Chapter Fourteen
“Iyara? Daughter of Sasah?”
Iyara looked up from her coffee cup, and almost jumped to her feet. “Megan Alman?”
Megan nodded. “I am. Pleased to meet you, sister.”
Iyara took a breath. “This is… a little unusual for me. I haven’t done this before.”
“I have. Trust me, it’s always awkward to start.” Megan assured her. “Shall we sit?”
They both sat, and Megan pulled out her device. “First things first. Is this her?” She brought up a picture of a young girl, less than ten years old, and showed it to Iyara.
“That’s her.” Iyara said with a sigh. “I only met her briefly, back in the Old Days, but that’s Arria.”
“I’ve been fostering little kids from the Old Days for the majority of my life now.” Megan nodded. “A lot of them don’t have records. Even more of them are young enough to not know where they came from. They haven’t seen enough of either world to really understand why things are different now.”
“So you’re as curious as I am.” Iyara summed up.
“To say the least. Getting a little kid to describe their past is… unreliable, sometimes.” She waved at the counter. “Latte, please?”
Iyara sipped her drink. “Right. Arria is the daughter of a woman named Tawnya. At the old City of Jericho, she was a Temple Prostitute, in the Service of Baal.” She took a breath. “Her mother Returned a few weeks ago; and was assigned to me. When she realized everyone was coming back, the only thing she wanted to know about was her child.”
Megan nodded. “Everyone with kids of their own? It’s the first question any of them ask.” She thanked the waitress who brought her drink over. Once they were alone again, she lowered her voice. “Kids who have loving families ready to take them? They usually get Returned after their Parents. Kids don’t come to me, unless there’s a reason their kin can’t take them on yet.”
“We’ve never understood the order of the Resurrections." Iyara offered.
“No, but in my case, it’s not always that hard to spot. Humans are complicated, but the world we have been freed of never really changed tactics.” Megan sipped. “The Old Days messed up plenty of adults. A lot of them need help getting put back together before they get a child to raise. And some of them suddenly have their ‘religious experience’ when they find out their kids are back, and waiting for them.”
“I believe Tawnya is in that category.” Iyara nodded. “Part of her worship involved… child sacrifice. In the leadup to the fall of Jericho…”
Megan’s face was a mask. “I understand.”
“When Tawnya came back, she was nearly suicidal to find herself in the World according to Jehovah, given that He was the God of their invaders. I don’t know if she was more scared or ashamed, when she discovered there was only One God who could be in authority over the whole world, forever. But she keeps working herself into a panic over what happened to her daughter. It would be nice if I could assure her that Arria is okay, and happy, and… well, not angry at her.”
Megan smiled, happy to talk about her charges. “Arria doesn’t have an angry bone in her body. She can charm anyone she meets out of treats, and she’s ruthless about it-”
Iyara laughed. “I remember.”
“But no. There’s no anger. And yes, she does ask about her mother fairly often.” Megan summed up, her expression sobering a little. “It’s my responsibility to decide when the kids in my Orphanage can leave with someone. It’s not ‘first come, first serve’. And I don’t always send them back to their parents. Usually, it’s okay. Sometimes, it’s very much the opposite.”
“I understand.” Iyara nodded. “Tawnya is my student now, and it’s been hard to get through her guilt. Finding out she has her daughter still out there, and waiting for her? I’m hoping that will break through the wall she’s built for herself.”
“It probably will.” Megan conceded. “In fact, I would even wager that’s what God had in mind. Remember, the Returning is carefully managed, even if we aren’t in the loop.”
Iyara was about to respond, when her device chimed. She glanced at the notification automatically, and froze. Her coffee cup fell out of her hand and dropped to the table. Megan caught it before it could spill. “Bad news?”
“A message from my brother. He says that… Our mother has been Returned.” Iyara said faintly. “She’s trying to get in touch with everyone.”
Reunions were the one global constant these days. But they weren’t always joyful. Megan knew that better than almost anyone. “Bad?”
“It… might be.” Iyara admitted. “Jehovah showed my family mercy once, back in the Old System. The family was grateful, and took the second chance. My mother was the exception.” She held up the device, to make the point. “Nobody was sure if she’d get a third chance. Or what she’d do with it.”
“Well.” Megan said quietly. “Finding out she has her daughter still out there, and waiting for her? Maybe that will break through the wall she’s built for herself.”
Iyara cracked a grin, but Megan could tell she was worried. Iyara glanced around the coffee shop. “Anywhere I can take a private call?”
~/*\~
The Community Centre was the palace for meetings of all sorts. Congregations met there regularly, but there were several rooms for smaller groups. Mostly, they were used for secular gatherings. Clubs and Projects needed a place to organize. The smaller rooms were often used as study space, or workplaces; or for any reason someone needed privacy.
As such, Sasah wasn’t the only one making a personal call. Gail had set up the device to start the conversation, and left Sasah to it.
The conversation lasted several minutes. Gail tried not to listen in. There was some sobbing, and she could make out the tones of pleading, if not the words. Gail sat beside the door, guarding Sasah’s privacy, and praying for guidance and help in whatever came next. The first reunions were often the tipping point for a newly Returned one. Whatever was going to happen, the next few minutes would influence it most.
The door opened several minutes later. Sasah’s eyes were red. “She’s been back for so long.” She exclaimed in a watery voice. “It was only a few days for me, but it’s been centuries for her… and she hasn’t aged a day.”
“Rahab’s extended family? Probably all Gold Letters. They were Returned earliest.”
“My daughter, Iyara? She was the one I spoke to.” Sasah continued faintly. “Apparently, Rahab’s time is much in demand now.”
“She’s a not-so insignificant part of our history, and our faith.” Gail nodded casually. “How did it go with the others in your family?”
“They want me to come home.” Sasah licked her lips. “See them in person.” She looked down. “Please don’t make me go in the flying machines.”
Gail laughed a bit, despite herself. “Just between us, I hate to fly too.” She held her hands up. “I know, it’s hypocritical. I keep telling people there’s no danger, and that it’s a lot faster. And there hasn’t been a fatal accident of any kind in centuries.” She chuckled. “But I don’t like to fly. Planes, by necessity, are somewhat cramped and sealed up tight.”
“I have no right to ask you to escort me across the world.”
“Nonsense. I’ll take you as far as your family. Give me a minute to call my husband. He might want to come along.”
“Both of you can just drop everything and travel across the world?” Gail was surprised.
“The world is built around our service to God. The Returning is the defining part of our service right now.” Gail assured her. “Of all the reasons to leave your life behind for a week, ‘helping the newcomer’ is one everyone agrees on, and will for the first thousand years of Paradise.”
“What happens after that?” Sasah couldn’t help but ask.
Gail grinned. ”One thing at a time.”
~/*\~
Sasah had never seen anything like the Docks before. There were fishing boats on the Jordan River, where she had lived. But across the Jordan was the wilderness, and all of the places she had gone in her life had been over land.
Even so, travelling by water was understood, and part of her world. Airplanes were something terrifying in their impossibility. At least, to her.
Gail was fine with taking a ship. Nobody seemed to be in a hurry to get anywhere. Jamel showed up at the dock with a travel bag, and Gail waved him over. Everyone was waving and cheering at the ships as they arrived and docked. People were waving signs and calling out welcome as people came off one ship. Further down the docks there was another one boarding. Sasah had never seen a boat so large. “No sails?” She called to her guide.
“Huh?” Gail called back, unable to hear her across the noise of the dock. Between the rumble of equipment, the natural sounds of the ocean, and hundreds of voices trying to either welcome, farewell, or direct the people making their way; it was all but impossible to hear each other.
Even so, Sasah noticed that nobody was worried, or getting in each other's way. She couldn’t read the language yet, but the signs were clear to everyone else, and nobody was in a rush.
Once they boarded the ship, Sasah was shown to a cabin. It wasn’t that really different from the room in the Dorms. Gail and Jamel got the room next to her, and the ship got underway.
~/*\~
“We were lucky to get a passenger liner.” Gail commented one night. The breeze was gentle, and the ocean was so calm the ship barely rocked. “They make the people a priority. The last few times I’ve made crossings like this, I’ve hitched on cargo transports. The crews are friendly, but there’s not much to do but sit in your cabin and stay out of everyone’s way.”
Beside her, her husband was setting up a telescope, pointed up at the stars. “It’ll be good for Sasah. Let her get to know some other people.”
“I still feel like I should be down there, Jamel.” She sighed grimly. “I remember this part. Being the only one in the world who didn’t know what was going on?”
“It’s a passenger liner between continents, babe.” Jamel checked something on his device and adjusted the viewpiece. “The only people on this boat are the ones who are looking for a slower road to somewhere else. Probably a quarter of the people on that buffet line are newly Returned ones finding their way back to their families.”
Gail considered. “Well, that’s true.” She finally admitted. “I remember I felt less lonely when I made some friends who were ‘11th hour’ people too.” She looked over at him. “Can you even use that thing at sea? It’s fairly steady, but the ship is moving. For stargazing, doesn’t that make it impossible?”
“That’s why I brought it. Someone at the Foundation put out plans for an attachable gyroscope. Lotta astronomy fans out there.”
“I bet.” She drawled.
“There you are!” A voice called, and Sasah came out to join them, carrying a tray, piled high with food. “They keep refilling the food tables. I’ve never imagined a place where such a variety could be available so constantly.” She burped a little behind her hand. “Save me from myself and eat some of this?”
Gail and Jamel both smiled, and took some of the serving for themselves, as Sasah brought a chair over to sit with them. They were silent for a long moment.
“By the way, I have a present for you.” Gail said finally, and got up. “Wait here. I have to get it from my cabin.”
She left them, and Sasah looked over at Jamel. “What’s that?”
“A telescope. I suppose you’ve never seen one before. It was invented long after your time.” Jamel gestured for her to come over. “It allows you to see things that are much further away than your eyes normally see. Take a look, but don’t touch the telescope itself. Seeing things that are very far away is a… precise business.”
Sasah bent to look through the eyepiece and she let out a squeak. “What is that?”
“That, sister, is the planet Saturn. It is 1.2 billion kilometers from here.”
“I don’t understand any of those words.” Sasah admitted, her eye still glued to the eyepiece. “I never heard the word ‘planet’, or ‘billion’, or ‘kilometer’.”
Jamel nodded. “You’ll get there.” He assured her. “I got this telescope when I was assigned to meet a man coming back from Roman times. His people considered the bright and constant stars to be gods, looking down on their empire. Saturn was once worshipped as a god of time, and abundance. He was believed to be an old man with a long beard, and a large scythe. That’s where we got the ‘Father Time’ image from.” Jamel smiled. “A festival to Saturn, called Saturnalia was thrown every year in the Roman Empire, with feasting and gift giving. That’s where the original Christmas holiday came from. These words mean nothing to you either, since you predate them all; but-”
“I think I understand the point you’re making.” Sasah sighed. “My son once said something similar. Mythology and False Teachings evolve from one form to another as time passes, and other people get their own beliefs involved. But the Truth never changes. That’s why my son was so excited to find a written record that would never be changed, with the assurance of supernatural signs to show their accuracy.”
“Amen.” Gail said, rejoining them. “And as it happens, that’s a perfect way to present you with this gift.” She held out a Bible to Sasah. “The miracle of translation between languages doesn’t extend to the written word. Nobody’s quite sure why. But as we have people from every time period coming back, we decided to have the Bible written in some of the more common languages of the times. Including yours.”
Sasah took the book, and turned its pages, peering at the small writing in the dim light. “I… recognize the writing, yes. Though I admit, I wasn’t the best reader. My education didn’t require much…”
“That’s true of most people from your era.” Gail nodded without judgement. “Education is important here. If you want to start with modern languages, that’s fine. But if nothing else, you’ll be able to check what I teach you, against something you recognize.”
“I have no doubt you’re telling me the truth, Gail.” Sasah admitted. “I just looked through a ‘telescope’ and saw something I’ve never even heard of. The sheer number of things I don’t know is too overwhelming to be a cunning lie.” She spread her hands. “Besides, you’re taking me to my family. Even if you lie to me, my daughters won’t.” She flicked through more pages, squinting; before she gave up and looked around for somewhere with more light.
Jamel understood what she was looking for. “You should take that inside. Reading in the dark is… difficult.”
Sasah nodded, and stood. Gail gave her husband a look, and they traded a nod. Gail walked her back to her room.
~/*\~
“One of my sons was so… eager to find a record of the dealings between Jehovah and mankind.” Sasah commented, turning the pages once they were back inside. “Some of the things he found in The Law scared me. I knew we’d never be able to fit in with our new community. Not really.” She held a hand up. “And before you say it, I know you went through the same thing. I’m not saying I can’t, I’m just saying it’s going to be hard.”
“You know, I did have one major advantage that you didn’t have.” Gail said kindly. “I had history. And lots more of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everything I did? Everything that I found… shameful, about my life? I can turn to the Bible and find the story of someone who did worse, and still became a faithful person later on. Your time was filled with miracles and prophets, but you didn’t have nearly as many examples to look to for guidance.”
Sasah was studying her closely. “There’s something you’re not telling me.” She decided finally. “Something that might matter, or might not. You haven’t decided which.”
Gail’s eyes flashed, just a little. “How do you know that?”
“I’m learning.” Sasah admitted. “The people here claim to be centuries old. Of all the impossible things, that one’s becoming believable. As you get older, you learn to take things in stride. You take things so calmly, I wondered if you were really human. Your face can be so placid that you don’t seem to fear or worry about anything, but I can tell when you’re stopping yourself from saying something, in response to me. It’s the same way I reacted when my youngest started acting up to her parents. You’re holding something back.”
“I hold many things back.” Gail said simply. “There are thousands of years of information to tell you, and I can’t lay it all on you at once. That’d be brutal.”
“I’m sure you’re right. But there’s something.” Sasah pressed.
Gail was silent for a long moment, before she confessed. “Rahab is my hero.”
Sasah laughed. “What?”
“All the ‘history’ I had to fall back on? That includes her story. God decreed that all the false worship had to be wiped out. But in all the examples of God using His power destructively, He still spared His own. What human ruler would have picked Rahab as the exception?”
The reminder suddenly changed Sasah’s mood, and she glowered at that. “You talk about Jah like He’s nothing but goodness and light; but He was the God of our conquerors. Everyone I knew fell to that invasion.”
Gail didn’t back down. “In fact, if those days were not cut short, no flesh would be saved.” She said formally.
Sasah blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“Those words were part of Prophecy, given by Jesus Christ. Son of God on his Father’s side, and Son of Man, on his mother’s side. A line descended from Kings, and Patriachs… and your daughter, Rahab.” Gail said firmly. “Jesus warned of a time when God would have to take direct control of the human race, or else it would cease to exist. I was there, and believe me; He waited until the last minute. If the world had kept going as it had, with people doing as they pleased… Nothing would have survived. At all.” Gail let her consider that for a minute. “I don’t know what it was like for you, but I don’t believe you were witnessing the end of all life on Earth, everywhere.”
Sasah stared at her. “It got that bad?”
“I was a citizen of a world conquered by God, just like you. I saw a miraculous act of devastation, and personal deliverance, just like you. I was granted entry into the world under His rule before I had done anything to really deserve it, just like you. I have lived in this world for centuries now. Believe me when I say: In every possible way, this world is better. And if God hadn’t done it, humanity would be a memory now.”
Sasah let out a breath so low it whistled between her lips.
“We both had to start again, the day after.” Gail said kindly. “Getting there is never easy, but the goal is living forever, in a place where nobody will ever make war again, nobody ever goes hungry, gets sick, grows old, or ever, ever dies. Anywhere. Ever. Can Baal and Molech offer you that?”
“...No.” Sasah conceded.
“Your introduction to Jehovah was rough, I won’t deny it.” Gail spread her hands wide. “But Rahab was one of the Bible Stories that convinced me I might really be able to have a future here. Do what you want with that information, but it’s my truth.”
Sasah had no answer to that for a long time. “I’m told my husband has remarried.” Sasah admitted quietly. “I want to see my children again, of course. But he won’t be there. At least, not at first.”
Gail nodded. “Also not unusual, I’m afraid. But I’m sorry if your heart’s been hurt.”
“I honestly don’t know.” Sasah admitted. “I left them. I fled my own family because I didn’t want to change. A snakebite on the journey meant I couldn’t turn back.”
“Would you have turned back?” Gail asked.
“I don’t know.” Sasah confessed, tearing up. “Every step, I wanted to go back to my family. But I felt like I was wearing a mask, every time my husband asked for a blessing on a meal.”
“You were stuck.” Gail conceded. “The past was generations of your mothers before you, all being Priestesses. Your future was your children all embracing Jehovah, and their children after them. You must have felt very… isolated.”
“I did.” Sasah agreed. “And for some reason, Jehovah brought me back again. Is He rewarding me for my disobedience, or is this His way of tormenting me with how wrong I clearly was?”
Gail was silent for a long moment, looking for the right answer. Eventually, she lowered her voice and leaned a little closer. “You met Cherry. Would it surprise you to learn that she and Jamel used to be in love with each other?”
“What?” Sasah blurted, almost laughing in surprise. “Your husband was with your oldest friend?”
“Since before I even met them. The Old World beat us all up; and they never worked out, even if they had love for each other. They both went through a nightmare, trying to get back to the straight and narrow path.” She paused. “A phrase that doesn’t mean anything to you yet, but believe me; at least two of us wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for our little trio.” Gail sighed. “When Paradise began, they both assumed they’d just be together, and have it work. The vices and pressures that broke them up were gone; and everyone, including me, thought that only love would be left.”
Sasah was finding this story intriguing. “And you?”
“I was a stranger in a world where everyone was family.” Gail admitted. “Entering Paradise is very nearly the thing that broke my fragile little faith completely. The three of us stayed together, mostly because Cherry was the only person in the world that Jamel and I knew. When things… fizzled out, between Cherry and Jamel, I found that I was more worried about his broken heart than I expected to be.” She spread her hands wide. “Jamel had gone through the same doubt that I had. Being in Paradise doesn’t mean you feel deserving. Especially when you’ve spent your whole life on the ‘other side’.”
Sasah winced. “That’s why you were assigned to me. Because you lived my story.”
Gail nodded. “Worshipping idols was about the only commandment I hadn’t broken, back then. But I do believe I can relate to your story, sister.”
Sasah nodded. “And Cherry? How did she take it, when…”
“She wasn’t even surprised. Oddly enough, that was the worst part.” Gail admitted. “I really thought I was going to lose my best friend for a while, but that was decades ago; and time only moves in one direction. Even here, where we have forever.” Gail let out a breath. “Cherry married a good man some years ago, and Jamel and I sorted ourselves out. The things that make the three of us closer than family are not changed by our marital status, or by what used to be.”
“I don’t know if it’s that easy for me.” Sasah admitted. “And this is surely my last chance.”
“Just because you’re forgiven, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. There are ripple effects.” Gail agreed. “So, a question: What would your life have been if you’d been a follower of Jah all along?”
“Not an option, for me. Not where I was born.”
“Rahab was born in the same place as you. So was your husband and the rest of your children. If you had made the same choice they did? Hypothetically?"
Sasah thought about it. “Well. I never would have left my family. So the snakebite wouldn’t have happened.” At Gail’s nod, she kept going. “If I had become a follower of God, then I would have been brought back much earlier with the ‘Gold Letters’. Maybe I’d still have a husband. Certainly, I’d be as ‘well known’ as the rest of my… the rest of Rahab’s kin.”
Gail nodded.
“Or maybe I wouldn’t have been able to handle it; and gotten myself stoned to death for disobeying the Law of Moses.” Sasah sighed hard. “I left because I didn’t think I'd ever really belong.”
“Leaving my old way of thinking behind was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” Gail agreed. “It might be for you, too. But your family is here; and have been for many years. And I doubt they want you to come to them right away so they can be angry at you.”
“I hope you’re right.” Sasah said quietly.
~/*\~
The ship they sailed on made their way to port. There was another ‘celebration’ being thrown at the arrival. Sasah was starting to get the rules of this world. She would wager that very few of the people at the Port were meeting someone in particular. Many more of them were on their way somewhere. And even more of them were just celebrating to be part of a celebration. As they came off the boat, Sasah had gifts put into her hands from all sides. Maps of the area, snacks and treats, even a few articles of clothing. And a large woven bag, for her to put everything in.
She caught her breath once they were away from the docks, but she found she was smiling. “I think I understand why you travel with so little. By the time you arrive, you’ve got everything you could need. Strangers just put things in your hands.” She looked through her gifts, and pulled out something she didn’t recognize. “What is this?”
“It’s called ‘caramel’.” Jamel grinned. “Try it.”
Sasah did so, and let out a squeak. “That’s so… so…” She shook her head. “This world is the opposite of everything I understand. If someone could make things like this, why are they giving them away?” She held out the bag in her hands. “Look at this? I didn't even see who gave it to me.” She looked again. “This bag is nice.”
“Oh?” Gail smiled.
“Look at the craftsmanship. I admit, I don’t know how you make things here; and I don’t recognize the materials, but I know enough to know when something is handwoven. I used to do that myself. This? This is something a King would use. You just hand them out to total strangers coming off a boat.”
“Some industries are immune to time. People will always need to carry things. So someone making bags for a living will always have a purpose. Even if they’ve already made a thousand of them. Even if they’ve been doing it for a hundred years.”
Sasah blinked. “I have to keep reminding myself that you’re older than me by so much. Come to think of it… so are my children, if they came back so long ago.”
“And your grandchildren. And your great-grandchildren.” Gail chuckled. “We’re still learning some of the rules. We never really appreciated how much ‘aging’ affected the way we spoke to each other. Experience matters in unusual ways; but until we all had eternal youth, it was a double edged sword.”
Sasah nodded sagely at that. “When I was a child, I watched my mother cook. She was so… quick, I thought that I would never be able to do that. Then when she was older, I had to take over, because her hands shook too much.” She sighed. “My mother told me: There was only so much experience a person could get.” She hefted her new bag. “But even if I could have a thousand years experience, I don’t know that I’d want to spend eternity making bags for other people to use.”
“You wouldn’t have to.” Gail nodded. “Back in the old days, there were people who worked all day, every day; just stitching together novelties and disposables for wealthier people, under threat of starvation.” She let that sink in, before continuing with grim understatement. “Things are different now. But people still need bags; and weavers and designers, and people who know how to make things are still in high demand.” She gestured at the bag. “Apprentices hone their skills for a long time while they prepare their own projects.”
“An apprenticeship can last forever, now?” Sasah drawled. “I can think of a few people who would be thrilled with never letting their hardest workers go.”
“Eternal life isn’t the point of Paradise.” Gail offered. “I admit, it’s hard to see past that, but I’ve been alive for centuries now, and I can tell you: Longevity isn’t what makes this place wonderful.”
“Oh?”
Jamel nodded. “Times change with every generation. Sometimes circumstance keeps things as they are for longer, or forces things to change before the people are really ready for it. The young always adapt fastest, because they’re less ‘experienced’ with the way things are.” He spread his hands wide. “If the old world had eternal life, nothing would have ever changed. Those people would have spent eternal life stitching together disposable nothings under fear of starvation, forever, and ever. Those who exploited their labor, would do so; literally, forever and ever.”
“We’ve changed everything about the world.” Gail nodded. “When you have the prospect of living forever, you kind of have to build a life you can live with, for a long, long time.”
Sasah was about to say something, and nearly choked on it. “I hadn’t considered that.”
“Think about some of the things that were going on in your own life. Not just yours, but your family’s. Everyone you loved. Think about what they do every day, just to get by.” Jamel put in. “Now think about them doing that forever. Not until they got too tired, or too old; because that could never happen. Not until someone else came along and took over, because experience means nobody new could do better. Not even until they die, because we don’t anymore.”
Sasah did think about that. Possibly for the first time in her life, she looked at things that way. The things that went on in the Temples. The way they beat the working animals. They way the taxes kept them on the edge of hunger. The way she had kept the High Priest happy with her performance in her youth. The idea of her daughters doing it forever alongside her…
There was a long silence.
“Does your old life seem fantastic, now that it’s eternal?” Gail asked lightly. “Or does something need to change?”
Even longer silence.
“...aw, no.” Sasah moaned finally. “My daughters were right, weren’t they? They understood, and I didn’t, and now I gotta go and admit they were right about something. About all of it, even.”
Jamel laughed, and gave her a hug. “Admitting it is the first step, sister.”
~/*\~
~/*\~~/*\~~/*\~
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