30 on the peak (2/2)

”Ryirawra's more playful notes talk about how all the children were amused by the lightning trees. And how she longed to see them. There were none that grew anywhere near, so she couldn't see them from her window. She never got to see them. But she described them in so many different ways over the years. Not once getting it right.”

We had driven some distance when she jumped in her seat.

”From this point on, the road we drive on is the exact same as the road they walked up along. We're actually treading the steps of the Nashi. Dinah found evidence in multiple runes, spanning generations. That's actually one of the more amazing things about Dinah. The way she's able to chart trails and events in the Nashi history. Makes her one of the finest runic archaeologist in all of history.”

Madam Rosza said something very similar. The finest archaeologists were those who could draw a chart of the civilisations buried in the dirt as well as they would their own. Dinah Pharaohs must have been a fine runic archaeologist. I wondered what Dinah's song could have been?

We were almost at the peak. Dia was extremely emotional.

”On the right days, if we get the time right, we can see the sun rise up over the peak, and at one point, for a brief while, the sun rests in the embrace of the Nashi homes. It's the most amazing thing you'd see in all of your life. It's like a moment cutting through time, connecting the time of Nashi with our time. One day, I want to witness it too. We all should, together.”

”We will,” Pratt promised.

Dia smiled. Pulled close to him. Resting her head against his.

”She's like that,” Jerry said to me. ”Very emotional. Get's deeply attached.”

”It's not a bad thing,” I said.

”Of course not,” Jerry replied. ”And of course you'd get it.”

”What does that mean?”

”We're talking attachment,” he said, and stopped, like he didn't have to continue.

We fell silent. I did get it. But I wasn't going to admit that.

Not too far ahead, I could see the dark silhouette of the walls against the purple sky. It was truly beautiful. I could hear Ryirawra's voice whispering in the night. We truly were driving through the fabric of time, into the time of Nashi.

I smiled at myself. I was feeling too much like Dia.

We drove into the village, and all that greeted us were the broken walls in silence. There were lightning trees in and around the village. If Ryirawra looked out her window now, I was sure she'd be able to see a lightning tree.