Sorry for the silence. I was on work travel and then I caught COVID just in time for the holiday. Feeling much better now and finally testing negative. Stay safe and healthy, everyone.

“Well,” said Maite as she climbed back into the car, “that was a bust.”

“What do you mean?” replied Kepa as he pulled the car out onto the road. “We learned that these symbols are related to ancient Basque beliefs.”

“So?” asked Maite exasperated. “How does that help us?”

Kepa shrugged sheepishly, feeling slightly reprimanded. “I’m not sure, not yet. But it’s more than we knew before.”

Maite nodded. “That’s true.” After a moment’s silence, she added “Sorry for snapping at you.”

Kepa let out a sigh of relief. “No worries. This is frustrating for both of us.”

“If the zatiak – the magic of these witches – is related to Basque mythology, what does that mean?” asked Maite rhetorically.

“That the Basque gods were real?” ventured Kepa.

Maite shook her head. “Not necessarily. I do admit that there are things beyond our understanding here, but I’m not ready to recognize the existence of prehistoric gods.”

“Does Garuna have any theories?” 

“I haven’t bothered to ask it, to be honest,” replied Maite. “But, it can’t hurt.”

Kepa watched as Maite laid her head back, having what he must imagine was one of the strangest internal dialogues any person has ever had. He just wished he was privy to it.

“So,” asked Maite in her thoughts. “What does this mean? This symbol of Amalur and her daughters?”

Garuna rumbled from the depths of her mind. “I find it somewhat insulting that you only want to talk when you need something.”

“Why else would I talk to you?”

“So I can learn more about your time and the world around us.”

“So you can take it over?”

There was a silence before Garuna finally responded. “I don’t know what the symbols mean. The ancient Basque gods are nothing more than myth. I have never seen any evidence that they are more than that.”

“What about the zatiak? Might they not be evidence?”

“They are evidence of something. But what, I cannot say. They are beyond my experience.”

“They were. But now they are an intimate part of your experience. They are why you are here.”

“That is true. But I have not had the ability to really analyze them. One sample does not make for a representative set.”

“I guess we’ll have to find more for you to analyze then.”

“That would be… desirable.”

Maite sighed. She feared what Garuna would do with the power of the zatiak or, worse, with her body holding that power.

She shook her head, as if waking from a deep sleep.

“He’s got nothing,” she said aloud as she turned to Kepa.

“Well,” he replied. “I guess we file this one away until we can learn more.”

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