by Mitch
La`no called a meeting with Admiral Glenz and General Rush. (Both were promoted by the shepherds and King Flash) “We have to find how that eel got through the portcullis? One of them has to be open or damaged. Flash, if you will have Rush and your Marines go with the amphibian ships, find and repair whatever damage there is? I wish you would stay in the command center directing the operation from there. I do want you, my good friend, to rest. I know if you go along you will want to help with the repair, and that could be fatal. We, your wife and your people, need you to go along to the new world.”
Ginger Bread
On the way home, Won told Careah about the Gingerbread contest to take place the next day. Certain ladies always won the contest because their booths were always first to be judged by three male and two female judges. By the time the five judges got to her and her friends’ booths, they were stuffed with goodies or not interested any more. Careah chuckled, nudging her friend in the ribs and winking at her, “I think we can do something about that! What all do you use ginger with?”
La`no broke in, “Bread, cookies, and a sweet ginger drink. Of course, I feel my wife’s are the best.”
Kedar interjected, “I would like to help if I may?”
La`no replied, “That’s great, I’ll help also.”
Careah offered her recipes that were handed down from her side of the family. “We are from the land of spices and know how to use them.”
Won said to the crew, “I think we will go to the Emporium; my ovens are larger and I can use the kilns. First, we’ll go home, get what we need, tell Ke`no and Te`ro where we will be, so they do not worry if we are late getting home.”
The drive home was filled with giggles and laughter. Upon arriving, they saw that Ke`no, Te`ro, and their friends, including the four Wee flyers, were there. Finding out what their mother and the others were going to do, they all wanted to go along and help. Won gave the okay, “You kids call your parents, so they do not worry if we are a wee bit late.”
La`no, leading the caravan of air cars, rounded a small knoll close to the Emporium. Won was the first to see Tara sitting on the steps crying, tears flooding down her cheeks. Eli was standing in front of his wife with his right hand raised. Won was out of the air car before it fully stopped. Her face flushed with anger, eyes piercing, screaming in a rage, “Now, what did he do to you?” Before Tara could answer, Won was looking Eli eye to eye, giving him a piercing begonia look that would have curled any man’s hair. Her fist raised, fire flashing from her eyes, she shoved an accusing finger under his nose and gave him a tongue-lashing echoing out into eternity, “If you hurt her again, I’ll tear you apart with my bare hands!”
Eli backed up, terror written on his face, as he tried to protest. Tara raptured into giggles, jumped up, putting her arm around Won, “Yes, my husband is responsible for what he did to me. I love him for it!” Again shouting, laughing, crying, and swinging Won around as if they were dancing, “I’m so happy we are going to have twins, a boy and girl. As you know, I could never have children. I know for sure the Lord knew what was wrong. He said to me before I left heaven, something special was going to happen when I returned back home. Never dreaming how special it would be, praise the Lord.”
“We heard you were going to be here and we want to help. I, too, want my best friend to win the contest.”
Careah whispered, “Glory be!”
Won turned to the men, “Since there are enough of us ladies, maybe you can find something else to do.”
Eli glanced at Won with a closed mouth smile, still a little frazzled, and watched her lips forming the words, “I’m very sorry!” He did the same.
“There is no need to be sorry, thank you for being my wife’s best friend.” He turned to the other men, “I have a great idea. We can build a new special mechanism to uncover and work the display.”
La`no looked around at the others, “Let’s get to work.” It took everyone including the two young male Wees working into the night to build it and make sure it worked properly. Then, they rushed it to the contest section, sat it up, making several adjustments to ensure its performance would run smoothly like atomic clock work. The ladies used Careah’s recipes and designs to make every item using ginger and other spices. Everyone helped to clean up before going home for a good night’s rest.
Early morning brought everyone alive with renewed energy. The ladies went to the Emporium, loaded the goodies in Dinghies, and headed for their special booth. The men suggested where each item should be placed. With all helping, everything was in place and ready for the judges by starting time.
The four young Wees were with the young War Heroes, standing by their jeeps hitched to trailers loaded with free samples to be given out after the contest was over. The Judges would be sampling something they never in a lifetime of dreams knew what was waiting for them in Won’s booth. The coveted contest began with each lady at their booth, ready to remove the cover from their baked ginger goods. Booth after booth being judged, the ladies put on big mischievous smiles for the purpose to annoy and strutted around like peacocks in mating season. Even though most of the crowd was around Won’s booth because of the Wees.
As before, sure enough, the judges made a pretense and became lax in judging which wasn’t fair to the remaining contestants. When the uncaring judges approached the last booth, which happened to be Won’s booth, a small hidden music box began to play soft dinner music. They asked her to remove the cloth and reveal her baked goods. She clapped her hands and the cloth began to rise of its own accord. The cloth, stiff as a board, stopped after rising several yards and revealed small shelves suspended by gold chains, loaded with all kinds of baked gingerbreads. The judges looked, not knowing what to say!
The crowd around the booth gave out whispers, oohs, and soft whistles, drawing a larger crowd. There were gingerbread houses in the likeness of homes through the city. Toy shaped air cars, but having ginger snap wheels, colored icing on gingerbread boys and girls for clothing swinging on swings. A large carrousel in the center with small animals moved up and down, revolving on a platform with music in the background. Won’s team; Tara, Queen Ador, and Careah; passed out morsels of the display to the judges first. After tasting, they comprehended what they had tasted, and while smiling, eagerly ate the rest of the sample, smacking lips, looking at each other, and giving the thumbs up. Wonder was the new ginger champion. The crowd cheered and applauded, and all gathered to sample her prizes. The ladies passed out the remaining display of goodies.
The young War Heroes took their jeeps and passed out ginger snaps, some plain while others were filled with cream of different flavors. The one most coveted was Careah’s most guarded recipe, nut-butter with a trace of ginger. She ground nuts adding butter, honey, oils, yeast, and a dash of ginger to make it creamier and tastier. Queen Ador reminded Won, her husband and men of the Aqua ship salvaged two barrels of nuts about the size of peas. Won remembered her husband brought a barrel of them home for her to figure out what to use them for.
“Now I know what to use them for, we’ll use Careah’s recipe. Let’s bake them, then grind them real fine, and see what we come up with?” Grinding the peanuts extra fine and adding coconut oil and the other ingredients looked appetizing. Queen Ador had the honor of tasting first. As she raised the spoon of mixture, the aroma awakened her senses. Its smoothness touched her lips as she let it slide over her tongue, teasing her palate. Her eyes said it all, “I have to tell you, you’ll love it. It’s like something you never had; rich, delicious, only tastier.”
Tara responded, “Let’s call it Nutty Butter?”
Won grinned and looked at Careah, saying, “How about…Car’s Peanut Butter?” All agreed that would be the name of the mix. The ladies who had won previous years looked over the display of baked goods with a fine-tooth comb. The naughty Dowager that always won first place, with a stiff upper lip, declared, “Next year will be different.”
Won replied, “Thank you for the warning!”
Careah came over to the rude lady, “Yes, next year for sure will be different.”
Won, Tara, and Queen Ador, all jointly were overjoyed, “You mean you are really coming back?”
“Sure, we are, how else can we help Awn win next year? We haven’t even touched my ginger recipe book. Wait until you taste my gingernut bread, cinnamon ginger cake, or my ginger fig cake, not to mention mouthwatering ginger jelly doughnut puff. You haven’t eaten gobs until you try Kedar’s mother’s ginger gobs. No one has ever come close to my mother’s ginger cookies and ginger sand tarts. Have you ever had ginger ale or ginger beer or ginger birch beer?”
The ladies marveled, “We never heard of those things, let alone have them. We are going to have a surprise for those Betties and have fun doing it.”
The festival Bright Lights of Creation would prove to be one to be remembered forever. The second day’s activities started with Careah and Kedar. Her pink gown rippled while walking on-stage. Kedar, in a blue uniform, walked fifteen steps from her and faced the wall. Turning, he held up a lit candle, holding it on his head. Careah backed up several steps and her right hand raised with a slow deliberate move. Reaching back to her quiver, she retrieved an arrow. She adjusted the arrow to the bowstring, pulled, and aimed. The audience buzzed as she let the arrow have its freedom, zipping toward the candle on his head. Before the arrow passed the bow, Kedar ducked, his neon light flashing. The crowd roared. Again, he placed the candle on his head, but before he could pull his stunt again, Careah moved with lightning speed, the arrow took the flame off the candle before he moved. The crowd went wild.
Next, she had Kedar place a small apple on his head. As she took aim, again his neon light flashed and he removed the apple, shaking his finger and head, no, no. Then he put the apple on the stage floor and walked away. The crowd roared laughing. She asked him to put the apple on a long stick and hold it up. Holding the stick up with the apple about two feet above his head, he grinned showing his white teeth while his neon light flashed really slow. Now Careah turned to the audience, smiling, giving one flash of her neon light, then turned and faced Kedar. Her movements were so fast they didn’t see her release the arrow. The arrow cut the stick one inch above his head, and before the apple dropped on Kedar’s head, she spent another arrow, cutting it in half. The audience stomped, clapped, and laughed holding their stomachs. Her wings pulsating, she bowed while getting a standing ovation.
Seeing two small children in wheelchairs, they both flew down to their side. Never seeing anyone in wheelchairs, Careah asked, “Why are they in chairs with wheel?”
Won volunteered, "These two tikes never walked. They are in pain continually, wanting to walk as the other kids, starving, suffering, seeing other kids playing. The only thing they can do is swim with the Aquatic children at their side and make sure they are safe. They have bonded together like no other children. This is the only time they have been seen laughing. Careah asked the parents if they would mind if they took the kids on stage. The audience was buzzing like bees around a hive, guessing what was going to happen? Each took a child; Careah took the little girl and Kedar took the boy and whispered reassuring them there was no danger.
They flew higher than before, soaring, and doing acrobats. Flying to the top of the man-made clouds, they mystified the audience below. Without their parents’ knowledge, four young Wees flew up doing unbelievable acrobats and joined their parents above the clouds. It was decided they would fly in a V shape like geese do when they migrate, then dive toward the stage floor. As they came out of the clouds, Careah and Kedar were holding each child by their feet, making it look like the young ones were gliding and leading the downward flight. Everyone stood up, holding their breath, believing the young ones were going to dive headfirst on the stage. Just a few feet above the stage, they raised like swans, did a couple of loops, and landed on the stage.
The wheelchairs were waiting for the two small children. Both put the children down, holding them by their hands so they would not fall. They pulled loose from Careah and Kedar, ran to the wheelchairs and pushed the wheelchairs over the edge of the stage in front of a stunned audience! Over 350,000 people were astounded, it was as if the Earth had stood still. Their parents streaked onto the stage, crying, falling on their knees before Careah and Kedar. Both instantly went to their knees and put their arms around them. Everyone was crying. They helped the parents up saying, “Do not bow before men to give reverence. God was listening to their cries, and He worked in ways unexpected. He has laid the groundwork for their path ahead. Their dream is now a reality.” The tikes’ smiling red faces touched everyone as they took the hands of their parents. Careah and Kedar began dancing around the stage, shouting and giggling, as the audience stood clapping.
A Huge Viper
Simultaneously, Careah and Kedar heard the audience’s jubilant rejoicing turn to screaming terror, pointing down to the lakeshore. A huge multicolored viper hovered inches from an Aquatic child playing in the sand. Its mouth open, ready to grab the child. Several yelled above the crowd’s outcry, “It’s Reit, Queen Ador’s little daughter!”
Queen Ador leaped out of the audience and rushed to get her child. Realizing she or no one else was close enough to rescue the child, she screamed, “Lord, please help her!” The viper’s fangs dripping hot venom were just inches from the child’s head when no one heard, zip, zip, then two more zips. All they saw was the viper’s head jerk violently, whiplashing the air. Four arrows were sticking in it, one in each eye and two above its eyes in the brain. Its head shaking violently, spitting hot blackish-red blood mixed with green slime, spraying the air. The viper’s body arched high in the air, hissing, screeching, and recoiling. Then it fell to the ground, coiling like a corkscrew, nearly hitting and crushing Reit. Horrible sounds of short wheezing gasps turned to deep shuddering groans as it died.
Kedar was the first there, picking Reit up without touching the ground and taking her to her mother. The other Aquatic maids had never seen their Queen cry. Her crying had many others crying. Flash and his men came out of the water, they had heard Sarg fighting and went to see what the problem was. He was battling a larger viper than the one in front of them. It took a while to subdue it. Sarg took it to the other sharks and fish for them to feast on. La`no reasoned, “The offspring of Satan must have gotten in before the portcullis was repaired?” He had the clean-up crew pull the dead viper out to the outer sea.
The King and Queen of the Aquatics rushed to Careah and Kedar and were about to bow, saying, “We are your servants forever.”
Careah pleaded, “No, no, we are honored that we were here to do what the Lord has done for us.”
Kedar responded, “Yes, we could not have done it had He not given us wings and the ability to make the bows and arrows. Without him, we could do nothing.”
Back onstage, La`no put his arms around Kedar and Careah, “We must prepare a farewell for Careah and Kedar. Tomorrow, it will be a privilege to help our special honored guests on their way to meets God’s Son!”
A Slight Delay
The next morning at breakfast, La`no had a disappointing look on his handsome face as he announced, "A technical problem came up at the space center. We are a little behind schedule building spaceships. There must be plenty of room for all who want to go and for all of the tame and wild animals. The Aqua, Aquarius, Aquila, Ekistics, and the Merica will be refitted and converted into spaceships. The time machine and body transporter has malfunctioned. The two must work perfectly in case we need them on the way to our new home. Eli and his wife will take you to the north exit. It leads into a large fertile valley. Keep looking and listening for God’s wondrous little creatures’ singing, pleasing sounds of elegance, to the King of Kings; there you will find him close by.
I would be safe saying he’ll be at the Palm Tree Oasis. He will understand why we cannot see him at this time. Be ready to leave this planet in three years; ask your family and friends to come with you. The Lord will give
us a sign one week before we are to leave. We will find time later to be with Yesuah. When we do, he may tell us there, when we are to leave. When you are ready, a Corsair with your gifts will be close by to take you home."
The younger Wees elected to stay since Eli and Tara went to their Hamlet and brought their friends. They exited through a hidden door in the granite mountain leading into a majestic valley. Rocks and huge boulders scarred the distant hillside. The day was crystal clear and bright, the afternoon sun so hot they could feel it even in the shade. Here was the place to stay until evening tide. The sun in the ethereal sky slipped behind the celestial sphere, closing the curtain of day.
The silver moon high up spread its iridescent rays, coaxing the night world to come alive. Its moon beams help describe a pale ribbon of water moving lazily in the gray valley. It follows the curve of a dusty road about two or three miles long then disappears into the horizon. Off at the far end of the valley, too far out for their keen eyesight to zoom in on, sat one of the most misunderstood persons ever to walk on this planet.
Dusk opens its prelude of events with perfection. The grandeur night creatures begin their profound grand opera, most faultless, even in comic charades. The libretto of their performance has never been equaled anywhere. Their designating behavior elicits sensational romantic emotions. This stimulates and excites others into action to increase social activity. Every sound is part of the present and into the future. Any symphony orchestra conductor would be overjoyed with the arrangement of tones in perfect harmony.
The stars came out and took their place, forming a spangled picture, like an audience listening to the performance of a choir. The night flowers came alive, standing erect, looking around for a place to put forth their best fragrance. The moon’s smile flooded its rays of light to see what it is all about. On this night, all creatures are here to pay homage to their creator. He looked up and around saying, “Tonight, I want to tell you all, great and small, how we created the heavens, stars, and this Earth for every one of you. My Father and the Holy Spirit and I sat down at the round table of decision before creation. We decided how everything would be before we formed man. We had to prepare the whole universe for man’s sake. All of you creatures were created before man. My Father designed everything, I made it, and the Holy Spirit instilled life in everything that was made, including you. I missed everyone, so that’s one of the reasons I came here. You have been always been on my mind. Without you, there’s an emptiness and a loneliness that’s hard to cure.”