by Karl Morgan
Dorchester hurried over and grabbed Carl’s arm. Now, they stood in the hidden bell tower room. “We have a problem outside again.” He pointed out the window. Thousands of large wolves were moving into the area. Each appeared to be the size of a bull. “Canines of that size do not exist, but I suspect you know that.”
Carl smiled. “I love doggies! Don’t worry, I’ll handle that.”
He vanished and reappeared outside the building. He could see students inside boarding up the windows. The entrances to the main building had been sealed. Now, he was completely surrounded by the massive beasts. They bared their teeth and snarled at him. “Who is your master?” One of the beasts moved forward until it stood a foot away. Its exhaling caused Carl’s hair to jostle about. “Man, you could use a breath mint. Okay, Fluffy. It is Fluffy, isn’t it?” The wolf’s head turned from side to side as if confused by his words. “Of yeah, that’s not right, is it? Your name is Pookie.” The wolf’s eyes widened. Carl rubbed its snout. “That’s a good boy.” The wolf snapped at him. Carl slapped it lightly on the snout. “Bad Pookie! I told you I want to see your master.” He pointed at the wolf. “Obey!”
The wolf yipped and then stepped aside. The other animals opened to form a path. At the other end, a lone courtesan stood. He wielded a whip and staff. “You are getting on my nerves, boy,” the man shouted. He whipped the wolves nearest him, and they yelped. “Kill him, I command you.”
The wolves turned back to Carl, who pointed at the courtesan. You’re not supposed to whip them. Where are you from, the Middle Ages?” Carl laughed. “Oh yeah, that’s right. You are from the Middle Ages. My bad.” He began to walk along the path to the courtesan. He touched the faces of the wolves, and as he touched each, he said, “Scout, Thor, King, Lassie, Boo-boo Kitty.” He stopped. “Boo-boo Kitty?” The wolf shrugged. “Sorry, but you know, it really suits you.”
“I order you to kill him now!” the courtesan shouted.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Carl could hear the deep voice of the Earth in the rumblings. She said, “Don’t worry, Carl. I’ve got this.” The ground underneath the courtesan opened, and he fell downward. His screaming was cut off when the opening sealed itself. All the wolves looked to Carl.
“Yeah, that was pretty gruesome, but I think he deserved it.” The wolves nodded in agreement. Two wolves near where the courtesan had been standing fought back and forth with the whip until it ripped in two. Carl clapped. “Good job. I have a surprise for you.” He snapped his fingers, and Burt appeared next to him.
“Oh my God!” Burt shouted. He grabbed Carl’s shoulder. “Did you bring me here to be their lunch? What were you thinking?”
“Look around, Burt.”
When he did, he noticed all the wolves were sitting down with their heads bowed. “That’s cool.”
“It’s more than that, buddy. These are not wolves at all. They were stolen from their homes.” Carl slowly passed his arm around the area. “See them as they truly are.”
Burt’s jaw dropped. They were surrounded by dogs of all breeds and ages. Many had collars with nametags. Burt sat on the grass and was inundated by happy puppies. The doors to the main building opened, and students poured outside to join the fun.
Something made Carl turn around and look up. He could see Joshua and Aida standing near the top of the bell tower on the Rope Bridge. Carl waved and smiled. The two waved back and then faded away. Dogs were all around him, so he got down on the grass to play as well.
Burt crawled over to Carl with three puppies riding on his back. After the dogs jumped off, Burt sat cross-legged next to his friend. “Who was that on the roof with Aida?”
“You saw them? That’s cool. His name is Joshua.”
Burt put his hand on Carl’s knee. “He’s the Lord Jesus, right?”
Carl nodded while rubbing the ears of a toy French poodle.
“Carl, look at me,” Burt demanded.
Carl put the dog down and focused on his friend. “I’m sorry. Please go on.”
“I saw them there, but they weren’t really there.”
Carl nodded. “That’s right; they’re on the Rope Bridge.”
“I saw them. I saw the earth swallow that man. I saw the wolves become dogs, and I saw those arrows go right through you. That’s all true, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s all true.”
Burt touched Carl’s face, the ground, a nearby dog, and then himself. “All of this is illusions, isn’t it? If it isn’t, I have to be crazy. Please tell me it’s illusions.”
“Yes, Burt, physical reality is an illusion.”
Burt hit himself on the knees with his fists. “I knew it.” A worried look crossed his face. “But if everything is fake, what’s real?”
Carl smiled and patted his friend’s knee. “None of it is fake. It is all real because we believe and wish it is real. All of this is the world we build with our minds and hearts. Change your mind, change your heart, and you will change the world.”
Burt smiled and wiped tears from his face. “Now, I understand why you can do all these things.” He chuckled. “I thought it was magic, imagine that. I also thought I was stupid, or at least not smart enough or deserving enough to have those talents. I’ve had them all along, haven’t I?”
“Yes, Burt, you have had them all along, just like me, Aida, Grace, and everyone else. All you lacked was faith.”
“In God?”
Carl shook his head. “In yourself.”
“But, Carl, what does this mean? If all of this is true, what am I supposed to do with that knowledge? Does this mean I’m an Invisible Hand?”
“Yes, you are the Invisible Hand, Burt, and you are also an immortal member of the Rope Bridge Society.”
“I have never seen or been on the Rope Bridge, Carl.”
Carl pointed to the spot where Aida and Joshua had been standing. Joshua and the other members of the society were there applauding.
“But what about the bridge, Carl?”
“The rope bridge is an allegory. The journey across the bridge is not a physical journey. It is a journey of the mind.” Carl stood. “Please take my hand.” Burt stood and extended his hand.
Now they stood near Death’s cabin at the entrance to the Rope Bridge. There was no fog, and they could see the other members on the opposite side ten feet away. “That’s it? It’s so short.”
Carl put his hand on Burt’s shoulder. “It took me days and days to cross. That means days to understand what you already do. Go on. You go first, and I’ll join you on the other side.”
Burt turned to look at his friend and said, “What?”
“Over here, Burt,” Carl called from the opposite side.
“I thought Aida was on this bridge,” Burt said.
“Bridge of the mind,” Sid called out.
“Of course, another illusion.” Burt stepped on the bridge, hurried to the other side, and into the arms of the other society members.
Later, Carl and Burt walked into the dining hall together. They waved to Grace who had already found a table. After going through the service line, they headed toward her. Burt removed the plates from his tray. As Carl was about to do the same, he disappeared. His tray and dinner fell to the floor.
Carl’s hands were held together over his head by metal cuffs that were attached to the ceiling. He wore only his underwear. He grimaced as a whip snapped across his back. The prison guard suddenly screamed. Carl floated down to the floor of the dungeon and turned around. He looked down on his body and saw he was fully clothed again. The guard had crawled onto a table to avoid the snake that was climbing its way to him. “That wasn’t very nice.” Carl twisted his hand, and the snake became a whip again and snapped at the guard, who fell backwards onto the floor of the dungeon. His head hit the stone floor, and he lay unconscious. He heard clapping and turned around.
The demon queen stood by the entrance to the room and smiled. She stopped clapping and moved forward. “Very impressive, Carl Presc
ott.”
Carl crossed his arms. “What do you want now, Sylvia?”
“Me, nothing actually. You see, Hugo over there wanted to prove to me that he was worthy of being one of the mortals to join with us for the rebirth of the universe.” She clucked her tongue. “I guess not, but he is a loyal servant.”
“So, he’s one of the courtesans you took with you to Hell?”
She nodded. “One of the best, actually.”
Mort said, “Not anymore.” Sylvia and Carl noticed that Death had suddenly appeared in the room. He swung his scythe and sliced the man’s head off. “You’re running low, Niece. You’d better guard your friends better.” He turned to the boy. “It’s good to see you again, Carl.” He waved and then disappeared.
Sylvia rolled her eyes. “Uncle Mort is so melodramatic.”
Carl laughed. “You do a good job of that yourself.”
The two appeared in the queen’s bedchamber. Sylvia was behind a screen. She stepped out wearing a bustier and panties. “You always liked Barbie’s body, Carl. You can have your way with it now, if you wish. I can tell you that her soul is begging for that.”
“Geez, leave the poor girl alone. Hasn’t she suffered enough by having you stuck in her head?” Carl flicked a finger and the queen was covered with a heavy robe. “I’m out of here.” He turned for the door.
“Carl, please wait!”
He sighed and turned to face her. “Now what?”
A chair moved across the room and stopped behind him. “Please sit down.” After he sat, another chair moved forward to just in front of him. Sylvia sat and smiled. “I know what happened at the school today. Now you understand the capabilities of my courtesans.”
“Or lack thereof.”
She laughed. “Exactly. We both also know you are an Invisible Hand and a member of the Rope Bridge Society.” He nodded. “We know how rare both of those occurrences are. Invisible Hands are generally about a thousand years apart, and I believe there have only been five new society members from this planet since mankind evolved.”
“And you’re having a hard time finding anyone who will join with you, Gabriel, and Constance.”
She nodded. “I was lucky that the Conway girl discovered the talent but hadn’t mastered it. So, that leaves you.”
“You’re still one short.”
“Yeah. In case you were wondering why I haven’t acted already, well, now you know.”
“You don’t have to through with your plan, Sylvia. You know that, right? I mean, even without Barbie’s body, you’re beautiful, smart, and immortal. I know the whole red skin, horns, and pointy tail are just for show.”
“What are you trying to say? That you love me?”
Carl sighed and looked down. “It’s not that simple, and you know it. Think about the Sylvia I have known. Other than some nice moments during and after our trip on the Rope Bridge, you’ve been insufferable. When you’re with your father, you’re spoiled and disrespectful.” He put his hand on her knee. “Remember that you tried to rip out my heart.”
“Yeah, but then you forced yourself on me.”
“I think we both enjoyed the kiss though.”
She sat back and crossed her arms. “Get to the point, if there is one.”
“There are one hundred and twenty billion planets with sentient populations in the universe. Why destroy all of that when you can rule some of them instead? Or you can ingratiate yourself with Luce and be chosen the one to start the next universe when this one dies. That gives you sixty billion years to play and then a new universe where you are God for the right reasons.”
She batted her eyelashes. “What about you and me?”
“It’s like I said before. I cannot know what my future will be with Aida Whitehall. If we break up someday, I’ll be available. You’re immortal, so you have the time. As long as you give up on this destruction or enslavement, all the memories of the past will fade away. Then, we’ll see. Is that fair?”
Carl’s chair disappeared, and he fell to the floor. Sylvia stood over him. “Did you notice that you sound just like my father? Be a good girl, honey. Don’t torture those poor people or your brothers? No one ever lets me live the life I want!” She pointed angrily at him. “Don’t you ever tell me what to do? Not now, not ever!” The room burst into flames, and Carl disappeared.
He stood next to the table in the dining room. “What happened to you, Carl?” Grace asked.
“And why do you smell like smoke?”
“I think you can guess, Burt. I think you can guess. I’m going to get another tray.” He walked back toward the service line.
Chapter 16
Carl decided to stay on his island that night. He would be safely out of Sylvia’s reach because it was outside of space and time. He woke in the morning to knocking at his front door. He sat up. There was another knock. “This isn’t possible.” He got out of bed and headed for the door. He looked through the glass panel on the side of the door and then quickly pulled the door open. “How did you find this place, Burt? Good morning, Grace. Come in, you two.”
After greetings, he led them into the living room. Carl sat on a wing chair and the others sat on a small couch. “This is a nice place. Where exactly is it?” Grace asked.
Carl tapped his temple. “It’s in here. Burt, did you tell her about the Rope Bridge?”
“Yes, but I know it’s not easy to understand until you do.”
Grace crossed her arms. “Now you’re both talking in riddles.”
Burt put his hand on her knee. “Honey, it’s not that. It’s just, well, kind of hard to put into words.”
Carl smiled. “My advice is to just go along with what happens. When you understand, you will. Oops, that’s another riddle. Sorry.”
“Carl, do you have anything for breakfast? Maybe if you two have something in your mouths, you won’t irritate me with blather.”
Carl stood. “Sure. There’s a full selection on the picnic table outside.”
“We just walked by that table, and it was empty.” Grace noted.
“Just enjoy the ride, Grace.”
When they stepped outside, the picnic table was set with an embroidered silk tablecloth, silver candlesticks, and fine China. There were platters of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, and much more. On a small table nearby sat carafes of different juices and a coffee urn. “That’s a lot of food! Most of it’s going to be wasted.”
Burt took her hand and led her to the table. “It will be okay. Like Carl said, just enjoy it.”
After a few minutes of eating their breakfast, Carl put down his fork. “I don’t believe it.”
“What’s wrong?” Grace asked.
“Nothing.” He stood and walked toward the beach. Burt and Grace turned around on the bench to see what had happened.
Joshua and Aida were walking along the beach. After a moment, they noticed Carl coming in their direction, so they left the image of the Rope Bridge and moved toward him. Grace and Burt left the table as well to greet the new visitors.
Aida walked into Carl’s open arms and hugged him.
Joshua waved to the other new arrivals. “I hope you all saved enough for us.”
As everyone headed back to the table, Joshua pulled Carl aside and led him a few feet away. “I’m not sure she’s going to make it to the end of the Rope Bridge in time.”
“What happened, Josh?”
“Somewhere in Barbara Conway’s memory, Cousin Sylvia learned about your hypothesis that all humans have the Invisible Hand, but are just Those Who Sleep.”
“She thinks she can just grab two others at random and recreate the universe?” asked Carl.
Joshua nodded. “That’s how it looks. Now, as far as your girlfriend is concerned, I honestly believe Aida is one of the greatest talents in thousands of years. I just don’t know if we have enough time to reach the end. Perhaps you can have a talk with her like you did with Burt.”
“I’d be happy to, but Burt already real
ized the true nature of existence for himself. It’s a pretty big leap of faith to believe a single conversation can change her.”
Joshua sighed. He took Carl’s arm and led him back toward the Rope Bridge. “You have to try. If your little talk works, that’s perfect, and if it doesn’t, at least, we tried.”
“We have Burt. Didn’t we just need two?”
“Hopefully, but three would practically guarantee that the universe survives. We’ll just have to see what happens. Let’s go back to the table before they all get anxious.”
“Josh, can I ask you a question first? Something’s been bothering me about the idea of illusions.”
“Okay, shoot.”
Carl thought for a moment. “Okay, I understand that physical reality is an illusion. I’ve already seen too many unnatural things to realize that is a fact. If it is an illusion, why does its destruction change anything other than making sentient individuals choose their next lives?”
Joshua smiled and patted Carl on the head. “You’re right, of course, but you have to remember the roles that Emmanuel, Lucifer, and Mort play in this universe. As society members, we have the same role. We are not here to decide the fates of the many; we are here to serve them and help them learn their own divinity. As our Father has told you, each of us is a part of Him. In a sense, that makes them the gods of their own universe. For one of us, or Cousin Sylvia for that matter, to decide their fates for them, well, frankly it’s an abomination. It is like your socks telling you where to walk today or which shoes to wear.”
Carl shook his head. “I don’t think I can compare the Lord God to my socks. That’s humiliating. He is so much more than me.”
Joshua put his hand on Carl’s shoulder. “Thank you for that, but what are you other than a piece of Him? You already realize the rest is illusion, right? Think about your parents, Franklin and Virginia. They cherish you and help you to be the best person you can become. They do that out of love, not because they are your servants or slaves. It’s like that.”