The Epic of Gilgamesh

Once upon a time

A man in a dark room drew a circle in red on a map and said in a foreign tongue , "I don't care what else happens, nothing hits this place." It's too beautiful."

200 years later

Chief Humbaba woke in his hammock high in the branches of the Big Tree. He took a deep breath and held it as he climbed up through the chemcloud layer to greet the dawn and make his morning prayers. When he came back down to his chamber he found a scout bathed in sweat from long running.

"They are coming"

"How many?" asked the Chief.

"Too many"

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Up the mountain they trudged in a weary death march. A long, straggling line of soldiers from different armies wearing the remnants of tattered uniforms some red, some blue. An eagle insignia here, a star there, a bit of gold in the shape of a cross fell from one man's breast and bounced down the trail. He did not stop to retrieve it. Someone further down the line stepped on it, and pushed it under the dirt, there to remain buried forever.

A rabbit darted out from behind a tree and ran across the path. A hundred men fumbled frantically with their guns. 50 pulled their triggers and nothing happened. (They ran out of bullets long ago, and were just acting on instinct. ) 30 men got a shot off, but missed. 19 men were too tired to lift their weapons. And one man's gun blew up in his face. The others walked on as he screamed, leaving him to die.

The rabbit went free.

__________

Soon.

The soldiers filed into the meeting space in front of the Big Tree. They had met no resistance from the villagers, who were gathered together behind Chief Humbaba. Sergeant Donovan set down his weapon.

"Do you speak the common tongue?"

"Yes" answered the chief.

"Alright" Donovan gestured at his men and spoke slowly. "We are many, you are few: we have weapons, you do not. We will take your food, and we will cut down these trees to burn. Food is life. Heat is life. We want to live. Understand?"

"Why?" asked the Chief.

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to live?" asked the Chief.

Donovan stared. Some soldiers down the line laughed. "I'll be damned if I know. It's just what we do. There's nothing else. Listen. The winters are getting colder. We barely survived the last one. You want your tribe to live through the winter, you'll need to burn these trees."

"We will die if we burn the trees." said the chief.

"You mean next winter? asked Donovan. "Yeah, you probably would if you stayed here. You can come with us, looking for more food to eat, more wood to burn."

"No we will die HERE if we burn the trees." The Chief put his hand over his heart. "We live for the trees because they are the last beautiful things left. Despite all, they are still stretching to touch their God. As am I. As are we." He gestured toward his tribe. "Food, Heat, are not enough to live for. There is more. I cannot explain. But my God can. Will you come talk to her?"

Donovan sighed heavily. "Where is she?"

The chief pointed to a rope ladder leading up into the largest tree.

Donovan looked straight up at the trunk which seemed to go on forever, massive outstretched arms reaching the chemcloud layer, and beyond.

"Why not?" said Donovan, "If I fall, I won't have to worry about starving to death anymore."

____________

The climb was long and terrifying for Donovan. His arms were weak and his fingers greasy with sweat. More then once, the Chief grabbed him and kept him from falling. More than once, they stopped to rest. When they arrived in the Chief's tree house chamber, Donovan kneeled and struggled to catch his breath.

The chief carefully picked up an ancient pile of crumbling papers and handed them to Donovan. If either of the men had ever been taught to read, they would have recognized the only words not faded away.

NATIONAL PARK

"This place was protected. There were trees as far as the eye could see." said the Chief. Donovan looked at the yellowed and faded pictures. What the Chief said was true. In the pictures, he saw crowds of smiling people standing amongst the trees of the grove of trees. He saw babies, and deer and WOMEN, and bears and ...

"The sky is BLUE, not white!" he shouted.

"Hold that thought," said the Chief. And your breath."

He pulled the soldier toward the rope ladder and they climbed up through the chemclouds together. Through his eyelids, which the Chief had instructed him to keep closed, Donovan saw bright orange, the color of fire, and he felt a great heat on his face.

"Open your eyes slowly." said the Chief. "And see her face".

Donovan opened his eyes and saw the sun for the first time in his life. And blue sky. And the light of morning dried his tears away almost as fast as they came.

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One by one every soldier was brought up the tree. Even the sick ones were hauled up by their friends. It was agreed quickly that they would not burn these trees. It was also agreed they would journey no more. No matter what should happen next. this place was home. They would die to protect it, they would live to love it.

And that night, also for the first time in his life, Donovan saw stars.