Watson, Ian - Novel 06 Read Online Free PDF Page A

footprint
behind in solid rock, a third glowing angel appeared, becoming a black-bearded man
wearing kaftan and turban, with a scimitar by his side. He planted his foot in
Mohammed’s footprint and called out in Arabic, “Come to God’s World, come to
success!”
                 As
the world spun on its course that Easter Day a whole series of manifestations
came and went: a mere shaft of light at Lourdes—but a robed Christ figure who
endured for all of five minutes on the terrace of the hilltop church of Bom
Jesus at Congonhas in Brazil. (Here the first photographs of an apparition were
shot. Standing amidst the remarkably lifelike soapstone statues of the twelve
apostles who look out across the valley, it invited an ecstatic crowd in
Portuguese to visit Heaven.) In Salt Lake City appeared Joseph Smith’s angel,
and in Mexico the Virgin Mary . . . and some hours later at the Great Shrine of
Ise in Japan, amidst the cypress trees, materialised the Sun Goddess Amaterasu.
And on, across South-East Asia and India, avatars Buddhist and Hindu appeared
at holy places, completing the circuit of the globe in Mecca as a golden angel
floating above the black-draped granite block of the Kaaba, calling out to
circling pilgrims the same message: “Come to God’s World, come to success! ”
                 Even
in China an ancient warrior figure coalesced out of light in the Square of Heavenly Peace and fired arrows of light towards the
horizon.
                 Northern Europe , Canada and the USSR , excluding its Asian southlands, were alone
unblessed ...
                 Over
the next few days, as people flocked—and inevitably trampled over each other—to
these places of witness, the apparitions gained in duration and solidity, as
if they actually borrowed strength from the increasing numbers who saw and
heard them. Already it was apparent that they spoke to the ear of each faith
(even to atrophied faiths) and presented themselves to the archaic not the
modernist eye. It was apparent too that the apparitions tracked around the
world in a systematic scan from numinous node to numinous node, remaining below
latitude 44° north.
                 The
composite message of the avatars, given through the lips of quasi-Jesus,
quasi-Buddha, quasi-Mohammed—and interpreted a little out of the language of
revelation—ran as follows:
                 / am the prophet/ angel/ messenger/ message
     
                 from Heaven/the heavens/space
     
                 where God lives! where God's World is.
     
                 There is a star in the River/ constellation
Eridanus.
     
                 That star is unique)an isolated star.
     
                 Your best souls will go to Heaven/will
ascend/fly there.
     
                 If you die, you will live again, undying.
     
                 Now there is war in
Heaven/conflict/struggle. Gird your arms about you!
     
                 Join the Crusade. Bear witness/send
witnesses/an expedition.
     
                 Send champions/ representatives.
     
                 Follow the path of the angels /the waveguide
of these messages.
     
                 The way is open/transport is arranged/a
means.
     
                 Join the caravan/the drive/ /yoke your
caravan (your craft?) to the drive / means/ engine we bring you. Hitch your
wagon to the stars/your craft to the star-drive.
     
                 It is high time you came//it is in High
Time/sacred time you will travel/it is outside space-time/in hyperspace. Ascend
to Heaven through High Space /the space above/hyperspace.
     
                 Look beyond the highest mountains, beyond
the roof of the world.
     
                 There is the instrument of light beyond
light.
     
                 Bring pure minds to the task/ /only suitable
minds (your wish/