The Light of Our Yesterdays

by Ken Hansen

  The other three cocked their heads at Isa in confusion. Isa closed his eyes and whispered a prayer.

  Chapter 49

  “Yohanan!” Decima shrieked from across Shenandoah Square. She ran up to Yohanan and jumped into his arms. He held her there for a few seconds in nearly the exact spot where he had delivered his anti-treaty speech just a few months before.

  They separated, and she began speaking rapidly, “I’m so happy to see you here. I knew your sister and Tomadus would help free you from whatever had taken hold of you. We have made so many good plans in the past few weeks. I can’t wait to share them with you. We just need to find someone who will…,well, let’s save that for the meeting. I was just heading up there. Come with me.”

  “I’m happy to see you as well. But, please, wait a few moments. Here, have a seat on this bench. I want to tell you about my plans.” The two sat down slowly, her narrowing eyes never leaving his. He looked down and noticed the ring on her finger. Its shining platinum was overshadowed by a triangle shaped by three gems: a ruby, a sapphire and a diamond. “Your father’s ring.”

  “Yes. They let me have it. It’s nearly all I have left of him.”

  “He will always be in our hearts. His love has given me the strength to seek another path.”

  “You’ve come up with a plan. Tell me about it at the meeting. Let’s go. I’m sure everyone would want to hear your idea.”

  “I’m not talking about strategy, at least not what you are thinking.”

  “What then?”

  Yohanan smiled. “I met an unusual man—Isa. He and Tomadus are heading to the Aztec Empire. I’m going with them.”

  “What? Why? Are they looking for military support? Can Tomadus pull it off?”

  “No, Dec, just the opposite. They seek nothing but peace.”

  Decima’s shoulders sagged and she frowned. “More of this peace crap from him. I hoped Tomadus would bring you out of your stupor, but I had no idea he would talk you into his own stupid ideas. We have a war to wage against these demons. Stay here and fight them with me.”

  Yohanan looked down. “I cannot fight. I cannot kill. Not anymore. The massacre took that out of me, and I don’t believe more shaitaanism will save us any more than it has these past years.” He looked into Decima’s eyes. “We have to change the story. I have to change my story. I think this Isa may have some answers. He could help you, too. Come with me.”

  “Massacre? You sound like one of them. They killed their own people by luring them into harm’s way. I would have thought the memory of my father would mean enough that you could never quit the fight. How could you do this to him?”

  “Do you remember what your father said to us just before he left his ship at the dock that night? ‘The Juteslams are people too. Despite the propaganda, they don’t all hate you. They are innocents, and surely they do not deserve to die.’ Do you remember that? Please do not condemn me with his memory. I am simply trying to honor his wishes.”

  She stared at him with eyes blazing and mouth agape. Her eyes quickly narrowed and became clouded with tears. She stood up, looked down at him, and poked her finger in his face. “Don’t you dare condemn me with my own father’s words. He was my father, not yours, no matter what you want to believe.”

  Yohanan felt that jab like a knife entering his heart.

  She shoved the blade deeper. “My father understood the situation and gave his life for us, so we could continue the battle.”

  “No, Dec, he was truly sorry for what happened.”

  “He died for us, Yohanan, not for the Juteslams. Go wring your hands and join your cowardly friends. Leave the battlefield to those of us who are strong enough to deal with reality.” She turned abruptly, strode briskly away and never looked back, disappearing into the crowd.

  Yohanan frowned and shook his head. How can she not see that the Demoseps keep making the same mistakes over and over again? How can she not see that death begets death for us all?

  Chapter 50

  “I am in New Åarhus on business,” Tomadus said into the pod. “I’m hoping to meet with King Skjöldr. Have your generals arranged that yet?”

  The First Consul said, “You know they are not my generals, but in any case, it is too early for such a meeting.”

  “Have I not met my side of the bargain?”

  “Yes, you have. I am told the technologists are making good progress with your schematics, though they seem to be struggling with the amplification module.”

  Tomadus scratched his beard. Of course they are. “Progress on what, exactly? You have left me in the dark.”

  “Patience, Tomadus. The empires impose limits on what can be shared. Remember, we are only trying to find a way to enhance our security.”

  Tomadus closed his eyes. Advanced weapons can do much to enhance security. “Why do you think it is too early to meet with Skjöldr?”

  “Come, Tomadus, give it time. After the Konverteraften Massacre, nobody in New Jutland is in the mood to talk peace. We must be patient.”

  “Must we wait for more people to die?”

  “We must wait until the time is ripe or you will be ineffectual. Now, you said you are there on business —is this Isa your new business partner?”

  Tomadus paused. “Are you spying on me?”

  “I receive daily reports on the movements of certain…individuals who our security forces believe require monitoring. Isa is one of those. Be careful who you choose as friends, Tomadus.”

  “He is a gentle man who simply helps others see how to seek God and live their lives morally,” said Tomadus.

  “Are you seeking God, now? It seems strange for a Romanus, especially a technologist.”

  “No, no, I am no convert, but he has a way with people that you cannot understand unless you meet him. He just helped my friend overcome deep despair. He can help others. I’ve seen it. I hope you get a chance to meet him before you form any opinion against him.”

  “I have no interest in forming any such judgment. I am simply passing on my concerns should others with far greater power than I choose to act. I trust you realize that if he crosses any of the Emperors, the tide may go out on him, and you may well be caught up in the undercurrent.”

  Tomadus looked around the room, searching for the right words. “Thanks for your advice. I appreciate you looking out for me, but I think you are too far removed to judge him. He is no subversive. He seeks only to guide men’s souls toward good and seeks followers to help him.”

  “It is the search for an army of followers that concerns some people the most. You do know the tiniest mustard seed can grow into the largest plant?”

  Tomadus sighed. “I understand. I am travelling to the Aztec Empire on business at the request of several prominent merchants there. He’s travelling with me, so I will watch him and his group further. But I don’t think you have any cause to worry here.”

  “The Aztec Empire? Do you feel safe travelling there?” asked the First Consul.

  “Why shouldn’t I?”

  “Confidentially, the Aztec Empire has begun to move in a different direction from us. Their monarch is…unpredictable. The area is not entirely stable. We have provided travel warnings to Romani for some time for the area.”

  “If I paid attention to every travel alert from the Romanus government, I would have no network in North Aztalan nor much of the rest of the world.”

  “Just be wary while you are there. Anything could happen, and our relationship with the Aztec Empire is not so strong that we could get you out in the event of some unfortunate…complication.”

  “Like what?” Tomadus asked.

  “You never know with these things until they happen, amicus meus. What if this unstable government decided a Romanus merchant was a nice little bargaining chip for its current geopolitical aims?”

  Tomadus said sarcastically, “Me, a bargaining chip? I doubt they have even heard of me down there. But I will try to be careful.”

  Chapter 51
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br />   Visiboard in hand, Tomadus walked quickly down the narrow streets of the central district of Tenochtitlan and thought about the past few weeks, trying to make sense of this trip to the Aztec Empire. It certainly had become a profitable venture for him. The four merchants he had met were among the elite of the Aztec Empire, members of the Emperors’ court, and they had all signed on to sell his new products in different parts of the empire. Still, the veiled warnings kept coming.

  Three of the four merchants had inquired about his association with this mysterious man named Isa and what he really wanted from the Aztec people by preaching to crowds in the city. “Doesn’t he know we are neither Muslims nor Jews?” “Why is he pushing his god upon us?” “Does he know he will upset the Emperor?” “What do you think the Emperor may do?” They all advised him to end his association with Isa. When Tomadus had asked them for the reasons behind their warnings, each of them had gone mute.

  Tomadus rounded the Confucian Temple and came into the northern section of Tlamatinime Ilhucaatl Plaza. The square was even larger than Great Jutland Square. It could fit probably five whole Colosseums without feeling too snug. Isa stood near a podium on a marble dais in the center of the square, speaking quietly with a small group standing around him. Isa’s talk must have ended as most of the audience had begun to disperse; however, a few mesmerized souls felt compelled to soak up a little more of the great man’s aura. Tomadus could not see any of the Ten near Isa, but then noticed Simeon, Adin and a few others at the northeast corner of the square, resting on the grass near a pristine marble statue of Buddha. Yohanan was sizing up the statue, walking around and viewing it from every angle as Tomadus approached.

  “I see our servant of the coin has arrived.” Simeon guffawed. “How does your golden purse grow?”

  “No quicker than your belly, my friend.” They shared a hearty laugh.

  “You missed the master’s words to the Aztecs on their Tlamatinime Ilhucaatl Day,” Simeon said. I cannot fathom why we waste our time here. We tell them about a God they do not know and do not love. Most of them are atheists or ancestor worshipers or lovers of the yin and yang. Worse yet, some praise this Buddha and look forward to returning from the dead as other creatures. What would you like to be: a goat, a cow or a pig? How about a snake? Would that fit you, Tomadus?”

  A voice to Tomadus’s left broke in, “Do not belittle other peoples’ beliefs.” It was Isa.

  Atuf, one of the Muslim members of the Ten, spoke up, “But master, Simeon has a point. Why are we here? These locals are not People of the Book. They are infidels and cannot appreciate your words.”

  Isa sighed and sat down by them and most of the disciples followed his lead. Tomadus remained standing by the foot of the Buddha statute. “Let me tell you a story,” Isa said. “A landowner went out at dawn to hire temporary laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. He went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’

  “When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’”

  Isa looked in turn at each of the Ten, ending with a focus on Atuf and Simeon. “There are many rooms in my Father’s mansion. Do not be jealous if he invites all whom he loves, no matter when or how. The Father has plenty mercy for us all.”

  Simeon and Atuf looked down at their sandals in silence.

  Isa looked around at all of his disciples, “Do you believe you understand God in all his dimensions?”

  “Dimensions? What do you mean?” responded Atuf.

  “What do you think I mean?” said Isa.

  “I do not know.”

  “Then how would you describe God?”

  Atuf thought for a few seconds. “The Great Book says, ‘He is One God: God the Eternal, the Uncaused Cause of all being…and there is nothing that could be compared to Him.’”

  Simeon added, “Isaiah says, ‘I am the LORD, there is no other, there is no God besides me. It is I who arm you, though you do not know me, so that all may know, from the rising of the sun to its setting, that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, there is no other.’”

  Isa smiled at both of them. “Good. So it appears you both agree that there is one God, that there is no other and nothing can be compared to him.”

  “Yes!” the two answered together.

  “But what if I told you that it is possible to have one God who appears to the world in different ways?”

  “Impossible, for then there would be more than one God,” replied Atuf.

  “Not so.” replied Isa. “Let us ask the technologist here. Tomadus, you are familiar with triangles, are you not?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, let us examine the triangle from geometry.” Isa drew a small triangle in the dirt. “It is an abstract concept. You can define each angle of a triangle separately by describing its relative degrees and its orientation on a hypothetical grid. Would you say that these three angles can be viewed separately?”

  “Sure,” Tomadus said. “I can measure each angle without the others.”

  “And the measure of each angle could differ from the two others?” Isa asked.

  “Yes, as long as they add up to 180 degrees, they can be any kind of positive measure and still make a triangle.”

  “So if you see one of those angles by itself, it might appear to be a different angle from the others?”

  “Yes.”

  “And viewed separately, you might not even know each angle was part of a triangle?

  “Yes.”

  “And so these are separate dimensions of the triangle, are they not?”

  “Yes.”

  “What happens to the triangle if you take away one of its parts?” Isa rubbed out one of the legs of the triangle in the dirt.

  Tomadus held out his hands and shook his head. “Well then, it is no longer a triangle.”

  “So the triangle needs each part to be a whole.”

  “Yes.”

  “Does this mean there is more than one triangle?” Isa asked.

  “No, there is one triangle, but it consists of three different parts,” Tomadus replied.

  Isa smiled broadly and held out his arms wide. “Exactly. And so, I tell you, Atuf, and you, Simeon, you are wise when you say there is only one God. But do not assume he has but one dimension. Nothing requires Him to manifest himself to all of mankind in only one way. You and your people may see only one angle and believe that to be everything because that is what you have seen. But what if God has not shown you the whole triangle? And what if He has shown you the whole triangle, but your eyes have failed to see it?”

  Simeon shook his head, mumbling, “It’s all so confusing.”

  Isa nodded. “Do not worry, any of you. Let me ask all of you this: in the eyes of God, what is man’s greatest purpose—to seek to understand the nature of God or the nature of man?”

  Many of the Ten r
esponded, only a few seconds apart: “The nature of God.”

  Tomadus paused and said alone, “What you say, Isa, about the nature of men.”

  Isa laughed. “And a child shall lead them. While most of you have your hearts in the right place, you stumble because you think about God with your human brains, limited as they are, and you forget your hearts. Let me ask you another question. Suppose you were a parent of a three-year-old child and you wanted to teach him something important. Would you explain to the child the intricacies of your own biological makeup, such as how cells work, how nerve cells interact with your brain, and how nerves signal your muscles to contract, knowing that this child could not possibly understand these things yet? Or would you instruct the child to never hit his baby sister because that was wrong, knowing that, with your perseverance, the child would eventually comply? Which would you do?”

  Most of the Ten chimed in, “Teach the child never to hit.”

  “Of course,” Isa said. “At that age, a child’s brain cannot understand how a human body functions, but does it matter? The child need know nothing of the synapses firing in his parent’s brain to understand the moral lesson. Now, human physiology may be utterly complex to the brain of a three-year-old, but it is infinitely more difficult for any human brain to understand the nature of God.”

  Simeon nodded.

  Isa smiled gently. “So, then, why do you assume that God would try to teach you everything about his own nature rather than how you should act? And why does it surprise you that people understand the nature of God and the afterlife in different ways in different cultures? Do parents not respond to their children in different ways to explain the same thing depending upon their ability to understand at the time? Do not different cultures accept an understanding of truth based on their own experiences?”

  Several heavily armed Aztec soldiers approached the group. Each held a rap rifle with a strap slung over his shoulder. Tomadus cleared his throat and nodded toward them. Isa turned around and stood up. The soldier with three stripes on his forehead moved ahead of the others. He was looking at the handbill for today’s speech and scanning faces in the group. He held out the handbill toward Isa. “Are you the man who led this rally today, this Isa?