The Seven Swords of Diya: An Indiana Jones Fan Fiction - Part 2

Chapter 296: Kamchatka Wilderness, Soviet Union, 1960

Kamchatka Wilderness

Soviet Union

1960

Indy, Emily, Shorty and Lizavet stood in the gaping entryway of the ice covered river cave. The river flowed out of it and the rock overhang was edged with dagger-like icicles.

Indy held up his cigarette lighter. The flame didn't catch. He took a breath, watching the moisture hang in the air. "I've got nothing to make a torch out of. Don't like going in blind."

Emily blinked. "I can see just fine."

Indy and Shorty looked at each other. "Shaman drugs?" They asked Lizavet.

She nodded. "I don't have any more."

"I wouldn't recommend it," Indy replied.

"Oh. They work great for painkillers, Dad," Emily grinned. "I can even see with both eyes."

"What?" Indy took her face in his hands. "You can see with your injured eye?"

"Yeah. I think the shaman drugs open the blood vessels so the scar tissue that usually blocks my optic nerve or puts pressure on it, gets relief." Emily blinked at Indy, as her father stared into her face. Gently he covered her good eye and holding up his finger asked, "What can you see?"

"Your index finger is up, Dad."

"Ok." Indy's voice was trembling. "Follow it." He moved his finger slowly left and right, watching Emily's eye trace the movement. Then he lunged, grabbing her and holding her close. "You can see, Littlest Artifact."

Lizavet watched, then glanced at Shorty. "I do not understand...."

"The tomb cave in that gave me the scars," Emily explained, as Indy let go of her and stood beside her. "Made me half blind." She pointed her eye. "I can sometimes she shadows, and moving blurs, but that's only if its a bright day. Most of the doctors we went to see about it, didn't want to do anything about my eye. There was some work done on the scars, but I don't know that they'll ever go away. Not sure I want them to. They're part of me, now." She looked at her artifact bag and held up her braid. "Just like this."

"You didn't throw it in the fire?" Lizavet whispered, dread in her voice.

"I couldn't. Wasn't ready. Lotta memories tied up in this ponytail."

Indy heard his own voice in his daughter's speech pattern and grinned. "I'm confident you can lead us, Em."

"Through the cave?" She asked. "You know what happened...?"

"I know what happened in the tomb, hon," Indy reassured her. "And I know you're a confident young woman ready to take on the world. We all face things we fear some time. Mine was a snake pit in 1936. Yours is a cave, today." He put his hand on her shoulder. "You'll do great, Em. I trained you. I've known you were going to be my little rival since I lowered you into a tomb at four."

"That was the same one that collapsed, Dad."

Indy grinned. "But you didn't."

Emily looked toward the darkness, squaring her shoulders like her father. "No. I didn't. Let's go."