is here and now—” He pointed and I looked into the dark, clear water of the creek. Two brown carp swam from under the thicket into the open.
“He comes—” We held our breath and peered into the water beneath the overhanging thicket. The two brown carp had seen us, and now they circled and waited for their master. The sun glittered off his golden scales.
“It’s him!”
The golden fish swam by gracefully, cautiously, as if testing the water after a long sleep in his subterranean waters. His powerful tail moved in slow strokes as he slid through the water towards us. He was beautiful; he was truly a god. The white sun reflected off his bright orange scales and the glistening glorious light blinded us and filled us with the rapture true beauty brings. Seeing him made questions and worries evaporate, and I remained transfixed, caught and caressed by the essential elements of sky and earth and water. The sun warmed us with its life-giving power, and up in the sky a white moon smiled on us.
“Damn, he’s beautiful—” Cico whistled as the golden carp glided by.
“Yes,” I agreed, and for a long time we did not speak. The arrival of the golden carp rendered us silent. We let the sun beat down on us, and like pagans we listened to the lapping water and the song of life in the grass around us.
Whose priest will I be, I thought. The idea that there could be other gods besides the God of heaven ran through my mind. Was the golden carp a god of beauty, a god of here and now like Cico said. He made the world peaceful—
“Cico,” I said, “let’s tell Florence!” It was not right, I thought, that Florence did not know. Florence needed at least one god, and I was sure he would believe in the golden carp. I could almost hear him say as he peered into the waters, “at last, a god who does not punish, a god who can bring beauty into my life—”
“Yes,” Cico said after a long pause, “I think Florence is ready. He has been ready for a long time; he doesn’t have gods to choose between.”
“Does one have to choose?” I asked. “Is it possible to have both?”
“Perhaps,” he answered. “The golden carp accepts all magic that is good, but your God, Tony, is a jealous God. He does not accept competition—” Cico laughed cynically.
I had to laugh with him because I was excited and happy that we were going to let Florence in on our secret. Perhaps later Jasón would know, and then maybe others. It seemed like the beginning of adoration of something simple and pure.
We made our way up the creek until we were just below the Blue Lake. On this side of the lake there was a concrete wall with a spillway. As the lake filled it emptied in a slow trickle into el Rito. No one was allowed to swim along the wall because the water was very deep and full of thick weeds, and because the lifeguard was on the other side. But as we came up the gentle slope we heard the shouts of swimmers. I recognized Horse and the others shouting and waving at us.
“They’re not supposed to be here,” Cico said.
“Something’s wrong,” I answered. I heard the pitch of fear in their voices as they called and gestured frantically.
“Remember, we tell only Florence,” Cico cautioned.
“I know,” I replied.
“Hurry! Hurry!” Abel cried.
“It’s a joke,” Cico said as we neared the gang.
“No, something’s happened—” We sprinted the last few yards and came to the edge of the culvert. “What?” I asked.
“Florence is down there!” Bones cried.
“Florence hasn’t come up! He hasn’t come up!” Abel sobbed and tugged at my arm.
“How long?” I shouted and worked myself loose from Abel. It was not a joke. Something was wrong!
“A long time!” Horse nodded through the spittle in his mouth. “He dived,” he pointed into the deep water, “and he didn’t come up! Too long!”
“Florence,” I groaned. We had come seeking Florence to share our secret with him, a secret of the dark, deep-blue water in which he swam.
“He drowned, he drowned,” Bones whimpered.
“How long?” I wanted to know, “how long has he been in the water?” But their fright would not let them answer. I felt Cico’s hand on my shoulder.
“Florence is a good swimmer,” Cico said.
“But he’s been down too long,” Abel whimpered.
“What do we do?” Horse asked nervously. He was frightened.
I grabbed Abel.