Part 1 - Faith and Reason

 

The Current Month, Day 1 - The I-TON

 

 

“I swear to defend, preserve, and live by the Constitution of the Saviors’ Isle.”

 

Jay Rahman was elected Chief Civilian Executive of the 570-square-mile country located a few hundred miles west of Senna, a province of the Republic of Ibelyn. He took the oath of office beside his resplendent wife and their fifteen-year-old son, Jawo. Jaya Rahman, Jay’s sister, gloried in her younger brother.

 

The island’s entire northern frontier was a high steep face of a rock. All its five hundred and fifty-five citizens witnessed the ceremony at the eastern side of the massive rock. Basking in the early morning sunshine, they applauded Jay as he finished his speech, stepped down from the podium amid cheers, and mingled with the revelers.   

  

The revelry was a total departure from tradition. In eleven days, the holy month for honoring humility, sacrifice, and suffering would commence.

 

Two men and a woman eyed the happy faces with self-righteous indignation. “These sinners worship pleasure and pride. They must be made to see the error of their ways!” The codename of the older man was Suff, while the younger man’s was Sac. Humi was the woman’s alias.    

 

As the citizens relished the festivities, a delegation from the Union of Ibelyn arrived looking for Dr. Ari Hugo.

 

The doctor had studied saxitoxin since his return to the Saviors’ Isle four years ago. A month prior to the election, he saved the lives of numerous islanders, including Jay and his family, after they ate seafood infected with the red tide toxin. Moreover, an Ari chemical formulation eradicated red tide around the island.

 

The large medicine supply that Ari sent to his Uncle Ethan in Senna also saved many lives in Ibelyn. Residents of the Republic of Ibelyn paid for the red tide drug, and ordered huge quantities of the chemical product.

 

The Union of Ibelyn was located north of the Republic of Ibelyn. The latter seceded from the former after the great invasion almost two centuries ago. 

 

The delegation demanded that Ari give up the medicine and the red tide buster for humanity. The Union officials pontificated, “It is evil to profit from suffering, from what people cannot do without.”

 

Ari was direct. “I deal exclusively with traders.” He turned his back and moved away from the delegation.

 

“Please explain, Dr. Hugo.”

 

Ari faced the delegation, but kept his distance. “You are free not to buy what I spent four years to create. I am free to sell the fruits of my labors in a manner of my choosing; I earned this right. I transact with people who respect property rights. If you are here as advocates for people who desire the unearned, you have wasted your time.”

 

“But the people need your creations! The medicine for red tide poisoning is necessary to save lives. The product that eradicates red tide is absolutely essential to the livelihood of fishermen and to increase the food supply.”

 

“By your reasoning, only those who create products or offer services that have nothing to do with saving or improving lives may trade; that those who do otherwise forfeit their rights.”

 

“The public needs your medicine and your red tide buster. Poor folks utterly need them!”

  

“As I will not be ruled by a single human being, neither will I forfeit my rights to the public. An emperor has no claim on me; neither does a poor man. Need is not a claim.”

 

Many appreciated Ari’s principled stance which was in keeping with the individual rights enshrined in the island’s Constitution. But some vowed to destroy him. Each thought, “Ari is a danger to our cause and to society. He must be stopped!”

 

Ari had shown that nature could be understood and dealt with, not feared nor accepted passively. Storms and droughts had destroyed crops; epidemic diseases had killed poultry and cattle; red tide toxins had poisoned mussels and fish. Nature had wreaked havoc. Food production on the island had required backbreaking labor. Islanders had to travel to Ibelyn to see a doctor or attend school. Life on the island had been very hard. The arrival of Dr. Ari Hugo and his wife, Glenda, was a boon to the country. She was an educator. They represented progress and exemplified that everything was achievable. 

 

While Ari was with the delegation, his ten-year-old daughter, Lola, was with a classmate on the new obstacle course, a hundred meters south of where the sumptuous buffet breakfast was laid out for the early morning celebrations.  

 

“Let’s try! Let’s do it.” Lola successfully hurdled the difficult obstacle course. She urged her classmate to do the same. “It’s your turn.”

 

“I’m ashamed.”

 

“There is no reason to be.”

 

“Okay, I’ll try. Don’t laugh at me.”

 

“I laugh when I am happy. I don’t laugh to embarrass people.”

 

“What if I fail?”

 

“Lessons learned, and then try again.”

 

Lola’s classmate focused. She exerted her very best effort. “I did it! I did it so well! Oh… I should be humble.”

 

“Why?”

 

“It’s good to be humble.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Everybody says so.”

 

“I am not humble,” Lola declared. “I respect and love myself. I always do my best because I don’t ever want to feel low and small.”

 

Lola’s classmate realized that self-love was the hallmark of a good person.

 

Afterward, Lola joined her best friend, ten-year-old Toni Connor. Toni brought their latest science project, a transmitter-receiver device successfully tested the day before. They enjoyed playing with it while recording their observations on static interference and the distance factor. The girls also practiced communicating in a private code.  

 

Another classmate observed the two girls enjoying each other’s company. The recent tests where Toni had the highest scores, particularly in science and math, came to mind as Grandmother Connor summoned Toni. The classmate joined Lola and asked, “Don’t you want to be better than Toni?”

 

Lola replied, “I don’t compare myself to anyone. I want to be good – period. I want to be the best I can be. I also admire intelligent people, like Toni.”

 

Meanwhile, Grandmother Connor gently admonished, “Toni, the Holy Book warns of punishment for proud, ambitious people. Study the Holy Teachings and pray more often, instead of performing experiments. Read the Holy Book more faithfully, rather than science books.”

 

“Grandmother, God does not punish,” Toni smiled confidently. “I enjoy finding out about God’s creations. The mind and body are wonderful gifts from God. Surely, He wants us to use them.”

 

Just then, Toni heard her sister’s name. Eighteen-year-old Alisa Connor joined Josephine Schwartz on the podium. The two ladies played the guitar and sang.

 

Alisa had worked very hard and had taken care of Toni ever since their parents’ boat exploded seven years ago.

 

Josephine lost sight in her right eye when she was eleven, yet, at that young age, she vowed to make mining her vocation. At twenty-five years of age, she had gone completely blind. Nonetheless, with her strong will and steadfast determination, she remained the driving force of the island’s mining industry, her brainchild.

 

Alisa and Josephine projected vitality and confidence. Their zest for life inspired the thought, “Do not give up. Rise. Go forward.”

 

Alisa worked at The Fun House owned by Frank Thomas, a retired decorated soldier. The property consisted of a theater, dance hall, lounge, bakery with a snack counter, merchandise store, and a children’s playground. 

 

Suff, Sac, and Humi thought of Frank’s property as The Hell House. They harbored the same sentiments: “Those who cause people to disobey the Holy Teachings must be punished!” 

 

The head of the holy faith, Santo Sacrificio, stood beside Ron Balian, an architect who took the preliminary vows of a holy man two years ago. They were surrounded by people singing along with Alisa and Josephine.

 

Ron was three years older than Alisa. Like her, he was eleven years old when his parents, Collin and Demi Balian, were thought to have met an accident. Like the Connor parents, their bodies were never found. Ron and Alisa understood each other’s terrible sorrow. Behind their calm façade was an anguish that squeezed the heart. Everyday was a battle to defeat pain and suffering.

 

Ron had his father’s intelligent face and his mother’s radiant eyes. His skin color was a perfect blend of Collin’s dark skin and Demi’s light complexion. After the tragedy that befell his parents, Ron solemnly told his grandparents and their friends, “Father held dear that suffering is not a value, and that happiness is the aim of one’s existence.”

 

Seven years ago, Santo Sacrificio extolled suffering during the prayer session held for Alisa’s parents, Ali and Dyosa Connor. “Blessed are they who suffer… ”

 

Grandmother Connor was then too distraught to speak. Then eleven-year-old Alisa thanked the group and recounted, “Almost two centuries ago on this island, children as young as eight years and no older than twelve beheld their fallen parents. Wrenched with anguish, they ran to their chosen posts and defended their country.” She gazed at her then three-year-old sister, Toni, and resolved, “I have chosen my own post.” Her eyes were on Ron as she continued, “I have chosen my path. I will travel the road to happiness everyday.”  

 

Frank found it suspicious that Ali and Dyosa Connor met the same fate as Ari’s parents, Ivan and Kori Hugo. Frank suspected that the disappearance of the Connors, Balians, and Hugos was contrived by a single evil group. He believed his friends were still alive.

 

Six weeks after the Connor tragedy came the holy month for honoring humility, sacrifice, and suffering. A number of children noticed the stark contrast between Ron and Alisa battling great sorrow, as well as Josephine overcoming a tragic affliction, and the self-deprivation, self-inflicted pain and suffering that many folks engaged in, especially during the holy month.

 

During a prayer session, then eight-year-old Jawo asked his parents, “Father, Mother, do you want me to suffer?”

 

“No. Of course not. Not ever. No parent would want that.”

 

“Then why do some think that God wants people to suffer?”

 

The adults could not justify ascribing a sickening trait to the Almighty.

 

As the islanders continued to celebrate by the cliff, the other cabal members, two men and two women, fueled the outrage of Suff, Sac, and Humi. The secret group called their leader Head-Hunter; the other man was codenamed Fort; the two women were known as Gem and Glitter. Each craved to tear down those who did not follow the Holy Book and traditions. Each vowed, “God’s will be done! I must defend the sacred traditions at all cost!”  

 

Back on the podium, Santo Sacrificio was requested to speak. He prayed, “God, please have mercy on those who do not worship, praise, and serve you. Please forgive them for flouting your will, for their ambition and pride. To all dear Saints, please help them see that self-sacrifice and suffering are pleasing in God’s eyes.”

 

When Toni’s turn came, she prayed, “God, You are all-good and all-loving. You do not need praises – You are not insecure. You do not need service – You are omnipotent. You are not a sacrifice profiteer nor a sadist – it must break your heart to see anyone suffer. You want people to be happy, and have given us everything needed to achieve happiness: our minds and bodies, the Earth, and the universe.”

 

Toni requested Ron to speak after her.

 

Ron contended, “Every demonstration of how powerful the mind is, every discovery, invention, or advancement, proves that God is all-good and all-loving. Therefore, using the mind is immensely pleasing to God.”  

 

The merriment continued. Ron joined Alisa. Her face was the picture of joy. “Alisa, you are an angel on Earth.”

 

Alisa responded, “Heaven and Earth – they are one and the same.”

 

Amid the revelries, the cabal members seethed. Suff, Sac, and Humi were of the same mind: “I am God’s soldier. I must defend God’s will!”

 

Fort inflamed their anger. “People who influence others to spurn the Holy Book, who flaunt that they do not need God, who worship pleasure and science, must be made to repent and fear the wrath of God.”

 

Head-Hunter stoked the avengeful fury of his cabal. “Proud, happy, ambitious people cannot be ruled. We must step up measures to force them to submit. Armageddon is needed again. These people must be punished for their sins.”

 

Legend ascribed the destruction of the wonders created by the island’s founding heroes to God’s wrath. What betided the founders and their legacy remained a mystery. Over the decades, many searched for the legendary underground chambers, believing they would find the Heroes’ Journals and other treasures.   

 

Jaya was asked to speak on the podium after Ron. When she finished, she requested Ron to give another speech. The islanders were all ears as Ron solemnly addressed them.

 

“Reason is the faculty that deals with the perception of reality, while faith is the claim to a non-sensory means of knowledge. Principles and values derived from faith are often accepted without question even in the face of contrary evidence, while reason deals with facts and employs the method of non-contradictory identification.

 

Faith has been used to further ignorance, enshrine irrationality, and exploit people. With faith, there is no necessity for justification. Force is its corollary.

 

But if one's personal faith holds reason as its top value, then, faith and reason are not incompatible. If one's personal faith holds the life, freedom, and happiness of each human being as the most sacred of values, then, reason and faith can coexist, parallel to each other, in the same man.

 

This man uses reason for everything that can be explained, while his faith holds on to dreams that inspire him to live.

 

Faith in a God who is all-good and all-loving, who treasures each man, endowing him with a mind capable of understanding man's nature, the Earth, and the universe.

 

Faith in a God who so loves man that He respects his freedom of choice.

 

Faith that God shares the most sacrosanct of values: each man's life, his freedom, and his happiness here on Earth. Faith that Heaven and Earth are one and the same.

 

Faith that human life goes on until eternity, that everything is possible to man. Faith in miracles -

 

Think of a miracle. Believe that God has given the means to achieve it. Think, and find out the facts. Think, with the clarity of purpose. Let the vision of a miracle be a beacon to guide your actions. Think, and then act. Act with the confidence that miracles do happen to doers who strive to actualize them.

 

Rejoice! Angels do exist in our midst, though it takes the highest of virtues to recognize them.

 

Heaven on Earth can be achieved when reason reigns.”

 

Alisa gazed at Ron adoringly. “A good man,” she thought. “His mind matches his looks.” Ron was six feet and three inches tall. He was proud and joyously confident.

 

Ron continued, “I respect the freedom of each man to celebrate the holy month, but I do not hold humility as a virtue. I think self-sacrifice is evil, suffering has no value, and one’s own happiness is the purpose of life.”

 

Those who envied achievement, who hated men and women of ability, and who wanted people to grovel and weep, decided to execute Armageddon prior to the holy month.

 

The festivities continued. Toni and Lola played dodgeball with other children.

 

“Look! A huge boat is coming!” Toni pointed north. A stately boat, flying a gold, silver, and black flag with a white letter K on its center, was approaching the island. Frank’s father recognized the colors. “The letter K stands for the Knox family. But the boat must be the reincarnation of the legendary Derek Bustoz.”

 

The big boat’s name came into view. The Savior’s Isle citizens fell silent, a solemn greeting to a beloved legend.

 

Almost two centuries ago, the founders of the Saviors’ Isle achieved Heaven on Earth. They conquered nature by understanding it. They created and enjoyed wealth. The country was a land of plenty and glory.

 

The Derek Bustoz 2 docked in the deepest water at the pier’s end. Located at the northeastern tip of the island, the principal diagonal structure extended from the massive cliff.

 

All the islanders were on hand to welcome the boat. Smiling and waving from the Derek Bustoz 2’s weather deck were a middle-aged woman with long golden hair, a young man of twenty, and a fifteen-year-old girl. The woman’s husband joined his family. Full of excitement, they disembarked.

 

Jay greeted them warmly. “Welcome to the Savior’s Isle. I am Jay Rahman.”

 

“Thank you, Jay. I am George Knox. This is my wife, Rio, my son, Glenn, and my daughter, Georgia. Our boat was copied from the first Derek Bustoz which was built on this island. It is a dream come true to set foot in your great country.”

 

Toni greeted the Knox daughter. “Hello, Georgia. I am Toni Connor.”

 

“Toni Connor!” Georgia echoed excitedly. “Your name must be spelled with an I. Hello.” She looked at her brother. “Glenn, could we show them the I-TON, please?”

 

Glenn invited Alisa. “Would you like to operate the I-TON?”

 

“Yes, please. Thank you, Glenn. I am Alisa.” She boarded the Derek Bustoz 2 with the Knox siblings. Jawo ran after them. He, too, was invited.

 

Toni, Lola, and their schoolmates were very excited. “What could the I-TON be?” Toni wondered.  

 

The people heard a distinctive hum from the Derek Bustoz 2. A cylindrical structure made of lightweight steel and indestructible glass rose amidships. The structure with a twenty-foot diameter rose to twenty-eight feet. From its midsection, a tubular metal, eight feet in height, extended sideways up to ten feet. The tube could rotate around the vertical cylindrical post. The upper part of the post, ten feet in height, contained the control room. A big letter I, made of pure gold, was embossed on the outside. The post continued to rise to another twelve feet, and then another tubular metal extended sideways below the control room. The second tube had the same height and length as the first. The post rose to another ten feet, whereby a hyphen and three more letters, T O N, all made of gold, came into view. Two feet below the control room, two arm-like metal limbs emerged.

 

The I-TON was fifty feet tall; its post was forty feet in height. Its twenty-foot-diameter base tapered off to fifteen feet beyond the first tube, and then to ten feet after the second tube. Glenn and Alisa manned its control room. Georgia and Jawo manned the tubes.   

 

The I-TON’s metal arms extended. A massive palm and powerful steel fingers emerged from each metal limb. Glenn pushed a button; a Derek Bustoz 2 miniature slid down the metal limb into the palm. The metal limb moved, offering the miniature to Jay. Georgia and Jawo operated the tubes and showered the islanders with candies and toys. Gifts continued to slide down the I-TON’s arms.

 

Alisa was all smiles as she operated the control devices with Glenn. Ron beheld the golden-haired young man and woman. Alisa looked like a goddess. Her zest for life and its challenges shone in her eyes. Ron realized he was in love with Alisa.  

 

Toni threw a ball at the I-TON. The right metal palm and fingers caught it. The metal arm took up a throwing position and threw the ball back at Toni. Lola also threw a ball high up in the air, away from the I-TON. The left metal arm extended, caught the ball, threw it much higher into the air, caught it as it came down, then offered it back to Lola. The right palm was also stretched out beside Toni. Lola and Toni got on the steel palms. The I-TON lifted the girls up high before putting them on the boat’s weather deck as other citizens boarded the Derek Bustoz 2.      

 

Frank’s military-trained mind was awed by the enormous boat and the I-TON. “What great offensive and defensive devices,” he thought. “The Derek Bustoz’ weapons must have spewed out of its metal arms and rotating tubes during the invasion. Its massive steel palms and fingers could have caught balls of fire from catapults. Even children could have operated the I-TON and its munitions!”     

 

The tour of the boat’s interior was a history lesson, an insight into the technology created and enjoyed by the legendary founders.

 

In contrast, the island tour elicited disbelief and sadness.

 

When the Knox family entered the Constitution Hall, George held on to Constitution‘s light steel and glass case. The Constitution was one of the very few remnants of the glorious days of the founders.

 

George looked at the faces of the islanders. Jaya stated his unspoken question. “What happened to the paradise created by the founders? Legend claims the wonderful structures were destroyed by lightning and fire. Many survivors migrated to the Republic of Ibelyn; they kept mum about the heroes and the destruction. Most who stayed behind accepted the belief that God’s wrath wrought the destruction.”

  

“What became of the founding heroes?” Glenn asked.

 

Ron answered, “They left the island long before the destruction.”

 

“That is the only logical explanation.” Frank’s cool rejoinder came quickly. “The destruction would not have happened if they were here.”

 

Frank’s countenance did not betray what he had deduced. He thought, “Ron has found the underground chambers! He has read the Heroes’ Journals! His skills as an architect and his brilliant deductive ability led him to his discoveries. But he is now in danger!”

 

Ari pondered, “Ron never asserts categorically unless he is sure of his facts.” He, too, realized Ron had unlocked the wonders that had remained as mysteries for almost two centuries.

 

Frank’s face remained unreadable. But the cabal’s leader also surmised that Ron had found the secrets of the legendary underground chambers.

 

“The treasure is at hand!” Head-Hunter rejoiced in silence. “Twenty-four years of patience and shrewdness have paid off. I am blessed! I am a rich man!”

 

Head-Hunter devised a cunning scheme.

 

The secret group met in the evening. Head-Hunter rallied Suff, Sac, Humi, Fort, Gem, and Glitter.

 

“Today, we witnessed blasphemy and heresy on a grand scale. We must act swiftly to defend God. I have devised a brilliant plan. One blow will destroy the leaders of the nonbelievers. The blow will be followed by Armageddon. The wrath of God will again be unleashed upon this island!” 

 

Forty Years Ago - Honor Thy Heroes 

 

 

Friends gathered for the naming ceremony of a week-old baby boy. Ivan and Kori Hugo welcomed their guests. Ivan was tall and ruggedly handsome. Kori matched his looks. Every piece of furniture in their home, the most spacious in the Saviors’ Isle, was crafted by Ivan. 

 

Ivan started the ceremony. “I proudly pass our family name, Hugo, on to our son. Hugo was the name of a giant among men. He and his family were exceptional hunters and healers. His beautiful daughter outfoxed the head of an empire. His dashing, audacious son could cure all wounds and was believed to have discovered the path to immortality. I have the honor of being named after the son, Ivan Hugo.”

 

Ivan lifted his son and continued, “We name our son after two legendary islanders, Ali and Kori. Friends, we present our son - Ari Hugo.”

 

The guests cheered. Fifteen-year-old Ali Connor beamed. Requested to speak of his legendary namesake, the boy proudly proclaimed, “I am named after Ali Connor, one of two brothers who refused to rule an empire. My namesake avowed, ‘I value liberty. I respect the freedom of each individual. To rule a human being is abhorrent.’”

 

“Thank you, Ali,” said Ivan. “The legendary Ali Connor was but a boy when he led a team of children to defend this island against invaders. My ancestor was one of those children. He was an orphan rescued by the islanders along with hundreds of hostages.”

 

Kori spoke next. “I named myself after a lady who was the picture of joy and vitality. My ancestor was also among the rescued children. She had been terribly unhappy and afraid for years until she arrived on this island. Lady Kori sang the children to sleep. Their fears were erased by her care and cheer. She made them smile again.”

 

The youngsters listened avidly. Ali’s friend, fifteen-year-old Collin Balian, excitedly waited for his turn to honor the legendary islander he was named after. His ancestor, also a rescued child, was a teammate of the legendary Collin during the invasion. His family name, Balian, was as illustrious as the Hugo, Connor, and Thomas names.

 

Seven-year-old Frank Thomas thought, “What great heroes!”

 

Baby Ari’s maternal grandparents and paternal grandmother were not in attendance; his paternal grandfather had passed away. Ali’s mother was also absent.

 

Two other teenage guests attended against their parents’ wishes. The parents had changed their own names in their youth.

 

The fifteen-year-old redhead chose the name Josef Schwartz, his late grandfather’s name. “My Grandfather was named after his great, great grandmother’s team leader, Josephine. The lovely child taught my orphan ancestor how to read and write. I did not fully understand the meaning of what Grandfather said about the team leader, but I do now. As a grown woman, Josephine told the man she loved, ‘It is my greatest pride that I want you. I am proud that my whole body longs for your touch. My desire for you is my most sacred thought, my most beautiful emotion.’” Josef’s parents had drummed into him that desires were evil.    

 

The eighteen-year-old girl, wise beyond her years, chose the name Jaya Rahman. Her ancestor was the cousin of a brave independent thinker named Jay Rahman. “A century and a half ago, this island was said to be godforsaken. Ibelyn fishermen avoided it like the plague. Its mere sight or mention frightened them. They called it the Devil’s Eye. Young Jay saw bright lights emanating from this place while darkness enveloped the sea and the Ibelyn coasts. He chose to come here despite numerous frightening stories.”

 

The faces of Ivan and his guests turned somber. The paradise created by the founding heroes was gone. The island had degenerated into a dark, backward hole. The sources of the bright lights had been destroyed. Fuel for lamps was scarce, thus very expensive.

 

Staccato knocks at the door interrupted the naming ceremony. Ivan hoped his mother had come; Kori expected her parents. Ivan’s younger brother, Ethan, opened the door.

 

The new arrivals were the island’s Chief Civilian Executive, Larry Cleen, the policeman, Johnny Ray, and the head of the holy faith, Santo Sacrificio.

 

Without as much as a nod, Larry Cleen castigated Ivan and his guests. “This is a holy month, the sacred month for honoring humility, sacrifice, and suffering. You are obligated to respect the values and traditions of your fellow citizens. Stop this celebration!”

 

Ivan remained calm. “This is my home, my private domain. I am free to practice my own values. If you are here to impose yours, get out of my property.”

 

“You are not free to flout the will of the majority,” Larry countered. “We have a democracy. The majority rule. You have to respect the will of most people in this country.”

 

Collin’s father refuted, “We are not a democracy. We have a constitutional government. The Constitution guarantees freedom for each individual. The majority may not strip a man of his rights.”

 

“The Constitution is a living document. It keeps up with the times and takes cognizance of the prevailing culture,” Larry explained.

 

Ivan disagreed. “The universal principles embodied in the Constitution are timeless. ‘Every man has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. No man may impose his will, beliefs, or values on another. No single individual may be sacrificed for another or for the majority.’”

 

Ali’s father quoted the Constitution further. “The only purpose of law and of government is the protection of individual rights. A government official may do nothing except that which is expressly permitted by law.”

 

Larry thundered, “You are disrespecting your fellow citizens. You are insensitive and arrogant!”

 

Santo Sacrificio prayed, “May God grant you guidance and mercy. I absolve you from your wickedness.”

 

Ivan stepped closer to Larry. Johnny moved to intervene, then changed his mind. Ivan’s voice was devoid of anger or threat, but full of conviction. “You are in my home. You came here uninvited. You are trespassing. Please leave.”

 

Larry eyed the group with loathing. Eyes scorching Jaya, he raged, “You are no longer my daughter!” He left with Johnny and Santo Sacrificio.

 

The day after the holy month, the Connor, Thomas, and Balian homes, as well as Ethan’s, went up in flames while the men were at sea, and the wives and children were on the farms.

 

Kori was at home with baby Ari when a bottle of oil was thrown at her porch. The loud crash startled the baby. The bottle shattered into pieces, splashing the porch with oil.

 

Kori fatally shot Larry with arrows before he could throw his torch.

 

Ethan, together with the Thomas and Balian families, decided to migrate to the Republic of Ibelyn. Ivan and the Connors chose to stay behind.

 

“I want to live without having to worry about thugs or fanatical ideologues.” Ethan was a dead ringer for his brother.

 

Ivan embraced Ethan. “Go with my love and blessings.”

 

Ethan settled in Senna, the Ibelyn province nearest to the Saviors’ Isle. The Thomas family bought inexpensive mountain land on Senna’s northern borders with the Cissero province. The Balian family lived in the South City of Ibelyn, located north of Cissero.  

 

Eleven years after, Frank Thomas joined the Cissero army. Collin Balian had worked his way to become a math professor at the Ibelyn Science Institute. Ethan Hugo’s merchandising business at the Senna seaport was flourishing. He sold Ivan’s products in his store. Josef Schwartz married a pretty brunette.

 

Josef became the father of a baby girl, Josephine, four years later.   
Twenty-Four Years Ago - Until I See You Again 

 

 

Ari had finished his chores on the farm. He had packed the medicinal plants, farm produce, and a rocking chair that his father would bring to Ethan’s store the following morning. His mother accompanied his father to the sea that day because Ivan’s usual companions, Ali and his father, were in Senna to see a doctor. Ari walked to the beach to inspect the fishnets used the previous day.

 

Suddenly, an explosion was heard from a distance. Ari saw dark, billowing smoke far out at sea in the direction where Ivan and Kori were fishing. Ari boarded the nearest boat and hurried to reach his parents. Josef and Jaya followed. They rowed with all their might. Night had set in when they reached the site of the explosion. They called out to Ivan and Kori through the night.

 

Ali joined them when he arrived from Senna. They searched for weeks, but didn’t find a trace of Ivan and Kori. Ivan was forty years old; Kori was a year younger. The tidal wave of grief that engulfed Ari did not show on his face. He held on to the hope that his parents were still alive.

 

Ethan fetched his nephew and brought him to Senna. “I saved your father’s money,” Ethan told Ari. “Ivan invested most of his income. Go to the Ibelyn Science Institute, Ari. Study, and make your parents proud.”

 

Collin asked Ari to stay with him. “I have a spare room,” he offered. “Make yourself at home.” Ari pored over Collin’s books and frequented the library. He passed the College of Medicine entrance examination, then found a job. He studied conscientiously and worked hard.

 

A year later, Ari moved to the students’ dormitory.

 

Collin married Demi, a young reporter of the newsmagazine, The Thinker. Collin was thirty-four years old when he became a father. Ari was present at the naming ceremony where Collin solemnly honored his firstborn and a great legend.

 

“We name our son, Ron Balian, in honor of the founder of The Thinker who was also a legendary hero of the Savior’s Isle. He was the island’s first Chief Civilian Executive. He drafted the island’s Constitution. My ancestor was at the Balian tower with my namesake, Ron Balian’s son, during the invasion.”

 

Ari thought of the day when he asked his parents, “What happened to the Balian tower and the great boats? Why is the Saviors’ Isle so different from the paradise once inhabited by the heroes?” His father had replied, “I do not know, my son; it pained our ancestors to talk about the great fire. You will hear it touted that they were destroyed by the wrath of God, that lightning struck them, and that they burned and disintegrated. But the greatest marvel was not destroyed! When the Heroes’ Hall burned to the ground, journals were destroyed, but the Constitution’s case remained intact. The light high-grade metallic glass that contains our Constitution has remained indestructible to this day.”

 

The Constitution itself was etched in thin light steel. The names of its ratifiers were etched outside the case, together with the name of the genius artist who created the indestructible wonder, the wife of Ron Balian.            

 

Back in the Saviors’ Isle, Ali was getting married to Dyosa while baby Ron’s naming ceremony was underway. Ali became a father three years after; his blond baby girl was named Alisa Connor.

 

Two years after Alisa’s birth, Ari topped the medical board examination at age twenty-four.  Ethan’s business prospered. He got married and became a father when Ari was twenty-six years old.

 

Ari and Collin attended the baby boy’s naming ceremony. Collin was with his parents, his wife, and their seven-year-old son. Ari dropped by the Thomas’ home on his way to Senna; he brought Mr. and Mrs. Thomas with him. Frank was on assignment.

 

Ari’s calm face masked his anguish as he thought of his parents during the ceremony. Ten years did not heal his heartache. Ethan related news about the Saviors’ Isle. “Jaya was almost voted as the Chief Civilian Executive. The incumbent was reelected. Johnny Ray’s son has gotten married.”

 

“Jaya is now forty-four years old.” Ari remembered details. “Jon Ray is the policeman’s son. He is twenty-one years old. Who is the bride?”

 

“Her name is Irra. She is the daughter of Oscar Gorr, a fisherman and trader from around here who moved to the island nine years ago. The son, Hal, takes care of their business and property in Senna.”

 

Mr. Thomas asked about Ari’s practice. The elders were very proud of what Ethan, Collin, and Ari had achieved. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas did not volunteer information about Frank, and the others did not ask.

 

Before the group parted, Ethan conveyed bad news. “Cattle and poultry have been wiped out in the Saviors’ Isle. Several elderly people died, including Mother, Kori’s parents, and Ali’s father. Santo Sacrificio constantly reminds the people that suffering is a blessing.”

 

Ari had come to understand why the Saviors’ Isle was so different from the paradise once inhabited by the heroes. He thought, “A hero fights suffering. A moral man’s goal is happiness. It is the height of irrationality and self-abasement to think that suffering is a value.”   

 

Ethan also shared a letter from Josef’s eleven-year-old daughter:

 

“Dear Uncle Ethan,

 

May I thank you and your wife for your kindness when we visited Senna to see a doctor? 

 

I have lost sight in my right eye. I am very busy committing every detail of every object and place to memory. My grandparents think my malady is retribution for the years I shunned the place of worship. I have been attending prayer sessions lately because Mother bursts into tears whenever I refuse. But I have told everyone I am not sad, I am not in pain, and I am not suffering.

 

I have gained valuable information from the congregation’s stories. It was said that the sources of the materials used to build the Balian tower and the big boats were not spared from God’s wrath, that those sources located deep down the earth were buried forever. Father has since explained about mining and I have decided: mining is my vocation.

 

 

Until I see you again,

 

Josephine Schwartz”

 

 

“What a courageous child,” everyone thought. Ari vowed to study eye diseases to find a cure for Josephine.

Twelve Years Ago - The Soldier 

 

 

Ari studied diseases and created cures for many, but Josephine’s malady remained a challenge. He devised equipment that enhanced his medical prowess. His medical practice in the South City of Ibelyn grew exponentially. Two years after his nephew’s naming ceremony, he fell in love.

 

The lady saw Ari enter the bookstore. His confident bearing caught her eye. She looked at him closely and felt attraction for the first time. He had an athletic, six-foot-five-inch frame, ruddy complexion, short, dark, wavy hair, and a strong face with a perfectly chiseled nose. The lady approached and engaged him in a conversation. She looked into his eyes. They conveyed a powerful intelligence. She fell in love.  

 

“I am Ari. You must love reading. You know a lot about books.”

 

“I work here. I am Glenda.”

 

“Glenda, may I invite you for dinner?”

 

Ari had never wanted anyone until that moment. He thought everything about Glenda was logical. Her intelligent eyes and elegant bearing perfectly matched. Her lovely face and smooth complexion did not need any ornament, and she did not wear any. The joyous confidence in her eyes complemented her radiant personality. The top of her head reached his chin in her flat shoes. Her dress was utilitarian, but it didn’t hide her beautiful body. Ari felt a strong desire to touch her.

 

Ari and Glenda saw each other everyday. She did not ask him what he did for a living. He did not volunteer the information.

 

Ari and Glenda got married after four days. They first learned of each other’s last names when they filed their marriage license.

 

Glenda regarded her beloved with enhanced wonder. “Ari Hugo… My love, I’ve read about you before we met.”

 

Ari did not comment about her family name. He brought his bride to his home which was next to his medical clinic. The following day, they visited Glenda’s parents. Glenda brought Ari to a palatial home.

 

Ari never asked Glenda about her parents; she never talked about them before the marriage. As the newlyweds entered the huge property located in the North City of Ibelyn, Glenda told Ari, “Father is a Representative to the North City Government, as his father and ancestors were. My parents inherited much wealth. They were outraged when I worked as a saleslady in a bookstore at age twelve. When they could not dissuade me, they bought the bookstore and told their friends it was a toy I wanted. I opened my own small bookstore when I was sixteen years old.”

 

Ari realized his wife owned the bookstore where they met. Glenda continued, “I graduated summa cum laude at age nineteen with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education; I majored in math. I have a doctorate. I’ve written children’s books. I opened a school last year.” Glenda was twenty-four.

 

Representative and Mrs. Don Ibelyn received Ari and Glenda.

 

“Father, Mother, this is Ari Hugo. We were married yesterday.”

 

A long silence ensued.

 

Representative Ibelyn asked, “What do you do, Ari?”

 

“I am a doctor of medicine, sir.”

 

Mrs. Ibelyn’s face softened. “Ari, you topped the medical board examination four years ago, didn’t you?”

 

“Yes, ma’am, I did.”

 

“Ari has been featured in The Thinker at least thrice, Honey,” Glenda’s mother smiled at her husband. “He has prominent people as patients, including the Miltons.”

 

“You must have a proper wedding,” Mr. and Mrs. Ibelyn insisted. “You must have a wedding appropriate to your station, Glenda. You are the heir to a fortune. You are the daughter of a leader of the people. You must do your duty.”

 

Glenda refused. “Ari and I are properly married. I don’t want a public wedding.”

 

Her parents appealed to Ari. “You must want to give your bride the wedding that she deserves.”

 

“Mr. and Mrs. Ibelyn, I love Glenda very much. I will always cherish your daughter. We had a lovely wedding yesterday.”

 

At the time, Collin and his son, Ron, were on their way to a seminary in Yani, the northernmost province of the Union of Ibelyn.

 

The Republic of Ibelyn provinces seceded from the Union after the great invasion more than a century-and-a-half ago. The city was divided into two. The North City of Ibelyn remained with the Union; the South City of Ibelyn joined the then newly formed Republic. The South had distrusted the North since the invasion. 

 

The seminary, located by the foot of the Banuar Mountains, was near the convent where the legendary Ron Balian first learned about building. Collin had been hired to teach novitiates and holy men during the summer break. A first; the rector usually hired professors from the All Saints Academy.

 

In response to Ron’s entreaties, Demi had agreed that the nine-year-old boy accompany his father. After a week at the seminary, Ron had gotten bored. Then, he saw an old man deliver produce at the seminary gates.

 

Ron greeted the old man. “Good morning, sir. I am Ron Balian. My father teaches at this seminary for the summer.”

 

“Good morning, Ron Balian. You have a hero’s name.”

 

“Yes, I do, thank you. He worked at the convent near here when he was a boy. Sir, have you gone deep into the Banuar Mountains?”

 

“Do you think an old man could travel that far? Why do you ask Ron Balian?”

 

Ron noticed that the old man uttered his name with reverence.

 

“Father said the legendary Hugo family lived on the Banuar Mountains a long, long time ago. Where do you live?”

 

“At the foot of the mountain, not far from here. I hunt, raise livestock, and plant trees and vegetables. This old man would be honored to show his farm to you and your father.”

 

“Thank you, sir! Father will be free tomorrow. Please tell me the directions to your farm.”

 

Collin and Ron set out for the farm early morning. The old man introduced himself as Randolf. Ron noticed recognition in his father’s eyes, but Mr. Randolf looked at Collin as at a stranger.

 

Ron had a great time. At the end of the day, he asked knowing he would be denied, “Father, could I stay for a week, please, if Mr. Randolf would let me?” 

 

“Yes, if Mr. Randolf agrees.” Ron’s happiness outweighed his surprise.

 

Mr. Randolf agreed. The boy exulted.

 

Ron helped on the farm. The old man taught him bird sounds. “They could be used as signals,” Mr. Randolf instructed. “Let’s play. Let’s see how good you are at remembering.” Ron impressed the old man. The day before Collin fetched Ron, Mr. Randolf showed the entrance to where he took shelter from storms. 

 

On the way back to the seminary, Ron told his father, “Mr. Randolf taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow, and how to ride a horse!” The boy recounted all the things he did during the week.

 

Father and son visited the farm several times. Ron noticed that his father enjoyed the visits as much as he did.

 

Eight days before Collin and Ron were to leave for home, the boy dejectedly told his father Mr. Randolf did not deliver produce that day. Ron worried, “The cook said Mr. Randolf never missed a single delivery before, Father. He must be sick.” The boy had drawn a picture of the farm and had looked forward to giving it to the old man.

 

“Don’t worry, son. We’ll visit Mr. Randolf this weekend. You could give him your gift then.”

 

That night, Ron was woken up by familiar sounds. He listened intently. He emitted a bird sound in reply, then woke his father up. Ron whispered to Collin what the bird-sound signal he heard meant. They hurriedly got dressed. Collin put a few clothes in a backpack. They rushed to the rector’s quarters, informed him of the imminent danger, got out of the building, and hid in the thick bushes on the seminary grounds. They worked their way toward the gates.

 

Not long after, two moles started rounding up everyone in the building. A novitiate who resisted was summarily stabbed. The rector and several holy men put up a valiant defense. Collin and Ron heard screams and shouts. They rushed out of the gates. Shortly thereafter, numerous horsemen entered the seminary.

 

Collin and Ron smelled smoke, and saw flames in the distance. They hurried to the old man’s farm. He wasn’t there. They heard horses coming closer. Ron led his father to where the old man waited out storms. It was a well concealed underground bunker.

 

Throughout the night, Collin and Ron heard screams from afar. The sound of horses’ hooves was incessant. The air was heavy with smoke. 

 

Warriors from the Banuar Mountains had descended on the Yani province. Many sped to the Diwaly, Almania, and Delpha provinces. Their agents wreaked havoc on the defense of the Union of Ibelyn. Communities capitulated as people were held hostage. The Union army was rendered impotent. After four days, the North City of Ibelyn was under siege. Union officials requested help from the Republic of Ibelyn.

 

Within two days, the Banuar warriors surrendered. The Union and the Republic armies wrapped up operations as people wondered how the Republic accomplished the feat.

 

Collin and Ron stayed in the bunker for a week. They found food, water, munitions, and other supplies. Collin spent the week honing Ron’s math skills and telling him stories about the legendary heroes. On the eighth day, Ron recognized a bird-sound signal.

 

The bunker door was opened.

 

Ron stared at a young Mr. Randolf. “Hello, Ron. My name is Frank Thomas.” There was no longer a need for Frank’s cover, old Mr. Randolf.

 

Collin embraced his friend. Ron looked in awe at Frank’s transformation. Frank exuded great physical and mental strength. His six-foot-three-inch frame was deeply suntanned.

 

Collin and Ron traveled home in an army truck full of soldiers. Father and son observed Frank’s unreadable countenance.

 

Demi Balian was very relieved to see her husband and son. “I got Frank’s message the day the Banuar oracle was delivered to the Cissero army. Frank said you and Ron are fine.”

 

Collin and Ron read reports in The Thinker. Collin surmised this was what happened:

 

Frank went undercover to assess, monitor, and counteract the danger posed by the Banuar oracle. He studied the oracle for years. He established covers, camouflages, and contingencies that enabled him to observe and then penetrate the oracle’s security. Frank perfected his escape strategies.

 

After Frank heard the bird-sound reply from Ron, he proceeded to the oracle’s headquarters. He neutralized the oracle’s security, then captured the oracle. He passed close to his farm on his way to Yani’s northeastern coast. Close enough to spot a sign that Collin and Ron were in the bunker.

 

Frank retrieved a well hidden, camouflaged speedboat at the beach. He transported the oracle by sea. When the Union of Ibelyn asked for help, the oracle was caged, then raised atop the Ibelyn Science Institute tower. His lieutenants were told to surrender, or else.

 

Collin thought of the legendary Hugo daughter who outfoxed the head of an empire. As a young woman, she expounded, “We should prepare… by familiarizing ourselves with the enemy’s turf. In war, instead of battling thousands of foot soldiers, prioritize their leaders - the command and control. Destroy the core. Killing the roots will destroy the tree and its branches… ” Collin realized the wise lady’s principles and tactics had again saved lives, had again saved a country.

 

Like Ari, Collin wondered. “What happened to the heroes and their legacy? How did the land of lights and wonder degenerate into a dark hole of gloom and fear? Why?” Then, he envisaged Frank in a resplendent armor, shining glory on the Saviors’ Isle.     

 

Frank was awarded the Badge of South Ibelyn. His parents, the Balians, the Hugos, Jaya, as well as Ali and Josef, their wives, and their daughters were in attendance. The group was very proud of Frank – he had joined the distinguished few upon whom the greatest honor had been bestowed. The first two Badge of South Ibelyn honorees were legendary islanders Tony Connor and Lola Hugo.

 

Frank’s father felt immense pride as he gazed at his son and their friends. He thought with confidence, “These namesakes of heroes have the mettle to make the Saviors’ Isle rise again.”  

 

Frank retired from the army almost a year after the Banuar event. He stayed with his parents on the mountain located on the Cissero-Senna borders. They gave him a light steel safe with a letter-combination lock.  

 

“I want you to have this before I die,” his father presented. “I have tried thousands of combinations, as my father did, as his own father did. You have earned ownership of this family treasure, my son.”

 

Frank thanked his parents. He wondered, “Will this heirloom shed light on the fate of the Balian tower, the great boats, the outstanding technology created by the founders? Will it give clues to how the culture established by the heroes vanished? What happened to the legendary islanders?”

 

Frank thought of the island he left twenty-nine years ago. Before the great invasion, Ibelyn citizens called it the Devil’s Eye. Later, in awe and gratitude, they renamed it the Saviors’ Isle.  

Ten Years Ago - Battle against Suffering

 

 

Frank succeeded in unlocking the steel safe a year after he retired from the army. He had concentrated on the task. His thick notebook was filled with information and analysis notes about the founding heroes. 

 

Among the contents of the safe was a journal. Frank studied it closely, then planned his next moves. He would return to the Saviors’ Isle. His parents decided they would join him.  Frank methodically carried out his action plan.

 

Frank visited Ari and his wife. Glenda was pregnant, due to give birth in two months. They had moved nearer to her school in the North City of Ibelyn.

 

Frank visited Collin’s parents. Ron was with them recovering from the flu, but otherwise delighted to see him. Collin and Demi had traveled to her hometown to attend prayers for her recently departed parents.

 

Frank made purchases in the South City of Ibelyn and Cissero. About to head for Senna from the Cissero seaport, he heard the news that a professor of the Ibelyn Science Institute and his journalist wife were missing.

 

Frank, Ethan, and Ari helped in the search for Collin and Demi. The couple’s wagon was recovered near a steep cliff overlooking the mouth of the Senna River. A strip of cloth found a meter down the cliff top was identified by Collin’s parents; it was torn from Demi’s blouse. Frank’s friends in the army helped the police search the cliff and the water below. A few more strips of clothing belonging to the couple were found. Ari hired professional divers to help out, but the bodies of Collin and Demi were never found.

 

Frank conducted his own investigation. He traced the route taken by the couple, and established timelines. He talked to their workmates. He thought Collin and Demi had been abducted and were still alive. Frank vowed to continue working on the case.

 

Collin’s parents found it too painful to remain in the city. They decided to return to the Saviors’ Isle with Ron.

 

Frank had bought a big ferryboat. His other purchases included an auto-wagon, auto-bike, auto-plow, radio, phonograph, motion-picture projector and a matching screen, building tools, farm equipment, horses, and stock seeds. Ethan informed the Saviors’ Isle residents who visited his store that Frank was going back to the island on a ferryboat. Those who had hitched rides going to Senna requested Frank for a ride back home.

 

A man observed the ferryboat as its cargo was loaded. “There is no way a retired soldier and his farmer parents could afford such riches. We should have taken the Thomas couple instead. We have to watch them and their son more closely. We have waited for fourteen years; we could wait for more. We will succeed. We will find the treasures of the Devil’s Eye!”    

 

Frank set out for the Saviors’ Isle with his parents, Collin’s parents, Ron, and other islanders including Josef and Josephine. Frank manned the navigation bridge. Ron was with him. When the light was turned off in the sleeping quarters, Josephine joined them. She was totally focused on a book about mining. Ron went to sleep before midnight.

 

After two hours, Frank asked Josephine what time she was going to sleep. “I want to read many books, learn many things, and achieve my goals before I lose sight in my left eye and go completely blind. I have no time for sleep.” She dozed off at dawn. Frank dropped anchor and carried her to the sleeping quarters. The redhead looked like an angel.

 

Before the ferryboat reached the Saviors’ Isle, a baby was born on the island, followed by another in the North City of Ibelyn. Ali and Dyosa Connor had another baby girl. Ari and Glenda also had a girl they named Lola Hugo.

 

Jaya, Ali, and others welcomed the new arrivals with great pleasure. Frank and his passengers were all invited to the naming ceremony of Ali’s baby. She was named Toni Connor.

 

During the ceremony, Josef’s parents decided to revert back to the family name Josef’s father had forsaken as a teenager.

 

After the ceremony, Ron joined fifteen-year-old Josephine Schwartz, eight-year-old Alisa Connor, and other children. They were having fun playing when Josef’s mother whispered to Ron, “My child, you should be in mourning.”

 

“I have to be happy,” Ron replied. “Father and Mother will be lonely in heaven if they see me sad.” But in his soul, the eleven-year-old was in the depths of sorrow. Often, he had to tell himself, “Mother and Father see me. They know my thoughts. Mother, Father, stay with me. I need you… I will not cry nor be lonely. I will be happy!”

 

Ron regarded his grandparents who had tears in their eyes.  He said solemnly, “Father held dear that suffering is not a value, and that happiness is the aim of one’s existence.” He joined and played with the other children.

  

Ali and Frank looked at the boy with pride.

 

In the succeeding months, Ali and Frank showered Ron with attention and affection. Ron continued to talk with his parents in his mind.

 

“Mother, you are smiling. Is it because you saw me having a grand time?”

 

“Father, I went fishing today. Did you see the big fish I caught? Mother, did you see how fast I swam?”

 

Frank and his parents worked long hours on their farm. The auto-plow enabled them to cultivate huge tracts of land. They planted coffee beans, sugar cane, rice, coconut, and fruit trees. They brewed beer and coffee.

 

Frank built a merchandise store. Then, he added a wide lounge where he served coffee and beer as his customers listened to the radio. A theater came next. Frank continued to study his journal; he began to build a small biofuel plant.

 

Josephine prospected alone until Ron arrived on the island. Ron, Alisa, and nine-year-old Mario Milken joined her in exploring the forest of rocks located southeast of where the cliff ended in the northwestern part of the island.

 

Mario had black hair and a healthy, tanned complexion. He was exceptionally smart and industrious. He had a keen interest in machines.  

 

Three years passed. Two tragedies struck.

 

Ron’s grandparents died. Though numbed by sorrow, he assured his parents in his mind, “Father, I know being with Grandfather and Grandmother would bring you happiness, so I am not sad. I am a big boy now. I can take care of myself.”

 

Ali and Dyosa’s boat exploded. Like Ivan and Kori, their bodies were never recovered.

 

Ali’s mother and her friends held a prayer session for their souls. They were concerned that Alisa did not wear black.

 

“People might think you don’t love your parents.” 

 

“I know the truth,” Alisa answered.

 

“People might be offended that you don’t follow tradition.”

 

“I’m free. I am not beholden to any tradition.”

 

“People will talk; their opinions won’t be favorable.”

 

“I don’t think of that.”

 

Ron understood Alisa’s sorrow. He knew that behind the calm façade was an anguish that squeezed the heart, that everyday was a battle to defeat pain and suffering.

 

Frank went out to sea several times to observe the site where Ali’s boat exploded. He visited the Connor sisters and went over Ali’s toolshed. On the anniversary of the tragedy that befell Ivan and Kori, Frank visited the location of the explosion. He studied the tides and the current.

 

Frank told his parents, “The disappearance of Ali and Dyosa is connected with Collin’s, Ivan’s, and their wives’.”

 

“Disappearance?”

 

“Yes, I think they are all alive. Father and Mother, take care; arm yourselves. Always be alert.”

 

Ron informed Frank that he was going to enroll at the Ibelyn Science Institute. Frank suggested likewise to Alisa. She declined. Frank and Ron understood her reason: she did not want to be parted from her little sister. Instead, Alisa asked Frank if she could work for him and his parents to earn a living.

 

Frank accompanied Ron to Ibelyn. While in the Republic, Frank studied the Senna harbors and traveled through its coastal towns. He went back to the Devil’s Eye after a month.

 

Ari and Glenda visited Ron often and invited him to join them on vacation days.

 

Alisa rented Frank’s auto-plow. She planted her family’s farm with cacao, root crops, and fruit trees.

 

Frank opened a bakery and assigned Alisa to manage it. He thought of adding a children’s playground and a dance hall to his business property that already included a merchandise store, a lounge, and a theater. He put up a sign naming the property, The Fun House.

 

Many residents delighted in the theater, and in listening to the radio while drinking coffee or beer after a hard day’s work. Those who stayed away feared God’s retribution for indulging in earthly pleasures.

 

Mario Milken proposed to rent Frank’s ferryboat once a month. Frank agreed. He trained the smart, driven boy. Mario plied a monthly route to Senna. This was welcomed by the Savior’s Isle residents because the travel was faster, safer, and more convenient. They could also bring more products to trade. Ethan posted the boat’s schedule in his store.

 

Every year, Frank disappeared for a month. He visited the site of the Hugo tragedy on each anniversary of the explosion. He used a boat similar to Ivan’s. He swam by the site for hours to study the direction and velocity of the current. He studied the people in the Senna coastal towns, looking for connections with the residents of the Saviors’ Isle. He scouted places where people could be hidden.

 

Frank thought of why Ivan, Collin, and Ali were targeted. He had suspected revenge as a motive for the disappearance of Ivan and Kori, but such a motive did not apply to Collin and Ali who were very young when Kori defended her home and shot Larry Cleen.

 

“Why was Collin targeted? His family moved when he was fifteen years old,” Frank wondered. He studied the profile and works of Demi. She majored in history. He read her articles in The Thinker. In the newsmagazine’s yearly edition after Frank retired, Demi wrote a piece entitled Treasures in Paradise. The paradise she referred to was the island once inhabited by the legendary heroes, the Devil’s Eye, later known as the Saviors’ Isle.

 

“Treasures… ” Frank mused. “The abductors must think that the collective knowledge of Ivan, Collin, Ali, Kori, Demi, and Dyosa may lead to the treasures of the Devil’s Eye.”

 

Deep into the Senna-Cissero Mountains, seven couples were held as captives in separate locations. Each person was chained. The chains were long and thick. The sites where the prisoners were kept had several metal posts where the chains were attached while they labored.

 

The captives thought of their children.

 

“They are safe and well… ”

Four Years Ago - The Fun House 

 

 

Glenda received an invitation from her parents. While waiting for dinner, Mrs. Ibelyn showed off newspaper headlines praising the passage of a bill.

 

“Your father’s name appears in all the papers giving him credit for pushing this law. Everybody loves it. It passed unanimously. The masses hail it as great, compassionate, and humanitarian.”

 

Ari and Glenda stayed quiet. Lola paid close attention.

 

“Not only will this ensure my reelection, this is my legacy,” Representative Don Ibelyn voiced what had been in his mind since he proposed the policy. “I have provided a valuable gift to the public. Now, by law, every man has the right to medical care.”

 

He told Ari, “The Medical Association has eagerly concurred.” He read from a press release of the organization, “‘… our sacred goal is selfless service to our patients.’”  

 

“I am no longer a member of the Medical Association,” Ari replied. “I gave notice this morning. I have also sent letters to all my patients; I am closing my practice in two months.”

 

“Why?” Ari’s father-in-law was aghast!

 

“How could you?” This was from his mother-in-law.

 

All eyes were on Ari.

 

“I refuse to be a servant of my patients. No man has the right to enslave others.”

 

“You are taking this way too seriously. This has nothing to do with enslavement.” Representative Ibelyn’s tone was most persuasive and sincere.

 

“If a man has the right to a man-made value, the person who is going to provide it is a slave,” Ari reasoned.

 

“You don’t have to interpret the policy literally,” Ari’s father-in-law fumed. “How dare you oppose me!”

 

“This will greatly embarrass your father! This is a scandal. You can’t do this,” Mrs. Ibelyn bemoaned.

 

“I won’t let you ruin this family’s reputation,” Don Ibelyn glared. “I will not be made the laughing stock of the city. How dare you sully my stature! Glenda, you will leave this man!”

 

“Father, your moral stature depends on what you do; it has nothing to do with what Ari or I do.” Glenda stood up. “I am proud of Ari. I admire his decision.” She added, “I am selling the school and closing the bookstore. Lola and I are going with Ari to the Saviors’ Isle.” 

 

“You are no longer my daughter.”

 

“Father, I will always love you. But you have supported legalized robbery in the name of the poor. A moral man keeps his hands off another man’s life or property. It is evil to extort a man’s service or money. It is evil to give away that which you do not own. A moral government protects individual rights. It does not penalize those who create wealth. It does not demand that those who have invested time, effort, and money in acquiring skills to save lives and to heal the sick give up their services, energy, happiness, and their very lives to the public.”

 

Glenda, Ari, and Lola walked to the door.

 

“Glenda! How could you cause so much harm and heartache? You have always defied your father and me. You have never made us happy. One day, you will reap this from your own daughter.”

 

“Mother, all Lola has to do to make me happy is to be happy herself.”

 

Three months later, Ari, Glenda, and Lola traveled to Senna. Before they left for the Saviors’ Isle, Ari gave money to his Uncle Ethan, requesting him to commission the best, most advanced, fastest boat that could fight off attackers.

 

While at sea, Ari noticed the red tide. He decided to study its nature. The ferryboat docked at the northeastern tip of the Saviors’ Isle. Many islanders were at the pier. Some were waiting for family members; others, for news or products from the Republic of Ibelyn. Frank was there to welcome Mario and to inspect the ferryboat.

 

Frank, his parents, Jaya, and Josef were very happy to see Ari, Glenda, and Lola. Ari told them that the family was staying for good.

 

Frank hailed, “Welcome home! Our country has gained a doctor and an educator.”

 

They loaded the family’s luggage in Ari’s auto-wagon. The rest went to Frank’s and his trailer.

 

“May I ride with you, Mr. Thomas?” asked Lola.

 

“Sure. I’ll introduce you to Alisa and Toni. They are on the cliff.”

 

“Thank you,” the six-year-old cheered. “Father, could I stay with Alisa and Toni for the rest of the day, please?”

 

“Yes, sweetheart; I’ll come fetch you later.”

 

Frank dropped Lola off by the cliff. He guessed it was too painful for Alisa to watch any boat approach the pier. The Connor girls always flew a kite on the cliff when the ferryboat was scheduled to arrive. Frank looked on as Lola approached Alisa and Toni. He waved to Alisa and Toni before he drove on.

 

Lola’s first words to the Connor girls were, “It should be great to fly on a kite.”

 

Toni replied, “It should be a big kite so the three of us could fly together.”

 

Alisa smiled at the girls. “If you two want that so much, keep your mind on it, never let go, find a way how to do it, and someday, you will fly on a kite.”

 

Toni spread her arms, smiled at them, looked up, and proclaimed: “It will be our gift to the heavens!”

  

Alisa gazed at her beloved sister. Toni had blue eyes and straight, shoulder-level, blond hair. Alisa transferred her gaze to the other girl. Feet on tiptoe, Lola also raised her hands and smiling face to the skies. She had the best features of her handsome parents. She had dark hair, a bit longer than Toni’s, and midnight-blue eyes.

 

Alisa liked to stay at the cliff for two reasons. She felt closer to the heavens, and thus, to her parents. It was also the site of the legendary Tony Connor’s estate.

 

The six-year-old girls looked at each other.

 

“My name is Toni Connor.”

 

“You have a sacred name, that of an exceptionally brilliant man. I am Lola Hugo.”

 

“Thank you, but it is spelled with an I, not a Y. You are named after the singularly beautiful and intelligent heroine.”

 

“Hello, Lola. I am Alisa. Would you like to fly this kite?”

 

“Yes, thank you, Alisa. What great names we have. You are named after your parents who are named after great islanders.”

 

Toni whispered, “Lola, you used the present tense.”

 

“I also use the present tense when referring to my grandparents, like Father does. Since their bodies were never found, they could still be alive.”

 

“Lola, I think so, too,” Alisa gasped. “It is too much of a coincidence that your grandparents and our parents vanished the same way, and that Ron’s parents were also never found. Father never puts dynamite on his boat. He is meticulous about safety.”

 

“We should find them!” exclaimed Toni. It was the first time she heard of the idea that her parents could still be alive. “If they are on this island, they could be in the legendary underground chambers.”

 

The entrance to the legendary underground chambers was a mystery.

 

“Let us keep this a secret,” Alisa cautioned. “We should think why Lola’s grandparents, our parents, and Ron’s were taken and hidden all these years. The answer might lead us to their captors or where they were taken.”

 

“It is so great to think that Father and Mother are still alive,” Toni yearned. She closed her eyes in prayer. 

 

Ari and Glenda Hugo opened a health clinic, school, and library. Most citizens were thankful that the sick and the children no longer had to be ferried to Ibelyn to see a doctor or attend school. Previously, getting an education was difficult. If one did not have relatives in Ibelyn, one had to spend for board and lodging which many of the residents could not afford. Most home-schooled children could not pass the tests to advance to the next level. The island’s mortality rate had been high. That changed dramatically after Ari’s arrival. But Josephine’s eye disease continued to be a challenge.

 

Ari studied the nature of red tide with the goals of eradicating it and creating a cure for red tide poisoning. He raised cattle and poultry, so he studied the causes and prevention of epidemic animal diseases. He experimented and worked long hours. Hard thinking and hard work paid off. He succeeded in creating cures and vaccines for livestock.

 

Glenda and Frank financed the mining operations of Josephine, Mario, and Alisa. They ordered tools from Ethan. Josef and Jaya spent more time at the mines. Lola, Jawo, Toni, and several adults joined them on weekends.

 

Frank, Ari, Josef, and Mario built irrigation systems and small dams to handle droughts and floods. They adopted a planting methodology that mitigated the impact of storms. Ari studied plant diseases and discussed them with his friends. Together, they manufactured pesticides and fertilizers. 

 

At first, only a few citizens asked Ari and Frank how their livestock survived pestilence, how their crops survived diseases, droughts, floods, and storms. As months passed, more implemented the methods of Ari and Frank. Like Josef and Mario, their lives improved.

 

The rest continued to hold religious processions to pray for rain during a drought, to pray for the intercession of saints in order to be blessed with good harvests and healthy livestock. When their prayers were not answered, they thought their faith was being tested. They prayed harder. They took comfort and satisfaction in their hard life and suffering. They thought of Santo Sacrificio’s teachings: “Blessed are those who suffer… Sacrifices are pleasing to God… ” They believed that those who used the methods of Ari and Frank lacked faith. When the latter suffered setbacks, the former viewed the setbacks as God’s retributions for the latter’s ambitions, pride, and lack of faith.

 

Alisa continued to work at the bakery after she enrolled in Glenda’s school. She studied very hard and read books late into the night. She studied the mechanics of the auto-wagon and auto-plow. Her experiments brought forth an ice maker. She made room for a snack counter in the bakery. Her sweets became a hit. She baked cakes, made chocolate candies, and prepared colorful iced treats. Frank compensated her for the sweets’ ingredients, and the use of the ice maker. The ingredients came from the Connor farm. Alisa entered into a contract with Ethan. He marketed Alisa’s chocolate candies and ice maker invention in Ibelyn. Alisa’s small manufacturing enterprise gave employment to other youngsters on the island.

 

More customers frequented The Fun House. Frank hired more employees. He continued to work on his biofuel plant. Mario helped him with his experiments.

 

Precocious and studious, Ron immersed himself in his studies. He graduated summa cum laude from architecture a year after Ari and his family moved to the Saviors’ Isle. Frank invited Alisa and Josephine to go with him to attend Ron’s graduation.

 

Toni entreated, “Please go Alisa, so you could tell me about the Republic and the Ibelyn Science Institute.” Alisa looked forward to the trip. “It would be great to see Ron again,” she thought. Josephine could barely see out of her left eye; even then, it shone with happiness. She hugged and kissed Frank as she thanked him for his invitation.

 

Ethan and his family took Josephine and Alisa around Senna. “Let’s go to a fabric store that sells fabulous ready-to-wear clothes,” his wife told the girls. The store was owned by Hal Gorr whose parents had moved to the Saviors’ Isle, and whose sister, Irra, was married to Jon Ray, the policeman’s son. Josephine bought clothes for herself and her parents. She gifted Frank with a shirt and bought another for Ron. Alisa purchased a dress for herself, for Toni, and for their grandmother, as well as backpacks for Frank and Ron.

 

Frank noticed longing in Alisa’s eyes as she looked at the clothes. He knew she was thinking of her parents. “Ali and Dyosa owned a loom; they wove fabrics and tailored clothes,” he thought.

 

The furniture store next door was also owned by Hal Gorr. “I often come here,” Ethan said. “The wooden furniture is very good. The workmanship is as good as Ivan’s.”

 

Frank noted a poster outside the store advertising a lumberyard, also owned by Hal Gorr. Frank’s face remained stoic as his mind raced, integrating facts. He resolved to concentrate his investigation of his friends’ disappearance on the Gorr family.   

 

Ron pleasured in seeing his friends, especially Alisa. Ethan treated the group to dinner. Ron informed his guests, “I will teach at the Banuar seminary this summer. I have accepted an offer to join the All Saints Academy faculty. One of the benefits is a chance to study history and philosophy. I have also been asked to submit a design for the school’s Technology Center.” He told the group about the summer he and his father stayed at the Banuar seminary. He enthralled them about Mr. Randolf. He seemed happy when he mentioned his parents, but Alisa knew he also felt the deep pain that would never go away.

 

Frank surmised that another reason Ron wanted to go to the seminary was so he could feel closer to his parents, so he could relive the happy days he spent there with his father. Josephine envisaged Mr. Randolf. She put her hand over Frank’s and asked, “May I congratulate and kiss you for a job very well done, Mr. Randolf?”

 

Before Ethan and company set out for Senna, Frank reminded Alisa about his suggestion that she enroll in the Ibelyn Science Institute, but again, she declined.

 

Back at the Saviors’ Isle, Alisa’s co-worker commented, “You could work and study in the city. You have better prospects there.”

 

“This country has lots of possibilities.”

 

“You just don’t want to leave Toni. You are admirable; you have sacrificed a lot for your sister.”

 

“No, it is not sacrifice. That is a horrible credo.”

 

“It’s noble. People admire people who sacrifice. You have always prioritized Toni over yourself – if that is not self-sacrifice, what is it?”

 

“Before Toni was born, I loved myself the most. I did not know it was possible to love someone beyond oneself. Ever since the first time I held her, I have loved her more than myself. So, you see, it is not sacrifice. That, I will never do.”  

 

“You are wonderful. You’ve worked hard nonstop for four years. Between your studies, baking, working here at The Fun House, inventing the ice maker, household chores, prospecting, and farming – you haven’t had time to rest, relax, or enjoy your teen years. It was good that you took some time off in Ibelyn.”

 

“The years have been productive.” Alisa reflected on her endeavors. “I’ve learned a lot. I enjoy every experience. There’s so much more I want to do. I don’t find rest or relaxation gratifying.”

 

There were other activities Alisa engaged in, unbeknownst to everyone. She honed her skills in shooting a dart gun and a bow and arrow. She also searched for the entrance to the underground chambers.

 

Two Years Ago - Bless Me, I have Sinned 

 

 

Ron sat before the Admissions Committee of the All Saints Academy.

 

“I resign from this committee.”

 

“Who do you think you are?” The Admissions Committee chairman was emphatic. “Nobody has ever questioned the rectitude of this body. If you raise any issue, I’ll make sure you are dropped from the faculty roster. You will lose your grant for graduate studies, and the chance to build the Technology Center.”

 

Ron remained unruffled. “I conscientiously did what I was assigned to do. Based on the admissions criteria, the applicants you are rejecting are ranked number one, five, and twenty-one.”

 

“The unwritten rules are more important. We have followed them for years.”

 

“What are they? Why not put them in writing?”

 

“Morality is a top factor in the evaluation. The parents of your number twenty-one are separated; number five’s father is in jail; number one’s mother is an exotic dancer.”

 

“The actions of parents have no bearing on their children’s morality.”

 

“Don’t be naïve. Our decision is final. We know better. Do not be difficult, or else.”

 

“I resign from this committee and the faculty.”

 

Ron traveled to the Banuar seminary and talked to its rector. Ron decided to take the preliminary vows of a holy man. He requested the rector, “Reverend, may I be assigned to the Saviors’ Isle?”

 

Frank was pleasantly surprised when he saw Ron alight from the ferryboat. Glenda threw a welcome party for the young architect.

 

Ron visited the mines and was elated with the progress. He congratulated Josephine, Mario, Alisa, Josef, Jaya, and the other workers. “What a great job!” Ore, limestone, and granite had been found. Josef operated a small smelting plant and a modest steel mill; Jaya had a cement factory. That the citizens no longer needed to import steel, granite, cement, and other building materials from Ibelyn was a great boon to their country. 

 

Frank’s biofuel, produced at a low cost and sold at a cheap price, sparked a mechanical revolution in their nation.

 

Ron repaired the place of worship atop the hill as well as the residence of the head of the holy faith. The estate had belonged to the legendary Balians. Ron transformed the hill grounds into beautiful gardens, and restored the sculptures that abounded thereat. He tended the properties he inherited from his grandparents. Frank asked him to design a bigger theater, a dance hall with a wide lounge, a bigger snack counter, and a children’s playground. Ron was also commissioned to design houses. The folks appreciated the low construction costs of his functional designs.

 

Ron and Mario used books from Glenda’s library to learn more about boat mechanics. Instead of having the ferryboat maintained in Senna, Frank paid them to do the job. Mario and Ron imparted know-how through practical instructions. Many eager children attended, including Alisa, Toni, Lola, and Jawo.  

 

A year and several months passed. Ron’s architectural design for Frank’s business establishment was built. Frank installed the phonograph in the dance hall where, sometimes, Alisa and Josephine sang and played the guitar. Alisa also did the bookkeeping for The Fun House and the Hugos. Josephine remained the driving force of the mining industry, her brainchild. The intellectual vigor, energy, and exuberance of Alisa and Josephine inspired the thought, “Do not give up. Rise. Go forward.”

 

Many residents had come to respect and admire Ari and Glenda. Ari had shown that nature could be understood and dealt with, not feared nor accepted passively. Glenda’s students were not only children. She had evening classes attended by adults. The Hugo library provided the residents with valuable information, with a world of wonder. Ari and Glenda fueled progress. They exemplified that everything was achievable through hard thinking and hard work.

 

Frank, Josephine, Ron, Alisa, Toni, Jaya, Mario, Lola, Glenda, and Ari symbolized independence. They trusted their minds instead of relying on tradition. They stood by their convictions. They held self-esteem as a cardinal value. They took pride in their energy in acquiring knowledge, and in getting things done. They gloried in productive achievement.

 

The daily confessional line grew longer as more people employed the farming methods of Ari and Frank, enrolled in Glenda’s school, and frequented the library and The Fun House.

 

“Bless me, Holy Santo, for I have sinned. I admire Dr. and Mrs. Hugo so much. I would rather listen to them than to your teachings. I love The Fun House. I would rather go there than come to the place of worship.”

 

“Bless me, Holy Santo, for I have sinned. I have been spending so much time reading books other than the Holy Book.”

 

“Bless me, Holy Santo, for I have sinned. I have compared The Fun House to Heaven. I love the playground. The cakes, chocolates, and ice cream are delicious.”

 

“Bless me, Holy Santo, for I have sinned. I enjoy beer.”

 

“Bless me, Holy Santo, for I have sinned. I am addicted to the radio. I crave to hear the news, to know what great things are happening in Ibelyn.”

 

“Bless me, Holy Santo, for I have sinned. I love to watch moving pictures.”

 

“Bless me, Holy Santo, for I have sinned. It makes me so happy to go dancing, to listen to non-religious songs.”

 

“Bless me, Holy Santo. I think Dr. Ari Hugo, Mrs. Glenda Hugo, and Mr. Frank Thomas are a godsend.”

 

“Bless me, Holy Santo. I think knowledge and happiness are necessary to every soul. I think the Hugos and The Fun House are pleasing to God.”

 

To most, Frank, Josephine, Ron, Alisa, Toni, Jaya, Josef, Mario, Lola, Glenda, and Ari represented the good, their hope, and their most sacred values. 

 

Those who admired the Hugos and appreciated The Fun House did not question the judgment of those who did not. The former sought knowledge and technology, used them, and continued to pray for blessings.

 

Most who chose to depend almost solely on divine intervention, who thought of every hard knock as God’s will, showed respect for those who did not think and live as they did. When their crops and livestock were wiped out, they did not steal nor force anyone to give them food. They did not ask their government to get food from others for their sake. They did not beg. They continued to pray for manna from heaven. When none came, they scrounged the forests and seas. They worked for people who had food and money. They bore the consequences of their choices without bothering anyone. They did not go to The Fun House, but did not ask anyone not to.

 

But a few harbored envy. Some burned with self-righteous fury. They craved to force their will on others, and to destroy those who would not submit.

 

Johnny Ray retired. His son, Jon, replaced him as the island’s policeman. Jon stood five feet and eight inches, had blond hair and blue eyes. He followed a strict physical fitness regimen. He enthusiastically submitted proposals for how to improve the country and the lives of its citizens. When asked to explain the rationale of a proposal, his stock reply was, “This is being done in the North City of Ibelyn. Trust me; this works.” 

 

The month for electing the Chief Civilian Executive came. Jaya invited Ari, Frank, and her brother to a meeting at The Fun House. Ari just got word from Ethan that the speedboat he ordered would be delivered within a fortnight. Jaya’s brother had just recovered from severe red tide poisoning.

 

“One of you must run for office,” Jaya beseeched them with a challenge. “The country needs a good man to occupy the position first held by the great founder, Ron Balian.”

 

“My work as a doctor and a scientist requires most of my time,” Ari reasoned. “It is better for the country that I concentrate on my profession.” 

 

Frank also declined. “I am preoccupied with a personal undertaking at this time.”

 

All eyes were directed at Jaya’s brother. He was tall, strong, rugged, and handsome. He had short, black, curly hair. He worked hard, lived by his own code, and let others alone. He did not think of his late father. He adored his older sister. “I will run for office,” he declared. “But first, let this occasion be my naming ceremony. I am honored to take up the name of Jay Rahman, an independent thinker who courageously followed the beacon of lights despite numerous frightening stories.”

 

Jay Rahman would run for the Chief Civilian Executive Office against Johnny Ray.

 

Josephine arrived at The Fun House while Frank was closing the place for the day. Frank offered her coffee as they talked.

 

“Frank, if I were not blind, would you allow yourself to think that it is morally right and perfectly natural for you to want me?”

 

“It is moral and natural to want a lovely, intelligent woman, no matter the condition of her eyesight.”

 

Josephine waited. Frank thought she was adorable. Her red hair complemented her joyous face, full lips, and smooth, rosy complexion. He prompted, “I’ll drive you home. Let’s go.”

 

They drove in silence. Frank walked Josephine to the front door.

 

“Goodnight, Frank,” Josephine said softly as she reached for the door handle.

 

Frank intercepted her hand, caressed it, and then brought it to his lips. His other hand went around her slender waist. His tender kiss on her lips ignited passion….

The Current Month, Day 3 - Armageddon

 

 

The Derek Bustoz 2 stayed at the island for two nights. It left on a Sunday summer morning. In the afternoon, a two-hour prayer session at the place of worship would last until five o’clock. Everyone attended except Frank, Alisa, Ari, Glenda, and Lola.

 

The place of worship sat atop a hill surrounded by the beautiful gardens Ron restored and tended. A belfry was located at the back of the building. The offertory room was by the main entrance. Only senior citizens parked near the entrance. Horse-driven carts and tricycles were in the parking lot at the western foot of the hill; the police auto-wagon was on the other side of the road. From the roadside parking lot, a rising ramp of steps led to the living quarters of Santo Sacrificio, situated halfway to the place of worship. 

 

By the foot of the ramp were life-size marble statues of a man and a woman, side by side, barely touching, with bodies stretched taut, hands reaching for the firmament, heads tilted upwards, feet on tiptoe, ingeniously balanced on a smooth marble platform. Santo Sacrificio and most members of his congregation referred to the pair of sculptures as The Torments and Supplication of the Damned.   

 

On the other hand, Ron, Alisa, Frank, Ari, Glenda, and a few others saw ecstasy, not torment, on the faces and bodies of the marble statues. Ron and company saw exultation, not supplication, in the hands reaching for the heavens. The sculptor was also the creator of the indestructible Constitution tablet and its case.    

 

Toni and her grandmother walked to the prayer session. They parted with Lola in an intersection, five minutes away from the hill.

 

The congregation sang opening hymns accompanied by the organ. Santo Sacrificio led the prayers. Twenty minutes later, Josef’s parents collected offertory contributions. After almost two hours of songs and prayers, everyone queued up to receive communion. The folks sang the communion hymns with reverence.

 

After the prayer session, Ron and Mario proceeded on horseback to the ferryboat to meet with Frank. Ron was also eager to drop a letter in the mailbox near the pier. He had written to the Banuar seminary rector, after pondering for two nights, that he would no longer pursue a holy man’s vocation.

 

Toni saw the Hugo’s auto-wagon parked in front of their house. She ran ahead of her grandmother. Alisa was on the porch with the doctor and his wife.

 

“Good afternoon, Doctor and Mrs. Hugo. Where’s Lola?”

 

“We thought she might have gone with you. She has not come home.”

 

“We parted by the intersection next to the hill.” Toni’s smile faded. “We talked about the speedboat on the way.”

 

Ari and Glenda drove to the pier with Alisa and Toni. From afar, they espied that the speedboat and the ferryboat were not by the pier. Ron and Mario were hurrying to Frank’s small boat.

 

Ari parked by the pier. The speedboat was at least nine hundred meters to the east of the pier. The ferryboat, piloted by Frank,   was closing in on it. Ari and Alisa trembled with fear for Lola; the thought of their parents’ fate came to the fore. Ari and Glenda grabbed the first small wooden boat and mightily rowed to the speedboat.

  

Frank found explosives on the speedboat. He defused them in time. Ron and Mario helped Ari and Glenda comb the speedboat for Lola as Frank searched for more explosives. But Lola was nowhere to be found.

 

Ari gave the speedboat’s ignition key to Frank, telling him, “We will go back ahead to search for Lola.” After quickly attaching the small boats to the ferryboat, Ari and company rushed ashore.

 

Ron galloped to the belfry to sound the summons signal. Mario hurried to notify Jay. Ari sped home with Glenda, Alisa, and Toni. They searched the Hugo estate including the school, library, and medical clinic. They would later proceed to the government building.

 

Frank secured the speedboat, circled the island, and scrutinized its harbors and coasts.

 

A lookout for the cabal saw Ron galloping towards the hill. The lookout notified the couple by the belfry. Minutes later, Ron arrived.

 

“Hello, Ron,” the man smirked.

 

“We have Lola,” the woman interjected. “Tell us where the entrance to the underground chambers is, or else.”

 

“I will tell you after I see Lola,” Ron replied.

 

The man handcuffed Ron, checked him for weapons, then showed him the unconscious child. The woman pointed a deadly dart gun at Lola. Ron did what the couple ordered.

 

The couple beheld the portal of the underground chambers.

 

As the man and woman brought Lola inside the secret place, they quickly recited the congregation’s formal confession prayers and asked for Ron’s absolution. Then, they removed Ron’s handcuffs and closed the door on him.

 

The man was Suff. The woman was Humi.   

 

Ari, Glenda, Alisa, and Toni heard the summon-bell signals as they headed for the government building. Ari thought there must have been a very good reason for the delay. He wondered in trepidation what it was.

 

Jay, Jaya, and Jon Ray prepared an extensive search plan to find Lola. Everyone but Ron was at the government building when Frank arrived.

 

Ron was shocked and devastated by Lola’s kidnapping. He was ravaged by the wickedness of the couple he had regarded as his friends. He was racked with utter anguish as he chose to keep a sacred vow rather than save Lola. From the belfry, Ron dropped his letter to the Banuar rector, then proceeded to the cliff to pray.  He dearly hoped Lola would be found soon.

 

Jay formed search groups. He explained the search plan and strategies. Afterward, Jon requested to speak. He faced Jay and their countrymen. “Lola disappeared when everyone was in the place of worship except her parents, Alisa, and Frank. The Fun House is on her way home. For the sake of the other children and women, we have to detain Frank.”

 

Already shocked by Lola’s disappearance, the citizens were stunned.

 

Frank’s countenance was unreadable.

 

Jon drew his dart gun. He motioned Frank to walk to the detention cell. Jay’s wife offered, “Jon, I will man the reception desk so you could concentrate on the search for Lola.”

 

Jon frisked Frank thoroughly. The policeman inspected the retired decorated soldier’s clothes, shoes, wallet, keys, and watch, then secured the cell gate with double locks.

 

Head-Hunter and his group delighted in their success. “The proud doctor and the mighty soldier have been cut down!”

 

As soon as Jon left the detention cell, Frank fashioned a master key from his watch. He assembled a small gun from the components hidden in his pair of shoes; included were three tiny bullets. But he did not escape for two reasons. He did not want to implicate Jay’s wife. More importantly, he did not want to detract attention from the search for Lola.

 

Ron was not among the searchers.

 

Ari told Glenda in private, “I think Ron has discovered the entrance to the legendary underground chambers. He must have been blackmailed to reveal it in exchange for Lola’s life. He must have made sure our daughter is alive before he revealed it. We must find the entrance! The evildoers must have confessed to him, so he can’t reveal where Lola is. They took advantage of his probity.”

 

The search lasted through the night and continued until the next day, but Lola was not found.

 

Unbeknownst to Ari and Glenda, Lola’s abduction ushered in Armageddon.

 

Day 4 - Five Birds, One Stone

 

 

The government building, place of worship, health clinic, school, library, and the Hugo residence were searched last. The Fun House and the other properties of Frank were combed several times. Ari and Glenda searched for the entrance to the underground chambers. 

 

While having a quick lunch, Alisa allowed herself to think of Frank. “Why would he kidnap Lola? Would a man of his character be capable of an evil deed? It is an incomprehensible contradiction! But logic dictates that contradictions do not exist. I have to check my premises… Frank did not kidnap Lola, so someone who attended the prayer session did! Lola parted with Toni and Grandmother near the hill. Lola must have been kidnapped soon after they parted so that the kidnapper could go back quickly to the place of worship. Who was late to the prayer session that afternoon? Or, who was there early, then left after being seen by the other congregation members? How was Lola taken against her will, and then moved? Why was she abducted?”

 

Alisa hastened to Frank’s detention cell.

 

“Frank, someone who was in the place of worship yesterday kidnapped Lola. Why was she taken?”

 

“Five birds with one stone - the five who shun the place of worship. Lola is missing and her parents are but destroyed – the health clinic, school, and library are closed. The pursuit of knowledge and science has been shut down. What some people call The Hell House and its owner are out of commission. You are out of a job; your anchors have been cut off. The danger posed by the tree of knowledge and its apple fruit is gone.”

 

Alisa was horrified. “The tree of knowledge feeds active minds. The apple brings happiness.”

 

“Lola’s kidnappers want to impose their beliefs and way of life on other people.”

 

“Frank, is Lola’s kidnapping connected to our parents’ disappearance?”

 

“Yes, they are all connected,” Frank acknowledged. “Faith and force; greed for the unearned; envy and hatred of the good… I think your parents are alive, Alisa, but Armageddon has commenced with Lola’s abduction.”

  

“We will fight back! We will rescue Lola and all our loved ones.” Alisa was heartened that Frank also thought her parents were still alive. “The island has been thoroughly searched. Lola must be hidden underground. Frank, I have an idea.”

 

Frank and Alisa discussed a plan of action. When Alisa got up to leave, Frank warned, “Alisa, you are putting yourself and Toni in danger.”

 

“I am terrified. But Toni and I do not care to live without the freedom to think and act. We will not follow blindly nor live in fear. No. Not ever. I cannot stand by in safety while other decent people confront evil. I cannot hold convictions without acting upon them. To do nothing is not an option because I won’t like myself then. I have to help expose and stop the evildoers.”

 

“Almost everyone thinks I kidnapped Lola. Why do you think otherwise?”

 

“For years, you worked for the cause of freedom, and then chose the business of making people happy. The noblest of undertakings! But I am sorry; it took me hours before I realized that the charge against you is a contradiction.”

 

Frank handed Alisa a key and commended, “May everything good go with you and Ron, and with Lola.”

 

Alisa hurried to The Fun House and carried out Frank’s instructions. Upon finding Ari and Glenda, she apprised them of her visit with Frank and what they planned. She gave them a bullet fired from Frank’s gun, then mentioned she would reopen The Fun House that late afternoon.

 

“We were drowning; you have given us a lifeline. Thank you, Alisa, and thanks to Frank.” Glenda embraced Alisa.

 

“Five birds with one stone,” Ari quoted Frank. “We should not give them that victory nor the satisfaction. I will go around to thank people for their help and kindness, and to announce that business will be as usual starting tomorrow.”

 

Alisa fetched Toni. They proceeded to The Fun House. Alisa asked Toni to recall what she saw and heard that fateful afternoon, particularly, the walk to the hill, the prayer session - who sat where, who were not there at the start of the prayers, and who left during the session.

 

Among others, Toni mentioned, “The policeman and those who collect contributions stay in the offertory room by the entrance. Mr. Josef’s parents collected offerings that day. I saw all three during communion. The policeman’s wagon was across the roadside parking lot when we arrived.” 

 

“Was there anything unusual for that particular prayer session?”

 

“There were lengthy announcements, as scheduled, related to the planned activities for the holy month.”

 

Toni observed that Alisa was deep in thought. “Alisa, you don’t think Mr. Frank kidnapped Lola, do you?”

 

“No, Frank did not kidnap Lola.”

 

“I thought so, too. I have always loved him and The Fun House.” She added, “Alisa, please be careful. You are all Grandmother and I have.”

 

“I will. Toni, promise me that from now on, you will not walk the streets alone. Stay close to Dr. and Mrs. Hugo if I am not around. Go with Dr. Hugo when he comes here tonight.”

 

Glenda and Ari were on the hill grounds searching for the entrance to the legendary underground chambers. Before sunset, Ari drove around to thank searchers in various locations. He announced that the school and the medical clinic would reopen in the morning.

 

That early evening, Jon informed Jay he would continue to search for Lola, adding, “Irra has relieved Mrs. Rahman at the jailhouse.”

 

An hour later, Lola’s abductor, Suff, left a meeting. He had been tasked to deal with Ron, Glenda, and Ari.  

 

Ari stopped by The Fun House. After a few minutes, he came out with Toni. They drove to the hill. Ari took an auto-bike from the wagon as Toni fetched Glenda.

 

Ari continued to go around thanking his countrymen while Glenda went home with Toni. Later, Ari proceeded to the mines where Frank’s parents were searching with Mario and Jawo. The two boys chose to remain at the mines while Ari drove the elder Thomases home.

 

Suff found Ron at the cliff where he had been since he left the belfry the previous night. Ron had not eaten nor drank since Lola’s abduction.

 

Suff noticed Ron’s flushed face. The cabal member gloated, “Sinners will be punished tonight. Those who plan not to celebrate the holy month will face Armageddon. I am giving you a chance to join us in protecting the Faith. Meditate on it. Be ready with your decision when I come back.” He left on a bike. He tired easily, so he pedaled slowly. 

 

Ron silently followed on foot; he walked by the bushes on the side of the road. He picked up a sturdy branch. In his weakened state the branch was heavy, but he carried it instead of dragging it, so as not to make noise. It would be a very long walk.

 

From The Fun House, Ari drove past the hill. He slowed down and ensured that nobody was within sight. He parked behind the bushes, away from the roadside parking lot. He walked back to the hill through the bushes that lined the side of the road. He quietly continued to search for the entrance to the legendary underground chambers. He stayed alert to the expected response to the reopening of the Thomas and Hugo business establishments.   

 

Meanwhile, Head-Hunter ordered Fort, “Instruct the guards to kill Ivan, Collin, Ali, and their wives. Tell Head-Hunter II to bring the invasion force to the Saviors’ Isle.” Two other men in Head-Hunter’s employ were tasked to blow up the mines.   

 

As the cabal mobilized to carry out Armageddon, the completely blind Josephine arrived at the jailhouse. A voice asked sweetly, “Would you like to see Frank?”

 

Josephine recognized the voice. She fired at its direction. Irra Gorr Ray fell unconscious. Josephine searched for the cell key, then rushed to Frank’s detention cell.

 

Josephine and Frank heard footsteps hurrying towards them.

 

Josephine proffered the key and dart gun to Frank. “I’m armed,” Frank whispered. He opened the gate with his master key and shielded Josephine. 

 

Jaya approached. She urged, “Hurry! Frank, your wagon is hidden a block from here.” She mentioned the exact location.

 

“I’ll get it.” Frank was heartened. “Thank you, Josephine and Jaya. Wait at the front; I’ll pick you up.”

 

Like Alisa, Josephine and Jaya were convinced that Frank could never do an evil deed.

 

As Frank drove, he asked Jaya and Josephine to recall every detail about the previous day’s prayer session and the attendees. He asked many questions. He thought of Ron, Alisa, Lola, Glenda, and Ari. 

 

Ari heard the two Head-Hunter hirelings as they left the place of worship. Minutes later, Fort came out. He left on horseback. As Ari continued to observe quietly, he heard an auto-wagon stop across the roadside parking lot. Sac alighted from the wagon. He hurried to the place of worship. Not long after, he came out but did not go back to the wagon. He walked through the bushes towards the fateful intersection.

 

Ari worked his way towards the road to take a better look at Sac’s auto-wagon.

 

Head-Hunter retrieved his hidden auto-bike.

 

Ari heard the bike revved up from the top of the hill. Head-Hunter turned left at the main road. Ari saw him take another left at the intersection where Lola was last seen. Ari kept his eyes on the hill as he walked backwards through the side of the road to retrieve his hidden wagon. No other soul came out. Ari took another route to the Thomas estate.

 

At around ten o’clock in the evening, Frank got out at the pier.

 

At the time, Fort was retrieving Head-Hunter’s hidden auto-boat at the beach nearest to the hill.

 

Head-Hunter went past as Frank’s parents and Alisa closed The Fun House at ten o’clock.

 

Alisa walked home with a flashlight.

 

Head-Hunter hid his auto-bike. He walked back to The Fun House.

 

Three hundred meters to his destination, Ari also hid his wagon. He surreptitiously ran to The Fun House through the bushes.   

 

Near the intersection where Toni and Grandmother Connor parted with Lola the day before, Alisa was shot by a dart. She fell. She was dragged behind a bush. Her mouth was taped. Her hands and feet were bound. She was hastily covered with grass and branches.

  

The cabal members executed their action plans with precision.

 

Suff reached the Hugo home. He knocked on the door lit by a lantern, and readied his dart gun. Glenda looked through the peep hole. “A friend,” she assured Toni. Glenda pocketed her dart gun as she opened the door.

 

Head-Hunter splashed The Fun House with oil.

 

The two hirelings reached the mines. Mario and Jawo heard the sound of a tiny gong, an advance-alarm system that Mario had designed and built. The boys turned their lantern off. Alarmed, they summoned courage. A few minutes passed. From afar, they observed the hirelings unpack dynamite.

 

An auto-wagon stopped by the bush where Alisa was hidden. Her attacker got out, placed her and the flashlight in a corn sack, and then carried her to the wagon.

 

Just then, Ron struck Suff’s head with the branch. Suff’s dart missed Glenda. Josef’s father, alias Suff, fell.

 

“I’ll go check on Alisa,” Ron said as he picked up the dart gun. “Arm yourselves. Be careful. Do not trust anyone.”

 

“Take my auto-bike.” Glenda quickly recovered from the shock that Josef’s father intended harm.

 

Ari shot Head-Hunter. He alerted Frank’s parents. They told him that Alisa was on her way home. Ari retrieved his wagon and took Alisa’s route.

 

Mario and Jawo silently crept nearer to the would-be dynamiters, then simultaneously fired. The two hirelings fell unconscious.    

 

Ron sped to The Fun House. Frank’s father was at its gate with a gun. “Follow Alisa,” he urged. Ron hurried to Alisa’s home.

 

Alisa’s attacker arrived at his destination in a few minutes. He got out of his wagon. Most indignant at the combination, he operated it in disgust, unlocking the secret door. He carried the sack containing Alisa, walked to the portal, entered the secret place, then put the sack down. He closed the door behind him.

 

At the intersection next to the hill, Ari espied that the auto-wagon was no longer parked on the roadside. He found it empty at the roadside parking lot. He hid his wagon, and then searched the vicinity.  

 

Josef’s mother and Gem were at the Connor door. Seeing Ron arrive, they tried to take Grandmother Connor hostage. But the latter was armed and ready. She had feared for Alisa and Toni ever since Lola disappeared, and had thought of how to protect them.

 

Grandmother Connor shot Josef’s mother. Ron shot Gem.

 

“They came for Toni,” the old woman told Ron. “Have you seen Toni and Alisa?”

 

“Toni is with Mrs. Hugo, Ma’am. I’ll go find Alisa.”

 

In the meantime, Alisa’s abductor turned on his flashlight, rolled the sack down a flight of stairs and then through a flat surface. He opened another entrance, jumped down, then pulled the sack down. He crawled through a tunnel pulling the sack with him. After jumping down once more, he again pulled the sack down. He opened another entrance, and rolled Alisa down a flight of stairs onto a landing.

 

“Who’s there? Please help me!” It was Lola.

 

The kidnapper descended on the landing. He turned the sack around and rolled Alisa down the rest of the steps. As he straightened up and took a step forward, a gunshot exploded! He felt a hard blow to his left shoulder!

 

The gunshot was followed by a firm voice. “Lola, get down! Be quiet! Get back!”

 

Between tyrants who craved to rule and thinkers who could not be ruled, once again after almost two centuries, the battle was joined.

  

Two more gunshots were quickly fired. The kidnapper turned his flashlight off as he ran back upstairs. He was shocked! Alisa was conscious and free from her bonds. He thought, “The dart-drug did not work!”

 

Lola recognized Alisa’s voice immediately. Following her instructions, she lay on the ground and crawled away from the sound of gunfire. With bated breath, she waited for Alisa’s next move.

 

There was complete silence in the dark. Then, the chamber door was closed. “It may be a trick,” Alisa thought. “He may still be on the stairs.”

 

Alisa waited five minutes. With the gun in her right hand, she took out a small box cutter with her left hand. She thumped the box cutter on the gun as she crouched and changed positions.

 

Lola recognized Alisa’s thumps and decoded them. Alisa signaled, “Your parents will be here soon.”

 

The next thump came after another five minutes. “We will wait awhile in case he is still here. He is wounded.” 

 

They stayed silent for the next hour. Then, Alisa made her move. She thumped, “Stay where you are. Be silent.”

 

She pocketed the box cutter and took out her flashlight. She inched her way to the foot of the stairs, careful not to make a sound and not to step on the corn sack. She reached the stairs, ascended each step with resolve, and readied the flashlight. She kept to the stair wall on a crouch. Her heart raced. She summoned her courage as she reached the last step before the landing. She held the gun tightly.

 

Alisa stuck her head, turned on the flashlight, and instinctively jumped back to the safety of the wall while her mind took in what she saw. “He’s gone!” She looked again.

 

“Lola, he’s not here! I’ll check the entrance.” She pushed against the door, but it did not budge.

 

Lola ran to Alisa. She helped push against the door to no avail.

 

“It’s okay. Your parents will be here soon.” Alisa hugged Lola and kissed her forehead.

 

“No fever.” Alisa took out a power cake and a flask of water from her pockets, and a small packet taped to her body. The packet contained a vitamin capsule and medicines. “Eat. Take the vitamin.” She removed her jacket and asked Lola to put it on.

 

While Lola drank and ate, Alisa looked for spent bullets. She found two.

 

“One bullet is lodged in his body. I don’t think he’ll come back.  If he does, we will hear the door move and we’ll be ready for him.”

 

“Thank you, Alisa. You were ready for him. Who is he?”

 

“I did not see his face. I’ll turn the flashlight off. Let’s sit. I’ll fill you in.” Alisa summarized what transpired after Lola disappeared.

 

“I am wearing an almost two-century-old, thin, armored vest owned by Frank. I was also given an antidote by your father. I played unconscious when I felt the force of a dart. That man taped my mouth, hands, and feet. He came back in an auto-wagon in no more than ten minutes. He put me in a sack with cornhusks, and then carried me to the wagon. I had a small box cutter taped to my palm. I cut myself free, and then took Frank’s gun and a small flashlight taped to my abdomen. I retrieved my flashlight which he threw inside the sack with me. From the one turn before he parked, his speed, and the length of the drive, we are in the vicinity of the place of worship. I was carried, and then rolled down a flight of stairs… ” Alisa relived the experience. “When I heard your voice, I cut the sack open.”  

 

Lola quickly grasped the modus operandi of her own abduction. “Wagons were parked by the roadside early on. People assumed the kidnapper was inside the place of worship, but he was waiting for me. He was there in time for the offertory, and then left with the auto-wagon. He picked me up and then returned to the place of worship for the communion.”

 

“That, we figured, was the modus operandi; that was why I was ready. He is not alone, Lola. I think Josef’s parents and Jon Ray conspired to abduct you. The elder Mr. Schwartz must have kidnapped you while Jon was hauling, then boobytrapping your father’s speedboat. Mr. Schwartz used the policeman’s wagon to pick you up; Jon must have used a speedboat that has been hidden all this time. I think someone else owns the speedboat, which means there are other conspirators. That speedboat must have been used to abduct my parents.”

 

Lola pondered what Alisa related.

 

“Lola, is it always dark?”

 

“A little light during the day comes from that direction.” Lola took Alisa’s hand and pointed. “That should be the airway as well. I shouted for help many times.”

 

“Was someone here when you came around?”

 

“No. I was alone. I came around at daytime. My bonds had been cut and strewn on the floor. There was also a corn sack. Nobody has come until now.”

 

Alisa felt Lola shudder. She hugged her again.

 

“Your mother and father will be here soon.” Alisa reassured Lola and herself.

 

“How do they know where we are?”

 

“I had two small bottles of a sticky, dark concoction in my pocket. I made a small cut in the sack. I dropped an opened bottle when the kidnapper took me from the wagon, and then dropped the other when he put me down. The sticky substance should have made a dark stain leading to and at the secret entrance.” Alisa continued, “We provoked the wicked people by announcing business as usual. If the man I shot wants to live, he should be at your father’s clinic by now. Your parents must now know that I shot him.”

 

“He might have passed out before reaching the outermost entrance.” 

 

He did not. After being hit, Alisa’s abductor decided not to risk being shot at again. He took his handkerchief, pressed it over his wound, closed and locked the door to the third chamber, hurried back to the upper chamber, and then climbed the stairs to the outermost portal.

 

Just then, Ari was searching the hill grounds, but the portal was out of his sight.

 

Meanwhile, Ron informed Jay about the unconscious attackers. Jay rushed to the Connor home, then to The Fun House. He would head for Ari’s medical clinic with Josef’s mother, Gem, and Head-Hunter. Glenda had tied up Josef’s father, and left him outside the door.  

    

Before the abductor opened the outermost chamber door, he gathered his shirt toward his wound. It was imperative he not spill blood near the secret entrance. Alisa’s sticky substance spilled, not at the entrance, but two meters inside the secret place. The abductor went out, locked the portal, rushed back to the wagon, and drove away. 

 

Ari heard the engine’s roar. He ran back to his wagon and followed the abductor. Ron espied Ari’s wagon. He followed on Glenda’s auto-bike.

 

Alisa’s abductor, codenamed Sac, arrived at the Hugo residence. He honked and unlocked the wagon’s door before losing consciousness.

 

Glenda and Toni looked out the window when they heard the wagon. They saw the driver collapse on the steering wheel. Armed, they rushed out with a stretcher. Jay’s wagon arrived, followed by Ari, and then Ron.

 

Jay checked on the unconscious driver. “He has a gunshot wound!” Jay put the driver on the stretcher.

 

Ari pushed the stretcher; Glenda and Toni followed. Jay and Ron took other stretchers and brought Jay’s passengers and Josef’s father to the clinic.

 

“Sir Jay, let’s go find Alisa,” Ron asked.

 

“I think Alisa shot him,” Glenda stated. She showed the bullet Alisa provided earlier that day. “A matching bullet lodged in his body should prove Alisa shot him.” 

 

Ari took out the bullet from Sac’s shoulder. Glenda and Jay examined both bullets.

 

“They match!” Jay exclaimed.

 

“Let’s double-check.” Glenda handed over the instruments and the bullets to Jay. He confirmed for himself that the bullets came from the same gun.

 

Ari joined them.

 

“Alisa shot him.” Glenda informed her husband.

 

Ron conveyed, “Alisa never arrived home. Mrs. Gorr and Josef’s mother were with Mrs. Connor, looking for Toni.”

 

“He must have brought Alisa to where Lola is hidden,” Jay surmised.

 

“The police wagon was at the roadside parking lot by the hill,” Ari filled in.

 

Glenda asked in a hard tone, “Can we find Lola and Alisa without him?”

 

Ari looked at his wife. “I’ve asked myself if I should save the life of a kidnapper. Why should I exert any effort to make him well when he has jeopardized our daughter and another angel? If we can be certain we will find Lola and Alisa without him telling us where they are – should I leave him to die from his wound?”

 

Ari looked at Jay. “I do want to kill him. I feel revulsion treating him.” With tortured eyes, he faced Glenda and continued, “But I must, for two reasons. He is unconscious right now, and will be helpless in the coming days; I can’t kill a defenseless man. I won’t kill him in secret. If Lola or Alisa is harmed, I will kill him openly.”

 

“I can’t go back to that room. Get them all out of our property the soonest possible.” Glenda walked out with Ron and Toni.

 

“I’ll join you shortly,” Ari told Jay, then went back to check on the cowards who targeted a child and a teenager.

 

Jay joined Glenda, Ron, and Toni in the waiting room. He asked, “How did they kidnap Lola? They were all in the place of worship. Why did they abduct Lola, then Alisa?”

 

Glenda explained what Frank and Alisa surmised as the abductors’ modi operandi and motives.

 

Jay stated the facts that would shock the country. “Jon Ray abducted Alisa and must have placed the explosives on Ari’s speedboat. Josef’s father kidnapped Lola, and was here tonight to shoot Glenda and Toni. Oscar Gorr tried to torch The Fun House. His wife and Josef’s mother are their accomplices.”

 

Jay and the others realized Josef’s parents changed their surname back to Schwartz, not because they shared the values of the legendary heroes, but to gain the trust of those who did.  

 

Ari rejoined the group and told them that the elderly Schwartz and Gorr couples were fine though unconscious, and could be brought to jail.  

 

Toni urged, “Mr. Frank must be freed.”

 

Jay nodded. “I will release Frank. I’ll bring the four to jail. I’ll ask Jaya to head an investigation into whether Irra, Johnny, and others are involved. I will inform Josef about his parents, and ask him to replace Jon as the country’s policeman. Then I’ll join you on the hill.” He added, “Ron, please guard Jon; I’ll ask Josef to come here to relieve you.”

 

“I’ll guard Jon,” Ron replied dolefully. “Please ask Josef to help you with the search.”

 

Ari told Ron, “Thank you for saving Glenda and Toni. Ron, you are dehydrated; you must eat and drink. We will find Lola and Alisa.”

 

“I am very sorry; I can’t tell you where they are.” Ron’s voice broke.

 

“I understand; the evildoers confessed to you.” The look in Ari’s eyes warmed Ron’s despondent soul.

 

Toni’s voice was gentle. “Ron, I could ask you questions about architecture, about anything not directly related to the confession, and you could answer without violating your vows, couldn’t you?”

 

“Yes, I could.”    

 

In the underground chamber, Lola slept tightly.

Day 5 - Red Season

 

 

Alisa got up as soon as light filtered through the airway. She noticed that some rocks on the ceiling and walls reflected light which brightened the chamber. She inspected the stairs. The wall near the chamber door had a one-inch-by-six-inch gap.

 

“There must be a key-like implement for this gap to open the door from the inside.” She searched for it.

 

“Good morning, Alisa.”

 

“Good morning, Lola. I am looking for something that fits the small gap by the door.”   

 

“I couldn’t find any.”

 

Lola pointed to a tunnel by the far end of the chamber. “Have you been there?”

 

“Yes. I saw where it leads to.”

 

“Have you seen Red Season?”

 

“Yes. I don’t think it was meant to entertain kids.”

 

“I thought so, too. If it were, the chamber builder would have included the alphabet. But I couldn’t figure out its purpose. Let’s sit by Red Season.”

 

The floor by the corner wall below the airway had ten slabs of marble, nine of them with engraved letters: R-E-D, an un-engraved slab, and S-E-A-S-O-N. Below the marble slabs were matching ten slabs of smooth red stone. Each slab was five-by-ten inches. Each marble slab could be moved down on top of the red slab, revealing another slab of red stone underneath. Each marble slab could only be moved up or down.

 

“I tried moving the red slabs but they wouldn’t budge,” Lola related. “I tried different combinations, like aligning all the engraved marble slabs up with the un-engraved down, and vice versa.”

 

“This should have a purpose; everything in this chamber has a purpose.” Alisa observed.

 

With the R-E-D slabs up and the S-E-A-S-O-N slabs down, they pushed against the slabs and the floor, but nothing happened. They tried different combinations.

 

“Let’s think about this while searching the whole place including the tunnel’s floor, ceiling, and walls,” Alisa suggested.    

 

The girls scrutinized the floor and the walls, but found no clue to a way out of the chamber.

 

“Lola, let’s try the Red Season again. I just thought of something.”

 

All the marble slabs were aligned in the upper portion of the fifty-by-twenty-inch rectangle. Alisa moved four slabs down: the slab with the letter D and the next three slabs.

 

Nothing happened. Lola looked at the letters and understood what Alisa thought of.

 

“Good thinking, Alisa.” Lola saluted Alisa and the slabs of marble. “Let’s leave them this way.”

 

Alisa smiled at the young girl. She, too, saluted the slabs of marble.

 

“Click.” The sound came from the lower portion of the rectangle. The whole set of ten red slabs that had four marble slabs on top sunk an inch. Lola pushed the set downwards and sideways; it slid to the right like a sliding door, revealing a concrete box with six compartments.

 

“Wow!” Lola exclaimed. “The trigger has a delayed mechanism. Lessons learned for us. Next time we press something, we should wait awhile before easing the pressure.”

 

One compartment occupied half of the box. It contained twenty-five smooth stones of different sizes, each engraved with an integer. Fifteen were crystal stones and ten were plain hard rocks. The integers were:

 

353,	49,	1258,	22,	4,
22,	479,	22,	9,	22,
4,	25,	22,	1,	8,
22,	79,	99,	64,	99,
6,	99,	2,	404,	and   99.

 

Five empty compartments of the same size constituted the rest of the box. Each had an integer etched at its bottom: the first had 1337, the second had 43, the third had 862, the fourth had 25, and the fifth had 11. 

 

The girls inspected the stones and the bottom of each compartment. “The key-implement is not here. But this is very interesting - a math puzzle.” Alisa’s eyes twinkled at the challenge.

 

“I solved the first one. These two stones, 1258 plus 79, equals 1337.” Lola put the two stones in the compartment that had 1337 etched at its bottom.

 

“The four 99 stones total 396, minus 353 is 43.” Alisa put five stones in the second empty compartment.

 

“Two stones for the last compartment: 22 divided by 2 is 11. One stone for the fourth: 25. This is too easy. I think the puzzle is more challenging.” Lola looked at the remaining stones.

 

Alisa assembled five stones. “479 plus 404, minus 9, 8, and 4 equals 862.” She put the stones in the third empty compartment.

 

There were ten stones left in the biggest compartment. Silence…

 

“Let’s wait. This puzzle may also have a delayed mechanism,” Lola hoped. Many minutes passed, but nothing happened.

 

“I think we need to use all the stones.” Lola replaced the 22 and 2 stones in the last compartment with 6, 1, and 4. She took all the remaining stones from the big compartment. “64 plus 49 is 113, minus the sum of five 22s is 3, plus 22 is 25. I used eight stones in the fourth, and three in the fifth compartment, but we have two stones left, 2 and 25.”

 

Two minds thought hard to unlock the secrets of the chamber.

Day 6 - Free Will

 

 

Alisa and Lola had not found the key-like implement to open the door, nor had they solved the math puzzle.

 

“Alisa, let’s find combinations that make use of all the twenty-five stones.”

 

“Yes. That the small compartments are of equal size could be a clue that five stones should go to each. Let’s form five-stone combinations per compartment.”

 

“Do the fourth and fifth compartments – they are the most difficult. I’ll concentrate on the rest.”

 

After a while, Alisa put the stones engraved with 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 in the fifth compartment which had 11 etched at its bottom.   

 

Lola put five stones all engraved with 22 in the second, which had 43.

 

Alisa put 4, 9, 25, 49, and 64 in the fourth, which had 25.

 

Lola put the four 99 stones and the 1258 stone in the third, which had 862.

 

The rest, 479, 79, 22, 404, and 353, went to the first, which had 1337.   

 

The girls held their breath.

 

“Click.” This time, the sound came from the upper portion of the rectangle. The whole set of slabs that had six marble slabs on top, R-E- - - - -A-S-O-N, sunk an inch. Lola pushed the set to the right; it slid like a sliding door, revealing two steel containers.

 

Alisa took out a six-by-twelve-by-eighteen-inch safe with a lock operated by a letter-combination. Lola took out the other. The containers were exactly the same except the names inscribed on the steel. One had Thomas Rahman Hugo while the other had Balian Schwartz Connor. The dates were the same.

 

Alisa and Lola read the names with reverence and excitement.

 

“These must contain the Heroes’ Journals! That the great founders lived is glorious. That they prospered on this island is an inspiration. Having the Heroes’ Journals to know more about them is priceless.” Alisa’s voice was full of admiration.

  

Lola’s face mirrored Alisa’s. “This is awesome! We can learn so much from them. What combination could they have used? Let’s try their names or the letters corresponding to the date.” Lola eagerly turned the combination lock.

 

The girls did not succeed in opening the almost two-century-old safe or its twin.

 

Alisa and Lola talked about the underground chambers. “The greatness of the chambers’ purpose matched the builders’ ingenuity.” It was not lost on the girls that the builders’ genius, which saved lives many decades ago, was thwarting the efforts of the searchers from reaching them.

 

At midnight, Alisa nudged the ten-year-old. “Lola, remember when we first met? Toni and I were flying a kite… ” They smiled at the memory.

 

“Alisa, remember how we tried to literally walk on air when diving off the pier? We soared as high and far as we could… ” The girls recalled happy times.

 

“I brought part of your science project.” Alisa turned the flashlight on.

 

Lola saw the transmitter. She took it from Alisa, turned it on, and placed it near Red Season. She went back to sit by Alisa who turned the flashlight off and murmured, “Try to sleep.”

 

Alisa had a headache. Lola felt dizzy. Their mouths were dry.

 

Lola thought, “Alisa wants us to have happy memories before sleeping. She wants us to sleep so we won’t feel hunger or thirst.”

 

“I was very happy when you came, Alisa. Now, I am… No, I am not sorry. It’s great that you are here.”

 

“I am glad to be here. But I did not do it for you, Lola. I did it for myself.”

 

“Thank you.” Lola hugged Alisa.

 

The girls stayed quiet, each wishing to becalm the other. But both could not sleep. They thought of the future, how they would live life. Lola thought of the next steps she and Toni planned for their transmitter–receiver project, and of their ultimate goal: an inexpensive efficient communications system.

 

Alisa thought of Ron.

 

While guarding Jon at the medical clinic, Ron drew a portrait of Alisa, then designed a tower.  

 

When Jon regained consciousness, he wanted to confess. Ron informed him, “I am no longer a novitiate.” He asked, “Are Alisa and Lola alive? Are they hurt?”

 

“They are alive and unhurt when I left them.”

 

“You must tell Sir Jay or Dr. Ari where they are.”

 

“No! I can’t. Nonbelievers must be stopped.”

 

“Do they have food and water?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“It is not God’s will that you hurt anyone.”

 

“I am well-versed on the Holy Book. Those who influence people to disobey the Holy Teachings must be punished. Those who flaunt that they do not need God, those who worship pleasure and science, must be made to see the error of their ways. I must defend God’s will.”

 

“God does not need defenders. He does not punish. Every act or inaction of man has inevitable consequences; God lets man go through those consequences. The Lord gifted us with free will. Jon, follow His example. Do not force your beliefs on others. Do not let Alisa and Lola die.”

 

“Infidels must be banished!”

 

“God is all-good and all-loving.”

 

Jay was on his way to check on whether Jon could be moved to the jailhouse. Jawo was with him. The boy asked, “If Ron knows the secrets of the underground chambers, why doesn’t he save Alisa and Lola?”

 

“Because the information is pertinent to a confession; Ron is bound by the sanctity of a religious tradition,” Jay replied.

 

“But why is a religious tradition more important than life? Life should be the most important in the whole world; life here on Earth.”

 

“God will provide Ron with the wisdom to know what is right.”

 

“How will God tell Ron it is okay to tell where Lola and Alisa are?”

 

“Ron’s conscience will tell him, my son.”              

 

“It has been days. What if God does not tell him?”

 

“God’s will be done.”

 

“Father, isn’t that inconsistent with free will?”

 

“You are very wise, Jawo. You are right. Each man is responsible for his own decisions. Alisa and Lola would not want Ron to compromise his integrity even at the cost of their lives. Ron, Alisa, and Lola value probity more than life.”

 

The boy pondered. “I understand why,” he said solemnly. “Life is not worth living without values.”

 

Jon was brought to the jailhouse. Jay reasoned with him and his fellow conspirators. “This is in your own interest. Please tell me where Alisa and Lola are.”

 

Jon and Josef’s parents were adamant in their refusal. “It is our duty to protect the Holy Faith.”

 

The Gorr couple and their daughter stared smugly at Jay. They pointedly ignored his questions and pleas. They thought, “Hal and his men will soon be here. We will rule this island. The treasures belong to us!”  

 

Jay called a citizens meeting and asked everyone to think hard. “Should we force the criminals to reveal where Alisa and Lola are? Is torture justified to save innocent lives?”

 

Jay asked for votes. The citizens’ reactions varied.

 

“Oh, God! I need more time to decide.”

 

“Jon and company have not admitted to any crime. We are not absolutely certain. We can’t resort to torture.”

 

“Let’s beg Ron to tell where Alisa and Lola are.”

 

“God, help me. If the girls die, Jon’s life is forfeit, and so are the other criminals’. I vote to save innocent lives.”

 

Jaya appealed to the islanders. “Jon and his fellow conspirators initiated the use of force; that the bullets match is conclusive evidence. They kidnapped a child and a teenager. For this, they will be jailed for life. If the kids die, the criminals will be sentenced to death. If the kids die because we would not use forceful interrogation on criminals, could we live with ourselves? We will have failed in our obligation to protect our citizens, our most precious values. We are certain Jon committed the crime. To torture him in order to prevent the death of innocent souls is self-defense.” Jaya’s courage was on display once again. As a teenager, she had the wisdom to recognize the evil of her father, and had the mettle to walk away.  

 

The citizens could not reach a consensus.

 

Ron and Jawo guarded the prisoners. Although in jail, Oscar Gorr and his team were smug and complacent. “Soon, Hal’s invasion force will storm this island!”

Day 7 - Race against Time

 

 

Ron was suffering from dehydration.

 

“God’s angels in heaven… Hello Mother; hello Father. God’s angels on Earth, Lola and Alisa… Angels of God, help me!”

 

“Mother, you are so beautiful. But why so sad?”

 

“Is it because there are two angels, here on Earth, who are alone… and in danger?”

 

“Lola - the angel with starlit eyes; so innocent of sadness and wickedness. She trusts that the world is all-good.”

 

“Alisa - my lovely angel; she is so beautiful. My beloved is joy personified.”

 

“Who are going to save these angels? Mother, Father – are you there? Help me. Oh God, help them!”

 

“Father, are you listening? Angels in heaven – are you there? Do you exist? Is there a God?”

 

“Father, are you forever gone? Mother, have you left me? No! No, of course not! You are with me. You will always be with me. You are God’s angels… in heaven.”

 

Jaya tried to persuade Ron to divulge the girls’ whereabouts. “Ron, God breathed life into Lola, Alisa, and you. Life is precious.”

 

Ron’s face was serene as he replied, “Life is sacred. I will live a good life, or not at all.”

 

Jaya prayed, “Oh God! Please bless these innocent children.”

 

“God is on the side of angels. Lola, Alisa, and I will live. It is not only this country’s faith that I cannot betray; I cannot betray mine.”

 

On the hill, Grandmother Connor felt very weak, but insisted on helping with the search. Toni persuaded her to take a nap, and accompanied her home. Toni also tried to sleep, but though tired and sleepless, she couldn’t.

 

As Toni lay awake in bed, her eyes caught the science project on the shelf. She recalled that happy day when she and Lola finally made the transmitter-receiver device work. She noticed the paper taped to the receiver. “The piece of paper isn’t mine. It must be from Alisa!” She quickly got up.

 

Toni read, “I borrowed the transmitter. Love – Alisa.”

 

Shortly thereafter, Toni arrived on the hill with her grandmother. Dawn had just broken.

 

The searchers had one thought: “If Alisa and Lola are not found soon, they will die, and so will Ron. Three good souls – they must live!”

 

Ari talked with the searchers. “The secret entrance must be well camouflaged. Let’s think of ingenious ways to conceal an opening. The chambers must have an airway. Let’s also look for that air shaft.”  

 

“I’ll investigate the plumbing,” Josef said. Ari and some men followed.

 

Toni told Glenda about Ron’s answers to the questions about architecture, particularly the importance and function of the site.

 

Glenda looked at the big trees surrounding the place of worship. She asked those with her, “Let’s look at tree trunks closely, especially those covered with vines. A tree trunk could have been carved out. There could be big pseudo roots made of concrete or steel which are covered with barks, moss, and vines.”

 

Glenda and Toni inspected tree trunks and big roots near the residence of the head of the holy faith. Glenda surveyed the residence and its grounds. Her eyes rested on the round water well. Its cover was made of stainless steel.  The area around it was covered with concrete. A marble bench was by the edge of the concrete near the almost two-century-old auto-pump.  

 

The well wall extended four feet above the concrete ground. A circular marble slab sat atop its rim. Half a foot of the slab’s width was to the inner side of the rim, while a foot extended to the outer side, then sloped downwards another foot. “Besides the cover, the marble slab prevents children from accidentally falling into the well,” Glenda mused.                     

 

Glenda walked to the well, lifted its cover, and looked inside. The well was deep. She inspected the well wall that was hidden from view by the marble slab atop the rim that sloped downwards. It was made of concrete hollow blocks.

 

“This could be the airway,” Glenda told Toni and the other searchers nearby. 

 

Glenda fetched a rope with a harness. Toni checked her receiver. There was no signal.

 

As Glenda prepared to go down the well, Mario offered to go in her stead. Glenda thanked him. She asked him to examine the walls closely. “Look for concrete hollow blocks like these by the rim. See if there is an opening to a tunnel.”

 

Mario was lowered carefully until the end of the rope was reached. He saw no opening. As he was hauled back up, Toni sat on the bench and replaced the receiver’s fuel.

 

Toni’s receiver buzzed. “Signal! I am getting a signal!” she exclaimed.

 

The news spread to all the other searchers. Ari, Josef, and others came running. A longer rope was readied while Glenda fetched the first aid kit and a tool bag. She handed them to Ari.

 

Ari slung the kit and the tool bag over his shoulder. Holding a lantern, he was lowered down the well.

 

“There’s an opening to a tunnel! I am going in,” he shouted to the others. He removed his harness. The rope was hauled back up by the other men.

 

Ari crawled through the tunnel and came to a vertical passage. The shaft was ten meters long by two meters wide by three meters deep. Three of its four walls were of solid rock and concrete. The fourth wall, measuring ten by three meters, was to the right of the end of the tunnel. The lower part of the fourth wall, just below the end of the tunnel, was built of stones with spaces in between. Ari pushed against the stones, but he couldn’t find an opening.

 

“Lola! Alisa!” he called out several times. There was no answer.

 

Josef came through the tunnel with a lantern and a bag of tools.

 

“I can’t find the opening,” Ari told him.

 

Josef surveyed the shaft. A stainless steel water container and a pail were at the farthest end. "We can't dynamite the rocks – the blast might hurt the girls. That pail proves there is an opening. Those who hid here fetched water from the well.”

 

With a saw and other tools, they poked through the spaces between the stones, but encountered hard rocks at the other end.

 

“The stones were laid out in a mazelike pattern. This air passage was designed like a labyrinth,” Ari surmised.

 

Josef pushed against the stones once again. He observed, “If this stone wall is thick, it will take time to cut through.”

 

When they couldn’t find a clue to where the opening was, they decided to investigate the tunnel. Josef went back up first. He went all the way to the water well and shouted the news to the others.

 

The tunnel’s floor and sides were smooth, but the ceiling’s surface was uneven and furrowed. Ari inspected the ceiling closely. Half a meter from the shaft, he found a rock that moved.

 

“Josef, I can turn this rock. It may work like a combination to open a door to the chamber.”

 

“Let me pass. I’ll observe the shaft’s walls while you turn that around.”  

 

The two men went down the shaft. Ari scrambled back up the tunnel. He turned the rock randomly while scrutinizing its edges and the rock formation around it.

 

“I am turning it, Josef.”

 

“Nothing’s happening here. People in hiding must quickly operate that in the dark. Close your eyes; use touch to find distinguishing marks.”

 

After fifteen minutes, a section of the stone wall sunk, creating an opening to the chamber.

 

“Ari! Stop! Memorize that combination. Come down here.”

 

Ari quickly went down the shaft. He heard Josef call out to Alisa and Lola. He saw the opening and crawled through.

 

The chamber was twenty by thirty-five meters. The girls were not there. Josef was scrambling up a tunnel by the other end of the chamber. Ari ran.

 

Ari was in the tunnel. He, too, called out to Alisa and Lola.

 

At a fork in the tunnel, Josef called to Ari, “I am taking the left fork.”

 

Ari forked right and came to a kitchen. There was no sign of the girls. He pushed against the walls and the floor. He climbed on top of a concrete table and pushed against the ceiling.

 

Josef crawled out of the tunnel into the kitchen. He described the washroom he found at the left fork. “I did not find an opening from there.”

 

They went back to the main chamber. An entrance to another chamber was not visible. They scrutinized the solid rock floor and the uneven surface of the walls.

 

They couldn't find another entrance. The chamber was empty except for a big stone on one side, near a wall.

 

“It must have been used by kids to climb up the tunnel,” the two men guessed.

 

The stone’s bottom was the only place they had not looked at. They inspected the stone closely. They marked its edges that touched the floor, and the exact place where it sat. They rolled the stone and examined the floor underneath, but it gave no clue to an entrance.

 

They searched again including the floor near the airway. The stones with spaces in between were thick. “The signal that Toni received must have come from a chamber below which is supplied with air from this passage,” they surmised.    

 

Glenda came through the sunken wall.

 

"We can't find an entrance to another chamber," Ari told her.

 

Ari and Josef saw the anguish in Glenda’s eyes. "Ron has instructed that unless Lola and Alisa are found, he doesn't want any treatment, any intravenous food, if he… "

 

She couldn't finish. They all knew the young man could collapse anytime and would die without treatment. The same was true with the girls.

 

Josef and Ari continued to scrutinize the walls and the floor. They pushed with all their might hoping that something would move. Mario and other men joined in the effort. Glenda studied the walls, floor, and big stone.

 

Two hours passed. Toni came through the sunken wall in tears. She could barely tell them, “Ron collapsed.”

 

Time had run out. Utter silence gripped the chamber. A chill went through Glenda, threatening to freeze her mind. She fought it. Her mind was performing a complex process when Toni arrived.

 

"Ari! Josef!" Glenda knelt over the stone. "The edges on this part - " she pointed to the stone, " - match that part of the wall."

 

She pushed the stone towards that particular section of the wall. Ari hastened to help her. The stone's edges fitted the wall's ridges perfectly; the floor beneath the stone sunk by several inches. Josef jumped on top of the stone. He kept jumping on it with all his weight, but nothing happened.

 

"Push the ceiling and the walls, Josef," Ari urged.

 

Josef did. The wall near the stone moved, revealing the stairs.

 

Ari ran downstairs shouting, "Lola! Alisa!"

 

Glenda picked up the lantern and followed Ari. Josef and Toni were close behind.

 

Alisa and Lola huddled by a wall, facing the foot of the stairs. Ari and Glenda ran to their daughter, Toni and Josef to Alisa. Ari took Lola's pulse while Glenda cradled and kissed her head, calling her name.

 

"She's alive!" The doctor looked at Josef who was taking Alisa's pulse while Toni hugged her.

 

"Alisa has a pulse!"

 

Ari quickly laid out the first aid kit and treated the girls. A few minutes after, he gave instructions and concluded, "Lola will be fine. Alisa’s condition is stabilized.”  He hastened upstairs. “I'll go treat Ron."  

 

The doctor hurried to Ron who was in serious condition.

 

Glenda and Toni continued to carry out Ari’s instructions. They treated the girls. Josef, Jay, and the other men made preparations to move them out of the chambers.

 

Lola regained consciousness. Glenda requested Mario to relay the news to Jay who was supervising the rescue operations by the water well. Jaya, in turn, relayed the good news to Ari.

 

Evening came. Lola was in her parents’ bed, sleeping peacefully. Glenda frequently looked in on her as she helped Ari care for Ron and Alisa. The two suffered from shock, rapid heart rate, and low blood pressure.

 

Toni, Grandmother Connor, Jaya, Josef, Josephine, Mario, Jay, Frank’s parents, and others were in the waiting room. Ari and Glenda joined them.

 

“Alisa’s condition is grave. Ron’s is critical.”

 

The doctor battled to save the lives of his daughter’s saviors.

 

Santo Sacrificio and their countrymen prayed earnestly, “God, please let these beloved orphans live.”

 

As death hovered over Ron and Alisa, Oscar and his cohorts felt confident Hal Gorr’s invasion force would strike that night.

Day 9 - The Power of Science over Death

 

 

Ron heard an angel singing softly… He opened his eyes and saw his beloved’s joyous face.

 

“You are so beautiful. I love you.”

 

“Thank you. I love you, too.” Alisa was enraptured.

 

Ron took her hand and caressed it. Then, he felt kisses on his other hand.

 

Collin and Demi Balian were on the left side of the bed. They embraced and kissed Ron lovingly.

 

Ron was radiant. “We are in heaven!”

 

Alisa replied blissfully, “We are on Earth and we have achieved heaven.”

 

Ari came in followed by Ivan, Kori, Glenda, Lola, Frank, and Josephine. A few minutes later, Toni entered with Ali, Dyosa, Grandmother Connor, and Jaya.

 

Ron understood Alisa’s words perfectly. “Heaven has to be earned,” Ron thought. “It is earned by using the mind, by employing logic, by nurturing every man’s life and freedom, and by consistently upholding and acting on one’s convictions.”

 

Ron rejoiced with his parents and their friends. “Thank you; it is great to be with heroes,” he whispered to Frank and Ari as they embraced.

 

Ron learned of how Alisa courageously acted on her convictions. He listened to other accounts of heroism…  

 

From his investigations, Frank formed a theory that was proven correct.

 

Ivan and Kori found explosives on their boat, but it was too late to defuse them. They jumped overboard and swam away before the boat exploded. They decided to swim with the current towards Senna. After swimming throughout the night, they espied a fishing boat. Its owner, Oscar Gorr, drugged and moved them to separate locations. Gorr’s men threatened to kill Kori if Ivan did not cooperate. When Oscar found out the background of their captives, Kori was told Ari would be killed if she caused any trouble. After nine months of enslavement, Ivan outwitted a guard, escaped, and found where his wife was held captive. But Kori was already heavily guarded then. The guards threatened to torture her if Ivan did not give himself up. Ivan walked to Kori and embraced her. Kori told their captors she would kill herself if Ivan was parted from her. Oscar agreed they would stay together under the condition that they tell him everything they know about the underground chambers and the treasures of the Devil’s Eye.     

 

Ivan and Kori were told news about Ari. “We’ll kill him if you try to escape,” the guards warned. They were later told they had a granddaughter. Lola was also used to blackmail them.

 

The information the Gorrs got from Ivan and Kori was not sufficient to find the entrance to the underground chambers, so Collin and Demi were abducted. When their captors threatened to harm Ron, Collin riposted, “Ron is fully protected by now. If you harm my wife, I will never cooperate; I will kill you all.” Collin and Demi were allowed to stay together, also on the condition that they tell everything they know about the underground chambers and the heroes’ treasures.  

 

Ali and Dyosa fought hard when they were abducted. Ali killed three men and Dyosa killed one before they were hit by darts. The first time a threat to Alisa and Toni was mentioned, Ali and Dyosa went berserk. The couple refused to cooperate until they were told they could see their daughters. Once a year, Dyosa was brought within sight of the cliff to see Alisa and Toni.  

 

Ivan and Kori were shown news items about Ari. Collin and Demi were shown a picture of Ron that appeared in The Thinker when he graduated.  

 

The Gorrs integrated the information from the couples and were able to guess the interior layout of the underground chambers. But they could not find the way in. They continued to enslave the couples in separate locations. Ivan, Collin, and Ali cut trees and made furniture. Kori, Demi, and Dyosa wove fabrics and sewed clothes. They found happiness in being with their spouses, and in knowing their children were safe.

 

After alighting from his auto-wagon at the pier, Frank took a backpack from the ferryboat and then set out for Senna on the speedboat. He espied and intercepted another auto-boat leaving the Saviors’ Isle. It was piloted by Johnny Ray, alias Fort. Johnny fired. But he was no match against Frank. At long last, Johnny paid for putting the explosives on Ivan’s boat.

 

After destroying the other auto-boat, Frank sped to Senna. He secretly talked to Ethan, disguised himself as Josef’s father, and then went to Hal Gorr.

 

“Your Father sent me,” Frank told Hal. “We have gained entry into the underground chambers! The Devil’s Eye treasure is almost in our hands. Time is of the essence in finding it, so we need more information from the slaves.”

 

Hal and two of his goons drove him to where Ivan and Kori were held captive. Frank surreptitiously dropped marked pebbles along the way.

 

Five men guarded Ivan and Kori. “Bring the slaves in the interrogation bunker,” Hal ordered them. His two other goons stayed in the wagon. Hal went with Frank in the bunker. Two guards accompanied Ivan and Kori into the bunker.

 

With lightning speed, Frank shot the guards, choked Hal, taped his mouth, and handcuffed him.

 

Ivan and Kori recognized Frank. “Search Gorr and the guards for keys,” Frank told the couple, then shoved Hal towards Ivan. “I’ll deal with the other guards.”

 

When Frank returned to the bunker, Ivan said, “There is no key to the shackles on our ankles, but we can walk fast.”

 

Frank yanked the tape over Hal’s mouth. Shoving him out of the bunker, Frank commanded, “Tell me where Collin and Ali are.” His calm voice masked his rage.

 

“You will pay for this,” hissed Hal.

 

“I’ll break every bone in your body given the slightest justification,” Frank vowed. “Where are Collin, Demi, Ali, and Dyosa?”

 

Ethan had informed the Senna army of what Frank set out to do. An army runner was sent to inform the Cissero army. Soldiers were dispatched to the Senna-Cissero Mountains. Ethan went with them. They followed the marked pebbles dropped by Frank.  

 

Ivan, Kori, Collin, Demi, Ali, and Dyosa were rescued. The army would later find the other captives. On their way back to Senna, Ethan mentioned he was going to the North City of Ibelyn to inform Glenda’s parents about Lola. “Go back home to the Saviors’ Isle,” Ethan told Frank. “We will follow.” 

 

Josephine held a personal vigil at the pier after Alisa and Lola were found. She was there with Mario in Frank’s wagon when the speedboat arrived. They drove to Ari’s medical clinic. By then, Alisa was fine and Ron was out of danger.

 

Toni heard the wagon. She ran outside followed by Lola and Ari. Glenda and Grandmother Connor were with Ron and Alisa.

 

Toni recognized her parents as they alighted from the wagon. She ran to them. “You’re alive! Alisa, Lola, and Ron are fine, and you are back! Thank you, God!” Ali and Dyosa embraced their daughter fiercely.

 

Ari gazed at his parents. He had never cried in all his forty years. Unaware of the tears welling in his eyes, he walked towards Ivan and Kori as if he were approaching heaven’s gates. He embraced them with all the love and longing he nurtured for twenty-four years. Lola also embraced her grandparents.

 

Collin and Demi hastened to the clinic. They embraced Ron ever so lovingly.

 

Frank gathered Josephine in his arms. “I have completed the mission that had occupied my mind. Will you marry me, my dearest love?”  

Day 10 - The Heroes’ Journal

 

 

The Saviors’ Isle citizens gathered by the eastern cliff. The holy month was upon them. Ivan and Kori sat beside Ethan and his family. Lola sat with her maternal grandparents, Representative and Mrs. Don Ibelyn. They repeatedly hugged and kissed her.   

 

Ron spoke. “Let us glorify God. He is all-good and all-loving. Let us honor heroes. Let us celebrate ourselves.”

 

Ron opened one of the safes found in the third underground chamber under Red Season. He took out a journal and handed it to Alisa. She read the first entry: the marriage of the legendary Ron Balian. The second entry was the Georgia Knox’s manifest:

           

Tony         Connor  owner and skipper      21 years old

Phil           Connor                                         24

Bill            Connor                                         30

Emma      Connor                                         28

Uncle        Connor                                         52

                 

Hugo                                                              58

Vangel     Hugo                                            53

Kori           Hugo                                            19

Lola          Hugo                                            16

Ivan           Hugo                                              9

Ethan        Hugo                                              2

 

Leo           Thomas                                       28

Pit             Schwartz                                      15

 

Ron           Balian                                           25

[Wife]        Balian                                           2_

 

 

The Saviors’ Isle citizens traveled back in time….

Part 2 - Greed for the Unearned    

Almost Two Centuries Ago 

Chapter 1 - The Connors 

 

 

Children frolicked in the sand while women repaired fishnets by the big campfire on a hot summer night. There was no food for dinner. Everyone was asleep on the beach by midnight, except Tony, nine years of age, and his two twelve-year-old friends, Phil and Jim.

 

“How deep should the hole be, Tony?” Phil asked.

 

“Two meters; we’ll build a fence around it, so no one will accidentally fall into it.”

 

Tony continued to dig long after Phil and Jim fell asleep.

 

Loud cheers awakened the boys at daybreak. They arose and saw dozens of boats on the horizon. They raced to the water. Other boys were already swimming out to sea to meet the fishermen. Tony swam out to meet his grandfather.

 

The catch was plentiful. Breakfast was festive. It had been a long while since the village people had enough to eat. The day was busy for the women and children as the tired men slept. Boatloads of fish were cleaned and then smoked or dried. Fishnets and boats were washed and dried.

 

That evening, the fishermen and their families sang and danced by the fire. The head of the village, Chief Hunsec, spoke. “Let’s give praise for the sea is bountiful.” The chief was of medium height and build. He had straight gray hair that reached below his shoulders.

 

The children kept still and quiet as their elders gave thanks. After the prayers, Tony’s grandfather asked to be heard.

 

“We can harvest the sea’s bounty only for half the year. Tony has thought of a way we can have food even when the sea is angry.”

 

The village people were all ears. Chief Hunsec’s cold blue eyes glowered.

 

“We will grow fish in ponds.” As the old man explained Tony’s ideas, Chief Hunsec observed the intent faces and focused eyes directed at the speaker. He felt fear… his dread turned into anger.

 

Chief Hunsec laughed. “Grow fish,” he jeered. “Old Connor – you’ve turned senile!” He doubled over with laughter.

 

A number of people followed suit. They thought that if the chief regarded Tony’s ideas as ridiculous, then they must be. Before long, many howled and mocked the Connors. The singing and dancing around the campfire resumed.

 

Tony continued digging that summer. His grandfather built a fence around the excavation when he was not out to sea. Phil joined Tony; Jim helped them at night.

 

“Don’t tell the others I am helping you,” Jim asked his two friends. “Everyone is saying you are both crazy. Why don’t you stop this lunacy?”

 

Grandfather Connor saved live fish, shrimp, and mussels for the boys’ small ponds. Before the rainy season came, they completed and stocked three bigger ponds.

 

A few months into the rainy season, the people began skipping dinner and scrimping on lunch and breakfast. Every time the boys harvested, Tony asked Phil and Jim to give fish to the other kids’ families. Jim became popular, which made him very happy.

 

Some people thanked Grandfather Connor and the boys.

 

Chief Hunsec proclaimed in a village meeting, “It is the duty of old Connor and his grandson to serve their village. Without us, they couldn’t have had the fish ponds. They should produce more fish not only to feed the village, but so we can trade the extra fish for other goods.”

 

Tony was twelve when he proposed planting rice so the village would not have to trade for it.

 

“You are crazy,” Chief Hunsec scoffed. “Nobody has ever tried. Your futile mind forgets that there is no water to irrigate rice fields. Next time, do not speak unless you are told to.”

 

“Chief, we should listen to him. He was right about the fish ponds,” a middle-aged man counseled.