The World of NightsEnd

Traditions are the living faith of those who have gone before us. Traditionalism is the dying faith of those who are still with us.

From the final address of Enoch the Watcher to the Assembly (From the TruePath Records cr. 2130)

 

 

A blue and yellow silk robe lay draped over a brass chair. Against the chair leaned a bronze staff representing the authority of the Shepherd of the Keepers of TruePath. Furniture of beautiful, though imitation mahogany dominated the room. Opulent windows were surrounded by think crimson curtains. The office bore all the marks of someone of importance.

On a low sofa across the room reclined a very tired and very lonely man. Jonathan Pearson looked over at his staff and robe and shook his head. How could the Keeper of the one true faith feel so utterly alone in the world and within his own spirit? A soft knock at the door announced that his aid had arrived. Pearson struggled to regain an air of authority and told the aid to enter.

“Shepherd, we have received official confirmation over World Net that Watcher Enoch is indeed dead.”

Pearson clasped his hands and bumped them rhythmically against his forehead. The General Counsel, Alicia Farmington, had slapped him in the face again by not giving him this news when they were together in person. “Thank you Brian, you can go now.”

The aid slipped out and Pearson walked over to his desk reached into the bottom drawer and pulled out an ancient picture. It was on actual paper rather than in a digital frame. The two men in the picture stood with an arm around each other’s shoulder looking as though they could take on the entire world, just the two of them.

Pearson wiped a hint of a tear from one eye and put the picture away. “Dear Enoch,” he whispered, “why couldn’t you have been satisfied?’

Pearson thought back to the time the Assembly voted to disband the Watchers. Nearly seventy five years had passed since that day of final decision. So much had changed. So much had not.

On that day Enoch called for a closed session of the Assembly. This was his right but it also sealed his certain fate. Gathered there that day sat three rather ordinary looking people. As was the custom in closed session all vestiges of rank and authority had been left outside. Two men and one woman sat awaiting a fourth person to join them.

Alicia Farmington, as General Counsel of True Path chaired the meeting. Jonathan Pearson as Keeper of True Path held in his hands the new Scriptures to ensure all was done in order. The third man sat alone in a corner of the room obviously an alien to these surroundings.

“I still don’t understand why the GPP has any business being here.” Pearson said the words in a studied, measured tone.

“The reason is simple dear Shepherd.” Franz Ruger spoke with a sweetness that bordered on putrid. There was a hidden ugliness about the man that Pearson couldn’t quite put his finger on. But he knew it was there, lurking just below the surface.

Ruger continued, “As you know the GPP has tolerated TruePath for some time now. We have no desire to meddle in your internal affairs as long as you do not interfere with ours. This Watcher of yours is an interference that either you can deal with …” The Advisor of the GPP stood and walked in slow cadence like steps toward the door and then paused. “… Or we can deal with him. The choice is yours.”

With that the most powerful man in the world walked out and silently pulled the door shut behind him.

No sooner had he exited than the man all had been awaiting entered the room through the main door. Alex Wright sat down and looked first to the Shepherd and then the Keeper.

The Shepherd spoke first. “Alex, the days of the Watchers has come to an end. We have no need to have anything restored to us. We do not have need to have anything new done for us. The Speakers ensure peace with the world and the Keepers ensure peace with God. No more is needed.”

The third man simply smiled and reached into his coat pocket and set a book on the table. It was a rather plain looking maroon leather bound book. All that distinguished it were the faded gold embossed letters on its spine: NASB.”

Alicia Farmington looked as though he had placed a boa constrictor on the table in front of her. She rose abruptly and took three steps backwards.“Are you out of your mind? Excuse me; I already know the answer to that question you God-talker. Let me rephrase that; are you trying to have TruePath totally destroyed?”

“No good Shepherd. I am merely reminding you both that the Old Scriptures do still exist. And even if the GPP finds this volume today and it were the last those vultures will never be able to wipe away the truth that is in it.”

Alex looked from the Shepherd to Pearson. “And what about you my dear friend? Does the Keeper not long for the days of the Old Scriptures?”

Pearson looked with sadness and yet a certain admiration at his friend. How he only wished he could have the same confidence in a personal God that Alex did. But all the GPP would allow them was the new Scriptures and that was better than none.

“What I long for my friend is the world my grandfather told me about. A world before Gene screening and forced compliance. A world before UF interference in church affairs. A world before banned cities.”

Alex jumped up and slapped his hands. “Exactly Jonathan! It wasn’t a perfect world but at least it was one where we were free to read and proclaim the Old Scriptures and let people decide for themselves. At least it was a world where people who claimed to be of the one true faith didn’t jump like a scared rabbit when the truth was set on the table in front of them.”

Alicia Farmington slammed her squat fist on the arms rest of her chair. That’s enough Watcher. That world is gone and our job is to steer the church through the treacherous waters of the new world.”

Alex looked over to Jonathan Pearsonfor help but all he got in return was silence. Finally Pearson managed a reply; “I’m sorry but she’s right my friend. Alex, with all out titles and pomp we are nothing without the GPP and the United Federation. Perhaps one day by some miracle they will fall. But, until that day we must survive. Some truth is better than no truth.”

Alex stood and caught his breath. A pain of the soul seeped out across his youthful face almost aging him before his audience’s eyes. Something died in him there that day and something else was born. “Very well, I will make my address to the Assembly tomorrow and then I will leave. That is my right and one you cannot take away. I will do nothing to incite rebellion but I will speak the truth.”

Alex turned to leave and Alicia Farmington shoved the book across the table toward him. “You forgot something.”

Alex stared into her eyes and pushed the book back until it touched the tips of her outstretched fingers on the table. The Shepherd’s hand recoiled as though burned.

“No Speaker, you forgot something. There will be a day when one of you will need what is in that book. When that day comes don’t miss it.”

With that Alex Wright left the room. One day later he addressed the Assembly and disappeared into the world of banned cities and wilderness. On that day Alex Wright died and Enoch was born. He took the name because he knew he no longer belonged to this world and longed for the day when he could enter another better one.

Years of memories flashed by and Jonathan Pearson pulled himself back into the present. He walked across his office and locked the door. With the shutters tightly shut he turned to his book shelf. People didn’t read books much any more with the World Net but for him they were a reminder of a better time.

Jonathan reached to the top shelf and picked up a large dictionary. He placed the oversized book on his desk and placed his right thumb on the lower part of the binder. An invisible laser scanned his thumb print and a slight click sounded as a hidden drawer opened from the side of the book.

Taking a deep breath the Keeper of TruePath reached in the secret drawer and pulled out a small maroon book. On its binder were the letters: NASB. Enoch had thrown away his whole life for the words in this book and for what? Now he was dead and the Watchers were no more.

After a moment Pearson put the book back in its place and slid it back on the shelf. He opened the shutters and watched the sun set. He focused on the day to come and tried to drive one nagging thought out of his head. “If the words in that book were so unimportant why had he risked everything to hang on to it for seventy five years?”

The Keeper of the one true faith shook his head and headed out of the meeting room. He had a church to lead and a faith to maintain. He couldn’t indulge himself in such nostalgic and useless meanderings. He should just go back and destroy that book once and for all.

But he did not. For some reason he could not.

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NightFall: Second Revision July 2008

All Rights reserved @ 2007