Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:02:10 GMT
"Just talk," said Jack. "I'll sit here and try to not think about food."
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:02:16 GMT
"We could go try to rustle up some food for you first, if you like," answered Nate.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:02:22 GMT
"Hey! You didn't tell me you had food around here, Nate!" Jack jumped up. "What do we have? Am I in walking distance to town? Or can you magically whip up food along with your other powers?" Jack was almost shouting with excitement. His stomach had been growling for hours.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:02:27 GMT
"I was thinking more like I could flush something out of its hole and bite it for you, and you could skin it and eat it. Assuming you have a knife, that is," replied Nate, with the grin that Jack was starting to get used to.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:02:34 GMT
"Ugh," said Jack, sitting back down. "I think I'll pass. I can last a little longer before I get desperate enough to eat desert rat, or whatever else it is you find out here. And there's nothing to burn - I'd have to eat it raw. No thanks. Just talk."
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:02:40 GMT
"Ok," replied Nate, still grinning. "But I'd better hurry, before you start looking at me as food.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:02:47 GMT
Nate reared back a little, looked around for a second, and then continued. "You, Jack, are sitting in the middle of the Garden of Eden."
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:02:52 GMT
Jack looked around at the sand and dunes and then looked back at Nate sceptically.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:02:59 GMT
"Well, that's the best I can figure it, anyway, Jack," said Nate. "Stand up and look at the symbol on the rock here." Nate gestured around the dark stone they were both sitting on with his nose.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:03:06 GMT
Jack stood up and looked. Carved into the stone in a bas-relief was a representation of a large tree. The angled-pole that Nate was wrapped around was coming out of the trunk of the tree, right below where the main branches left the trunk to reach out across the stone. It was very well done - it looked more like a tree had been reduced to almost two dimensions and embedded in the stone than it did like a carving.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:03:13 GMT
Jack walked around and looked at the details in the fading light of the setting sun. He wished he'd looked at it while the sun was higher in the sky.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:03:18 GMT
Wait! The sun was setting! That meant he was going to have to spend another night out here! Arrrgh!
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:03:31 GMT
Jack looked out across the desert for a little bit, and then came back and stood next to Nate. "In all the excitement, I almost forgot, Nate," said Jack. "Which way is it back to town? And how far? I'm eventually going to have to head back - I'm not sure I'll be able to survive by eating raw desert critters for long. And even if I can, I'm not sure I'll want to."
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:03:38 GMT
"It's about 30 miles that way." Nate pointed, with the rattle on his tail this time. As far as Jack could tell, it was a direction at right angles to the way he'd been going when he was crawling here. "But that's 30 miles by the way the crow flies. It's about 40 by the way a man walks. You should be able to do it in about half a day with your improved endurance, if you head out early tomorrow, Jack."
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:03:48 GMT
Jack looked out the way the snake had pointed for a few seconds more, and then sat back down. It was getting dark. Not much he could do about heading out right now. And besides, Nate was just about to get to the interesting stuff. "Garden of Eden? As best as you can figure it?"
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:03:55 GMT
"Well, yeah, as best as I and Samuel could figure it anyway," said Nate. "He figured that the story just got a little mixed up. You know, snake, in a 'tree', offering 'temptations', making bargains. That kind stuff. But he could never quite figure out how the Hebrews found out about this spot from across the ocean. He worried about that for a while."
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:04:05 GMT
"Garden of Eden, hunh?" said Jack. "How long have you been here, Nate?"
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:04:15 GMT
"No idea, really," replied Nate. "A long time. It never occurred to me to count years, until recently, and by then, of course, it was too late. But I do remember when this whole place was green, so I figure it's been thousands of years, at least."
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:04:22 GMT
"So, are you the snake that tempted Eve?" said Jack.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:04:29 GMT
"Beats me," said Nate. "Maybe. I can't remember if the first one of your kind that I talked to was female or not, and I never got a name, but it could have been. And I suppose she could have considered my offer to grant requests a 'temptation', though I've rarely had refusals."
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:04:35 GMT
"Well, umm, how did you get here then? And why is that white pole stuck out of the stone there?" asked Jack.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:04:46 GMT
"Dad left me here. Or, I assume it was my dad. It was another snake - much bigger than I was back then. I remember talking to him, but I don't remember if it was in a language, or just kind of understanding what he wanted. But one day, he brought me to this stone, told me about it, and asked me to do something for him. I talked it over with him for a while, then agreed. I've been here ever since.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:05:00 GMT
"What is this place?" said Jack. "And what did he ask you to do?"
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:05:09 GMT
"Well, you see this pole here, sticking out of the stone?" Nate loosened his coils around the tilted white pole and showed Jack where it descended into the stone. The pole was tilted at about a 45 degree angle and seemed to enter the stone in an eighteen inch slot cut into the stone. Jack leaned over and looked. The slot was dark and the pole went down into it as far as Jack could see in the dim light. Jack reached out to touch the pole, but Nate was suddenly there in the way.
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Santa Shikiba
Headmaster
Your glower power is no match for my flower power.
Posts: 971
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Post by Santa Shikiba on Sept 3, 2018 1:05:17 GMT
"You can't touch that yet, Jack," said Nate.
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