The Noah Narratives, Book I, Daughter of the Covenant

The Noah Narratives

Book I

Daughter of the Covenant

Copyright 2010 Cinda Crull

Smashwords Edition

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Dedication

To Kan. Nice to have you back.

To Sharon. Thanks for the introduction to Noah.

To Marilyn. The best cheerleader a writer ever had.

To Marilyn, Alison, Jana, Bonita. Thanks for the auditory editing.

To Betsy. Thanks for fixing the train wreck chapter and along with Dick, enabling my homecoming back to where Noah and I began.

To Cindy. Thanks for the written editing, the boost to stay put, being an ally as a writer, and for the coveted review.

To Rebecca. Noah & I thank you for polishing and ‘getting’ it.

To Michael. Thanks, my artist shipbuilder, for making the ark both functional and magnificent.

To Luz. Thanks for believing.

To Dawn. Thanks for the space to tackle the hard part.

To Robin. Thanks for the place to hear Noah clearly.

To Marlene. Thanks for hearing it first.

To Nan. Thanks for being an example and inspiration.

Preface

With you and other peoples again and again life has only recently been enriched with letters and all the other necessaries of civilization when once more, after the usual period of years, the torrents of heaven sweep down like a pestilence leaving only the rude and unlettered among you. And so you start again like children, knowing nothing of what existed in ancient times, here or in your own country.

Plato

I first met Noah in 1980 in a ‘channeling’ experiment with a friend that inferred that Noah and I shared something in common. I forgot about the encounter for several years and then one day started having images, dreams, and emotions which I sensed were his. Over the years our journeys became intertwined, each of us learning from the other to become more complete. For me, Noah is powerfully real and family in the closest sense. Ultimately it doesn’t matter if you take this work as a metaphor for America, a fact based novel, a primer in spiritual teachings, or just total fantasy. I trust that you will get what you need from it. I certainly got more than I expected from writing it and am forever changed and grateful.

Introduction

It’s less than a year till the end of Atlantis, a fact evident to only some of its citizens. Their lack of understanding about their actions and their technology has contributed to the very forces that will destroy the most advanced civilization ever to exist on this planet, as well as affect the planet herself.

Noah, his wife Na’ahmah, his sons Japheth, Shem, and Ham, and his priestess daughter Gaea, the Head of the School of the Healing Arts and Sciences, must spirit away as many people, indigenous animals and plants, archives and healing devices as possible from this doomed land.

The clandestine project has as its most challenging task the removal of the central document called the Covenant upon which Atlantis was founded hundreds of years earlier. Arrangements don’t go as planned and Gaea and her family have difficult choices to make. The result of those choices radically changes the future, and has implications for today’s world.

Many contributed to the fall of great Atlantis. Scientists pushed the boundaries of reasonable ecological risk, politicians withheld information that might have stimulated more citizens to relocate before the final catastrophe, ordinary people could have chosen to stay informed and hold their leaders accountable for fostering global well-being.

It was shared with me by my Family of Master Teachers that many Atlantians have reincarnated in large groups, first as Romans, and now as Americans. We continue to struggle to exercise responsibility and vision with our immense power and influence, especially during times of significant planetary upheaval.

I’m confident that we’ll rise to the occasion, though at what cost remains to be seen.

The Covenant is as relevant today as it was almost 11,000 years ago in Noah’s world.

The Covenant

All that is seen and unseen is joined, each creation distinctive in its nature, unified in its intention for experience, constant and constantly changing, and entwined forevermore through the power of Love as an expression of its Source.

Chapter I

Noah’s lungs desperately wanted to inhale, and he had to fight the urge to take the seawater into them. His ears roared with the pounding of his heart valiantly trying to sustain his efforts while staving off terror. Eyes straining, he finally caught sight of her in the dim light. She was still, and her body dreamily moved with the undercurrent, caught in a bizarre slow motion dance. Grabbing her wrist, he kicked with a renewed power that some part of his mind abstractly noted with curious and detached admiration, even as his body strained upward.

Breaking the surface, Noah automatically gasped and panted for a few breaths before he covered the young girl’s nose and mouth with his own mouth. Determined, he forced air into the tiny lungs to begin to displace the water that had intruded there. One breath. Two. Pausing quickly to yell to his family, he began to move toward land, continuing to intermittently pant, breathe into his small daughter, and kick with his back towards the sloping shore while holding her to his breast.

In a moment he was met by arms pulling him, swimming beside him and helping him along toward the shoreline. Other arms took the still body from him as he finally reached earth with his churning feet. Almost fainting, Noah forced himself to remain focused even while his numb body clumsily fell in the soft dirt close to his wife, a few feet from the water’s edge. She bent over their child and continued the rhythmic exchange of air. Two gangly boys bent over her, dripping the remnants of the sea where they had helped look for what seemed an eternity for their sister. A third brother toddled over to the scene and stood on the outer edge of the hovering group.

Five years with her isn’t long enough, Noah yelled in his mind to what felt like a great void. But what escaped his lips was a beseeching cry.

Siria!

***

The sound emerging from his own throat woke him. For a moment Noah was disoriented. Groping about for the lamp, he pushed the button that would activate the elements and fill his bed chamber with soft light. In a moment he felt the familiar ache and sinking feeling that always accompanied his awareness of his present life. His companion jackal, Anubis, who had been sleeping on the pallet next to him, gently moved closer until she lay against his side, quietly waiting, her watchful gaze upon him, head resting on his stomach. She had witnessed his dreams wrenching to the surface many times before and always responded with a gentle and supportive presence. For a little while the room was filled only with the sound of his ragged breathing as he slowly recovered himself.

At last Noah felt calm. We’re ok, aren’t we girl? He ran his fingers over the sleek fur of Anubis gratefully, reassuring himself by talking to her. His dreams used to be filled with answers to questions, solutions to problems or sometimes predictions of what was to come to help him prepare. Now, they just were filled with horrible images of the past. Sitting up slowly so the animal could move away, he looked out the porthole and saw that it was still dark outside. Judging from the angle of the moon, it was about 3 o’clock in the morning.

At least I’m consistent, he noted dryly out loud. Moving the covers aside, Noah put his feet on the braided rug and automatically felt for his shoes, slipping them on in the dark. The air was warm. Thank goodness for the breeze off the water, he ruminated.

Shuffling a little ways down the hall, he entered a common galley and adjoining room. He and a son had, along with skilled others, created living quarters amidst the stalls, all of which were to ultimately transport four people and a multitude of animals and plants over hundreds of miles. He occupied one of those quarters now. Noah took a deep breath as he reached for a container of tepid tea he had made the day before from plants obtained on a walk inland with Anubis. His nostrils filled with a bouquet of wood, metals, tea, and still even now, a distinctive musty and grainy smell. Nine months later, the ocean breeze with all its odors of aquatic life or the pungent aromas from the forest nearby couldn’t entirely erase the sensory and extrasensory imprint of all the other life that had crowded into this space for a short, turbulent time.

Taking the tea, Noah walked from the galley, through the dining and living area, and out onto the deck. Anubis trotted behind, her large paws moving noiselessly past him and down the ramp into the lush woods that came almost to the water’s edge. She would investigate until she sensed Noah was ready to return to bed . If this was like other nights, it would be awhile. The air brought the scent of impending rain. Nothing heavy, just a good watering shower for the plants…thank God.

Noah noted the irony of his commentary on the needs of the edible seedlings and medicinal herbs he had brought from the colony to plant and which would soon be ready to be harvested. That was always Na’ahmah’s specialty, not his. He winced involuntarily at the memory of his wife.

Redirecting his mind, Noah peered through the soft moonlight at the shore again. Three seasons ago he had brought the ark into what looked like the remnants of a large cove, the most likely place to put in, thinking that that would be the last day he would ever sail again. He was aware that the vegetated shore and the few large craggy rocks that jutted out at the farthest points of the haven were freshly touched by water. These rocks had been higher peaks not long ago. Noah noticed that they had none of the signs of regular and prolonged contact with the sea. Coming into the harbor that day he had moved the giant ark as far as his experience and intuition told him was safe to go before letting out both the bow and stern anchors. The long ramp just made it to a finger of land that jutted out.

Perfect, the sailor said to his furry companion their day of mooring. I’ll put some braces under the end of the ramp with felled trees and tether the ship tautly to some rocks fore and aft. I think the indentation of the cove and sheer mass of the ark will supply the rest of the protection we need from any future storms. And if I’m wrong, well then, sorry girl. Noah had trailed off. Truthfully, it just took too much energy to really care about what would come next.

Noah had decided this would be his home to the end of his days, one way or another. It seemed somehow fitting to him.

He sat now on the deck of the ark smelling the ocean in the cool breeze and listening to the leaves rustle on the gently sloping hill behind him. The frogs were singing louder than usual and the air felt like it was building to a release. Definitely rain, he thought getting up to go back inside. He was about to let out a low whistle when suddenly Anubis was at his side. You were already on your way, weren’t you? Sometimes I think you know my mind before I do. He again found his bond with his friend reassuring.

Together they went back into the ark, but instead of heading for the bed chamber, Noah went to the common room where paper always awaited him, and which he always tried to ignore. He had been having the urge to write, and he knew it would have something to do with Atlantis, but until tonight he just couldn’t get himself to start. Now he sat down, picked up the writing materials and began his semi-trancelike meditation from which he could scribe, listen, feel, and see images all at once. Siria taught him how to do this long ago after he had asked her how she found that special place inside herself.

She would be sitting off alone somewhere, usually outside, and sometimes with a journal in her hand. Observing her, it seemed to him that she was listening and communicating with something only she could sense. She had responded to his inquiry that anyone could do this if they wished. They just had to be very still inside and open to a dialogue that was not always in words. In time he understood what she meant, although he never felt he was as good at it as was she.

Now, again, he wished he could feel her. But all he could feel was pain when he tried. Shaking his head as if to throw off these thoughts, Noah took a deep breath and asked for assistance from the larger Consciousness to help him surrender to what had been trying to reach him. Quickly he felt warm and vast and no longer alone. Tonight he would not deny himself this comfort as his mind flew back to Atlantis.

***

Nahm, I’m going to Poseidon.

Noah’s wife stood up at the mention of her nickname and wiped her silver hair that had once been deep auburn away from her damp face with the back of her hand. She had been digging in her herb garden all morning, tending and talking to the tender plants that one day would find themselves in her famous tinctures, supplements, salves, and ointments. People sometimes couldn’t wait for the outdoor market day on the outer levy surrounding the city and would come to Noah and Na’ahmahs’ home, a trip spanning a distance from one corner of the rectangular Atlantis to another of almost 170 miles one way, to inquire about buying some of these treasures early. The healthful concoctions would disappear quickly on market day in the city, so some aficionados went to the trouble of coming long distance to buy just what they needed for their wellness. Na’ahmah couldn’t say no to their hopeful faces.

Her garden produced what many said were miraculous cures. She would modestly explain, when asked, that it was the love that went into the plants taking time to communicate with them and making sure they had the elements that nourished them. She also claimed that it was the willingness of the seekers to have their own wholeness restored that helped facilitate whatever healing might occur. If someone asked to know more, Na’ahmah might even mention that it was ultimately between the sufferer and his own soul how healing would proceed.

The herbalist had enough experience to understand that while illness of any kind was an indication of imbalance in the sufferer’s overall system, sometimes it was also an opportunity for profound wisdom to occur while in the grasp of the malaise. An illness always provided the chance for healing spiritually, mentally and emotionally as well as physically. The physical condition sometimes was a catalyst as much as it was an indicator of other related and unresolved issues. Ultimately, all that Na’ahmah could guarantee was that the healing aids she made were conducive to improved wellbeing in general. In that environment, she remarked, healing had an invitation to begin.

Where Noah might become quietly impatient with those he deemed were seeking magical easy-fixes, Na’ahmah simply sold them what they required and said goodbye with a sweet smile on her intelligent and still youthful looking face. She was quite certain that they would take what they needed from the experience and the supplements. The rest was not up to her. Noah loved her patient and unreserved compassion. It was just one of many qualities in which he and their now grown children had basked over the years. She was truly the heart of the family.

Are you going to see Siria? Na’ahmah called back to Noah who was headed toward the airboat. If you are, I have some cookies I want you to take her. She disappeared inside the house and in a few moments came back with a look of mock scolding at Noah.

"How many did you eat?’

Only a few, Noah responded sheepishly. In fact it had been four large ones. He couldn’t resist her oatberry cookies. It was one of the reasons Na’ahmah baked them. Taking the bag she handed him, Noah leaned over and gave his wife a kiss. He never tired of her and frequently thanked the divine Great Beloved for the blessing of having her in his life.

Na’ahmah’s deep hazel eyes twinkled softly. Don’t forget about Shem coming over tonight to help you with the winepress after dinner. You said it was sticking and that it would take two of you to repair it. Remember, Japheth is at Poseidon on business for the winery, Hamm has a date tonight, and you didn’t want to wait until tomorrow when he said he could help you to fix it. She was accustomed to her husband’s impulses to get things done immediately.

I remember, Noah responded, slightly irritated at the idea of Hamm not being available to tend to what Noah felt was his first responsibility, family business. Then he shrugged his shoulders. Well, I won’t be long, he responded. I’m just going to do a couple of things in the city and have lunch with Siria. I’ll be back by late afternoon.

Turning on the engine in the airboat, Noah pulled the release lever to free it from its battery charger, put the small boat into the gear that would raise it from its v-shaped bin where it had been resting to recharge, and pulled out of the hanger. He felt a rush of wind in his face as he pushed it full throttle and soared fifty feet into the air. The boat was not as big as the ships he was used to piloting when he felt like personally delivering one of those coveted long distance behemoths to a customer in one of Atlantis’ protectorates across the sea. But it was responsive and fun, and he liked surveying from this heightened perspective the fields and forests that had been part of the family farm for centuries. Now he was on his way to see his daughter with his belly full of Na’ahmah’s cookies, feeling totally satisfied. I couldn’t have a better day than this. Blue sky, fresh warm air. Ah-h-h. He took in the scents on the wind rushing by him. Thanks, Beloved.

Noah was accustomed to having constant conversations with his Creator as a normal part of his day. His whole family was this open. It wasn’t an act of being religious. It was simply sharing. the normal talking and listening to a Source that they never learned to shut off, as many had in the past century or so. It was a part of their lives. And Siria was the best of all at hearing the cosmic messages clearly and channeling the healing energy that came through her easily and naturally. Noah was very proud that she was the Dean of the Healing Arts and Sciences in the Great Temple at the very center of all Atlantis. And now he was on his way to see his only daughter.

Yes, indeed. A perfect day.

Glancing out of the airboat as he headed to the city, he surveyed the crops and woods that were on the northeastern corner of the country of Atlantis. He promised himself that tomorrow he would take the time to look a bit more closely at the various grains to see that they were thriving, as well as the orchards of fruits and nuts. Atlantis’ weather had been problematic for many farmers. The civilization had what it called a large Weather Ark that contained a battery created from metals, wood, small crystals, and diamonds, then connected to energy converters that were powered by the Great Crystal located in the Temple. The beams transmitted into the sky via this large mineral and then through the Weather Ark normally helped to regulate the amount of moisture the nation received by electrically stimulating or breaking up the clouds that the air currents made available without fail at all times of the year.

But something had been rapidly going awry. The sky, wind, rain, and everything else about the weather was becoming more atypical. For some reason, the Weather Ark was unable to consistently stabilize the seasons. Even though the weather was prone to more extremes in recent times, Noah’s crops fared much better than most and seemed to always get a shower at just the right time. His land was at a higher elevation than many surrounding farms, so the erratic flooding was not an issue for his hundreds of acres when a large quantity of rain fell, and being near the great fresh water sea insured that there would always be moisture even during times of drought. Still, it concerned him that many did not fare as well and that there were problems afoot.

The climate had radically changed, especially over the past five years. Many dismissed it as something temporary. Others thought in cataclysmic terms. Scientists seemed divided on the cause of these wet and dry extremes. The official position of the government was that it was an unimportant issue.

Leaving the boundaries of his family’s land, Noah called his attention back toward his destination. Being near his land always kindled a kind of reverie in him that quieted his otherwise restless personality. By now, he was nearing the halfway point toward Poseidon. When he focused on that teaming metropolis located in the southwestern edge of the country, he felt his demeanor become edgier. He enjoyed parts of the city, but only for short periods of time. He found himself over stimulated and impatient after a while, and longed for the countryside or the water again. But now he was headed toward his favorite part of the city, the Temple area with its pristine walkway around the inner of the three canals that surrounded the entire urban region and made it an island within an island.

The walkway around the Temple was ablaze with brightly colored and fragrant flowers. The sun reflected brilliantly off the gold that highlighted the main buildings and the fiery red orchicalcum alloy, a mixture of gold and copper that lined the inner canal. The water, the structures, and the park areas all sparkled as they reflected the changing hues of the sun from dawn through dusk. The illumination inspired hope and made the visitor believe that all those that came to seek justice or healing here would be rewarded.

The government buildings including the Senate and the Palace were here, as well as the Temple; and they inspired the senses. At night the lights that ran along the walkways and building entryways were turned on, powered by the Great Crystal that was central to the energy supplied to all Atlantis. Then the manicured courtyards that flowed one into another, and the smaller access canals that came up to the buildings so they could be reached by boat, reflected a soft restful glow in contrast to the vibrancy that the gleaming sights, milling crowds, and traffic produced during the day. That was also the time when Siria came out from the Temple into the cool night air to refresh herself from her day while listening to the gentle lapping sounds of the water in the canal. In