The Ring

By FireWire

Story No. 9

An older man and a young woman are sitting beside each other in a subway car. The woman becomes aware the man is looking at her ring. She glances at him.

The man says. “I hope you don't mind. I was admiring your ring.”

The woman smiles. “Not at all. I get compliments from strangers all the time about the it. It has introduced me to quite a few interesting people.”

"Was your mother's name Fay?"

The woman is taken aback. “How did you know?"

"Because I had that ring made for her ... 32 years ago.”

There is a moment of silence before the man says, “How is your mother?"

"She passed away three years ago. An untimely death. I still miss her a great deal. I wanted her to be with me forever.”

"I sympathize with you. She was an extraordinary woman. Beautiful. Yes. But it was her personality that made men—and women—fall in love with her. I still miss her.”

The man pauses. “I always thought we would meet again.”

He slowly clasps his hands and looks down. “To finish the words of those last few moments we were together.”

They sit in silence as the train slows for the station.

The woman puts her hand gently on the man's forearm. “Mr. Moretti, my mother loved you all her life. She told me one time she didn't know what love was until she met you. As for those last few moments, by the time she understood what you were trying to tell her, it was too late ... and she always regretted it.”

The man looks at her and smiles, “Thank you.”

The train stops and the woman stands. “This is my station.”

The man stands. “Mine too.”

As they walk across the station platform towards the stairs, the man says, “I'm meeting my son here. That's his train coming now, so he'll be here in a minute. Would you be able to wait until he arrives? I want him to see the ring.”

"Of course,” the woman says. “It's simply amazing how strong this ring is, yet, looking at the top of it, the stones don't appear to be attached to the ring—they're just floating above it. My mother never took it off from the moment you put the ring on her finger, and she led a very physical life.”

The woman's eyes suddenly move away from the man's face and towards the platform. After a few seconds, they return quickly to the man's face.

The man feels a hand on his shoulder.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long, Dad.”

The man turns and chuckles. “I wish you had been a little longer. It's not often I get to talk to such a beautiful young lady.”

The man turns towards the woman and says, “I would like to introduce my son, Bill.”

The woman extends her hand. “Kate Carlson.”

Bill takes Kate's hand. “My pleasure.”

The man says, “I'm Tony.”

Kate smiles. “I know.”

Tony says, “If you don't mind, Kate, I would like Bill to look at the ring. He's a geologist. And I agree with you. The ring is the same as the day I gave it to your mother. Why is that? It's a delicate ring, designed to be worn on special occasions.”

Kate raises her left hand. “You'll have to examine it on my hand,” she says. “I never take it off.”

Bill shrugs. “OK.”

He says to Tony, “What am I looking for?"

"I gave this ring to Kate's mother 32 years ago, but it looks brand new. I'm hoping you'll find its fountain of youth.”

Bill turns Kate's hand palm up and puts his face close to her hand. He moves the ring around trying to get a better look at the crown. “If I could put get the ring under an electron microscope, I might solve the mystery.”

Kate shakes her head. “Sorry. It will have to remain a mystery. I don't take this ring off for anybody or anything. I told my fiancé he could take the engagement ring back to the store because this is the ring I'll be wearing with the wedding band.”

Tony says, “That's perfectly all right, Kate. We understand.” He pauses. “Bill and I are going to lunch. Would you like to join us?"

"I would love too, but I'm meeting my fiancé.”

She hesitates. “There is something I must ask. What about the spell?"

"The spell. Thirty-two years ago.” Tony studies the platform floor for several seconds before saying, “I had the ring made for Fay by a Chinese jeweler in a small town straddling the borders of Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. When we went to pick up the ring, the jeweler said a spirit from the beginning of time lived in the ring. He said the ring would fit a woman's finger only if the man and woman loved each other. As long as the woman wore the ring, the spirit would protect her from harm. But, if she took it off, the spirit would leave her forever. Then he handed me the ring and said, 'See if it fits.'"

Tony holds his hands up. “Hey, I know this sounds like Cinderella, but I'm just repeating what the jeweler said. He knew the ring would fit because he measured Fay's ring size before he made the ring. It seemed to me like he was justifying the astronomical price increase he hit me with when the time came to pay. You know, if a work of art has a back story, people will pay more. Anyway, if there was a spirit, which there wasn't, he has already left town taking the spell with him because your mother took off the ring when she gave it to you.”

Kate shakes her head slowly. “You're wrong. There is a spirit, and it's still in the ring. I feel its power flowing through me. I am protected—24/7.”

"How's that?" Tony asks.

"When the end was near, Mom said it was time for me to wear the ring. She told me to hold her hand so the tip of her finger was tight against mine while she slid the ring from her finger to mine.”

"And it fits?"

"Perfectly,” she says, touching the ring.

Several months later, Tony passes away unexpectedly. Bill is sitting in the front pew of the church at the funeral. All the mourners have left, and Bill is alone. After paying his final respects, Bill stands and turns to leave. He is surprised to see a woman standing behind the last pew. She is dressed in black; a black veil obscures her face. Walking slowly towards the back of the church, he tries in vain to discern her face. He stops in front of her.

"Thank you for coming.” He pauses. “Have we met?"

"Yes. Oh. The veil.” She lifts the veil.

Instantly, Bill says. “Kate Carlson"

Kate is surprised. “My, you have a good memory.”

Bill smiles. “You made an impression. Anyway, thank you again for coming. My dad was thrilled to meet you. As you were going up the escalator, he said, 'She is so like her mother.' Then after a few moments, he said, 'It must be the ring.' You made him a believer.”

"I glad he felt that way.”

Several seconds pass before Kate says, “The reason I came was to bring closure to the unsettled emotion I had about your father and my mother. From my conversation with your father on the metro and conversations with my mother, I felt they both regretted having never met again after whatever happened between them at the end of their romance. I hope now the feeling of regret can end for both of them ... having to always regret a love lost forever because you didn’t know you were loved until it’s too late is so sad.”

"True,” Bill nods. “So true.”

They stand in silence until Bill says, “After our meeting, I looked you up on the internet.”

"And?"

"And I was impressed. An astronomer. The youngest person to ever lead a research group at Caltech. But what impressed me the most was the international organization you founded to promote the hands-on study of astronomy by hiking into deserts and up mountains. There were enthusiastic member blogs, pictures, and videos from a bunch of different countries. You looked pretty good in shorts and a T-shirt with a telescope strapped to your back sliding down a sand dune on you stomach.”

Kate laughs. “The Kalahari Desert in Botswana. I remember it well. I lost my balance just before I reached the top of the dune. It was a long slide to the bottom. After that, I stopped worrying about whether or not I had sand in my hair.”

"And the ring?"

She takes off her glove and lifts her hand for him to see the ring. “Not a scratch.”

He takes her hand and looks at the ring. “Very strange.” He looks up. “You have beautiful hands ... I think about them a lot.”

Watching him from the corner of her eyes, she asks shyly, “Are my hands the only thing you think about?"

Releasing her hand, he chuckles. “No. Not the only thing.”

After she lowers her hand, she grasps the ring holds it tight. “I met two women who knew you.”

"Oh-oh. Who were they?"

"Sheila Reynolds and Rachel Evans. They spoke very highly of you. Asked if you were married.”

"I haven't seen them since my college days at Colorado. How did I get into the conversation?"

"We met at a NASA symposium in San Francisco. One of the papers presented was about the theoretical element neos. The scientist presenting the paper said NASA had a mineral that could be neos, and you examined it.”

"I did and who knows what it is. It was so miniscule that no meaningful tests could be performed. The thing is black, unbelievably heavy, and impervious to an atomic force microscope. It's definitely not from this world.”

"Is that what Camille Henderson was interviewing you about?"

Surprised by the question, he looks at her carefully for a moment before answering, “Yes.”

Ignoring his look, she says, “Sheila and Rachel told me about the YouTube video of the interview, so naturally I had to watch it.”

"Of course.”

"The video only shows Camille losing her cookies and calling you Indiana Jones while you sit there pretending not to notice.”

Bill shrugs. “What else could I do?"

"I was thumbing through a gossip magazine in a grocery checkout line and saw she called you after the interview and asked you out.”

No reply.

"She's a glamorous TV personality. Why didn't you go out with her?"

"Hard to say. Probably because she was a glamorous TV personality.”

"Come again?"

"No substance.”

"Oh. OK, I understand.”

Kate looks at her watch. “My fiancé will be calling at any moment. I must go.”

"I'll walk out with you,” Bill says.

At the car, Kate says, “I'm sorry about your father. He was a polite, nice man.”

After several seconds of silence, Kate says, “Goodbye.” and turns towards her car.

Desperately wanting her to stay, but without hope, Bill is praying for a miracle. Desperation answers. “Before you leave,” he says,” I have a favor to ask.”

She turns.

He reaches in his pocket, takes out a business card, and slowly hands it to her. “If your situation ever changes, I'd like to be on the list for the next hike.”

Silently, they look at each other. Silent, while their hearts and eyes collide for a few, brief moments until Kate's phone rings. But those few moments are long enough for the message to pass between them, striking deep within, joining them as one. An emotional message so profound and unexpected that their hearts are changed forever.

Her phone continuing to ring, Kate frowns, turns, gets in her car, and puts her hands on the steering wheel without picking up the phone. When the phone stops ringing, she lets the car window down and looks up at him.

"I won't forget.”

Less than a month has passed since Tony's death. Bill is in his office having just finished shaking hands with Prince Dzhamak, the anointed heir of a small, mineral-rich kingdom in the Pamir Mountains on the Northern border of Afghanistan.

Bill gestures for Prince Dzhamak to sit on the sofa, and he sits in an adjacent chair.

"The State Department said you had an unusual mineral for me to examine,” Bill says.

"That's correct, but first, some background on it. Periodically, organized gangs cross over from Afghanistan to raid our mines. Several weeks ago, we received a report one of these gangs had crossed the border. A company of our soldiers set up an ambush and wiped them out to the man. One of the things we confiscated was a small bag of diamonds, so we knew we had not gotten them soon enough.”

The Prince opens his briefcase and takes out a small metal box. “This box was in the same package as the bag of diamonds.”

He hands the metal box to Bill. “Careful. It's heavy.”

Bill's hand drops when he receives the box. “You're not kidding it's heavy.”

Bill puts the box on the coffee table in front of him and opens it. Inside is a black object, half the size of a fingernail clipping.

Bill takes the object, walks to a cabinet, opens it, turns on a large, polarizing microscope, and puts the black object under it. He rotates and turns the object over several times before removing it from the microscope and returning to his chair.

"What do you think it is?" the Prince asks. “Our scientists examined it, tested it, but they could not classify it.”

"I don't know what it is either, but news reports describe a similar object found by NASA during one of its missions. Some NASA scientists have conjectured it is neos, the first element created after the Big Bang.” He chuckles. “However, I can say for certain you are the owner of the biggest what-ever-it-is ever found. And the only one found on earth.”

"We believe we know where there are more,” the Prince says.

There is a long silence.

"Where?" Bill asks.

"This one was found in a stream which originates in a section of the Pamir Mountains with a unique geography called the Biananeh.”

The Prince pauses. “We wish to engage you to help us find the mother lode?"

"Why me? Many others are more qualified in mineral exploration. I recommend your country use the German exploration company, Roter-Kamm, which has the resources for this type of project. No doubt your country has already conducted a search without success, and you know the area. One man, familiar or unfamiliar with the geography, will not find it except by accident.”

"We read your published exploration reports, talked to men who had worked with you or for you, and know you were the only geologist NASA selected to examine its specimen; therefore, we are certain you are qualified. We also concluded from our research that once engaged you will not betray us. However, there is one obstacle we did not consider.”

"What is that?" Bill asks.

"You are a handsome, personable young man who no doubt is popular with women. The miners you will be working with are Islamic fundamentalists who believe—strongly believe— all personal relations with the opposite sex outside the marital bond are sinful. To prevent temptation, their women wear the full chadri which covers the entire body except the hands and the feet. You may not want to be in such an environment for an extended period.”

There is a silence before Bill says, “Your royal highness, if I was in a romantic relationship, I would not be a candidate. Unfortunately, I am under the spell of someone who is engaged to another man. Perhaps neos can break that spell. What do you propose?"

Several months after Tony's funeral, Kate calls Bill and gets a message referring all calls to his business partner, Tom Partell. Kate calls Tom, but he will not tell her where Bill is. He agrees, however, to her request for an office appointment. When she arrives, Tom seats her in front of his desk.

Kate hands Tom her business card.

He looks at the card, and asks, “What can I do for you Dr. Carlson?"

"Oh, the card is just to tell you who I am. This visit is about a personal matter, so you can call me Kate if you like.”

"All right, Kate. What can I do for you?"

Before answering, Kate grasps the ring and holds it tight. “Mr. Partell, I'm trying to get in touch with Bill. His cell phone message referred me to you.”

"And as I told you earlier, I would like to give you that information, but Bill is working overseas under a contract which specifically states his location and nature of work are secret. The only reason I know his location is because I'm supplying him with the equipment he needs. Even I don't talk to him. All information is passed back and forth through his employer. I can tell you he will be out of the country for ten more months unless the contract is renewed.”

"I may not appear to be close to Bill since I was unaware he was out of the country,” Kate says, “but the truth of the matter is we are very close. Bill's father, Tony, and my mother were engaged to be married at one time. Did you know Bill's father?"

"We were best of friends since Bill was in grade school.”

"I met Mr. Moretti several months before his death and showed him a ring he had given my mother. Did he ever mention that meeting or the ring?"

"He did. Wasn't the ring supposed to have some kind of magic power? At least Tony thought it did.”

Kate holds up her hand. “This is the ring.”

"It caught my attention when you sat down. I was going to compliment you on it.”

He pauses. “But back to your request. I'm going to be blunt with you. Bill is in a lawless location where women are chattel. Being a beautiful woman, you would never make it to him. The moment you got off the plane you would be tracked. At some point during your journey, you would be kidnapped and sold as a slave for prostitution. The danger to your personal safety makes a visit impossible.”

"All right,” Kate says. “I'm going to be on edge until he returns, but I must get a personal message to him. Can I call him?"

Tom shakes his head. “I can't call him myself.”

"Then, it's my turn to be candid. When Bill and I met, I was engaged. He asked me to tell him if my engagement were to end, and I promised him I would. Well, the engagement did end, but he doesn't know it. I've never been attracted to a man like I am to Bill, and I know he's attracted to me. If I don't keep my promise, he will surely find another, and I will always regret it ... please help me ... I have nowhere else to turn.”

After some reflection, Tom reaches into a desk drawer and takes out a piece of paper. As he slides it across the desk, he says “I'm sorry, but as I stated before, Bill's contract forbids my giving you his address.”

It's late afternoon at the mining camp. Bill, Mullah Fazil, Imran, the owner of a trucking company which supplies the camp, and Imran's wife are seated at a table waiting for Colonel Qahar, the commander of the Army battalion providing security for the project. Standing behind Imran's wife is her servant who will prepare the afternoon tea. Both Imran's wife and the servant are wearing full black chadris. Imran is talking to Mullah Fazil who is both the religious leader and the tribal elder of the miners. Mullah Fazil listens silently to Imran. When he is finished, Mullah Fazil nods his head in agreement.

Imran says to Bill, “In these mountains, winter is so harsh that thoughts freeze. The average temperature is zero—when the wind is not blowing ... and the wind never stops blowing. You will need somebody to keep you warm at night. My wife has a niece who speaks English and is indeed lovely beyond comparison.”

Imran speaks to his wife in Dari. She nods several times.

"I told Mullah Fazil the dowry had been paid to her family which means she will come here as your wife which is as it should be. When you are finished here, you can take her back with you.” Imran leans forward and says to Bill in a low voice, “If she doesn't please you, it's socially acceptable to leave her and the dowry here.”

Bill says, “You are very kind to do this for me, but I can't accept. I will continue to work two shifts even in the winter.” He takes a pad out of his pocket, writes a note and address on it, and hands it to Imran. “Send this to my partner in the states, Tom Partell. He will reimburse you for the dowry which your wife's family can keep as a token of my gratitude.”

Imran speaks to his wife. She reaches in her bag, takes out a picture, and gives it to Imran. Imran offers it to Bill. “Here is her niece's picture. When you see her face, you will certainly reconsider.”

Bill refuses the picture. “If it's not love, it's not for me. Nothing against your wife's niece or your kind offer—it's just the way I am.”

Imran extends the offer of the picture for a little longer before handing it back to his wife. He and his wife then begin a conversation with Mullah Fazil.

Since Bill's Dari is not at the conversation level, his eyes wander until he sees the red tribal markings on the servant's hands. He looks at the tribal markings on the hands of Imran's wife and concludes they come from the same tribe since the markings appear identical. If the servant's hand wasn't partially bandaged, he thinks, old Imran wouldn't be able to tell which one was his wife. He wonders if Kate is married yet. He wonders if she remembers him. He can't get over her.

Colonel Qahar arrives shortly with a letter in his hand. He sits down and apologizes in Dari to the Mullah, Imran, and Imran's wife for being late. He turns to Bill and hands him the letter. “From all the scribbling on the envelope, it appears the letter was delivered to several wrong addresses before finally making it here.”

Bill looks at the envelope, sits straight up in his chair, and tears the envelope open. He reads the few lines on the letter and looks up at the sky. He stands up and begins to pace while reading the letter again and again.

"Is there anything wrong Bill?" the Colonel asks.

"Every damn thing is wrong.” He shakes the letter. “This is from the woman I came here to forget. But I can’t because she is here. Here in my head day and night—24/7. And now—in this letter—she tells me she’s free. She's the kind of woman men want to put a full-court press on the minute they see her. She'll be gone in a flash, and I'm nine months and seven thousand miles away from her. She will never know ... that I loved her.”

Bill stops and looks at the Mullah. “Colonel, tell—ask—Mullah Fazil how long it will take to go from two shifts to three.”

"How are you going to manage operations twenty-four hours a day?" the Colonel asks. “Even a man like you has to sleep.”

"I'll show you how it's done. I want a third shift brought on line right away. Just ask the question.”

"I'll ask him,” the Colonel says, “but first let's have our tea. That will be the best time.”

"All right,” Bill says and sits down.

Imran's wife turns to her servant and gives her instructions regarding the tea. The servant nods, sets a cup in front of each man, and pours the tea.

After about fifteen minutes of general conversation concerning the current status of mining operations, the Colonel says something to the Mullah which causes an immediate expression of disbelief on the Mullah's face. The Mullah looks at Bill and gives a short response.

"Mullah Fazil wants to know,” the Colonel says, “why we need three shifts? The winter snow will soon stop the mining. How can we find a little, black rock that weighs a lot when we can't see what's on the ground?"

"Tell the Mullah I have something that will find the mother lode in the snow.”

After the Colonel relays the message, Bill says, “I have been trying to determine the mother lode's location based on the pattern of locations of our findings, but I don't have time for that now.”

He lifts an object from beside his chair and puts it on the table. “Last night it occurred to me if what we are looking for is neos, then its physical properties would be like nothing we know about. Tests at NASA showed it did not emit energy, but the thing is so dense, I thought maybe it was emitting energy at a level we can't measure. So last night in my cabin I put a specimen on the table, wired a light bulb to this Geiger counter, and flipped the switch like this .....

The instant Bill turns the Geiger counter on, the light bulb explodes. No one at the table says a word. After collecting his thoughts, Bill says, “It couldn't be the specimens at my cabin. I performed a distance test last night with this same device and nothing happened. There must be neos close by.” He begins to look around.

The Colonel says, “Wait until after we finish our tea. The Mullah will have his men sweep the area.”

Imran's wife nods to the servant who uncovers a tray with small dishes of sweets, and begins placing a dish in front of each man. As she approaches Bill, she stumbles, spilling the tray on the ground.

Seeing that she is having difficulty retrieving something under the table, Bill says, “Let me help you. I don't see how anybody in a chadri can do anything.” He moves his chair, gets on his hands and knees, and looks under the table. On the ground, in a small dish, is the ring.

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