Under the Ice

Noting the unusual manner in which Nakusiak phrased this question, Ootah looked his father full in the eye and explained every detail of his recent nightmare.

When he finished describing his horrifying vision, he looked on as Nakusiak grunted.

“You are correct in ascribing this dream to Tornarsuk, my son. For you see, I had a similar vision.”

Puzzlement etched Ootah’s face as he questioned.

“But what does such a shared nightmare mean, Father?

Is it a presentiment of an even greater evil yet to come?”

Nakusiak somberly nodded.

“I’m afraid that it is, my son. The songs of the grandfathers tell of a time in the not so distant future when a star shall fall to earth. Sent from the Great Spirit, this comet shall explode in the dawn sky for all to see as a signal that the time of prophecy is upon us. As the tail of this comet falls to earth, mankind shall face the final trial.

And if the Great Spirit finds the people unworthy, he shall cleanse the earth with fire, and death will walk everywhere.”

“But how do we insure that such a terrible fate won’t befall us?” quizzed Ootah.

Reaching into the pocket of his parka, Nakusiak removed a hand-sized bone amulet that had a piece of sinew strung through it.

“This holy amulet was carved by my grandfather, Anoteelik, who was a great shaman of the people. He, too, dreamed of the cursed pool and the exploding comet that signaled the end of time. My time on this earth is almost over, my son.

It’s now up to you to wear this holy amulet over your heart, and if the flow of your spirit is pure, perhaps the Great Spirit will intercede, and the people will be reprieved.”

As he handed the necklace to Ootah, Nakusiak was consumed by a fit of violent coughing. Blood red spittle drooled off his lips and dropped down to stain the white snow below.

“Come, Father, you’ve been out here in the cold long enough. You must take better care of yourself.”

Ootah’s pleas were met with an angry smirk.

“Stop coddling me, boy! Don’t forget who it was who brought you into the world. Now just swear to me that you’ll wear this amulet always, and that your meditations will be as pure as the snow that my life fluid has just violated.”

Well aware of his father’s stubbornness, Ootah meekly nodded, and slipped the sinew necklace over his neck. He could only look on helplessly as Nakusiak was once again consumed by a coughing fit.

Grasping the flat bone amulet with one of his mittened hands, Ootah angled his gaze to the distant horizon. There the fiery, golden-hued Arctic dawn continued to fight off the black tide of winter, in an eternal battle that began at the very beginning of time.

From a windswept plateau eighty-five miles due east of Ootah’s camp, another individual watched the Arctic dawn develop. Bundled in his down parka, Ensign Graham Chapman of the Royal Canadian Navy felt sadly out of place. The Calgary native had originally enlisted in the armed forces as a way of bringing badly needed adventure into his life. And for the first couple of months, he hadn’t been the least bit disappointed.

Having never traveled farther than Edmonton in his home province of Alberta, Graham initially had been sent packing to Halifax, Nova Scotia. There he underwent basic training. His naturally high aptitude got him an invitation to attend the Naval Officer’s training center in Esquimau, British Columbia. Once again he crossed the wide breadth of his native country, seeing magnificent sights he’d never dreamed existed.

He was most impressed with the ultra sophisticated city of Vancouver, and it was in this exciting metropolis that he spent many a cherished weekend leave.

In order to be as close to Vancouver as possible, he took a position on the staff of the vice admiral in charge of the Second Destroyer Squadron based in Esquimalt. Such duty demanded limited sea time, and gave him an opportunity to get his own apartment in nearby Vancouver.

For the son of an itinerant oil-well driller, this was like a dream come true. The petroleum business was in the midst of lean times, and if he’d stayed in Calgary, he’d most likely been on the dole like the majority of the boys he grew up with. Yet here he had a position that commanded respect, he was making a decent wage, and he was living in one of the most exciting cities in all of Canada.

Unfortunately, all too soon his luck was to run out.

It started that morning he was ordered into his superiors office, and asked if he wanted to take a position of the utmost sensitivity. Fooled into thinking that this was some sort of promotion, he immediately accepted.

Little did he realize what he was getting himself involved with.