Liberty Epic of Shadows is divided into 8 books, including a Prologue to construct allegorical meaning within context of historical reference. Strong in metaphor and rich in character development, this epic designed to transport the reader through a corridor of past events, while at the same time using the genealogical roots as a secondary motif of deterministic justification. But the primary goal is to exemplify that carnal choice ultimately creates spiritual directive. In other words, every character presented with a choice either to serve the mammon of this world to the end of death and dissatisfaction, or to hear a spiritual calling providing greater promise.
This story begins with the discovery of the new Americas and the vast resource of treasure it offers. In the beginning prologue, the infamous Conquistador, Hernándo Cortés navigates a dark passage in company of his now antagonist companion, King Montezuma, deposed ruler of the Aztec Empire. Upon reaching a special chamber flooded with light, this dark emissary from another continent becomes unnaturally possessed by the glittering wealth. It is the gold of the ancient gods that most infects this man's mortal reason. It is as though a Pandora Box opened, releasing into the world something old and forgotten, harbored in soil of the human soul. So begins systematic campaigns of colonization spurred by agenda to exploit the sparsely populated continents of South and North America, now reachable by strong Spanish Imperial seafaring vessels of Basque construction.
More than a hundred years later, the Hapsburg Empire has reached its fulfillment, now declining in power because of material gluttony. A Spanish Galleon christened the Libertad captained by Jacob Belasko is in preparation to make the routine voyage back to Europe with a hold of newly minted gold coins and a creature from the South American jungles believed demon possessed. The ship stops briefly at the Spanish port of La Florida, where it boards a San Franciscan Friar returning to his native Portugal, also representative of thirteen unusual American Indians, though local to the region. The return voyage is met with disaster, beginning with a storm that strands the ship for many days in the Sargasso Sea, and later caught in another storm that drives the vessel upon the shallow shoals of the Carolina shoreine. Prior to being ripped from the Sargasso Sea, a miracle of exorcism takes place aboard the Libertad. This supernatural event distresses the practical mind of Captain Belasko, as he tries to come to terms with many personal dilemmas. The majority of the crew mutinies, and disappear in the only lifeboat after the ships grounds on a sandbar and begins breaking up. The sole survivors are Captain Belasko and three of his crew, the San Franciscan Friar, along with the South American and thirteen Indians, mostly women. Captain Belasko becomes interested in one of the Indian women, named Ahamady during a trek through swampland lasting many days. The South American, now gentle and in his own mind, becomes their natural leader because of his experience living in swamps. After an incident when saves Amahady from certain death, all the native people begin to call him Xeantee Aconee, which has special reference to their spiritual beliefs. The three surviving sailors have managed to salvage bags of gold for themselves before the exodus, thus setting the stage of consequence. At a point the thirteen tribal members are led by Xeantee Aconee to a place they find acceptable as a permanent habitat, which they refer to as Shelecheyanu. Here they choose to remain, while the Europeans desire to continue in hopes of reaching a European colony. Xeantee Aconee continues as guide because of his spiritual connection with the Friar. Captain Belasko agrees to go only because of responsibility he feels as Captain, but plans to return to Amadahy, whom he now loves more than the world beyond. Because of greed and suspicion, this expedition becomes a pattern of evil consequence. Only Xeantee Aconee survives to tell the tale.
More than a century later, Adam Pixley, a British militiaman, finds himself driven into the Carolina swamps terrified. He is sole survivor of a massacre by colonial ambush that kills all in his platoon. During his ordeal being lost in the swamp, he finds a Spanish gold doubloon, which inspires him with curiosity and coincides with the delirium of swamp fever. Later he is miraculously saved from certain death and nursed back to health by a local Indian tribe calling themselves Aconee. In time Adam Pixley becomes and honorary citizen of the tribe, with a blood brother connection with a Indian he calls Jack, and eventually marrying a woman named Mitexi, who bears him a son. This begins his simple life in the spirit of what the tribe refers to as Shelecheyanu. After Mitexi' unfortunate death, he goes mad with grief. He will devise a plan of escape by following Jack on one of his mysterious treks. It is on this excursion, he finds the hidden treasure form more than a century earlier. Through grief, Adam Pixley becomes possessed with evil, in fulfillment of a name given to him by the Indians Angeni-Cuauhtemoc, meaning Angel of Fallen Eagle. He first murders Jack with a flintlock revolver he finds with the discovered trasure. Adam will return to the tribe of swamp Indians with paid mercenaries and commit genocide. Adam Pixley becomes a founding father in this part of the rural south, establishing a linage of wealthy barons for the next 200 years.
Another historical cut to Nela Smith, the last living heir to the Pixley legacy in 1960s rural south. Now there is a dying town on the Liberty Peninsula, inhabited by mostly poor cotton mill hands. Existence of the vanished local Aconee Indian tribe steeped in legend few know and no one believes. Here is the proper beginning of this story. The town of Liberty represents the allegorical epic center during early Vietnam era America.
Only Abraham, the old Negro man that lives separated in the swamp, embraces true faith. He is appointed guardian of a boy born less than perfect and badly disfigured by fire. He grows into a teenager labeled a monster by all those that see him. He generally sleeps during the day, and hunts frogs in the swamp by night so that Abraham might make a living selling frog legs to the locals. This boy will become known as Westbaily, receiving the spirit of the original Xeantee Aconee, which is the story within the story. Brother will murder brother, all to pay the ultimate price exacted from xenophobic idealism and material blindness. At the end, a generation will become ensnared in conflict of South East Asia, returning less than whole. The town of Liberty must die by drowning, in order to be resurrected. Then are sins of the father remembered, making possible repentance. Only then can peace be restored. All recounted through the narrative of Jeremiah Wake at the end.
