Chapter
2 – The Answer
I enjoy a cup of tea at a coffee,
tea, and dessert shop on a bright afternoon as I wait for the next person I’m
supposed to help. He soon appears from the shadows and stands behind me.
I extend my hand to one of the
chairs at the table I’m sitting at and say, “Please, take a seat, Timeo
Severe.”
The legendary hero of divine
shadows obliges my request and does as I say. He stares at me as he reads my
soul and takes in much of my history. His hair and eyes are pitch-black, his
skin is a pale white, and his expensive suit, tie, shirt, and shoes are
alternating shades of white and gold.
“We can speak like normal people if
you want to learn more, or you can continue to look into my soul and learn more
if you wish, but if you do, we’ll be here for the rest of the day,” I say.
“I know that there’s only so much I
need to know. For someone thousands of years old, you dress quite modern,
Caiaphas,” Timeo says.
“What can I say? I like simple grey
suits, dress pants, white gloves, and dress shoes with a red tie. Fashion peaked in the
nineties, in my opinion, and has been going down ever since. You dress much the
same way, don’t you? There have been more times that you’ve worn suits than you
have anything casual.”
“Heh, you’re right. I do like my
suits. What’s the mask for?”
I remove my mask to show the void
under it.
“That’s why. Even though
superhumans are accepted as normal in this day and age, I still tend to freak
people out if I don’t wear the mask.”
“You don’t think that your mask
with four eyes and a mouth in the center is freaky?”
“It’s a penitential mask made by a
friend of mine in the Renaissance period. Before then, I wore hoods and other
masks, but none of them were as good as this one, so I continue to wear it to
this day. Would you like a coffee or tea? I may have no face, but I can taste
in the void of my face, and everything in here is great.”
“No, thank you. I’m more of a wine
and milkshake person. What made you leave a note on my desk to have us meet up
like this? What do I owe the honor of speaking to a legendary, but unknown man
like yourself?”
“The Lord moved me to talk to you
in the way that we’re talking right now.”
“You’re one of His tools to test
and save sinners. Am I in need of such help?”
“You are, even though you’re one of
the most virtuous men in the world, alongside your brother-in-arms, John Elio.
Speaking of him, you can come and join us if you want, John. This is a meeting
between brothers of the Lord.”
John Elio gets up from one of the
tables and joins us. He’s a humbly dressed man with a deacon’s red shirt, gold
cape, blue jeans, and brown boots. His golden blonde hair, shimmering blue
eyes, big smile, and face look as if they reflect the sun. He looks at me like
Timeo did, but doesn’t seem to look too deeply into my history.
“So, what’s the purpose of you
wanting to meet Timeo here?” John asks.
“To talk to you both and
congratulate you on conquering the world for God and the Church. I’m glad this age has you two leading it in the right direction. That previous so-called
modern age refused to learn from the mistakes of the past and was leading the
world into a suicidal spiral.”
“I guess that means you’re buying
our meals and drinks?”
“Sure. They’re on the house. I’ve
known the family that has run this shop for generations.”
“A deeper question we should ask is
what advice do you have to give us?” Timeo asks.
“You both can read my soul and see
much of what I’ve been through, so you already know much about what I’m going
to say. Take what you need, and please, relax.”
“Is that really it? You don’t have
a test for us that’ll place us in that pocket dimension or whatever you have
for those you try to convert?”
“I don’t see why I should. Much of
my power activates similarly to yours, Timeo. The Lord does much of the work,
and I am merely the vessel.”
“But didn’t you say that I need
help?”
“You do, and you are getting it. I
won’t be able to give much more than what the Lord has given to me to give to
you. Besides, if you need to know more, the Lord will find a way to give it to
you.”
John Elio sits down with a cup of
coffee in his hands. He says, “Let’s just enjoy the old man’s company then,
Timeo. How was being a priest in the time of Jesus?”
“I made the least of it, being
corrupt, and only wanting power, riches, and whatever my body craved. The
greatest gift I received during those times was the wake-up call that the Lord
gave me. From then on, I didn’t try to avoid pain or mitigate it. Instead, I
embraced it as an offering. I gave myself up to the Romans and their Nephilim
to be tortured so that my fellow Christians could live.”
“Nephilim?” Timeo asks as he sits
down and sips his hot chocolate.
“Superhumans in today’s
terminology. Nephilim was just what they were called in my day. They were also
called witches, gods, saints, devils, mutants, and so on.”
“I see. Was there ever an age like
the one we’re living in now?”
“Yes, and it was the age of the
Crusades, when the Church had the sense to have the Gospel in one hand and a
sword in the other, and knew when to effectively use mercy and justice. It’s a
shame that age fell because of heresy and infighting. It could’ve continued for
more than two hundred years if men didn’t so easily fall into corruption and
the temptations of easy living.”
“Do you think our age will last as
long or be shorter?”
“I can’t say for certain. All I can
say is that I want it to continue for thousands of years. What the Lord has
told me for certain is that your descendants will conquer and bring faith to
the stars.”
“That’s interesting, but I’m fine
staying on Earth,” John comments.
“You will. It’s where you belong,
and your talents are needed.”
“What would you say are the most
important lessons that you’ve learned in your life?”
“There’s only one, and that’s to
always rely on and be faithful to the Lord. You both already know it, so no
matter how many challenges you may face, you already have the catch-all
solution to them.”
John and Timeo look at me and shrug
their shoulders. For the next couple of hours, I talk with the two greatest
heroes of this age about their lives and share stories from mine. Part of me is
jealous of both of them, not just because they’ve been more virtuous than I
have over their lives, but also because of the lives they lead. Both men don’t
let the wealth and power they have corrupt them, and they always remember to
give glory to the Lord in all they do. They’ve never cheated on their wives,
and their families are the second most important things in their lives,
bringing them joy and meaning.
After all is said and done, I get
up from the table and say, “May the Lord always be with you, brothers. Keep up
the good work and don’t let your worries and concerns for the future get to you.
The world is in good hands with both of you guiding it.”
I walk outside the shop, into the
light, and teleport to the next location, always thanking the Lord for everything,
especially the quiet and calm moments that I’ve just had with men who best represent
what true servants should be like.
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