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They came to a pathway in the jungle and followed it east. They kept eyes and ears peeled for the Naga, but it seemed they had outdistanced their pursuit. Maruti had repaid his life debt to Maddock and then some.
The air was cooler here. Birds sang, and beams of sunlight filtered down onto the path. They spotted trees they actually recognized—apple and pear trees heavy with fruit.
Isla was suffering from the effects of Lilith’s bite. Her breathing was shallow, her pulse weak. They were losing her.
“There’s nothing we can do for her,” Spenser said. “If only we had some of Eden’s honey.”
“We don’t,” Maddock said. “We’ll just have to keep on going.”
The light was beginning to fade when they came to a walled garden. The gate was open, so they went inside.
“Whoa!” Bones breathed.
The garden was filled with the most lifelike sculptures Maddock had ever seen. Creatures of Eden, animals both familiar and exotic, even humans were crafted in lifelike detail.
The grass beneath their feet was soft and lush. Everything here was calm and peaceful. Isla appeared to sense it too. Her eyes fluttered open for a second and she smiled before passing out again.
They followed a cobblestone path that wound through the garden until they reached the center. There, lying on a stone pedestal, were the shattered remains of what had once been a sculpture of a giant apple.
“Who are you? What are you doing in my garden?”
The voice thundered inside Maddock’s head, made his ears ring. The others flinched too. He turned to see a bearded giant clad in a robe, stalking toward them. In his right hand he held a flaming sword.
“What the hell is that?” Bones said.
“I suppose it’s one of the cherubim who were set to guard the...” Maddock suddenly understood. “We’ve found it! This is the garden God made in the East of Eden.”
“Great,” Bones said. “We find the Garden of Eden only to be killed by Hagrid.”
The giant man drew closer, and he hesitated. His expression softened.
“Humans from Earth,” he said. “I have not seen your like in more years than I can remember.” He suddenly became aware of his burning sword. The fire went out and he sheathed it. “Forgive me. I forgot I was carrying it.”
“We didn’t mean to trespass,” Spenser said. “Our friend needs help.”
The giant man frowned, then knelt beside Isla. “I sense Lilith’s venom inside of her.”
“Lilith bit her on the neck,” Maddock said. “Can you help her?”
The man grimaced, let out a rumbling sigh. “I can save her life, but I cannot stop the change.”
“What change?” Bones asked.
“Lilith is a demon. Your friend will begin to turn. It is a small bite, so she might not become a full demon. But she will no longer be human.”
“Can she come back with us?” Spenser asked.
“No. But she may remain here in Eden. We will care for her.”
They waited while the man tended to Isla. He gave them and drink, and sat with them while they rested.
“Thank you for your help,” Maddock said.
“You are welcome.”
“By the way, we didn’t break your apple.” Bones pointed at the broken sculpture.
“Oh, that thing.” The man’s laughter rolled like thunder. “It has been broken since Lilith was a girl. She and her friends were playing in the garden and they broke it. I’m afraid I lost my temper. Chased them out of the garden with my flaming sword, told them never to come back.” He chuckled. “Of course, they came back the very next day. Scoundrels, the lot of them?”
“Are you talking about Adam and Eve?” Spenser asked.
“Adam, Eve, Lilith, and Lucifer.”
“Lucifer? The fallen angel?” Maddock asked.
“He was no angel, but he was a good boy. The cleverest Naga I ever met. His mind was as keen as any.” The man shook his head. “It is a sad thing what happened between them.”
“Could you tell us the story?” Spenser asked.
“It’s a story as old as time. Lucifer loved Eve, Lilith loved Adam. Neither got what they wanted. Lucifer remained their friend, wanting to be close to Eve any way he could.
“Lilith could not take the rejection. She left our land on a quest for a legendary dark power.”
“The eyes?” Maddock asked.
“Yes.” The man nodded sadly. “She returned changed. Her new eyes gave her the ability to enthrall, but they came at a price. It twisted her very nature.”
“She traded her humanity for the power to control others?” Spenser asked. “Sounds like a lot of people I know.”
“To her surprise, the eyes had little effect on Adam, so great was his devotion to Eve. It was then Lilith resorted to blackmail. She vowed to murder Eve if Adam did not choose her.”
“What happened?” Grizzly asked.
“Adam went to Lilith, convinced her he loved her, and then he stole her eyes and returned home to find Eve.” A shadow passed over his face.
“I take it there’s not a happy ending?” Spenser asked.
“Adam did not warn Eve of his plan. She believed Adam had set her aside in favor of Lilith. Heartbroken, Eve sought comfort in the arms of Lucifer. She and Adam forgave one another, and to protect them from Lilith’s vengeance, I sent them to your world.”
“I sense a twist,” Bones said.
“Lilith was pregnant with Lucifer’s child. They named him Cain and Adam raised him as his own. But Cain had the same jealous nature as his father, and the target of his envy was his younger brother, Abel.”
“We know how the story ends,” Bones said. “Cain killed Abel and was made to wander the Earth.”
“Wrong. He was sent back to Eden, where he lived out his days among the Naga.” The man gazed at the sky for a few seconds, then stood.
“It is time to send you home,” he said brightly.
Maddock frowned. A part of him wanted to remain here in this garden of serenity. But he knew he could never be happy in such a place. Yes, he was safe and at peace, but what else was there? How many times could someone walk around the same garden, look at the same trees and flowers, eat the same food, talk with the same people? He wanted more. And he could not get that here.
“What do we need to do?” Maddock said.
“The three of you follow me.”
The big man led them through the garden. Maddock soaked in the sight, sounds, and smells, somehow knowing his senses would never have an experience like this again. They passed a gazebo where Isla slept atop pile of soft blankets. She looked thin, drained. Maddock hesitated.
“You must not wake her,” the man said. “All will be explained when she wakes.”
“In spite of all the things she did, I still feel guilty about leaving her behind,” Spenser said. “If she hadn’t spoken up, taken my place, it would be me you were leaving behind.”
“If that were the case, we’d both be staying.”
“You two make me sick,” Bones said. “It’s all just too sweet. I’m talking, romantic-comedy-level.”
“Shut up, Bones. I’m dealing with something here,” Spenser said.
“You saved Isla’s life by getting her out of Lilith’s temple when you had every reason to leave her behind. Your debt is paid,” Maddock said.
Spenser smiled sadly, gave Maddock’s hand a squeeze. “Thank you.”
They halted before a statue of a bearded, two-faced man. In one hand he held a staff, in the other, a key. Maddock recognized him at once.
“That’s the Greco-Roman god Janus,” he said. In mythology, Janus was the god of doorways, gates, and transitions.
“That is one of many names by which he is known. Now, each of you place your hand on his key. There is no need to grip it. To touch it is enough.”
Maddock and his friends touched the key. He felt a tingling sensation that raced up his arm and spread out across his body. He glanced at Spenser, who forced a smile.
“See you on the other side,” Grizzly said hoarsely.
“Any chance you could drop us off in Vegas?” Bones asked.
The man spoke a single word in a language Maddock could never hope to comprehend. It was musical, resonant, and harsh at the same time.
A cool breeze swept through the garden. It swirled around them until they were inside a vortex. The tingling sensation grew stronger. Something was happening. His eyes met those of the giant, and he summoned the courage to ask the question he had been dying to ask.
“Are you God?” he shouted.
“Me?” the man replied, a sly grin on his face. “I am a simple gardener.”