The First Altar

The First Altar

A Katie Reynolds Adventure

James E. Aarons DVM

Books by James Aarons

Fear of Failure

(My Autobiography)

Katie Reynolds Adventures

Butterfly Boy

Yéiitsoh Omen

Death from Down Under

Tsegi Ruins

The First Altar

Inconvenient Goddess

Of Gods and Mortals

Queen of the Orontes

The Ivory Kingdom

Yezidi Holocaust

The Tiger Lady

Cocaine Eggs

The Sandman

The Devil Hunters

Goddess of Death

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Creating a story that has many facts is easy. Making those facts less than mind numbing to others is more difficult. Mary, my dear, dear wife, has the unique capability to bridge this gap with her extraordinary editing abilities.

Thank you.

10/29/2018

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Frenchies

Chapter 2: Bride Price

Chapter 3: Wedding

Chapter 4: Reception

Chapter 5: The Venus and The Sorcerer

Chapter 6: Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Chapter 7: Cyprus

Chapter 8: Aphrodite’s Temple

Chapter 9: Aphrodite’s Rock

Chapter 10: Zenobia Shipwreck

Chapter 11: Larnaca

Chapter 12: Beirut

Chapter 13: Tel Aviv

Chapter 14: Lady of Byblos

Chapter 15: Afqa, House of Astarte

Chapter 16: The Valley of Ba’al

Chapter 17: Ostrich Wrangling

Chapter 18: The Plains of Qadesh

Chapter 19: Ebla

Chapter 20: Crossing the Euphrates

Chapter 21: Ostrich Hatch

Chapter 22: Mosul

Chapter 23: Ostriches in the Arava

Chapter 24: Lalish

Chapter 25: Hot Zone

Chapter 26: Ba’adra

Chapter 27: Satan’s Origins

Chapter 28: Outbreak

Chapter 29: Mosul Falls

Chapter 30: Jema’iyye Festival

About the Author

The Katie Reynolds Series

Chapter 1: Frenchies

A young man in his teens stood in front of Rory's veterinary office holding a white, French Bulldog tenuously in his arms. Rory parked and stepped out of his truck with his keys in his hand.

Hi, Rye. What’s going on? The young veterinarian asked as he opened the front office door. Rory graduated from the University of California, Davis just two years ago. His office was a small, Dunn Barn building and the start of his practice on California's Central Coast. The stocky, handsome fellow sported a bushy mustache that matched his dirty blonde hair. He held the door open as young Rye carried the white French Bulldog inside.

Dad says Bolt has cancer. He found a lump on his face and said we’d better get him to you quick. He's working out in Carissa Plains, and can’t think right; he’s so worried.

Well, come in.

Honey, busy on the phone, waved from the reception desk. He’s here right now, Sheriff, the vivacious blonde vet tech replied. Try not to call for ten more minutes. Give us some time to figure this out. Will do, okay, bye. Hi Doc, hi Rye. That’s the third time Sheriff John called. He’s anxious about this.

I gather. How did you get here this morning? Rory asked Honey. I didn't see your truck,

René and Pelipa borrowed it to fetch Tal for the wedding. Remember, I’m staying upstairs?

Oh, yeah. Rye, bring Bolt to the back. Set him on the table. I’ll be right there. Rory backtracked into the office. Honey, I’m getting married tomorrow, remember? I asked you to schedule the appointments for next week.

Sorry, Doc, but Sheriff John is pretty determined, you know that. And Danny Wade is coming in for a quick talk about a breeding she wants to do. Nothing big, I’m looking out for you, and Dr. Katie.

Bolt trotted up front from the treatment room. Put a leash on him, Rye, Rory requested.

I didn’t bring one; I was trying to do other things. I have to get an oil plug, but Dad insisted I come here first.

I see, well let’s check this out. Rory grabbed the dog, set him on the scale, registered a weight, and lifted him to the table.

He inserted a thermometer in Bolt's butt and moved his hands over the dog’s body, feeling for lumps. You’re talking about this swelling under the jaw?

Umm hmmm, and Dad’s worried about cancer.

Let's see... he doesn’t show any pain when I open his mouth, and I don’t see any abnormalities inside. And when I grab his ear and massage way down it doesn’t seem to hurt him. Still, I think it’s infection, so I’ll give him shots and put him on pills to see if it goes away. Then, if it continues to grow, we can do an aspiration cytology.

Okay. Rye seemed to be focused elsewhere. Can you keep Bolt until Dad comes? I have things to do. I’ve got to fix my car.

Sure, put him in this cage.

Rory followed Rye to the front of the clinic and watched him almost; trip over another Frenchie coming through the door on a leash. Excuse me, ma'am, Rye said and hurried out the door.

Oh, hi Danny, what are you here for today? Rory asked.

Hi, Doc. Hey, is it true you’re getting married this weekend?

Yep, tomorrow. I brought Katie back from Davis. It wouldn't be the same wedding without her, he joked. What do you need?

I’m breeding Roxy again, but this time I need your help. I’ve ordered expensive semen, and I want to pinpoint the timing correctly.

Rory sighed. Danny was one of those clients who ‘needed’ veterinary help only when every other resource around her hadn’t solved the current problem. Now you’re paying big bucks for semen to impregnate a bitch who requires c-sections?

That’s part of the responsibility of owning a French Bulldog, she explained. Although this breed needs surgery to be born, they are just so darn cute. Plus, their personalities are wonderful! The extra veterinary care just goes along with raising these things, and I prefer to do it the right way.

I don’t understand, why breed dogs that cannot deliver on their own?

Because I can make a lot of money. I sell the pups for two, sometimes three-grand apiece. That’s why breeding and whelping them scientifically is so worthwhile.

Oh, I see, for the money.

Well, you've got to admit they are the cutest things you'll ever see. She nodded her head and gave him a big smile. Yep ten grand a litter. And don't forget you get a grand off the top. This procedure keeps you guys in business.

Rory focused on the patient. What exactly do you want from me?

I’m setting up an insemination shipment, and I need your help monitoring progesterone levels.

Danny, you can’t just decide it’s time for your dog to have a baby, trot her out to the dad, and poof, they’re going to breed.

I know that silly, I’ve been to college for a year. Plus, I’ve been doing research. Roxy had her period a week ago, but now the blood’s clearing. That’s when you find a vet.

How do you want to chart her cycle?

What are my choices?

Cytology and fingering give me a pretty close estimate but sending in progesterone levels is even more precise.

We need to be as accurate as possible. I don’t want to miss this heat.

Then we should take blood to run progesterone tests.

You’re the doctor.

Okay, let’s do a progesterone test, vaginal cytology, and a repro exam. I'll get Honey to help me collect samples.

Don't bother her. I know how to do this stuff. I worked at a vet office for a while.

How long?

Almost a week. What do you want me to do?

We need a blood draw, and we have to perform vaginal cytology. He pulled out a syringe and tube to draw blood, rummaging in another drawer for glass slides. Hold her right leg out please, Danny. He stood at the end of the exam table and cleared a swatch of hair from the top of the dog’s forearm with the clippers. Okay now cup the elbow in your palm and rotate your thumb outward.

You want me to hold the vein off? I’ve done this before you know.

Rory kept silent. Danny could be irritating.

What are the telling points, the changes you look for, Doc?

First, we wait for the pre-bleed to clear, which is right now, correct?

I think so; she’s been bleeding for a week.

Then I check to see how reflexive the vagina is. I can tell right away when I put my finger inside her. If the vaginal muscles contract when they feel my finger I know breeding readiness is close, and I can also use cytology and progesterone levels to focus further.

What are you looking for on cytology and blood progesterone?

The vaginal cells alter their characteristics when swinging from the influence of estrogen to progesterone.

You’ve lost me. What causes this hormonal change, from estrogen to progesterone?

Ovulation causes the change. The cells surrounding the follicles containing the growing eggs first secrete estrogen while the eggs are maturing. But when ovulation happens, the cells stop pushing out estrogen and begin producing progesterone.

Why is that?

To get ready to maintain a pregnancy. That's the role of progesterone, to act as a nurturer. Estrogen, on the other hand, is the horny hormone. That's why these females act crazy; they are being flooded with estrogen.

So?

The progesterone test can also help us determine the c-section day.

How?

Progesterone doesn't rise until the eggs break out. Once we see the increase, we count a straight sixty-three days from that day.

What guidelines do you use for breeding?

For breeding, you’re trying to pinpoint the most fertile period. Progesterone testing should start on the first day the female is receptive to the male, definitely by the time of the first breeding. Testing is continued every other day until the progesterone levels begin to increase.

Doc, Sheriff John is here, Honey called back.

Hey Doc, how are you? How’s Bolt? Sheriff yelled from the front.

I’m in the treatment room, John. He’s in a kennel back here.

The floor plan in the treatment room was an open one. The Sheriff commanded everyone’s attention as Rory and Danny waited with Roxie standing on the table. The cage latch squeaked as John freed his cargo from jail.

How’s my boy? He gathered his precious friend in his arms. Why’s he shaking like this, Doc? What’s wrong with him? He walked into Rory’s space with a very concerned look, still oblivious to Danny and Roxie. Is it cancer?

No, John. I have a feeling you don't leave him on his own very often. I think he’s scared and lonely in that metal cage.

Shh. The Sheriff reassured the dog by swaying back and forth like a solacing mother as he cradled the maligned critter. What can you do with cancer?

I’m not sure it’s cancer, John. It’s probably; an infected mandibular lymph node. Most of the swelling is from edema, and it’s more an indication of inflammatory infection. Cancer doesn’t cause such swelling of adjacent tissue. The node isn’t bigger than usual yet. It’s likely; some lymph node infection. I want to try a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to get the swelling down. On recheck, I can decide if we need aspiration cytology or a biopsy.

So, he’s going to be okay?

My worry level is below my ankles John, relax.

Although John could not relax, he nodded as though he understood. He had a pretty highly charged personality. Where’s his leash? he asked looking around, almost panicked.

Rye never brought one in, Sheriff. Honey's soft voice was calming.

John shook his head disapprovingly. He called me to borrow the red car because he lost the oil plug on his piece of shit. Noreen and I told Rye we would pay for a $2500.00 car if the boy kept his grades up, but no. It seems; he likes hanging out with losers. So now the fellow has to borrow my car when he strips his oil plug. When he told me Bolt might have cancer, it made me panic. So, I made him wait to go to the auto parts store 'till you got back in the office.

John realized Danny was there. Oh, hi Danny, what are you doing? Hey, is that a French Bulldog? She looks just like Bolt. He held his squirming dog up for Danny to see.

Yeah, I’m breeding Frenchies, John. It’s a new project Steve, and I are working on together. Doc is helping me with a breeding evaluation.

Well, that's cool. These guys are elegant dogs. I guess I'll go home now, Doc. I'm glad you're not too worried. I love this little guy, you know? So, how much do I owe you?

Honey has the invoice up front, Sheriff. Are you coming to the wedding?

Yeah, Noreen and I are coming. Hey, I'll light the vehicle up and run the sirens too. That'll give your ceremony some life. We'll see you tomorrow. Thanks, Doc.

Chapter 2: Bride Price

Similar to other Navajo ceremonies, the ahé’éské, or marriage sacrament, is a particular form of Blessingway, and Changing Woman, the female part of the creation couple, taught the wedding ceremony, the iigeh, to the Navajo.

A Navajo marriage isn’t free; the bride must be paid for. The parents of the suitor arrive at the home of the prospective bride with an offer in horses, sheep, or other valuable items that they wish to exchange for the maiden's hand. If the woman's family accepts the gifts, the marriage takes place within four days. Rory needed help with this step.

Rory, Crowbear will be asking for payment, Katie said as she stood there, smiling at him.

She was a tall, slender woman of Navajo/Anglo descent. She carried herself with a composure that seemed studied, but it was just a cover-up for her intrinsically shy nature. She was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and spent her college and post-graduate years in California studying veterinary medicine. With her long black hair, dark flashing eyes, and light brown complexion she was strikingly exotic and beautiful.

Your family needs to give something to my mother, Rose, in exchange for buying me, Katie explained.

Really! He chuckled. How much are you worth? I need help on this one sweetie. I was thinking of getting your mom a cell phone anyway.

Katie burst out laughing. Baby, that is so clever. It’s an excellent idea, but she won’t use it. You have no idea how stubbornly Shimá clings to her old world.

Still, that’s what I want to give her. Tell her it makes us feel better about not being there for her. And she can keep it next door with Heather, that’s where the charger will be.

I think that will be fine, honey, she said, smiling.

And Crowbear, who pays Crowbear? Me or you? He asked.

I will.

Okay, where is this happening, in a hogan, a tepee? You were talking to someone on the phone about building something, Katie. What was that about?

It was Tal. I decided on an open-air venue. It’ll be a nine-post structure with a leaf-covered roof, big enough to allow the ahé’éské to be conducted just as they are in hogans. The open wall will face east, according to custom.

Do you have bridesmaids and grooms?

No, it’s not that big of a wedding. I bet there won’t be more than a dozen people, although Byron and David volunteered to run the BBQ, and Janie is baking a cake.

It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. I’m impressed.

Janie is the real savior. She has bent over backward to help me.

At Janie and David's ranch, satisfied their preparations were finished, Tal, Xipe, and Crowbear readied to leave for the evening. They drove a half-mile from the wedding site to the stable, where the big BBQ was set up and continued up Steeler’s Drive to David and Janie’s house to say goodbye.

Hey guys, what are you doing? Tal asked when he found David and Rory working on the meat inside David’s outdoor kitchen. Tal stood an imposing six-feet tall with a reddish-brown complexion, dark flashlight eyes and long, black hair pulled back in a low ponytail. He was a Ute Indian who had grown up on an Indian reservation north of Katie's home. But he and Katie and Rory had only recently met and become friends.

David, Janie's husband, looked up when he heard Tal's voice. It's seasoning the tri-tip for tomorrow, he replied. David smiled and lifted his glass in a toast. He was a short, compact man in his mid-sixties. He always wore cowboy attire, jeans, boots, and hat, and he always had a glass of something in his hand.

Where’s Katie? Crowbear asked, walking in behind Tal. Crowbear, Tal's dad, was a shorter, older, version of Tal with weathered skin and salt and pepper hair. He was a respected Hatałii, or medicine man, who had made a name for himself among most of the western tribes.

Inside with Janie, David said.

Is there a phone I can use? I can't get cell reception here.

Sure Crowbear, it’s right there on the wall next to the refrigerator.

I’d rather Katie not hear this call. The news may be pleasant or disappointing.

What are you talking about, Crowbear? Rory wondered.

Crowbear held his hand up and spoke into the phone. Hello, this is Crowbear Eyetoo. Has Dr. Colgrave left a message about the trip? Oh, he did! That’s wonderful. Let the doctor know I received the information. Okay, thank you very much.

He hung up with a big smile. I’ve been talking to Ellen and Dr. Colgrave. They have found a way to bring Rose, Katie’s mother, with them on the plane.

Really? Rory knew how much it would mean to Katie to have her mother here for her wedding.

I haven’t heard from him since lunch, Crowbear continued. Doctor Colgrave was with Ellen waiting at the Gallup airport for Rose and Gus, her brother-in-law. Knowing Rose’s hesitancy to leave the reservation I was waiting to see if they actually left, he chuckled. But they all got on the plane and are due here sometime tonight.

What shall I tell Katie? Rory asked. Are they coming tonight or tomorrow?

Let me try his cell phone. He may have landed and can take calls, Crowbear said. He picked up the phone again and called Dr. Colgrave’s cell. There was no answer, so he left a message to call Janie’s house and left the number.

Nothing to do but wait, he said. You’ll know as soon as he calls.

How are they getting here from the airport? Do they need someone to pick them up? Rory asked.

No, he told me he would rent a car, Crowbear replied.

Do you want something to eat or drink, Tal, Crowbear? David turned to the third member of their group, Xipe, Crowbear's nephew and Hatałii in training. Xipe, are you hungry?

No, thank you, Crowbear replied for all of them. There are final preparations at home we need to finish.

Thanks for the great news, Crowbear, Rory shook his hand. As he walked with them to their car, the house phone rang. Wait a sec, he said, stopping and straining to hear better.

There was a twenty-second pause then they heard Katie’s voice. Really! Oh, that’s wonderful, Ellen! I cannot believe this. Shimá, too? With Uncle Gus! Oh, thank you, Ellen, thank you so much!

Yep, that was them, Rory laughed. I guess everything's on track, so we’ll see you guys tomorrow.

What’s all the noise about? David asked when Rory returned to the outdoor kitchen.

Katie’s mom is coming for the wedding David.

That’s cool. Do you know where they’re sleeping?

Not yet, but that’s minor, David. This is great news for Katie. I’m going inside to get the scoop. You, coming?

Naw, I’ll hear all about it tonight. Do your duty, Rory. I’ll keep watch from back here.

You knew, didn’t you? Katie asked Rory when she saw him slide inside with a giant grin. She stood next to Janie, David's wife and partner of thirty years, who looked like the cat that ate the canary. She was a small, feisty woman who loved to throw parties and she was in heaven planning this one.

Chuckling, he nodded. But only five minutes before you did. He walked to his sweetheart and hugged her tight. I’m so glad for you, Katie. He said in her ear.

This is turning into the perfect wedding. Thank you, honey. I love you so much.

I had nothing to do with that. A lot of other people love you too, Katie.

Well, your love is the most special.

He laughed. I love you too, baby. When will they be here?

In four hours, about one in the morning.

Okay, I’m going to hang out with David for another beer, then I’m going to bed. Can you wake me when they arrive?

All right. You sure you don’t want to stay up?

Not with all this excitement. I’m off to talk with David. I’ll leave you two buzz queens alone.

Later that night, Katie shook Rory awake. Rory, they’re here, they're just coming up the drive.

Good, good, I’ll be right there, honey, he said as he pulled himself out of bed. The clock said it was 1:30 AM. Rory threw water on his face, brushed his teeth, and combed his hair, ready to greet Katie's family.

Shimá! Katie sounded the welcome.

Rory could hear the emotion in her voice. The excitement was palpable. Everyone gathered around the car, exchanging hugs and exclamations.

Hey, Doc, Rory recognized Dr. Colgrave. He was Katie's mentor and the veterinarian for the Navajo reservation. A tall, tanned fellow with white hair, wearing Levis and cowboy boots, his smile widened when he saw Rory.

Hi Rory, how are you? The two shook hands and hugged.

I'm fine, Doc. Hi Ellen, welcome, he said to Dr. Colgrave's wife.

Congratulations, Rory, Ellen replied. A thin woman with light brown, shoulder length hair, she had become a second mother to Katie. She squeezed in front of her husband to put a bear hug around Rory. You and Katie look so happy, she said.

I’m glad you are both here. This means a lot to us, Rory said as he hugged her back.

This is a vacation for us, Rory. We’ve got a room booked at the Inn at Morro Bay. Paula’s mother Jackie still lives here, and she and I are old college buddies. So, we’ll swap stories and go shopping like the old days. This is Uncle Gus, have you met? Ellen asked when she saw Rory looking at the Indian fellow standing next to Rose.

Yeah, Rory chuckled. "René and I waited patiently for what seemed like forever in the sun