”

Dov blushed.

“Besides,” Cara continued quickly, “we have news. I hate to jump right into this, but we have big problems. Uruk, or perhaps I should say Modi, has put together an army. He grew his militia. Like, they have conscripted half the men in Uruk and most certainly the slaves.”

“We came across soldiers on our way here, but an army?”

“Yeah, and Uriel figures he has armed them with weapons not appropriate to the time. We watched them loading supplies on river barges. Ariel has drones monitoring them and is sure they are coming here.” Cara’s voice faded. She focused her attention on the other side of the room, a shocked expression crossing her face. “Wait, is that…?”

Dov followed Cara’s stare. “Yes. It’s Elder Brumion, or Mr. Burrows, or Arion, as he refers to himself now.”

“Arion, like the man in our dreams in Sandon?”

“Yes, him. He wants to help us. I have to catch you up on that too. So much has happened.”

“Tell me.”

“Arion met us on the way to Eridu. He took me on a journey.”

“Okay…”

“Through a wormhole, Cara.”

Cara said nothing, just shook her head.

Dov whispered, “We jumped through space-time to his home world. He wanted to confess his truth. He told me he’s been overseeing us, protecting us, for years. He claimed we were critical inflection points in time. And he knew this a long time ago. So when I was a girl, he assumed the role of Elder Brumion.”

“Or Mr. Burrows for me… So who is he, Dov?” Cara indicated Arion on the other side of the hall with her eyes. “And his brother?”

“I didn’t quite understand. But Asmodi is indeed his brother. Arion explained that he has been tasked to prevent the chaos his brother is causing. But like a cat and mouse, Asmodi seems to be toying with historical time.”

“So who are they? Future humans?”

“No. Well, maybe. I am confused about that. He indicated they share a common ancestry with us.”

“Is he immortal?”

“He didn’t say exactly, but no?” Dov said uncertainly. “Sometimes I felt the conversation with him evolved to be more philosophy than science.”

“I should have a chat with him.”

Dov smirked. “We seem to be caught in the middle of an overblown sibling fight.”`

“Oh, it’s a lot more than that,” said Cara. “Modi has plans and somehow you are in the center of it, using Emerson and myself as levers. He told me that much.”

“As levers?”

“I don’t know, but I think the story is complicated. He offered me a chance to join him, if you can believe it. To be honest, I didn’t follow everything he talked about; he used metaphors and strange stories. Perhaps Uriel picked up more than I did. Uriel and I haven’t discussed it much. I didn’t want to, especially with so many ears all around.”

“Like Emerson?”

“Maybe, yeah. Speaking of, where is he?”

* * *

Emerson studied the interaction between the high priest-king of Eridu and Arion. The two muttered in hushed tones, oblivious to those newly arrived. He approached Ariel. “I’m relieved to see you again. Any idea what they are on about?”

Ariel concentrated on the discussion. “Ah, yes, the high priest-king of Eridu. Indeed, the two are apparently in discussions with the god Enki.”

“Really?”

“From what I can overhear, the high king is convinced that Enki is within his thoughts. Or maybe even in the room.”

“Arion must have implanted thoughts.”

“Yes.” Ariel concentrated on the interaction.

“Listen,” said Emerson. “I hate to interrupt, but could you grab Uriel? Now that y’all are here, I was asked to collect you. It’s time we all meet and make reintroductions. Time to plan. It’s important that everyone understands what you have learned.” Emerson pointed. “There, at the table.”

The allies converged around the oval table—the high priest-king of Eridu, Arion, newly arrived Ariel and Uriel. Kushim and Iamma sat together along with Alad, Amarenzu, and Umar, who insisted on being included, while the remaining family chose to sit off to the side. Dov and Cara, and finally Emerson, joined the group. Behind them, a contingent of Eridu’s subjects gathered. They had been earlier introduced as the citizen-council who accompanied the priests.

The high priest-king of Eridu cleared his throat and made introductions. He explained that decisions made today would be communicated to the councils and then be immediately executed.

Dov glanced toward Cara and stammered, “I need to do this.” She stood, bowed, and waited until the room quieted before she addressed the high priest-king. “I thank the high priest-king of Eridu. We serve you at the pleasure of the god Enki. As you heard today, we bring grave news of an uprising in Uruk. I understand your spies have confirmed this. The rebellion was initiated by an evil man who poisoned the thoughts and mind of Uruk’s high priest. Our friends who joined us today bring dark news. As we speak, thousands of Uruk soldiers advance toward your city. They arrive by riverboats, thankfully, slowed by the rain. Truly a blessing from Enki. Uruk soldiers bring exceptional weapons never before used in Sumeria—foreign armaments and men who will attack using horses. Eridu is not prepared to defend against this type of enemy. We ask that you allow us to help build Eridu’s defenses.” Dov paused. “This is all. Please let us discuss.”

The high priest-king closed his eyes and sat silent. He brought his palms together as if in prayer. He mumbled to himself but otherwise remained quiet, unmoving. Then his eyes opened wide. A thin red line of blood ran from his nose. He wiped the blood off with the edge of his hand and looked at the stain. “We have no time to waste.” He stood and said in a booming voice, “Help us defend Eridu.”

* * *

The next morning Dov and Cara explored the highest accessible floors in the ziggurat. They stood on a balcony and watched the clouds part and the sun bring welcome heat. Humidity wafted from the rain-saturated fields, wrapping the landscape and marshes in mist.

“Almost biblical,” Cara said.

“Old Testament.”

“Indeed.” Cara pointed. “Ah, there he is. He looks like a natural leader.”

“He just doesn’t know it yet,” Dov said.

From above they watched Emerson lead hundreds of soldiers, workmen, and slaves carrying shovels, axes, and hand saws through the gates of Eridu. Proper defensive structures needed to be built. After instructions, communicated by Uriel and Kushim, Emerson took his shirt off and grabbed a shovel. He began to work in companionship with the slaves. The foreman of the slaves looked at Emerson, unsure what to do.

Cara smiled sardonically. “They don’t know how to react to Emerson. He is defying the Sumerian system.”

“Intentionally, I would imagine, knowing Em,” said Dov.

“Win the war, free the slaves.”

“Not for five thousand years, I’m afraid, Cara.”

Cara raised her fist and smiled. “Fuck the patriarchy.” She walked to the table where earlier the plans had unfolded. She sat on the stone chair at the head of the table that the high priest-king had hours before occupied. She placed her arms on the armrests. “Does this suit me? I am emperor.”

Dov chuckled. “Better you than me, Cara.”

“No, you have it all wrong. Your temperament and your intelligence are what make a noble leader. You are a natural for this chair.”

Dov blushed. “Thank you; that’s kind. Untrue, but kind.”

“And humble, I should add.” Cara changed the subject. “So what do you think, Dov?”

“About?”

“The next forty-eight hours.”

Dov moved around the table and sat across from Cara. She rested her chin on her hand in deliberate thought. “This feels different from Boston or Sandon. The anomalies are all over the place. Modi is experimenting with us, with the time-wave. It feels like we are pawns in a confrontation of gods and their games. I am not totally sure what either of the brothers is doing and why.” Dov leaned forward. “Can you tell I have no idea what to think? But that’s not what I worry about.”

“Go on.”

“I am worried that since Modi has reached into the future to outfit the Uruk army, that this is potentially disruptive beyond event anomalies. He’s messing with the time-wave without regard for the consequences. This is an existential threat for mankind. But mostly I am worried that our lives are at stake. How will we defend against an army that is so advanced? To be honest, I’m less worried about the time-wave and more about our lives.”

Cara said nothing. She leaned forward, as if waiting for Dov to proceed.

Dov lowered her voice. “I’ve been thinking about an escape plan. Like Plan B.”

“Meaning?” Cara said, anticipation in her tone.

“Meaning that if everything falls apart, regardless of the time impact, Uriel and Ariel need to get us out of here. At least so we survive. Our lives come first.”

* * *

Like an ant’s nest stirred up with a stick, Eridu teemed with nervous but focused energy. Kushim, the master planner of Uruk, directed teams of warriors to strategic locations, lookout and defensive positions surrounding Eridu. Each entrance was secured only when Kushim, together with Ariel, declared it to be. Outside the wall the infantries organized themselves in their familiar social stratifications: slaves, traders, and farmers to guard and prepare for Modi’s invading forces. Scouts dispatched each hour brought new reports on the distance of the invading army. At sunset, fires were lit so preparations could continue until the very last hour.

“Has anyone seen Arion?” Kushim asked once the group of twelve convened that evening. “Or shall we proceed despite his absence?”

“Of course we must carry on,” Dov said in Sumerian. “I am sure Arion is preparing in his own way.”

Kushim nodded, stood, and began. “Noha’s forces are less than one day away. We expect them to arrive sometime between tonight and late morning tomorrow, no later. Unfortunately, we are unsure about what he carries on the barges. To delay the invasion, we have created diversions within the river to make it difficult to dock the boats. This is especially important with so much rain. The river flows swiftly and unpredictably. We are fortunate for the unusual rain. If we cannot defend the city, we shall flee along the narrow trails that follow the Blue River upstream until the end of the canals. There is a hidden route there that leads to a ridgetop. Our soldiers will lead the citizens along this pathway and defend from the hills.” Kushim sat down.

All eyes went to the high priest-king. He met their eyes one by one, stopping at Emerson. “Thank you,” he said in Sumerian.

Emerson nodded.

The Priest-King raised his voice. “We are ready for war. Go now and be with the soldiers. The night is early.”

* * *

It was an atmosphere of celebration. Emerson roamed among the warriors stationed outside the walls who had congregated around bonfires, laughing, swapping stories, and becoming drunk. He was shuffling around a group of soldiers when a hand reached out and seized his. He recognized a slave who had dug trenches beside him earlier, now outfitted as an infantryman. Emerson let himself be guided to the man’s companions, who were also slaves. The men smiled and laughed and Emerson greeted each of them with a nod.

Emerson settled in and drank beer with his newfound comrades, quickly finding himself feeling very at home.

* * *

High above at a lookout point, Alad and Amarenzu practiced using their bows. Amarenzu drew the string as far back as she could, then with her palm massaged the texture of the wood. She nocked an arrow and mockingly aimed at her brother.

“Amarenzu, stop!” he yelled at her.

She giggled. “You are lucky, my brother, you are not the enemy. Or you would be falling to the ground with an arrow in your chest.”

Alad jumped on top of the wall. “You would never hit me, Amarenzu, for I am like a…” He hesitated, and his expression soured.

“Alad, what is wrong?”

He gestured for Amarenzu to join him on top of the wall. He pointed. “Do you see that?”

“No, see what?”

“There, the flickering lights within the trees on the horizon. Watch where I point. In the far distance.”

Amarenzu leaned forward and slowly nodded. “Uruk’s army?”

Alad nodded. “Let’s run—we need to sound the warning. We must find our father.”

* * *

Dov and Cara stayed alone in the Great Hall. Cedar-perfumed smoke wafted into an open circular chimney from the bonfire set in a carved limestone pit near the center. Cara, searching at the far end of the hall, smiled triumphantly. “Ah, here we go.” She grabbed a wooden pitcher of wine and rejoined Dov at the round table. She poured Dov a generous portion.

Dov took a small sip. “I think I’ve consumed more red wine in the last two weeks than in my entire life in Pachamama.”

“Well, I am happy to be able to introduce you to the finer aspects of life.” Cara raised her cup. “Cheers.”’

“What shall we toast?”

Cara leaned in and kissed Dov on her forehead. “To adventure, my friend.”

“I don’t know if I can take more adventures.” Dov lowered her cup. “This is the calm before the storm. I’m nervous about what comes next.”

“So am I, Dov. Can’t we have Arion deploy his magic and transport in a Navy SEAL team? The fighting would be over in ten minutes.”

“Seals?” Dov smiled.

Cara shared Dov’s amusement. “That’s the name of an elite American Navy military team. I have no idea why they are called seals, but if they were here, the fighting would be over in no time.”

“No, we can’t, Cara. It would go against our principles of minimizing time disturbances and anomalies, but you know that. Even Modi apparently recognizes that, or at least I assume so, by his proportional use of weapons.”

“Well, they would make short work of Modi…I get it, though.”

They drank in silence. Dov strolled to the window and leaned out. Her breath misted in the humid air. “What a mess. How did it come to this? There could be so many killed.”

Cara joined her beside the open window. “I suppose I understand now why anomalies are just that.”

“Just what?”

“Anomalies. This is not normal.”

* * *

A horn rang out.

Then again.

Emerson froze. Around him, laughter and conversation faded. A single commanding voice echoed from above. Instantly the men around Emerson disposed of their drinks and shuffled into double rows. Emerson hurried back toward the gate, leaping over the wooden platforms hastily built over the newly dug trenches. He ran by rows of soldiers as fires ignited within iron cages set along the trenches. Adrenaline surged and fear spread amongst the ranks of soldiers, who three days ago had been fishermen, farmers, or slaves. Of the hundreds of men that he passed, he knew that one in one hundred had military training.

The gate shut just as Emerson jogged through it and into the splendid city. Eridu glowed from the torches that marked the pathways, and the bonfires that burned in the town squares, atop the temples, and surrounding the ziggurat. Each building glimmered in the light that danced through open windows. Emerson stopped and rotated in a full circle, smiling. This was a scene he intended to never forget.

Shadows stirred on walls and roofs across the city as hundreds of people moved into position to defend the city from above. He searched for Kushim and his family.

A voice interrupted his thoughts. “Emerson?” Dov subvocalized. “Can you hear me? Where are you?”

“I’m just inside the gate. Where are you?”

“Up in the hall.”

“What’s the plan, Dov?”

“Exactly—we are to meet and determine our next steps. Uriel and Ariel are on their way.”

“And Kushim, Iamma?”

“If you see them, grab them and bring them along.”

“Dov? I want to fight.”

“No, you cannot. That’s the whole point. Come, and don’t get any silly ideas.”

Emerson hurried toward the hall but stopped beside an armory where a slave distributed shields and weapons to soldiers. He turned to leave but again paused. He studied the display of armor: three types of swords, wooden and bronze shields, and sharpened wood spears. He pivoted once more to leave, but his body didn’t obey. “God damn.” He grabbed a scimitar and a bronze shield. “Just in case,” he said to the slave, who looked at him, puzzled.

* * *

In the Great Hall, Dov and Cara were joined by Ariel and Uriel, Iamma, the high priest-king, a half dozen of his priests, and several younger women whom Cara decided must be his wives. Emerson walked through the door, followed by a half dozen men outfitted in military garb. Emerson joined Dov and Cara sitting at the round table.

Dov raised her eyebrow at Emerson. “What are you holding there, Em?”

“Just in case, Dov, for protection. Any sign of Arion?” he asked.

“Not yet, strangely,” said Uriel. “Nonetheless, we must still continue to plan. Asmodi won’t wait. I do have confidence Arion will arrive.”

They talked until dawn, and plans unfolded to defend the city. Archers and spearmen would maintain a steady assault on the Uruk militia from above as the slave army below, along with the trenches and barriers, prevented the Uruk militia from storming the walls. As dawn approached, they argued about details and the inventory of weaponry, with little agreement on how to ration if the assault extended for days and weeks. Despite Ariel’s logic, the Eridu priests relied on acts of divinity rather than mathematical logic. Finally Dov shook her head. She departed to the open window, where thick clouds kept the morning unwelcome. Heavy rain again fell.

Cara followed Dov to the window and subvocalized, “Em, have a look at this.”

The three stood, transfixed, staring through the open window. The enemy encampment stretched along the dryland perimeter. The initial contingent of enemy soldiers had been joined by thousands of infantrymen and slaves carrying supplies. Rows of makeshift tents, cookfires, and armament dumps had sprung up. At the far end of the camp, pens held horses, goats, and boars. Uruk slaves entered the camp with baskets of freshly caught fish and water jugs. The entire area buzzed with efficiency and focused effort.

Uriel and Ariel joined the three companions. “Why bother building an entire camp like this?” said Uriel. “It’s as if they are expecting a protracted siege. They don’t understand how weak our defenses are.”

Cara nodded. “Perhaps he sees the camp as a permanent establishment. It feels like overkill.”

Ariel cocked his head. He stared ahead into blank space, focused elsewhere. “Our nano-drones have detected incoming ships. One second, I am getting a video…interesting.”

“Interesting how?” asked Dov.

“Arion is in the lead ship. He is directing their docking procedure.”

“What’s happening?”

“Arion brings hundreds of soldiers. Perhaps a counterforce to Asmodi’s militia. They are well armed with pikes and swords.”

“Arion is full of surprises,” Dov said sarcastically.

“What do you mean?” asked Cara.

“He seems a little too comfortable with pushing the boundaries regarding interference in history.”

“We could use the soldiers,” Cara countered.

“There are always options before violence. I will accept that he knows what he is doing. Still…”

“Still?”

“I thought I knew who Elder Brumion was. I was wrong. My worldview is shifting, and I don’t know what to think anymore.”

Cara leaned in and hugged Dov. “You and me both, girlfriend. You and me both.”

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