Goddess by Kelee Morris Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kelee Morris
eyes on me, but it must have been my imagination, because every time I glanced his way, he was looking at Nina.
Nina returned to her desk and opened her laptop. “A friend of mine at the University of Barcelona emailed me last week,” she said. “He heard about our work in North Korea.”
“I imagine there are spies everywhere.” An inside joke, but Dr. Stewart didn’t take the bait. Did he even want me here? Interviewing me must have been Nina’s idea, though I suspected Ashland Stewart was not the type of man who gave up power willingly.
“A few years ago,” Nina continued, “my friend came across a 16 th Century journal in the rare books library. It was written by a young monk named Álvaro Ferreira. He traveled with Francis Xavier to Japan to convert people to Christianity. According to a contemporary account my friend found, Brother Ferreira was returning from one of the islands when his boat was caught in a storm. He was shipwrecked on the Korean peninsula for almost a year. He kept a journal of his time there, but when he was finally rescued, Xavier ordered it destroyed. Apparently, Ferreira either hid it or made a copy.”
“It sounds fascinating,” I said, “but what does it have to do with Magoa?”
“Probably nothing,” Dr. Stewart said, his voice cool and distant. “Any trace of Magoa had likely disappeared long before Ferreira arrived.”
“Then why bother translating it?” I asked.
“I never discount Nina’s intuition.” Dr. Stewart said. “She thinks whatever Ferreira wrote that made Xavier want to suppress it may have something to do with Magoa.”
Nina looked surprised. “Dr. Stewart thought it was worth pursuing too. He pushed hard to get a translator added to the department budget.”
So he wants a translator, just not me.
“Is this a permanent or temporary position?” I asked.
“If the journal turns out to be useful, then you’d do further work to prepare it for publication,” Nina said. “After that, the job would end.”
I was being offered a temporary job translating an obscure journal that would likely lead nowhere, and I would be working for a man who clearly didn’t want me here.
And there was something else—the feeling percolating just under my skin. I had been able to suppress it since that night, but now that I was in a room with him again... I didn’t want to be attracted to this man. The words of an anti-drug counselor Anna and I heard speak popped into my head. If it feels wrong, run the other way.
“I really appreciate you thinking of me,” I said, keeping my eyes focused on Nina, “but I don’t think I’m a good fit for this position.”
I stood, wanting to make my escape as quickly as possible.
Dr. Stewart also rose. “Why not?” he asked. He sounded vaguely perturbed.
Because of you.
“I’m not sure if I even have time for a job right now,” I said aloud. “I have a lot of responsibilities already.”
“We can work around your schedule,” Dr. Stewart said. “The hours are very flexible.”
I eyed him. Why did he suddenly do an about face when I turned down the job? “Isn’t there anyone at the university who could translate it? That would save you some money.”
“I think if you knew more about Magoa,” Dr. Stewart said, “you might find this an interesting assignment.” He stepped over to the office door and closed it. He moved back to his perch and motioned me to sit again. I hesitated a moment, then complied.
“Magoa was an isolated city state that thrived during the Three Kingdoms period,” he said. “It was surprisingly evolved. We found numerous iron implements and stone statues. Many of them were figures of women.”
“Were they some kind of fertility symbols?” I asked.
“That’s what we thought at first. But then we uncovered inscriptions. They told a story I never would have suspected. Magoa, we came to realize, was a matriarchy and its leader was considered a goddess.”
The revelation sent a
Nina returned to her desk and opened her laptop. “A friend of mine at the University of Barcelona emailed me last week,” she said. “He heard about our work in North Korea.”
“I imagine there are spies everywhere.” An inside joke, but Dr. Stewart didn’t take the bait. Did he even want me here? Interviewing me must have been Nina’s idea, though I suspected Ashland Stewart was not the type of man who gave up power willingly.
“A few years ago,” Nina continued, “my friend came across a 16 th Century journal in the rare books library. It was written by a young monk named Álvaro Ferreira. He traveled with Francis Xavier to Japan to convert people to Christianity. According to a contemporary account my friend found, Brother Ferreira was returning from one of the islands when his boat was caught in a storm. He was shipwrecked on the Korean peninsula for almost a year. He kept a journal of his time there, but when he was finally rescued, Xavier ordered it destroyed. Apparently, Ferreira either hid it or made a copy.”
“It sounds fascinating,” I said, “but what does it have to do with Magoa?”
“Probably nothing,” Dr. Stewart said, his voice cool and distant. “Any trace of Magoa had likely disappeared long before Ferreira arrived.”
“Then why bother translating it?” I asked.
“I never discount Nina’s intuition.” Dr. Stewart said. “She thinks whatever Ferreira wrote that made Xavier want to suppress it may have something to do with Magoa.”
Nina looked surprised. “Dr. Stewart thought it was worth pursuing too. He pushed hard to get a translator added to the department budget.”
So he wants a translator, just not me.
“Is this a permanent or temporary position?” I asked.
“If the journal turns out to be useful, then you’d do further work to prepare it for publication,” Nina said. “After that, the job would end.”
I was being offered a temporary job translating an obscure journal that would likely lead nowhere, and I would be working for a man who clearly didn’t want me here.
And there was something else—the feeling percolating just under my skin. I had been able to suppress it since that night, but now that I was in a room with him again... I didn’t want to be attracted to this man. The words of an anti-drug counselor Anna and I heard speak popped into my head. If it feels wrong, run the other way.
“I really appreciate you thinking of me,” I said, keeping my eyes focused on Nina, “but I don’t think I’m a good fit for this position.”
I stood, wanting to make my escape as quickly as possible.
Dr. Stewart also rose. “Why not?” he asked. He sounded vaguely perturbed.
Because of you.
“I’m not sure if I even have time for a job right now,” I said aloud. “I have a lot of responsibilities already.”
“We can work around your schedule,” Dr. Stewart said. “The hours are very flexible.”
I eyed him. Why did he suddenly do an about face when I turned down the job? “Isn’t there anyone at the university who could translate it? That would save you some money.”
“I think if you knew more about Magoa,” Dr. Stewart said, “you might find this an interesting assignment.” He stepped over to the office door and closed it. He moved back to his perch and motioned me to sit again. I hesitated a moment, then complied.
“Magoa was an isolated city state that thrived during the Three Kingdoms period,” he said. “It was surprisingly evolved. We found numerous iron implements and stone statues. Many of them were figures of women.”
“Were they some kind of fertility symbols?” I asked.
“That’s what we thought at first. But then we uncovered inscriptions. They told a story I never would have suspected. Magoa, we came to realize, was a matriarchy and its leader was considered a goddess.”
The revelation sent a