The Valkyries

even though she had prepared for the noonday desert. And even though she wasn’t nude.
    The other Valkyries had formed a semicircle; they wore their kerchiefs on their heads, in the manner of gypsies or pirates. Valhalla alone was bareheaded—her kerchief encircled her neck. The sun seemed not to bother her.
    She is dismissing me with her eyes,
Chris thought.
    She knew this could not continue forever. There was a limit. She didn’t know what that limit was, nor how or when she would know, but very soon, the sun would begin to be damaging. Meanwhile, everyone continued immobile—and all of this had happened because of her. Because she hadinsisted on coming along.
Messengers of the gods, they lead the heroes to death and to paradise.
    She had made a bad mistake, but now it was too late. She had come because her angel had required that she do so; her angel had said that Paulo was going to need her that afternoon.
    No, no, it wasn’t a mistake. My angel insisted that I be here,
she thought.
    Her angel—she was conversing with her angel! Nobody knew it, not even Paulo.
    She began to feel dizzy, and she was certain she would faint soon. But she was going to see it through—it was no longer just a matter of being at her husband’s side, or obeying her angel, or being jealous. Now it was a woman’s pride—face-to-face with another woman.
    “Put your glasses on,” Valhalla said. “This sun could blind you.”
    “You’re not wearing glasses,” she answered. “And you’re not afraid.”
    Valhalla gave a signal, and suddenly, the blazing light of the sun was multiplied a dozen times.
    The Valkyries were using the mirrors on their motorcycles to reflect the sun directly into Chris’s eyes. She saw a gleaming semicircle, knitted her brows, and kept her gaze upon Valhalla.
    But she could no longer see clearly. The woman’s image appeared to grow and grow, and the confusion in her mind increased. She felt she was about to fall, and at that moment, leather-covered arms came to her support.

Chapter 27
     
    P AULO WATCHED VALHALLA CATCH C HRIS in her arms. All of this could have been avoided. He could have insisted that she remain at the hotel—no matter what she was thinking. From the moment that he had first seen the brooch, he had known which tradition the Valkyries came from.
    They had also seen his ring, and they knew that he had been tested in many ways. That it would be difficult to frighten him. But they would do everything possible to test the fiber of any stranger who entered their group. Even if that stranger was his wife.
    But they could not prevent Chris, nor anyone else, from learning what they wanted to learn. They had taken a vow: Everything that was hidden had to be revealed. Chris was now being tested in the first great virtue of those who seek the spiritual path: courage.
    The Valkyrie looked at Paulo. “Help me.”
    Paulo helped her support his wife. They took her to the car and laid her down on the backseat.
    “Don’t worry. She’ll come around very quickly. With a serious headache.”
    He wasn’t worried. He was proud.
    Valhalla went to her cycle and brought a canteen. Paulo noted that she had already donnedher sunglasses—she must have reached her limit, as well.
    She bathed Chris’s forehead in water, and dabbed some on her wrists and behind her ears. She opened her eyes, blinked several times, and sat up.
    “Break a pact,” she said, looking at the Valkyrie.
    “You are an interesting woman,” Valhalla said, passing her hand across Chris’s face. “Put your glasses on.”
    Valhalla caressed Chris’s hair. And even though both were now wearing dark glasses, Paulo knew they were staring at each other.

Chapter 28
     
    T HEY WALKED TO THE STRANGE DOOR IN the mountain.
    Valhalla turned to the other Valkyries. “For love. For victory. And for the glory of God.”
    The same phrase J. had used. The words of those who know angels.
    The Valkyries started their engines, blowing up a cloud of dust. The women did the same maneuvers they had at the gas station—passing closely by each other—and, minutes later, they had disappeared around the mountain.
    Valhalla turned to Chris and Paulo.
    “Let’s go in,” she said.
    There was no door, just a grate. On it hung a sign:
    DANGER
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
PROHIBITS ENTRY
VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED
     
    “Don’t believe it,” said the Valkyrie. “They’re not going to spend any time guarding this.”
    It was an old, abandoned gold