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The Heavens Before

By Kacy Barnett Gramckow

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PROLOGUE
The ancient tree of Havah stood in solitary splendor in a vast field, its pale green-leafed branches drooping softly, curtainlike, inviting passersby to come rest in the shade. It was said that Havah, Mother of All, had planted the tree after the untimely death of her favorite son, Hebel. The tree was not meant as a memorial to Hebel, but as a tranquil place where Havah might sit with her surviving children and nurture them through the remaining ages of her life.

If Havah had planted the tree herself or if she had not, it no longer mattered. For Havah and her children had passed into legend. Most people now doubted that Havah had ever lived. But the doubters were the ones who did not sit beneath the tree or climb its massive branches and listen to its leaves sighing in the quiet breeze beneath the rose-colored sky.

The doubters were also the ones who failed to recognize the countless signs about them, the marks of a young planet still resounding with the echoes of its creation. But the echoes themselves were becoming more discordant with each passing day. For the doubters were consuming the world with their own restlessness and destroying it with the violence of their desires.

CHAPTER ONE

Annah sighed and settled herself into a crook of the feathery branches of the ancient Tree of Havah. A morning mist shrouded the fields about her, and the cool rose-pink air made her shiver, but these minor discomforts were worth the temporary sensations of freedom and peace. Her family and the other inhabitants of the settlement still slept, exhausted after their usual night of feasting, visiting, dancing, and quarreling. Annah did not join in these festivities; she had nothing to celebrate.

I do not belong with the others, she thought.

To soothe herself, she pulled a carved wooden shuttle from her woven-grass bag, slung on a branch nearby, and began to work on the torn edges of her veil. Patiently she handled the light threads, knotting pale strands she had beaten from the stalks of soaked, crushed wildflowers.

Over countless mornings, the knotted threads had become an intricate gossamer scarf, then a shawl, a head covering, and finally, an all-encompassing veil.
Aware of the shifting daylight and of her cramped, aching limbs, Annah gazed upward through the branches. The sun would be directly overhead soon. The sky was no longer the deep crimson of dawn, but a clear and bright pink, with a warm and welcoming sun.

Yerakh, her oldest brother, would wake soon. Annah shuddered, picturing his darkly bearded face, thinking, Let Yerakh be happy today.

She tied off one last knot, then tucked the small wooden shuttle into her bag. Shouldering her bag and veil, and smoothing her straight black hair, Annah clambered down from the tree. On the ground, she adjusted her soft leather tunic and stared upward into the tree once more.

Had Havah, the Mother of All, truly planted this tree with her own hands? Yerakh scoffed at this story, as he scoffed at all stories of old.
“If you believe that, you’ll believe in the Most High next!” he would snap whenever his younger brothers or sisters dared to recite legends in his presence. Yerakh’s dark arrogance and contempt usually silenced them all. But if contempt didn’t work, he used his fists.

Let Yerakh be happy today, Annah repeated in her mind.

She scurried through the fields toward the grass-thatched settlement, aware of tiny creatures all about her, sensing their presence as they sensed hers. There was no fear between Annah and these creatures, only identification. Tiny mice, voles, and ground hens scrabbled near her feet, unintimidated by her presence. Insects hummed and darted before her while she admired their iridescent wings. Birds of many colors flew above the flowering grasses, twittering and singing songs as varied as their feathers.

Annah envied them their wings. What did the birds think of her? She imagined them singing, A human! . . . a woman! . . . a nothing!

I’ll show you, Annah told them silently. Pulling her veil away from her shoulders, she swung it expertly above her head as if to entrap some of the bright little songsters. They fluttered away excitedly, then returned quickly when the veil settled harmlessly over Annah’s sleek, dark hair.

I am the creature who is trapped, Annah thought, eyeing her tiny companions through the soft mesh of her veil. She could almost hear their songs of sympathy. Poor human! . . . poor woman! . . . poor nothing!

#

Kneeling on the earthen floor of Yerakh’s lattice-
enclosed workroom, Annah used a small wooden club to beat down the gold he had layered between sheets of membrane and leather. Her slender brown arm rose and fell in a pleasing rhythm of muffled thuds.

“Annah! Enough!”

Startled by Yerakh’s booming voice, Annah flinched. For her own safety, she never looked directly at Yerakh. She dared not let him see the hatred and condemnation in her eyes, or he would kill her.

“Stupid,” Yerakh hissed, snatching Annah’s narrow club and threatening her by the action. “Move. Let me see what you’ve done. Move!” With surprising delicacy, Yerakh checked the layers of leather, membrane, and gold leaf. He slapped the club hard into Annah’s hand again. “Beat it until I tell you to stop. Understand? Work!”

I know how long to beat the gold. You don’t need to tell me. The palm of her hand throbbed. As Yerakh strode from the workroom to his refiner’s pit outside, Annah bit back her tears and raised the club.

Rhythmically, she beat her fury into the pile of leather, gold, and membranes, thinking with the tempo, I-am-beat-ing-Yer-akh! I-am-beat-ing-Yer-akh!

Eventually her rage thinned out with the gold. And like the gold, she felt fragile; the slightest breath could destroy her. The club felt heavy now, and her hands ached, but Yerakh would be angry if she stopped without his permission. Where was he? She beat the leather-clad gold more slowly. All at once she heard Yerakh’s voice. He was returning to the workroom, and someone was with him.

“Stop, Annah!” Yerakh snapped. “You’ll beat it to nothing.”

As I’ve longed to beat you, Annah responded silently.

She glanced at her brother’s big, bare feet, then at the feet of his companion, Naham the Iron-breaker. Naham’s feet were the largest and filthiest in the settlement. Filth and soot were Naham’s means of advertising his trade, but his size was enough to convince anyone that he deserved his name. Naham’s footprint was more than twice the size of Yerakh’s. And though Yerakh was as tall as any average man, he barely reached Naham’s biceps. Scared, Annah bowed her head further, but didn’t acknowledge their presence.

“In all the years I’ve known you, Yerakh, I’ve never heard her say anything,” Naham rumbled, his voice mocking and deep. “Does she ever speak?”

“She can’t speak. She has no mind.” Yerakh answered, openly contemptuous.
Yerakh nudged Annah roughly with his foot, obviously displaying his power over her to impress his companion. She scooted away, hoping to evade further attention, but Yerakh snatched the club from her hand and struck her across the shoulders. She gave a sharp cry, then bit her lip to silence herself. The effort sent a chill of sweat from her scalp to her toes.

“There,” Yerakh told Naham, satisfied. “A sound. But she’s less than an animal.”

Before Yerakh could strike her again, Annah scrambled to her feet and ran behind the leather curtain of the door leading to the main room of their lodge. Yerakh’s scornful laughter echoed after her. Let him die! Annah thought, furious. Any living thing in the fields has more kindness.

“Stop!” A woman’s sharp voice rose angrily. “Mindless creature. You’ll spill everything.”

Iltani, Yerakh’s wife, was seated before Annah on an intricately woven grass mat. Curvaceous, with a long, gold-talismaned rope of black hair, Iltani flung out one tawny arm. Annah halted abruptly. She had almost stepped into a wooden dish of dried red beans and unpounded spices.

Annah averted her gaze as Iltani complained, her voice becoming louder with every word. “No manners at all . . . the way the creature behaves, she should be penned with the sheep. Where’s her mother to take charge of her?” Hearing no response from any of the adjoining rooms, Iltani raised her voice. “Before she tramples our food!”

Staring at Iltani’s plump brown hands, now extended clawlike over the bright red beans, Annah thought, Don’t worry, Iltani, I’m leaving. But if you possessed any kindness, you’d wonder why I’m running. You know Yerakh beats me.

Annah snatched her grass bag and veil, then turned to leave the lodge. She was almost to the open doorway when a firm voice beckoned. “Annah.”

Lowering her eyes, Annah turned toward her mother, Parah.
As lovely and severe as her gold-clasped, raven hair-braid, Parah spoke tonelessly. “Annah, I don’t need the wife of my son screaming at me like this. I am busy.”

Annah watched her mother’s small, brown, bare feet, thinking in silent defense, Iltani screams at everyone.

Used to Annah’s silence by now, Parah continued. “If you are finished with the gold, you can go to the orchards and gather some fruit. Take the baskets with you.”

Hurt, Annah glanced at her mother’s face. Parah was frowning, a delicate crease etched into her otherwise smooth and pretty brown forehead. Her large, long-lashed brown eyes—so like Annah’s—reflected only exasperation.

My own I’ma, Annah thought, looking down in despair. You of all people should understand me. Don’t you see my pain? Why do you let Yerakh abuse us without speaking in our defense? It’s the way you behaved when he killed my father. Not one word of grief or comfort. Why? I think you’ve never cared about any of us. Tears filled Annah’s eyes—tears she could not allow her mother to glimpse. Turning swiftly, Annah ran from the lodge.

“You forgot the baskets,” Parah called after her.

I’ll use my bag! Annah said in silent response. But if I stay with you, I’ma, you’ll beat me when you hear all the words I want to say.
In her haste, Annah did not pull the veil over her head, but wore it in a great loop from her shoulders to her arms. Let others see her face today; she didn’t care. Her tears and soaring rage affected the creatures of the fields as she ran. They fled before her, shrilling and squeaking beneath the ruddy sky.

#

Annah ran until her lungs burned like fire. Her mouth felt dry as dust, and her feet stung almost unbearably. Slowing her pace, she looked down and saw that the thorns of the fields had torn her feet. Even her ankles were bleeding. She would go to the river and rest, drink some water, bathe her cuts, and wash away her tears.

If only the river could rinse away my sorrow as easily as it will remove my blood.

Her head drooping, her hair falling like a black curtain about her face, Annah walked through a thick grove of trees down to the sparkling, swift-flowing river. Sitting down heavily, she dangled her legs over the embankment and let the water rush over her feet, cool and soothing. The water directly before her was clear and lovely, but the middle of the river looked deep, fast, and disturbingly enticing. How easy it would be to slide into the water and simply drift out of this life.

Slowly she bent, dipped her aching hands into the clear water, and cupped the cool liquid to her mouth. Wiping her lips, she stared at the river, contemplating.

I’m not even forty years old—not even halfway to my first kentum. I’ma has lived two kentums, Yerakh one. Our father lived three kentums before Yerakh killed him. Father, you could have lived at least five kentums more if Yerakh had not been so greedy. You were the only person who ever really loved me; I know that now. I wish I had not seen you die. After all these years my pain should be less. Why am I still crying for you?

Her grief flowed out now in streams of tears punctuated by wracking sobs. I must be going mad, she told herself at last. Yerakh will beat me for running from him. But I don’t want to go back. I’m so tired of this life! I’m even tired of crying.

Finally spent, Annah bent to rinse her face. She wiped her eyes with her veil and stared into the river once more. Perhaps she should let the river carry her away. Her pain would be over. No more of Yerakh’s beatings or Iltani’s scorn or Parah’s indifference.

The rushing river seemed to beckon her, and she stared at the gleaming current, mesmerized, swaying faintly.

A sudden splash made Annah pull back. Before she understood what had happened, another fist-sized rock plummeted into the water before her. This time droplets of water sprinkled her face.

Astonished, she looked across the small river. A leather-clad young man stared at her from the opposite bank, his dark eyes quiet, intense. When she met his gaze, he gently shook his head at her, his long, dark curls shining in the sunlight.

She could almost hear him thinking, No, don’t let the river take you.

Annah sat back, stunned. Why should this stranger care if she died? No one in her own family would care. He watched her steadily, alert to her slightest move. If I go into the water, Annah realized, he will die trying to drag me out again. He won’t leave until he sees me returning to the settlement.

As she thought this, another young man, obviously his brother, emerged from the trees lining the opposite side of the river. He was carrying netted bundles of long bark fibers. He had a quick, easy gait, and his eyes were alight with joy and mischief until his brother spoke to him and gestured toward Annah. The joy faded from the second man’s face, and he stared at Annah. Like his brother, he shook his dark-curled head at her, and his lips actually framed the word, “No.”

Discomfited, Annah pulled her veil over her face and stood. The brothers looked alarmed until she reached for her woven-grass bag and turned away from the river. She entered the shadows of the trees and circled back through the lush leafy undergrowth to study the two men.

The first one was still watching for her, but the second was kneeling and opening the bundles of bark fibers. Apparently, they would stay there for the afternoon, soaking the fibers and working them into ropes. As she watched, the second brother spoke to the first. Finally—perhaps because he could no longer see Annah or sense her presence—the first man knelt to help separate the long fibers.

They are at peace with each other, Annah thought, amazed. They love each other. And they feared for my life, though I’m a stranger to them. Others would have watched me go into the river, and my death would be nothing but a story to tell their family or friends at the evening fire.

To distract herself, Annah left the river and walked slowly through the fields toward Yerakh’s orchards. If she was going to live, then she should pick fruit as Parah had commanded. Although my I’ma certainly doesn’t expect her mindless, nothing-creature daughter to understand a simple task like picking fruit, Annah thought, grimacing.

Approaching the orchards beyond the settlement, Annah saw five massive, grayish, rough-skinned fruit-eaters. Taller than any of the lattice-and-grass houses in the settlement, the older fruit-eaters were grazing among the upper branches, their long, slender necks swaying here and there among the very tops of the fruit trees, choosing the most pungent and overripe fruits available. The smaller, younger fruit-eaters, however, contented themselves with the lower branches, or fruits that fell to the ground.
Welcome, Annah thought, eyeing them. The fruit-eaters would clean the orchards.

If the fruit were left to rot, it would attract wasps, which Annah detested almost as much as she did snakes. Strangely enough, as large as the fruit-eaters were, she was not afraid of them; like most animals of the field, they tolerated humans. As Annah approached, she spoke to them wordlessly. Forgive my intrusion and ignore me if you like; I am a nothing, here to gather a few morsels for my family.

The great beasts continued to nuzzle the ground and pick through the trees, clearly agreeing with her: A human . . . a female . . . a nothing.

Shouldering her veil and bag, Annah cautiously climbed into the tree’s branches. Her fingers still ached, bruised where Yerakh had slapped them with the narrow club. Wearily, Annah picked her mother’s favorite green-golden sun fruit, which had a warm, inviting fragrance. Suddenly hungry, Annah chose one, removed the pungent rind, consumed the glowing sweet-sour segments, and continued her picking.

By now one of the youngest fruit-eaters was exhibiting a mild curiosity toward Annah. Three times she turned to another branch, only to have the young fruit-eater suddenly whooshing its humid, heavy-sweet breath directly into her face. There was a softness in those golden-brown eyes that made her touch the wrinkled gray skin of the creature’s neck. The feel of its skin was like the thick, toughened soles of her own feet.

One day you’ll be very old, she thought to the young one. You’ll be large and stately, and you will have no desire to commune with a human-female-nothing. But I thank you. Three living creatures have thought kindly of me today.

Perhaps I will continue to live.

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