The master shook his head and Nanda continued to translate. “What did you learn about yourself?”
“I’m confused. Wasn’t this about the truth about why Bear came on the quest?”
“In part, yes, as your hearts must be pure to continue. However, I can see that his truth has been shared. But there is a lesson here for you, too, and that is more important in the long run. What did you learn about your anger?”
“My anger? He made me angry.”
As Nanda translated, the master looked away. “Ah, so you did not learn.”
Will was curious about where the old man was going with this line of thinking.
Maddy tried to pull at a ponytail that was no longer there. “I don’t understand. Can you please explain? I would like to learn.”
“Good. Think on this. Were you angry because of what he did, or because of your thoughts about what he did?”
“What he did. He withheld information from me.” She nodded at Will. “From us.”
He was dying to know what they had discussed. This was juicy. Instinctively, he knew that what she was about to tell them wasn’t going to be good.
“No.” The master corrected with a soft tone. “You interpreted his actions through the filter of your beliefs and judged his behavior as wrong. That is what made you angry. Try on a different perception of his actions and see if you feel differently. Can you respect him for keeping his commitment?”
Will didn’t follow, but Maddy’s face lit up. “So, my emotions are all my own doing?”
“Yes. Blaming others for your emotions robs you of your power.”
Maddy looked stunned. “Oh, my. My thoughts generate my emotions.”
That cleared things up for Maddy, but Will found it an odd concept. Not that he’d been overly emotional throughout his life, but they’d been raised to believe that other people’s actions caused your emotions. It was the source of some friction in his own marriage--that money fight, for instance. He decided to mull over this concept later and test it out for himself. See if he could think himself happy, sad, or mad.
“Yes. Don’t they teach you anything in school?” The master laughed. “This is important. Blocked feelings mean blocked energy. To maximize and control the Power that you will have access to, you must be able to control your thoughts and your emotions. You’ve passed a number of tests regarding fear and compassion, but it is my job to make sure you, the true you, are in control of the Power. Not your anger or any other emotion.”
Maddy nodded. “I see.”
“So, before you leave, you must pass a test to show me that you can control your thoughts, emotions, and energy.”
“What is the test?”
“You must be able to light paper on fire with your hands,” the master said.
“What?” Will burst out. He couldn’t help himself.
The master turned to him. “You did not pass the fear tests, but you may practice here as well. Since you have come this far, you may be able to retake the fear tests and someday join the Order.”
“But no one can light paper on fire with their hands. It’s impossible.” As an engineer, Will felt the certainty about this in his bones.
“So sure? Nanda, please bring me some paper.”
Nanda scampered off. The old man again closed his eyes. Will looked at Maddy, who raised one eyebrow and shrugged. Bear just looked curious and somewhat relieved to be out of the hot seat.
Nanda returned a few minutes later with a newspaper. He handed it to Will. It looked like a regular newspaper, a recent edition from Mandalay. Will sniffed it, studied it, and handed it back. There was nothing unusual about it that he could tell, without doing a chemical analysis. Nanda balled it up and put it in front of the old master.
Will’s pulse quickened. Can the master light this paper on fire? He’d heard of yogis’ supernatural feats, but he considered them nothing but quackery.
The master deepened his breathing. His eyes remained closed. Next, he cupped his palms in his lap. He moved his hands as if around an invisible ball the size of a grapefruit. This continued for about a minute.
At some point, the old man seemed satisfied with what he felt between his hands. He moved his hands toward the paper on the ground in front of him. The master didn’t touch the paper but continued to cup it from about an inch away, all while moving his hands around it. Will was sure nothing would happen.
Whoosh! Flames erupted between the old man’s hands, charring the newspaper in an instant. Will jerked backward and almost fell off his cushion.
The fire burned for a moment, then the master opened his eyes and looked at Will. “Please put the fire out with the water in your glass.”
Will complied, shaken and confused.
The master smiled, looking delighted as a child that he had shocked Will.
Maddy and Bear also stared open-mouthed at the small pile of ashes in front of the master.
The master looked at Will and spoke through Nanda. “You’re a thinker, yes?”
Will nodded.
“Think about this. You’re familiar with the vacuum of empty space all around us?”
Will nodded again, unable to speak.
“Quantum theory predicts that it contains enormous residual background energy. Scientists call this ‘zero-point energy’ or ZPE. Am I right?”
Will moved his head in affirmation. He had a wealthy friend in Brazil who adored, over drinks, to share with Will his ideas about quantum experiments that verified those theories. Will had taken a few physics classes in college and liked to read about related advances, so had followed along. Will enjoyed the conversation and loved the fine wine.
“I am simply harnessing zero-point energy. You or anyone can do the same. We are all one.”
Will still had a hard time accepting the master was using ZPE, but he had learned a long time ago, with the feelings he and Maddy shared, that sometimes science didn’t know all. Maybe this was cutting-edge science and not a fake. Time would tell. The master turned his attention to Maddy.
“I will give you one exercise to practice. You’ll have to figure out the rest. Do as I do. First, you listen. And feel the Power.”
The master went on to show them how to sit on their heels, put their hands high above their heads in a prayer position, breathe into their guts and out through their hands while chanting and visualizing an energy pattern that moved up their spines.
Will squirmed, wanting to dismiss it as more yogic hocus-pocus, but the fire display was too fresh.
The three of them practiced for a minute under the master’s gaze. Even Bear.
Sitting on his heels, Will’s ankles started to ache. His arms trembled and he ground his teeth to keep his triceps tucked by his ears, hands held high.
Finally, the master had them inhale and relax. Will dropped his arms and balled up on the ground. After another breath, he sat up, extended his legs, and rubbed his quads. How could he be so beat from such a short exercise?
The master dismissed them. “I will see if you have any questions in the morning. Please enjoy a meal.”
Nanda scooped them up and herded them toward dinner. As they left the patio, Will hoped Maddy was a quick study. I’ll never be able to do it and time is running out.
CHAPTER 67
6:55 p.m.:
Bear felt awash in a tumble of emotions as they walked into the dining hall of the mountaintop monastery. Part of him was as shocked as Will had looked when the old master had lit that newspaper on fire. Another part of him, the larger part, was caught between the hope in Maddy’s smile and the residual ashes of her anger.
And then he spied Juergen’s tall frame and blond head in the dining hall, sitting next to stocky Dieter and hazel-eyed Elena at the end of a long bench. For some reason, they all sat on the same side of a table. What are they doing here?
Bear’s emotional tangle coalesced into a dark, heavy ball and took up residence in the center of his chest. He swore under his breath.
W
ill and Maddy made noises of pleasant surprise and headed toward Juergen’s table. Irritated, Bear followed along in their wake.
Will made it to the table first. “Hey, strangers! Can we join you?”
Juergen stood to shake hands with Will. “Hey, so good to see you! Yes, please, sit. Dinner is almost here.”
Juergen looked the same as Bear remembered, still towering over even Will. The guy must be six-six, maybe six-eight. Abruptly, Bear felt like a hobbit.
Will sat across from Juergen, Maddy across from Dieter, and Bear took the end, away from Juergen and across from Elena, who engaged him in conversation.
Her golden red hair and round hazel eyes were still stunning. “So happy to see you all made it.”
“We did and lost our hair along the way. Looks like you kept yours?”
Bear was distracted by the conversation that had sprung up between Maddy and Juergen. Does she still care for him?
Elena pushed her fingers through her locks to move the hair away from her face. “Yes. How’d yours disappear?”
“It’s a long story. I’m surprised to see you all here. What is this place?”
“We’ve been here just a few days, but from what we can tell, on the outside, it’s a Buddhist monastery and does function as such.”
“Sure, but what’s this Order of the Invisible Flame business?”
Bear became aware that the small talk between Will, Juergen, Dieter, and Maddy had ceased and they were all listening.
She flashed him a broad smile. “That is the interesting part.”
Dieter took up the tale. “As you learned while at the Jerusalem Testing Society, everyone there is remotely royal, all descendants of Isabella and Ferdinand. You may or may not know that all the monarchs currently reigning in Europe, whether King Philippe of Belgium, Queen Elizabeth of the UK, or the kings of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands, descend from Isabella I and Ferdinand II. Each particular family has its own traditions and I won’t ask about yours, or share ours. However, what we all share is this common lineage.”
Maddy tried to swing her hair, couldn’t, and glared at Elena’s mane. “What do Isabella and Ferdinand have to do with the Order?” Maddy had donned a baseball cap from their backpack as soon as they had entered the monastery and adjusted it instead.
“They set it up,” Juergen replied. All eyes turned to him as he continued. “Set up the Order. What we’ve been told so far is that they established it after succeeding in a quest of their own. They wanted their children, and their children’s children, to have a role in protecting the world from evil.”
Bear’s irritable mood bled into the conversation. “Evil such as the Jews and Moors that they ordered to convert or leave Spain?”
Juergen crossed his arms. “Popular culture has perhaps overstated the impact of the Spanish Inquisition.”
Now Bear had another reason to hate Juergen. “Are you kidding me? But, hey, the Germans got the idea of killing the Jews from somewhere.”
Elena disrupted the argument. “Cut it out, guys. That was all a long time ago. Anyway, the progeny of Isabella and Ferdinand were quite prolific. As Dieter said, almost all the royal houses of Europe trace back to them, except for the Russians.”
“Any connection back to Alexander the Great?” Maddy asked.
“Not that I’ve heard of,” Elena answered.
Dieter added, “All royal houses have a similar opportunity to join the Order. Although royalty doesn’t today hold the power it once did, the secret brotherhood remains a powerful force for good. Each member helps in their own way. Some have been warriors, some diplomats, but most have been spies.”
This caught Bear’s attention. He wondered if the US Government was aware of this group and how much they had influenced history over the years.
Elena went on, “We’re siblings, the three of us, and German if you couldn’t tell.” She chuckled and nodded toward Juergen and Dieter. “With guidance from the Order, one of our great-grandfathers joined the Nazi Party during World War Two to infiltrate the leadership and learn what he could to help the Allies. He provided intelligence that turned the tide of several battles on the eastern front. He survived the war, married our great-grandmother, and contributed in other ways before he died.”
In spite of himself, Bear was intrigued by the concept of a secret sect of stately spies.
“So, anyone who passed the tests in Jerusalem can join the order?” Maddy asked.
Will jumped in, “And is the master the head of the order?”
“Yes, to both.” Dieter answered.
“Why would a monk lead an order like this?” Will asked.
Bear could see the advantages.
“You have to admit it makes for a good disguise,” Dieter said.
Will nodded, deep in thought.
“And how long do you expect to be here, training, before the next phase of your adventure?” Maddy asked.
Bear appreciated that she avoided asking for details.
“We understand that most people are here for a few weeks, to a few months. For some, it has been a college of sorts, lasting years.”
Will’s eyes widened at this comment.
“Are there others of us here now?” Maddy wanted to know.
“No, we’re the sole group here right now,” Elena replied.
The conversation wound down after that.
Monks served dinner and they all dove into the vegetarian fare with gusto.
Although Bear was intrigued by the dinner’s revelations, he couldn’t help but think that, with Juergen here, he’d never kiss Maddy again.
CHAPTER 68
July 21, 6:20 a.m.:
At first light, Maddy woke in the monastery. Birds sang outside the window of her modest but rather comfortable room. A confusing dream about Juergen was fresh in her mind. He was massaging her shoulders while Bear looked on from across the room. She was enjoying the feel of Juergen’s hands on her shoulders, but at the same time, she felt the weight of guilt and knew Bear was disappointed. Thank god it was just a dream.
Another, earlier dream played at the edges of her consciousness. It felt important. She tugged at the bed covers, rolled over, and allowed herself to drift.
After a little time following the feeling, the dream came back. She was Alexander III of Macedon, outside the town of Gaza on the edge of the desert, standing on one of the tall mounds his army had used to conquer the besieged city. It was a rare, private moment when his guards stood far enough away that it was as if he were blessedly alone. Twilight was falling and the air held an elusive note of coolness. In each hand, he held a heavy, dark red obelisk the color of blood.
Alexander ran his thumbs along the inscriptions cut into the sides of the strange, thick spikes that had been found hidden in Batis’ bedchamber. Alexander smiled. The tiny spears had been no help to the former gatekeeper of Egypt, whom he had ordered dragged by the heels from a chariot until the man expired an hour ago. Yet, Alexander knew the obelisks were considered vital or they wouldn’t have been in the bedchamber.
The objects felt warm in his hands. Alexander allowed his mind to quiet, allowed his senses to expand. He could feel a subtle pulse inside the objects, dancing in time to his heartbeat.
Inspired, he pointed the objects at the setting sun. A small spark jumped from one obelisk to the other, causing Alexander to drop the rods into the sand. He swore and bent down to pick them up. Intriguing. Clearly, Batis hadn’t known how to use the things. But then, he hadn’t known how to defend his city.
Alexander held the obelisks again, sensing their strange pulse. Although he’d traveled the world, he had never encountered such devices. And they sparked! What he could do with a weapon that threw fire! Of course, he had stone-throwing machines and smaller bolt shooters. But those weapons had limitations, like the need for fuel. His army often fought in deserts, far from forests. Again, he raised the obelisks to the sky and attempted to repeat the spark. Nothing happened.
He
had been hasty. He slowed down. What was the common beat he felt with them? It reminded him of making love, feeling his lover’s pulse in time with his own as they moved as one. One of his lovemaking teachers from India had shown him how energy moved between bodies and how he could direct that energy by using his focused imagination. It worked well with his lovers.
He closed his eyes and found his energy. He directed it to swell in his heart before he raised his arms and sent it shooting out his hands. A rush of magnified feeling in his fingers startled him. He opened his eyes in time to see a small blue light flare from the red obelisk tips and arc toward the setting sun.
Magnificent!
Alexander’s heart swelled with the victories to come.
Maddy’s dream faded, but the feeling in her fingertips lingered. She flexed them, curious, but she had no time to dwell on it. Probably spurred from working the new yoga exercise from the master or that conversation last night about Alexander, Isabella, and Ferdinand.
The sky was just starting to show signs of blue when she rolled out of bed, freshened up, and decided to put dreams out of her mind to practice the exercise the master had given them last night. Before bed, she had practiced for half an hour and felt warm energy stir in her belly but nothing in her hands. Perhaps it would go better in the light of a fresh day.
There was a sheepskin rug on the floor, so she stretched for a few minutes and then assumed the posture he had shown them last evening. Balling up an extra piece of paper from her backpack, she placed it on the floor in front of her. She tucked her knees, sat on her feet, raised her hands above her head, and began to chant. The rhythmic sounds captured her mind.
Before long, she had moved into that listening state where her mind was quiet and she was fully aware of her surroundings and of her own energy. At first, her arms hurt from being over her head, but after a time, the pain faded and she became her breath and the chant. Sat Nam, Sat Nam.
Visualizing the energy in the way the master had shown them, she was aware that Alexander had done something similar in that dream. She focused. The next thing she knew, a hot flow of energy flared right up her spine from her lower back. It caught her off guard. She’d never experienced anything like that before. It burst into her head, like a wave cresting on a beach. Light, and a heady sensation of sweet, velvet goldenness, filled her.
The Lost Power: VanOps, Book 1 Page 27