Adon Caddo at the Black Gardenia

Copyright © 2017 Gary Stephen Moore.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Scripture quotes are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7160-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7162-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7161-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017900282

WestBow Press rev. date: 2/2/2017

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 Adon Caddo

Chapter 2 The Chosen

Chapter 3 The Veil and Beyond

Chapter 4 Home

Chapter 5 Mama Bayou

Chapter 6 Pearl

Chapter 7 Catia Renata

Chapter 8 The Voodoo King

Chapter 9 The Artist

Chapter 10 Willie Lee

Chapter 11 Eurynomous L’Etoile du Matin

Chapter 12 Storm of Storms

Chapter 13 Beginnings of the End

Chapter 14 Forever and Forever

Epilogue

Endnotes

For my wonderful, outrageous family

from whom I have learned so much!

For thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

—Hebrews 13:2 (King James Version)

PROLOGUE

It stood there, beyond legend. No one knew when it was built, by whom, how, or even why, for that matter. It was just there — a dilapidated shack totally out of sorts with the huts of the surrounding native inhabitants. It was overgrown with aromatic jasmine, moon vine, ivy, and other exotic vines that defied horticultural description. Anything that went to seed in its vicinity grew, most beyond the norm for their species or genus.

On the outside, it was shielded from the light of day by massive, ancient, moss-laden oaks made red by their proximity to the water, a mystery unto itself. Their size made it extremely difficult for sunlight to penetrate (though the light of a full moon never had a problem and always seemed to infiltrate the dense canopy). Weathered and distressed shutters that had certainly witnessed their share of violent tempests shielded the inside.

It had one visible entrance: an ancient, weathered door that lacked knob and hinges. It was reached via a wood-planked pier, supported by rickety wooden poles that skimmed the surface of the swamp’s reddish water. Vegetation grew thick upon the water’s surface, most notably wild water lilies and pungent swamp lotus.

On those nights that were not blessed by a full moon, illumination was provided by millions of zealous lightning bugs that somehow knew it was their sacred duty to light the walkway. If they did not, the chance visitor might never be assured of finding the hidden entrance.

The shack was surrounded by a nearly impenetrable flowering hedge of glistening, black, aromatic blossoms that towered over the roofline. The fragrance that exuded from these blossoms could cause one to lose the ability to retain the deep, dark secrets hidden within the farthest reaches of one’s soul.

The most peculiar feature of the shack, however, was that it was larger on the inside than on the outside. Many individuals would discover this unique feature over the ages, as they were influenced by the power, and the wonder, of the Black Gardenia, as it was known for as long as anyone could remember.

The structure bore no trace of nail, peg, glue, or any other means that bound its multiple parts together. The only bonding agent, if you could call it that, was a kind of incandescent red light. As a result, its slats and beams were able to breathe with the atmospheric variations.

Was it forbidding? Perhaps to those unprepared to delve into explorations that plummeted the depths of their psyches.

Even though the Black Gardenia rested among the lush foliage of the swamp, it did so in a silence quite profound. Even the cacophony produced by the native wildlife was reverently hushed in its presence. It should be noted, though, that once in a while, the shriek of a common loon would pierce the pungent atmosphere. That sound announced the emergence of an individual from the Black Gardenia, though the emergence was rarely back to their original time and location.

As forbidding as the Black Gardenia could be, it was a place that called to individuals, regardless of their status or location in life. It harbored no biased agenda, nor did it segregate individual from individual or species from species. It was an equal-opportunity domain. And it was alive! Even more peculiar, at times a blood-red light glowed from deep within, transforming the swamp into something quite extraordinary. Why, or how, no one dared venture a guess. It just did.

CHAPTER 1

ADON CADDO

C addo is a word that is frequently heard in the American Deep South . Loosely translated, it means red river or red waters. Current etymological belief states that it was a Native American term, perhaps influenced by the French word caddeaux. It was not. Furthermore, it was not native to the South. Nor did it originate on the North American landmass, this world, or for that matter, this universe. In truth, its origin (how best to say it?) was derived from the heavenly tongue. In other words, Caddo is of divine origins.

In the time before time, the Great One created the Adons (or Lords). Their purpose was to act as overlords in part of the Great One’s vast, eternal plan (i.e., the division and continuation of His chosen humans into a priesthood and twelve distinct tribes in preparation of His advent on this terrestrial sphere).

Though the Adons were of the angelic order, they were scarcely visible to any mortal eye, if at all. They rarely altered the course of human events. However, they could influence events through subtle acts of persuasion: a whisper here, a suggestion there.

Each of the Adons was associated with a specific precious stone that corresponded to one of the twelve tribes that corresponded to the twelve gates of the heavenly kingdom. Because of the Adons, one of the Great One’s appellations was Adonai (the plural of Adon).

Highest ranked among the Adons was Adon Caddo. He glowed as red as a ruby and was entrusted to oversee those who had been designated as high priests of the Great One.

CHAPTER 2

THE CHOSEN

V ery early, as the Great One’s process unfolded, a particular individual had caught the attention of Adon Caddo. Then it happened—an event of astounding importance: A forlorn, little brushwood bush caught fire on the side of a desolate, high mountain.

One day, the particular individual whom Adon Caddo had been entrusted to observe, encourage, and influence, if necessary, was awakened from a very disturbed, deep slumber by that voice, again. He knew that voice. For years, it had plotted out the course of his turbulent and tempestuous life.

Adon Caddo could never understand this chosen man. Though certainly charismatic, he was quite scruffy and very irritable. In his youth, he had been a princely figure of an exotic kingdom. He had slept upon the finest linens, but now his bed was the hard earth, with only a roughly woven blanket for warmth. He once smelled of the finest perfumes; now he smelled of livestock and dung. He had been raised on endless varieties of succulent foods, but now he was reduced to humble meals of bread and quail.

Adon Caddo could never comprehend the needs of such an earthly, physical creature. He had no need of sustenance because he was continuously, and directly, nourished by the Great One Himself.

After his assignment, Adon Caddo accompanied this chosen one on every path the Great One had laid out for him. It was, however, always an issue for the Great One to get the chosen’s attention. It wasn’t complacency; the chosen one had seen the Great One’s handiwork far too many times. No, it was irritation. He was actually irritated that the Great One still had something up His sleeve that was guaranteed, he was convinced, to cause him tremendous grief and hardship. He had discovered over the years, however, that the only way to get the