Day One Thousand Two Hundred Nineteen #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Elijah has released his disciples. They shall return to the hiding place and take with them a message to our people there.

The message – to prepare for the end by banding together to pray for us. Especially on the ninth day from today. If they travel night and day they should arrive well before then.

Mawuli caught them on the way out and asked them to assure his parents that he was alive and well.

For now we will stay right where we are. Elijah wants to insure that the armies of the East and North drive the forces of the world government back into the plain below the the site of Sy’s redoubt.

We shall shadow them from above.

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Day One Thousand Two Hundred Two #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Mawuli has been deeply effected by his ordeal. The windows to his soul are filled with a vacancy that hurts others to see. It is for the best that he was not sent back to his parents in the hiding place. For now.

Elijah has taken him aside to seek his healing.

Sy has taken stock of supplies here in the redoubt. We can easily hold up for a month, barring other circumstances.

Tomas and Reuben scouted further east, going well beyond the stone bridge. They encountered no opposition.

The mouth to the valley is heavily garrisoned. And a lot of traffic flowed back and forth in the direction of Babylon.

Before resting I looked in on Elijah  and Mawuli.

Day One Thousand One Hundred Sixty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Elijah took Mawuli’s parents aside to encourage them. I could tell that their hopes were greatly shored up when I talked with them later in the day.

And I know my resolve has been strengthened likewise. It helps when you get the focus off yourself and onto Whom it belongs.

Keeping busy also helps. Especially doing those things that I can see are building up others and meeting their needs.

Mei and Meesa have aided me in this, adding to the list that Elijah gave me yesterday.

However, these chores were interrupted soon after. When delivering some requested items to Reuben’s conclave, he met me with the news that Magwich and two other former prison guards had left without permission.

Day One Thousand One Hundred Fifty Seven #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Conjecture is all we have as to the why of Mawuli’s departure. His parents, the Purser and Mary, had no inkling that he would do such a thing. Though they did note that he has grown quite independent.

It is my considered opinion that he would not have acted without first consulting the Spirit. But why he had not sought the wisdom of others for a confirmation has me puzzled.

As for myself I feel an overpowering desire to go up to Jerusalem to look for him.

Elijah, however, remains noncommittal. He will not budge an inch until summoned to do so.

Magwich has come to us today with the Raj twins and we allowed them to make the attempt.

Day One Thousand Ninety Six #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

All the other members of our group concur, even those who feel their purpose on this mission has been fulfilled. This despite other factors that mitigate against our continued presence here in Babylon.

We had two such encounters yesterday on our outing. Elijah learned that an internment camp for world government soldiers was nearby and asked our guard to take us there.

The guard was reluctant and after more persuasion gave in. Afterwards he exuded an air of vindication having been forced to rescue us from assaults aimed at Elijah, “the great Disturber of the nations.”

Mawuli said it was much the same treatment meted out to the group led by his parents on their journey to the promised land.

Day Nine Hundred Eighty One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

I almost didn’t recognize him, he’d grown so much in the past year. But he had no difficulty recognizing me, and positively could not stand still in his excitement in our presence.

After a brief exchange he filled his water skins and begged us to remove our camp away to where he had set up.

It was a caution he always practiced. And as it proved, a more comfortable place to pass the night.

Today we filled the rest of his water skins and we set off for their place deep in the desert.

Mawuli explained that they have been stranded there for months now. Their numbers keep growing as his parents invite injured and castoff people into their group.

Day Two Hundred Eighty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Elam brought back a message from Sy for his parents. It was a heartfelt plea. It has decided the father to send his wife with the next group. She would prefer to make the journey some time later before the twenty five days elapse, but she has agreed to go tomorrow.

I wonder if Sy’s father will ever leave.

When we arrived at the administration building, there was not a soul anywhere. But this time the doors were unlocked. So we entered.

It was an expansive area, designed to intimidate.

We approached the only occupant, a man of formidable size. Elijah asked to speak to the city ruler. He blanched on seeing us, and begged us to leave.

We did.

Day Two Hundred Seventy Five #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

It would have been a quiet night in the square if not for the revelers at midnight. They appeared intent on hassling anyone in their path. Catching sight of us they came straight for us in a booze fueled fury.

Elijah stood to his feet and around the rock of his presence the subhuman tide split and fell to fighting amongst themselves.

We were not bothered the rest of the night, though we did take turns on watch.

With the dawn we took note of which residences surrounding the square did not disgorge any occupants. The second such house as it turned out belongs to Sy’s parents.

They invited us in. And listened eagerly to the news about their son.

Day Two Hundred Sixty Eight #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We all recovered from our mutual surprise rather quickly, due to the absence of the mark on any of our foreheads. This band of a dozen or so people has been hiding out and scavenging in the area since shortly after the recent troubles.

Elijah questioned them all in turn, and answered theirs. (He mentioned two names unfamiliar to me. I learned later that this was due to a promise Elijah had made to Sy, to seek after his parents. No one knew them).

They invited us into their abode, in another basement off of the tunnel. And refreshed us with food.

As Elijah settles in to instruct them in things of the Spirit, I will explore the building above.

Day One Hundred Seventy #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

A man by the name of Flowers came to see me today. He may be what we have been hoping for. He is one of the men connected with the market in the east end, and has asked us to aid him by bringing over his parents from the west end.

The parents, we are assured, are free of the mark. Flowers who has the mark, now wishes he hadn’t. He does not care what happens to himself, so long as his parents reach freedom from  what he sees as a growing oppression.

I brought his case to Lyle with an additional caution. Flowers does not know how much longer those without the mark will be free to move about.