With These Eyes (8 page)

Fuji's yard took up most of the block.
Although as enormous as Isabelle's jungle-like exterior, Fuji's
land was carefully manicured and trimmed. Mulberry and tea trees
grew throughout a grassy landscape. Precisely-placed cherry trees
lined the gravel path that snaked across the garden behind his
house. Fuji had found a naturally flowing creek that cut through
his yard. Isabelle often said it was the creek that had found Fuji.
With as much as there was to talk about, Isabelle found great
comfort in the solace of Fuji's garden.

The questions would have to wait. The edge of
Fuji's property was home to various bushes and trees. The
vegetation had been cleverly layered and no one could ever tell
that six lanes of heavy traffic on Venice Boulevard were busily
rolling along on the other side. The babbling of Fuji's own brook
drowned out the rumble of the cars on the road. There was more than
that, though. Fuji had given the entire garden a positive energy.
It was a sensation Isabelle would experience every time she went to
Fuji's. Together, they crossed a small wooden bridge that arched
over the brook. Grass and ferns lined the edge of the
constantly-flowing water. Muffled, the soothing rumble of a
waterfall carried from across the pond. It had come time for
Isabelle to break the silence. She turned towards Fuji.

"I know this is because of my story about
limitless energy."

Fuji raised an eyebrow. This was a subject he
had expected Isabelle to bring up with him one day. "Limitless
energy?" he hesitantly responded.

"Yes, I came across a lead that energy can
come from nothing, literally out of thin air."

Fuji: "That's not at all what they teach in
school."

Isabelle: "I know. Do you realize what that
would mean?"

Fuji: "It means many people would want to
stop you."

Fuji and Isabelle had reached the edge of the
pond. The carefully-manicured lawn had yielded to the lake bed. The
pond was nestled on colorful, polished pieces of marble. Fuji and
his disciple sat down on two large boulders that laid on the
incline. Just within arm's reach, the water was lapping against the
gravel, making each piece glisten in the spring sun of this
beautiful Southern California afternoon. The wind had blown a few
orange and yellow leaves from the mulberry trees into the pond.

It was unusual to find such abundant exotic
foliage in the midst of Los Angeles. At least it was to most people
- not to Isabelle. Her garden stood testament to Fuji's strong
influence on Isabelle's life. The two properties, at first glance,
seemed to share little in common. Fuji had finely-raked gravel
paths along pruned trees and hedges. Isabelle's jungle had a dirt
trail that lead to workout stations made from trees and vines. The
lack of pruning in her garden was symptomatic of Isabelle's need to
do things her way. Besides the fact that Isabelle would not have
blindly copied Fuji's style, she had neither time nor patience for
the effort required to keep up a Japanese garden. She felt plant
growth was best kept in Mother Nature's hands. After all, plants
were doing fine on their own before man introduced farming and
landscaping into the world.

Muffled, the soothing rumble of the waterfall
carried across the pond. A patch of reeds grew a stone’s throw off
the shore. Like an acoustic wall, the thick stripe of the ancient
plants had been strategically planted. It was a spot Fuji cherished
for its serenity. Just like Isabelle's garden was a reflection of
her true nature, this spot was a good example of how Fuji's mind
worked. The two boulders on which Isabelle and him were seated
seemed to be cloaked in silence. The bank of reeds had been placed
at a calculated point in the pond. Ripples in the water would
bounce off rock formations and other shorelines. Overlaying with
other waves, some ripples would intensify their force; others would
be diminished.

The water near Isabelle and Fuji was calm and
looked like a mirror. All the waves in the water had either been
blocked by the reed or cancelled out by waves bouncing in opposite
directions. The same seemed to be true for sound waves. Disappeared
have the roaring of waterfall and traffic. It would take someone
who's quite a genius in physics and landscaping to create a place
of such perfect serenity. It had been a while since Isabelle's ears
had encountered a moment without the strain of the city's endless
supply of background noise. Fuji picked a mulberry leaf that had
turned golden-brown off the ground. The leaf was easily the size of
his hand, things grew well under Fuji's attention. He carefully
placed it onto the glassy water like a little red and gold boat.
The leaf floated steadily in place, just at the end of Fuji's
reach. Isabelle could tell his thoughts had gone back to a time
many years ago. He looked over to her and their eyes met back in
the moment.

"You remind me of your mother," he said in a
very complimentary tone. "I tried to show her that the answers she
sought in her research laid beyond the confines of man's laws of
physics." Fuji gathered a few of the smaller marble pebbles by his
feet. He dropped them one at a time onto the leaf.

Isabelle watched it continue to float as she
responded. "The whole universe is subject to the laws of
physics."

A melancholic look came across Fuji's face.
He had heard these words before. The similarities between his old
friend Gemma and her daughter were uncanny. It was that same
scientific logic and diligence he knew from her mother that
Isabelle applied to her investigations as a journalist. By this
time, several pebbles populated the leaf and it dented in the
center a bit. Fuji pointed out an important flaw in Isabelle's
statement.

"Laws were invented by man."

"I like to rely on facts and science."

"That's what kept your mother from seeing the
answer she sought," said Fuji as he placed a final pebble on the
leaf which yielded to the weight of its cargo. The leaf dipped
below the surface of the pond and as it sank, the pebbles were
sliding off it plummeting to the bottom. He continued. "Chant with
me. You will gain the clarity and see the opportunity in your
problem."

"What opportunity could lie in that?"

Fuji didn't say a word. Together, they
watched as the leaf dumped off the rest of its cargo and returned
to the surface of the water. Fuji and Isabelle stood up in rhythm
and walked to the spot where he chanted. His altar was carved from
a block of colorful marble. Pink and green swirls within shimmering
white rock gave this unique piece of art a regal appearance.
Isabelle didn't care too much for the word
altar
. It sounded
a bit too much like religious obsession and magic to her. Fuji
never really needed to give it a name when Isabelle was around, but
it was where they would go when they chanted. Fuji had taught
Isabelle the ancient practice that was said to align one's spirit
with the rhythm of the universe. The mentor took a match with his
right hand and lit a couple of incense sticks from a nearby box.
His left hand placed the incense in a burner on the top of the
altar. With the same match still burning, he lit two candles, one
near either side of the altar. Centered between the candles, two
cherry-wood doors were hinged onto the rock face above. Fuji opened
the doors, revealing a rectangular recess, a couple of feet in
height. Hanging unrolled in the recess was a paper scroll. The
parchment was covered in symbols of an ancient Chinese language
long lost in modern days.

Pleasant bamboo-scented smoke drifted through
the clean spring air. The calendar said it was winter but Southern
California had as much of a winter as sunny Florida or the French
Rivera. It was just a time for some of the trees to put on a fresh
coat of leafs for the new season. It was the end of February and it
certainly felt like spring. Isabelle felt an abundance of life
energy around her. Fuji reached into another box and pulled out two
strands of crystal beads. Their faceted edges reflected the
sunlight in a beautiful shimmer. He handed one to Isabelle. Fuji
swung a wooden mallet towards an enormous prayer bell that resided
to the right of the altar. The bell was shaped just like a kettle -
open at the top. Its melodious sound felt cleansing and brought a
sense of harmony to Isabelle's swirling thoughts. A few strikes of
the bell and Isabelle and Fuji's voices filled the air in
unity.

"Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo..."

Together the two would chant the ancient
mantra for the hour that followed.

Night had fallen by the time the two friends
finished. It was time for Isabelle to leave and face her troubles.
"Look after Tonati. He's all the protection you need." Fuji took a
satchel that was filled with loaded syringes, just like the one
Isabelle had injected at breakfast, and handed it to her. An
expression of genuine concern came to Fuji's face as he searched
for an answer in Isabelle's eyes. "How is your health?"

It seemed her illness was not on her mind.
Isabelle was busy considering all the other issues that were
affecting her life at the time. "I'm fine." Isabelle embraced Fuji.
She realized that without his help, the illness would be the only
thing occupying her thoughts.

"Thank you, Fuji."

11 ISABELLE'S NIGHT UNDER SIEGE

Not much later, Isabelle was in her car and
on the way home. The streets were empty. Even regular traffic was
nowhere in sight. Isabelle recognized a single sports utility
vehicle from her new-found entourage as it tried to stay in her
blind spot as best it could.

A few blocks before she arrived at home,
Isabelle noticed the SUV break off its pursuit and leave her trail.
A push of the
number one
button on her remote and the
cast-iron gate to her driveway swung open. The street was empty
when Isabelle made her turn. The young woman drove past her garage
and parked in front of her house. Isabelle stepped inside. She
didn't usually feel the need to lock her door. Isabelle was
immediately greeted by Tonati. His stature and razor-sharp claws
would have intimidated anyone who didn't know Isabelle's puma. All
the young finder of truth saw in the cat’s eyes was his love for
her. Tonati had been with Isabelle since the time when she still
lived in the jungle as a child with her mother. After Isabelle left
the jungle to live with her father, Tonati had remained a spiritual
bridge to nature for Isabelle.

Isabelle could tell Tonati was nervous.
Instinctively, the pair headed for the kitchen and moments later,
went through the open part to the outside. The buzzing that sounded
like the propeller of a small plane or perhaps a helicopter was
coming from somewhere in the sky above her house. Isabelle scanned
the evening sky for its source, but it was to no avail.

Together, Isabelle and Tonati walked the
property. Isabelle headed just outside the front gate where she
looked up and down her street. The monotonous hum of the overhead
drone was drowned out by the roaring of car engines. Several of the
cars that had been following her appeared on both ends of the
street and came racing towards her with their engines revving high.
Isabelle turned around and headed back to her front yard. She
pushed the
close
button for the gate and heavy wrought-iron
separated her yard from the street. The cars were still coming
closer but their engines were running quietly and their drivers
adhered to the neighborhood's 25 mile-per-hour speed limit. Woman
and puma returned to the house. On the way, Isabelle grabbed a
couple of starfruit and a mango for dinner.

It had gotten cold quickly without the warmth
of the sunlight. Isabelle closed the large glass doors and the
granite island's partition. A quick look around the interior of the
house confirmed what their instinct had already told each of them:
there was no one else in the house. Isabelle returned to the
kitchen. She had left the starfruit and mango on the counter on her
way in. She fixed her dinner much like she had prepared breakfast.
Cooking, especially with food she had harvested in her own garden,
was an important part of Isabelle's life. It gave her time to
relax. After all, water can only boil so fast: a pace much
different from traffic or chasing a story. This day, an elaborate
dinner preparation would help Isabelle focus her thoughts on
solutions to her obvious troubles. It gave her a chance to discount
the possibility that any of this posed a real threat. Tonati wasn't
bothered much by the buzzing from above. His thoughts were on
Isabelle and the dinner he knew she was preparing for him.

Unbeknownst to Isabelle, the cause for all
her problems wasn't far at all down the street. By the side of the
road was an
Apophis Library Bookmobile
. Tasha had changed
vehicles and with the help of her Troopers was busily following
Isabelle's every move. Rather than the curved main screen of the
cement mixer, the bookmobile offered a multitude of flat-screen
displays in a wall array. One of Tasha's Troopers sat behind a
digital cockpit, piloting the source of the constant buzzing above.
The drone provided an infrared view of the interior of Isabelle's
house. The command post's main view-screen revealed the heat
outlines of Isabelle and Tonati in the kitchen. As the drone
circled the house, the steam rising from one of the pots on the
stove obscured Isabelle's image slightly with its heat plume.
Isabelle's cable box afforded Tasha a view of the living room. Via
their built-in wireless interfaces, the robotic floor-mop and
vacuum cleaners generated a crude floor plan that showed any moving
objects detected by their sensors. Virtually anything that ran on a
microprocessor had come under Tasha's control and was serving as
some sort of surveillance device.

A screen profiled when lights and appliances
were used and Isabelle's channel surfing and Internet patterns. A
section of the display identified Isabelle as a threat to the power
structure, listing her as an “energy terrorist”. Her behavior
patterns from the time of day she went shopping to her reading
habits were applied to a terrorist's template. Several of
Isabelle's activities fit that profile despite her complete lack of
such involvement. For Tasha, this was all she needed to be
convinced that Isabelle posed an aggressive threat to the future of
Apophis and to her own existence. She was determined to stop
Isabelle from going any further.