miraculous energy began to pour into every cell of their bodies. While the cousins were sitting at the table, different angels would come to join them, each with their own illuminating story. Then their old friend the Wise Old Man appeared. He explained many things to the boys and recounted many wise allegories and teachings from the ancient prophets. Then he turned to Michael and Ben with the following words:
“My sons! Be firm in your convictions and in your word. Keep the commandments of your mother and father – for a commandment is like the lamp and instruction is like the light and enlightened learning is the pathway to life. Take no advice from those who wish you ill and hide your intentions from those who envy you. Don’t open your heart to any man, for he might be malignly ungrateful. Don’t bend with any wind and don’t follow just any path. Always be true to your own soul.”
Michael liked the quote from the Prophet Isaiah most of all: ‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’ And Ben was inspired with hope for the success of their mission by the words from the Gospel of John: ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.’
The colour of the sky kept changing. Initially it had been a light orange colour, but then it had turned into a tender blue but now it had taken on a dark blue hue carpeted with bright silver stars. And when little golden tongues of fire appeared over the leaves of the tree, the Angel said: “It’s time for us to go.”
When they were already sitting in the starship Ben asked the Angel:
“Were we in Heaven just now?”
“No, here the soul merely finds rest but in Heaven in addition to the all-encompassing beauty there is the most fascinating creative life to live."
They flew on deep in silence. The boys were clearly preoccupied with something. Michael’s brow was knitted with dark thoughts.
“What’s the matter?” enquired the Angel.
“Angel, do you know if we will be up to carrying out such a difficult task?” replied Michael. “So much love and attention has been lavished on us, but we are just ordinary boys with all our faults and flaws, and as my mother is always saying, we know absolutely nothing about life. Ben here is much better than I am, and I, I… have real doubts about myself. And I remember so little of what I’ve been told.”
“And I feel the same.” Ben interjected.
The Angel hugged the boys tenderly:
“You have both already completed a large part of the mission, and I must say that you have completed it remarkably well! And the Angels were very taken with your imaginations. I will let you both in on a secret; you came here today on their insistence. And you will remember very well everything that was said, it has been fixed in your memories. You will remember everything that you need when the time arises.”
“As if it a signal from above?" Ben asked.
“Of course, we are always at people’s sides throughout their lives, but in such an important a situation as this we will definitely be with you. And we will come to your aid at a moment’s notice. You have seen us do this for you on more than one occasion. You know that don’t you?”
The Angel looked at the boys and seemed to them to be slightly perplexed.
“Yes, we understand everything and the fact that you have so much confidence in us is a source of great pride and joy but maybe our mothers might carry out this mission better than us.” Michael suggested, although admittedly not in totally convincing tone.
“Your mothers are remarkable people, but their childhoods were spent in happier times and conditions than yours. The forces of darkness were kept firmly outside the family door; they grew up bathed in their parents' love, the powerful positive energy of the family and under the protection of the Divine Star. Natalie and Sophia had already been formed into a certain stereotype: they are kind, noble minded and trusting. But you’ve been under pressure ever since your early childhood. The Evil One has penetrated deeply into you from the earliest age, and both of you, but Michael especially, has had to overcome many things that would appear to be impossible to an outsider. And it hasn’t been easy for you either Ben. But to the great credit of your close relatives and you yourselves you have overcome everything. Therefore, it could be said that you have some experience of struggling with the Evil One. That is the first thing. But, the fact that you still both have a child’s mind-set is also another big advantage. Therefore, you perceive and sense things very easily and simply. For it is said in the Bible that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the children,” the Angel concluded significantly.
The cousins breathed a big sigh of relief and the Angel thought sadly: ‘We are living in dark times, when evil people have overstepped every boundary and with their odious and low—minded technology they are attempting not only to destroy people’s lives but dreaming of taking over their souls. And the time is coming when the whole world will have to fight to restore the Divine Spirit.’ But out loud the Angel said:
“We are now going to fly over all the holy places that you, your family and your ancestors have visited."
And with that, the Angel abruptly turned the starship in the opposite direction.
Soon the bright sky disappeared and they found themselves in some sort of grey fog. But after a little while Michael and Ben could see a small dull planet below them. Everything there was grey: the houses and streets were dour and even the trees were a late autumnal greyish-brown. Strange half-human half-mannequin figures wondered the streets talking and moving for all intents and purposes like real live people. But the most amazing thing was that their legs, hands and even heads were all completely stuffed with cotton wool.
“What on earth is this?” Ben murmured out loud.
"How are they able to move? They’re made out of cotton wool,” Michael also asked in amazement.
“That’s just the way they are – made out of cotton wool and apparently alive. I am showing them to you because they often worm their way onto the Earth. They look like people but their souls are stuffed with cotton wool. And these half-people half-mannequins thrive particularly well in such places as the City of the Robots. You will therefore need to be particularly careful.”
The Angel flew the starship very low. The mannequins were running and capering about and to all appearances seemed quite harmless. Seeing the boys’ smiles as they looked at the mannequins' antics, the Angel quickly reminded them of the words of the prophet:
“There is a wickedness, that walks bent double in despondency but inside it is full of guile that will catch you out when you least expect it.”
The cousins could see that the Angel was evidently disturbed. On the one hand it surprised them but on the other it made them glad. Could it be that the Angel was worrying so much on their behalf! The Angel immediately answered the boys’ thoughts:
“The followers of Satan have so many snares and you are still so young."
The Angel turned the control stick and in an instant they had left the unpleasant grey gloom behind them. The bright sun and boundless blue sky flashed in their eyes. Soon the Earth was beneath them, the sun had gone down behind the horizon and evening was drawing in. Stars lit up the dark sky and because they were shining brighter and brighter, the cousins knew that they were flying in a Southerly direction.
“Yes,” said the Angel, “We will start our pilgrimage of holy places with the Sacred Earth itself. We don’t have much time, therefore we will only fly over these places and I will tell you about them. But you will remember a lot yourselves. Right below us now is the most holy place in the world for all Christians," said the Angel slowing the starship down until it literally hovered in the air. The lights of a huge city twinkled below them. And the whole earth right up to the horizon was illuminated with a soft light. But the light was not just radiating from below but above, from the heavens, which poured down in a stream
of golden yellow rays as if from a giant projector. The starship was literally bathed in these rays. Michael and Ben felt the rays on their skin and they felt as if they could literally hold them in the palms of their hands.
”Your ancestors have been here many times,” said the Angel, “And the energetic charge from this light lasted them for a long time, one could say for the whole of their lives.”
Paths of light stretch away from this holy spot in various different directions like the rays of the moon on the sea. The widest of these lead to Rome.
“Here is where many of the first Christians made their second home,” the Angel pointed out, “and the most famous of all of these were the Apostles Peter and Paul."
“Can we go down and have a look?” Ben asked.
“It would be very interesting for you to go and see what life was like in the first century A.D. It might be a bit tricky but I’ll see if I can make it happen.”
“Do you have your bracelets on?” the cousins showed them in keen anticipation.
“Well, that’s great. Hit the button to clothe you in the costume of those times and you will find yourself in a catacomb with the first Christians. I hope you will understand everything going on. So, God be with you!"
The Angel gently shepherded the boys into an unfamiliar space and… in
The Stolen Star Page 21