Day Four Hundred Eighty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We were lifted on the wings of the Spirit and borne over water and the city itself. And deposited gently in a field beside a road running from the city.

Elijah wasted no time in taking up the advance down the road. I asked why we were bypassing the port city. He explained that he already knew that any followers of Hamashiach had left long ago. And that we no doubt had a long way to go before encountering any, if at all.

Miles and miles of dusty road, and not a village, nor even a house did we pass by. It was like the city behind us had sucked its surroundings into its sprawl, leaving the vast countryside empty.

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Day Four Hundred Fifty Seven #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Tomas kept an eye on the pilot as he directed the ship out of the harbor. And for good reason as it turned out. Tomas countermanded his order to increase speed at a critical juncture, and relieved him. The Captain then sent him back to his tug.

Tomas finessed the ship out to the channel. He set a straight course for the northern end of the island, but Elijah convinced Tomas and the Captain that a better strategy would be to continue north out to sea and to come at the island port city from out of the north.

So it was a long but uneventful passage. And we arrived in time to see the departure of a robotic warship.

Day Four Hundred Thirty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The fog lifted with the early morning breeze. You would think that would make a substantial difference in our headway. But it did not. In a couple of instances our forward movement was halted altogether by the incoming tide.

It was not time lost in our estimation. It was time to get our minds off of our problems and onto the One who holds the solutions. And I think we more than made up for our delay during those times when the tide was out. Way out.

By day’s end our progress was such that the port city came into our view. And like the one behind us on the mainland it appears to be untouched by the Great Destruction.

Day Four Hundred Twenty Six #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We have the mountain behind us and it is well after dark. We pushed on through to be out of the pass and well below the tree line before settling in. The exertion of walking kept us warm through the snow and ice.

The view before me now has captivated my attention. I’ve completely forgotten the sights and sounds of the day that got us to this point. The port city stretches in both directions along the coast. So many tall buildings and all of them intact. The ravages of the great destruction are strikingly absent.

However there is one disappointment- nothing is visible in the harbor. I mean to say, we cannot even see the harbor much less any ships.

Day Four Hundred Twenty Five #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

What had appeared to be distant hills in the morning light has grown to become mountains with the fall of night. It must be the coastal range we’ve been told about, so the port city is just beyond.

We met two men on the road today. They slowed their gait upon sight of us. And we passed each other warily, exchanging queries about the sections of the road we have respectively passed through. They report all clear through the mountain pass; and we gave a similar account for the section of road that we had been on.

We saw plainly each man bore the mark, and they clearly noticed we do not.

For a time I cast frequent glances backwards.

Day Four Hundred Twenty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We have not seen anyone else on the road, in either direction, since we left the river yesterday. Judging by the calculations of the former merchant from the port city we still have three days to go.

Elijah tells me that the Purser had given him a message to relay to the Captain. A resignation – and an apology for doing so. Elijah raised an eyebrow to me at the finish of this information. I caught his gist and agreed to offer to take on the position if acceptable to the Captain.

My mind was filled afterwards with thoughts of what I would do as a ship’s purser – things that I learned from watching him, and things from my own experience.

Day Four Hundred Twenty Two #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We arrived just short of the road this evening. The Purser had located the former denizen of the port city who was invited to spend the day with us. We have learned much.

The man, a former merchant does not hold out hope that we will find any believers left in the city. Further he warns that the remaining population may be hostile. He is incredulous that we would want to go there.

In the evening council meeting I confess I was quite moved by what Elijah shared. He explained they will have an important role to play in the future.

At the close he advised them to ford the river to the side opposite the road and head north.

Day Four Hundred Twenty One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

I guess Elijah was listening to my jabbering a few days ago. For one of the ideas that I threw out during my monologue, he actually brought up today.

At the front of our column we could see that the river ahead is taking a decided turn towards the north. A road from the east joins it at that juncture and follows it north.

Elijah says we will continue east taking that road. It leads to the port city on the eastern coast where we hope to catch up with our ship.

So believing that there must be someone from there amongst the followers of Hamashiach with us he sought them out.

We now have a contact name. Praise God.