by Pam Funke
Nicolaitanes walked over and looked at the parchment. He was looking at plans to convert the entire country to Christianity. President Ricci had included a persuasive plan to show how he intended to convince the people that Jesus was truly the only way to heaven. This is not within my plans. What is President Ricci up to? Is my friend truly one of them? How did I not see this coming?
“I’m not sure I like this,” he mumbled.
“What was that?” President Ricci asked.
He looked over at Nicolaitanes. What he saw shocked him. For a moment he thought he saw a look of pure hatred on his friend Nicolaitanes’ face. President Ricci looked pale and took a few steps back.
Well, that confirms my suspicions. I’ll have to do something about this. “Are you alright, my friend?” Nicolaitanes asked reaching out to support President Ricci.
“Yes, I think so. Please Nicolaitanes, help me to the sofa. I wish to lie down.”
What manner of evil was that? Something evil glimmered in Nicolaitanes’ eyes for a moment. Is something trying to take control of my friend? Perhaps I imagined it all. Lying down for a while should help me to clear my head. Nicolaitanes helped his friend to lie down on the sofa. He poured him a glass of cold water from the pitcher and helped him to drink it before placing the empty glass on the table.
“Thank you Nicolaitanes. You are truly a caring and loving person. I thank you for this,” President Ricci said warily.
He was feeling unsure of himself. He kept trying to see a glimmer or hint of what he thought he saw only a moment ago. But whatever it was, it was now gone.
Nicolaitanes placed a pillow gently under President Ricci’s head.
“Thank you again, Nicolaitanes. Please close the door on your way out,” President Ricci said waving Nicolaitanes away. He closed his eyes in thought. Perhaps a nap would help.
Nicolaitanes turned off the light as he quietly left the room. Although Nicolaitanes didn’t show it, he was fuming.
“No one dismisses me,” he mumbled angrily.
Nicolaitanes grumbled all the way back to his seat. He plopped down in his seat sulking and fumbled noisily with the magazine next to him. Rosalind glanced up from the magazine she was reading to see what was going on. Nicolaitanes looked livid. Now, what happened? Nicolaitanes seems to be in one of his foul moods. It’s best to just leave him be for a while. But I don’t ever remember seeing him so angry before. Rosalind picked her magazine back up as though nothing happened and went back to reading the article.
“How dare he? Doesn’t he know who he’s talking to? Where’s my respect?” Nicolaitanes mumbled.
He sat there drumming his fingers on the armrest, his foot tapping lightly on the floor. He looked at Rosalind; she wasn’t paying him any mind whatsoever. Good, she’s distracted. I have to take care of this now. I cannot allow him to get away with this. He stood up and walked back to President Ricci’s quarters. He quietly knocked on the door; no answer. He opened the door slightly and peered inside. President Ricci was sitting on the edge of the couch, pale and hunched over.
“Nicolaitanes help me,” President Ricci whispered.
Nicolaitanes walked over to his friend. He looked into his eyes with pure hatred and contempt. He laid his hands on President Ricci’s wrists. Fear overcame President Ricci as he stared into Nicolaitanes’ eyes.
“Nicolaitanes, what are you doing?”
Something pure evil moved from Nicolaitanes’ body into President Ricci. It moved through his veins quickly stopping his heart and exploding in his brain causing a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Nicolaitanes watched as the light went out of his friend’s eyes. He smiled to himself. Problem solved. He gently laid President Ricci’s body down and closed his eyes. Nicolaitanes walked out of the room and gently closed the door. He returned to his seat and looked out of the window.
“Ah, life is good,” he said.
Rosalind looked at him questioningly, but Nicolaitanes just ignored her. She turned and looked down the walkway from where Nicolaitanes had just come. What happened back there? She turned back around and continued reading her magazine.
A few minutes later they heard a loud crash right before the stewardess screamed. They both raced towards the President’s quarters.
“What’s wrong my dear? What’s going on? President Ricci, is everything all right in there?” Nicolaitanes called out with mock concern.
The stewardess came out of the room tears streaming down her face. She looked scared. Nicolaitanes grabbed her gently by her shoulders.
“What is it?” he asked firmly.
“I….I….I.…,” she stammered.
Nicolaitanes gently slapped her across her face.
“Get a hold of yourself woman and tell me what’s the matter?” he replied.
The stewardess stared at him. She was quiet.
“Well?”
She looked down at her feet. “I was bringing the President his afternoon tea, as he requested. And……..and…….and,” she said crying all over again. She moved out of the doorway. “Well, just see for yourself,” she said before running away.
Nicolaitanes stared into the room. He could see where the stewardess had dropped the teapot on the floor. The china had shattered all over the floor. President Ricci didn’t move.
Rosalind pushed past Nicolaitanes into the room. She saw the President lying on the couch completely slack. He was extremely pale and turning colors. She reached for him and checked for a pulse. She found none. She sadly shook her head at Nicolaitanes.
“I’m so sorry Nicolaitanes, but I’m afraid he’s gone,” she said gently. Nicolaitanes stared at her blankly.
“I need to notify his aid and the pilot. They’ll have to notify the proper authorities prior to landing the plane in Rome,” Rosalind continued pushing past Nicolaitanes.
She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw Nicolaitanes smile for just a moment. Is this what was bothering Nicolaitanes? Did he somehow know about this ahead of time? He does seem to know about things before they happen; I still have no idea of how he even does that. She walked to the cockpit to talk to the pilot.
CHAPTER Nine
Gage and Byron traveled to Rome, Italy, after Gage’s meeting with the source. Gage was a little anxious to see if things were truly in the works as she had suggested. Their flight arrived in Rome on a gorgeous fall morning. Gage actually got off the plane humming to himself.
Gage sure is in a good mood. Byron smiled to himself. He hoped this was a good sign. Perhaps, Gage was finally getting over his divorce. Gage had been in a funk ever since his wife left him. But who could blame her? Gage hadn’t exactly been the model husband. Granted he had been faithful to his wife, had treated her with respect, but he was married to his job more than her. That’s what had finally broken up their marriage. She’d had enough one day and Gage had come home to an empty apartment. Byron had tried to warn him, but nothing Byron had said had gotten through Gage’s thick headedness. Although Gage would never admit it, he wished he had listened to Byron. But it is too late now, Carol is gone. I hope life is treating her well. She really deserves someone who will treat her like a queen.
They went through customs and gathered their luggage. Gage was excited about why they were in Italy. He hoped they could get started right away, but he wasn’t exactly sure where they should start. There was a story coming he knew, but he wasn’t sure when it would take place—Ros had not given him any specifics. Gage suggested they go to their hotel to check-in and freshen up a bit.
“So where do we start? What’s the story that we are here to scoop out anyway, Gage? Are you going to give me a hint at least?” Byron asked curiously.
“I don’t know yet. All I know is we’ll know it when we see it,” Gage smiled slyly. He put his bag down on the bed.
“What do you say we do some sightseeing and get some footage of the city? You never know what we might find. Besides, it’s a beautiful day. Way too nice to stay indoors,” Gage said grabbing his jacket. Byron agr
eed.
They took a taxi to the tourist areas of the city. Byron filmed the various attractions they visited; the Colosseum, The Fountain di Trevi, and The Basilica of San Giovanni in Latesano. He was awed by the city’s colorful history and beauty. I definitely have to bring Karin here sometime; she would absolutely love it here. Byron reviewed the footage he had taken earlier in the day. It looked really good. If nothing else, at least, I have something of this trip that I can happily share with the family.
“I think we shot some good footage today Gage, although I’m not sure what we can use it for just yet,” Byron said.
“Perhaps, but the story we came here for is still in the works somehow.”
CHAPTER ten
Halle had an enjoyable lunch with her new friend, Amanda. She had invited her best friend, Amy, to go to church with her, but once again she had politely turned Halle down. She wouldn’t give up on Amy. After her luncheon date, Halle drove to the church to meet with Bishop Williams. Halle got comfortable on the couch in his office before opening her Bible and getting out her notebook. Bishop Williams looked at her and smiled. She sure has been absorbing as much as she can lately. She is so eager to hear about everything. Bishop Williams wished the entire church had her desire. He sat down in the recliner across from her.
“Tell me about those questions you have, Halle,” Bishop Williams asked gently.
“Well, Bishop I have quite a lot of questions today. Are you sure that you have time to answer them all?” Halle asked hopefully.
“Take all the time that you need, Halle.”
“Okay. First question: Can anyone go to heaven? What does one have to do to earn it?”
Halle picked up her pen, ready to write down what the Bishop said.
“To answer your question, yes, Halle, anyone who accepts Jesus Christ can go to heaven. John 3: 5 says, ‘Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ One cannot earn the right to go to heaven, they cannot buy their way into heaven nor can they pay for it with their good works. Without having first accepted Jesus, no one can enter the kingdom of heaven.”
She hurriedly wrote down everything that was said, especially the scriptures. Satisfied that she had written everything down, she asked the next question.
“What about someone that lives a sinful life? Like a liar, adulterer, fornicator, thief, murderer, etc. Can they go to heaven as well?”
Bishop Williams thought about it. “Halle, we are all sinners in the eyes of God. That is why we need Jesus. He died on the cross for our sins. He took the punishment for us. We need only to ask for forgiveness of our sins, accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and live our lives holy and acceptable to God. We are not perfect Halle, so we need to study the word daily, pray daily, ask for forgiveness daily and allow God to change us.”
“Okay. So no matter what someone has done, if they only ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus they can become a child of God and go to heaven?”
Halle was amazed.
“Yes, my dear. God loves each and every one of us. He is not want that any should perish. He wants us all to come to repentance of our sins, accept His beloved Son as our Lord and Savior and live a holy and acceptable life.”
Bishop Williams patted Halle’s hand gently. Halle was in awe.
“God is truly amazing. He must have a love that surpasses all understanding. I for one certainly don’t understand it.”
“His ways are not our own Halle. We won’t understand a lot of why God does some of the things He does or why He allows certain things to happen. A lot of it won’t make any sense to us. But it is okay, Halle as it’s not for us to understand.”
Halle looked down at her notes. She was thinking about her husband.
“Is it possible for one to have a personal relationship with God and how would you do so?”
“Yes Halle, we can all have a personal relationship with God. We do so by reading and studying the word, praying, going to church to hear the word and meditating on the word. You can talk to God at any time of the day or night and about anything at all. He wants us to come to him with not only our good things but our bad things as well. He wants us to trust Him completely. He wants to be our best friend. He loves us like a father and He wants to be a wonderful part of our lives.”
Halle appeared intrigued by this.
“How can I prove the existence of God to someone who doesn’t’ believe in anything they can’t see or touch? How do you get through to someone like that?”
This question kind of stumped Bishop Williams, but only for a moment.
“You cannot reach anyone until they are ready to listen. Pray to God about the situation and ask Him to prepare that person to be ready and willing to listen. Don’t give up on that person, but you can’t force it on them either. God gave us the freedom to choose and we must choose Him willingly.”
Halle sighed.
“I know that this can be frustrating at times, but have patience, Halle.”
“When is it right to spread the word of God to others?”
“Any time is right to spread the good news. God will provide you with many opportunities.”
“After I have accepted Jesus and am seeking to live a godly life, can I do whatever I want?”
“Well Halle, once you accept Jesus you cannot live any kind of way. Don’t be like the hypocrites, you can’t be one way on Sunday and the opposite the rest of the week. You will need to stay away from ungodly things and people. Just like the old folks used to say, you are what you eat. Don’t get caught up in the world. Be careful who your friends are. If you watch evil things on television all the time, some of it will rub off on you and influence you. Don’t become conformed to the world. Remember the devil is a liar and he has many deceitful ways to try to get you to not focus on God. For example, he may try to convince you that God is not real, that a homosexual lifestyle is okay or sleeping with numerous partners for that matter. That being Goth is okay and not satanic or a cult in nature. That it’s okay to be married and sleeping around with those who are not your spouse, that it’s okay to have sex when you are not married, that it’s okay for the same sex to marry or that it’s okay for an unmarried man and woman to live together. These things may be acceptable to our society however, it is not acceptable to God. These things displease God. They are sinful in nature; they are ungodly. Should we as Christians shun these people or stop loving them or shame them? The answer is no. Instead, we should pray for them and share the good news of God with them.”
Wow. I am really glad I came. There is so much I can learn from Bishop Williams. I didn’t realize here was so much to learn about living for God. I could sit here and learn all day. There’s just something about hearing about God that makes me want to hear more. Halle was eager to learn all that she could.
“First and foremost, Halle you have to remember God is a loving God. His love for us is unconditional. We can show others God’s love in our actions and words. Remember, you may be the only Jesus that someone may ever see. So let the light of God shine through you. Allow Him to use you to do His will.”
“I would like that very much. But first, I’m afraid I have a lot to learn.”
“We are all still learning. We are in the construction phase.”
“I suppose I have taken up enough of your time for tonight. Do you mind if we do this again sometime?”
Bishop Williams smiled. “Anytime Halle. My door is always open. Come let me walk you to your car.”
“Thank you so much for your time.” She shook Bishop Williams’ hand then turned and got into her car.
CHAPTER eleven
Gage and Byron had been in Rome for a few days now. Nothing exciting had happened yet. They were more or less playing tourist for the time being. It was kind of nice to be on vacation at the expense of someone else.
As they were contemplating what they were going to do for the day, the phone in the room began to ri
ng. “Now who could that be?” Gage wondered. No one knows we are here. Even Ros doesn’t know where we are staying. How strange? The phone rang again.
“Well, aren’t you going to answer that?” Byron called from the bathroom. Gage picked up the phone. It felt strange in his hand. Not quite real.
“Gage?” a woman’s voice said.
“Yes. Who is this?”
“Today is a good day for a story. Get out and about today; you never know what you might see. The airport is a good place as any to start,” she said before hanging up. Gage stared at the phone in his hand.
“Who was that?” Byron asked walking into the room.
“She didn’t say. But I think today’s the day.” Gage got up and grabbed his jacket. “Get dressed Byron. Today is going to be a great day for news.”
Byron looked at him oddly but hurried back into the bathroom to get dressed. I wonder if that phone call has anything to do with Gage’s sudden excitement. Who was it anyway?
Ten minutes later, Byron and Gage were in a taxi driving near the airport when they suddenly heard a bunch of sirens. The taxi driver pulled to the side of the road to let the emergency vehicles pass.
“I wonder what’s going on,” the taxi driver said.
A couple of ambulances and police cruisers went flying passed them towards the airport. Gage and Byron looked at each other.
“Hey Buddy, change of plans, follow those cars,” Gage demanded.
The cabbie shrugged his shoulders then drove after the police cars. He was a little curious anyway to see what was going on.
A few minutes later, the cab pulled up at the airport. The police cars continued into the restricted area of the airport while the ambulances had to stay near the entrance to the restricted zone. A few minutes later, Polizia di Stato waved over an awaiting EMS team with their gurney. They hurried toward an awaiting airplane.