Fifty Three

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jwhouk
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by jwhouk »

(Because it's gonna take me the weekend to get the rest done - and I might not have access to Office if I try re-installing WinX...)

"A scroll?"

"I've read some of the works that you've got here in the Library," he said, handing me the scroll. "Here, you need to hold the top part with the ribbon. Anyways – I was most impressed by one of your writings from someone that I once met."

I looked down at the scroll.

Οὐδὲν ἄρα νῦν κατάκριμα τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ὁ
γὰρ νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ
Ἰησοῦ ἠλευθέρωσέν σε ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς
ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ θανάτου


"I hate to be cliché, but it's all Greek to me," I said. "I do recognize some of the letters, but what it's saying… No clue."

"It doesn't have modern conventions, no. But if you look closely, you might recognize a few things."

I tried to see if I could remember my Greek pronunciations – to no avail. It didn't help that the writing wasn't clear, either.

"This isn't exactly easy to read," I pointed out.

Neil laughed.

"Funny you should say that," he replied, taking the scroll from me and looking at it. "A friend of mine stated a few times that Paul's writings were hard to understand." He looked at the scroll, then turned it around to the other side. "This side is in my native language. It was transcribed right after they received the letter."

I immediately looked down, and recognized a more formal Latin translation.

nunc vero liberati a peccato servi autem facti Deo habetis
fructum vestrum in sanctificationem finem vero vitam
aeternam stipendia enim peccati mors gratia autem Dei vita
aeterna in Christo Iesu Domino nostro


I had taken three years of Latin in high school. I think Neil knew that, because it took me about a minute to realize exactly what I was reading.

"That's… This… This is the book of Romans!"

"More like Paul's letter to the church in Rome, but yes, you are correct."

"Wait a minute." A dawning realization came upon me. "If this is what I think it is…" I nearly dropped the scroll in panic.

Fortunately, Neil reached out and grabbed the handles.

"It is, but it isn't," Neil explained as he rolled the scrolls back up and tied the ribbon around the parchments again. "The Library has the main copy here, but it's in the religious reference section. That's run by Nicodemus, and he rarely allows anyone to check out copies of documents such as this."

He put his hand out, asking for the pouch in which the scroll had been enclosed. I handed it back to him, and he returned the scroll to its protective case.

"It's interesting to note," he said while cinching the drawstrings together over the protective cover, "that the concept of leather coverings for Holy Scriptures was already in place when this scroll was made for me."

He gave me a serious look.

"I asked Aquila if he could have one of the copies of the letter transcribed into Latin for me. It was ready when I left Rome on my… sojourn." He saddened for a moment, then recovered. "The scroll and covering were add-ons, something I came upon later – when I was in Corinth, I believe."

"Rich Corinthian Leather, then?"

"As cliché as it sounds, yes," he smiled. "And," he handed me the encased scrolls, "they are now yours."

My eyes widened.

"Wait, what?"

"I have my own copy of these beautiful words from Paul of Tarsus," he explained as I took the scrolls from him. "These were just copies of the ones that I had misplaced whence I found Herodotus."

"Herodotus?"

"Yes, the Greek historian. He was not doing well when I found him." He waved his hand at me. "That's not important. What is, is that you have an original copy of Paul's letter to Rome. And believe this: his words are essentially the same as we have in the present time."

I looked down at the scroll I had in my hands.

"But… why? Why me?"

"You, my friend, were finally in the right place at the right time," he smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

---
BONUS NOTE from the author: anyone who can, WITHOUT CHEATING (like I had to, but I knew where to look) tell me chapter and verse of both passages quoted will get a special "no-prize" from me. LONE HINT: They are NOT the same passage.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by Hansontoons »

jwhouk wrote:

"Rich Corinthian Leather, then?"
JW, I'd say "Shame on you!" if I wasn't laughing! :D
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Re: Fifty Three

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---
That evening, when Sarah got home from work, I showed her the scroll.

"Really? The book of Romans?" She eyed it skeptically. "How much?"

"It was a gift – honest," I told her. "Remember the couple that we got the baby announcement from? They were so grateful for the gift certificate, they gave me that."

"What's that smell?" She sniffed the scroll itself. "It smells like…"

"Vellum," I explained. "It was copied down in the same way they did back in New Testament era times."

"It smells like…"

"Sheepskin?" I gave a half-smile. "That's part of the reason why they give that nickname to diplomas. They would stretch out the skin of lambs and calves after slaughter and let them dry. After cleaning, they resulted in rolls that they wrote on."

"Ewwww," she commented, making a face.

"Well, you have to admit, it was convenient for priests and scribes," I said. "Sacrifice an animal, use the skin to make copy of the Scriptures."

She gave me a look, then looked back at the scroll itself.

"What are these markings on the outside of the handle?" She pointed to one of the two circular metal disks that were attached to the handle, separating the handle grasp from the vellum.

I looked at where she was pointing. It was a simple marking: LIII.

At first, I thought it was "LM" – which made no sense. Then, I realized something:

"That's the Roman numeral for 53." I tilted my head, making sure there wasn't anything else engraved on the disks. "Hm, nothing else on them." I shrugged. "Maybe they were some sort of indicator, like the length of the vellum, or maybe the number of sheets of vellum that they used?"

She handed me back the scroll.

"I don't know exactly what we're going to do with something like this," she wondered aloud as she handed me the leather cover as well. "Neither of us speak Greek, and Latin…"

"Remember, I took Latin courses in high school."

"Yeah, but do you remember everything?"

"Point. Still – it's a great conversation piece, right?"

"True." She looked down at the LIII again. "You should ask – you know, on the side or something – what exactly that means, next time you see them."

"I will, believe me."
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by Sgt. Howard »

"Neil, Honey- would you watch the little one while I get a teishoku platter for us both? I don't feel like cooking and I know you probably want a day off from the kitchen... you like the sashimi, right?"
"Hai- make sure they send enough of the miso soup... Joe was rather stunned by our 'thank you', by the way. I appreciate your efforts in obtaining it,"
"The big trick was convincing Nicodemus that the library could part with it- it has been in stasis for two millenia and now will be subject to age,"
"There are plenty more in that chamber, the one won't be missed- besides, what good does it do to lock them away? For the library to be a source of knowledge, we have to share it, you know- we have sake, right?"
"We do, and THIS time you will be smart and NOT over do it- do you hear me?"
"Yes, 'She who must be obeyed', I hear you- besides, that hangover made a more convincing argument than YOU ever can," he chuckled, "What have we got for Dixie when she's hungry?"
"HER NAME IS AETERNA!!! You DO know that war is OVER, right?"
"Maybe- but what have we..."
"There's three bottles of breast milk in the fridge- make sure the temperature is right before you give it to her- I will be back soon enough... Joe is a lovely man, you know that?"
"Yes... I do... That's why I wanted to give him that letter,"
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by jwhouk »

(THANK YOU, I was stuck on how to end this!)
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by Dave »

Sgt. Howard wrote:"The big trick was convincing Nicodemus that the library could part with it- it has been in stasis for two millenia and now will be subject to age,"
"There are plenty more in that chamber, the one won't be missed- besides, what good does it do to lock them away.
At this point in history, no good at all. In fact it would be futile to try. Technology has overcome the traditional security systems.

The Library knows that Joe, like all good Wapsi readers, has a computer with a scroll-lock key.

A fine story, jwhouk... thanks!
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by jwhouk »

The Pun Vault then promptly messaged Dave, "PLEASE ENTER TWO DENARII TO CONTINUE."
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by jwhouk »

I have a "continuation" of the story, but it does take a rather religious bend - and it kinda explains a pet theory I have about the Library (it involves the "other" tree in the Garden of Eden).

I'm a bit hesitant to post it, as a result.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by Sgt. Howard »

jwhouk wrote:I have a "continuation" of the story, but it does take a rather religious bend - and it kinda explains a pet theory I have about the Library (it involves the "other" tree in the Garden of Eden).

I'm a bit hesitant to post it, as a result.
I think I'm way ahead of you- sounds good- go for it!
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by Just Old Al »

In short, do it. I doubt anyone here is stiff-necked enough to give you issues if you and they disagree.

Al
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by GlytchMeister »

Greg's main character was the roman who oversaw Jesus's execution.
I didn't see any pitchforks or torches then.
I think you're safe.
He's mister GlytchMeister, he's mister code
He's mister exploiter, he's mister ones and zeros
They call me GlytchMeister, whatever I touch
Starts to glitch in my clutch!
I'm too much!
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by jwhouk »

Okay - you asked for it.

---

Getting back to the Library had proven a bit difficult. My days off always seemed to be full, and even though the new portal location should have made it easier for me to access the Library, I had problems trying to find time to be able to get there in the first place.

When I finally re-entered through the new portal, it still looked like the one from Scott Town Hall. I appreciated this touch on the Library's part. In all the time I'd actually accessed the Library, it had only recently come to me that the design and décor of the entrance was similar to that of the first library I'd spent the most of my time in – that of Washington Park High School back in Racine.

I'd thought of that when I'd entered today, and sure enough, the lobby entrance had the one memorable feature of Park's library: the statue of Joan of Arc, on her knees in repose.

I headed into the stacks, then out towards the Great Hall.

I'd spent most of my past visits to the Library doing research on work or sports stuff; I'd found out a little tidbit about Eddie Livingstone that may have explained just why the rest of the NHL owners of 100 years ago didn't care much for him.

This time, though, I had a different query for the Library – and it was all about the gift I had been given by Neil.

The significance of the LIII on the Romans scroll.

My query was exactly that: "The meaning of the L-I-I-I on the scroll of Paul's letter to the Roman church."

I expected some book, or another set of scrolls, to suddenly plop down next to me in the aisle.

Instead – nothing.

I looked around, a bit concerned. Then, I heard the click-clack click-clack of hoofbeats on the floor of the Library. I began to roll my eyes, thinking I was in for some confrontation with Nudge, when I realized something: I was hearing two pairs of hooves, not one.

That could only mean one person – and he emerged from one of the stacks into the balcony area where I stood.

"Oh, it's you," Nicodemus stated in a disappointed tone. "I was told that there had been a religious reference request here, but not that it was from you."

"Rabbi," I nodded to the goat. "It wasn't so much the content I was interested in," I began.

"Let me guess," he began with a thoughtful consideration. "You want to know something about that scroll of yours."

"The markings on the end of the handles," I stated simply. "I honestly have no idea of what those letters mean."

Nicodemus threw up his hooves. "Proof enough that you should not have been given a copy, if I had anything to say! Ah, but I am not the one in charge, and the scroll in question truly was the possession of the one who gave it to you – thus, it was not the purview of the Library to prevent it." He considered me for a moment. "So, what does a goyim like you believe that it meant?"

I shrugged. "I'm relatively certain that it doesn't indicate a year, since the term Anno Domini was not first used until many centuries after the time Paul wrote the letter. Atop that, it was most likely that Paul wrote it in 56 AD, during his third missionary journey." I pursed my lips in uncertainty. "I can only guess that it has some categorical or reference meaning."

"Perhaps there is hope for you yet," he pointed to me with a hoof. "Yes, you are in the right ballpark, as you Americans colloquially say. But your ballpark is rather large." He tapped his bearded chin thoughtfully. "What if I told you the L stood for a word, not a number?"

I paused to consider this.

"That would mean the marking was actually 'L-3'." I frowned. "That could mean almost anything."

"And you are the so-called student in Latin!" he exclaimed. "What comes to mind when you think of something beginning with the letter 'L' that would be associated with writings?"

"Well, there's always lexicon, but that's more indicative of a dictionary, not a library. I know that logos has meaning as 'the word' in Greek context – and would be appropriate here. But I'm not certain what it means in context with the 'three'… Why are you laughing?"

"Because, kindre," he said after taking a breath to recover, "you yourself have said it."
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Re: Fifty Three

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"Logos?"

"The same! The very same." He shook his forehoof at me. "When the Library at Alexandria first took copy of every book written, it differentiated between translations by using numerical designations. Those designations were made by the number of copies that had been made to date."

It suddenly dawned on me what this meant.

"This was the third copy of the letter to the Romans?" I said, incredulously. "As in, of all time?"

The third version of it," he corrected. "The first was the original copy written for Paul by his scribe Tertius; the second was the copy written for the church by Aquila. The third – that is the edition you were gifted with."

"Written by Aquila as well?"

"No, he could not write Greek very well, as I understand." Nicodemus scoffed for a moment. "Then again, neither could Paul himself. Tertius was his designated scribe at that point."

"Let me guess – Paul couldn't write even close to anything legible?"

"It's hard to do so when you're racked with pain and can barely see – even at the best of times."

"The road to Damascus," I said simply.

"Not completely, but yes. That Gentile doctor, Luke the Physician, helped the man manage the pain – but even then his handwriting was horrible!"

"You know, now that you bring it up…"

"Oy, here we go," Nicodemus rolled his eyes. "He was a Greek doctor who was in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost – what's not to understand?"

"Not quite what I was thinking," I said. "Source material." I held up two fingers. "It was always said that the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John relied heavily on two sources – one known, somewhat, and the other unknown."

Nicodemus's eyes widened as I continued: "The two sources were the writings of John Mark, and an unknown primary source – sometimes called the 'Q' Gospel."

I looked directly at him. "That 'unknown Gospel' would be one that, I think, every Christian apologetics student on earth would love to get their hands on."

It took Nicodemus a long time to respond.

"I underestimated you," he said in a very low voice. I tried not to smirk, but was failing.

"There is a reason why that other Gospel was never disseminated," he began carefully. "It is also the reason why John Mark's Gospel was truncated so abruptly after the now-traditional 16th chapter."

"It was written by someone other than Simon Peter?" I asked.

"No," Nicodemus shook his head. "The same man wrote both books – but the original was a more detailed retelling of Yeshua's ministry by Simon Peter."

"The Gospel of Simon Peter?"

"Yes, the same," Nicodemus sighed. "Unlike John Mark's Gospel, he included the Sermon on the Mount, the Seventy-two, the whole story of the adulterous woman – including what he wrote in the dirt – and the story of Lazarus, from Peter's point of view."

"And," he sighed, "the naming of the Centurion that was mentioned in Luke chapter 7."

"Neil? He was mentioned by name?"

"Yes, in fact, Cornelius was named directly in Peter's Gospel." Nicodemus looked down. "It turns that Yeshua's life and that of our Centurion were both intricately woven together. Suffice to say that he had a distinct reason to pursue the Elixir."

"The Elixir of Life – the juice of the fruit of the tree of life, transplanted from Eden," I said plainly. Nicodemus scowled, but I held up a hand.

"Not interested," I stated simply. "Neil explained that it's not a sure-fire thing, even though he followed Herodotus's instructions to the letter. Besides," I gave a half smile, "I wouldn't want to be responsible for a zombie outbreak."

"Yes, well," Nicodemus tried to return to his annoyed rabbi shtick. "Our Centurion wandered the Earth, trying to find Herodotus – but left no one with knowledge of his whereabouts. Or why he had left the Library and never came back."

"That falls on Mayahuel and her friends with the Calendar Machine," I explained. "A side effect of its malfunction was to prevent the portals from working at all. Neil explained that to me."

"May's doings have nothing to do with what Peter wrote, though," the goat continued. "Peter's Gospel went well beyond the paschal story and Pentecost. In fact, it went all the way through to the story Luke told in Acts 10."

I thought about this for a moment.

"That essentially means that most of the story was duplicated elsewhere in the synoptic Gospels."

"You catch on quick," he replied with a smile. "That fact, along with the ludicrous notion that a Roman Centurion – a gentile, of all things – had a key role in the whole story of the Mashiach… well." He shrugged. "The lone copy of Peter's work was lost in the Great Fire of Rome – the one where Nero Caesar (may his bones burn green for eternity) supposedly fiddled while the city burned. And I have the only other one – which is not allowed to be circulated, per the instruction of the head Librarian."

"Probably to protect the identity of her beloved," I mused. Nicodemus did not respond. I looked the old goat directly in the eye. "The events surrounding that one fateful Passover celebration, though – those happened as related by the other Gospel writers?"

"Kindre, you ask if I believe what happened to Yeshua actually happened?" I simply nodded in response. "I was not there, kindre. I was here, tending my stacks, along with Phix and the other Apotropaics. I only heard of what happened by reports from those with access. Neil has not been… forthcoming with information about what happened to him that week. And I have not questioned him about it."

I was about to reply when he threw his forehooves up in front of himself.

"And I will accept no more questions on the subject," he said firmly. "You have your references. You know what is true or not. I am in need of working on my transfiguring so that I can pass for a human at the wedding of Phix's granddaughter. If and until I need assistance with that, I wish you good day, sir."

With that, he trotted off.
Last edited by jwhouk on Tue Aug 11, 2015 7:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by Sgt. Howard »

BRAVO!!! I should note, Nicodemus walks upright on two hooves... other than that, I tip my hat to a VERY knowledgable Biblical Scholar!
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by lake_wrangler »

Sgt. Howard wrote:BRAVO!!! I should note, Nicodemus walks upright on two hooves... other than that, I tip my hat to a VERY knowledgable Biblical Scholar!
That was the impression I had, too. Kind of like Nudge.

Kudos on the rest, too. Nothing too scandalous, so far... ;)
Last edited by lake_wrangler on Tue Aug 11, 2015 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by jwhouk »

Sgt. Howard wrote:BRAVO!!! I should note, Nicodemus walks upright on two hooves... other than that, I tip my hat to a VERY knowledgable Biblical Scholar!
I was struggling a bit with this, since I thought he was perhaps a satyr (half-man, half-goat).
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by Sgt. Howard »

jwhouk wrote:
Sgt. Howard wrote:BRAVO!!! I should note, Nicodemus walks upright on two hooves... other than that, I tip my hat to a VERY knowledgable Biblical Scholar!
I was struggling a bit with this, since I thought he was perhaps a satyr (half-man, half-goat).
No- I have always seen him as a goat that walks upright- no human features, only wardrobe (modified of course)
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by jwhouk »

(Last update for the night... I've still got a bit to go to finish this up.)
---
I was left in the stacks alone. The curtain of silence that the Library provided for solitude had come down rather quickly after the rabbi with horns had left.

A thousand thoughts entered my mind, all of them surrounding the enigma of what I had asked of Nicodemus.

"The death and resurrection of Yeshua ben David of Nazareth."

I was not even aware that I had uttered the query, until I heard myself refer to him as Yeshua.

"Non-fiction, first person references, please," I added.

"Pretty specific search you have there, " came a voice behind me. I stopped, then went to turn.

"No, don't turn around, " the voice added.

"Why…"

"Because you and I know exactly what you would do if you did, " the voice said. "And it's not the proper time for you to do that. "

It was a warm, loving voice – that of a man, and one with a slight Hebraic accent.

I opened my mouth.

"Yes, it's me, " He replied. "And yes, your assumption is correct – I have a very special relationship with this place. After all, my Father did create it. " I could tell there was a smile on His face.

"Genesis 2," was all I could say.

"Correct again, " was the reply. "No, seriously, don't turn around. I'm here, that's all you need. And yes, I know your thoughts – I am with you and in you. "

I looked down at the floor.

"Yes, Joseph. I do forgive you. Why else would I have gone through what I did? And no, just because I can die doesn't mean I'm not eternal. "

A million questions flowed through my mind. But one stood out.

"There is a difference between immortal and eternal, Joseph. I made a choice. A choice that I would do all over again – no matter how many times the Calendar Machine rebooted. "

My face scrunched up.

"Yes, that did happen. It was an instance of best intentions – and, unfortunately, she did more damage than healing. Just like your forefather Adam, children do things that their parents did not intend. I forgive her, though. And she's been through a hell of her own making. "

I opened my mouth again.

"Yes, it's a real place, but everything in the universe is something We made. " It was funny, but I could tell when He was using the so-called "royal We" when He spoke. "Dad and I did a lot of construction – more than what Moses, or Job, or even my brother John ben Zebedee could understand. "

My face paled a bit.

"Oh, yes, that whole thing did happen. I couldn't leave My mother in the lurch, and he was there to the last. " I heard a slight chuckle. "I think I did overwhelm him with all those visions, though. "

I kept wanting to say something, but all I could do was just stand there, my face contorting as if to speak – and then He would answer me.

"What I showed him doesn't matter to you right now, though. You want to know the question all beings ask of Me and My Father: Why? "

I nodded.

"Joseph, you must understand this: thousands upon thousands of years have gone past. The earth as you know it has changed multiple times, circling the sun that We set into place longer than you can comprehend. Longer than anyone can. And all the things that have happened, happened for one reason. "

He paused as I hung on the silence.

"What I did, those thousands of years ago. And that, My child, was done for one reason. "

"For you. "

I wanted to cry out, to turn and fall at His feet, to…

"Now, I've already told you – no, this is not the time. There will come a time, in the future. No, this time and place is for you to understand – and enjoy. Emphasis on the 'joy' part, you see. This place was created for a purpose – and you have been given the keys to its purpose. A taste, if you will, of what is to come. "

I opened my mouth out again, on the verge of tears.

"No, you'll never understand it all. That's not your job. Nor is it that of Phix, nor Nicodemus." He paused. "Nor Cornelius. But I'm here. With you. Always. Forever. "

There was a moment. I steeled myself, more in frustration than anything else.

And finally, I could speak.

"How do I know that I am speaking to the One I…"

I felt someone stand right behind me, then lean in to whisper into my ear.

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

"Now, what I asked Martha, I ask of you – do you believe this?"

"Yes," I replied, a single tear running down my cheek. "Yes, Lord, I do."

I found myself looking down. A pair of arms had appeared, holding me from behind in an embrace – as a father would hold his son, comforting him.

I closed my eyes for a moment, then looked down.

The hands around me each had a single, large hole at the heel of each palm.

I couldn't help myself – I turned around.

There was nothing there.

I looked around, in a panic. There was no evidence of anyone, anything that had been even in the same row as me. No footsteps – trite as that sounds.

Nothing.

"So, I need your opinion, kindre, " a voice came from the end of the stacks behind me. "How does this look befit one who would OH! "

Nicodemus, looking more like a typical Hasidic Jewish rabbi in human form, had suddenly flinched away like he'd been hit with a lightning bolt.

"Rabbi?" I asked, the tears still hot against my cheek. "Is everything all right?"

"All right?" he asked, still unable to turn and look at me. "Kindre, I would ask the same of you! "

I took a step toward him; he retreated as if I were radioactive.

"What? I was just…" My voice trailed off. "Yes, I was crying, but that was…"

"Crying?" Nicodemus risked a quick squint in my general direction. "Kindre, your face looks like that of the sun when it is overhead at mid-day in the heat of summer in the Promised Land!"

His eyes clenched in pain; the effort caused his transformation to human to slip back into his familiar goat presence.

"Oy! And I had gotten the robes and everything just right!" He flinched as he turned to me. "Your face is still too bright…" He stopped in his tracks.

"You spoke to Him," he replied. "You have that same radiance of face that Moses had back on Sinai. You SPOKE to HIM. "

I looked at him quizzically.

"How in the world could you know that just by looking at me?"

"Because I CAN'T LOOK AT YOU! " he cried out. He reached around his neck and tossed his prayer shawl at me. "Here! Cover your face so I can at least see more than spots!"

For some reason, I felt like I was being told to put on a winter coat in the middle of summer, but I grabbed the shawl and made a makeshift covering around my face.

"That will have to do," I heard him say. "Now, I think it may be best to guide you to your exit. Perhaps the brightness would dissipate once you were home in your own noonday sun, yes?"

"Uh, I think it's afternoon back in Wisconsin," I protested.

"It won't matter, trust me," he said. "Here, I will look away and you can confirm this is your exit."

I was still a bit bewildered as I removed the shawl from my face. We were in the familiar lobby, the door next to the statue of Joan of Arc.

"This is it," I said, holding out the shawl. I felt him yank it from my hand, then what sounded like a stampede running away from me. When I turned, he was nowhere to be seen.

I shrugged and headed out the exit.

When I got back to my car, I didn't notice or feel anything different. I looked the same as always when I peeked in the rear-view mirror.

The benefit of the location where I had requested the portal transfer was that it didn't appear that I was doing anything out of the ordinary. I had insisted on the place, mostly due to the parking lot but also due to the proximity to my home.

The other benefit was that the road home wasn't the main drag, so I wouldn't be fighting traffic, either. There was one small problem, though: I had to stop at two separate cross roads, both of which had the right of way, and were separated by less than a half mile.

That doesn't sound like much, at first glance – but when you understand that half of it is going uphill, then the other half is downhill, with annoying rumble strips – it gives you a "you're kidding, right?" feel.

Of course, this being Wisconsin, what would be located at this relatively rural corner outside the city but a roadhouse bar. The place advertises itself more as a liquor depot than a bar, per se. But it fulfills the latter role more than the former.

As I was stopped at the intersection, there was a gentleman outside the store. I only saw him for a moment; he turned, looked at me, and flinched – the same way that Nicodemus had in the Library.

I was already through the intersection and on the stretch past the bar when I realized what had happened. I decided not to pursue the issue, though. This had already been a draining day for me; how many times in your life do you have a conversation with God, anyways?

The rest of the afternoon was without incident, thankfully. When Sarah got home from work, she didn't say or notice anything about my appearance.

I did tell her that the markings were just an categorical tag – something akin to the label on the binding of a library book. She accepted that as an explanation, and we discussed our dinner options.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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lake_wrangler
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Location: Laval, Québec, Canada

Re: Fifty Three

Post by lake_wrangler »

WELL DONE!!!

I like the red letters touch... just like in many Bible editions...

One question: His brother, John ben Zebedee? And not leaving his mother in the lurch? Is that a reference to Jesus telling the apostle John that Mary was now to be his mother, and to Mary that the apostle John was now to be her son? (Nice inclusion, if that is the case.)
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jwhouk
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Location: The Valley of the Sun, Arizona
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Re: Fifty Three

Post by jwhouk »

lake_wrangler wrote:WELL DONE!!!

I like the red letters touch... just like in many Bible editions...

One question: His brother, John ben Zebedee? And not leaving his mother in the lurch? Is that a reference to Jesus telling the apostle John that Mary was now to be his mother, and to Mary that the apostle John was now to be her son? (Nice inclusion, if that is the case.)
Good, you got it. ;)
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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