Sarum - Edward Rutherfurd [63]
“They will be solid,” the priest who had spoken before remarked.
“Solid!” the quiet little fellow suddenly burst out. “Why, each stone will be married to the next like husband to wife. The temple will be indestructible!” He was flushed with excitement.
It was from that moment that the priests knew the new temple of Stonehenge would be a masterpiece; and that night, when they gave Dluc an account of the mason’s plans, the High Priest was pleased.
If only the High Priest’s problems had been so easily resolved. For the question of Krona and his heir remained and as the months passed, it was only his faith in the sun god that kept him from despair: often it seemed to Dluc that they were labouring in a great darkness. At times it even appeared that the gods themselves were deliberately confusing them. A suitable bride had to be found: but where? The auguries had said that her head would be crowned with gold – but what did it mean? It might only signify that she would be the daughter of a chief, for it was often the custom for such girls to wear a circlet of gold in their hair when they were married; but this explanation did not satisfy him: he was sure that the augury meant something more. And indeed, though messengers were sent to chiefs all over the island, they failed to find any bride who was suitable.
It was then that one of the older priests suggested:
“The land of Ireland is called the golden because of its fine jewellers. Perhaps the girl is to come from there.”
And since the searches on the island had been useless, it was decided to send a priest to that distant western land to see if he could find a bride there. But it was a long and dangerous journey and Dluc was uncertain whom to send until a young priest named Omnic, tall and stately and with the fire of courage and dedication in his eyes stood up and cried:
“Send me, High Priest. I shall be safe, for I know that this journey is the will of the sun god.”
So Dluc sacrificed two rams, Krona gave him fine gifts, and three days later, in a small curragh, he set out from the harbour with only three men to accompany him.
He was gone for two years.
During this time, while Nooma and his masons cut ten of the great sarsens, Krona’s spirit became less sad: the haggard look left his face, he made several visits to see the work progressing, and he even began to hunt again. He resumed his life with Ina. What must she feel, Dluc sometimes wondered, sharing Krona’s bed once again, yet knowing it must be for only a short time, until his new bride should arrive? At first he had noticed an air of contentment about her; the lines in her still handsome face had seemed to be smoothed; but as the months passed, and Krona started to look forward to the approach of his new bride with more and more obvious impatience, the priest observed new lines, of irritation, around her mouth and as time wore on, not only her face, but her whole body seemed to take on an air of resignation.
Once, when he had asked her what she thought of the chief’s health, she had given him a sad smile: “Krona is well. But let his new bride come soon.”
And indeed, Krona’s impatience became increasingly clear. When they discussed the future, his eyes were concerned and sometimes he would take the High Priest by the arm and say:
“Sacrifice another ram to the sun god, so that Omnic may return soon with my bride.”
Each time Dluc did as he asked, and always he reminded him:
“Do not despair. We are building the new temple. If we obey the gods, they will keep their promise.”
But Krona was still fearful.
“Tell the masons to work quickly,” he urged. “Time is passing and soon I shall be old.”
They were anxious years. To the High Priest they seemed to be long periods of darkness, pierced through occasionally with rays of hope: like the cloudy days interspersed with sunshine that were such a feature of the high ground in the spring and autumn of each year.
At the sarsens’ quarry the work continued all year round, only halting when the weather made it impossible to continue.
It was a strange place.