The Power of Twelve

by William Gladstone

  “Are you sure you don’t want to handle this yourself, Max?” the Thirteenth Apostle asked.

  “No, I think you are ready for this more complex intervention. You have handled things well while I have been absent on my Earth journey, and I think you can handle this situation too,” Max confirmed with a slight smile, knowing the Thirteenth Apostle really was not eager to take on the job.

  “That may be true, Max, but you know this has not been easy for me,” the Thirteenth Apostle protested. “You are the one who set everything in motion on Naranjada and in all the universes. There is a lot at stake, and I do not want to disappoint you should the outcome be less than what you are hoping.”

  “Do not be concerned. You worry too much. You will do fine, and in any event, what is the worst that can happen?” Max joked.

  “Well, the worst that can happen is the complete destruction of not just Universe 769 but all the universes,” the Thirteenth Apostle cried with growing alarm. “Really, you seem so casual about what is at stake. We are talking about the very fabric of life!”

  “Relax, Number Two.” As they both knew, Max used that pet name only when he wanted to make it clear that the Thirteenth Apostle should never question Max’s ultimate authority. “You have made your point and I recognize the potential seriousness of the situation. However, my mission here on this planet Earth is quite important to me, and I have confidence in your abilities. Let’s see if you are able to correct the consequences of the activities on Earth 769. If not, I will arrange to meet with you on planet Naranjada with the Council of Twelve to take definitive action.”

  “As you wish, Max,” the Thirteenth Apostle said, relieved to hear that Max would intervene if necessary. “I have incarnated to serve you and the Beings of Light and the Council of Twelve, and I shall always strive to bring joy to the multiple universes over which you rule.”

  “I hardly see myself as ruling the multiple universes, but I appreciate your willingness to solve this crisis of planet Earth 769,” Max concluded.

  He broke off the communication and returned to fully focusing on his human body, which had been walking with Maria, picking wildflowers, before he had been contacted by the Thirteenth Apostle.

  Maria had noticed Max looking into space for what seemed like only a few seconds. By now she had gone ten feet past Max on their hike. With her ever-effervescent smile, she asked, “Darling, is anything wrong? You seem distracted.”

  Max quickly rejoined Maria. He took her face in his hands and gave her a warm kiss right on her lips. “Darling, nothing can be wrong when I am with you. The Thirteenth Apostle had some questions that he wanted to run by me. You know how nervous he can become, and I hate to see him suffer. Now that I have confirmed for him that he is capable of handling the situation, I am confident that he will.”

  Maria smiled and returned Max’s kiss. She had an inkling that the situation was not as simple as Max was letting on, but she was in love with Max, whom she considered the most wonderful man in the universe. With him by her side she could focus on enjoying the fresh air of early morning and letting the abundance of creation fill her with the joy that had become the birthright of every human being on planet Earth.

  That evening, even as Max experienced the joy of being with Maria and being fully human, he could not help but wonder if he was making a mistake in allowing the Thirteenth Apostle to handle such a challenging crisis. Failure in this case was not just losing a planet, but possibly losing what had taken billions of souls five trillion years to create in all the universes. Max knew that in even this worst-case scenario the process of creation could start all over again, but that was not something he was eager to see happen. So much beauty and elegance throughout the universes could be lost forever.

  In the middle of the night he woke up with the thought, “I hope the Thirteenth Apostle is able to solve this problem. Should he fail, giving him this responsibility will be the biggest error I have made since the beginning of time.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THE COUNCIL OF TWELVE

  FEBRUARY 12, 2013

  I’M IN FOR IT NOW,” the Thirteenth Apostle muttered. “What is he thinking? This is madness. This Maria has gone to his head. He is totally distracted. Everything is now up to me. What am I to do?” He shook his head with the enormity of his responsibilities, increasingly anxious and perplexed.

  Just at that moment a brilliant orange-blue jay flew by and landed on a branch of the willow tree outside his window. Just looking at the bird and the panorama of orange leaves dangling from the enormous tree roused the Thirteenth Apostle from his increasingly negative thoughts and inspired him once again with thoughts of the beauty and joy that were the essence of Naranjada.

  “I know what to do. It’s what The One would do in this circumstance. He would call for an immediate meeting of the Council of Twelve. They will advise me.” He perked up, feeling renewed optimism and confidence. “Of course there is a solution to the problems being created on Earth 769. I just need some guidance from our trusted Twelve.”

  In the heavenly realm of Naranjada, all the Thirteenth Apostle had to do was think the thought and the Council of Twelve were each almost instantly teleported to the Great Hall for the meeting. The first to arrive was the fabulously ornate Sheba Sheba. “So good to see you, Number Two,” she gushed as she embraced the Thirteenth Apostle. Turning to her right, she embraced the newly materialized Madame Brightlight. “It’s been ages and ages. Your light is shining as bright as ever.” This was literally true, as Madame Brightlight’s unique physical quality was that she did indeed shine like the beacon of purity that she embodied.

  Next to greet Sheba Sheba and Madame Brightlight was Madman Michael. Madman, as he was affectionately called, was alternately kind and ferocious. He was called Madman both because of his temper and because he was perhaps the most creative of the Twelve. He would devise intricate strategies to solve the most obtuse problems of the Universe.

  Next to appear was Caleb the Cantankerous. Caleb was brilliant and hardworking, but was such a complainer that he seemed far removed from the essence of joy that was Naranjada. Caleb muttered a brief “Hello” and took his seat, not showing any signs of emotion whatsoever.

  Lily the Lovely entered beaming. She was the essence of love, not breathtakingly beautiful, but the embodiment of loveliness itself. She exuded sweetness and caring in every gesture and every movement. She captivated everyone with her warmth and the softness of her eyes. Men fell in love immediately with Lily, but women loved her even more. She was the counterbalance to Caleb the Cantankerous, always imparting a kind word or a caring glance, and her joy and equilibrium lifted all those in her presence.

  Entering close behind Lily was Sophia the Subtle. Sophia had an air of mystery, and because she so rarely spoke, her words had added power and influence with all members of the Council.

  Harold the Hilarious entered laughing. Harold was a jokester who found humor in everything and everyone. He had a habit of starting to tell a joke or even just relating an incident in his life and breaking out in loud laughter before finishing his sentences. The other members would often become frustrated by not ever getting to hear the punch lines to his jokes, but his laughter was infectious, and often his laughter alone was sufficient to generate guffaws from the entire Council.

  Karl the Kingmaker could barely contain himself. Harold’s laughter was making him laugh, and he was doing his best to maintain his composure. On his planet, Karl was literally the Kingmaker. He had taken responsibility for a relatively primitive planet more than a billion years ago and had helped the planet evolve to a high state of consciousness. He had experimented with democracy, socialism, and even anarchy, but had concluded that for his planet, the best system was the tried-and-true principle of kings and nobles dedicated to the service of the masses. He had found ways to make and break kings throughout the ages without interfering directly in the lives of the inhabitants of the planet for which he was responsible, and had thus earne
d the only slightly ironic nickname Kingmaker from his fellow Council members.

  Unlike Karl, who tried to maintain control at all times, Freddy the Freeroller was in constant motion. Freddy’s focus was on adventure and exploring new ideas. His curiosity kept the Council on its toes, as he would often propose outrageous experiments whose purpose seemed to be little more than change for change’s sake.

  Abigail the Adventurer was Freddy’s closest friend on the Council of Twelve. Like Freddy she lived for adventure, and no project could be too vast or too dangerous for her. She was fearless, but also clear-thinking and competent in all that she endeavored. She was an anchor for Freddy, who sometimes would leap without properly looking.

  Terry the True had a capacity not just for honesty but for discerning even in the most complicated of situations the underlying truth that was so often invisible to others.

  The final member of the Council of Twelve to arrive was Mother Magnificence. Magi, as she was affectionately called by her fellow Council members, loved all creatures, putting none above another and ensuring that each being in her presence would grow and flourish to its highest destiny.

  “Thank you for coming so quickly,” the Thirteenth Apostle told the Twelve with heartfelt thanks. “This is the first time I have ever, while substituting for The One, called us together. As you can imagine, a situation has arisen that is very serious. I know how busy all of you are on your own planets and in your own universes, and I would not have drawn your attention here were it not absolutely critical.”

  “Has something happened to The One?” Mother Magnificence inquired. “I told him his plan of incarnating on planet Earth was fraught with danger. Has something gone wrong?” she continued with a worried tone in her voice.

  “No. Quite the contrary,” the Thirteenth Apostle replied. “We might conclude that things have gone too well for The One on planet Earth. He has decided to remain there in the form of Max and explore fully the nature of human love. A noble and joyous experiment for him, perhaps,” he added, not able to resist voicing some of his dissatisfaction with the responsibility Max had thrust on him, “but in my opinion a potentially dangerous distraction with what may be lethal consequences for all our universes.”

  Harold guffawed. “All our universes. Come on, Number Two. That seems a bit of an exaggeration. Even if things mess up in a universe or two, that should not impact all of the universes. Aren’t you overstating the gravity of the situation?” he asked with his ever-beaming smile.

  “I know it seems improbable, but William the Pen has reported to me that the Collector of Data has found a toxic interruption on Earth 769 in Universe 769 that is polluting the balance and weave of the timeless time of the creation and expansion of the universes. If it continues, it could leak and contaminate all beings in all universes simultaneously,” the Thirteenth Apostle explained with a slight expression of panic in his eyes.

  “Bloody hell,” exclaimed Madman Michael. “Why haven’t you brought this directly to the attention of The One?”

  “That is exactly what I did, but Max—I mean, The One—seems to feel that this is a matter that I can handle on my own. I fear he is wrong, and that is why I have convened the Council. I need your help. I am not really certain what steps to take.”

  Sophia gestured to the Thirteenth Apostle and spoke ever so softly. “This is truly a serious issue, but there is a solution. I suggest we each meditate and take a walk in the gardens. The solution will come to us and we can reconvene refreshed and focused.”

  “Excellent suggestion,” confirmed Karl and Lily, as the Twelve descended the spiraling stairs toward the gardens below.

  EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL than the gardens were the beaches below the property. Many believed that the beaches of Naranjada were the most spectacular in the entire universe. Because Naranjada was a planet of advanced consciousness, the majority of sea and land creatures that inhabited the planet no longer required nutrition from living sources but could capture all they needed from the air and water itself. As a result, countless varieties of birds, fish, seaweed, coral, and other life forms cohabited in harmony along the coastal margins.

  From the garden, Mother Magnificence looked down upon the beach below and contemplated the incredible beauty that lay before her. The waves were orange, but the orange whitecaps created a stunning contrast to the deeper orange of the vast sea before her. The constant motion, the breaking of the waves and thunder of the water crashing on the rocks below, created a meditative state that had her wondering if all this beauty could possibly be destroyed by some random events occurring on an obscure planet in Universe 769.

  Freddy the Freeroller came up behind Magi and voiced her very thought. “Seems unlikely that this stunning beauty can be impacted by anything occurring in such a distant galaxy.”

  “Yes, it would be such a pity,” Magnificence murmured back.

  “And no doubt I would be the one they would all blame,” Freddy confessed.

  Magi turned in surprise. “Why would it be your fault?”

  “I did an experiment, you see, trying to accelerate the consciousness on Earth 769,” Freddy explained, “and I am afraid it is not working out.”

  “You did what?” Magi questioned in disbelief.

  Yet she shouldn’t have been surprised. Freddy was always trying out new experiments. “I wanted to see if I could plant an avatar on Earth 769 to prevent the destruction of that planet. This was about forty-nine years ago,” he said, pointing out that he had seen the growing problem a long time ago. “It seemed like an excellent idea at the time. How was I to know that the wrinkle in the weave of time would create a ripple through which this failed experiment could pollute all of the known universes?” Freddy said sheepishly.

  “Oh, my,” Magi exclaimed. “You must let the entire Council know the details of your experiment. Perhaps it will be possible to correct whatever has gone wrong and prevent this impending catastrophe.”

  “Of course. That is exactly what I plan to do,” he said. A new glint entered his eyes. “But I wanted to ask you to support a rather outrageous plan that I have been contemplating since learning of our dilemma.”

  “I have always supported your experiments no matter how unconventional they have been. Your curiosity has always kept the universe interesting.” And, after all, if he created the problem, she thought, he would know better than anyone how to correct it. “I think the entire Council will agree. You may have gone too far this time, but if your plan can bring a resolution—no matter how outrageous it might be—you will have my support,” Magi reassured him.

  When the Council reconvened, Freddy spoke first.

  “Many years ago, before we could be certain that The One’s plan to incarnate as Max would, in fact, prevent the destruction of planet Earth, I decided to conduct an experiment on Earth 769. As you know, Earth 769 is identical to the original Earth in almost every detail. I saw what was happening and thought it would be valuable to plant an avatar on Earth 769 to see if such a being could avert the coming disaster on that planet. My idea was that if I were successful there, then I could implement a similar plan for original Earth.”

  “What type of avatar did you send, and how did you send him?” asked Karl the Kingmaker, alarmed to hear this news. “I have had my own experiments going on with Earth 769 for thousands of years. You should have told me what you were doing.”

  “I had no idea you were also experimenting,” Freddy commented, and then continued, “I decided there was enough time to let biological processes take hold, so I had a couple in Germany birth a child they ended up naming Otto. I implanted in Otto the ability to communicate directly with me at any time. As a young child he found this somewhat confusing, and, having access to the information that I was able to give him, he started to realize that—on a fundamental level—he was not a human at all.” He chuckled at this notion, and Harold the Hilarious broke out laughing. “I taught Otto how to heal any illness and how to manifest any physical or emotional desire
. As he grew to adulthood, he developed an elite following on his planet, healing the most important members of royal families and the new aristocracy of corporate managers of large multinational corporations. In so doing, he became a hidden resource that these managers would call upon, not just for individual healings but increasingly for manipulating the business environments in which they acted so they could amass excessive wealth.” Freddy frowned at this perverse turn. Once again, he had not thought through the possible consequences of one of his ideas. “Otto never realized that he was in fact supporting the Illuminati on Earth 769 and not the general populace. I knew I could not let this continue, so I implanted in Otto the idea that the secret information and powers that I had given to him could, in fact, be developed by every single individual on planet Earth 769. I had him write a book, which he entitled The Book of the Dream. I thought that by making this book public, I could enable the general population to prevent the domination of the planet by the few who might eventually destroy it instead.” Freddy made an exasperated sound, as this idea too had gone sour. “Unfortunately, The Book of the Dream has had unintended consequences. The Illuminati are now using these powers for their own ends, but the general population continues to ignore the book. In their ignorance, they are forfeiting their ability to counteract the insane greed of the Illuminati bent on controlling this planet.”

  Freddy paused, letting everyone know that this part of his explanation was over. They all knew that he was never satisfied with the status quo. They also knew he had begun the experiment with altruistic aims.

  “Anyway,” he went on, “none of this would have mattered if not for the random weave in the wrinkle of time throughout the universes that is allowing this virus of total greed and control to infiltrate all known universes and planets at this time. My initial research indicates that we are experiencing the simultaneous ending of millions of 26,000-year cycles throughout the universes.” He noticed the Thirteenth Apostle nodding in agreement. “So, as a consequence, this unique occurrence just happens to be coinciding with this virus of greed and has created a leakage that is endangering all of creation. With my luck, it is happening when the normal boundaries between universes are not holding.”