Men Djinn & Angels

A second room contained one extremely large white rug that nearly covered the floor from corner to corner.The center was printed with a red circle large enough in diameter for perhaps one or two people Talib's size to lie in the center and not touch the edges. Surrounding the circle were twelve small candle holders, no larger than the size of a man's hand. They were precisely placed at thirty degrees apart like numbers on a clock. At the three, six, nine, and twelve o'clock positions were painted triangles that contained larger candle holders for larger candles. To the north of the twelve o'clock position was a long trough filled with water, attached to a small fountain that was lit with gentle red and blue lights. Seven koi half the size of a man's arm swam inside.The trough extended the length of the wall from the east to the west. Against the south wall were two small, restaurant-style ovens used as food warmers. They were made with glass coverings. These, however, were not used for food; they actually warmed rocks, gems, and crystals. Twelve such rocks, gems, and crystals were set in multiple small containers and placed inside the warmers.When Kate gave Talib the tour of this area, she explained that each item had a specific energy. "The bloodstone affects your courage. The emerald supports positive energy." She pointed to each gem as she spoke. "The garnet is for self-esteem.The lapis lazuli is my favorite; it stimulates wisdom. Malachite provides protection from danger; moonstone promotes unselfishness. Here is my sister's favorite—the tigereye for clear thoughts. Oh, and this one is moldavite; it increases the energy of the others, but more importantly, it increases your ability to communicate with your higher self—your soul." She turned to him. "Have you ever listened to your soul?"
"No." Soul listening was new to Talib.
"You should try it. Sometimes our souls try to tell us things through our dreams. If we listen, the frightening dreams may stop." Talib was more than interested in stopping the nightmares. "How do you listen to your soul?"
"I'm happy you asked." Kate smiled."I will teach you."
There were other crystals in the warmers, but Kate spoke nothing of them. On the east wall stood an altar with pedestals on either side that were as tall as Talib's shoulders.On each were porcelain objects used to burn fragrant oils.Talib could smell the rosy scent wafting through the air. Kate continued to explain the significance of the four elements. When Talib asked of the purpose of the room, she answered, "This room is used by those who want to better both themselves and the world."
A third room had an earth-toned carpeted floor.Scattered in no particular order were a variety of rugs that Talib identified with prayer. Four people were there.One was a very old man, bald with a white beard. He was dressed in a hooded robe, the hood draped behind his neck.He sat with folded legs and balanced a green crystal between the eyebrows.The three others practiced differently.One pulled beads one at a time around a thread as he recited words.Talib related this to meditating Sufi worshipers he often saw. He was curious to know if the man indeed practiced Sufism, and if so, on which attributes of Allah did he meditate? The other two faced each other, seated with folded legs, their hands placed on their knees, and palms faced upward. Together they made soft hums. They pressed their chests upward and closed their eyes. Around the room were thirteen potted house trees. From two large windows, the sun entered the room, mixing with the colors on the walls, reflecting and bouncing around the room. There were also mirrors that deflected the sunlight, making it reach every tree.
"This room is where people come to listen to their souls," Kate explained.
The fourth room was closest to the stairs. It was here where Talib often found Fiona sitting on a stool in front of an easel. She spent much of her free time painting in this arts-and-crafts room. Painting was obviously her talent and hobby.Talib thought it was her way of escaping or separating herself from whatever pressure he imagined was placed on her.He soon learned that he was wrong.Fiona's burden was never spared, and Talib could not begin to understand.Even in her waking hours, she was often haunted by thoughts that were not hers and feelings she should not endure.The depictions in her mind were portrayed on her canvas.Talib was standing in the doorway observing her once and wanted to ask about the images she conjured. Fiona's back was to him, and she was dressed in green.She often wore green clothing on Friday. Even though he made no sound, she knew that he was there. "This is a place where I go," she spoke to him as if he was beside her.
"I apologize, I wasn't trying—"
"I know," she interrupted him. "It's okay. You may join me."
Talib walked cautiously into the room and looked at her unfinished artwork."What is it?"
"A prison."
"It looks like a maze."
"It is a prison and a maze. If you enter, you may not return."
"Where is it?" Talib questioned.
"The astral plane," Fiona explained.
"Where is that?"
"I won't say. Kate will tell you." She turned to face him after a long, silent pause. "I have to learn to not fear you."
"Why do I frighten you?"
"Because of what you can do," she sighed. "But mostly because of what you want to do."
"What do you think I want to do?"
"Burn the world."
Talib did not respond. It was true. He hated the world, and he wanted vengeance against everyone who failed to distinguish between the innocent and the guilty. "How did you get this way?" he asked in his attempt to redirect her. "Is there a lot of witchcraft in this place?"
"There are no witches here," she answered. Her eyes studied him, scanning over his black hair, copper skin, and gray eyes. She surveyed his thick black eyebrows and small nose. Lastly, she took notice of what appeared to be the perfect proportional measures of his lips, chin, and jawbone ratios. "My gift is inherited. It was passed down from my mother. She died soon after I was born. I never met her—at least not here." Her voice trailed off. Talib was curious to know what she meant. From the sound of it, she had met her dead mother somewhere else. He concluded that she referred to her dreams. He was saddened by his own occasional dreams of his father, just the same as it appeared with Fiona.
She did not tell stories as well as Kate, but she was effective enough. Fiona spoke of ancestors: Two daughters born to one of the sculpted faces in the lobby outside the artifact room. Their father's name was Paul, Joseph Konstantinos' great-grandson, born ten years after his death. As some would say, Paul had the misfortune of having four daughters—none of them would inherit his position on the governing body of the three-hundred-member Enlightened Titan brotherhood. But Paul loved his daughters dearly. They were twins: Agatha and Anastasia. When the time came for his twin daughters to marry, he arranged a union between a not-so-distant cousin and Anastasia, the selected bride. Anastasia often suspected that Agatha was Paul's favorite. They spent many private moments in discussion. Paul revealed the scrolls to Agatha and taught her the words that were deciphered. He spoke to her often about science and told her of the experiments the brotherhood sponsored. It was as if he wished that she had been born a boy. Although such suspicions did not make Anastasia jealous or vindictive, on occasion she was purposefully reckless in her attempts to garner attention from her father. She suspected that the sudden marital arrangement was a strategic ploy to make someone else responsible for taming her. She resented that idea and rebelled just two days before her wedding while attending the traditional prewedding dinner with her family in Constantinople.