Chronicles of Ara: Perdition Read online

  PRAISE FOR

  THE CHRONICLES OF ARA

  “Tolkien, lost art, arcane creations, and a corrupted muse. Fantasy lovers, get ready for some fun.”

  – Brad Meltzer, Bestselling Author, The President’s Shadow

  “The Chronicles of Ara: Creation is sincerely unlike any novel I’ve ever read, an astonishing tale of myth and art that hits the reader on a primal level and never lets go. This is exciting, addicting stuff, folks. You’re not going to know what hit you.”

  – Gilbert Adler, Producer: Superman Returns, Valkyrie, Constantine

  “The literary season’s most stunning surprise and an important, awards-worthy work. Deliriously captivating and even profound. Fans of Dan Brown and J.R.R. Tolkien will find much to appreciate in these pages.”

  – Marc Fisher, Bestselling Author, The Instant Millionaire

  “Brilliantly written. It certainly takes its place on the list where The Hobbit and the Harry Potter series reside.”

  – ReadersFavorite.com

  “A page-turning, mind-expanding journey into the realms of the imagination. For fans of fantasy on a grand and epic scale, The Chronicles of Ara: Creation is a must-read.”

  – BestsellersWorld.com

  “One of the greatest novels I have ever read.”

  – Irwin Zucker, President Emeritus, Book Publicists of Southern California

  “Pure drop-dead brilliance.”

  – Ian Lowell, author, Son of Sam Was My Catcher and Other Bronx Tales

  “A masterpiece. Magnificent.”

  – Shad Gaspard, actor and WWE Superstar

  “A new literary masterpiece with the right intentions, The Chronicles of Ara receives our highest recommendation and is certain to leave a legacy of literacy for generations to come. Artists will find this work particularly inspiring.”

  – Tc McKinney and Nessa Arcamenel, owners, PDMI Publishing and Tyward Books

  “A super-charged, unpredictable express train of a novel about a muse who suffers a tragedy, only to channel her grief and anger through the books and art of all those artists throughout history that she inspires. Strange, dark, and stuffed to the gills with originality, this is a monster debut.”

  – Steven David Levine, author, Eulogy in Blue

  “Imaginative, surprising, and thought-provoking.”

  – Tess Collins, PhD, author, Notown, The Hunter of Hertha, The Law of Revenge

  “A work of artistic and illuminating brilliance. Authors Joel Eisenberg and Stephen Hillard deliver an enormously elegant and intriguing tale of imagination, wonder, and genius that rivals the creative vision and intent of Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek. The Chronicles of Ara is simply a masterpiece creation . . . envisioned by master artists.”

  – Herbie J Pilato, President, The Classic Television Preservation Society; author, The Bionic Book, Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery

  Multiple 5-Star Amazon and Goodreads Reviews

  THE CHRONICLES OF ARA: PERDITION

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, places, incidents, and dialogue are the product of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real, or if real, are used fictitiously. Unless other intended, any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, either living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015 by Joel Eisenberg and Stephen Hillard

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  For more information, to inquire about rights to this or other works, or to purchase copies for special educational, business, or sales promotional uses please write to:

  Incorgnito Publishing Press

  A division of Market Management Group, LLC

  33 S. Wilson Avenue, Suite 113

  Pasadena, California 91106

  FIRST EDITION

  Printed in the United States of America

  ISBN: 978-0-9969111-2-2

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Joel Eisenberg

  Stephen Hillard

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  DISAMBIGUATION

  RECONCILIATION

  VARIANCE

  ASCENSION

  FAITH

  ROOT

  REASON

  HERESY

  PROPHECY

  WRATH

  ANOMALY

  ALCHEMY

  A TENUOUS ACCORD

  A PRECIOUS AFFAIR

  LEGACY

  EPILOGUE

  DEDICATION

  On my fiftieth birthday, barely two weeks prior to the first volume’s submission deadline, I was asked by a friend the usual writer’s questions:

  “Joel, what’s the name of your book?” he inquired, over an iffy phone line.

  “The Chronicles of Ara.”

  “What genre?”

  “Fantasy. Literary Mystery. A hybrid.”

  “What’s your book about?”

  “The origin and influence of creativity, reverse-engineered with the conceit that all art throughout history has been inspired by a corrupted muse. Only we are just finding out.” Dead silence. “It’s a metaphor for the power of imagination. It’ll make sense when you read it. It’s the first of a series of eight—”

  “I’m not sure I understand . . .”

  Yeah. Eight volumes is fairly ambitious, and the expansive story is not easily adapted to a “high-concept” description. And so ensued the following (paraphrased) highfalutin attempt to underscore our themes:

  “How about this. There is no such thing as a universal cosmology. By this standard, The Bible and the entirety of our holy books are literature only. Parables. Art. The extension of the word of God is the word of man. If the muse who inspired these works is corrupted, then, would that not explain away all the violence in the world that’s been initiated under the guise of religion? The words of the writers have been corrupted in turn, causing great disputes among readers as to their authentic meaning and intent, leading to great wars, which in turn shape the world, and—”

  “Huh?”

  “—and proves that art can never die because of its influence.” I was on a roll, so I ignored him. “You may not notice that influence at first, but you will.” I took a much-needed breath. “Ambition may vary, but it’s against man’s nature to stop searching for answers—”

  “Well . . . wouldn’t that be the case with art in general?”

  “Exactly! And if art never dies then you have to ask yourself, what’s its ultimate purpose? Let’s go back to books. Couldn’t it be argued that we believe certain books come closer than others to the answers we seek and are considered ‘holy’ only because we, as readers, adapted them as such?”

  My friend quickly changed the subject which, frankly, disappointed me. “I was told that you include real-life authors in the book as supporting characters,” he said. “Why?”

  And then . . . I suddenly remembered that my wife was waiting outside, in the car, so we could meet our dinner plans. As quickly as I was beginning to engage, I disengaged. I didn’t want to be rude to my friend, especially as he was so keenly intrigued by the fruits of my labors, but I needed to get off the phone.

  “I’m fascinated by the idea that certain artists peek into their hidden natures more than most,” I answered sincerely, “which is why so many of us have visceral responses when exposed to their product. We relate to them. They understand. This series is an exploration of the creative process. We delve into the lives and art of writers, in this case, whose works have attained a degree
of influence and immortality.”

  I had hoped my response was sufficiently comprehensive.

  Thai food. No manner of man, beast, or god stands between me and Thai food. Thanks for your interest. I appreciate the call . . .

  “Cool. Then what’s the inspiration behind your art?”

  Look. I had just completed a long, draining day of writing; my wife was honking the car horn . . .

  Pad Thai. Extra spicy . . .

  I found myself becoming increasingly preoccupied and tiring of the questions, so I responded to this last one with stock answers. “I don’t know. The ideas just come to me, I guess . . . I have lucid dreams—”

  “No, really,” he said, wisely not buying any of it. “Was there a specific event, or a person or a time or a place that inspired you? Or a rite of passage, or—”

  “Yes.”

  Bullseye.

  A few hours later, pondering the conversation, I asked Steve, my coauthor, a similar question. “Was there a specific event or rite of passage that inspired your writing career?” Steve’s first novel, Mirkwood, takes place in a parallel universe to The Chronicles of Ara and influenced the present work.

  “There was. It involved my daughter.”

  “And mine involved my dad.”

  ***

  Hence the never-before-seen opening of our original Dedication from The Chronicles of Ara: Creation.

  Why incorporate that previously cut indulgence here, when behind-the-scenes Steve and I determined it ran too long the first time? Why now? I’m longwinded, that’s why. But also, considering the context of these books, we believed it appropriate to now include this section in an attempt to inform you, the reader, as to what precisely we are thankful for. The product, of course, but also the thought-processes that our family and friends have enabled to inspire us to that end-point.

  The words above reflect that enormous, cumulative inspiration and the obsessions that resulted, leading to The Chronicles of Ara. Nodding to one of our recurring themes, nothing stays lost forever.

  This second novel in our series, Perdition, is dedicated to my wife, Lorie Girsh Eisenberg, and to my mother, Nettie Eisenberg.

  Lorie is one of the finest human beings I know. Such a heart and such a wonderful capacity for all things good . . . she literally walked into my life, later in life, and it was the first marriage for us both. We waited for one another, had to be so. There’s reason for everything.

  My interior world has thrived on her love and her smile ever since.

  If Lorie is the straw that stirs the drink, then Mom is the glue who holds together the other matter of equal import: family. Prior to his passing my beloved dad took care of the bills and related matters. Suddenly, my mom was thrust into a new world without the man she had been with for nearly fifty years. She was terrified of facing life without the only man she had ever loved.

  Mom not only survived. She thrived.

  Lorie, Mom, I love and respect you both beyond any measure.

  Joel Eisenberg

  January 29, 2015

  ***

  To those who undertake journeys. Which means every one of us. And to the artists, fellow travelers all, who hunger for a muse as they struggle to invent our road-songs. Tunes of infinite winds. Drumbeats, the way stations of remembered events. Crescendo and the silence of glimpsing impossible vistas, places beyond the measure of our allotted steps.

  Steve Hillard

  January 29, 2015

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Since our last go-round, on Joel’s behalf . . .

  On Tuesday, January 12, 2015, Anne Rice on her Facebook page, of which I am a proud contributor, asked the following question: “Have you made a New Year’s resolution that you are willing to share? I suppose the one resolution I made which is the most important to me is to be more patient in the future, to realize more than in the past, the value of patience and kindness . . .”

  Having been inspired by Anne and her writing for over thirty years, I responded in kind: “It’s honestly this: I wrote a very specific series of novels—the first of which is out shortly—for a singular purpose. The purpose is to change perspectives, and by extension contribute to a new understanding and appreciation of free expression and tolerance.”

  That about covers it. For me, there is no finer declarative than the metaphorical nature of art to glean life’s true purpose.

  I’d like to thank Anne, who has become a mentor of sorts, for being consistently accessible.

  Family, as ever.

  Michael Conant, you’ve been an ally from Day One. Thank you. Ditto Janice Bini.

  Debbie Jackson: lifesaver. Period.

  Celine Boivin, the greatest—and most mysterious—cover artist ever. To her I am eternally grateful (choice of phrase entirely intentional). Looking forward to making my way to Paris and actually meeting you in person.

  CAA’s Jon Levin, my film and television agent and constant source of hope.

  Andy Van Roon, Sonja Andersen, Mariana Sho, Randy Chrust, Stephen Pfeffer, Ian Lowell, Amy Blair, Tracee Beebe, Tess Collins, Megan Benjamin-Evans, Becky Dillon, Herbie J. Pilato and Mari Hamill for their early support of this project.

  Tc McKinney and Nessa Arcamenel. Special people.

  Stephen Scott. My dear buddy, who passed away from an insidious cancer (is there any other kind?) that consumed his body but could never come close to overtaking his spirit. We’ve known each other for more than twenty-five years through the proverbial thick and thin, and the conversations we shared, that we share no longer . . . I am proud that this vehicle enables me to commemorate our kinship. To his wife, Judy Lamppu, I hope this heartfelt expression also contributes, if even only slightly, to that other poignant memory: He resolutely refused to pass until he was assured of your well-being.

  Steven Goldmann, you are missed. Fifty-three years old, taken from the same disease. Steven attended my first book signing for Creation, the first volume of The Chronicles of Ara, in Pasadena, California. Wheelchair-bound and weakened by chemotherapy, he promised he would support his close friend, and he did. He passed barely a month later. Steven was a groundbreaking talent, a magnificent filmmaker who also directed some of the most iconic music videos in the medium’s history. Nashville’s annual Steven Goldmann Visionary Award, granted to talented moviemakers who make a difference, will ensure the survival of his memory.

  Both brave men confronted their deaths while commemorating the lives of those they would leave behind. Together, Steve and Steven inspired the character traits of Elizabeth in Creation, the late wife of Thomas McFee who also passed, of cancer, much too soon.

  Starbucks. Coffee gods. Where these books are written while under the influence of two black Venti Pikes every morning until nine, when I return home to eat breakfast and discuss world events with Lorie as Koko pleads for leftovers.

  And to anyone with whom I had ever shared a philosophical or life-affirming conversation . . . I thank you all.

  ***

  On Steve’s behalf . . .

  To Bridget, Drew, and Nick, who are family. To Aliah, who provides us joy as a vibrant young lady, and mist-filled eyes as she prepares for her own journey.

  LEGENDARIUM

  TIMELINE

  (BEING THE SERIES OF EVENTS

  AS RECONSTRUCTED AND REPORTED IN

  THE CHRONICLES OF ARA VOLUME ONE: CREATION)

  THE MIRKWOOD ERA

  A time before recorded time.

  The great dragonslayer, Eron, has fallen upon his sweord. Constructed by the mystic, S’n Te, in tribute to Eron’s father, the first king of Mirkwood, the accursed implement’s unintended consequence awakens an exiled immortal.

  Ara, the muse who inspires the entirety of the world’s art and creation, has been sentenced to mortality for not sharing the aesthetic of her immortal family. As she has loved the dragonslayer from afar, the vengeful Ara swears to infect the creative capacity of man so as to influence a cataclysm, one that will include in its sweep human and god
, with the endgame of returning the future to “dragon-scorched earth” and orchestrating a union with a revived Eron on the mortal coil.

  NINETEENTH CENTURY ANNO DOMINI

  Author Lewis Carroll is inspired to write his greatest creation, Alice in Wonderland, in response to his obsessive friendship with the child Alice Liddell.

  Alice in Wonderland becomes literary legend. For some, the mathematical jabberwocky therein serves a higher purpose and is considerably more than a simple act of storytelling. This idea is passed down to subsequent generations and will, two centuries hence, become the basis of a prodigy’s tragic message.

  TWENTIETH CENTURY ANNO DOMINI

  Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien is asked to help authenticate a recently found “lost” chapter of Beowulf, which sets in motion a series of events and discoveries that gradually exposes the muse’s tragic plot.

  Tolkien insists to his team that the discovery may be dangerous and must remain a closely guarded secret. The legendary writer spends his final years at peace in the coastal resort town of Bournemouth, England, and passes away soon thereafter.

  TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ANNO DOMINI