President Mark London was shocked that this woman asked to see Olwen Pendennis. Who could she possibly be? She had said that she was from STC. He still felt sick inside when he remembered Olwen Pendennis. Still felt the same disgust, embarrassed at the predicament she had gotten him in so many years before. This woman was here to speak to her. Did that mean she didn't know? She surely must. Perhaps the Captain and the crew had kept it quiet after returning to Earth. That would seem the most logical course of action. But he didn't want anyone to find out. However, if he didn't do anything, or even if he did, she would still contact someone from Earth. He couldn't risk something like that. He had told her that he would consult the Council, but decided against it. He would not consult it with anyone. He would figure out a way out of this himself.
Alondra walked out of the President's house. It wasn't much, she thought, for a president. She walked down the village street. Earth's flag stood on a pole. She looked up at it, then walked on. Unusual, she thought, that everyone seemed to be afraid of her. Not that it was something new. Either way, she didn't mind. She wasn't here to impress anyone. She was here to find her sister. She looked at the youngsters waiting outside the dining hall.
"Hello."she said.
"Hello."they answered.
"Why are you waiting out here?"she asked.
"The elders, the Council, the First, Seconds and Thirds always eat first."one of them answered her.
"The older people eat first?"
"Just First, Seconds, and Thirds. And the women who are Firsts."
"You mean the other women don't eat with them?"
"Oh, no!"
"Why not?"
"They don't."
"My, my, my. I've heard about societies in which women are considered less than men! Well, they certainly will not think me less."she said.
"Where are you from?"
"I'm from Earth."
"Earth?"
"Yes. Haven't you ever heard about Earth?"
"Oh, yes. The Thanksgiving Day story. It is said in the stories of the Beginning Times that we came to Isis on a winged ship called Pegasus from a star called Earth. But it is only a story, you understand."
"What do you mean, a story? It is the truth. I don't know what the ship was called, but you certainly came from Earth. And Earth is not a star. It is a planet, like Isis."
"What's a planet?"
"What do you mean, what's a planet? Like, Isis, you know. A ball of rock that floats around a star."
"The stars are only there to decorate the sky at night."
"Well, they do decorate, but that is not all. The stars are suns, just like the one you see in the sky."
"Ra?"
"Yes."
The youngsters stared at this strange woman. She claimed to be from Earth, like the stories of the Beginning Times, but everyone knew that was just a story, that beyond the mountains that rimmed the valley, there was nothing. Simply World's End.
"What is that wall for?"she asked. "Where does the river go?"
"That is the Place of the Wall. It is taboo. Even to speak of it is taboo."
"Nonsense!"she said.
Alondra looked at the wall. The river went in under an arc in the wall, and disappeared. Where did it go?
"I've got a mind to go and see for myself where it goes."she said.
"You can't!"
"Says who?"
"The President and the Council."
"What's so dangerous about it? What's behind the Wall?"
"No one knows. Some say it is the Hobbit, or a dragon, or a monster, others that it is simply World's End."
"Nonsense. Stupidity is what that is. You don't suppose the President knows, does he?"
"No one knows."
"I've got a mind to go and find out for myself. Interesting."she said again.
It was time for the youngsters' supper, and Alondra went to feed her pets. She looked around the valley.
"It's a nice place, I'll grant you."she said. "I think I will stay for a while. At least there's plenty of space."
The next day, after breakfast, she went out. The people all stared at her curiously. She didn't bother to speak to the President today, but put on her force field, took an oxygen tablet, and began to climb the mountains. All the people who saw her were shocked. The mountains were taboo. If a person went up into the mountains, they would sicken and die. However, that seemed to be of no importance to the strange woman, who climbed up with her pets over the mountains. When she came back, everyone was surprised she was still alive. They wondered how she had survived. Perhaps she was That Old Woman.
"People are saying you are That Old Woman."a young boy told her. "But you don't seem old or ugly to me. Are you?"
"What old woman are you talking about?"asked Alondra.
She remembered how when she had walked into the dining hall people had asked her the same thing.
"Really, what are you talking about? I've never heard of any Old Woman before."
"You know, the Ugly One."
"No, I don't know. Perhaps you could explain it to me."
"The one who takes people."
"Takes people where?"
"Where they don't come back."
Alondra thought for a second. Taking people where they don't come back.
"You mean death?"she asked.
The boy nodded.
"Oh, that. There is no Old Woman."she laughed. "People simply die because they are mortals, you know. Your body wears down, and you die. Everyone must die some day. It is simply nature, you know. I will, you will, everyone will. Some sooner than others, but everyone eventually. It is impossible to live forever. Even if it were, I don't think I would go for it."
The boy looked at her.
"You wouldn't want to live forever?"
"Of course not. Think of it like going to sleep after a very long day. I mean, you wouldn't want to stay awake your whole life, would you? Think of death something like sleep. There's nothing to be afraid. And certainly not something like death. I never could understand why people fear death so much."
"But it is the end!"
"How can you be so sure? Haven't you ever thought that perhaps the reason people don't come back from the dead is because they don't want to come back? Anything is better than this life, perhaps. I've never thought it was worth living. Especially if you're human, you know. Perhaps if I were some other creature it would be different, but as a human…"
"Is it true that you're from Earth, too?"
"Yes, I am. What is your name?"
"Willi McCann."
"Oh, well, Willi, I am Alondra Alcazar. I suppose I should only give you my first and last name? You are quite simple."
"How could you have come from a star?"
"Earth is not a star. It is a planet, like Isis. I suppose you don't know what a planet is, do you?"
Willi shook his head.
"Why?"
"We were never taught what a planet is."
Alondra sighed. She felt angry.
"You know, I'd like to know why you are so…forgive me, but ignorant. How could you forget your history? Why? Who told you that Earth is a star? Who told you you may not climb the mountains? Why? Who has made you think that there is a monster behind the Wall?"
"The President and the Council say that we cannot climb the mountains because it is taboo, the Wall, too."
"Your president, is it? I have a mind to speak to him about this. Listen to me, Willi, of course you can climb the mountains. The only trouble is you need supportive equipment. That is all. It's true that it was much harder before. You had to use UVO suits and all that, but now with new technology it is much easier, you see."
"No, I do not see. The Guardian placed the taboos on the mountains."
"Nonsense! Tell me about this Guardian."
"He is the Guardian of Isis. It is he who keeps Ra in its accustomed path in the sky, and creates day and light , and all that is good. He is the Shining One."
"I see, you mean God."
"A bit like, I think."
"Hmm. Well…"suddenly Alondra had an idea. "Willi, you don't suppose you could tell me where to find the Keeper of the Light, do you?"she asked.
"The Keeper of the Light?"
"Yes. I must find her."
"You are from That Old Woman!"
"Enough! There is no old woman! Now, tell me about the Keeper. Where may I find her?"
"Her place used to be at the top of the mesa with the god thing. She is the reason that we have night and evil. She took the Light from the Guardian and would not give it back."
"What do you mean the god thing?"
"That."
He pointed to the top of the mesa.
"That's the old Light, I should think."
"It is taboo."
"It is only a simple piece of metal designed to send messages into space!"
"Now the Ugly One dwells in the north."
Alondra thought for a while.
"Do you mean to tell me that the Keeper of the Light is the old woman you speak about?"she asked.
"Yes."
"What! How…Why!"
Alondra was angry, infuriated. She didn't understand, but she could see that perhaps these stories were the reason she couldn't find her sister here. They called her an old woman. The spoke of her as death.