Absolute

Part 2

***

It was months before I tracked Mardea down. Longer before she agreed to speak to me. She had returned to the states shortly after the expedition, spending the last two decades on scholarly pursuits, most of which included publications and talks at universities. I found her email address on a website referencing her latest paper and contacted her right away to ask if she remembered my father.

Weeks went by without a response. Then she replied to say that she was sorry for my loss. I sent another message asking if we could talk about his work. She said she was busy. I sent another asking about the cave. She didn't respond. I sent yet another about the translation and included my number, figuring this would be the last chance I had before she blocked my emails all together.

Two months later, she called.

"How much did your father tell you?"

"Everything. Was it true? Did you see... was there a cave?"

Mardea's sigh was low and prolonged as if she'd waited years to release it. "Your father was a good man. We weren't close, but a good man, I know. Whatever we saw, it wasn't for his eyes to see."

"Did you translate what was on the stone?"

Silence.

"Please. What did it say?"

"The markings were very old—"

"What did it say?"

There was anger in my plea, and a mild contempt for Mardea, like she was standing at the mouth of the cave, blocking my path. She sighed again, one of relief at a burden lifted from her throat into the air, passed on to the idle son who was now a man.

"Arbiter."