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  "Mahina is a fantastic tale involving multiple storylines from both historical times and the present… beautiful and complex, like the threads of fine tapestry… a memorable and well told story, full of adventure and romance… Someone should turn this book into a motion picture. You should read the book." Kathy Olson

  "Paradise Warrior is an amazing book. It makes you laugh, cry and reflect. It is a book that when you finish you wonder about life around you. God’s plan in our life... amazing gift…" Fernando M.

  “…I cry & I laugh & I don’t want to put my book down… I loved reading “Mahina” on my iPad…. BUT…. I absolutely LOVE having it in BOOK FORM now…. to have & to hold…. forever mine!" Gwennie Simpson

  “I've finished THAT BOOK and will now have to do something constructive!!!... if book number three is as riveting as the other two, I will need pulse-reducing medication. I can't believe the depth of all that he was able to bring in to that story!!! (I'm thinking that I will have to stick to “Little Women” and “Heidi” in future.)” Maureen

  "Mahina is a brilliant novel that I’ve read with great pleasure The Author is very smart to describe the human heart in his various characters. I enjoyed also how sincere faith and love for God are lived by some of them. My favorite, Aunty Rosa is especially appealing; it really makes you want to meet her!" Dominique

  "Mahina is a great read. I really enjoyed Jack Dey’s writing style... weaving a fictional tale through real historic events… that show how... events, people or actions in the past can profoundly affect the present. More importantly, how God can redeem stories that sometimes start generations before… A great first novel by Jack Dey. Can’t wait for the next!" Gary James

  “...Mahina... Finished!!!!!! Loved it!!!!!” Marie

  "MAHiNA... engaging and informative. It is hard to put down a novel when the characters are intriguing and the storyline incorporates a variety of threads. Aunty Rosa was the one character that I was especially drawn to; her wisdom and sensitivity were authentic and endearing... And the ending was superbly done; tying in each of the real life issues in a clever and perceptive way." Susan

  "...amazing, delightful, absolutely intriguing, WONDERFUL book... PARADISE WARRIOR!!! I can't put it down..." Gwennie Simpson

  "Paradise Warrior... You certainly know how to keep the reader hanging for more! Great work! I’m going to read it again!" Corinne

  “…a very talented writer... how much I enjoyed reading Aunt Tabbie's Wings. I laughed, cried, and just kept reading, reading and reading. Couldn't put it down. You have captured what it means to forgive and have that agape love for other people that our Heavenly Father has for his children...” Becky and David Poole

  "...Mahina. The story draws you in chapter by chapter. Thoroughly enjoyed it..." Craig

  "After reading Mahina, I looked forward to discovering… Paradise Warrior! The Author is able once again to describe how God works and change the lives of those who put their trust in Him. But do not think that these two novels are alike! Paradise Warrior is much more thrilling fiction. It’s quite impossible to close the book before the end. And when I finished reading it, I’ve read it a second time to enjoy even more all its subtleties, this for the first time in my life…!" Dominique

  "Jack Dey… he writes a rollicking good yarn, that man..." Shelley

  “You don’t have to have a parallel story to relate to the depth of emotion that Aunt Tabbie’s Wings awakens. How can you not thoroughly immerse yourself in the warmth of the Savior’s love demonstrated through real-life characters? I was touched by the storyline, the surprises and the figurative language, “…as the sun yawned away the darkness…” January 1, 2015—the day I read a page-turner from cover to cover. Thanks Jack.” Suz

  "Love The Secrets of Black Dean Lighthouse! Always good to have a book that’s hard to put down with a twist in the story!... Keep them coming!” Corinne

  “Aunt Tabbie’s Wings is fascinating reading. The stories of the various characters seem to be so real… the reader will be moved by the true love of God showed in a family, which is used to change a ruined destiny. What I have particularly loved in this novel is the genuineness and pertinency of the relationship among the figures and with God. I can recommend this good novel to those who want to be closest to their Heavenly Father and be motivated to spread His love around them.” Dominique

  “I LOVE it !! I wish I knew Aunt Tabby !” Gwennie

  "...Aunt Tabbie’s Wings... once you start, you won’t want to put it down." Elspeth

  "...Aunt Tabbie's Wings… loved it so much... I could not put it down..." Trudy R.

  [Mahina] “I was up reading half the night last night…” Kathy

  *~*~*~*

  THE LEGEND OF ATANEQ NANUQ

  by

  JACK DEY

  *~*~*~*

  PUBLISHED BY:

  COPYRIGHT 2015 C.D. & A.R. Day

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means–electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherwise–except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the owner of the copyright.

  Original Cover Design: C.D. & A.R. Day

  Cover images: pixabay.com

  Cover image of couple: L. & S. Parrish

  This book is also available in print.

  (paperback)

  For further information please contact:

  URL: https://jackdey.com

  Email: [email protected]

  *~*~*~*

  Dedicated to: Papa

  For Your Honour and Your Glory

  *~*~*~*

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 80

  Author's Note

  About the Author

  Connect with Jack

  Discover Other Books by Jack Dey

  Exclusive Preview – Mahina by Jack Dey

  Exclusive Preview – Paradise Warrior by Jack Dey

  Exclusive Preview – Aunt Tabbie's Wings by Jack Dey

  Exclusive Preview – The Secrets of Black Dean Lighthouse by Jack Dey

  Exclusive Preview – The Valley of Flowers by Jack Dey

  *~*~*~*

  Important Note from Jack

  The Legend of Ataneq Nanuq is a signature Jack Dey mystery novel designed for people who enjoy an unpredictable, cryptic read.

  WARNING: The theme may disturb some sensitive readers as it visits areas of the Christian walk few Christians take seriously or at least, are willing to acknowledge. It is vital, however, that we understand who we are in Christ and what He expects from us as ardent believers.

  The Legend of Ataneq Nanuq with its many twists and turns will leave you guessing as one by one, each character paints another small, but vital and seemingly unrelated part to the final plot. Those readers intent on divulging the plot by reading the last page first, then Nanuq will confuse
and frustrate you. I make no apology for this. The reader who perseveres and takes the time to relax and roll with the punches to the end will be rewarded with a rich, unforgettable journey and hopefully, it will leave you with burning questions that will demand an answer.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, incidences, places or events, past or present, unless otherwise stated, is purely coincidental. Poetic licence has been taken in writing this fiction.

  I hope you will enjoy reading it, as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

  Jack Dey

  *~*~*~*

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank the following for their tireless support in bringing The Legend of Ataneq Nanuq from a thought to a finished work.

  Papa God, for allowing me to be a pencil in His hand.

  My wife, the Editor, for turning my full stops into commas, encouraging me to keep going and using words like 'disturbing' to keep me on track. Constantly filling my cup with tea and love.

  My Assistant Editor, the very charismatic Phil Hollett, for never letting me get away with anything.

  My friend, Lenny, using his unusual life as an example of Christ’s love and actions to build Cutter’s character.

  The ever vigilant prayer team.

  Finally, you, the reader. May you never forget the journey you are about to take and judge everything against what Papa tells you.

  Jack

  *~*~*~*

  The Gateway Emerald

  What is this thy quest to throw off the cloak of thou Creator God and glorify thyself? And what is left for wretched man to do? Turn thine back upon Heaven, callous man, and in the denial of thine God, lift thine fist proudly in the face of the Mighty One; the One whom is tightly wound into the fabric of thine universe and by His own goodly heart holds calamity at length from thine undeserving kind. What of His wisdom? What of His understanding and what of the laws that protects humanity from itself?

  Bestow proud accolade and bow to thy own word, proud man. For if it was to be and thou Mighty One gave man thy desire and thou restraining hand was removed. What then, oh contemptuous man? What of thy great resounding pride and the deeds of thine hands; will thy power and thy boasting tongue be thy salvation? Nay, for thy heart is of great evil and its intention is laid bare.

  Lust of the eye

  Lust of the flesh

  Pride of life

  Hide me in thy belly, oh cavern of despair, for I fear mine own works. Rain down death and thrust me away from this thing that I have become, but yet I find not thou reaper’s cutlass; and where can I find shelter from thee? Where can I hide mine shame where thou wilt not see? Fall down upon me, oh sky and crush mine iniquity, for there is no escape from mine pain at mine own reckoning.

  But still thy God beckons, aware of all thine iniquity and heavy with a heart saddened. All is not lost, until thou stubbornly chooses and thine heart stops upon thy last beat. Then thy fate is sealed; no longer can thy God reach into thy pride and purchase thine flattered soul. Death will not quench thy pain, for it reaches beyond thy flesh and cuts deep into thine spirit, following thee into the fires of Hades where thou, oh eternal man, bereft of God, lives.

  – Jack Dey

  *~*~*~*

  THE LEGEND OF ATANEQ NANUQ

  When injustice and fear collide it has a name... Ataneq Nanuq. A disturbing mystery.

  *~*~*~*

  Chapter 1

  PRESENT DAY

  A crisp command silenced the dogs as the weathered, leathery face pressed hard against the fractured window; a legacy from last winter’s trials. His faltering gaze followed the rocky shoreline of the bay through the broken glass and from the confines of the tired, dishevelled hut, keeping his aging outline pressed against the wall and trying to stay out of sight. His panicked hot breath steamed the pane, partially obliterating the view while two milky brown eyes, bloodshot and squinting from too many years exposed to the glaring icy landscape, traced the small ship’s progress as it entered the deepest part of the wilderness of Scoresby Sund.

  A worried frown settled across his wrinkled brow. It had been nearly two years since he had glimpsed another European and by his reckoning, that wasn’t long enough. The fear rose into his chest and threatened to freeze the scene into a long buried moment in history he’d worked so hard to forget.

  In the isolation of the wilderness, there was no one to impress or be judged by. Being alone was sometimes lonely, but it was far easier than feeling hunted by his own kind and required to perform or give an account of what he had done. There just wasn’t a plausible, easy explanation for what had happened able to satisfy him, let alone a civilised European court. He had evaded his hunters for well over fifty years, vanishing like a shy Arctic fox into the tundra and beyond the reach of their prejudiced form of justice.

  He was bitterly aware, maybe even more so today than the day it happened... he was a fugitive: a wanted man.

  Dwarfed by icebergs, floating lazy and majestic in defiance to the seasonal thaw and towering rebelliously against the smoky-blue backdrop of the late summer sky, the tiny ship appeared insignificant by comparison. The remnants of the winter sea ice, now scattered and breaking up over the surface of the warming water, playfully nudged the steel hull of the white ship as she pushed closer to the shore and his hut. The ship’s movement through the Sund created ripples that disturbed the tranquillity and betrayed the ship’s intended direction. As it came closer, he could make out the Russian name: MV Multanovskiy.

  Momentarily distracted, his eyes diverted from the vessel and focused on a nearby berg. Desperate thoughts chased around his mind. Surely the Russians couldn’t have an interest in my history or a reason to pick a fight with me.

  Just to be certain, he stayed well out of sight anyway.

  Surrounded by a backdrop of rugged, snowcapped mountains, the tortured old hut stood on crumbling brick pillars just one metre above the rocky tundra floor and only a stone’s throw from the Sund. The floor timbers sagged with age, complaining bitterly with every step the old man took while the fire had finally gone out in the old fireplace. He had used up the last of the seal blubber fuel and the gaps in the stone chimney let the windblown chill into the hut, something he would have to fix in what remained of this summer, before the ice storms of January. The roof above him was the strongest part of the hut, strengthened to support the weight of dense winter snow and the turbulent gales of the long Arctic night.

  It wasn’t the Ritz, but it was home.

  After the summer thaw had advanced and defeated the winter pallor, Salix glauca turned the once-white snow covered tundra into a rich red, giving the illusion of a living welcome mat sprawling across the landscape and leading to the rocky shores of the Sund, testifying that the long winter had indeed retreated and the short summer was now in command.

  As he gauged the ship’s position once again, a sense of irony struck him. In the depth of the endless Arctic night, he had driven his dogsled clear across the frozen Sund on an iceshelf two metres thick to fish through a drilled hole in the ice, close to where the ship now cautiously picked its way across the fluid summer sea and towards his home. He watched in surprise as the ship executed a wide arc and came within fifty metres of his old dwelling. Seemingly convinced there were no signs of life, it turned unexpectedly and steered again for the entrance to the Sund, picked up speed and silently slid out of the fjord, bringing a sigh of relief from the old man.

  From his position hidden within the shelter, the aging eyes struggled to focus on the departing vessel as it vanished from view.

  The dogs began to whimper, eager to get back outside into their natural environment and leave the confines of their hiding place. He cautiously surveyed the scene outside the window, sweeping the barren landscape for any threats. His searching stopped abruptly, while his blurry eyes pressed shut and open again in an attempt for clarity, trying to focus on a large granite boulder some distance away. It was still there
after so many winters and summer thaws, perched lifeless on the granite mound, weather bleached and staring in the direction of the fjord where Nanuq had slaughtered him: the skull of a muskox.

  The hapless creature had wandered into a two day standoff between the old man trapped inside his hut and a hungry nanuq, keeping the human pinned down. The dogs had alerted the old man to the presence of the dangerous male polar bear, while Nanuq had watched every move from his hidden position, his fur camouflaged perfectly against the white winter environment. Unwittingly, the muskox had sacrificed his life and meandered into Nanuq’s patient trap, ending the ordeal for the old man. Nanuq struck with such stealth and ferocity, driven by hunger. His agile and powerful 600 kilogram frame, standing 2.7 metres tall, launched with deadly accuracy as his voracious, tearing jaws crushed the life from his victim. It was doubtless the muskox even saw him coming. His hunger then satisfied, Nanuq, the powerful male polar bear, had turned toward the hut and tossed his head and sniffed the air in a warning toward the old man. Nanuq’s dark eyes had set a deliberate challenge, daring him to do battle in a future time. One last huff and Nanuq had sauntered away into the depths of the polar winter, leaving enough of his conquest as a sign of his rank and stature among the polar bears, allowing the smaller, hungry subordinate bears to clean up after him.

  After the altercation with Nanuq, the old man had left the skull of the muskox where it lay, as a chilling reminder and evidence of the ruthless fight for survival in a hostile and unforgiving frozen wilderness devoid of friendly human contact. One lapse in concentration in a powerful winter storm—where the temperature plunged to in excess of minus twenty-three degrees Celsius—or an unguarded moment flaunting his life in front of a hungry, prowling nanuq away from the safety of his shelter, could prove fatal. Still, he was more at home in the cruelty and isolation of the tundra where man, beast and the environment fought to the death only for survival purposes. When hunger and the depths of winter no longer threatened, man and beast lived together in an uneasy cohabitation, keeping a close, wary eye on each other. Unlike European society, where a fatal blow constantly lurked in every corner and every human being was an enemy and a target in a relentless drive to conquer and dominate each other. He shivered as he imagined society closing the door on his troubled freedom and trapping him in a crowded man-made nightmare.