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..."

The Peacock 1861

"And we sat together in silence for some time after, Isabella."  I find it curious that like Caspar, suddenly Jesus is addressing her as Isabella."And just before I left, I did ask you if you knew who I Am."  And yes, of course.  I Am.  Before Abraham was. I Am.  And that is when the Pharisees picked up stones to hurl at him, but he got away.  And here, we are in the presence of the Great I Am "And I replied that, of course, who else would have done what you had just done for me.  I just wasn't expecting a teenage boy.  Then you left.  We had two more meetings, and then, just before I moved to Amsterdam, instead of commanding me to get out of the life of prostitution I was leading, you almost encouraged me to continue.  Why?  Jesus, I want to know why?" "You weren't ready or willing yet to stop.  And I will have no will placed grudgingly on my altar.  Even at my command you would have continued anyway in your life of sin.  But I did also create for you a way out of that life, and for this you have here our friend Carl to thank..."

The Peacock 1860

I believe they have arrived.  Shall I receive them, Lord?" "Lan is already awaiting them.  Now", he says, directing on us his kind green eyes.  "How is everyone now?  Stella, you have some questions for me?" "I have many questions for you, Jesus", she says, her voice quavering, "Many many questions." "Starting with that first meeting we had in Barcelona." "I didn't even know who you were at the time.  I was sitting, kneeling actually, in the Familia Sagrada church, then you came in so surreptitiously and sat down next to me. You didn't say anything for a while.  You just sat there, and I wondered, who the hell is this kid and what the hell does he want with me right now.  But then you placed your hand on my back.  I shuddered, but then this sweet, calm peace entered into me.  And I knew I was going to be alright..."

The Peacock 1859

"And that is what brought you here.  What was your life like before you came here." "I was a spoiled selfish arrogant little rich girl, too beautiful for my own good.  I trained in social work and became employed by the social services ministry whose mandate had become making it as hard as possible for the most vulnerable to survive.  It was all part of a massive social cleansing pogrom against the poor in our province.  My role was to catch people cheating on welfare and to make it impossible for them to receive further assistance, no matter how much it was needed.  It wasn't long before the streets of our city became just littered with homeless and beggars.  Our gracious Lord has redeemed and saved me from much." "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 1858

Jesus leads us back through the corridors and sitting rooms while Amaris walks beside me, and George and Jeffrey trailing closely behind. "How long have you been here?", I ask Amaris. "twenty years it will be next month." "Then you must have been just a little girl when you first came here." "I was already twenty-seven." "You still look younger than thirty." "It is something I scarce understand, myself.  I seldom look in the mirror.  Perhaps in the mornings to see that my hair is in place, but otherwise, I have lost all interest in my physical appearance." "Are you of the same kind as Tron or Lan?" "They are both different classes of beings.  Lan is what they call an archangel.  Tron is another sort of servitor, but they each sprang into being many thousands of years ago, at different stages of our development and evolution as human beings, and particularly as we and our impact on the earth began going from bad to serious.  And now unfortunately our impact and our state is now very grave, for which cause our fairest Lord has called me as well into his service.  I am human like you, but no longer mortal.  There are others here like me working in his service." "and that is why you were able to just magically appear in Vancouver in order to teleport my friends, George and Jeffrey back here with you."   "It is because here, even though we are still on earth, we are not subject here to the laws of the earth nor the material universe, but live in a place that is beyond and outside of time and space.  It is all very complicated.  Our Lord on various occasions has tried to explain this to us but our brains, unfortunately, are still in a very mortal condition." ""Has your name always been Amaris?" "That is the name that Jesus gave to me shortly after I recovered my memory.  It has three meanings: promised by God, bitter, and beloved.  When I came here, actually, I was lost.  I had been at a weekend party in Victoria, then was off in some man's car up the Saanich Peninsula to a remote beach where we were supposed to camp all night making love, but then something dreadful happened.  The man, as soon as we got out of the car, simply stayed in the car and drove away without me.  I was left weeping and wailing on the beach all  alone after midnight when this man in a boat came ashore and brought me here to this island on the boat with him..."

The Peacock 1857

While George grovels at the feet of our Lord, Jesus gently bends down and places his hand on his head. "George", he says softly, tenderly and authoritatively, "I have sought you for so long, all these long years and now you have come to me.  Now you have come home.  Won't you rise up and come in with me now,"  George, with help from the hands of Jesus, rises slowly to his feet, and is suddenly enfolded in a warm embrace.  As Jesus releases him, he then says to Jeffrey, "Come in, dear Jeffery.  You have taken good care of him for me, I see, and you now are always welcome here in your home."  And then he also holds Jeffrey in a hug, as warm, close and loving as with George.  "Come in, come in, both of you and stay and dine with us here for soon the food is ready... " 

The Peacock 1856

"Surprise", say I, though I really wanted to say what a lovely surprise, but there is something about the atmosphere in this place that promotes brutal sincere honesty, without adornments. To Jesus Amaris says, "As you bade me Lord, I went to fetch them from where they were in Vancouver.  They were altogether cooperative but once we reached the front door, they suddenly refused to come in." "How did you guys get here?" say I. "We were just walking back to the house, your house, from the bus stop, when this woman suddenly appears and starts walking with us", says George.  All she said was you are both needed, and then, poof, here we are standing in front of this door.  She says, please come in with me, and neither of us was going to. "George.  And Jeffrey", says Jesus in tender reproach.  "How could you so disapprove of my hospitality?" "It's you", says George suddenly, as though his eyes have just been opened.  He makes a step towards Jesus then falls on his face at the feet of our young and eternal Lord.

The Peacock 1855

"Is there anything else that needs to be done?" say I, quite rejoicing in finally feeling myself useful around here. "I think Joseph and Mary can be trusted to take care of everything", says Jesus, putting his hand on my back. Something warm and sweet is entering my body from his hand. "I think you and I are both needed elsewhere." Without any further questions, obediently I follow him through several rooms and corridors. At the front door,a young woman dressed in a flowing white gown is standing there as though expecting us. She has long flowing blonde hair, and is really arrestingly pretty. With a smile she says, "We have visitors, my Lord." "Won't you open the door then, please, Amaris?" She pulls open the looming dark wooden door, and I cannot believe my eyes, though I don't know why I still get surprised around here. George and Jeffrey are both standing there, as though they have both just woken from a bad dream...

The Peacock 1854

Jesus has just scooped the last of the hummus mixture from the blender.  That will be at least three blenders full. Now he presents me with three lemons and a knife.  "Christopher, could you be so kind as to cut and squeeze the juice from these lemons into the hummus I have just prepared.  I have already added the salt , cumin and cardamom.   The sharp sweet fragrance of the lemons fills me like the sense of the divine presence itself as I cut open each one and dutifully squeeze in the juice.  "I've never made hummus before," say I. "Well, now you have learned how, my friend". says he, handing me a wooden spoon with which I thoroughly mix it all into the savoury mass. "Shall I begin making the blue cheese dip?" says Joseph to his holy stepson. "Please, father, if you could", says Jesus.  Then to me he says, "You know, Christopher, Joseph was always more than a stepdad to me.  He always treated Me as his own natural son, And often told me what a precious gift I Am from God our Father.  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John did not have all the inside information about our family.  Plus, he was always incredibly gentle and patient with me.  He never once laid a hand on me that was not gentle or affectionate." To Joseph, who is smiling while chopping blue cheese into a bowl, I say, "So you are the good cop and Mary is bad cop.". "Oh my charming lovely family", she says, rolling her eyes with one of the most ironic smiles I have ever seen.

The Peacock 1851

Jesus sprinkles in salt, pepper, and another spice, I suspect cumin or coriander, then another, and another, then fastens the lid and turns on the blender. "did you have hummus back in the day?" I ask his mother, not sure how to frame the question tactfully.. "You used to make hummus, right?" says Jesus. "You already know", she says with a tincture of exasperation, then to me says, "How would you like to raise a child knowing but refusing to accept that he also happens to be God?" "I imagine he would have been a challenge", say I , smiling mischievously at our Lord, who simply operates with a wide grin on his face the blender.    He doesn't appear to have heard us over the loud electronic whine from the blender.  When it is done he says, "There weren't a lot of options back in the day.  They didn't have a lot in the way of birth control."

The Peacock 1850

Jesus gets up and returns, first with a huge bowl full of garbanzos, then comes back again with a jar of tahini. He gets up one more time for a couple of lemons and a bulb of garlic. "And now", he says to me, "We are going to make hummus.. Christopher, please be so kind as to go to that lower cupboard to the left of the sink. There you will find a blender. Please bring it here to the table." That would have been the very tone of voice he used when he told his disciples to go and fetch a certain donkey that he would be triumphantly riding into Jerusalem on. Jesus riding a donkey. Not a horse. As I dump the first batch of garbanzos into the blender, I ask him, "Jesus, I have a question for you." "And I know exactly what you are going to ask me. I would never have driven a car, even had they been available in Palestine two thousand years ago. Then, I walked only in humility, and today now, I walk only in humility. "How about a bicycle¡" "Maybe a skateboard", he replies smiling as he spoons in some tahini on top of the garbanzos...

The Peacock 1849

This place vaguely resembles the grounds of Carl's mansion. It is indeed a southern magnolia where the two peacocks are perching, but it is larger, grander with more plate sized creamy white flowers and more spreading. The peacocks have both inclined their heads as though to observe us more carefully. A soft, gentle and almost intolerable sweet musical note proceeds from Tron's mouth, and the two peacocks hop down from the branch and begin to walk with us. We are on a path paved with grey and white stones, surrounded by flower beds and trees. I dare not ask where we are. The silence, but for the occasional birdsong, is all enveloping. We cannot be anywhere in Canada. The birds, such as they are, sound tropical, and there are magenta, red and violet bursts of bougainvillea and scarlet and orange hibiscus flowers. I hear the soft plashing of water and the path leads us to a small circular fountain, in a round plaza surrounded by low stone benches. On the one just on the other side of the fountain is seated the young Jesus. He smiles sweetly, then whispers something to Tron, who promptly walks away in another direction,behind our lord. "All paths lead to me, " he says gently, as I take my seat at his side. With his right hand he strokes back my hair, then gently kisses my forehead. The press of his lips on my skin is soft, a little bit moist, and I feel a sudden and unexpected peace flowing into my being. "where are we" "We are in my kitchen." "But this looks like a garden with a fountain." "It is that too", he says, and suddenly, I am seated with him at a kitchen table, where Mary is also seated slicing various cheeses onto a plate, and Joseph is mixing something in a bowl.

The Peacock 1848

The cover is heavy, as though made of lead or some heavy mineral, and it takes both my hands to lift it.  The first page that faces me is the most resplendent image I have ever seen of two peacocks  One with the traditional blue neck, on the left.   The other has a long shining golden green neck, the feathers outlined in black, giving the feathers on the neck a scaled effect.  Otherwise, the plumage is much the same and the long train or tail falls like a multihued waterfall from the shining golden backs of both species, from the elevated tree limb they are both sharing. The one on the right is a green peacock", says Tron.  They are native to Southeast Asia, to Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Burma.  They are rarer and considered more beautiful than their blue siblings." "Is this a painting or a photograph?" "That I  am unable to answer.  This book was conceived and created by a special process that even I scarce can understand and it would be impossible to explain it in a way that you or any mortal human could understand.  Would you like to have a closer look?" "How could..." and that's all I can see, because suddenly we are both standing in this grove of trees viewing the two magnificent fowls that are shining just above our heads.

1927

"I suppose" says Kenny, "This would be as good a time as any to explain a few things to you, Christopher",  "That is, if the others are okay about it." "Go ahead Kenny", says Carl.  "We're all ears." "As you know already, I have been presumed to be dead these past twenty'five years.  And what a shock it must be for you to suddenly see me alive." "This has been all very unexpected, Kenny", say I.   "And I hope you don't mind but I would like to ask you some test questions.  It isn't that I don't already believe you, but..."  And I am trailing off awkwardly. "I understand perfectly", he says.  Perfectly." "Well, to begin, how did we first meet?" "I think you were just about to turn seven, Chris.  Your father, while shadowing a friend with a ministry to hookers in the West End, came to know me.  I believe you were visiting an uncle and aunt who lived in the neighbourhood.  Jim and I took a sudden mutual liking, and soon, on a regular basis you guys were both looking for me on my favourite corner, where I was usually working as Cassandra. I remember how folks in the church were having a collective heart attack and that he was corrupting his little boy, but Jim always had way more itegrity than all those hypocrites put together.  I became a regular presence at your table and even started visiting St John's with you, but the church hypocrites were just too much for me to cope with so I went back to drugs and hooking. But then, when you were fifteen, Jim invited me to live with you guys, and it was like I had died and gone to heaven...."

1847

"I cannot open it.  My hands won't permit me." "Your hands won't permit you." "My hands are unworthy to open this book.  They can't even touch it. They are dirty.  My hands are dirty." "Give me your hands, Christopher, Christ Bearer", says Tron, offering me his own beautiful golden white hands together palms up.  Place your hands in mine, palms down." I place my hands in Tron's, which are actually large, almost twice their size.  But Tron is much bigger than me, tall, towering.  I am like a little child with him.  He places his right hand over my hands, enclosing them in his two shining hands.  I feel a heat, almost a fiery heat, that stings, then an electrical charge comes flowing through me.  I am trembling.  Tears are rolling down my cheeks, and I am feeling an innocent, gleeful joy, as though never in my life have I so much as formed a single selfish or unclean thought.  Tron leans over and lightly kisses my forehead, then he lifts my hands by the wrists, kissing their palms and dorsal sides, before releasing them. "Now, Christopher, Christ Bearer.  Open the book.

The Peacock 1846

Tron guides me to the armchairs in the middle, turns on the antique standing Tiffany lamp, and we settle into two perpendicular chairs.  It is a very comfortable well cushioned antique armchair that almost swallows me alive.  Tron moves and jostles his chair till it is flush with the one I am sitting in.  The arms of both chairs are very wide and adorned with dark polished wood, mine is deep forest green to the deep maroon velour of Tron's chair.  He picks up the very top book from the table and lays it across our chained chair arms.  The cover is all deep blue and purple and green covered with gold arabesques in the design of a gothic cathedral labyrinth.  I am aware of how absolutely quiet it is here.  Silence is so strong here  to be providing an almost background music, though it totally taxes me to describe any further this most peculiar and delicious sensation. "Won't you open the book", he says rather than asks. I almost dread touching this incredibly beautiful object.  I am afraid that my hands, my very fingertips, might be dirty, and that contact from me would somehow smudge and defile this immaculate object. "I feel unworthy to open the book." "Unworthy you are, dear Christopher, to open the book.  But still, open it you must."

The Peacock 1844

A being very similar to Lan, they could almost be twins, appears in the doorway.  This one is robed magnificently in shining emerald green and golden yellow.  Also tall, appears a little more masculine than Lan, so I find myself thinking of him, not her, as he and not she.  His eyes are darker and his face a little more sculpted and chiseled, and his voice too has a deeper cadence as he says, "Please come with me, laying his hand on my shoulder that also emits a slight electrical charge.  He is tall, like Lan, and equally beautiful.   "I was curious about what is beyond this doorway." "Only because you are being summoned there", he says, smiling and placing his hand on my back to guide me with him. "What is your name?" "You may call me Tron." "what does it mean?"  We are now stepping into the doorway. "Instrument.  I am an instrument of grace and wisdom and discernment." "Where are you taking me?" "We will walk this corridor for a while, and then there is a sitting area for us to visit more." We seem to have just been walking a labyrinth of corridors, beautiful opulent and elegantly appointed corridors with lamps lighting our way from sconces concealed in the upper walls. The lower wells are richly panelled in wood, and in some areas the hall widens where we pass by areas furnished with upholstered brocade and velvet chairs and heavy, elegantly carved wooden tables.    All the floor is carpeted in shades of crimson and maroon.  There are tightly closed dark wooden doors in almost unending rows on our left and our right.  Finally the corridor widens and seems to end in a medium sized sitting room with sofas, chairs, tables and lamps.  Tron guides me to the three chairs surrounding a round low wooden table in the very middle.  He turns on the standing lamp and there are a half dozen or so huge books piled on top of the table.

The Peacock 1843

I have been eyeing this other wide doorway, that doesn't appear to open to anything familiar. "What are you looking at ", says Erik. "That doorway, no not the one that leads to the kitchen or wherever they are presumedly preparing our dinner, but that other one, just behind your head.  Where does it lead to." "I suppose we might ask during dinner", says Stella.  But curiosity is getting the better of me, and almost without my volition I feel myself getting up out of the chair and moving towards it." "Where do you think you are going?" echos the imperious tone of Stella.  And suddenly I feel Lan's intercepting hand on my shoulder.  Her, or his, or their touch is strong, no not strong, but powerful, and an electrical charge is now running through my body. "Christopher"she says, "You may not go there unaccompanied, and I hear a sweet, penetrating high note proceed from her lips, an ethereal yet powerful note of music that now inhabits me and I assume everyone else in this room...

The Peacock 1842

"Yes", says Sarah, nodding emphatically. "We saw the blood and the wounds. It could only be Jesus." "How long are we stuck here", says Lawrence. "Still thinking of leaving?" wonders Stella, just a little bit sardonic. "Naw, I'm not going anywhere. This has just gotten too interesting." "I am feeling very at home here", say I "As am I," says Sarah. "How could Jesus possibly be protestant", says Francois, almost sputtering. "Disappointed?" purrs Stella. "Think of it as a learning curve, dear." "This is going to be more of an unlearning curve." "You're not far from the kingdom of heaven, my son", says Carl, smiling. "Oh, shut up", says Francois good humoredly. "I want to explore this place", says Erik. "as do I", agrees Stella.

The Peacock 1841

"Just as I thought!" says Erik, chortling, "Jesus is a Lutheran!" "Are you still an atheist?" say I . "I am being presented with some rather strong evidence for the prosecution", he says, now almost grimly.  "but it's wait and see." "Of course this is Jesus", says Carl.  "Who else could know each one of us here so intimately?" "I'm just waiting for my turn to get cross-examined.  But why tell him anything, since he is already going to know" "Jesus can't be a Lutheran", says Francois deadpan.  "He wasn't around for Luther, nor vice versa." "If he really is Jesus, and I have no doubt he is", muses Sarah, "Then he needn't have been there at the time, since he already was." "He sure isn't a Catholic", states Carl.  "And what about his parents?  Who would have imagined two doddering old people like this Joseph and Mary we have here." "I should hardly think of them as doddering", says Stella.  "They appear both very hale and very hearty and except for the wrinkles in old age, every bit as robust as though they were in the prime of life." "Hey, they're two thousand years old" says Carl  "They're  not doing so bad at all.  " "Jesus is two  thousand he looks like an adolescent." says Erik. "He can pull it off", says Lawrence.  "He is Jesus."

The Peacock 1840

"But Holy Mother". "Please, my good Francois", she says with a tincture of exasperation, "Just call me Mary.  And really, if there's anyone who ought to be questioning and distancing themselves from the doctrines and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, then that person should be you.  Especially after how you were treated in the abbey." "By imperfect men-" "by imperfect men who know not our Lord and Redeemer, and whose mouths are simply like open graves and sepulchres, my child."  Then she looks around to all of us and says,"I must get back to preparing dinner.  I just wanted to know if there are any gluten  allergies here.  Yes, we already know the answer to that, but still we would prefer that you tell us.  Just as I thought, no problems with bread.  Any preferences?  We have lots of French, Italian, Russian, German, white, sourdough, pumpernickel, multi grain, sweet  and savoury, rye, and such that could greatly and pleasantly  surprise everyone.  It is all one bread for we are all united in the body of one Christ who is also our good host..."

The Peacock 1839

"But we are commanded to pray to you, O Holy Mother", says Francois.  "As our great intercessor.  You are the Queen of heaven." "Heaven neither has nor needs a queen, my dear child.   And I am not your intercessor.  That is the role of my Holy Son, our Sovereign Lord." "But Holy Church commands and teaches this." "Holy Church has taught and commanded an awful lot of stupid, harmful and horrendous things.  Among other things the slaughter of millions of innocent Turks and Arabs and the burning of millions more in Europe." "But holy Church..." "Never mind Holy Church.  It is made up of foolish and erroneous humans, no greater or lesser than you.  Follow Jesus."

The Peacock 1838

Francois is slumped in his chair, clearly deflated.  "Where is the Holy mother?" he whines. "I am standing right here before you my son." "But you are an old woman.  Where is the virgin?" "Of course I'm an old woman.  I am over two thousand years old. I stopped being a virgin not long after my Son, Our lord was born.  A little bit too soon, but my poor husband had already been left hanging for the last nine months.  Though our first night together was nothing to write home about, it was the least I could have done for him." "Who are you?" "I am the mother of Jesus.  And by extension I am also your mother.  But, Francois, you must promise us one thing, please?" "What is that?" "Never ever kneel before anyone but my Son.  He is your rightful Lord, and it is high time for you to let him take my place on the throne of your heart."

1837

A young woman, robed in bright shining cerulean blue emerges from the doorway, her calm face beatifically smiling.  She says to Lan in a gentle, melodious voice, "Yes, that was quite a fright you gave me, Gabriel.  I was just thirteen then, and yes, a virgin."   "It's the Holy Mother", gasps Francois, suddenly whipping from his pocket  a rosary, dropping down on his knees before the girl. He begins to chant, "Hail mary, full of grace.  The Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou among women.." and suddenly it is the tall old woman with the wild fly away hair and she is forcefully lifting Francois up to his feet. "None of that, my dear Roman Catholic", says she, in the same sweet voice that was emanating from the young girl, "Here we are all equals and you will kneel, like the rest of us, only towards my son, and before my son, only."  Then, grabbing the rosary from his hand, says "Give me that, and stuffs it into her tweed jacket pocket.  "There will be no acts of idolatry in this place, not even on my account, or should I say, especially not on my account!"

1836

He says,, still laughing, "Oh but I am already your best friend, the best friend any of you could ever hope for, and now you are here with me to be rescued from shit," "Can you believe your ears everyone?" says Carl, also laughing, "such language coming from the mouth of the Lamb of God." "My apostle Matthew was simply too scandalized and embarrassed to write down word for word in his twenty-third chapter the real words that I was hurling at the Pharisees, scribes and other unfortunate vipers." "Saviour with a potty mouth?", muses Sarah. "I just came out here to ask if there are any food allergies here among you..." "The all knowing, the omniscient God has to ask us that!" says Lawrence sarcastically. "alright then, smartass", says our Lord..  "You have an avocado allergy that was diagnosed five years ago, February 12, to be exact.  You break into hives." "very impressive", he replies. Says Sarah, "If you already know this, Lord, why do you ask?" "For the very same reason why I would have you all pray, even though I already know what you are needing before you even ask...."   "And Sarah, you have an allergy to strawberries ever since you were five years old.  Erik had a mild allergy to peanuts as a child but has outgrown it.  And now that I have done your work for you, please excuse me again while we get to work on feeding your hungry little mouths." "Who ever would have thought that Jesus and his mom and dad would be cooking us dinner", says Carl. "Well, he did cook his disciples breakfast on the Galilee lakeshore", say I, if I remember correctly the account in John's Gospel of the Resurrection. "They were having fish, weren't they?" says Francois. "And I was hoping Jesus was a vegetarian", says Sarah. "Poor little fishies", says Carl.  "Aw!" "I wonder what they're preparing for us", says Erik. "Maybe something Middle Eastern", wonders Lawrence. "I would love some humous right now", sayd Sarah. "And eggplant dip", says Erik. "How are you, Caspar?" say I. "I am very tired, " says he.  "I think soon I would like to sleep." "Please try to stay awake for dinner, darling", chides Stella, "It should be a wonderful experience.  Dinner prepared by the most holy hands ever...." "So you are going to be living here, Caspar", says Carl.  "Full time and permanently, it looks like." "And us as well", says Stella, gesturing with her head towards her still comatose brother, who remains upright in his chair, his eyes closed, while the angelic Lan still stands there at his side.  Her hand has not moved from his shoulder. "Lan, that is your name?" says Sarah. "It is one of my many names", she answers, though I am still unsure of their gender.  "For this age I am called Lan, though our Lord, and men and women have had other names for me down through the ages." "What other names?" "I am also called Gabriel, when I visited and announced to the young virgin that she would give birth to the Messiah, our Saviour. "You are the Archangel Gabriel!" she almost shrieks. "I have many names, my beloved child.  When the spirit rests on me I then become the Holy Wisdom of God." "How old would you be?"  she says, bashfully, "If you don't mind me asking." "When the remotest ancestors of your kind were beginning to migrate out of what they now call Africa, that is when our Lord sang me into existence.  We knew already what  threat your kind would pose to the rest of the earth, because already had you fallen from the grace that breathed you into being, so our lord summoned more help to come to the planet's aid." "That would have been more than a hundred thousand years ago." "It seems only like yesterday."  There is something wonderfully sardonic and playful, but infinitely wise and loving about Lan's way of speaking to Sarah, and to the rest of us.  Like a patient and humorous teacher tutoring some very slow pupils. "Sang you into existence.  Who?" "He is here with his blessed parents preparing your dinner." "Jesus." "But who else?"  Lan is smiling,  her, or maybe, his hand still resting on Sven Lindstrom's shoulder.  "For he shall save his people from their sins..."

The Peacock 1836

"So you are going to be living here, Caspar", says Carl.  "Full time and permanently, it looks like." "And us as well", says Stella, gesturing with her head towards her still comatose brother, who remains upright in his chair, his eyes closed, while the angelic Lan still stands there at his side.  Her hand has not moved from his shoulder. "Lan, that is your name?" says Sarah. "It is one of my many names", she answers, though I am still unsure of their gender.  "For this age I am called Lan, though our Lord, and men and women have had other names for me down through the ages." "What other names?" "I am also called Gabriel, when I visited and announced to the young virgin that she would give birth to the Messiah, our Saviour. "You are the Archangel Gabriel!" she almost shrieks. "I have many names, my beloved child.  When the spirit rests on me I then become the Holy Wisdom of God." "How old would you be?"  she says, bashfully, "If you don't mind me asking." "When the remotest ancestors of your kind were beginning to migrate out of what they now call Africa, that is when our Lord sang me into existence.  We knew already what  threat your kind would pose to the rest of the earth, because already had you fallen from the grace that breathed you into being, so our lord summoned more help to come to the planet's aid." "That would have been more than a hundred thousand years ago." "It seems only like yesterday."  There is something wonderfully sardonic and playful, but infinitely wise and loving about Lan's way of speaking to Sarah, and to the rest of us.  Like a patient and humorous teacher tutoring some very slow pupils. "Sang you into existence.  Who?" "He is here with his blessed parents preparing your dinner." "Jesus." "But who else?"  Lan is smiling,  her, or maybe, his hand still resting on Sven Lindstrom's shoulder.  "For he shall save his people from their sins..."

1833

"And we're all stuck here with each other", says Carl, chuckling. "You appear to be enjoying this", says Lawrence. "I'll tell you a little story", says Carl. "Once upon a time, there was a little chickadee. It was already fall and the little chickadee knew he should fly south for the winter, but his little wings were just so tired. He did make the effort and he managed to get from Saskagchewan to North Dakota, where his little wings gave out, and so the little chickadee fell through the air, down, down, down, until he landed in a big mound of horse shit. "I think I already know where this is going to go", mutters Francios with a theatrical aside. "So, the little chickadee, oh so tired, sank into the mound of manure, and despite the smell, found himself warm, snug, safe, and the little chickadee promptly fell asleep. The cold wind howled and blew and the winter snow fell and covered everything including the horse shit in one big beautiful pure white blanket of cold, and the little chickadee went on sleeping. Spring came, and so did the rains, and so did the warm soft air and the snow all melted and the mound of horse dung was left exposed to the soft spring air. The little chickadee stirred awake, and then emerged from out of the horse shit, and delighted that it was spring, he sang out a loud "Chickadee!" and then a crow swooped down and bit off his little head. "Now there are three morals to this little story, One, it isn't necessarily your best friend that gets you into deep shit, and two, it isn't necessarily your best friend that's gonna get you out of shit, but, three, if you find yourself in shit, and find that you are still safe, warm and comfortable, stay there." Young Jesus is standing at the entrnce way clapping while the rest of us are laughing.

The Peacock 1832

"Thanks, you guys." I am calming down now. What a shock. Kenny is alive. Here with Jesus and his mom and dad. A very young teenage Jesus with mommy and daddy Mathuselah, they could pass for, I don't know, over a hundred, yet both so strong and vital. And of course, way older than a hundred. "So what are we supposed to do now that we're here", says Sarah, whipping out her phone and trying to scroll on it.  This thing is not working." "None of our phones are working", says Francois.  "This place doesn't have wireless." "Well, that's interesting", she says, tossing her phone onto the rug at her feet.  Hey, this means we're liberated." "We're still hostages", remarks Frncois.  "We're being held against our will." "We are held everywhere against our will", says Sarah.  "We are always hostage to something.  But here we are with Jesus.  No phone, so now we can find our liberation in the midst of our captivity.  And who else would we want as a captor than our precious Lord himself."

1821

I am a weeping snivelling teary mess, and Lawrence on one side of me and Carl on the other both have laid comforting hands on my shoulders. "Wow", says Sarah, "Your friend is alive? Kenny whose diary you guys were reading back at the retreat centre? That Kenny? That is his name, right? He survived and found his way here, and has lived here all this time. That is just so amazing. And here with Jesus, the Son of God. We are here with him in his house. With Jesus, the son of the Living God. That's so amazing. But what am I going to tell Carol, and who is going to call her because she is going to be so worried. Does this place have cell service?" "I'm afraid not, Sarah", says Francois. "We are his hostages." "Hostages of Jesus. That is just so amazing. We are hostages of Jesus..."

1830

"Kenny!" I am crying out and running over to my long-lost friend before he disappears with the Holy Family out of the room, "Please stop. Come back and talk to me." I am holding my dear friend by the shoulders, and now I know beyond any shadow of doubt that it is indeed Kenny whose shoulders I am gripping, almost trying to bodily drag him back into the room with me. "It's okay, Chris", he says, smiling. "I do have to help our hosts with dinner. You stay here with the others. Jesus is right. You need time to talk for a while among yourselves. You and I can pick up after dinner. Christopher, after a few days here you are going to get sick of seeing me all the time. We are going to have a lot of time together, my friend."