The Emerald Hourglass
A Sneak Peek

This is a sneak peek at the book I am currently working on with my Language Arts teacher, and am planning to finish by next year sometime. This is the Introduction, or Prologue. You may not understand it, in fact, I almost guaruntee you won't, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

The Emerald Hourglass Prologue follows...

The cold air of the stone castle seemed to be growing steadily warmer, although Martin knew it was only his heart swelling with overwhelming excitement. He paced back and forth before the large double doors, waiting for them to open. The small corridor he was in had high, curved ceilings and very small windows. It was dark but for the small candlelit lamps along the stone walls. His footsteps made an eerie echo but he wasn't paying attention to that. All he could think of was the small child lying in his mother's arms on the other end of the castle.

The doors burst open and Martin stopped pacing and turned to look in the room. It too was dark but for a few lamps, and the shadow of a man a little taller than Martin stood at the far end of the large room. Martin took five enthusiastic steps into the room and the doors were closed behind him.

“Father! You have another son! He was born an hour ago. Fit as a fiddle.” He couldn't have wiped the childish grin off his face if he'd wanted to. As soon as he'd been called into the room after the birth, he had immediately fallen in love with his baby brother. He struggled to contain his excitement, for he could tell his father was slightly concerned, though he found it hard to believe that anyone could be anything but thrilled after the miracle that had only just occurred. “Father?” he asked cautiously. “What's wrong?”

There was no answer. The shadow at the other end of the room was standing just inside a long flowing curtain that led to a small patio outside. The wind was blowing hard, and the curtain was being whipped around mercilessly. The shadow stirred.

“Something is coming,” he said in a soft, deep voice. “I can tell, but the waves aren't right. Something isn't right.” He pushed open the curtain and walked slowly and deftly out onto the patio. Martin, slightly upset that his father had seemed not to hear about his new son, followed.

The wind was chilly and Martin shivered, but his father, Leroy, seemed not bothered by the cold. He was staring up into the sky curiously, almost frightened. “What are you up to, Kuakrok?” he asked so softly that Martin had to strain to hear. He knew who Kuakrok was, but he didn't want to think about him, so he tried to bring back the subject of his brother again.

“We haven't named him yet you know,” Martin said cautiously. “It's your place to name the child. Do you want to see him?” But Leroy was not paying any attention to Martin.

“It's coming,” he said suddenly. “A Prophecy, it's coming.” He walked quickly to the edge of the patio and leaned out over the railing, as though he were about to throw up. He straightened and closed his eyes.

Martin had seen this happen before, but this time he was startled. “But Father, the signal hasn't come! How can you possibly--”

“I know.” Leroy inturrupted. “It is here. Call the people.”

Martin hesitantly but obediantly turned and walked back into the room toward the large rope hanging down from the ceiling. He grabbed the rope with both hands, and jumped. He fell down, taking his portion of the rope with him, and a huge bell echoed out over the land. He jumped again, and again he fell, taking the rope with him. He repeated this seven times, for this was the signal for the townspeople to gather. All over the planet, people would be hearing their local bell, and getting out of bed for the receiving of the Prophecy.

Martin picked himself off the floor slowly, still uneasy. Usually he could also tell when a Prophecy was coming. They could both feel the extra energy waves in the air, but this time, there was nothing, and he had no idea how his father could tell, nor whether he was right or not.

He walked out onto the patio and stood directly behind his father. The townspeople were gathering outside the castle. There was already a fair crowd of people young and old standing down on the ground below the patio. They were all looking up at the sky and staring curiously, awe-like at Leroy, who was muttering strangely under his breath.

There was a flash in the sky, and the people gasped. Leroy held his arms up and his muttering began to grow in volume, until he was shouting to the sky. The wind was blowing faster and harder now and another yellow flash appeared in the sky for a split second. Martin flinched. The sky was darkening and clouds were rolling into the sky. The wind was howling, and Leroy was still shouting at the sky in his deep, rolling voice. The crowd of people below were looking up at the sky and back at Leroy, awed, frightened looks on their faces. They had seen this many times before, but every time, it brought something new and frightening to their world which they knew so well, and it was hard to tell ahead of time whether the change would be good or bad.

Martin looked back at his father, who was finishing his chant. He punched at the sky, as though triumphing, then he gave a last shout-out, and the sky flashed again. He dropped his arms and leaned down, closing his eyes. This was when he usually received the message, --the prophecy.

He waited patiently as his father listened to the message, taking it in. He looked at Leroy and froze frightenedly as he noticed that his father's eyes were open already. The message was never this quick, and the rest of the crowd noticed as well. Martin moved slightly closer to his father and whispered, “Father, what is it?”

Leroy had stiffened, and he stood up straight. “I have no message for the people,” he said gruffly, and Martin thought he heard a hint of fright in his father's voice. “Send them back to their beds.” Martin didn't move. This had never happened before, and it was not in Leroy's nature to change a tradition without speaking to his firstborn son and assistant.

“Father?” he asked cautiously. Martin wasn't sure what to do, despite his father's order. He was terribly frightened of what Leroy could have heard to make him stiffen up like that, and not say anything about it. Leroy turned around stiffly, and went back inside. Before Martin could follow, he turned to the crowd of people muttering and questioning as the sky settled down. “There is nothing to be said!” he shouted, and more mutterings of disbelief ran through the crowd. “You are to return to your beds immediately!” he said. “I repeat: Return to your homes! There is nothing to worry about! The Prophet thanks you for showing your loyalty and support as he received the Prophecy of this new day!” The sun was indeed beginning to rise, and the people began to seperate and move around as the noise rose to a dull roar. Martin turned and walked back inside, but before he pulled the curtain shut behind him, he heard a strange cry on the wind. A woman was wailing, and then, somewhere far away, a baby cried.

Martin found his father hunched in a corner of the chamber, alone and shivering. Martin was shocked by how his father was acting, so much that he forgot his manners.

“Father what on earth are you doing? What was the prophecy? Tell me the message!” He walked up behind Leroy with a determination in his steps. “Does Xarkass need more supplies? What orders shall I give?”

Leroy jerked around, a glare in his eye and rasped, “You will give no orders. Just shut up!” He spun back toward the wall and seemed to be having a lot of trouble resisting the urge to bang his head against the plaster wall.

Martin went quiet but did not move. After a few more moments with silence and no explanation, Martin had to speak. “Father, forget about it if it troubles you so. Remember your son... just born. What will you name him?”

Leroy shuddered and shook his head. “I can't forget it. There was nothing. There is nothing. Nothing to tell! No message to decode! Nothing to explain!” he turned around slowly and looked at Martin's surprised and confused features. “My son, I don't know what to do... I don't understand.”

Martin didn't speak at first, not used to seeing his father this upset. “Surely it was only a mistake on the part of Kuakrok...”

“Kuakrok doesn't make mistakes! It wasn't from him! Even you didn't feel the waves and my heart says something is wrong...! Oh my son, what am I to do? What if another Prophet has received the message? What if I am ruined? Have I been betrayed?”

Martin shook his head firmly, intent on reasuring his father. “There are no other Prophets. You are the only one. It must have been a mistake. Perhaps not even a Prophecy at all. You need to relax, Father. This excitement will kill you...”

“So be it!” Leroy suddenly had energy again to shout. He marched past Martin, shoving him out of the way. “My duty is to my Lord and leader. I will not betray him. How could I live with myself...? I must get to the bottom of this.” He turned and pointed an almost accusing finger at his firstborn son. “And you... you will help me.”

Martin straightened. “I should like to know what I am defending, and how it will serve my people.”

Leroy gaped at him, then took a step forward and shouted, “I am your people! You people are up there!” He pointed to the ceiling, then spoke again. “By helping Kuakrok and Xarkass you give them an Empire, ...a home!”

Martin tilted his head, hesitant. “I was under the impression I give Kuakrok an Empire, not the people. And I have never met them. My people are here,” he pointed at the floor. “Where I grew up. Not in some fanciful station in the sky.”

Leroy roared and charged Martin, knocking him to the floor. Martin cowered under his father's commanding gaze. Leroy poked him hard in the ribs and said loudly, “You betray your family! You turn against generations of people who ask for your help! Is this so? It is so easy to serve me! Am I not a good father? Am I not?”

“You are,” Martin murmured.

“Yes! I am.” Agreed Leroy. “And by betraying your people you are betraying me. Do you want to do that? Do you?”

Martin flushed and looked his father in the eye, “No.”

Leroy nodded, relieved, and stood up straight. He turned and said, “Now then. I shall need your help in gathering surplus supplies from the Old King Forest to the north. Then we will need the people's support, as they will give donations of land to the Prophets, for the sake of Xarkass.”

“Prophets?” Martin asked, as he got to his feet. “There is only one.”

Leroy turned to look at his son, an eager gleam in his eye. “Not anymore.” He walked around the room, running his hand over every fine linen and silk, examining every trinket and toy, as he spoke softly to Martin. “I will again request assistance from Xarkass. Kuakrok cannot refuse me after this catastrophe, and we will bring reinforcements... more Prophets. Eleven.”

Martin gaped, astonished. “Twelve Prophets?? How will the public handle all that authority? They will not want to be controlled that way!”

Leroy threw his hands in the air. “We can't all be happy! Anyways, what does it matter? They are just tools to keep the land in good shape. Who cares what they want? I need you to order the shipment of extra supplies –three hundred acres-- from the Old King Forest tonight. I must be forgiven for this terrible mistake. I must...”

Martin froze. “But Father, you did nothing wrong. ...We cannot take so much lumber from our people at one time. Many will starve without forest to hunt in. The Old King Forest is a favorite for leisure as well... it is a treasure among the people... we can't...”

“We can do whatever we want! We're the Prophets! We have the power...! This must be stopped! I must understand why this has happened...”

Martin watched as his father paced the room, describing everything the new Prophets would do to uncover the mystery, everything they would need, all the help Martin would give, and how popular he would be.

With each word his father spoke, Martin became more and more uneasy. He looked at the floor, imagining the terrible depression the people would fall into if this path was allowed. They would suffer... they would starve. But they would trust their leaders, they would not understand why it was happening. They would be lost, scared and confused. The perfect kind of people to control.

Martin felt his stomach lurch as he thought of this, and when Leroy stopped talking and turned to speak to his son, Martin got a strange lump in his throat.

Martin didn't speak.

“Well?” Leroy asked again. “What do you think?”

Martin tried to speak past the lump in his throat but he could not. He didn't want to betray his father, but he didn't like this decision either. So tell him that, a voice in his head said. Tell him you love him and trust him, but that the forest should not be cut down. Tell him he is crazy to try and control so many able-bodied people... Tell him you don't agree with his plans! He couldn't do it. He tried to speak again, to say that he wholeheartedly agreed and how wise Leroy was, but he choked on his own words. “I-- I don't really...” Martin faded off, unsure how to speak now that he had his voice back.

Leroy walked toward him with a stern gaze. “What is wrong with you, boy? Snap out of it.” And, to Martin's own shock and resentment, Leroy slapped his son across the face. “If you don't have an answer to my question, you are either so awed that you can't speak, or you resent my wisdom and want to leave my sight forever. Which is it?”

His meaning was clear. Martin didn't even have to think about it, surprisingly. The fact that his father had slapped him closed the deal. He looked down, embarrased that he no longer felt anything for his father except confusion and resentment.

Leroy hesistated, now unsure if his sternness had been a good idea. “Son? Which is it?”

Martin looked up and into his father's questioning, frightened eyes. “I am not in awe of your cowardice, Leroy. And I am not your son. I shall name my brother Finn, as you do not wish to recognize his existence. Do not expect my return except to visit him. Give good word to my mother.” He ignored Leroy's stunned expression as he turned and headed for the door.

Before he left, he heard Leroy say, “You will not be able to tell anyone... about Xarkass. You remember the rules. The person you tell will die, and you will forget. You will not betray me... or my people.”

Martin turned and glared at his father. “And for that very reason, I will hate you until I die for what you are doing. My only hope is that somewhere in this land, a Prophecy is floating around, in somebody's mind. Somewhere, amidst the people of Muagros, our land, is someone who can save us, and I only hope that I have the privilage to meet this person, and help them. Oh yes, I will help them. I will teach them, and I will guide them. You will see. You will not prevail. The good guys always win. Remember how you used to tell me that? Well now I know who is good, and who is bad. The good will win, oh yes. Somewhere, we have a messiah. The real one. Someone who can help us.” And with that, he turned and exited the room, thinking only of the tragedy that was about to occur.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED© 2007 ANNA MUNSEY-KANO