I stopped beside Abby and said, “Impressive show! It’s almost as if you’d seen it for yourself.”
Abby’s smile went away and seeming to look through me she said softly, “I did a long time ago.”
And then she was gone and I was left to wonder at what she had meant by her last statement. I put my curiosity to rest as I was as eager as the rest to step foot on the surface of my world once more.
As we stood on the lift and were taken up towards the surface Evette broke the silence by saying, “Your ancestors must not have been big believers on safety protocols!” She said indicating the sides of the channel around the lift that we were passing by rapidly.
I tried not to pay attention to that myself. Reaching the surface, the big stone walls began to retreat and there stood my father. I walked up to him and his arms came around me and almost threatened to squeeze the life out of me.
It felt so good to feel his strength once more. It was so good to be home! Reluctantly my father set me back a little.
“It’s so good to see you son!”
“And you father! Father Talaric didn’t come back with us. He’s not dead! He said that the Creator had some purpose for him on Earth yet and that he couldn’t come back until it was completed. He’s changed father!”
Roric nodded, as he came to grips with the news his son had told him, “It may sound strange to some but what you’ve told me of Talaric is in some ways better than having him standing here. I know he’s alive and better yet he’s making himself right with the Creator, and Lord willingly he’ll find his way home someday I pray.”
Father let go of me and swallowed Larc up in a bear hug too and I heard him say into Larc’s ear, “I knew you could do it! Well done son!”
Larc had always been like a son in my father’s eyes and Larc had viewed him as both the friend and father figure that he had been cheated of as a boy. Drawing back from Larc I saw Father begin to regard Evette, who had huddled closer to Larc.
“And who is this exceptionally fine flower of beauty beside you Larc?”
At his words Evette’s face blushed profusely.
Larc stepped aside and introduced her, “This is Evette. She is my lady, of which I could never have asked the Creator for more than what He has given me in her. She has something to give you.”
Evette stepped forward her face completely red now and handed Roric the big black book she held. Roric took it reverently from her and held it a moment in his hands.
“Without her we wouldn’t have found it much less escaped Earth with it.” Larc said.
Roric nodded his head slowly and then handed the Bible out to me, “I believe this is your blood on the Holy Scriptures. You should be the one to carry it out to our people.”
“Father...” With tears slipping out of my eyes I said, “There’s more than just my blood on it!”
He looked back at me with unshed tears in his own eyes, “I know. They would want you to carry it though.”
I took the Holy Scriptures back and held them as reverently as he had. Father turned back to Evette and held out his hand for her to take.
Evette looked at the scarred powerful hand before her and then up at its owner’s kind eyes. She had never felt so much of an overwhelming presence of an individual before, as she did now standing before this man.
God moved powerfully in and around this man and she felt special and a little afraid to be so near him. She reached her hand out and put it in his and his closed gently on hers and then he led her around the wall they had stepped out of to the land side of the shrine.
Her breath left her, as she took in the stunning vista of the great white snowy mountains in the distance, and all that lay in between. The crystalline sparkle of clear glacial water falling hundreds of feet to crash down into the majestic forested slopes at the bases of the mountains was a sight to behold.
The rich diverse texture of the forests giving way to the grasslands of the valley bottoms let off a color so green that she had never seen a range of hues that could equal in intensity.
“It’s so beautiful!”
“Yes it is.” Roric said.
“Son go down among the men and let them touch the words of the Creator, even as soon they will be able to read it and learn more fully from the Creator of life Himself.”
I walked down the steps feeling a little embarrassed of myself, as I walked down the measured lines of mounted warriors. Battle hardened warriors of the line to new recruits leaned out of their saddles to touch the book I held up, many of them crying like babies.
They of their families were the first in countless generations to have the joy and the honor of knowing the words of the Creator for themselves.
Words that generations had yearned to read and had died to preserve fragments, living and dying by faith for what they had only had the barest evidence of. Those generations of faith and perseverance were being rewarded at long last.
Evette glanced up at Roric, who still held her hand and said, “You’re a wise father to elevate your son in the eyes of your men.”
Roric glanced down at her and smiled and then glanced over at Larc, “I would have rewarded Larc too, but God already did more there than I could hope to equal.”
Evette colored up again as Larc grinned big. Roric leaned down and whispered into Evette’s ear so that only she could hear.
“God has already shown me on what high regard He holds you Evette. Welcome to the lands of my people. Rest in the haven of the strength of my people and know that I love you as a father and will guard your well-being jealously, as if you were of my own blood!”
Evette half sobbed, at the whispered words and then turned and launched her arms around Roric’s neck and hugged him with all of her strength.
When she felt him hug her in return she felt what it was like for the first time in her life to be in a father’s embrace and know a father’s protective and caring love.
Drawing back she said tearfully, “Thank you!”
“Think nothing of it. But I do need to get you home as there is someone who will want to meet her first daughter in-law very much.”
Chapter Twenty Three
Homecoming
Riding once more on a horse was a relief, after the mechanized transports of Earth. Relentless seemed pleased to have me back in the saddle as well. We made good time and were entering the town of Ta’arny before I knew it, as if we were the victors of some great battle.
I was glad at the joy the people showed over having the complete collection of the words of the Creator again, but the adulation of those of us who had survived to bring the word back to them, made me feel defensive and yearn to be away from them.
Some parts of me were still mourning for those who had been lost and the brother I may never see again. I saw Gavin as usual at the blacksmith shop as I rode by. He understood the underlying cost of what it had took to make the mission a success and while grateful in its success for the victorious outcome, he had respect for what had been lost too.
Seeing me he smiled and lifted a hand. I broke out of the party and made my way over and extended a hand down to him. He took it and slid onto Relentless’s back behind me, as I helped pull him up. I had missed my twin brother and it was a comfort to have him near again.
“Rough time of it?” Gavin asked, into my ear matter-of-factly.
I simply nodded and I felt his hands squeeze my shoulders and nothing else was said or needed to be. We understood each other that well. Relentless bore the extra weight easily, as we headed out of the town and up towards the ancestral home of our forefathers.
From where I rode I could see that Evette’s eyes were as big as dinner plates, as the towering walls and the beauty that was Thunder Ridge came closer and closer. Seeing her reaction to seeing my home for the first time brought home to me how fortunate I had been to be born here and to have the parents and the people around me that I did. Making our way through the gates and up to the grand hall I saw my mother on the road ah
ead.
“Here you take this. I know you’re dying to hold it anyway.” I said as I handed the Bible back to Gavin.
He fairly snatched it out of my hands, as I dismounted from Relentless and ran up the hill towards my mother, who was coming towards me with open arms. I met her and we hugged each other tightly. I felt tears squeeze out of my eyes into her shoulder as I held her.
“Shhhh….. there son! Your home now! You came back to me! I thank God for your safe return! Now it’s time for you to rest. We’ve asked far too much of you in your youth! But oh son, how proud you have made me! I can hold my head up high with a son like you to call my own!”
She didn’t let go of me, until I made the move to release and even then I really didn’t want to let go. It was like hugging comfort itself and it was hard to say no to more of it, when it was so freely given.
“Mother, Talaric didn’t come back with us, but.....”
Mother held a hand softly over my mouth stopping my words. “I know your father sent word of what happened to me. Worry no more about your brother, he is in the Creator’s hands and that’s the very best place to be of all!”
I nodded and stepped aside as Larc, who had been waiting, enfolded Mother in a bear hug that lifted her off of the ground.
Two short years after Larc’s reunitement with his birthmother she had died of an illness and Krista had been there for him ever since.
Larc drew back and gave her a big kid grin, “I have someone special for you to meet.”
“Yes I have heard about this special someone!”
Krista approached Evette with open arms and hugged her. Drawing back she said with a smile, “It makes me very happy to have you here! Welcome to your new home!”
Evette smiled shyly, “I’m happy to be here. It’s been an odd journey to this moment.”
Krista still holding onto Evette’s shoulders said, “Yes my dear, life can often seem strange in how our paths twist and turn, but your here now and it’s time to enjoy life instead of fearing what comes next.”
They both smiled at each other, as if sensing already that they were kindred spirits, in what they had faced and the trials they had come through in life.
Krista winked at Evette out of the eyeshot of Larc and let her face go serious. Evette wasn’t sure what was going on, but tried to stay game for whatever Krista was cooking up.
Krista reached for Evette’s left hand and held it up in full view of Larc. “No rings Larc? Surely you’ve bought the love of your life some token of your affection and commitment to her?”
Larc looked lost and stammered slightly, “I ahhh…. well I didn’t get to that yet, the mission and everything you know. Everything just happened too fast.” He finished lamely.
“And in all this hustle and bustle to complete the mission I’m sure that you at least had a ceremony of union performed?”
Larc looked like he knew he was fighting a war he couldn’t win, “I uhhh actually, no.”
Ice creeping into her tone Krista asked, as she continued to grill Larc with her eyes, “Then may I ask what bond of union you have enacted with my new daughter in place of the timeworn traditional practices of yoking a man and woman together in holy union?”
Resigned to his fate Larc mumbled out, “I claimed her for my own.”
“You claimed her? I give you credit for tying up the best thing that ever happened to you early on, but perhaps you were not aware of a promise I made to myself. As you put it I was ‘claimed’ myself once!”
All eyes went to Roric, who did his best to bear up under the scrutiny nonchalantly, “I thought we moved past all that my dear?” Intoned Roric gently as he put a commiserating hand on Larc’s back.
“We did dear, but don’t you think we should see that the right thing is done with our own children? Set the balance right so to speak?”
There was silence from Roric and as if reading that as an answer Krista continued, “I made up my mind that every one of my daughters would have the opportunity at a full and proper ceremony. Evette dear would you like a wedding ceremony?”
Evette had barely been able to hold back the giggles that had threatened to escape her during the whole drama. It was funny to see how much Larc looked like a dejected little schoolboy, after having been scolded by the teacher.
“Yes I would like that!”
Krista turned back to Larc “And how about you then? Can you put off claiming your woman until after the ceremony?”
Larc’s face flushed a little at her choice of wording, but he nodded his assent.
“Well then it’s settled! Come with me Evette. There is much to do in order to pull off a wedding tomorrow that one hasn’t even begun to plan yet!” Krista said all business.
Evette gasped as she hurried after Krista, “Tomorrow?”
Krista refrained from saying what she was thinking, she may have seemed to be overly harsh with Larc, but she wasn’t about to deny him what he had waited for so long for any longer than she had to.
Larc watched them go feeling like he had been taken to the woodshed.
Roric patted him on the back, “It gets better.”
Larc shook his head, things had been so much simpler his way, but he did want a ceremony for Evette to remember.
It may not be overly important to him, because to him she was already his no matter what Krista said, but he was sensitive enough to know that this was for Evette’s best and he was fine with the extra hassle because of that.
After all the hubbub had died down and everyone was thinking more about the wedding than anything else Roric managed to slip away with the Bible. He moved with a light step into the underground laboratory and was greeted warmly by Abby.
“Good evening master Roric! I see that you have brought it with you. Shall we start?”
“Yes, we shall!”
Roric looked at the big book in his hands for a moment and then over at Abby, “I believe you said 17% chance. How’s this for a miracle, to be holding the Holy Scriptures in my hands after all!” Exclaimed Roric triumphantly.
Abby smiled broadly, “It’s even more of a miracle than you know. The figure of 17% was my most unlikely statistical projection. The lowest projection was 3% with the average of all the tests coming in at 9%. That isn’t all though. I’ve run a complete check of the ship’s log. It indicates that when they were leaving the surface of the planet that they initiated one of the weapon platforms to defend the ship against incoming enemy fire that would have destroyed the ship.”
Roric’s eyebrows rose, as he considered what a close call that had been. “You didn’t even teach them anything in concern to the ship’s weapons systems!”
“That isn’t the miracle! The miracle is that none of the ships weapons were available for active use! They were theoretical weapon applications only that the ancestors intended on testing, but never got around to. The system that they used wasn’t even installed on the ship. It was only a theoretical application that was undergoing testing to my knowledge.”
Roric stared at her for a moment and then asked, “Is the room ready?”
“Yes, it is just down the hall, follow me.” Abby replied.
As Roric followed her down the hallway that lit up at their approach he repeated a litany of ‘Thank you God’ over and over in his head.
He must’ve been mumbling it too, because when he got to the room and stopped he heard Abby say ‘Amen’, he looked at her strangely, but it was as if she hadn’t spoken.
Abby per his instructions had created a glorified printing press. She directed him to a table with a bright light trained on to it, which was about a foot and a half above it.
“Simply place the Bible here so it lines up and then hit this button on the table and then turn the page. Any questions?”
“No I don’t think so, thank you Abby.”
“If you need anything just call me and I’ll be there.” Abby said as she faded from view.
Roric pushed the button and turned the page making su
re to hold the pages level before he hit the button and heard the click. All night long he repeated the process until every page had been scanned.
Abby appeared beside him, “You should get your rest master. Today is another big day with the wedding taking place.”
“I know, but I want to take a new copy with me.”
Abby sighed, “Very well master.” And as if summoned by some command the rest of the room sprang into action.
Page after page of the finest vellum were imprinted with indelible ink faster than the eye could blink. The entire process was mechanized for speed and efficiency. Within 20 minutes a fully complete copy of the Bible bound in the finest leather was handed to Roric by a robotic arm that had been constructed as part of the printing process.
Awkwardly taking the Bible from the otherworldly device, Roric then held it up to the light and inspected it. It was a perfect duplicate. The process of making the Bibles had never ceased taking place in the room around him, as he had studied the copy that he held.
“Perfect Abby! Absolutely perfect! You’ll take over now and make sure that the new Bibles are delivered to the reception later today?”
“Everything will be taken care of master.”
In the next instant Roric was in his room standing beside his sleeping wife. One of Abby’s many abilities included being able to transport people and things virtually anywhere within the castle.
He was dying to read the complete version of the Holy Scriptures, but he restrained himself. He would begin reading it later. He laid it down on a table beside the bed and crawled into the comfort of the bed and was instantly mobbed by his still sleeping wife, who was attracted to his heat.
Surprisingly he slept for a couple of hours. He woke to the sun shining brightly into the room and into his eyes. He saw Krista sitting up holding the Bible in her lap. He sat up beside her and they smiled at each other and kissed good morning.
Krista opened the big book to the beginning and they both began to read about how the Creator had made the heavens and the Earth and formed man out of the dust of the ground and given him a living spirit from the breadth of His nostrils.
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