Beloved husband
Of one wife
Beloved father
Grand and great grand
Beloved friend
To all in his orbit
Stillness now covers
The frenetic pace
Time is run out here
And begun elsewhere
Rounded third base
And now safe at home
Beyond the hurley burley
Beyond our view
Under restful skies
By the side of the Eternal
Father and Husband
And Friend.
RWOz2
We buried my father yesterday. I wrote these thoughts as a tribute to him.
Love you, Dad.
Elijah had chosen three of his disciples to go to Babylon. They had acted on a suggestion he had made to them long before they had last parted from us. He had told them that the Spirit would nudge them to the task when the time was proper.
And when it had came to pass, at that self-same instant one was given a vision of Mr. Kagi. That disciple was with that worthy somewhere on the path behind them.
We dispatched the Captain and one of the disciples to bring them in.
We waited and waited. Through a long night. And when they arrived this morning even Tomas and Mawuli abandoned their lookout to come greet our old friend.
Reuben is heart sick. Not only for the loss of his friend and the others, but perhaps more so because he failed to meet them and bring them up here to the heights.
We are thankful that Sy had the presence of mind to restrain Reuben when he wanted to run headlong down to the aid of his stricken comrades.
Elijah has Reuben with him now and is counseling him.
I will confer with Tomas. Reuben, upon his arrival two days ago reported that the Captain and Jezer had returned. So I will send Tomas out to intercept them. And Mei.
Thankfully all conflict remains far away from the distant valley below.
Time to prepare for the new moon tomorrow.
Elijah has been indefatigable. He has not left Magwich’s side. And has been rewarded, as our friend is freed from his delirium and is alert and talking to us.
In his confusion he had lost sight of us and with everything falling out of the sky to the front of us it seemed a bit safer to head in the opposite direction.
He has no excuse for continuing on when the situation became more clear. He feels silly actually. And apologizes for his curiosity that propelled him onwards to take in what had happened in the affluent quarter.
Most striking, perhaps, was his description of the attitudes of the people there. Extreme hostility towards Elijah, whom they consider evil incarnate.
None of us wanted to leave the area without Magwich. So Reuben led us to a deserted compound that at one time was the residence of a relative who just happened to be related to Magwich as well.
While Elijah and I remained behind, Reuben and Quasimo went in search of our friend.
We originally focused on interceding for our absent trio, but that soon changed. Both of us began praying simultaneously for Tomas and Sy with an urgency that I have seldom experienced before.
In comparing notes with Elijah afterwards, he had had a vision of Moglen leading a bound and gagged Mawuli.
Our earlier intercession was rewarded by the return of Reuben and Quasimo carrying a wounded Magwich.
Everyone has made the leap of logic and lines up the rumored sacrifice with the person of our young friend.
I was at the point of second guessing and backing off on that conclusion, banking on the fact that any hard evidence to the connection is completely lacking, when Elijah interjected that Mawuli is indeed in Moglen’s clutches and it is Stan’s intent to sacrifice the boy.
Then I knew in my heart that the altar had been replaced once again up on the heights above Sy’s old redoubt.
And I knew that we would be returning there.
Thankfully before that thought could immobilize me, Elijah set me some tasks around the hiding place that could benefit from my attention.
Elijah called for an end to the demolition of all the remaining passages into the hiding place area. The Captain started to protest, but Sy stepped forward and by his argument convinced our friend that such measures were no longer necessary.
Mei and Meesa asked to meet with us to discuss the state of our provisions and the water supply here. After they expressed their concerns, Elijah was able to put them at ease, stating that, given the time remaining there is more than enough to care for the 120,000 people, called to be here.
Afterwards I had so much to think about, that I drew away to the set apart place to intercede for Mawuli and, yes, Mr Kagi.
Here at day’s end and I’m still recovering from yesterday’s surprise appearance of our young friend. Elijah kept our greetings brief, enforcing a strict regimen of silence and driving us onward by his example. Continuing through the night.
Our pace only slackened with the dawn of the new day, yet we kept onward. At one point it was as if we entered a space of our own reality in which nothing else and no one else existed. Only then did Elijah allow us to converse.
Everything came tumbling out as we pressed Tomas for information.
Most startling was the news that the Supreme Commander is dead. And the army of the East has allied with the army of the North.
The struggle to our south has dropped completely from our view, instead we can see rank upon rank upon rank of the army of world government massing behind their defenses at the mouth of the valley below.
Reuben expressed to us his dismay at the sight of this vast array of power and might. I feared that this feeling would sink him into a kind of paralysis.
That’s when Elijah took him aside and talked to him. By their gestures and the look on Reuben’s face afterwards, I knew that my old friend had introduced him to the angel in whose shadow we move.
The change in Reuben was complete. And I took the opportunity to counsel on other things.
Another day of waiting has passed slowly. Everyone has taken it in stride, considering it a trial of patience.
Sy, though, grew unsettled by day’s end. By his calculation Elam should have arrived back here today at the latest. He’s beginning to think that he’ll never see his friend and his tanker truck again.
When I tried to point out to him other possibilities, he left and went up to the heights. Elijah followed him.
They remained up there for quite some time. Long enough to witness a flurry of activity in the air above the plain.
The Captain, Mei and myself caught the end of the display when the crash of distant explosions drew us out of the redoubt.
Watch This Space 