The Peacock 1870

Mary has returned with a jug carved from the most splendid cut lead crystal I have ever seen in my life.  The lines swirl in well ordered arabesques and labyrinths of shining rainbows.   "Jennifer", says Jesus, holding the jug in two hands, "May I pour you a glass of wine?" "From a jug of water?" and she seems on the verge of peeling out in derisive laughter. "How about a glass of red living water, then?"  He is not going to relent, but it wound't be like Jesus to relent. Reluctantly, Jennifer holds forth her fluted glass.  As Jesus pours, it is not water, but what appears to be red wine filling her glass. "Maureen, it's your turn", he says smiling.  "Into Maureen's glass also pours water that turns red as it touches the glass.  Then he turns to the rest of us, getting up from his chair, and pouring water into each fluted glass, that turns suddenly into red wine as it touches the glass.  I would never imagine that jug could hold enough for everybody, but it seems to miraculously replenish itself with each pouring...

The Peacock1867

Jennifer and Maureen both appear very small next to Tron as he escorts them both to the table.  They are both quiet, demure, as though they have not yet begun to absorb the shock of their sudden transport here. "It is such a delight to have you both as honoured guests, my noble ladies", says Jesus .  "Tron, please escort Maureen to sit here on my left, and Jennifer will sit on my right.  "Noble ladies, you will both see that already places have been set for you here."  He could look like any sixteen year old boy, but for the light that seems to be shining from his face and the exacting wisdom that makes his eyes suddenly piercing and penetrating. Maureen appears to be just beginning to emerge from out of her fog of shock and disbelief.  "Excuse me, young man", she says hesitantly "But...but who are you?" "I am often asked that question, Maureen" he says discreetly.  "And if you had no other precedent for identifying me, then pray tell me what would you call me." I am dipping half a pita pocket into the hummus that Jesus and I made.  She stares at him dumbfounded.  I know better than to say a word, and everyone here, even the loquacious Sarah, simply seem unable to speak right now...

The Peacock 1866

This dining room, or should I call it a dining hall, is huge, massive, spacious and expansive,  the table is long, highly polished oak, with Jesus seated at the head.  The walls are the colours of fine Wedgewood pottery, and are adorned with colourful paintings and tapestries.  Mary, Joseph, Kenny and Amaris are each bringing out the food.  Nothing hot, but plates and bowls loaded with salads, fruits, cheese and sauces and dips and more varieties of bread than one could scarcely imagine.  To drink, lemon flavoured sparkling water is being poured by Lan into each of our fluted glasses.  Jesus has just invoked a blessing with raised hands, and then suddenly Tron appears in the doorway. My lord, we have two new guests waiting in the entrance hall. "Ah, Maureen and Jennifer.  Finally they are here.  Do bring them in, my noble Tron, and so the towering beautiful angelic being sweeps out of the room in a blur of shining emerald and gold...

The Peacock 1865

Jason continues: "She was standing there waiting for us, but suddenly we were no longer in your house, Christopher.  We are stumbling into this place here.  She said, "Welcome home, then taking us each gently by the arm, escorted us here where you all seem to have been waiting for us." "And we have been waiting for you", says Jesus.  "You will know most of us here, save for Kenny, Sven and Isabella, they are twins, and Isabella, prefers to be known as Stella.  And next to me here is Caspar who has a very long history, despite his youthful appearance, and over here is Lawrence, who is particularly new to everyone here. "I'm so glad you both came, " says Sarah beaming.  Like Carl she seems to have made her home here. "There are still others waiting to join us", says our youthful lord, but dinner is about to be served.  Shall we all rise and proceed to the dining room..."

The Peacock 1859

"Look who's here!" chimes Carl as we file into the sitting room to rejoin our friends.   "How did you get here?" says Francois, pulling back the empty chair next to him where Jeffrey seats himself.  George has found a spot next to Caspar, and now it occurs to me they haven't met.  Amaris has also found a chair on my left, on the other side of Jesus where he has just planted himself. "Amaris here came to get us." "Hello", she says, with a broad smile. "I am Francois." "I am very pleased to meet you." "You must live here", says Carl.  "Oh, I'm Carl, by the way.  Did you just arrive, yourself?" "I live here", Amaris replies without further ado. say I to Amaris, gesturing to the others in the room, "And this is Sven, and his sister, Stella, Sarah, Lawrence. and Jesús, and Caspar." "And where did you get to", says Carl to me. "Tron took me on a bit of a tour.  We sat in a kind of reading room for a bit, looking at this book with  beautiful colour plate of two peacocks, and we somehow entered the picture and it brought us to a garden and  fountain where Jesus was seated and then suddenly I was in the kitchen with him and his parents helping them make dinner, if you can imagine." "Which is going to be served shortly", says Jesus  "We are just waiting for two more arrivals..."

The Peacock 1864

Lan has just escorted into our midst Lazarus and Jason, both of them looking lost and bewildered as they sink into the two armchairs near the extra doorway. "So do tell us how you got here", says Carl, who appears to have already made himself completely at home here. Jason suddenly lights up, his face like that of a small child getting out of bed on Christmas morning and stumbling into a living room with tons of exquisitely wrapped presents glittering underneath the Christmas tree. "I'm back", he announces, almost laughing.  "I can't believe it.  I never would have guessed I would ever see this place again."  Then, grabbing his partner's arm, says in his ear, but for all of us to hear, " Sable.  See.  Look all around you  This is the place I was telling you all about."  Then looking at our eternally youthful host, "And now I know you, I know who you are.  You never came out and identified yourself to me the first time I was here and you wouldn't leave my side. But..." "You already knew me, Jason.  Just as you know me now." Lazarus is silent, furtively glancing around. "Sable,  this isn't a dream.  We are here.  We finally got here." "How did you  both get here", say I. "We were just opening the front door to get into your house", says Lazarus, then pointing to Lan who has returned to standing by Lindstrom's side, "And there she was standing on the other side of the threshold..."

The Peacock 1862

"But,Jesus, you just let me go on renting out my body, night after day after night, to such disgusting male scum and I mean elite lawyers, doctors, politicians, academics, and it was all so humiliating that after a while I had to go into becoming a professional dominatrix if only to save whatever was left of my dignity." "Your dignity." "You know damn bloody well what I am saying. At least by tying them up and spanking them I was able to maintain some measure of control." "And that is why I sent Carl to you. And speaking of dignity and control, please do not forget what I permitted them to do to me, stripping me of all my dignity so I could hang bleeding and naked for all to see from that cross. My love for you, Isabella, forbade my dignity." "Very well, Lord", she replies demurely, head briefly bowed and eyes closed. "It is especially because of the nature of your natural father that I have had to allow extreme humiliations for both you and your brother, because satanic arrogance is even to me almost impossible to eradicate. But for both of you it has been working, and it is working beautifully..."