A gift from the Librarian
(The Library, Eternity)
“Certainly, I would love that,” Hatty said as she accepted an original papyrus from ancient Egypt, written in Coptic. Reading it, her surprise grew, realizing what it was.
The Librarian was certainly different than she expected, but in a very pleasant way. As she served tea to them, she seemed more like a favorite great aunt, than a person referred to as “Your Highness.” Indeed, overhearing Hatty asking 3 how to properly address her, she said, “Just call me Libby, don’t worry about formality, we’re all friends here.”
Abel was a nice boy
Gradually, with great effort, 3 brought their conversation around to the topic of Abel’s prophecy. “Ah, the one about the recurrence. Poor Abel, he was such a nice boy, do you know that he spoke that word of Rhema when he was only twelve? We all expected such great things of him, such a shame he was killed by Cain.”
“You mean Beauty?” Michael questioned.
“Yes, ultimately Beauty. She tempted Cain, and he murdered his brother.”
About what we do here
Serious now, Libby said, “Let me explain the Library a bit for Hatty’s sake, so she can understand what we do here.” 3 nodded as he sat back, sipping his cup of tea. “Dear,” she said looking directly at 3’s girl, “I am the keeper of God’s Rhema, or His spoken word.” Whatever comes out of His mouth, I keep track of it all. So, just so you understand, the Library is infinite, because His word is never ending. About the only thing that changes around here is when He speaks, I record, catalog, and store it for the ages. So, whenever someone needs to know what God is saying or has said, they have access to it through His Spirit. Or, on very special occasions, such as this, you can visit and see it for yourself.”
“Okay,” Hatty said trying to grasp the enormity of it all.
“No dear, don’t even try, mortals don’t do infinite, it messes with them. Just understand that everything God’s ever said is safe and sound in the Library.”
Dual recurrences, oh my!
3, sitting forward said, “Thank you again for seeing us, Libby. I know it was short notice, but the council felt it was important.”
“Of course it was, it’s about Bren and her friend, Wichapi.”
“Yes, in view of two emergents, we hoped you could clarify Abel’s prophecy for us.”
Scrunching her face a bit, she said, “Ah, no, can’t do that. Clarification is not classification. I just record and preserve; interpretation is a whole other department.”
Michael, surprised, said, “You can’t tell us what it means?”
“Well, no, I can’t. In order to record accurately, I cannot judge or have an opinion on what my Beloved says, I simply let His Rhema flow into me and capture His word.”
Did Abel say anything else?
Hatty piped up, “Even if you don’t interpret, is their any additional Rhema that applies to Abel’s prophecy?”
Smiling, Libby said, “I do like this girl, she is very bright! Let me see, ah yes, located. Big surprise, it’s under Prophecy-Abel, yes here it is: Abel says,
“Prophecy is not primarily to know the future; it’s to know when the future arrives.”
And,
“Prophecy is the future that God will create. But human free will determines its timing.”
What it is
Thinking for a moment, 3 said, “So, the prophecy was never meant to tell us beforehand what would happen, it was only meant to alert us when it did.”
Libby just smiled.
Michael, listening, added, “So now that it has, we know more about what it is.”
The Librarian continued, saying, “Oh, here is another good one!
“Eternity is full of events, not dates. Everything that YHWH wants to happen, will happen. Once He speaks, the future is set unless He changes it; however, the timing may vary depending on which realm you are speaking about. Mortality, the curse of Eden, makes the timing of prophecy in that realm dependent upon human choice.
“And, last but not least,
“What it is, is not always what it seems to be.
“Yes, I think that is the last one that applies directly to Abel’s prophecy. Lovely! Wasn’t that fun? I do so enjoy a good conversation! I believe, though, that you have traveled a great distance today and must be tired. My assistants will show you to your chambers. I will see you all tomorrow, Ta Ta!”
Not since Luxor
And with that, the Librarian excused herself and left through a door in the opposite side of the room from which they entered. Presently, a half dozen young female attendants returned and escorted them to their quarters, which amazingly enough, were evidently tailored to Michael, 3, and Hatty’s individual tastes.
Turning to 3, Hatty remarked, “How does Libby know so much about us? I haven’t seen these types of furniture and draperies since Luxor. “
3 put his arm around her waist, holding her warmly, saying, “Love, the Librarian is much more than she appears.”
Later that evening, after they’d eaten and bathed, Hatty lay asleep in the finest Egyptian cotton. 3, fingers flying over his abacus, reclined on soft cushions in the adjoining room. Again and again he ran permutation after permutation and…nothing. Like a cloak of mathematical darkness, he couldn’t pierce the probabilities. Troubled, he slipped out of the chamber, making his way down the hall.
Trust and obey
“Sir, is there anything I can do for you?” Asked the young girl who found him wandering the hallway.
“I’m looking for Michael, my friend,” 3 replied.
“You seem troubled, what’s wrong?” asked the attendant innocently.
Looking down at her cherub-like face, 3 realized who she was and said, “Your majesty, I feel like I’m blind, I can’t see the future, all my calculations don’t add up to anything.”
“Yes, it is always dark at night, isn’t it?” the girl said looking concerned. “You know what I do when I can’t see clearly in the dark? I snuggle up in bed and wait for the morning, then everything seems a lot clearer. Everything will be okay, 3, just trust Him.” With that, she turned and skipped down the hall, singing, “Trust and obey, there’s no other way. . . .” as she disappeared around the corner.
In the morning, after breakfast, Libby escorted them all to the door of the Library and bid them a fond farewell, saying, “Its been lovely, just lovely to have you all come and see me! I do so enjoy your company. Please come again soon!”
May I borrow your girl for a moment?
As they turned to go, Libby said, “Oh, silly me, I almost forgot. 3, may I borrow your Hatty for a few? I would like to talk with her privately before she leaves.”
3, caught by surprise, looked at Hatty, who was equally puzzled and said, “Yes of course, Libby, we’ll wait for her in the courtyard.”
Putting her arm around the Seraph Hunter, Libby escorted Hatty into the Library while Michael and 3 made themselves comfortable in the shade. One of the attendants ask, “May I get you anything while you wait?”
Michael answered, “Do you have any more of those grapes?”
About an hour later, both Libby and Hatty walked to the door of the Library, laughing and giggling like two school girls. Libby said, “I am so happy for you dear, it is a great honor to have met you in person. Everything will be wonderful, you’ll see.” As they left, Libby, along with a bevy of her attendants, waved from the Library, all smiling broadly.
A book my mother used to read to me
“What was that all about?” 3 quizzed as they walked to the ship.
Hatty, lost in her own thoughts, answered, “What did you say, Love?”
“What did the Librarian want?” 3 repeated.
“I don’t exactly know really, she kept talking about my life in Egypt and this book she gave me,” she said showing 3 the papyrus storybook.
“What is it about?” 3 quizzed.
“It’s a children book, a copy of the one my mother used to read to me when I was very young.”
3, knowing how much a sore point that area was for his beloved, left off asking her more. Hatty, unfortunately, had always been barren after the birth of her daughter, Neferure. Since then, Hatty never could have children. Not being able to bear a son left a big hole in her heart that could never be filled, even by him.
Of course, children were out of the question for them anyway, and she had made peace with that in her heart. Mortals could never conceive with immortals since the fall. However, 3 noticed the way she looked at baby boys and, at times, wished things could be different.
“I’m glad you two became fast friends, Hatty. Libby is a wonderful person.”
“Yes, she is a dear isn’t she!”
The lonely owl and the harvest moon
(Lakota Tribe, Montana Territory, 1876)
A harvest moon hung solemnly over the territory as a great grey owl hooted. The village, mostly asleep, waited for dawn. Bren, snuggled half in and half out of her buffalo blanket, tossed back and forth, unable to sleep deeply.
Wichapi, on the other hand, slept soundly. The silhouette of Brenzel’s friend, faintly outlined by the dying embers of the fire, seemed so peaceful. Finally, unable to sleep, the young hunter stared up at the small hole that served as a vent in their teepee, looking at stars.
As she lay in the night, Brenzel wandered back over their conversation that morning. Honestly, she could not argue with Chapi’s logic. The Lakota did not provoke the attack, they were attacked by the white soldiers. Also, war is a nasty business and killing, as she knew from her time with Doc and Sam, was horrible in any century. Still, something deep inside couldn’t completely accept Chapi’s logic, and it bothered her.
Sleep girl!
Sleep girl, this is not getting you anywhere, she thought as she closed her eyes, willing slumber to come. Quieting herself, she listen to the hooting owl once more, so lonely in the night. Then, all of a sudden, her eyes opened wide as she propped herself up on her elbows.
Thinking back to the first time she saw Wichapi at the lake, Brenzel remembered how the Lakota maiden led them to the clearing where they heard the woman scream. Bren also remembered how Chapi then left her to go and get help.
Looking over at her sleeping companion, three thoughts hit her conscious mind like bolts of revelation in her mind:
Wichapi can control animals…
We weren’t in any real danger from the bear…
So, why did she run to get help for the old woman?
In a flash, Bren realized the awful truth as she looked at her sleeping friend. Bren said under her breath, “Oh my God… it was you!”