The Covering Dust

The Covering Dust

The Covering Dust takes place in the Elamite era, three thousand years ago; the pre-Iranian civilization centered in the far West and Southwest of what is now modern-day Iran. At the time when inner family marriage was common and the Shatens (monks) ruled over people’s day to day life and cast their shadows on their after-lives. The Gods and Goddesses were considered powerful influences on the acts of men and women and they were the only source of truth and justice. 

Haltash, the young son of a passed farmer is madly in love with the girl whom his father took into his care after her father and brothers died at sea. But Haltash’s father does not allow them to marry; he wants Haltash to marry his sister instead. Haltash claims that his father withdrew his will at his death bed. It is now word against word. Haltash’s sister will not do against her father’s will and takes up her claim to the temple of the Sun God (Nahunte) in Susa. Haltash is called in by the court which takes place with the presence of Shatens and the great judge of Susa. The court is not able to decide who is telling the truth. Therefore they entrust the sentence on to Shazi, the goddess of justice, afterlife and the rivers. Haltash is thrown in to the river to come face to face with Shazi. If he comes out alive then he is telling the truth and his sister shall be punished for lying in the court. And if he has lied he shall drown in the river ruled by the goddess of justice. 

Haltash escapes death in the river, even though he had actually lied in the court. He struggles on what to do; whether to go back and have her sister punished by the temple or to run away. He finally decides to go and find her lover and to secretly escape with her to another country. But the return journey is not as easy as he expects. After long hours of walking and climbing the arid mountains, he still does not find his way back. In his most hopeless moment he sees light, a mountain side lit by fires coming out of the soil. He is drawn to the fires of Tashkooh where he meets an old man whom he later discovers is immortal. The Old Man tells him his dreadful life story and how the magical soil of Tashkooh can make people immortal. He agrees to help Haltash find his way back to his lover under only one condition: should he return to him, he will have to help him die. And there is only one way that he could kill an immortal.