“Why would shamanism have mattered to the Minoans?” Daniel challenged.
Olga didn’t seem offended by the question. “It is the world’s oldest religion—a reverence for the spirit power of all life. A long time ago, people could feel the invisible energies surrounding them. Their shamans could do even more than that. These magic-workers could reach beyond the senses for deeper truths. They could perform healings and reveal secret knowledge to others. Although ‘shaman’ is a Siberian word which means ‘one who can see in the darkness’ such people have existed in every land since the beginning of human times.”
“But the Minoans were matristic,” the scion insisted. “It’s unlikely they would have entrusted their most precious goddess relic to a shaman.”
Olga furrowed her brows, taking a few moments to process the comment. “You think the ancient shamans were men?”
“Of course,” Daniel retorted. “That’s what all the history books say.”
“You mean overlord history books?” Griffin asked pointedly.
“The overlord history books that Alma Jones would have clubbed you with if she had any handy?” Cassie kidded him gently.
“Oh.” The scion blushed with embarrassment. “Please continue, Olga. I’m sorry I interrupted you.”
The scout complied. “Of course, the overlords do not like the idea that women ever wielded spiritual authority, so they changed the story.” She waved her hand dismissively. “They can spread lies in their little books, but they cannot change the truth buried with the bones. The earliest shaman grave found in Europe dates from 31,000 years ago and it was the grave of a female. Among the Siberian people, each tribe has a different word for a male shaman, but they all use the same word to describe a female shaman. This means the earliest shamans were women. When myths tell of the first shaman, they always speak of a female. In many places, male shamans dress as females in order to perform ceremonies. There is a saying in this part of the world: ‘a woman is by nature a shaman.’ It explains why female shaman training is so much quicker and easier than a man’s. She already knows what he must spend time learning.”
A look of gloom crossed Olga’s face. “When the overlords invaded here, they persecuted shamans. It started with the Buddhist monks from Tibet—the Lamaists. They conspired with the Mongolian emperor and declared him to be the reincarnation of Genghis Khan to strengthen his claim to the throne. In exchange, he made Lamaism the state religion. On pain of death, shamans were forbidden to practice their rituals. They were still being burned alive by Buddhists as recently as the beginning of the twentieth century.”
“That isn’t so very different from what happened in Europe during the height of the witch craze,” Griffin remarked. “Shamans and witches both work within a local community. In Europe, these practitioners undermined the spiritual authority of the Catholic Church. As we all know, overlord state religion and politics go hand in hand.”
The scout continued. “Once religion was abolished by the Soviets you would think such persecution would have come to an end. But it did not. The Soviets feared the people of Siberia would never be loyal to the state as long as shamans held influence in the villages and towns. So the persecutions continued. Shamans who practiced public rituals had their tongues cut out and were sent to gulags. Some were murdered.”
Olga smiled bleakly at her listeners. “At least the story has a happy ending. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, shamans everywhere have come out of hiding. Even though much of their sacred history has been destroyed, they perform rituals openly again. Some have even founded alternative healing centers. There are many shamans on the western shore of Lake Baikal. The eastern shore was taken over by the Lamaists long ago. The people are mostly Buddhists on that side.”
“So, you think the Minoans may have entrusted the Sage Stone to a shaman somewhere near the lake?” Daniel asked. “Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t Lake Baikal as big as our Lake Michigan?”
“Not as big in terms of surface area,” Griffin chimed in. “But it is longer. Lake Baikal measures four hundred miles from end-to-end. It is the oldest, deepest lake in the world. By volume, it contains more water than all of the Great Lakes combined and is the largest fresh water source on the entire planet.”
“That certainly seems like a huge area to search.” The scion sounded dismayed.
“Oh, I think it will not be so bad,” Olga countered. “There is a place halfway up the western shore that has been considered sacred for thousands of years. We will go to Olkhon Island first—to Shaman Rock.”
“You seem to know a lot about the area,” Cassie remarked.
The scout shrugged. “I should. My family lives there. My mother is Buryat, and my father is from Belarus.”
At that moment their orders arrived, and everyone transferred their attention to their food.
Olga offered one final bit of advice as she picked up her fork. “You should rest as much as you can while we are on the train. Arriving in Irkutsk will only mark the beginning of our journey.”
Chapter 28—Fresh Targets
Leroy Hunt stood behind Metcalf and observed his employer fire several bullets at a target hanging ten feet away. The shots all clustered neatly around the heart.
“You come a long way, boss,” the cowboy said approvingly.
Metcalf lowered his weapon and assessed his handiwork. “With your help, Mr. Hunt.”
Leroy thought back wryly to the previous week when they’d first started training. It had taken some wrangling to get the preacher to choose a gun he could actually manage. The old coot could barely stand on his own two feet, yet he was hankering to shoot a hand cannon. Metcalf demanded a Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum. The cowboy did his best to keep from laughing in the old man’s face, but he let him
