“Oh, some do,” she said. “There are those in the outside world who believe as we do, who turn to Creation for answers and not to other men and their false notions.” She then lifted her face toward the sky. “But over time, and under the pressures of terror and greed, most people’s spirits have been cleaved from the world and the wonders around them. And because they have been told what to think—instead of trusting what is before them—they have fallen into forgetting. They no longer remember.” She dropped her eyes. “Where separation and forgetting have been planted, connections to reality dissolve. Anxiety sets in. People ask, Who am I? Where do I come from? What is my purpose? And so, seeking to fill the emptiness in their souls, they embrace lazy beliefs, which eventually lead them to violence, war, gluttony, and other vices—particularly those that involve victimizing women and children—until finally they sink into maiming and destroying without remorse.” She looked straight into Anna’s eyes. “Such violent and dangerous times are upon us,” she said.

Anna nodded at the solemnity of her words. After a long silence she asked, “But are there no longer any men who practice The Way?”

“Of course there are!” Ruth said. “Though, at the moment, they are few in number.” She paused before continuing, as if selecting her words with care. “Men today have a greater struggle to realign themselves with The Way,” she said. “The new movement has bestowed upon them a false sense of power and most are too afraid to relinquish it. They are too afraid to honor the true, life-enhancing power of the Mother. Unfortunately, many men would rather possess easily what is false than hazard the journey to what is real.” She nodded. “It is therefore up to women to lead us back into remembrance.”

Anna held still.

Ruth’s face suddenly brightened. “But your friend Solomon lived according to The Way,” she said.

Anna sat up eagerly. “He did?” she asked, excited by her newfound understanding.

“Yes,” Ruth answered. “And Solomon’s cousin, the man who escorted me to The Narrows many years ago, was another.” She lowered her voice. “Though we learned from Solomon that he has since fallen away.”

Anna’s mouth fell open. “Judas?!!” she cried.

Ruth burst out laughing at the young shepherd’s surprise. “Yes. Judas was Maya’s son,” she confirmed. She gazed down into her fig’s seeded heart. “He was a good man. At least when I knew him. I understand that Solomon was very saddened at his loss.”

Anna took a deep breath and let Ruth’s words sink in. Her mind was roiling with revelations. She knew that she needed to return to tend her animals, but her heart felt jittery and her questions would not be still.

“What happened to Orpah?” she asked.

Ruth glanced over. “Are you certain you are ready for more?” she asked.