by Gloria Mur
- “Boris!” Marina rushed to him. "Oh Boris, sweetie!"
- "I believe, I believe, and I will always believe. In plates, in spirits, in underground cities..." he muttered without stopping.
- "Boris, baby, don't worry about it," said his wife, hugging him, "you can't eat meat here, baby."
- "I've become a vegetarian. And I've lost my appetite in general, I hate shish-kebabs now," said Boris, and after quickly looking himself over, he began to breathe more easily, "thank God, it's over."
Everyone smiled. The teacher also brightened up. Boris looked a little worse for wear, but overall, he was in pretty good shape.
- "Let's go! I promised you a laboratory.”
They went further down still, and entered a new tunnel. He brought them to a spacious, well lit cave.. Though one wouldn't dare call this place a cave. The laboratory was illuminated brightly by powerful lights, clean to the aces, and smelling of ozone. The floor and ceiling were made of transparent, gray stone, shining from inside itself, such as to make the impression that you were inside a jewel box. All along the walls, people worked on different colored balconies, sitting on fanciful stools carved out of stalagmites.
- “Our scientists," said Samir.
There were "windows" carved into the walls, on which the scientists gazes were fixed.
- "What are they looking at?" - asked Margo in a whisper. "The void.”
- “Look for yourself, you'll see!" answered the Teacher, lowering his voice. "They are looking at your world."
- "Why?”
- "We need to know where we are needed most," called out one of the scientists, turning to the guests.
- "And where might that be?" - wondered Andrei
- “Today we'll be preventing eight terrorist attacks, one terrible earthquake and a hurricane," sighed the scientist, "unfortunately, we are not able to prevent everything. The forces of darkness surpass us. Yet we are able to prevent two thirds of all conceivable tragedies. It's just that no one ever finds out about it."
- "And just how are you doing that?" - asked Nastia. "The hurricane I get, you can control the elements, but the terrorists?"
The Teacher told the guests about the work of the Brotherhood. It turned out, that among the residents of Olmolungring, there was a significant ability to influence the World Above. The most powerful of them being to send thoughts. A person who is sent a thought from Shambhala, would never even guess its origin, and takes the thoughts as his own. In this way, they can change a person's intentions, helping to find a way out of any situation.
- "How do you send thoughts?" wondered Margo.
- "We have special equipment."
- "Can we see it?" asked Andrei, lighting up.
- "You can," nodded the Teacher. And he led them to a little table in the corner of the laboratory. There was a telephone on it. An every-day cell phone. In a shining package with the logo of a Japanese company.
- "Is that it?" grunted Andrei. – "A telephone?"
- "It was a telephone. And now, it's a telepathophone. Look here at the numbers and letters. We put in the number and name of the person we want, and send him the thought he needs."
- "And what if he doesn't have a telephone?" asked Marina, looking at the Teacher with fascination.
- "We don't put in the person's telephone number. We put in their soul number. Everyone on earth has their own twenty-eight digit long number. The first eight digits are given to a soul upon its first birth, and the remaining digits are used for the current incarnation, location inhabited, and so forth."
- "So you know all people on earth by number?" exclaimed Nastia in shock, "but there are billions of people!"
- "Have you heard of the Akashic records?"
- "Of course!" exclaimed Marina.
The others lowered their eyes. The Teacher told them about the Akashic records. They contain everything- the past, the present, and all possible futures, both for the planet, and for every individual person.
- "Would you like to see them?" offered the teacher and not waiting for an answer, raised up his hand, said "akashi" and pulled a transparent sheet of paper from the ceiling. It was dotted with glowing symbols, numbers, signs and pictures that moved like cartoons. The guests, absorbed in the trick, froze. The Teacher began to unroll the scroll, which was hanging in the air, and the unrolled part fell to the floor and disappeared without a trace.
- "Look here," said the Teacher, pointing to a picture, "a person was born. Here he's already grown up, here are his children, and here is is death. And a new birth..."
- "Fantastic," said Margo, shaking her head, "so how do you send thoughts?"
- "It's simple," answered the Teacher, and showed them the page of numbers. The numbers glowed on the page.
- "Who should we send a thought to?"
- "Me!" offered Nastia.
He pulled a handful of numbers out of the record book, and dumped them on the table. After that, he took the telepathophone, and entered a number. He gave the phone to Margo.
- "Think!"
Margo furrowed her brow. Nastia smiled, and looked at her.
- "Did it work?" asked the Teacher.
- "Yes."
- "Nastia, what are you thinking about right now?" - he asked.
- "I think your machine isn't working and isn't sending any thoughts," muttered Nastia, embarrassed, "excuse me."
Margo gasped:
- "I've got it!"
- "What?” inquired Nastia, not understanding.
- It's exactly what I thought! Exactly! I swear!"
Andrei, Boris and Marina exchanged glances. Andrei approached the machine, grabbed it, and looked at it.
- "Wow," he let out, "what a cool thing! You could move mountains with this!"
- "Indeed," said the Teacher, gently taking the telephone from him, "but your world isn't quite ready for it yet."
They went into the room, where one whole wall was illuminated by a huge screen. Completely modern, and stereophonic at that. It was a stereoscopic display of the map of the world. The oceans churned, and clouds sailed above the continents. The map was full of multicolored lights- red, orange, blue, and green. People stood watching the screen, taking notes.
"This is a map of Earth," said the teacher. "It tells us about the activities of the forces of Darkness. The red lights are areas where we are desperately needed, the orange ones are developing threats. The green ones are places where bad things are being planned. And finally, the blue ones are dark thoughts of individual people, whose actions can influence all of humanity- politicians, for example. The violet ones are our brothers. Envoys to the World Above. Sometimes, when we are unable to successfully send a thought from Shambhala, we send an Envoy to the World Above. In order to track the progress of our Brothers, and help them if necessary, the Shambhalans have made this map of the World Above. And then we decided to mark the movements of the dark forces, to get the whole picture."
The Teacher touched a red light with his finger. The scale increased. A map of New York City appeared, criss-crossed by smaller lights. The Teacher chose one of them, and touched it with his finger. The scale changed again and a highway was shown on the screen. A jeep raced to intercept a huge truck. The engines roared, and the smell of burning rubber wafted into the air. The blonde in the jeep slammed on the brake pedal, but the car would not obey. The tourists saw the pale face of the truck driver, who noticed the interloper too late. They all froze in anticipation of the crash.
But the crash didn't happen. The teacher flicked his hand in a lighting motion directly at the screen and... The car stopped, and started to stall out. The Teacher touched the edge of the screen, and everyone saw the map of the world once again.
- "That's quite a machine you've got there," said Boris, shaking his head.
- "And the others?" Exclaimed Nastia, "the other lights? How can you take care of every thing?"
- "We cannot take care of everything. And in fact we choose not to. What I have just done i
s not welcomed by all. We are bound to defend the fate of mankind, not mere men. Everything must take its course.
I would like to show you one more cave, but before this, I must purify you. We have a special tool for that."
- "How does it purify?" Shivered Margo.
- "Do not be afraid!" laughed the Teacher, "you will feel yourselves at ease."
They went into a small room, in the center of which stood a shining box with a spout like a tea kettle.
- "This is a lithivator," explained the Teacher, "it will purify your aura. Lithium, is a very useful metal. No other element can compete with its heat and energy capacity. We charge it with our energy and use it to purify the auras of the World Above.
- Take off your protective cloak!" ordered the Teacher, pointing to Nastia.
He took the device and pointed it at the girl's chest. A thin ray of light extended from the "spout." The air around Nastia became multicolored. It was as if a large, luminous egg was surrounding her body.
- “Look at that!” said the Teacher, "those dark spots are the traces of your world." He began to carry the device around Nastia. Her aura gradually evened out and became a shining gold.
- "Done! Next!" invited the Teacher.
- "How do you feel, Nastia?" asked Margo.
- "I've never felt better."
Everyone went through the purification procedure.
"Now we can visit the cave of the somatics," said the Teacher, "you can leave your protective cloaks here. You will no longer need them."
The cave of the somatics was colossal. The guests entered it from above, pausing on a stone ledge-balcony. The cave was filled with stone giants, sitting in the lotus position. Their faces and bodies were of the ideal definition.
- "What beauty!" exclaimed Margo. "You are among the brilliant masters!”
- “These are not sculptures," said the Teacher, "these are the holy Harati. They are in a somatic state."
- "I don't understand." grumbled Boris.
- "These are the petrified bodies of the Lemurians. Ancient people, who lived millions of years ago.. It was they who founded Olmolungring. They decided to turn their bodies into stone in order to remain on the earth. Their spirits are alive. They have long been here, together with us. They help us, as we help the people above."
- "How is it possible to turn one's body into stone?" asked Nastia, and stopping short, added, "ah, the powers of the five elements..."
The guests looked around with caution.
- "Giants! What giants!" whispered Marina.
After standing a bit longer on the balcony, the travelers, shocked by what they had seen, came out into the light.
- "You liked it, I hope?" asked the Teacher. – "Now, if you wouldn't mind, our elders would like to make your acquaintance." "I'll go ahead." "Samir, you know where to go."
Chapter 6. The Council
The council met in the White Tower. A small room at the base served as the meeting hall. The white walls shined from the light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Incense was smoking in the corners. It smelled of tulips. Fifteen elders were sitting at a table in the center of the room. Fourteen men, among whom sat the Teacher. The fifteenth was a woman in yellow. The elders were faintly glowing, as if they were surrounded by a cloud of bluish ether.
Samir led the guests into the hall, and stopped before the council.
- "Thank you for agreeing to help us," pronounced the woman. Her beautiful, lively eyes carefully surveyed each of the guests. "I thank you in the name of the citizens of Olmolungring."
- "That is the elder Kriida," answered Samir in an undertone.
- "What a beautiful woman!" whispered Margo, "we agreed to help? Who? Whom?"
- “Kut Kumi, you didn't tell them?" Kriida asked the teacher.
- "I was not able, Kriida." "I am not sure that they are ready.”
- “Well, in any case, thanks for bringing them," answered Kriida. And silently began to look over the guests. There was an awkward pause. The travelers shifted from foot to foot.
- "What's going on here! Why are we here?" ask Boris, frustrated .
Kriida, after holding her gaze on Margo for an abnormally long time, finally spoke.
She explained that a tragedy had occurred in Olmolungring. A relic, stored here since the city's founding, has been stolen. The Shintaman stone, or Chintamani, as the ancient Lemurians called it, was taken up to earth. This threatened a catastrophe. Without the Stone, the city became defenseless, and visible to dark forces. Now they could attack at any minute and destroy their hated stronghold of Light on Earth.
- "How could you have let this happen?!" cried Nastia in horror, "with your abilities..."
- "They recruited one of our own... We were not expecting a strike from within," lamented Kut Kumi. "They are fiendishly clever, those servants of Lucius."
- "Lucius? Who's that?" asked Andrei.
- "Lucifer," said Kriida, "you've heard of him, I'm sure."
- "Of course we have," responded Margo, "but we didn't think he was real."
- “There is much more to reality than you imagine," answered Kut Kumi.
- "What will happen now?" asked Marina.
- "If we cannot return the Stone by the end of the lunar month," answered Kriida, "it is frightening to imagine what Lucius may do. He has always dreamed of destroying mankind. We've been fighting with him since the world was created..."
- "So then you are powerless against him?"
- "No, we are still strong," answered Kriida. But if he attacks Shambhala, we will have to concentrate all our forces here. People will be without protection. Lucius will not miss this chance to destroy humanity. His army is much more numerous than ours. He can succeed, both there and here. When we eventually win, we will have to make mankind again. Which takes millions of years... But you can help us."
- "How?! In what way?" asked Andrei.
- "Are we the raw materials to recreate man? Human guinea pigs for breeding?" grunted Margo.
- If that was our goal, we would have chosen the best..." interrupted Samir, stopping under the gaze of Kut Kumi.
Margo gave Samir a glare. Nastia asked,
"Then what can we do?"
- "You can return the Shintaman. You're not being asked to find Excalibur, or fight with dragons," smiled Kriida, "Kut Kumi will explain it all tomorrow. Are you in?"
- "Of course we are," answered Marina, speaking for the group. The others exchanged bewildered glances.
Kriida added,
"the stone is hidden to the eyes of a Shambhalan. Our instruments are powerless. Lucius himself is personally surrounding it with a force-field which cannot be penetrated by Light. Thus, we had to go a different route. But which route exactly, you will find out later. By the way, have you been to the Museum yet?”
- "The Museum? You have a Museum?" remarked Andrei in astonishment, checking to see if there was film left in his camera.
- "Yes we do, and it's a pretty nice one if I may say so myself," smiled the Teacher,"go, Samir will take you there. He is a wonderful guide."
- "Oh, we know what kind of a guide he is," muttered Boris.
The tourists left the Tower.
But in the meeting hall, the conversation continued in complete silence. The citizens of Olmolungring communicated telepathically.
- "Do you remember everything, Samir?" asked Kriida.
- "Yes, Madame Elder. I should take them to the museum. And send them to the past."
- "You can't tell them anything. They are too weak. But they are the only reincarnated Lemurians left in this time."
- "So, I am to deceive them?"
- "Samir, Samir. You will be lying to save them. You must send them to their past incarnations before sunset. They will return the Shintaman to us, I am very hopeful. The fate of the world is in the hands of weak people, whom we cannot even tell about their own mission," sighed Kriida.
The Elders nodded in sadness.
- "Samir, be careful with
the Memory Ray. It must not be interrupted. They cannot remember who they are or where they are from. Let everything in Lemuria be as it was in its last days.”
Samir bowed to the Council and left.
Chapter 7. The Experiment.
A long tunnel led to the museum. Along the walls were white marble statues of human height. The guests carefully walked around them.
- "Somatics?" asked Marina.
- "No," answered Samir, "this is the gallery of marble Envoys. Those who went up to the World Above forever. You've probably heard of them." - And he began to list them: "Orpheus, Zoroaster, Plato, Pythagoras, Paracelsus, Lao Tzu, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Saint Germain... Those being of course their earthly names."
- I understand, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad, they are prophets," interrupted Margo, "but how did Pythagoras and Plato get there?"
- "Different Envoys were sent to humankind for different reasons. Some brought knowledge. And others brought faith. Jesus gave life, to cleanse the human race of filth. But people have made the Nazarene an idol, and thought up a new religion."
- "Well, he was the son of God," Nastia protested.
- "Just as you are," nodded Samir. "We are all the beloved children of God. Alas, not everyone is aware of this fact."
When they went inside, a ray of light from an oil lamp was illuminating the room. "Now that's what I call a museum!" The exhibits were sitting right on the floor. It smelled like a library- of old paper and dust. It was dry and chilly. Tools used by ancient people, knights' suits of armor, weapons, ancient statues of the Olympian gods, dishes, furniture, decorations, pictures, from ancient to modern, all mixed together. Every object had a tag with an inscription in an unknown language. The tourists looked it all over in perplexity.
- "Oh my!" – exclaimed Margo. She took the bejeweled box, the only object on a separate pedestal. The box held nothing, but it was lined with fine velvet on the inside- very fancy! It looked like a Faberge.