Page 56 of Corvus and the Broken God

Okay, wow. “And you’ve never gone swimming before? How is that even possible?”

“I have been swimming, but I have also almost died by drowning. I don’t like the water over my head, so I will watch you as you swim. Go ahead.”

I pulled my sundress off and, wearing nothing but my underwear, dove into the crystal-clean water. I swam down to check the depth of the pool but turned back as the light blue turned dark. Who knew what was down here with me? Nothing, possibly, or something scary. And I couldn’t count on the big coward up there to save me. My hands sliced through the clear water, carrying me up to the surface.

He stood across the pool from me, watching without any expression. Learning of his secret fear changed something between us. It made him more human, less god-like. It also hurt my heart a little.

“Come, Corvus, we need to get back and check on our spies back at the hotel.”

“But I just got in. The water is wonderfully cool.” I floated onto my back and stared at the sky. A few clouds floated lazily by. The contrast between the bright sky and the dark cliffs made it look like a photograph in an oval frame, all the colors vivid. The blue of the sky with white puffy clouds contrasted with the different hues of greens and grays of the forest and the gray cliffs, spilling down toward me.

“Yes, up until something grabs you by the ankle and drags you down to your death.”

Good grief. He was trying to scare me out of the water. I hated that it worked, ruining my moment. I twisted and swam to the edge, lifting myself out. At least he watched my body as I climbed out of the pool, water dripping down my skin.

“I’m holding you to your promise, Mister. No sex until you tell me how your friend is able to spy for you.” I pulled the sundress on over my head. It molded to my body as the water soaked the thin fabric. At least it would keep me cool for a little while.

He surprised me by grabbing my hips and pushing me against the rough wall. “I heard you the first time, Corvus.” Then he kissed me.

We said goodbye to our host and put the ragtop on the Jeep, since a storm was gathering its dark clouds overhead. He drove slowly enough for us to be able to hear ourselves think, and finally, with the pitter-patter of the rain over our heads, I got an explanation.

“Hiroshi is like you, Corvus, but he was born a long time ago. I’m not sure which century he was born in, but he can change his form. Every fifty years, he puts on a new face and pretends to either buy the land he lives on or poses as a descendant who inherits it. He spends his time making creatures out of clay.”

“Does he get the clay locally? Is there any clay nearby? Isn’t the ground limestone everywhere around here?”

“Yes, my curious crow, it is limestone. But Hiroshi doesn’t see the land as inanimate. He is a descendant of the Mayan people, who considered everything to be alive, including the land. He talks to the hard stone and convinces it to change its makeup for him. He knows the area inside and out by hiking all around. And if he leaves a small clay creature or two, and they whisper to him the comings and goings of the people around him, well, that can be very helpful.”

“He uses the animals to spy?”

“Yes, the small ones. The large ones are too noticeable. In fact, the ones he uses for spying are much less intricate. They look like rocks or small frogs.”

“So, it’s possible he can make them move?”

“I think that would take too much effort. Having them relay to him when they notice something out of place is the extent of what he does.”

“Wow. Is that something we can do too?”

“Hardly, Corvus. He has worked with the earth for centuries. It listens to him. When you or I speak, it would probably ignore our chatter as meaningless.”

I let that sink in. The ability to change form had lost its shock value, at least until I really thought about it, mostly when I lay in bed in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep. Or when I thought about Darryl. I could transform my physical body into anything I chose, even rock. Hadn’t my Monster been a granite boulder when we first crossed paths?

“I can feel your mind working furiously all the way over here. And I’m trying hard not to listen in.”

“Thank you. I guess I’m just tripping on the fact you’ve made me into so much more.”

“You are welcome.”

I gave him a flat look. “Yes, thank you, Oh Mighty One, it had always been my unspoken wish to be changed into a crow. Anyway, back to Hiroshi, does he sell his creations? How does he make enough money to survive?”

“It is relatively recent, but he has a buyer who comes every few months and picks up the more lifelike pieces and ships them back to Japan. They sell for many thousands of dollars apiece. Unlike most of us, he lives well beneath his means.” The admiration in his voice was unmistakable.

“I believe it. They’re incredible.”

“The same person brings him some of the rare pigments that help him achieve the bright colors. Although personally, I don’t believe he needs them.”

“Yeah, it just makes his story that much more believable. So, were you speaking Japanese?”

“Yes, he studied under a ceramics master in Japan for a long time. Few people speak the language around here, making it harder to listen in on what he tells me. But he speaks ancient Mayan and modern-day Spanish too.”