Day Eight Hundred Ninety Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

No news yet as to the whereabouts of Meesa. Before she left, she said only that she wouldn’t go further than some villages north of Damascus.

Well, Jezer has been there and back. But reports nothing concrete about her. Good or bad.

However, some people told him stories about strange people in their villages who have come and gone lately. He thinks that if she heard the same rumors, she would have stayed in the area to check them out.

When we heard this detail, we decided we had to go and look for ourselves. But Jezer prevailed upon us to stay put and give her another day to make her way back to us.

Elijah considered this wise counsel.

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Day Seven Hundred One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The detail of soldiers given charge of us was beyond strange. I don’t think any of them shut their eyes at any time. Nor did they, in our hearing, say a word. They filled the night with their unblinking stares.

As for our side I was the only one who had trouble sleeping. Elijah and the Captain didn’t stir.

Come the dawn we were remanded into the charge of the Head Quarter’s guard, and the strange detail departed.

We didn’t have to wait long for our interrogation before the Supreme Commander. He had only one question for us – why were we there.

Elijah answered him with another question – were they prepared to release our friend.

Then Tomas was ushered in.

Day Seven Hundred #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Our captors were more uneasy than us. They had rushed to the side of the stricken officer, and were relieved that he still breathed. They kept their weapons trained on us, but at a respectful distance.

The commander was at a loss as to what to do with us. Once he settled it in his mind that what had happened was defensive and we had no inclination to go on offense, he put us in a room with twelve guards.

This morning he dispatched us with our detail to appear before the Supreme Commander of the army.

It was a long hike through ring after ring of army units to its hierarchical center.

Our weary day ended in more waiting.

Day Four Hundred Forty Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Heavy rains moved in today. The Captain’s concern grew when the wind picked up. He ordered the ship underway after a thorough checking of the lashings. In charge of that detail, Tomas had some of them doubled.

I watched from the bridge as the shoreline slid by. Elijah pointed out the rickety staircase by which we climbed up off the beach. The wind then died and a mist settled in along the coast of the island.

We were no sooner into the channel between the island and the mainland when the wind freshened. And within seconds day turned to blackened night and the wind mounted in ferocity.

The Captain commanded the ship about and we sailed away from our destination.