The Valkyries

Gene was right, Paulo thought. It is easy to make contact with them.

Slowly, the other Valkyries were beginning to perceive what was happening. First, they looked at the eldest, and then, following her gaze, turned to the table where Paulo and Chris were seated. Their conversation was silenced, and they no longer swayed in time to the music.

"Turn it off," the eldest said to the counterman.

As always, he obeyed. Now the only sound that could be heard was the sizzling of the eggs and bacon on the grill.

As her friends watched, the red-haired woman walked to the couple's table and simply stood there, looking at them. Then, without preamble, she spoke.

"Where did you get that ring?" she asked Paulo.

"At the same shop where you bought your brooch," he answered.

It was only then that Chris saw the metal brooch pinned to the leather jacket. It was made in the same design as the ring that Paulo wore on the ring finger of his left hand.

That's why he was resting his chin on his left hand.

She had already seen many rings in the Tradition of the Moon--of every color, metal and carved--always in the form of a serpent, the symbol of wisdom. But never had she seen one like the one her husband wore. J. had given Paulo that ring in 1982, when they were in Norway, saying that he was thereby completing "the Tradition of the Moon, a cycle that was interrupted by fear." And now, in the middle of the desert--a woman with a brooch of the same design.

"What do you want?" the redhead asked.

Paulo stood up, and the two stared at each other, face-to-face. Chris's heart was beating wildly--she was certain that it wasn't jealousy.

"What do you want?" she asked again.

"To speak with my angel. And something else."

She seized Paulo's hand and ran her fingers over his ring. Softening a bit, she seemed to become more feminine.

"If you bought that ring at the same place I did, you must know how it's made," she said, her eyes fixed on the serpents. "If not, then sell it to me. It's a beautiful piece."

It was simply a silver ring carved into two serpents. Each had two heads, and the design was quite simple.

Paulo said nothing.

"You don't know how to converse with angels, and this ring isn't yours," said the Valkyrie.

"I do know. Through channeling."

"Right," said the woman. "That's all that's required."

"I told you that there was something else I wanted."

"What is it?"

"Gene saw his angel. I want to see mine. I want to speak to my angel, face-to-face."

"Gene?" The woman's eyes searched the past, trying to recall who Gene was, where he lived.

"Yes, now I remember," she said. "He lives in the desert. Because that's where he met his angel."

"No. He is studying to become a master."

"This business of seeing your angel is just a myth. It's enough to converse with them."

Paulo stepped closer to the Valkyrie.

Chris knew the trick her husband was using: He called it "destabilization." Normally, two people converse at arm's length. When one of them approaches the other too closely, the other's thinking becomes disorganized.