Lingua Sacra Publishing
Excerpts from A Place of Brightness
Chapter One
The spring of 1962 awakens in the area of Brasov, a hundred miles north of Bucharest, the capital of Romania. For fifteen years the “Haiduci” have carried out
guerrilla attacks against the Securitaté — the Secret Police of the Communist government. Now, in the final days of this insurgency, a Haiduci family conducts
what they hope will be their final mission.
“I hate these moonless nights,” Petre said, plodding through the darkness under towering pine trees.
“Look there,” his sister Doina said. She raised her walking staff and pointed to their right. “It’s rising just now on the horizon.”
Petre saw a sliver of silvery light over the distant Carpathian Mountains. “So you inherited our father’s eyes as well as his ears,” he said. “What magic powers did I
get?”
“I can’t fire a gun as well as you,” she answered.
He laughed. “If you could, you wouldn’t need me at all. And the Communists would fall from power in days.”
The lights of the city of Brasov dotted the horizon. There, as in all Romania, each apartment building and every place of work had informants who told the Secret
Police about any activities deemed dangerous to the State. Going to Church or reading the wrong books could place one under suspicion of treason.
“I can’t do this alone,” she said, adjusting the shoulder strap of her AK-47. “Your aim is even better than Grandma’s.” She smiled in thought. “It’s strange how
these powers cross between the genders and generations of our family.”
****
Chapter One
The spring of 1962 awakens in the area of Brasov, a hundred miles north of Bucharest, the capital of Romania. For fifteen years the “Haiduci” have carried out
guerrilla attacks against the Securitaté — the Secret Police of the Communist government. Now, in the final days of this insurgency, a Haiduci family conducts
what they hope will be their final mission.
“I hate these moonless nights,” Petre said, plodding through the darkness under towering pine trees.
“Look there,” his sister Doina said. She raised her walking staff and pointed to their right. “It’s rising just now on the horizon.”
Petre saw a sliver of silvery light over the distant Carpathian Mountains. “So you inherited our father’s eyes as well as his ears,” he said. “What magic powers did I
get?”
“I can’t fire a gun as well as you,” she answered.
He laughed. “If you could, you wouldn’t need me at all. And the Communists would fall from power in days.”
The lights of the city of Brasov dotted the horizon. There, as in all Romania, each apartment building and every place of work had informants who told the Secret
Police about any activities deemed dangerous to the State. Going to Church or reading the wrong books could place one under suspicion of treason.
“I can’t do this alone,” she said, adjusting the shoulder strap of her AK-47. “Your aim is even better than Grandma’s.” She smiled in thought. “It’s strange how
these powers cross between the genders and generations of our family.”
****
“Brother Petre, I was coming to speak with you about something else. I’ve had a dream about you.”
“What was this dream, Staretz? Your dreams have predicted the future so many times. Please tell me! What did you see?”
“First, Brother Petre, I don’t predict the future. When I first came here myself as a young man of sixteen, the Staretz at the time identified the gift God has given
me. It’s not prophecy exactly. My dreams show me what will come to pass only in the realm of human action.”
“But they’re always so accurate. You’ve predicted so many disasters.”
“Never natural disasters, Petre. Only those things which humans cause by their action or inaction.”
“Why are your dreams always correct, then?”
“Because people are weak. They have no faith and they don’t pray enough. Nothing I’ve ever seen really had to happen as I saw it. It could have been changed. A
wise holy woman once told me that if only one person in every village in Romania had really been prayerful, the Communists would never have taken over.”
They each crossed themselves, remembering the events of Romania’s past.
***
“Answers will come tomorrow,” he said. Andrew looked over his glass and suddenly put it down. “Oh my Lord!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Absolutely nothing. The most beautiful woman we’ve seen today just walked into the restaurant.”
Stefan picked up his glass and casually turned. “Dark blue business suit, blonde hair?”
“Who else?”
“She’s something,” Stefan said, turning back to face his brother.
“She’s looking all over the room,” Andrew whispered. “I hope her party is somewhere in my field of vision.”
Stefan smiled. “Let me point some things out. Business suit, hair in a tight bun, minimal makeup —”
“She doesn’t need any!” Andrew protested.
“I’m not done and haven’t made my point. Have you noticed that she’s also not wearing any jewelry?”
“Alright, so what is your point?” he asked.
“Look at her shoes.”
“I tried, but with those legs I never got there,” Andrew said. “Alright. Flats. Very functional.”
Stefan chuckled. “Don’t you see the signs? That, my dear brother, is a government employee.”
“So?”
“Spy Craft 101. She’s Securitaté.”
“You’re crazy!” Andrew said. “There’s absolutely no way that celestial being is one of them.”
Stefan raised an eyebrow. “You’re too distracted by her other attributes to notice that she’s packing a weapon, Andrew.”
He looked at her carefully and spotted the bulge below her left shoulder. “You’re right, she is,” he said. “I feel awful right now. This could be an attack and I let my
guard down. It won’t happen again.”
***
Stefan hurled the gun away, not even looking for his brother’s position.
As Andrew ran, he saw the gun flying through the open space. Calculating that his speed would not be enough, he dove forward. Horizontal to the ground, his
fingers managed to seize the sailing gun.
Stefan pulled the unconscious man in front of him. Looking back and forth between the two other assailants, he saw that one of them was just pulling out his gun to
fire on Andrew. The other was already aiming carefully and directly into Stefan’s eyes. Stefan saw that the man was well trained and was about to take the shot.
He watched the entire scene unfolding as if in slow motion, so heightened were his senses with the terror of the moment.
“What was this dream, Staretz? Your dreams have predicted the future so many times. Please tell me! What did you see?”
“First, Brother Petre, I don’t predict the future. When I first came here myself as a young man of sixteen, the Staretz at the time identified the gift God has given
me. It’s not prophecy exactly. My dreams show me what will come to pass only in the realm of human action.”
“But they’re always so accurate. You’ve predicted so many disasters.”
“Never natural disasters, Petre. Only those things which humans cause by their action or inaction.”
“Why are your dreams always correct, then?”
“Because people are weak. They have no faith and they don’t pray enough. Nothing I’ve ever seen really had to happen as I saw it. It could have been changed. A
wise holy woman once told me that if only one person in every village in Romania had really been prayerful, the Communists would never have taken over.”
They each crossed themselves, remembering the events of Romania’s past.
***
“Answers will come tomorrow,” he said. Andrew looked over his glass and suddenly put it down. “Oh my Lord!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Absolutely nothing. The most beautiful woman we’ve seen today just walked into the restaurant.”
Stefan picked up his glass and casually turned. “Dark blue business suit, blonde hair?”
“Who else?”
“She’s something,” Stefan said, turning back to face his brother.
“She’s looking all over the room,” Andrew whispered. “I hope her party is somewhere in my field of vision.”
Stefan smiled. “Let me point some things out. Business suit, hair in a tight bun, minimal makeup —”
“She doesn’t need any!” Andrew protested.
“I’m not done and haven’t made my point. Have you noticed that she’s also not wearing any jewelry?”
“Alright, so what is your point?” he asked.
“Look at her shoes.”
“I tried, but with those legs I never got there,” Andrew said. “Alright. Flats. Very functional.”
Stefan chuckled. “Don’t you see the signs? That, my dear brother, is a government employee.”
“So?”
“Spy Craft 101. She’s Securitaté.”
“You’re crazy!” Andrew said. “There’s absolutely no way that celestial being is one of them.”
Stefan raised an eyebrow. “You’re too distracted by her other attributes to notice that she’s packing a weapon, Andrew.”
He looked at her carefully and spotted the bulge below her left shoulder. “You’re right, she is,” he said. “I feel awful right now. This could be an attack and I let my
guard down. It won’t happen again.”
***
Stefan hurled the gun away, not even looking for his brother’s position.
As Andrew ran, he saw the gun flying through the open space. Calculating that his speed would not be enough, he dove forward. Horizontal to the ground, his
fingers managed to seize the sailing gun.
Stefan pulled the unconscious man in front of him. Looking back and forth between the two other assailants, he saw that one of them was just pulling out his gun to
fire on Andrew. The other was already aiming carefully and directly into Stefan’s eyes. Stefan saw that the man was well trained and was about to take the shot.
He watched the entire scene unfolding as if in slow motion, so heightened were his senses with the terror of the moment.
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A Place of Brightness
A Place of Brightness follows a Romanian-American family from the time of Communist Romania down to present-day points
across the globe. Amidst a gathering storm of dangers and intrigue, they face the pains of their deep losses and celebrate the
survival of love.
Stefan and Andrew Valquist had a strange childhood. Their mother, who claimed to have fought as an anti-Communist insurgent
back in Romania, taught them everything she knew before her death.
Now grown up and working as an Orthodox priest and a soldier, the brothers' world is shaken when they receive a message from
an uncle they believed had been killed decades earlier.
A trip back to their mother's homeland thrusts them into danger when they narrowly avoid death at the hands of mysterious
assassins. Now they race against time to stop an imminent attack on their ancestral home.
A Place of Brightness follows a Romanian-American family from the time of Communist Romania down to present-day points
across the globe. Amidst a gathering storm of dangers and intrigue, they face the pains of their deep losses and celebrate the
survival of love.
Stefan and Andrew Valquist had a strange childhood. Their mother, who claimed to have fought as an anti-Communist insurgent
back in Romania, taught them everything she knew before her death.
Now grown up and working as an Orthodox priest and a soldier, the brothers' world is shaken when they receive a message from
an uncle they believed had been killed decades earlier.
A trip back to their mother's homeland thrusts them into danger when they narrowly avoid death at the hands of mysterious
assassins. Now they race against time to stop an imminent attack on their ancestral home.