“Basheri? I don’t know that one. I just came from Koan Dome.”
“I know. You came through the Koan portal.”
“You mean there’s more than one entrance like that?”
“Yes, there are a few. We don’t get many visitors though, mainly because they can’t go back. Anyway, Koan, that’s where I was. Lovely place, eh. I stayed there for twenty years or more, at a guess. Did you meet Yedida? Did you hear the choir?”
“Yes, the choir was incredible, as was Yedida. She showed me the way here.”
“What a lovely person, so sweet.”
“She’s pure, what a soul,” replied Ed as they continued into the white tunnel.
“Proof that you can survive anything with your dignity and pride intact. Anyway, Ed, what are you hoping to get from the Viking, what do you think he can do for you?”
“I’m wondering if I can go back and find out what happened, maybe change things? I don’t know why, but I feel a strong impulse to pursue these ideas with the Viking,” replied Ed thoughtfully.
“I’m sure he can help you. He is very instinctually insightful. Don’t be surprised if he tells you what you are thinking before you even know it yourself.”
“Sounds intriguing. I can’t wait,” replied Ed, as they turned a corner and into a similarly white tunnel, this one covered in deep black vines from top to bottom. Familiar lights in the walls cast an enchanting matrix of shadows across the fine white sand.
Chapter 15
Welcome to Denmark
Soon Ed was being whisked into a large white-walled circular room, equally decorated with dramatic back lit black vines. Arranged in a circle on the floor were dozens of white furry sheepskins, all vacant apart from one on Ed’s left as he walked in.
“Ed, this is Jahani. Jahani, this is Ed. He’s just arrived and was sent over by Yedida,” announced Pritvijaj as he ushered Ed in further, before turning tail and leaving the room.
“Good. Welcome to Denmark. How much time do you have?” enquired the Viking directly, as he calmly stood up.
“I think I’m good for a couple of days, Jahani,” replied Ed, as he went over towards the ancient man. As he got closer the first thing he noticed was his ancient looking, gnarled and wrinkled face, like he had been head-on in a blizzard for the whole nine hundred years since his death.
Greyish, gingery, brown hair shot out with profusion from all over his bulky head, long and slightly knotted locks flowing down past his chin and a fine beard that looked more like a waterfall flowing from his bottom lip. A fat and chunky moustache resided on his upper lip like a tatty Cuban cigar underneath a vast, round, bloodshot nose. A hard stare came from his intense deep set blue eyes focused all the more by the bedraggled and thicketed bushy eye brows. This was crowned with a pronounced and tall forehead making it look as though the top of his skull had been hydraulically raised up from inside. He was indeed a daunting sight of a man with a domineering presence. As he stood upright his powerful physique made Ed feel quite demure.
He looked down at the clothes on his muscular frame, a light brown fur skin over his broad shoulders, cut into a zig-zag finish at the bottom, covering a long sleeveless under jacket made from a canvas looking material, also cut in a zig-zag line just below his waist at the bottom. This covered fairly plain-looking cream leggings and knee-high, black, furry boots. Underneath the sleeveless jacket on top was an equally plain long sleeved, off-white shirt with two leather forearm protectors on each arm. In the corner, Ed could see a long-handled axe and the customary long-horned Viking helmet.
“I can see you are a lot more modern than me, Mr Trew,” boomed the powerful-looking Viking.
“That’s right - Mr Trew! How do you know my name?” exclaimed Ed with surprise.
“You’ll get used to that. Come, sit down over here,” replied the Viking as he shook Ed’s hand and pointed him towards one of the animal fur seats. The thick hedge eyebrows danced on his face excitedly with every word as if they were actually speaking themselves.
“How did they get in here, Jahani? I thought there were no possessions?” enquired the solar power expert with regards the animal skin.
“They were my clothes. I died with them all on. It was a bloody cold night, you have no idea,” exclaimed the Viking animatedly, as they both sat down a metre or so from one another on adjacent furry seats.
“I assume you’re curious about your death and want to find out a little more about the circumstances? I’ll tell you in advance though, I don’t help anyone that killed themselves and left their children behind. It cannot be condoned at all.”