Day Five Hundred Ninety Five #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

A day for goodbyes.

Most of the crew will be staying with the ship, if only to return to their homes whose ports were announced in the future itinerary. Others with no attachments want to spend their money and look about before shipping out again. Elijah met with them all after the transport service official’s time with them. It was a time to encourage and wish one another God speed.

We debarked with the Captain and Tomas in the heat of the afternoon. Mr. Kagi accompanied us to the gangplank in his first duty as captain. Before parting he gave us the name of a fellow exile from the islands.

Through his compatriot we found this place in the country.

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Day Four Hundred Ninety Six #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Elijah made a brief foray into the busy streets of the metropolis last evening, just to get oriented. I took the opportunity for some alone time with the Spirit.

A good thing. Otherwise I would not have been open to Elijah’s proposal this morning that we spend a few days here searching for followers of Hamashiach. I would have much rather been pressing onward to our rendezvous with the ship. But the Spirit has made it very clear we are not yet released to continue on our trek.

There is a great hubbub everywhere. The people are resettling back into their homes after an absence. And everywhere you turn representatives of the world government are facilitating and controlling it.

Day Four Hundred Ninety Three #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The drought of people has come to an end. Scores of travelers, all lighting their way with torches, passed us on the road tonight, heading to the town behind us.

Elijah questioned the first group. They are under orders to proceed back to their homes and are to be in place before a scheduled census. To a man they are filled with praise for the world government and are eager to please its supreme leader.

Subsequent individuals related the same sentiments and were questioning why we were headed away from the town.

Elijah simply replied that we were under other orders.

With the new day it was difficult to find an unoccupied shelter, as many travelers had the same thought.

Day Four Hundred Thirty Six #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

I too, caught sight of the ship that Elijah spotted yesterday. And I also believe it to be our former vessel.
It appears now to be holding station off the harbor, awaiting a pilot or permission to enter. On one hand it is reassuring, giving us more time to get to the city; and on the other (at least in me) engendering a concern that it may be gone before our arrival.
Our progress is much as before -stumbling along in starts and stops. Elijah and I now use the down time in different ways. He meditates. I continue the search for ways up.
Recently the presence of homes on the heights raises hopes that they are serviced by roads.

Day Three Hundred Seventy Three #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

I stayed awake to count the stars in the sky last night. Hence, I was a witness to a light that briefly appeared on one side of the lake ahead of us.

It was the first area we searched. And as there were fewer homes on that side of the lake we quickly found the only one occupied, and the source of the light.

The occupants are indeed the wife of the Purser and his children. She has set the light nightly in hopes that it would lead her husband to them. Though disappointed that “we” were not him, they are overjoyed to hear he is well.

She desires that he come join them in their flight from the city.