A Plethora of Deities Xii: The Care and Feeding of Your Elder God

By Jonathan Edward Feinstein

Enki has been attacked and possibly left for dead and then Ratatosk disappears while looking into the matter, leaving our usual cast of deities, angels and demons at a loss for who might be responsible. As they delve deeper into the matter they find the danger comes at them from out of the ancient world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359876068

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A Plethora of Deities Xii: The Care and Feeding of Your Elder God

A Plethora of Deities XII:

The Care and Feeding of Your Elder God

by

Jonathan Edward Feinstein

Copyright © 2018 by Jonathan E. Feinstein

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Megafilk Press, Jonathan E. Feinstein, 923 Drift Road, Westport, MA 02790

Cover art:    Part of an impression from the "Greenstone cylinder seal of the scribe, Adda, showing Enki with a flowing stream full of fish. Circa 2300-2200 BCE. The seal can be found in The British Museum.

ISBN:  978-0-359-87606-8

Stories by Jonathan Edward Feinstein

Gaenor’s Quest

The Red Light of Dawn

The Black Clouds of Noon

The Rainbow of Dusk

The Cold Clear Skies of Midnight

Gaenor’s Prophecy

Signs of Change

Corrected Visions

Inspired Dreams

A New World Revealed (Forthcoming)

The Maiyim Stories:

The Maiyim Tetralogy

World of Water

Men of the Earth

Island of Fire

Gods of the Air

Three Stories of Maiyim

A Deadly Union

An Interesting Title

A Shattered Family

Ars Nova Magica (and related side stories)

The Maiyim Bourne

The Staff of Aritos

A Promising Career

A Fine Adventure

The Tears of Methis

Freshman Orientation

The Book of Candle

Dry Dock

Ars Scientiaque Magicae

Unexpected Reactions

Hypothetical Notions

Theoretical Bases

   Lift Off!

Required Components

Experimental Proofs

Desired Results

The Terralano Venture

Agree to Disagree

By the Light of the Silvery Moons

There Goes the Neighborhood

Tales of a Dyslexic Wizard

Spelling Disabled

Rede-ing Disabled (Forthcoming)

Down Time, Ltd.

Down Time

Taking Time

Time Out

Show Time!

Double Time

A Plethora of Deities

Downhill All the Way

In the Sky with Diamonds

The Seed

The Tree

Tempting the Fates

Teasing the Furies

Inspiring the Muses

Dancing with the Sphinx :Waltz

Dancing with the Sphinx :Tango

Dancing with the Sphinx :Foxtrot

Chasing Rainbows

The Care and Feeding of Your Elder God

The Wayfarers

A Land without Borders

A World without a Name

A Nation without Maps

A Country without Unity

A Continent without Form

An Ocean without Charts

An Empire without Order

An Island without a Shore

The Pirates of Pangaea

An Accidental Alliance

The Unscheduled Mission

A Planned Improvisation

The Forced Alternative

Other Stories

Elf Alert!

A Study in Ethnology

Off on a Tangent

Author’s Foreword

I have become quite fond of this series. I suppose that I ought to, considering I’ve been working on it for over a quarter of a century… well, of and on, of course.

A Plethora of Deities did not start out as a series. It was a stand-alone story called Downhill All the Way, a title I have never really liked, but I was unable to come up with anything I liked better and so it stayed that way. It was only my second attempt at a novel, and somewhat of a technical improvement, I hope, on my first. In it I resurrected a bunch of ancient Mesopotamian gods, tossed in a friendly demoness from Hell, a loud-mouthed squirrel, and gave cameo appearances to almost every known deity in the History of Mankind and it all led up to what I have often referred to as the dress rehearsal for Armageddon, and, yes, the World really did come to an end.

And then it went on. Well, I’m hardly the first author to destroy a world and then keep writing stories about it, nor am I the only one to use the concept of cyclical history. In my case starting the world over with somewhat different properties came about as a bit of retroactive continuity (or as we say in fandom, retcon), because the second story, In the Sky with Diamonds was not really planned as a sequel. In the first book, technology was magic-based and in the second, the world is more like what we both laughingly and sadly call, Real life.

I suppose I had a series in mind subconsciously since the second book’s prologue starts during the aftermath following the war that ended the world, but consciously I was just using the same characters because I had enjoyed working with them the first time around. My main concern at the time was to put a story together I could sell and it seemed to me that it was probably a difficult thing to sell the second book of a series when the first book never found a publisher.

In any case, as I have said elsewhere, this series did not really gel until I got to the third book, The Seed, and that is where all of the basics of the universe of this series came together. I built on what I had mentioned before and took the concept of cycles further and expanded on them. I also had to do something about gods and goddesses that were far too close to each other. I honestly did not want to deal with lightning bolt-darts contests between Zeus and Jupiter and cat fights between Aphrodite and Venus. I used a concept I called divine aspects, that I had touched on in the first two stories and made one of the staples of the series. So, some gods have diverged over time and others have merged with later aspects, if they were compatible, because in a divine sense, they need believers and worshippers. It’s not entirely unlike moving an IRA account from one bank to another to get better interest rates. It made a certain amount of sense and kept the cast of characters, already too large for even Cecil B. DeMille’s comfort zone, from tripping over each other.

Once that was established, this became on open-ended series that, so far, at least, has not run dry and, I think, keeps getting better as it goes along. This current story picks up directly from the end of the last one; Enki, the ancient god of water and wisdom, has been badly wounded and Mother Nature and Jael are off to answer Ninti’s plea for help. Enjoy!

Jonathan Edward Feinstein

Westport, MA

December 23, 2017

Prologue - Expect Your Elder God to Have His Own Agenda

The god sat on His throne and looked down on His court. The winged disk of the Horned Sun blazed behind Him, a sign of His divine glory. His herald stood at His right hand and rapped an eagle-headed staff three times on the white stone floor of the throne room, calling for the attention of the court. Such a signal was hardly necessary. The members of the court knew it would mean their deaths to ever fail in their duty to attend their god and king, but the action was a symbol of the god’s might and authority which must never be forgotten or minimized.

His wife, a white-haired goddess, stood silently to his left.  She did not have a throne; only the king was allowed to sit, but had it not been for the glory of the Sun disk, she would have glowed with the soft color of moonlight.

The throne room was not full; not as it had been and should be still, but times had changed. Other gods, other believers had taken their places until now only a handful of the faithful attended their king. They could not bear to look directly at Him, but He could look down easily on them. They were a mixed lot; some were human in appearance, but many were tauromorphic, having the bodies and, sometimes, horns of bulls. One of the human-shaped deities kneeled before the throne, his eyes averted from the king of the gods’ glory.

Report! the god commanded.

Sire, the kneeling god began, The outcasts are stronger than expected. They hold a strange and unique position in the new Mortal World and have become respected by the barbarians in a manner I have never seen before.

They have worshippers? the king demanded unbelievingly.

Not really, my king. Not very many, certainly not enough to account for what I have encountered. But even among the mortals they have an odd sort of respect. It is very strange. I think they have become equally strange. They are no longer the weak outcasts of Your glorious court that they were. They stand proudly on their own.

On their own? the king rumbled. Impossible! Some other deity must have absorbed them and their attributes. They are mere ghosts compared to what they were before We cast them out.

I would that were so, oh great and mighty king, the kneeling god replied fervently, but they rejected Your offer. They laughed at us.

The winged Sun disk seemed to explode with the king’s rage, blinding all those within the court. The earth shook and the air filled with thunder. The tantrum lasted for almost two hours before the king once more regained his composure and the members of his court were able to start seeing clearly once more.

Very well, the king decided grimly. "They have forgotten Our generosity, Our kindness. Remind them of Our divine wrath. Go forth and make an example or two. Show them Our power and they will fall in line.

Our time has come once again, My loyal ones, and We shall hold the power of a Universe. We shall be omnipotent once more and rule over all!

I.                   Bringing Your Elder God Home

One

Are we there yet? Delores Meter asked from the passenger seat. Jael Steele glanced to her right and noticed that the normally unflappable Dee was looking slightly wild-eyed. Dee was better known throughout the cosmos as Mother Nature, although through the ages she had many other forms and aspects. It took a lot to rattle her, but Jael’s driving had managed it.

Uh, sorry about that, Jael apologized. I thought we were in a hurry.

We are, Dee admitted, but no so much that I care to ride on the underside of the road.

Jael’s wavy black hair turned a light honey blond and straightened out as a higher and sweeter voice broke out from her mouth. You weren’t with us the time she decided to drive the long way inside a sea-serpent.

Charming, Dee replied flatly.

Hey, Rona, Jael growled at the other woman who shared her existence, let me drive. This is hard enough when I am actually in control. When you pop out like that we could end up anywhere. Really… anywhere.

Jael was a demoness although, when in the Mortal World, she rarely let her horns, wings or other demonic attributes manifest. A misfit in the Inferno, she had been sent out into the Mortal World a millennium earlier to get an education at the University at Salerno. She had returned with a doctoral degree in Philosophy and found herself almost unemployable in the medieval aspect of the Judeo-Christian underworld. Somehow, however, she managed to make herself useful and was able to get her department of Hell to modernize just ahead of the Mortal World. That led to a series of promotions until she finally opted out of the usual Infernal rat race. Now she technically served directly under Queen Persephone although, in fact, she was allowed an almost entirely free rein.

Rona had been a mortal woman who had been kidnapped by a renegade demon and then had died while attempting to escape with her boyfriend, Marcus, and Jael. One thing had led to another which eventually led to the end of the world. It happens, as Jael might say. It was the end of a cycle and the Universe goes through new cycles on a semi-regular basis. As the new cycle began, her soul was merged with Jael as a gift to Marcus, who had been instrumental in the battle at the end of the world.

It had been the beginning of a rocky time both for Jael and Rona, but the two women had eventually come to terms with one another and had proven themselves a formidable team, when they were not bickering.

Rona gave a quick apology and allowed Jael to take over their shared body again. Never a dull moment, she shrugged.

Please just keep in mind that unless Oriel says otherwise, our return trip is going to require a smooth road, Dee told her. The semblance of several dull moments would be appreciated.

Right, Jael agreed as she eased the dark red SUV she was driving out of the place that was no place between the Plains and back into the Mortal World. They found themselves on a very busy street in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, but Jael’s practiced ability had placed them among the mortal drivers without anyone noticing their sudden appearance. Another moment later, she veered off the main highway and onto a frontage road and then into a long parking lot. There, she told both Dee and Rona as she came to a halt in an empty parking space, "and not a single scratch on Eddy’s car.

Too bad you can’t do that for the emotional well-being of your passengers, Rona chided her.

I’ll recover, Dee told them both as she started unbuckling her seat belt.

Jael? Rona asked, how do you always find a parking space directly in front of wherever you are going?

I’ve never thought about it, Jael admitted. Is it really that unusual?

Yes, Rona replied as they got out of the car. Quite unusual. Improbable is a more accurate word. Impossible most would say.

I don’t know, Jael admitted. I guess that for every probability set, someone has to be at the far end of the curve. I’m just the one who can always find a parking space when I want one. That does make me feel sorry for the poor soul at the other end of the spectrum, though.

We do not have time for that now, you two, Dee told them as she strode purposefully toward the broad glass door in front of them. Follow me. Warm here today.

The door was emblazoned with a cheerful floral decal and the words, ‘Springtime Seed Company.’ A gush of cool, conditioned air spilled out as Dee opened it.

We are considerably further south than we were in Massachusetts, Jael pointed out, and we’re still wearing sweaters. Then again, it’s cold enough in here that I’m glad I am. Ninti? We’re here.

Oh, thank you both! Ninti exclaimed as she came from out of a back room into the reception area. Ninti’s hair was as dark as Jael’s, but she was wearing it in long, tight braids. She was wearing a green polo shirt on which the Springtime Seed logo had been embroidered and tan cotton slacks. Oriel is in back with Enki.

How is the old scoundrel? Dee asked. It might have been meant to sound gruff, but no one was fooled. Both Jael and Ninti knew that Dee was still fond of Enki even though they had not been a couple in thousands of years.

Oriel says he’ll recover, Ninti replied, but we need to give him time.

Can he be moved safely? Jael asked. We brought Eddy’s SUV because we thought it might be best to bring Enki to Hattamesett.

Until we know who attacked him and why, that might be safest, Ninti agreed, but we’ll have to ask Oriel. Come on. She motioned them toward the back.

There were several offices beyond the reception area as well as a large room for conferences and a kitchen and dining area. Enki did keep an office here, but most of the time Ninti was the person in charge. They had hired a team of mortal men and women to do the actual work of the company, but most of their work was done outside the central office, either on the farms where the seeds and plants they sold were developed and produced or smaller remote offices. Some even worked from home so that except for a few times a year when the employees gathered at the main office, Ninti had the place to herself.

They followed Ninti to a room that might have been an employees’ lounge where Enki was lying down on a couch while a young woman with long dark brown hair, pulled back into a ponytail, took his pulse. Oriel? Dee asked.

Hmm? Oh, hi, Mom, Jael, Rona, Oriel responded turning her deep amber eyes toward them.

How is he? Jael asked.

Beaten and battered, Oriel replied, You can see that for yourselves. His clothing was all torn to shreds too, but Ninti and I got him into a robe so he’s not naked under this blanket.

I’m surprised you’re keeping it this cold in here, Jael remarked.

The A/C controls are on the fritz, Ninti explained. "It’s either on full-blast or not at all. I have to turn it on and off manually. I called my HVAC man, but he won’t be here until Monday.

Can we move him? Dee asked. We’re thinking he will be safer in Hattamesett.

Enki is tough, Oriel replied after a few second of thought, and I know he’ll survive this so long as he has adequate rest and care, so keeping him safe while he heals is essential. I am waiting for the results of a healing spell, but if it works as well as I hope, I think we can move him.

Magic? Jael asked, sounding surprised. You?

I’m a goddess, Oriel replied sounding defensive. I can learn to do magic and have.

It’s just that you normally keep to ordinary physical medicine, is all, Jael pointed out.

Normally, Oriels agreed, yes, and, when possible, I like my patients to heal themselves. That always works best in the long run, but this time was extreme. Poor Enki has been through a lot. I doubt most gods would have survived such a beating, in fact. I am sure whoever did this thought they were leaving him for dead, but he’s a stubborn old man and, somehow, he managed to get here before he collapsed completely. Let’s give the spell an hour to work.

Would you like something to eat or drink? Ninti asked her.

I don’t think he can eat right now, but if I could give him some saline solution… Oriel began.

I meant for you, dear, Ninti told her. Yes, I can see you’re hungry. I’ll call out. There’s a Middle Eastern place I like down the street.

And I shall see to some saline, Dee offered. I imagine you want to administer it intravenously?

Of course, Oriel replied. Though I’ll need to get the equipment. It’s a shame I don’t have a license here in South Carolina. That will make it more difficult.

That will not be a problem, Dee told her. I shall be right back.

You’re not going to just hocus-pocus it up? Jael asked.

Of course, not, Dee replied seriously. I’m going to steal what we need from a nearby hospital.

Uh, maybe I’d better go with you, Jael offered.

No, Dee shook her head. Stay here with Oriel and Enki. At least one of us is needed here to keep them safe. Besides, you would only give me away.

Huh? Jael asked.

Have you forgotten who I am? Dee smiled. As Mother Nature, I can seem quite natural in almost any situation. A little divine influence and people just assume I’m supposed to be there, doing whatever I happen to be doing. Getting them to ignore you too is considerably harder.

Dee returned before Ninti did, so that by the time there was something to eat and drink, Enki was already receiving vital fluid and nutrients from a hanging plastic sack. Jael had to admit she admired Dee’s style. The elder goddess had even thought to bring a rolling metal stand from which to hang the saline bag.

Oriel only took a few bites of her shawarma, dipped a wedge of pita in the tub of baba ganouj and ate that as she hurried back to Enki’s side. You can lead a doctor to the dinner table but you can’t make her eat, Jael noted. I can’t tell you how many times we had to insist she sit down at the table before rushing off to school back when we were in Cleveland.

As a goddess, she does not really have to eat, Dee pointed out.

Oh? Jael countered, Has she learned how to absorb life energy from the world around her? I know I haven’t yet. I’ll admit that starvation won’t kill her, but unlike you, she does not have any worshippers and if she does not eat often enough she will not be able to function at her peak.

She seems quite healthy to me, Dee opined. She usually does remember to take care of herself, it is only when she has a patient in such need of intensive care that she forgets. Fortunately, most of her work is in mortal hospitals where such patients are hooked up to all sorts of modern monitors and support systems and her undivided attention is not required around the clock.

Will she be able to stay with Enki now? Rona asked.

She has the holiday weekend off, Ninti replied. She’ll have to be back to work on Monday.

She works in Boston, though, and that’s a just a short hop from Hattamesett, Jael pointed out.

Really? I thought she was working at the Cleveland Clinic, Dee commented.

She interned there, Jael replied, but she joined a practice associated with Mass. General. I know her plans are to move around every few years, though, and spread her divine influence on medicine throughout the world. First, she still needs to grow into that divinity, though. That will take another several decades, I should think.

You all are talking about me behind my back, Oriel accused as she returned for a wedge-shaped portion of kibbe. I wish you had gotten the raw kibbe, she commented to Ninti, but this is good.

They’ll only serve it raw in the restaurant itself, Ninti informed her. It’s not the sort of thing you want a customer to leave in their car while they go shopping on the way home.

That’s a good point, Oriel conceded. Well, when you are all done eating we can work out a way to get Enki into the car. He’ll have to lie down, you know.

That’s why we brought the SUV, Jael assured her, with half of the back seat down he can lie flat while you ride next to him."

Anyone mind if I get to eat too? Rona asked. Jael, you’re hogging all the food.

Oh, sorry, Jael apologized. She disappeared abruptly, leaving the taller, blond Rona in her place. Rona reached almost greedily for the pita and humus.

Slow down, Ninti laughed. You can take the leftovers with you.

Thanks, Ninti, Rona told her gratefully. I love you. Just let me get a few more bites, though, and that should hold me until we get back to Hattamesett. Oh! You got dolmas too? They were hiding under the wrapper from the kibbe.

Two

We’ll put him in Maggie’s room upstairs, Eddy Salem told Gilgamesh and Marduk. The two ancient divine heroes had arrived early for Eddy’s annual Thanksgiving party, but when they learned that Enki had been attacked, it was all Eddy could do to convince them that Dee and Jael had already arrived in South Carolina and were on their way back now.

Perhaps we should build a stretcher of some sort to carry him, Asherah suggested. I believe we have some lumber left over from Wade’s and Lizzie’s studio out back, and, Tanise dear, please dig out a blanket from the linen closet, would you? Tanise was a dryad, but her tree was the offspring of Yggdrasil and a World Tree in its own right. The nymph nodded and rushed off to find a suitable blanket while Asherah led the two heroes to the shed. A few minutes later they had a serviceable stretcher and just in time for Jael to pull the SUV into the driveway.

Gilgamesh and Marduk rushed out with the stretcher and under Oriel’s constant supervision got Enki