Second Genesis Book 6

By Steve Howard

Chapter 31 Art History Island is a long pleasant trip. First up river in a rowboat. Beautiful places to camp. And finally at the island, a beautiful surprise. A woman dear to the entire crew. They enjoy the island and learn a little history looking at the many stone carvings. Artemis needs time to draw them all so that a book can be printed.
Chapter 32 The Advent of Sport all over the known world. The number one sport on Barbancor is soccer, or as they call it, football. Sports takes over from war. It also leads to new businesses and new constructions. There is work to prepare for the books and a tour of Barbancor is also the excitement for the coming chapters.
Chapter 33 Camp Namor. A surprise break in their protocol tour. After a pleasant stay in Waterford, some establishing of sports, science and technology. They came to a small city that did not welcome the invaders. So they set up Camp Namor to defend against the resistance. After one bloody battle, the settlement quickly grew into a city. The locals warmed up to the new world and became part of Camp Namor. Three Rivers was often visited and also brought into the new world of science and technology. And the biggest surprise, the Drave King fought in Three Rivers when one of Zarathustra’s fighters was injured.
“Did he win.”
Chapter 34 Visit the West. We start and end in Gadavida City. It is the most advanced city on Barbancor. Also the most beautiful. Most of our time, however, is up the main river for visits to towns and cities, a short stay at Snow City, then after a couple fights and basketball games in Little Barbaralba City, we build a raft and live on it all the way back to Gadavida. A slow ride with time to enjoy some leisure and a bit of philosophy mostly of the astrophysical kind.
Chapter 35 Before the Tour of the World deals with preparations but not so much for our characters. They are mostly involved with participating in the events of the new world. Not quite the space age but the fire age was coming to an end. For Eden it was mainly an attitude shrift from small-minded servitude to a suffocating law to the new plus sum gain beginning of cosmic awareness. Being aware that there is a cosmos changes how life appears to matter.
Chapter 36 Tour of the World takes our crew to the east then to the north. A little time for settling Narnok Harbour. Their northerly travel eventually takes them past the pole and south toward the equator. They discover some landmasses and map what they can and record what they can and record what they learn of the islands and finally the larger landmass with the pleasant surprise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Howard
• Release date: Mar 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215261446

Steve Howard

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 1960. Moved to London, Ontario, Canada in 1967. Started playing hockey and piano. Went to Sir Wilfred Laurier High School and played the trumpet.Studied Architectural Technology at Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Sciences. Started playing guitar and writing a little. On a trip to the mountains in 1982 with a friend I decided, or was awakened to the knowledge that I was going to pursue writing. Graduated 1984 and moved to Toronto.Moved to Saarbrücken, Germany in 1993.Have traveled many places in North, Middle and South America and Europe.Besides reading and writing also work on photography and music.

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Second Genesis

Book 6

Steve Howard 773U5

PUBLISHED BY:

Steve Howard 773U5 on Smashwords

Second Genesis

Copyright © 2022 by Steve Howard 773U5

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Table of Content

31 _ art history island

32 _ the advent of sport

33 _ camp namor

34 _ visit the west

35 _ before the tour of the world

36 _ tour of the world

book 06

You don’t need to believe any of it as long as you work at understanding it.

31 art history island

local settlement date 36,996

Heaven is where one perceives it.

King Namor Zujahrah

Namor woke up with the light of the morning. He knew he was on the beach and had been there since he received his first brew. It really was a refreshing drink when it was almost cold. He listened to the waves and remembered there was water in his water bag under his head. If he rolled over or sat up, he could drink some of the water that he remembered taking from a stream near the trail.

He sat up, half opening his eyes and took a long drink before wondering about Barbaralba. She was mostly naked laying face down in the sand with the waves splashing over her feet and up her legs.

She looked like she had been washed ashore.

Barbaralba.

Drave King.

He was happy she was alive. And pleased how she called him Drave King. She raised herself up on her elbows and smiled.

Water.

Namor smiled and crawled over to her with his water skin. After she drained it, she passed it back.

Come swimming with me.

Namor mostly walked until the water was up to his chest. He watched Barbaralba swim around some rocks and find her way onto the highest point that was above the water just enough to sit on but be pushed by the waves coming in. Namor watched her watching to see when Namor would join her. He took a deep breath and swam under water to the rocks. Barbaralba helped him out and made space for Namor to sit behind her with his legs holding her legs and his hands on her stomach.

They watched the fishing boats. Those from Barbaralba Town did not cross whatever boarder had been decided on. Most of the people of Lacuna were suspicious of the new people.

After watching and not speaking, they swam back to the shower house to wash out the salt and the rest of the sand entangled hair, then collected their things from the beach and walked across the isthmus to New Port Road. They were meeting in the maps room to listen to the trail proposal of Artemis.

Behind the town hall, the Old King was standing in front of Zarathustra, adjusting her hands in front of her face. He smiled passed her at Namor and Barbaralba.

Make it arch a little higher this time.

The Old King stepped back so she could shot over him. He watched her motion and not where the ball went.

Beautiful. You have such perfect movement.

I missed.

That doesn’t matter.

The ball bounced off the wall of the weapons building. Namor wondered for how much longer it would be for weapons. Zarathustra went to pick up the ball and join the others in the map room.

Lexus, Narnok and Sallandrah were watching Artemis finish her additions to the map north and east of Lacuna. With a few more lines she was satisfied and turned around with an almost unperceivable smile.

This river runs through the lake which is here all the way to the ocean east of this long narrow bay. There is no way up the mouth of the river. It is marshland. And we cannot drag rowboats through the marsh because you would lose your legs in dark mud.

Namor had a close look at where she next pointed.

Here where the long bay is, there is a trail, our trail, that can be walked in a day. Not with rowboat. There are places to camp here and here. This is all marshland but the water is deep enough for a rowboat all the way to where the river is a river. It is a long row.

How long.

Two days. Maybe less if we take turns sleeping. The rest of the river is mostly good for rowing. There are places where we will have to drag the boats.

How long will it take.

I know down stream can be done in 12 days. We were always a long time going up stream. There are places along the way where it is easy to stay and look for rocks. And little lakes.

When do we leave.

Three days later they left, the eight travellers, on a schooner. It was a half-day gentle trip under clear sky other than a few birds.

The schooner gathered sail but did not drop anchor. The boat, the schooner’s rowboat, one of many, was lowered into the water with the eight travellers in it. When it splashed gently on the water, the ropes were dropped into the rowboat and the schooner was full sail and on its way before the rowboat was in the bay.

Once in the bay, the water was calm. The walls of the bay were increasingly higher. The bay was mostly always in shadow. The sides of the cliffs were covered in birds.

It was dusk when their steady rowing landed them on a sandy beach. The bay was entirely sandy beach and small plants. There were trees a little higher on the cliffs.

The rowboat was pulled enough to get it out of the water, then unloaded. Not everything. The things needed to set up a few tent tarps and lay out some mats. A fire was made and they ate from what they had brought with them. Not much food was brought for the trip up the river.

At the first hint of dawn, the team was awake. The goal for the day was to get the tents and cooking equipment and the empty books of good drawing paper inside 10 heavy covered books that were waterproof if not submerged for too long. And pencils. Artemis was looking forward to drawing on paper again. She could not remember when that last was. She drew with burnt wood. Usually on wood or rock. The wood and rock were usually exposed to sun and rain. Then she would start again.

Artemis smiled to herself as she and Narnok removed the frame for the canvas sun and rain screen. And the oars and the seats. Any metal chains or box for food storage. The rowboat would still be too heavy to carry over the trail that was mostly an animal trail. Everything was divided and tied between two oars and with the load on four shoulders, the teams made their way to the first possible campsite. It was the highest point of the trail and the ocean could be seen one direction and the marsh the other direction.

They rested and ate from their food reserves. It would not be good to rest too long or eat too much, so after a good look at the trail that awaited them the next day, they hiked back to the rowboat and started towing it up over logs over the beach to the trail then logs were placed between and over rocks. Then the boat was towed and if the trail was not too steep or narrow, they could manage a slow constant movement along the trail.

They pulled into the night and when they finally got to camp, they ate a little from their supplies and rolled out their mats and slept.

The next day hiking was less work. The way was a gentle slope, with few hinders, over moss and grass. The logs were not needed. Pulling the boat down to the water was less work than carrying down the parts and supplies. They had little food supplies to carry. Food would be all around them the next day.

Camp was set up early and the rest of the day was for looking at the green of the water that was beyond the end of the narrow bay.

They got up before the dawn and packed and pushed the rowboat into the water. In water it would remain until they got back again. There would be some places they had to pull the rowboat over shallow water or along the shore where the current was too quick to paddle against.

Stop rowing.

Everyone stopped and listened to the sounds of something hitting along the side of the boat. Big leaves. Big round flat thick leaves covered the water all around them. Artemis was opening up one of her books.

I want to draw a flower.

No one said anything. They just looked at the giant white almost pink flowers.

They close in the heat of the sun and open now. A fat flying creature usually flies out and another is trapped the next night.

Artemis did not take long. She wanted to see what it was like to draw on paper after what she guessed was two thousand years.

We have to row carefully and slowly toward the far shore. There will be some open water. And reeds. Reeds are not so easily damaged.

The tents were used in the afternoon to shade the rowers. There was little air movement and the big flowers closed for the day and many insects seemed irritated by the heat and shared their irritation with the rowers.

By the evening, they had crossed the marsh and rowed for just a short bit up a small tributary. Tents were set up and wood and food collected. They ate and talked around the fire. Energy technology was one to the Old King’s favourite topics. They also talked about libraries and remembering a space age history and building toward a remake. Fighting was also a common topic. The fact that it was part of their basic nature was a favourite topic of Namor.

I remember when I first watched Barbaralba fight in the Havatara fights, I thought we should be able to live without fighting. It is not so. Fighting is in our nature. And it can be a beautiful art when masters of the art are fighting.

It is the nature of sport. There is a set situation and the battle is a game where the other one or many must be defeated.

Is it enough.

No. Likely there has to be something to push against or pull toward.

We will do both with the boat tomorrow.

Artemis lay back on her mat. Still awake but out of the conversation. She had assumed authority on the pace of the trip. At most campsites she told of beautiful places one could camp and perhaps on the way back they would.

There was someone on the island waiting for her return. And she was not expecting Artemis to come alone.

We can spend some time in the shade here. The island is at the end of this lake.

Artemis jumped off of the boat with a rope and splashed to the bank of the river to find a tree to tie the boat to.

We have a fire place here.

Artemis turned around and waited for the others to get out of the boat and up on dry land.

There is wood for a fire.

Artemis picked a plant and opened the pod and took out some wild peas.

I am sure I used to know what these are called.

Peas.

Yes. They are plentiful and we should take some to the island for tonight’s meal.

There were other things to collect and a few little fish that Barbaralba had shot in shallow water. The midday break was not rushed but there was no sitting around watching the birds and animals and so many flying and crawling things.

It was up the last bit of river that passed through the Art History Lake. It was a big lake. The little island could be seen in the distance through the disturbance of the heat coming off the water and the reflected light on the small waves.

So Namor put his looking glass back in his vest and went back to rowing. The water was shallow and the sides of the lake were full with reeds. Birds clung to some and spoke their feelings about bird issues. They all seemed to have something to say.

They had rowed for some time. Namor had noted many birds and mountain peeks and full open sky with a few white clouds. Many birds and insects. He thought he saw animals in the bushes and other creatures jumping into the water not to return. The water was clear so he could watch the fish and sometimes the bottom of the lake and a long dead tree pass under the boat.

He looked at Barbaralba who smiled and held her oar up so she did not shift the direction of the boat while Namor had another quick look in his looking glass.

A ship.

What is a ship.

There is a Gadavidian ship.

Namor looked down at Barbaralba and had one more look to be certain.

And someone is watching us.

He handed the looking glass to Barbaralba then looked at Artemis. She was not surprised.

"We brought it up piece by piece the way we just came. It took us many years.

Why would you want a ship.

For the metal. For tools.

And the wood for the ship. Why bring that.

For the stories.

Namor wondered about that. He knew he would understand. He had one more look. The person that had been on the ship was in a rowboat rowing to meet them. Namor smiled at Barbaralba and they started rowing again. He turned around to see Lexus smiling a big grin.

This place is so beautiful, Namor.

He smiled back.

Just before the two boats looked like they would collide or pass each other, the woman in the rowboat pulled in her oars, threw a rope to Artemis, who quickly looped it on an anchor bolt, and jumped onto the front of the boat, falling into the arms of Artemis and laughing.

You brought them.

She let go and stood at the front of the rowboat.

Hello, my name is Alexandria.

She paused and looked at Zarathustra.

Your second given name, Artemis, as my dear friend and companion is known, Kramer. Hello mother. Hello father. Hello most adorable other members of the family and friends. You must be the king that left the castle. And you are.

I am Barbaralba. This is King Namor to the royal family and the Drave King to most others.

That is going to be a story I will need to hear.

Alexandria sat down between her mother and father.

Are you still loving each other.

Alexandria put her arms around her parents. She could see that they did.

And who is the fair maiden.

Lexus smiled. The woman was brilliance. She looked so much like her mother, the Snow Queen.

I am Lexus. Namor is my brother.

Alexandria looked at Narnok.

You are.

Narnok. I was a fisher in Havatara before I joined Barbaralba’s army.

Havatara must be a place. We have time enough for stories. I think I am going to cry now.

She did. She also laughed and hugged her father who was almost the same age. Namor realized. Thousands of years. Before the planet had life. He did not know how old Narnok was. But Namor remembered being a child with his little sister. Barbaralba was just becoming a woman when he first saw her. He noticed the boat scraping through the reeds. The boat had drifted toward shore.

Namor saw Narnok holding his oar ready. He nodded and they started rowing. Lexus and Barbaralba joined in. The others did not. They were getting reacquainted. With the help of no real memories. Just stories of memories. Told over and over.

The island was a mostly open palace of wood, rope and stone. Trees were built around and some were weaved to make sun shelter or a comfortable lean chair. And there were many rock carvings. A wall of rock along a path to the south side of the island was all carved to tell stories.

There was no hurry on the island. Artemis needed many days to do her drawings. Alexandria was the storyteller.

Before she would tell any stories of times from history, she needed to know about the Drave King and the fighting woman who started the war against war.

Lexus watched Barbaralba tell some of the story. She always made Namor the leader of the actions. When Namor told the story, he made Barbaralba the goddess of the people. Alexandria watched whoever was telling the story. She would have noticed the world around her if it was some kind of invasion of her well being, but short of that, she was fascinated with the story. Narnok had heard the story several times and listened lying on his back under an old tree. He would move when the day gave its first hints.

The Old King was fascinated with the balloon attack. Alexandria looked at Zarathustra when Namor told the details of her warrior skills.

Artemis told us nothing of who you were.

I asked her not to.

The Old King thought about it. He smiled. She was a clever and playful kid. In the body of a 70,000 year old goddess. She jumped up and hugged him.

I will tell you some stories tomorrow. Every sculpture and carving has a story. The lake has many fish and there is abundant food. Anywhere is a good place to sleep on this side of the island.

She ran off, followed by a wolf that had not made a sound since their arrival, to a long walkway that led to her room that looked out over the lake.

Everyone else found the closest appropriate place and settled down on their mats and skins.

Alexandria was last to get up. She went out on the bow of her land ship and looked upon all the people. She knew she loved all of them, even the few not in her stories. She saw Artemis and Zarathustra swimming away from the island like they were in a race. They tried to match their movements. Artemis swam every day she was at the island. That was the majority of the