

57,000 words

I AM ADAM

A Novel by

JAMES SHIPMAN TWEREL **L**

For a full discussion of I AM ADAM go to the blog at I Am Adam

I Am Adam

Living Word Publications, Inc.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third party websites or their content.

I Am Adam

Living Word Publications, Inc published by arrangement with James Terry Shipman Twerell

Copyright©2008 by Living Word Publications

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is dedicated to Janetta who took me through the door of life, and to Peter, who showed me the door.
PREFACE

This is the book of generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him: male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Genesis 5:1,2

For a full discussion of I AM ADAM go to the blog at I Am Adam

Chapter 1

The New Earth

High atop the quiet mountains a solitary figure stood and gazed across the landscape below. The early morning sun was weaving a pattern of light into the darkened terrain, and he pulled in the strength of the dawning of a new day. His name was Domatarious and his task was to guide all of creation toward the perfection of the plan set in motion by the thoughts of God. While not alone in this task, for he was part of the force known as Pantermums, this particular dawning found him feeling very alone and, for the first time in his journey, saddened.

"Why, with all the Love and Light in the creation, would the created choose to walk in shadow?" He asked himself quietly. "Of all the eternal places I have found, this Earth was always one of my favorites, but now it is rather plain. Well, not actually plain, simply not the reflection of the Universe I loved and admired when I was last here."

"Appreciating the new Earth or merely reflecting on the old one?" He felt her there even before he heard her words.

"Satari," he said, as he turned to her, "how wonderful to see you and feel your presence in this rather different place. You bring hope to me that some things may still be beautiful as they used to be."

As she took his hand in hers, he felt the transfer of her energy and was refreshed immediately.

"Domatarious," she said, "it is good to have you back and to be one with you again. Much has changed in this world, but the love of life is still a strong force between us." She moved closer and they stood and looked out over the growing light as it filled the world. "It has changed greatly my love," she spoke in a quiet voice, "but it is still a beautiful place in many respects and it is a place the God of All Good Things has created for pleasure."

He and Satari had journeyed many places in the Universe, and shared a bond that strengthened them in all their tasks. While he had been away from her for some time, they were always together in their deep love for each other.

"It appears the Earth has become a rather resistant part of the creation," he said as he once again looked out over the valley below. "I have never seen any part of the Universe ignore the Power of Love and Light as has happened here on Earth. It would be so much easier if they chose to follow the beauty of God's Love and Light, and enjoy a journey filled with peace and joy. It is ever so sad when the creation chooses to trust in its own understanding and not follow the plan of God, and then experience a difficult journey. It is clear that ultimately, all of creation will follow the plan of God's Love and Light, for that is the only conclusion of God's creation. How else can it be when the God of the Universe creates all things to meet perfection?"

Satari turned from the view of the valley and said, "Evolving of understanding is the reason for God's thought, and it is the task we and other Pantermums have to assist in this evolution. Throughout the Universe, much of God's creation has progressed through the choices and arrived in the place of harmony and love. While some have taken longer than others have, the work on Earth has become one of the slower transformations. However, you and I both know the transformation will take place in God's perfect time."

Turning to Satari, he put his arm around her and led her to a couch near them. As they sat he said, "When I left, the species had begun to grow and seemed to be gaining in understanding. Obviously, they departed from the Power of Love and Light, and things did not work well for them. Were you here for these changes?"

"I was called to Conponious shortly after you left, but returned here prior to the destruction. The species evolved rapidly as individuals, but never formed any thought of harmony with each other. This isolation from each other and the lack of mutual understanding provided an open door for the power of the shadow. In less than 200 years, they had learned to fight with each other and bring destruction, but had not developed any growth in knowledge. They never left the valley below during their entire existence. Ultimately, they destroyed themselves faster than they could reproduce. The beauty of Earth began to disappear and we decided to head to the higher places to remove ourselves from the differences they produced. We had been told to let this species evolve without direct interaction."

The job of the Pantermums was to guide the creation into the place of harmony. When difficulties might arise, they would normally turn to the Circle of Understanding for help. The Circle of Understanding is the place in Eternity that serves as a source of wisdom for all creation. It is here the Pantermums interact on the progress of creation and receive the insight for their task. The Circle was truly the place of orchestration for all the creative force in the universe and served as the final word in all difficulties.

"Did you go to The Circle of Understanding to ascertain if anything could be done to stop this?" Domatarious asked.

"Several went to The Circle to see what might be suggested," she said, "but they always returned with the directions to simply wait, for things were coming together according to the great plan".

She settled back into Domatarious' arms and continued, "One year, there was a great eruption from the surface of the sun and it greatly impacted all the system around it. The nearest planet fell into the sun and the force of the change brought major upheavals to the atmosphere of the Earth. Because the species had not developed, they could not adapt to the changes, and ultimately they all perished."

"None remain?" he asked.

"We have remnants for the next part of the plan of the God of All Good Things, and they are the only ones here on Earth." She replied.

Standing, she took his hand and walked over to the edge of the porch. "We sought answers as to why this was all happening and The Circle of Understanding showed us the heart of the species was caught in shadow so dark, that the Power of Love and Light was seldom embraced. The destruction of the species was the conclusion of shadow without the balance of Light. They had opportunity to walk in the Light and remove their shadow understanding, but refused and thus sealed their fate. It is the purpose of the Universe to allow created life the opportunity to journey toward truth and embrace the reality of the beauty of Light without outside force. You and I, Domatarious, walk in eternal Light because we are Pantermums and have no shadow in us. However, those creations that walk with shadow and Light will evolve until they bring harmony to both. When that takes place, Light will be the only path they seek. Why it takes place in this manner, I do not know, but it is the plan of God for this to happen."

"It is hard to believe this happened in such a short time," he remarked.

Laughing she replied, "You are definitely a traveler without knowledge of time. We have completed over 10,000 cycles since you left. In what we now identify as years, instead of completed cycles, you have been gone 100,000 years. Much can happen in that long an absence."

He smiled and thought how traveling without the presence of time does make a difference in how one judges things. To him, a day was as a thousand years on Earth, and a thousand days but a moment. There is no sense of time in the eternal journey; it is lived one moment at a time. "The absence of time is a blessing for all of us," he replied as they once again embraced, "for it makes being apart seem but a short time."

Satari smiled at him, held him, and said, "I have been here since the start of the reconstruction plans, and I think of you always. I am grateful that we are together for this new mission. We are of one heart and it always refreshes me to be with you."

Pointing out over the valley below, he saw a familiar area. "Do you remember the gorge filled with Accertoms that used to be there? How we would love to spend time in the blossoms as they changed color and gave off such wonderful fragrance. I too think of you always, and remember all of our great experiences. How magnificent this Universe is and how I do hope we will see Earth recreated to reflect the beauty it once contained."

He looked at Satari and again felt the beauty she gave off to the world around her. The darkness of her eyes provided a place of comfort lit only by the great joy of her bright smile. They had journeyed so long that he did not ever remember being without her. Even when apart, it seemed as though she was still by his side. "Now we have a new adventure." He said, "Tell me how things progress in the rebuilding."

"We have taken the new forms created by the God of All Good Things and set them in separate places on the Earth. There are eight total and we placed them so they could easily find at least one other form when the time is correct. We call the forms Adam and they all have adapted to the new Earth and are making incredible progress in establishing order to their surrounding. In The Circle of Understanding, we received instructions that the God of All Good Things would only newly create half of the human forms. The other halves are from the remnant of the previous species that we have preserved until instructed to release them."

Contemplating this he asked her, "This new form known as Adam, does it contain both shadow and Light?"

"Yes," she replied, "for it is created by God for the purpose of finding balance and walking in the beauty of Light without following shadow. However, this Adam is currently pure in thought and reflects only the Light at this time. The introduction to the former species will provide the opportunity for both Light and shadow to interact, for the previous species, while they are the same as the Adam forms; have developed a deeper sense of shadow awareness. Light is the ability to embrace the beauty and Power of Love and the desire to walk as one in love. The former species will have this ability the same as the Adam form has, but the interaction with the new Earth will present opportunity for the former species to make choices. The Adam form has not been challenged with such choices, therefore the interaction between the two of them will begin the process of evolving toward harmony that will provide the ultimate free desire to follow only Light. As you know, we have permission to work with the new creation in a more direct manner. I am sure that this new creation will succeed in their evolving toward pure Love and Light."

"When may I meet this Adam?" he asked.

Taking his hand, she smiled and said, "Come my love, let me take you into the new Earth and meet Adam, for she awaits you."

Chapter 2

Adam

She rested in the clearing and watched the sunrise over the trees, "I love the quiet of the new day for I can feel it all around me. I hear the grass begin to move as the sun warms it. It stretches and flexes its strength and then stands up tall to celebrate another day of life. I feel the Earth move below me as my night friends begin to settle down for rest while the sun shines above them. Hello, my beautiful forest, I am Adam and I am happy to be with you today. What adventures do you have in mind today as we discover each other?"

Rolling over, she met the beautiful green eyes of Sumba. "Hello Sumba my beautiful friend; how I love to wake and feel you next to me. Kiss me awake, Sumba, and tell me you care for me as I care for you." She pressed close to the green eyes and felt Sumba's tongue slide across her face. She ran her hand through Sumba's fur and both felt joy together. "So how are my beautiful littles today?" She asked as Sumba stretched out and exposed the young sleeping below her. "Wake up you little wonders, it is a new day!" she exclaimed. The one near her opened its eyes and scampered to her hand. "You are getting very big my little friend; you are bigger than my hand." The kitten snuggled to her and then jumped down to feed.

"Oh Sumba, you are able to do what I can not. I have breasts, but they do not work as yours. Maybe I need to have little ones like these and then they will work. We share everything as friends, but you have made others of yourself, and I have not. Satari will visit today and I will ask how to make others of myself as you have."

She gave Sumba one more stroke on her beautiful body. "How black is the cover she wears," she thought, "and very soft. I do not have a cover as hers, but it isn't necessary, as I would not like to carry such things around all the time. Sumba moves as the wind when she runs, and her cover does not slow her down. Maybe her cover makes her run faster. I will think about this today."

"I am going to the water Sumba. I will be back to go up the high place with you and we will carry the littles so we can go fast."

Listening, she heard heavy steps by the water and they were not familiar to her. She went higher so she might see the visitor and know how to prepare. She could smell the odor of the visitor, and something about it was very unusual. Looking near the water she saw this strange new being.

"It appears to be somewhat like Sumba, but very light in color." She thought. "It is holding a leg up and walking on some of its feet. I must go see this being up close to find why it walks in such a strange way."

"Hello new being, I am Adam. Why do you walk on only some of your feet?" She felt something coming from this being. She sensed the creature's pain and its hesitation at her appearance. "I am feeling hurt from you and it is unwelcome. Are you hurt?" She felt the being wanted to run away, but it also wanted her to come to it. "I will sit here near you and you may come meet me and we will know each other."

"What is that smell this being gives to me?" she wondered "It is even greater than the hurt I feel but I don't know what it is. Does the being not want to know me? Why would that be? Wait, its foot is hurt and the red comes from it into the water. I must help for that is why I feel the hurt. It must be the reason for the other smell I don't know."

"My new friend, I will help you with your hurt. How did you do this to yourself? Here sit next to me and let me see your foot, for I will help you walk again without the pain we both now feel."

As she looked this being in the eye, the smell she could not recognize began to go away. "This creature is soft as Sumba and as we touch, I feel its hurt become less. Here my friend put your head on my leg while I look at your foot."

There in the bottom, she sees an opening that was bleeding. "I have done this to myself my friend and I have had the red come out also. I know it hurts, but I feel your hurt even more than mine. I will put my lips on your pain, for that always makes my pain better."

She could taste the blood as she put her lips on the cut. "I desire for this hurt to stop and this red to stop. Make my new friend's foot as it was."

She continued to press her lips on the cut and then thought, "Oh there is the wonderful feeling again. It's how I feel when I run fast down the mountain. I feel it all over my body and I know it's making my new friend better."

"See my new friend, it is not red now, and it is like it was before."

The animal looked at the foot as she showed it. "The red from the hurt covers my face and body. I'm going into the water and remove all this red. Come my new friend, let us go into the water together, and be wet. I love the water all over my body. Your red is on me and I need to wet it off. Come my new friend; come into the water. I think I will let you meet Sumba and we can all go into the high places together. I will now go see the water animals whose feet never touch earth. How I love to watch them and touch them as they move around. Come my new friend, let me show you my other friends who have no feet and after that, I will take you to meet Sumba and her little Sambas. That's right, come all the way in and join me. I think I will call you Wellna, for you were not well and now you are."

Wellna came to her side and splashed her with its feet showing how well they now worked. She could now feel the happiness in Wellna and it made her happy. "You are Wellna my new friend, and I am Adam. Together we will have great adventures."

***

"She is beautiful Satari." Domatarious said as they watched Adam play with the dog-like animal she had befriended. "She is a gentle and loving being that truly reflects the Light given to all."

"She has been a joy to me since we placed her in the valley." Satari replied, "She smelled the fear in the dog-like and it was foreign to her. She fears nothing and nothing fears her. She has wandered through the valley and up to the high places and fills everyday with the joy of discovery. She is the power of Love and Light in a walking form."

They watched Adam play in the water and enjoyed the exuberance she gave to all creation around her. As she swam around, birds, fish, and other water creatures all came to her and she spoke to all of them as her long lost friends. She would dive under the water and stay so long they thought she may be in trouble, but she would bound out of the surface laughing and carrying on a conversation with the fish she had visited. As she and her dog friend came to the shore and lay in the sun together, the beauty of her features shown forth. Her hair was long and very light. She had a very long back and legs that gave her the appearance of being tall. However, when she stood she was as average as most of the species. Her body was dark from the Sun and she had strong arms and legs. In all, she was a beautiful female of the human species who was now mother to all the Earth.

"Are the others like her?" Domatarious asked Satari.

"They are all similar in shape, but different in coloring and interest. This Adam is very interested in the forest and animals around her and loves to explore. I noticed that one of the others is very much into knowing the types of fruits the trees produce. Another one is quieter and spends a lot of time walking long distances to see what is over the next hill. She often goes for days and then returns to the place she started. However, they are all very human and very pure. They reflect the beauty of Light in every way. Come Domatarious; let us go speak to her. You must use voice communication as she does not use thought transfer."

Satari went down the hill and they entered the living area that Adam used as home. Sumba looked up as they entered and wagged her long tail. She was a beautiful black leopard and her babies were all nursing as she rested. Satari bent over and stroked Sumba on the head and behind her ears.

"Adam has not figured out how Sumba became pregnant," Satari said, "and her curiosity is growing daily. I think when we introduce the male Adam, she will probably want to have babies as soon as she is able. I imagine we will discuss this today, as she always brings up having little Adams the same way Sumba had little Sumba's"

"Satari you have come." Adam came bounding into the clearing like an antelope, but she stopped short when she saw Domatarious. He saw her smell the air and try to feel him as she looked at him. He sent her powerful love energy and felt her receive it and relax.

"Who is this Satari? I feel goodness from this person and I want to know why."

Satari took Domatarious hand and walked toward Adam. "This is a very good friend of mine Adam and his name is Domatarious."

Adam cautiously looked at him and said, "This being gives me a good feeling and I like that. What is a 'very good friend' Satari? Is this a new kind of being?"

Domatarious started to interact with Adam, but remembering that she did not use thought transfer for conversation, he spoke to her. "I am a being just as Satari and have been with her a long time. I am going to be with you as Satari has been and I am very happy to see you."

Adam came over, touched him and then, leaning very close, stroked his hair. While it was rather disconcerting, he took it as the way she offered her greetings.

"You have a very hard name to say Dom-a-tar-ious."

"You may call me Dom if you desire, Adam, which would be fine with me."

She smiled and said, "I will call you Dom for now, but will call you Dom-a-tar-ious sometimes if you like. Why will you be with me like Satari?"

"Domatarious and I are here to help you learn more about the way of this world so you will gain in knowledge Adam. There are many new things to learn, and we will help you to understand if you would like."

Adam continued to look at Domatarious as she spoke, "I would like that very much as I enjoy speaking to you and having you speak to me. My friends in the woods don't always speak so I can understand them, but we talk to each other in different ways. My new friend Dom, you do not look like Satari or me, but I enjoy looking at you."

He smiled at her and said, "Adam, I am fashioned as the male of your kind. You are female and, therefore, you look different. I must say that you are very beautiful and I enjoy looking at you also."

She smiled at this and he thought she somewhat blushed. "I do not have a covering as yours. My friends all have coverings, but I don't think I would like one. I have some covering on my arms and legs, and I have covering between my legs, but nothing like Sumba or my new friend Wellna. Should I have a covering as them and you?"

"Would you like that, Adam?" Satari asked her.

She paused for a minute and said, "No, it would make it hard to run down the mountain, and I love to run. I may seek one at another time if it seems like I would like one."

Turning, she ran to the edge of the clearing and called, "Come look at Sumba and her littles, Satari and my new friend Dom. They are getting very big."

They followed her and once again saw the leopard lying with her babies. She was a beautiful black color with magnificent green eyes. She had five little cubs that began to stir as Adam sat down and stroked them. Sumba was totally at peace with Adam and gave little notice to Domatarious and Satari. As they watched her with the cubs, they heard something in the bushes behind Adam and caught sight of the dog-like creature she called Wellna. Adam saw him also and called, "Wellna, come and meet all our friends and show them your pain place that is now well."

Wellna came to the edge of the clearing and Sumba tensed and watched him carefully. Adam put her hand on Sumba and asked softly, "Sumba, what is this I feel from you? Wellna is our new friend, as is Dom, and you are not to put out your grrrrrr sound toward them." Adam reached over, gave Sumba a big hug, and stroked her fur. They could feel the energy from Sumba change as Adam did this. They watched Wellna emerge from the woods and come to Adam, who also gave a big hug to him. She took Wellna's front paw and held it for Sumba to see. "This is the place Wellna was in pain and I felt it, but I felt the fixing come through me and now it is well. I call it Wellna for now it is well. Wellna is now our friend, Sumba."

The leopard stood to her feet and she was much larger than Wellna. Slowly, she came to Wellna and looked at him then looked back at Adam. She gave Wellna a lick on the face. They felt the energy change to such peace and joy as all this took place. Wellna, still unsure of his position, sat next to Adam and looked at Sumba, as if to say, "This is nice, but let us take it slow for now."

Satari sat next to Adam and began to stroke her long blond hair with her fingers. "How are you feeling in the forest, Adam? Have you been exploring again?"

As Dom sat next to Adam, she leaned into Satari as if to encourage her stroking her hair. "I have felt many things here, and I truly love all the new friends I meet each day. But I would like to have littles as Sumba. How do I do that, Satari?"

"For Sumba to have littles, she found another like her, but male. She is female as you, and the male is her opposite. When they came together, she developed the littles inside her and she brought them out with your help. Do you remember that time?"

"Oh yes, I do." Adam replied excitedly. "I felt Sumba's pain, but then it was such great joy when the littles came out of her. They sucked on her breast and fed them. I have had them suck on my breast, but I have not been able to give them food as Sumba. I want my breast to work like hers. This male and female you talk of, what is the meaning of this? Dom said he is the male of your female. Who is my male? Sumba found this male and made her littles, but I have not found my male."

"Adam," Domatarious replied", would you like to meet your male?"

"Oh yes," she said quickly and jumped to her feet, "let us go now."

Satari laughed and said, "Not right now Adam, but very soon we will bring him to you."

"Is that my males name—him?"

"No Adam," Satari replied "'Him' is how we speak of the male and 'her' is how we speak of the female. Sumba is a 'her' and your new friend Wellna is a 'him', for he is the male of his kind. The 'him' we speak of is also called Adam, but this Adam is male and you are the female Adam."

"So, someplace there is a Sumba male and someplace else is a Wellna female. I am here as Adam female and 'him' is somewhere as Adam male. Why are we not together, or do the male and female not live together? I don't know Sumba male, so him must be somewhere else. I don't think I would like to be with Adam male all the time, because Sumba does not like to be with Sumba male all the time."

Feeling her confusion Domatarious asked, "Adam, in your discoveries have you seen your animal friends together?"

"My flying friends are together, but they are many. My friends who live in the water with no feet to touch the Earth are together, but they are many, too. I see my friends who climb the trees; they are together and are not so many. Is it good to be together as male and female?"

"Yes Adam," Satari spoke, "it is good to be together, for you will be able to do more things and you will be able to talk when you want. You can also have littles, which you will call 'children'. You and Adam male will have much fun together."

"I will think on these things, Satari and Dom, and I will watch for you to bring Adam male to be my new friend. I am going up the mountain to see forever, for it is a good place."

With that, she rose up and ran off into the woods, with her new friend Wellna by her side. Satari stood and watched her go. "She becomes overwhelmed with new thoughts and goes off to sort them out. We have given her much to think about today. Are you ready to meet the Adam male now, Domatarious?"

"Tell me something about him," he asked as he watched Adam disappear into the forest. "I dearly love our little Adam female and I feel somewhat protective of her now."

Satari laughed and said, "Well, father Domatarious, it seems you have fallen under our beautiful woman's spell. I understand, my love; I have come to love her and I am hesitant to expose her to her counterpart, but she is only half of God's plan and we must trust the other part will also turn out well. As for the male, we have eight that are prepared for cohabitation. They are the result of bringing together the egg and sperm of the first species and are identical to the new creations except they are male. We identify them as the male Adams and we kept all of them in separate locations and gave instruction to each, similar to the guidance we provided for the eight female Adams. The Adam male we shall introduce to our Adam is aware of the female of the species and prepared for the meeting. We will bring him here tonight and they will wake to each other tomorrow. Come, let us go to him."

Taking his hand, they left the garden and moved to another location on the other side of the mountain. This spot was similar to the forest they had left, but it was more orderly and fashioned as a living space rather than a clearing. Domatarious noticed a herd of sheep-like creatures all settled together in the corner of the settlement area. Looking around he said, "I see Adam male has started to structure his environment."

"Yes, he has learned to bring certain animals into the compound and take care of them. I don't think he knows why he has them, so that will prove interesting in the future. When we move him, we will bring the sheep he has with him, then he will continue care for them as he has been. This will be unusual for our female Adam, but I am sure she will adapt. He has also watched the wheat make seeds and grow again, so I am sure he will continue to explore what that process may provide to him. For now, both of them live off the fruits of the land, and have done nothing other than forage for food."

Turning, Satari pointed to a path toward the mountainside. "I see him coming now" she said, "Let us go meet him."

Domatarious watched as the male Adam came into the settlement. He had expected Adam to be tall and rugged, but while he had muscle and dark complexion, he was not much taller than the female. Unlike the female, he had dark hair with a strong chin. He was handsome, yet very rough in his looks. As he caught sight of them, he smiled at Satari but stopped quickly when he saw Domatarious. Similar to the female, he smelled the air to try to determine who this person was with Satari.

"Adam, how are you today?" Satari asked. "Come here and meet my friend Domatarious, who is very happy to know you."

He came and stood before Domatarious and looking straight into his eyes said, "I am Adam."

Domatarious sent a strong energy of love toward him, and while he felt him relax, Adam did not move a muscle as he continued to look at Domatarious. "Hello Adam, I am Domatarious and I am happy to meet you." Not moving, Domatarious sensed Adam's eyes take in every aspect of his presence. Domatarious felt Adam's strength and was impressed with how he showed neither fear nor aggression.

"Satari feels good with you near her," Adam said. "So it makes me feel good too and I am happy to see you". He made a change in his face that looked almost like a smile, and turned to Satari. "I am always happy when you are here and I am happy that this one makes you happy." Turning again to Domatarious he said, "I am Adam, and you may sit and talk to me for I do not know of you."

As they sat on the ground, Satari said, "Adam, Domatarious is a long-time friend and he has come to be with you as you explore and find new things. As I told you, we are going to have some very happy things happen that you will like very much, and Domatarious will show you how to enjoy these things even more."

Adam looked at Domatarious and with a grunt said, "Dom-a-tar-ious is a long name for you. I like Satari's name, it is easy to know."

Just as the female, the name had become a problem for him. "You may call me Dom if you want. I like it also."

Thinking for a minute, he said, "I will call you Dom and will think about calling you Dom-a-tar-ious some other time. You come from above the mountain like Satari?"

"Yes Adam, I come from the same place as Satari, and I will come and visit you often as you explore your fields and forest. Have you made a lot of new friends in the forest?"

Again looking Dom in the eyes, he relaxed and almost smiled again. "I have many friends who are with me in the forest. I am as fast as most of them, but some are faster. I have the furry friends that I have made at home with me." Saying this, he pointed to the sheep in the corner of the field. "They stay with me and I give them food. They have trouble with some of my faster friends in the forest who chase them. Here with me, no being chases them and they are happy. I like to touch them. Go touch them, Dom, for you will like it too."

Following Adam's commanding instructions, Domatarious rose and went to the sheep in the corner of the settlement. They were healthy and rapidly growing a thick coat. He wondered how long it would take Adam to figure out any use for the sheep and their coats. Looking about the clearing he could not see any sign of fire, and surmised that Adam had not figured out how to create a flame yet. Given his disposition for organizing his surroundings, Domatarious was sure that Adam would find out all these things very soon. Returning to Adam and Satari, he sat down once again and spoke to him. "Adam, the furry ones are called 'sheep' and you have a very nice group of them here. Satari tells me you are aware that you will meet the female Adam soon. What do you think about this?"

"Satari tells me this is a good thing to do, so I am happy to do it. I like to talk and be with Satari, and I miss it when she is away. My friends around me are all I need to be happy, but I am sure this new friend, the female, will also be good. Will you be with me like Satari? You feel good to me and I like you here."

Domatarious finally felt Adam truly relax and his energy became very positive. "Yes Adam," he replied", I will be with you and help you learn more about how to work and grow in the place you live. You have learned a lot about how to bring peace and order to your world, and I am happy to help you learn more."

Standing, Adam actually smiled at both of them and simply said, "Good". With that, he walked away and went into the woods across the settlement.

"They both come and go as they please, and operate with independence," Satari said as she watched Adam leave. "It will be interesting to see how they react to another being of their own kind when they are together all the time. What do you think of the male Adam?"

"He is much more cautious than the female, and is also very territorial in how he sees his surroundings. It took him a while to relax into acceptance when introduced to me. I think my going to the sheep and looking at them was important to him. That strong possessive quality interferes with the Power of Light flowing through him. He seems to be establishing his value by the things he is doing rather than by being himself. The female is much more comfortable just being alive and part of all that is around her. She is a truer reflection of the Power of Light at work."

"Yes she is," Satari replied, "but her trust in the world around her does leave her more vulnerable."

"True," Domatarious said, "but the ability to really trust is how she will walk as one with the plans of the God of All Good Things. The male's lack of trust will make his journey more difficult, as he will question everything and may not be open to the leading of the Light."

Standing, she took his hand and looking into his eyes replied, "You and I have seen that the ability to trust comes only when we have explored the pain of not trusting. Those who are naïve are not trusting; they simply do not have enough information to make choices. Often, our best information for choices comes from the pain of making the wrong ones. When we know that there are options, we make choices to walk in Light and not follow the deceptions of the shadow. This process defines all that you and I try to accomplish with this human species. The souls that journey through this Earth will inhabit the human form and will make choices. If they learn to trust in the wisdom of their inner journey, they will follow Light. If they trust only in what they can see and feel around them, then the journey will be difficult. The female will help the male to trust more, and hopefully, the male will help the female to understand the development of making choices. Our job, my eternal love, is to guide them in this process but not to interfere in their choices. Let us go prepare for the move of the male and see how the God of All Good Things will work out the plan for this new creation."

As they walked away, Domatarious thought back on how the Earth used to be before the shadow became so strong. He knew that the God of All Good Things already saw this as a perfect conclusion. He would now trust in that thought and not dwell on the possible obstacles that lie ahead. Truly, all things will work together for good.

Chapter 3

Year 1 – The Meeting

The light of the new day had yet to break through as Adam woke and looked about her. She heard the breathing of Sumba and stood slowly to keep from waking her or the littles near her. Smelling the air, she sensed something very different from the normal smell and feel of her surroundings. She rose carefully and crawled to the edge of the clearing. Immediately, she could tell that the clearing size was larger than the day before, and she saw new objects in the area. She saw some of the white furry animals she had seen up in the mountains, but they all were now standing right here in her place. She sat and looked at them for a long time, and finally the first rays of light began to show other objects in her clearing. On the ground was a large pile of the eating things she found in the forest. Why would they be sitting right here? She always found eating things in the forest, and never brought them back with her. Beyond this, she noticed a big hill of the grass-with-seeds placed in a pile near the furry animals. What was the meaning of all this? She had seen the furry animals eat the grass-with-seeds, but why bring it here into her place. As the light grew brighter, she stood and walked into the clearing to take a closer look at these strange things. Coming nearer, she smelled a new being and felt a strong sensation within herself. Looking past the pile of grass-with-seeds, she saw the source of the new smell and feeling. It was unlike any being she had ever seen before. It was sleeping and she sat far from the being and watched it sleep. It had long hair similar to hers, but it was very dark and not smooth. The being did not have breast like hers, but had hair covering that area and down the arms. Its legs and body were much like hers, but with bigger ripples and bumps. Standing, she moved closer and now saw the being's face. It looked similar to her face when she saw it in the water, but it was furry. What was this, and what was the smell it gave her? Suddenly its eyes opened and it jumped to its feet and looked at her. Breathing deeply, it took in her smell, stepped to her, and proclaimed in a loud voice, "I am Adam."

At the sound of its voice, Wellna woke and came rushing to her side. Seeing this new creature, he began to growl and show teeth. The smell that came from Wellna was like that she first smelled on him when he was hurt in the forest. Turning, the new being raised its hands and growled back. She grabbed Wellna and held him close and said, "Wellna be happy, for this is a new friend who is also called Adam." Turning to the new being called Adam, she stepped closer and said, "I am Adam and this is Wellna. Are you the male Satari and Dom told me I would see?"

At the mention of Satari's name, the new Adam turned and stared at her. He came close, reached out to touch her light hair, and then gently stroked her face. His hand moved to her breast, and he touched the left one and then put his hand on his own chest. He stepped closer to her, looked deep into her eyes, and smelled her hair in his hands. As she looked into his eyes, the female felt a sense of peace grow in her. She released Wellna and reached out to touched his face. As she did this, he pulled back quickly which caused her to drop her hands and step back.

"I am Adam. You are like me yet different," he said. "I know Satari, and Dom told me I would meet a female like me, and you must be it for I have never seen such beings as you in my world."

"I am Adam, and Satari and Dom told me I was female, and you are male. What is that?" she asked as she pointed to his penis.

"It is how I let water out." He said, "Do you not let water out? Does it stay in those?" He pointed at her breasts.

"I let water out from here," she said putting her hand between her legs," and these are to feed littles just as Sumba does, but mine do not work for I have no littles."

He once again approached her and began to walk around her, touching her face, shoulders, back and finally placing his fingers between her legs. As he touched her, she felt a sensation in her body she never had before. She pulled back and looked away from him. He felt her energy change and reached out to touch her shoulders. She tensed at his touch and then relaxed and faced him.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"No, it is a new feeling I have when you touch me. I like it, but I do not know what it is." Reaching out she touched his face and quickly moved to him and stroked his hair. He looked down into her eyes and asked, "What is this that you are doing?"

"It is how we show we care for each other. My friends and I do this all the time."

He moved closer to her, and stroked her hair. She felt much softer than anything he had ever touched. "I like to do this" he said to her, "you feel good to me." Looking around he saw Wellna watching all this very carefully. "What is this?" he asked pointing to Wellna.

"Wellna is a friend who was hurt and I helped him be better. Wellna is a 'he', or that is what Satari tells me. Now he is with me always and lives here with me and Sumba."

"What is Sumba?" he asked as he continued to stare at Wellna.

"Come, I will let you meet her and her littles." She reached out and offered him her hand. He looked at her hand but did not take it. Moving closer, she grabbed his hand in hers and, throwing her long hair over her shoulders, smiled at him. He lifted her hand and looked at it, then touched the back of her hand with his other fingers. Looking up into her face, he smiled back at her and licked her hand. They stood looking at each other for a few seconds, and then she pulled him with her as they went to see Sumba.

***

"From all I can see, that was a success," Satari said as she and Dom sat and watched the two Adams move across the open field, hand in hand.

"That was beautiful, absolutely beautiful," Dom replied quietly. "We have watched the coming together of the perfection of God's creation. The energy from the two of them was strong, rich, and filled with Light. I was somewhat concerned about Wellna, but he appears to be adapting. The male Adam lost some of his harshness as he began to interact with her gentleness."

"It is as it should be," Satari said. "Balance and harmony between God's creations brings joy."

As they watched the two Adams disappear into the forest, they reflected on how perfect all life was at this moment. The sun was now full in the morning sky and filling the Earth with warmth and refreshment. The sounds of the night had given way to the new energy of the day and Satari and Domatarious heard the stretching and growing of the lush green forest. The Earth was not what they remembered, but here in this clearing, surrounded by such abundance of life, they had great confidence that its restoration had begun.

Tuning to Satari, Domatarious asked, "These new creations reflect a harmony with their surroundings. This male shows a shadow side, but seems open to the Light the female brought to him. Do the other male Adams show this balance, or is the shadow side so strong it will crush the Light?"

Satari laughed and put her arm around him saying, "Oh my love, you have been away too long from the challenge of evolving a species according to the Power of Light. You well remember that there is no shadow than can overcome Light. If we turn on a light, it will cause shadow, which is the way of Light and shadow. However, no matter how much shadow there is, Light will always shatter darkness. When we bring the Light of God's plan to darkness, the shadow that comes forth is only because the Light has come forth. Nevertheless, all we need to do is bring forth greater Light and ultimately it will dispel shadow. The problem with the species that do not evolve is they stop turning on the Light; they stop believing they are one with the God of All Good Things and instead think they can create life and abundance out of their own willpower. These species rely on the things around them and lose the capacity to use the Power of Light within their very souls. Sadly, this lack of understanding slows their growth toward harmony."

Domatarious nodded in agreement and replied, "I sense within the male the edge of the shadow, for he lacks trust and is very territorial. We are believing that the purity of Light in the female will give him insight to the power that exists within and he will rely on that rather than his own external strength."

"Yes," Satari replied, "and this time we will be able to provide some guidance to them so, hopefully, they will make better choices as their journey unfolds. I sense they are moving toward the lake. Come, let us go observe how they are doing."

***

Jumping from the water and running to the male, Adam shouted, "Come, Adam male, and feel the joy of the water." She then turned and ran back into the lake and dove down deep into its clear and cool embrace. The male stood on the shore, watched as she swam deep. She then exploded to the surface in a spray of water that shimmered in the light of the sun. He could only stare at her and seemed unable to move.

"Come in and have fun Adam. Is the water something you do not like?" she called out to him. As he continued to simply stand and look at her, she came out of the water and began to approach him. He suddenly turned and looked away from her.

"Adam, my new friend, what is this new feeling that comes from you?" she asked as she touched his back with her hands.

Not moving, he finally said, "I am enjoying you and your water. You look very nice in the water, and I enjoy watching you there. I will come with you soon. Go back now, and have joy in the water."

She continued to touch his back and came around to face him. Looking down she saw he had changed and asked, "What is that Adam, have you hurt yourself? That thing you use to get rid of water has changed." With that, she reached down and grasped it in her hand, and she felt him tense. Looking in his face, she could see he was confused, and he tried to pull away. However, the smell he now gave off was intriguing. It was nothing she had sensed before, and she could feel the heat of his body as she stood close.

He reached out, touched her face with his hand, and said, "I have never had this before and do not know what I am feeling."

She took his hand and led him to the water. "Sometimes the red comes out of me down there, and the water makes it feel better. Come in the water and see if it makes you better."

He dove in the water and swam deep, then returned to her side. She reached down, felt him, and found it was not as hard as before. "Are you better now?"

He stood before her and suddenly reached out and pulled her close to him and held her tightly. He then touched her face, and as she turned to look at him, their lips met. She put her arms around him and held him tight as they shared their first kiss. He released her slightly, and she looked up into his face. "I am happy you have come to me Adam male, for you bring new things to feel, and experiences that I enjoy very much." She put her mouth on his once more and held him tight. His hand moved down her body and pulled her close to him. "You are hard again Adam, are you feeling good?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"I have never felt anything as good as you, and I like being with you here," he said. His hands then went to her breasts, and she felt a rush through her body that she had never experienced. She knew she needed more of him and her hands went down his body and grabbed his hardness. Without considering why, she spread her legs and pulled him inside her. She then wrapped her legs around his body and pulled him deeper into her. As their mouths once again met, they both began to feel the rush of feelings neither could explain nor understand, but both knew were good. She felt him push in her and as the new feeling overwhelmed her, she held him tight and let out a cry that came from her depth. Then they were still, standing in the water, holding each other, lost in a world they had never known before. Slowly she released her legs and allowed her feet to touch the bottom of the shore. She felt him pull out of her and realized he was no longer as hard as before. Her legs felt weak and she let go of him and sat on the edge of the lake, with the water lapping over her spent body. He came to her side and sat, neither able to express what they were feeling. Finally, he turned, looked at her, and said, "I have seen my friends in the forest come together like this and from it they made new lives. However, this is more than just making new life. I have never felt this before, and I want to feel more of it." Pulling her wet hair from her shoulders, he ran his fingers over her neck and breast and said, "You are Adam, but to me you are like the feeling of the sun in the sky. Satari tells me the sun gives life to this world, so to me you are Sun. To me you are Adam Sun and I am happy to be with you." With this, he kissed her shoulder and then their lips met once more and they embraced as the warmth of the day shared the newfound warmth of their souls. Tears came to her eyes as she said, I am Adam Sun, and I am happy."
Chapter 4

Year 1 – Understanding

"Adam Sun, come, look at what I have done."

Running into the clearing, she saw Adam standing by something that was giving off a cloud. She approached him, and he reached out, took her hand, and drew her near the cloud. As she looked at the cloud, she saw sparkling things on the ground. She had seen these before when the clouds had made loud noises and sent flashes to hit the ground. Where it hit, the sparkling things would often appear and spread to the dry grass around. She reached out toward the sparkling and found it was hot. "What is it Adam?" she asked.

"It is light and warm that I have seen come from the clouds when they bring rain. I was hitting this stone with another stone when it spit at me. I hit it a few more times and the spit made the grass turn to this light and warm. The more dry grass I put on the light and warm, the more it grew. Help me get more dry things and let us see how it grows."

She ran to the edge of the clearing, gathered dry grass and some small pieces of the trees, and ran back to Adam, who had found other dry things. They put them on the light and warm and it began to grow much larger. Adam Sun excitedly began to jump up and down and laugh.

"Oh Adam, you have made a wonderful thing!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him, and giving him a long kiss on his lips.

Adam laughed and lifted her into his arms and spun around and around. "I enjoy it when you are happy and laugh," he said as he put her back on the ground and hugged her. "I don't know what this warm and light is, but I think it will help us bring light when the sun falls, and it can keep us warm in the dark times."

"You two have made a great discovery."

They both turned at the sound of this new voice and saw Domatarious and Satari standing at the edge of the clearing. Adam Sun ran to them, grabbed their hands, and pulled them toward the new light and warm they had made. "See what Adam has done!" she exclaimed. "Is it not the most beautiful thing ever?"

"Yes Adam Sun," said Satari, "it is beautiful and we call it 'fire'. With it, you will be able to do many things and it will be a great friend for you. You need to be careful to keep it under control, for it can also cause harm if you do not watch it."

"Why would something good and beautiful be harm for us?" Adam Sun asked.

"It is the way of life, Adam Sun," said Domatarious. "Everything we have in this world can cause harm if we do not use it the best way. There are many things to eat in the forest, but if you eat too many, what happens?"

"I do not feel well down here," Adam said as he put his hand on his stomach.

"It is not the food in the forest that is bad," said Domatarious, "it is what we do with the food that causes a problem. You two will discover many things, but always try to use the new things so they bring you joy, for if they do not, then you are not using them the best possible way."

"Adam Sun is a new thing to me," replied Adam", and I do not think she would ever be a harm to me."

"In the last few days," Satari said," you two have found a new feeling for each other that you have never had before. You learned to trust each other, and you know that you are safe together. This is a good thing, and you need to treat it as the fire and the food in the forest. Always do things toward each other that bring joy for the other person and you will keep this trust strong. If you only do things that you want, or something you know the other does not want, then the trust will not grow."

Adam Sun considered this for a moment and said, "How will I know if what I want is something Adam wants also? I may want to go to the lake, and he may want to go to the forest. Will that cause the trust not to grow?"

"The important thing is to share what you want and not force it on Adam," Domatarious said. "You may desire different things than Adam, but if you share your desire and he desires something else, then you can both talk about this and not feel you are being forced by the other. This is difficult to understand, but it is very important to use this toward all things you find in this world. You have feelings that bring joy. When you think things that do not bring you joy, you must stop and think over what is going on and change your thinking until you feel joy again. As you practice this, it will become very easy to do."

"Do all our friends in the forest think this way?" asked Adam. "I have seen them take things from each other, and I feel bad things come from them when they do this."

"What you feel is anger and fear coming from them," replied Satari. "When a being believes that they cannot trust another being and must act bad toward that being, anger comes. When another being acts badly toward us, and we do not trust them, fear comes."

"I felt Wellna's fear when I first met him and he was hurt," Adam Sun said as she put her hand on Wellna's head. "I could not tell what that feeling was, but I could smell the strange smell that this 'fear' had."

"Anger and fear will kill trust and are not good feelings for you to have," Domatarious explained to her. "Your friends in the forest cannot think the way you do, and they may have more anger and fear than you will. Even so, you both have the ability to stay away from anger and fear and feel the good things that make trust grow. The things we tell you are call the lessons of Light. The God of All Good Things who gives us all life has created you both. This God desires for you to live in trust and know you can always have joy if you walk in trust. This lesson is one of many you will learn as you walk in the Power of Light."

"So light that comes from the sun is the God of All Good Things?" Adam asked. "I like the sun for it is good and I call Adam "Sun" because I like her." He smiled at her and put his arm around her shoulders. "I think she is the God of All Good Things."

Satari laughed and said, "What you feel for Adam Sun is how the God of All Good Things wants you to feel about all life. Adam Sun is not the God of All Good Things, but the good feeling she brings to you and what you give to her are the ways of Light and a gift of the God of All Good Things."

"Adam, our fire is no more," cried Adam Sun as she ran to the place the fire had been burning. "We have killed it and that is sad."

Adam came to her side and said to her, "I know how to make it alive again, and for you I will do this to make you happy". Smiling at her, he pulled her close and said, "I will do this to help your trust grow."

He gathered a small pile of dry grass and found the stones with which he had been working. He began to hit the stones together and soon the sparks from the rocks caused the grass to smoke. He blew on the smoke and a flame came forth and began to make greater fire. He added more dry grass and twigs, and soon it was burning bright. He looked up at Adam Sun and saw she was crying. Jumping up he took her and said, "Adam Sun, you are still sad with the fire?"

"No," she said softly as she looked at him, "I see what you have done for me, and it makes my inside feel strange and all I can do is cry. It is a good feeling; it is just so strong I cannot help crying.

"That, Adam Sun is called love," Domatarious said to her. "It is the greatest gift from the God of All Good Things, and is the feeling God has toward all creation."

"Then tell the God of All Good Things I like this gift," Adam Sun said. "Tell the God of All Good Things that I love Adam and I love the God of All Good Things that gave me such a great gift."

"You may tell the God of All Good Things yourself, Adam Sun," Domatarious said, "for the God of All Good Things hears all that comes from this gift of Love."

Domatarious and Satari moved toward the edge of the clearing and disappeared, but neither Adam was aware of their leaving. Holding each other, they stood before the fire and knew the feeling of loving and trusting. All the forest around them felt this love, and it grew even more beautiful than it had ever been.

Chapter 5

Year 2

They moved up the steep path toward the place they both loved to visit. It was a long journey, and on these special days, they left before the sun came up and climbed high into the mountainside.

"I am glad we are almost there, for my breasts are dripping."

Adam turned and looked at Sun and saw the milk seeping from her nipples. "Do you want to stop, Sun? We can rest here for now."

"No, my love," replied Sun, "let me hold Star to my breast, and he can suck the milk. If we walk slower, it will be better. I am excited to reach the high place."

He handed her the boy who immediately attached to the nipple and began to feed. Adam laughed and bent down and sucked on the other breast. The milk was warm and sweet, and he drank deeply. Sun pulled him to her breast and kissed the top of his head. "My males are hungry," she laughed, "but I cannot walk if you both are going to eat, so lead, Adam, and leave the hungry Star his time of eating."

Adam kissed her and started up the path. He turned and looked at Sun holding Star and once again was lost in great joy thinking of how happy they made him. The path began to even out, and they arrived at the place of their destination. They both stood and looked out over the scene below them. They were so close to the sky that on some days the clouds would be below them. The trees looked as the sheep's covering, but colored green. The river from the top of the mountain ran down the side, then fell over the edge, and crashed on the river below. They had gone to the bottom a few times and found the noise of the falling water to be so loud they could not talk. However, from up here, it was but a whisper in the distance. Adam watched the lower river as it ran through the valley and entered a clearing far away; that was where they lived and slept every night. How small it seemed from up here. Adam wondered if they would ever see the God of All Good Things up here, for they were much closer to the sun here than any place else. Dom said that God was not in any one place but was in everything. Adam was sure that Dom was right, but that made no sense to him. How can anything be in _everything_? Sometimes Dom spoke things to them that they would not even try to understand.

"Do it Adam, I want to hear it," Sun said as she rested Star on her lap and rocked him softly.

Adam walked to the edge of the rocks and facing the valley below, he shouted, "I am Adam."

They sat quietly and waited, and then they heard it. "I am Adam, I am Adam, I am Adam." Sun laughed aloud and startled Star with her joyous noise. She snuggled him to her breast and walked up beside Adam. "Do you believe another Adam lives out there?" she asked.

"I've never seen another as us," Adam said, "but every time we come here, someone always shouts back. If there is another Adam, why do not they come to see us, for we would all be one and that would be a great joy?"

"Why do you think we are the only Adams?" Sun asked as she handed Star to Adam and walked out on the ledge. "Dom says that God has created all things for joy, yet he has only created us as Adam. There are many different beings in the forest that are alike, but only you and I are Adam." She smiled as Adam pointed to Star. "You are right my love, there is another Adam now, and we have made him."

She stood and looked out over the high places around her and was amazed at how large the Earth was. Looking off in the far distance, she could see where the Earth ended, and she began to wonder what would happen to her if she went there and fell off the edge. Where would she go? She was about to ask Adam when something caught her eye in the distance. "Adam, come look at this. It looks like the cloud that comes when we make fire."

As he looked out over the high places, she pointed far across the valley and showed him the cloud form. It was not just a cloud for it came from the ground and rose to the sky. It was from fire, but not the fire caused by the light from the clouds. It was a clear day and no clouds to make water or light. "I wonder if that is where the other Adam lives," he spoke softly. "If it is, how can he hear me and shout at me from so far away?"

"Ask him," Sun spoke as she looked at the distant fire cloud.

Adam stepped up to the edge and shouted, "Are you Adam?"

They waited and then heard, "Are you Adam? Are you Adam? Are you Adam?"

"What a strange being, he knows I am Adam, why does he ask me this?"

Sun looked out over the hills and watched the fire cloud. "I would like to go there sometime, but it is far from our clearing, I do not know if we could do it before the sun goes down."

"Well, not today, but let us think about this, and maybe we will journey there some other time. Let us head down and stop at the trees with the sweet food. We can take some home and warm them over our fire. I love them like that."

Adam picked up Star and, holding Sun's hand, they left the open space and began to head down the mountain. As they moved farther down the mountainside, a sound came across the valley behind them. The sound said, "I am Adam." However, as Adam, Sun, and Star were far down the mountain and did not hear it, there was no reply.

The sun was behind the mountain and shadows filled the clearing as they arrived from their journey. Wellna came running to them and happily welcomed them back. He had become the keeper of the sheep and would lead them down to the lake for water and out to the clearing to feed. Several times they would find a sheep had been caught and eaten by another being in the forest. Wellna would watch for these beings and chase them away whenever he found them. Adam had removed the skins of the dead sheep and found their covering gave soft places to sit and to sleep. Sun had learned to take the sticky mud of the lakeside and make deep holders of water. When the holders had dried in the sun, they put the sheep's milk in them, and it turned into a thick mixture that was good to eat. Adam had tried to eat some of the insides of the sheep, but did not like it and decided that the beings in the forest who did eat sheep must be very hungry. They had set out tree branches and covered them with the skins of the sheep, and it kept them dry when the water came from the clouds. The male sheep grew big horns on their head. When the male died, Adam had taken the horns and found they held water and milk. They were very happy with all the sheep gave them and, with Wellna's help, had developed a large number of them.

Adam went to the hot coals of the fire and put dry grass on it and the flame immediately rose. He had found that a large piece of wood would stay hot for a long time, and they could make fire without the rocks if they kept putting new wood on it. Sun brought the sweet food they had picked in their travel home and the put them on sticks and held them in the fire until they started to drip water. Then they ate them and watched the evening sky produce the stars they loved to look at and name.

Little Star was asleep on his sheep covering, and Adam pulled Sun close and stretched out on their own sheep covering. Sun looked up in the sky and made stories about the things she saw in the sky. His favorite was the big Sumba who had run so high up the mountain that she ended up in the sky and moved across the night until she reached the high places on the other side. Tonight, the big light was starting to smile, and they knew it would grow over the next days until it was a full face, then it would get smaller until it smiled at them and went away.

Sun pressed close to Adam and felt his warmth on her flesh. She rubbed her hand on the hair he had where breasts should be. It tickled her hand, and she loved to run her fingers through it as he held her. "I love you Adam," she whispered to him.

"I love you too, Sun. You make me happier than all the lights in the sky above." He stroked her naked flesh, and she felt the pleasant warmth spread through her body. "The God of All Good Things has done a very good thing with us." She smiled at him, and rolling over on top of him, they enjoyed the fullness of their love for each other.

Chapter 6

Year 5

Adam watched as Star and Wellna brought the sheep back into the clearing. He was proud of the boy and how much work he put into taking care of the sheep. Wellna did all the hard work of keeping the sheep together, but Star was willing to help guide them to the lake and back each day.

Adam bent down and pulled another rock from the soil he was clearing. This area was good ground and fortunately did not have as many of the rocks and roots as the other field he had cleared. This would be the third time they had planted the seeds from the grass-with-seeds and had a large return. Sun had learned to grind the seeds to a fine dust, and she could add water to the mixture and put it over the fire where it turned into round things that were good to eat. She also found that the food from the forest was good to eat with the round things. Adam looked over to the sleeping place and saw Sun working on something with the two little females. She had found a way to take the tall grass by the lake and make it into things that they used to carry food from the clearing and forest. He was sure the little ones were having more fun than working, but that is how it should be. Whatever they needed to do, they would accomplish, but they always had time to play and have joy.

Looking to the far side of the clearing, Adam saw the flying beings circling over the nearby trees. This usually meant that a sheep or some other animal was either dead or dying. Turning, he shouted to Sun, "I am going to see what the flying things are doing over there." She waved back to him, and then he called out, "Star, come with me to see what is happening at the end of the clearing." The boy ran to Adam, and with great joy, jumped into his arms and swung up on Adams shoulders. They both ran across the clearing with Star laughing and bouncing all the way.

Sun watched them run across the field and laughed at the way they had fun together. Turning back to her weaving, she smiled at Dawn and Eve as they worked together to make a small carrying mat. Adam said they were small Suns and she agreed that they had her fair hair and light eyes, but they definitely had Adams chin and shoulders. Dawn was the active one with little desire to sit still very long; Eve was always content to sit and play or simply look around and be still. They looked exactly alike except for the small brown spot that Eve had on her back. Sometimes it was hard to tell them apart unless they turned around, and you saw the brown spot on Eve. Sun looked over to the small one to be sure he was asleep and not in the light of the sun. Her breasts were beginning to hurt a little, so she was sure he would wake soon and demand more milk. All her little ones brought her much happiness and she was always thanking the God of All Good Things for the ability to make more little ones. Dom said they were 'babies', and that they would grow to be tall and strong like her and Adam. It was hard to believe things this little could become so big, but looking at Star off in the distance, she knew Dom was right. How strange that he had not come to visit in such a long time. Satari was gone somewhere far away and said she would be back, but Sun was sure she felt Dom around even though she did not see him. "When he comes, I will be here," she said to herself, "for where else would I ever want to go?"

Adam and Star came to the edge of the clearing and entered the forest. Adam saw the flying things in the tree ahead, but could not see why they were there. Setting Star on the ground, he took the boy's hand and walked quietly to the tree. As they approached, the flying things took to the air in a loud noise and the quiet settled in once more. Near the tree, he saw something on the ground, but could not tell if it was a sheep or some other creature. He told Star to wait as he carefully approached the thing on the ground. As he neared the creature, he stopped short and pulled back in surprise. On the ground was another Adam. It was female and had blood all over its leg. What was another Adam doing here? Why had they never before seen her? As he bent down near the female Adam, he heard Star come near.

"That is not a sheep, that is a female", the boy said. "She is hurt and the blood comes from her. Do you know who she is?"

"I have never seen another Adam in any other place around here," Adam answered as he pushed the female's long dark hair away from her face. As he touched her, she opened her eyes and looked at him and he could smell her fear. "I am Adam," he said to her.

She looked at him and in a quiet voice said to him, "I am Adam." She closed her eyes and fell back into her sleep.

"Her belly is big as when Sun makes babies," Star commented as he circled around the female.

Adam saw this was true, and saw the female's wounds needed help. He reached under her and lifted her into his arms.

"Run back to Sun and let her know what has happened."

Star jumped up and ran across the field shouting to Sun to come see what Adam and he had found. Sun saw him running and went out to meet him. She could see Adam on the far side of the clearing and he was carrying something in his arms. As Star came near, he shouted to Sun, "We have found another Adam who is female and who is going to have babies like you do. She is sleeping and Adam is bringing her."

Sun heard the words Star spoke, but had trouble understanding. She ran to Adam to see what he had found and felt a shock in her body when she saw he carried a female form in his arms. "Where did she come from Adam?" she asked as she stood before him and looked at the woman in his arms.

"She was near the great tree at the edge of the forest. Her leg is hurt and she won't wake from her sleep," he said.

Sun looked at the female's leg and could see a deep cut on the upper part. "Bring her to the fire so we may see what is wrong and help her."

They laid her on the sheep covers and Sun washed the blood off the leg to have a better look at the cut. It was deep and continued to bleed. She leaned over, placed her lips on the cut, and allowed the feeling to flow through her that brings wellness to the places of pain. She sensed the flow of the power through her and after a while, she sat up and saw the flow had stopped and the cut was now closed and clear. She placed her hand on the female's swollen belly and felt the firmness of the baby beneath. She took water, washed away the dirt from the female's face, and applied the water to her lips. When she did this, the female opened her eyes and looked at Sun. She tried to speak, but could not seem to work her mouth. Sun took the sheep horn and filled it with water and held it to the female's lips and poured it slowly into her mouth. With much difficulty, the female swallowed some of the water and then leaned forward to get more. Sun put the female's head in her lap, extended her breast toward her, and squeezed her milk into the female's mouth. When she swallowed the milk, Sun lowered her breast to the female's mouth and felt her suck deeply and swallow the life-giving liquid. Then she felt the female slide away and drift back to sleep.

Sun turned to Star and said, "Fill up several horns with water and bring them to me so I can clean the cut in her leg." Star looked at Sun and did not move. It was then that she realized the female's blood still covered her face after she put her lips on the cut. "Hurry Star and I will wash away the blood from my face so I do not cause you to worry." He quickly turned and, picking up several horns, ran to the lake.

Adam sat next to Sun and said, "Every time you do that it makes me feel good inside. I feel the healing flow through you and into the cut and it makes me feel better, too. I wish I could do what you do and help with hurts."

"I do nothing Adam; I allow the feeling to flow through me as a river. She has lost much blood and water from her body and I am not sure about the life in her body. The milk will be good for both of them and I will try to wake her in a while to see if she can take more. Help me wash the mud and blood from her so she will be more comfortable. She has a baby in her; there must be a male Adam somewhere. Did you see any signs of anything else around her?"

"I was so surprised to see the female I didn't even look. When we finish with her, I will take Star and search the area near the tree to see if I find anything or anyone else." He looked at the female and then back at Sun. "Her hair is not like yours, and her eyes are dark." He looked at her hands and arms and ran his hands down her leg. "She is soft as you, but much darker. Where would she live that we would never see or hear her? When I told her my name, she said, "I am Adam" and then slept. Maybe she is the one who calls back to us when we are up the mountain?"

Sun took the water from Star and a piece of the sheep's covering and began to wipe the cut clean of mud and blood. She washed the female's body and found it strange to look at a being like her and touch that being's body. It was like touching herself, and yet not feeling it.

When they finished cleaning, Adam and Star went to the clearing to see if they might find something else. Eve and Dawn sat next to the female and watched her as she slept. Eve put her ear on the woman's belly and smiled as she heard the sounds of beating. "The life in her is still there," she said and then rested her face back on her belly. Dawn, quickly tiring of sitting, got up and wandered out into the clearing to see what she could chase. While all this took place, Sun sat and watched the little ones and the new female and thought about what all this meant. There was something very important about this moment, but it was beyond her immediate understanding; she just continued to watch and think.

That night, as she and Adam sat around the fire and the female asleep next to Sun, Adam said to Sun, "Do you think that the male Adam was hurt and could not go with the female? I would not want you to be alone and far from me."

Sun thought about this and finally said, "We have never been apart since we were brought together. I can't imagine you not being with me and I am confused as to why she would be here alone. I try to feel if there is anything else around us, but I find nothing different. Satari and Dom may be able to give us some help, but we have not seen them for a long time." She glanced down at the female and met a pair of dark eyes looking back at her. "You are awake," Sun said to her.

"I am Adam," the female said.

"I am Adam, too," said Sun", and I am called Sun. This is also Adam," she said pointing to Adam next to her. Sun reached for the horn and gave the female some water to drink. The woman took the horn and drank deeply and then held it in her hand and looked at it. She looked at her hands and finally looked down at her cut.

"I fell and cut myself and was in pain. It is now not there. What did you do?" she asked as she sat up and looked at both of them in the firelight.

Sun handed her more water and replied, "I let the feeling that takes away hurt flow through me, and we cleaned the mud and blood off of you. How do you feel?"

The female looked at Adam and asked, "You are Adam and are called Adam?" and looking at Sun said, "and you are Adam and are called Sun?" She sat quietly for a moment and then said, "I am Adam, and am called Wind, for I am never at rest in one place, or so my Adam male has said." Turning to both of them she leaned forward, hugged Sun, then reached over, and hugged Adam. "I like you and am glad we are Adam together." With that, she lay her head in Sun's lap and fell asleep again.

"Wind," said Sun softly, "who is never at rest in one place. Is that why you have blown into our clearing?"

Adam reached over for a sheep covering and threw it over Sun and Wind and then lay next to Sun as she put her head on his Arm. "And where is the Adam male who calls her this name?" he asked, but had no reply, for the two females with him had fallen asleep.

Wind awoke as the first light of day began to spill over the top of the mountain. As she glanced to her left, she was startled to see another form next to her and pulled back quickly. The sheep covering came with her and she saw another female sleeping next to her. As she focused, she remembered she was in the clearing that had other Adams and they had helped her when she was hurt. Looking at the female sleeping, she remembered that this woman called herself Sun and she had a male companion who was not now with her. Wind smelled the air, but could not find his scent. However, she noticed something that smelled new and fresh. Turning to her right, she saw two small females and an even smaller one who was all wrapped up in sheep's covering. Looking at these little forms, she placed her hand on her belly and knew that she would soon have one of these herself.

She rose to her feet and felt the tenderness in her wounded leg, but could not see any sign of the cut she had received when she fell from the tree. She touched the bruise on her leg, but realized that the cut was gone. How had this other female done such a thing? To make the cut and pain go away was something Wind had never seen. Squatting next to the female known as Sun, she saw that she was very light in her hair and that her skin was lighter than her own was. Her breasts were large and full, and seemed to be very hard. This Sun female had strong legs and arms, and yet seemed a very soft and gentle Adam. Wind reach out and touched the woman's breast, and felt the firmness of them. As she squeezed tighter, the one breast began to drip a milky liquid. She then squeezed the other and watched it drip when the woman suddenly sat up and looked at her.

"You are awake, Wind," the Sun female said. "How are you feeling?"

Wind watched as Sun stood and went to the small Adam and picked it up. She unwrapped the small one and Wind saw it was a small male Adam. Turning back to Wind, she placed the small one on her breast and it began to suck on her. Wind held her own breast in her hand and began to understand why they had grown large. They would feed the little one inside her as the other creatures feed their young. She looked back at Sun and replied, "You made my leg better. I do not know how you did that."

"I don't know either," said Sun with a smile, "but the feeling that takes away the hurts flows through me and does the work.

Wind rose up and approached Sun. She reached out and touched her hair. "This is different from mine. It is the color of the wild things in the open field." She then looked into Sun's eyes and saw how light they were in comparison to her own and to her male Adam's eyes. "You and I are alike and yet different. I have never seen another female Adam before, and it is strange to look at you and know we are alike. Wind turned to the little females and saw that one of them was sitting looking at her with eyes like Sun's. "I am Adam known as Win," she said to the little one.

"I know you are Wind," the little one replied, "and I am Eve." With that, she rose and came to Wind and placed her hands on Wind's belly. "They are part of you and will soon be part of us." Then Eve looked up and smiled at Wind and said, "You have come to us and are now part of us and we will all be together here."

Sun watched this take place and said to Eve, "You know there is more than one inside Wind. How do you know this, Eve?"

"I hear more than one thumping in her belly, and I feel more than one Adam is there." She smiled at Sun, turned away, and walked toward the lake.

"She is always coming up with things that surprise us," Sun said with a laugh, "and she is always right."

They both turned as they heard another sound behind them and saw Adam come through the trees. Wind looked at him and saw that he was very much as her Adam, but the hair on his head and face was shorter and darker. He had strong arms and legs and carried a sheep over his shoulder with no effort.

"I see Wind is up and moving around. Has she said anything about how she got here?" he asked Sun.

"I am well and I can speak to you as you can speak to me," Wind said with a slight irritation in her voice.

Sun looked quizzically at Wind as Adam set the dead sheep on the ground. Never taking his eyes off Wind, he approached her and walked around her. He looked into her eyes and asked, "Where is your male Adam?"

Wind stared directly into his eyes and did not reply. She straightened her back and took a step closer to Adam until they were almost nose to nose. Finally, Adam said, "You have eyes different from Sun, and you do not smile as Sun. Are you hurt?"

Wind felt a warm feeling as she looked at Adam and she began to relax her shoulders and arms. How different this male was from the one she knew. He felt no fear in her presence and she felt no fear in his. "I am not hurt. I am not sure what to do. My Adam is not here, and I do not know where he is. I left him three full moons and have gone far from him."

Sun thought for a moment and asked, "What is a 'moon', Wind?"

"The big light in the night sky is the moon," she replied, "and it changes from big to small and back to big.

"Oh, the face that smiles," Sun said. "Why do you call it 'moon'"?

"I don't know," Wind said quietly, "We just call it moon."

"I am Sun, like the light in the day, but we have never heard of moon. I like that name." Turning to Adam, she looked at the sheep near him and asked. "That one is not old, why is it dead?"

"It caught its head in the vines and could not get out. It could not get any breath and it died. I will take its covering off and dry it for us," Adam replied still looking at Wind.

She turned away from Adam and said to Sun, "Do you want me to help cook the sheep?"

Both Adam and Sun looked at Wind but made no response. Finally, Adam said, "What is 'cook'?"

"We cut the sheep up and cook the meat over the fire to eat. Have you not ever done that before?"

"I have tried the meat and it is not good," said Adam, "but this 'cook' is something we have not done. Show us what you do, for I would like to know how this is done."

As the three of them turned their attention to the sheep, Eve watched from afar and thought the words in her mind, "Wind is different from us."

"Yes she is," a familiar voice answered back in her mind. "She has seen many things and been through many things that you have not experienced. But you also have many things that will be good for her."

Eve thought for a while and then thought again. "Are there more like her, Domatarious?"

Appearing next to her Domatarious replied, "Yes Eve, there are more like her and more like Adam. Some are very far away, but she and her Adam were close enough so they could find Adam and Sun if they wanted."

Eve thought about what Domatarious told her, turned to him and asked, "What about the male, is he near?"

Dom looked at Eve and found her wisdom was truly great for a child. They had been meeting for sometime and he watched her grow in her understanding in ways that amazed him. While she was but a child, she was much more; Dom knew she was a soul that had been through many journeys. "He is not near, but he is working his way toward your clearing. He will come in time, but you must not try to seek him, for the plan of the God of All Good Things will bring all things to pass in proper time."

"'Time' is not a thing I understand, but it must mean the same thing as this 'moon' change that Wind talked about," Eve thought. She had never spoken aloud to Domatarious, as it was much easier to exchange thoughts. She had tried it with Sun and Adam, but it did not work. She sometimes heard Dawn's thoughts, but could not get Dawn to hear hers. Star just ignored her most of the time, so she did not even try to work this with him.

"Yes Eve, time is very much like the moon changes. It is how we see things go from day to day. It is how you measure your life on Earth."

"I will think about this." she said and then smiled at him and rose from the ground and ran off to join Adam, Sun, and Wind.

"Yes child," Dom thought to himself, "you will think on this and find that time is a measure that limits understanding. However, for now, it is just a new thought.

Chapter 7

Year 6

Wind ran the hair-pull through Eve's thick wet hair. They had discovered that the short stiff hairs from the water animals took out the knots in their hair when pulled through it. The little ones barely tolerated the hair-pull, but Eve always sat quietly and seemed to enjoy the feeling. They used the sharp stones Adam had made to cut hair short. Dawn liked hers short, but Eve kept hers long and often pulled the hair-pull through her hair herself. "Do you think of him a lot?" Eve asked Wind.

"Think of who, Eve?" Wind asked.

"Think of your Adam."

Wind stopped pulling the hair and sat down next to Eve. "What a strange question. Why do you ask me that?"

"You never talk about him, yet he is part of River and Moon." Eve replied pointing to the two little ones who were running with Dawn, playing at some game they had thought up for the day. "Do you ever think that he may be looking for you?"

Wind looked back at Eve, stared into those beautiful eyes she had, and felt like she was talking to someone who knew her deeply. "Yes, I think of him, Eve, and wonder where he is and if he is well. He was different from Adam, as he was hard in his thinking, like a rock. But he was also part of me and I often wish he was here."

"Did you have a fear feeling with him?" Eve asked as she handed Wind the hair-pull and turned so her hair could be pulled again.

"No, I did not feel fear with him; I just did not want to be one of his sheep." Eve turned for a moment and looked at her quizzically. "I mean, he did not want me to do anything on my own, he wanted to have me only do what he thought was right. I often left to explore and was gone for a while. When I got back, he would talk loud and tell me not to do that again. That is why he called me Wind, for I was always wandering off to see new things. One day, I just wandered away and did not go back. I went for many moons and then found your group. That is now many moons ago, but I do wonder about him. Why do you ask me this?"

"Your Adam gave you River and Moon and they are here with us, and you have no other little ones now. I see you watch Adam and Sun when they come together and I feel something empty inside. If you do not have your Adam, then you need to come together with our Adam and have more life in you. Sun is again filled with life, and I watch you with her and feel your love for her. Do you not go to Adam because of Sun?"

"You always ask big things for someone so little," Wind laughed, but then saw that Eve was waiting for an answer. "I don't know Eve, I have always thought of Adam and Sun as being together and I was not part of them. I love them both and know they love me, but somehow, I am still not one with them."

"Wind, I think you need to think about this all some more," Eve said as she stood and faced Wind. "The God of All Good Things works with what we have and you need to think about what you want for your time here." Saying this, she turned and walked out to the edge of the clearing to join Star as he cut at the trees with his sharp stones.

As Eve walked away, Wind once again had the feeling that she had been talking to someone who knew much more about living than anyone else. Where was her Adam now? He was a good being and she knew he cared for her, but he didn't understand what she needed. The last time they talked, he had hit her like an animal that he punished. She remembered looking at the pain in his eyes as he realized what he had done, and she knew he wanted to take it back. However, she also knew she could not stay and would rather be alone than be with his way of doing. Now she was not alone, but, as Eve had said, she was empty. Sun and Adam always treated her well and she was very happy being together with them, but she was still not one with them, nor one with her Adam.

She watched River as he chased after Dawn, and saw in him so many of the things she remembered about her Adam. The boy was strong for his age and understood things quickly. Moon was quieter, but she was also a reflection of her Adam's goodness. Moon is always so happy to be with people, and goes out of her way to find someone just to be with for a while. Her Adam was like that. He would work hard, but always found time to sit and be with her. When she was gone, he had told her he felt so alone that it hurt. Yet, she could not stay and sit. Even here, with Sun and Adam, she would be gone for a while. She loved to explore and enjoyed being alone. Truly, she was like the Wind.

***

As the sun kissed the top of the mountains and began to descend into the nighttime, Adam and Star headed back to the clearing where Dawn, River, Moon, and Wellna greeted them. Star picked up Moon, threw her on his shoulders, and began to run around the clearing while Adam grabbed the other two and ran with them chasing Star. Sun and Wind watched the antics of Adam and the children and laughed with joy. Sun reached over, kissed Wind and gave her a big hug. "I am so happy to have you with me. I do love you so much." Wind gave her a hug and smiled at her.

"I am happy with you, Sun. You and Adam are part of my life and River and Moon are our little ones together."

"Do you want more little ones, Wind?" Sun asked.

"Have you been talking to Eve?" Wind asked somewhat startled. "She asked me the same thing this morning."

"No, I have not talked to Eve about this," Sun replied, "but I often think she knows what is going on before any of us do. What did you tell her?"

"She asked if I missed my Adam and if I wanted to have more little ones," Wind replied. "She also asked if your Adam was going to give me little ones."

"What did you tell her? For if she asks a question, she will not give up until she receives an answer."

Wind watched Adam and the children play in the field and then replied, "I miss him at times. He was good, but I did not understand him and he would not let me be me. But we are still one in some way, and I miss that."

"Do you want to have little ones with Adam?"

Wind looked at Sun and asked, "Your Adam?"

"He is not my Adam any more than you belonged to your Adam. I love Adam and I love you. I find joy that you love each other. I know Adam would do anything for you as he would do for me, for he has learned to find joy in giving. But you have never asked for this from him, so he has not given to you."

Wind was about to reply when Star, still carrying Moon, came running and laughing into the clearing. Moon jumped down, ran up to Wind, and gave her a hug and kiss. "Did you see Star run?" she asked, "he is faster than the Wellna."

She then ran and jumped up into Sun's arms and gave her a big hug. Adam and the others came into the clearing and then raced off to the lake to swim. As the children ran ahead, Adam ran back and, pulling Sun and Wind close, lifted them off the ground and laughed. "Tonight we will show you what Star and I have made and you will be very happy." Kissing them both, he ran off toward the lake and they could hear him holler as he jumped into the water and played with the children.

"He is a good male," Wind said.

"Yes," Sun said as she held Wind close to her, "we are all very good for each other."

After they ate, Star and Adam lit some sticks and told everyone to follow them across the clearing. The moon shone bright on them as they ran and walked with each other. When they arrived at the far side, Star went ahead and set his burning sticks into a pile of wood stacked nearby. As the glow rose, they all saw what appeared to be a wooden cave.

"Star and I have cut some trees and bound them together into this form," Adam said proudly as he led them closer. "The trees make a cover and sides, so wind and rain don't come on us. We put mud on the trees and then covered them with sheep covering. It is big enough for all of us to sleep together and not have to get wet or cold at night." He then took a wood with flame and put it into a place inside the cave-like structure. The flame caught the wood inside and they could see that the flame stayed inside the fire holder and the smoke went up through a clear spot in the top of the structure.

"We can warm ourselves and cook on this when we want, and not have to go outside. This will be our new place to sleep and it is even closer to the lake than the other place. Come look at this," he said as he went further into the structure. He pointed to the back and they saw piles of food and holders of water all lined up together. "We can keep things in here and when storms come, we do not even need to go outside to cook."

He and Star stood beaming as the rest of the group looked around them in wonder. Sun ran to Adam and threw her arms around him and hugged him and then turned to Star and did the same. Wind followed and gave them both big kisses and hugs. The children all ran around hugging each other, laughing. Finally, Eve came to Adam and as he lifted her, she held him close and then looked into his eyes. "You have made a home Adam, and we are all one here together."

"A home," said Adam. "I like that. This is our home and we are all together in our home."

They all took up the task of moving things from the old location to the new home and then setting up places for sleeping. The children found space in the shelter and set up their own sheep coverings for sleeping. Soon they all drifted off into a peaceful sleep while Adam, Sun, and Wind gathered outside the home near the fire.

"You and Star have done a good thing, Adam," Sun said as she lay down next to Wind and pulled Adam closer. "We are all much happier and safer in our new home." She turned to Wind, put her arm around her, and pulled her close. "Wind and I talked today about her having more babies to join with Moon and River. She does not ask you for this because she loves us both and does not want to sadden me. I told her I would be happy if you helped her have babies, because we are all one with each other, and that brings me joy." She turned her head, looked at Adam and waited for him to reply.

Adam sat up and looked down at the two women as they lay staring up at him. "What about your Adam, Wind?" he asked. "Do you not think he will find you someday and want to be with you?"

"It is always my hope that he will come and join us, but I do not know when that will happen. If Sun was with me and my Adam, and you were not around, would you want her to have babies with him?"

Adam stood and looked out at the clearing and then said, "I have never thought of Sun not with me. If I was not with her, I do not think it would be a bad thing for her to have babies with your Adam, for she is good with them and I know she wants more. I would want your Adam to love her like I love you and Sun, then she would be happy and the babies would be happy. I love River and Moon just as I love Star, Dawn, Eve, and Leaf. Dom taught us that loving each other is why we are here, so this would be more loving."

Sun reached up, took Adam's hand, and pulled him down between herself and Wind. She kissed him and said quietly, "Then we shall have more love between us and it will be good".

Adam kissed her and then put his arm around Wind and lay back holding both of them close. Wind reached across Adam and kissed Sun, then she kissed Adam as he held her close. As she gently stroked Winds back, Sun felt the goodness within herself as Wind and Adam became one. She softly pulled back Wind's hair, kissed them and said, "I do so love you both."

Chapter 8

Year 9

Eve sat under the tree on the high hill and watched the children play in the lake below. While she greatly enjoyed playing with them, it was the quiet times in the hills that she truly loved. From up here she could see the large clearing filled with sheep that Star and Wellna took care of every day. She noticed that Moon was with Star almost all the time, and Star enjoyed her being with him out in the fields. Dawn loved to be with the little ones, and it seemed like Wind and Sun were able to make enough little ones to keep Dawn very busy. She felt his presence and said in her mind, "Hello Domatarious."

"Hello Eve," she heard in her mind. "How are you feeling today?"

Turning she saw him standing behind her, and felt the peace and comfort he brought by simply looking at her. "I am very well and very happy today. It is peaceful up here and your being with me is even better."

"I sensed you were bothered by something. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Something is different out there," Eve said as she pointed out toward the distant valley. "It troubles me when I feel things I do not know and understand."

"What is it you are feeling, Eve?" Dom asked as he sat next to her.

"It is how my belly feels when I am hungry, but it is not in my belly, it is more in here." She said as she pointed to her heart. "It feels empty and hurting. I feel it more when I look out at the far places and try to see if anything looks different."

"That is a feeling of loneliness Eve. It comes when you are alone and do not want to be. You do not feel alone with the others because you have many around you and there is a strong feeling of love."

"Why do I feel it if I am not alone?"

"You are feeling something from someone else, Eve, and it is a strong feeling. When you have these experiences, they are to help you understand what is going on beyond what you are able to see."

Eve thought about this for a while, then turned to Domatarious and said, "Do the others sense these feelings as I do?"

"They can Eve, but when they become busy with the things of living, they ignore these feelings. When that happens, they miss the help the feelings provide. You are feeling this loneliness and it is there for you to understand so you will be able to handle whatever comes to you."

"While I do not understand all you say Domatarious, I have learned to trust that I will understand when I need to. I told Sun I was talking to you and she wants you to come and see her. She said it has been a long time since you have been with her."

Dom smiled and placed his arm around Eve. "Oh, I am always with her, but she is not always aware of my presence. Adam and Sun are doing all they need for their journey and do not need to see me. I am happy that I can be with you."

Eve turned and put her arms around Domatarious and looked into his eyes. "I have been with you before Domatarious. I don't understand when, but I have known and been with you before I was here."

"Yes Eve, you have been, and you may remember someday all the times we have shared together. In the meantime, enjoy the journey you are on, for it is good."

Eve hugged him, stood, and headed back down the trail toward home. "We have been together longer than I can remember," Domatarious said quietly to himself and then disappeared from the mountainside.

As the sun set behind the mountains, everyone began to head home. The noise around the fire grew with the arrival of each person, and soon the home filled with laughter and joy as the family shared their meal together. Wind was feeding the babies from her breast as Sun and Eve passed out food to everyone. Wind and Sun had delivered about the same time, so they were able to share in the feeding of each other's babies. Adam and Star had taken the sharp stones to the lake and both of them now had much shorter head hair. Adam had cleaned off much of his face hair and everyone had great joy in feeling the new bare places on his face.

Adam, Star, and River added more trees to the shelter and now they had more places to rest in at night and during rain. Wellna found a female friend and they now had four little Wellnas who also romped and played with the children around the shelter.

After they all ate, they sat around the fire and looked at the stars above. Eve and Sun made up stories about how the stars got there and they told about the people and animals that lived up in the sky. Soon the babies fell asleep and one by one, each little one found their sleeping place and quietly fell asleep.

Adam had taken the insides out of a log and when he hit it with sticks, it made a fun sound. As he played on the log, Wind and Sun moved around the fire, their feet coming down with the sounds Adam made on the log. He put the log aside and started to clap his hands together the same as he had with the log. Wind and Star did the same with their hands and Adam joined them in moving his feet around the fire. He turned around and stepped hard on Wind's foot and she let out a yelp. They all stopped and looked at her until she laughed and kicked Adam playfully. He reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her close so she could not kick again and they all laughed hard as she struggled to break loose. At last, Adam kissed her and let her go.

With a loud scream, a figure jumped out of the darkness and pushed hard against Wind. She stumbled back, lost her balance, and fell into Sun, knocking her against the big rock at the edge of the shelter. As Adam turned to see what was going on, a brown streak flashed by him and jumped on the being that had pushed Wind. Adam saw that Wellna had the being by the Arm and had knocked it to the ground and was attacking it fiercely. Suddenly, Wind jumped to her feet and screamed "Adam!" He turned to look at her but saw she was looking at the figure on the ground and not at him.

"Wellna, come back!" Adam hollered at Wellna. Obediently, Wellna let the being go and stepped back to Adam, but never took his eyes off the intruder. Wind rushed forward to the being, and said, "Adam, what are you doing?"

"You are mine, Wind. Why are you with this one?" the intruder shouted at her.

Adam looked at Wind and the intruder and began to understand that this was Wind's Adam. The male looked up at Adam and glared at him with eyes of fire. Adam felt the strange feeling coming from the male, and tensed as he did when confronting a wild animal. Wind suddenly turned and said, "Sun, are you hurt?"

Adam looked toward Sun and saw that she was lying on the ground and not moving. He rushed to her side and grabbed her hand. Sun did not grab back, but lay on the ground as though she was asleep. "Sun, wake up." Adam shouted at her, but she made no move or reply. Then Adam saw the blood behind her head, and lifted her up and looked at the cut that was pouring blood all over her hair and down her back. "Wind, Sun is hurt and will not wake up," he cried out. Wind came to Sun's side and saw that she was very still. She looked at the cut in her head, but saw that it was no longer bleeding. Leaning over she put her head on Sun's chest and held it there for a minute. "No," she cried, "Sun, no. Come to us Sun. Come to us." She then buried her head in Sun's neck and began to cry in a deep and painful voice.

Adam looked at Wind and suddenly began to understand Sun was asleep and would not wake up again. He grabbed Sun, pulled her close to him, and started to rock her in his arms. With tears running down his face he kept repeating, "I love you, I love you."

Wind turned toward the intruder, pointed a finger at him, and screamed. "You, leave here. Leave here now." The force of her voice woke Eve and she came to the opening of the shelter and saw the wounded male crouching on the ground with Wind telling him to leave. She saw Sun on the ground in Adam's arms and felt his pain as he cried and rocked her. She turned to the new male, looked into his eyes, and suddenly felt emptiness in her so deep she could not breathe. It was the feeling she had experienced the last few day, but more intense. It was the feeling of loneliness. She watched as the wounded male stood and walked into the forest.

She turned back to Adam and knelt down next to him. Placing her hands on Sun, she felt the absence of life that she felt on the dead sheep she had seen. She placed her hands on Adam and felt the pain in his heart. With every part of her inner strength, she loved him and poured comfort into his brokenness. He sensed her and looked over to see who was there. Reaching out with both of her hands, she took his head in her hands and kissed his forehead. "I love you Adam, and I give you all the love I feel for Sun."

Adam pulled Sun closer and through tears, looked at Eve, reached out, and touched her face. A peace came over him, and he looked over to Wind who was crouched in the corner. As he opened his arms to her, she rushed to him and held him tight. Together they held Sun, and cried out their pain.

Eve walked to the edge of the clearing and into the forest. "Sun is gone Domatarious," she said aloud. She felt his hand on her shoulder and a flood of peace filled her inner being.

"Yes, Eve, her journey has ended and she is not here anymore."

"I will miss her greatly," said Eve, "but I know where she has gone, and it is good."

"Where do you know she has gone, Eve?" Domatarious asked her.

She turned to him and said, "She has gone to Eternity and it is a beautiful place. I remember being there and it is more beautiful than anything I have ever seen. I remember the light being beautiful and full, but no sun was there for the light. The light came from everything and not from any special place. I remember others there also and how we loved being in this place." Looking at Domatarious, she said, "And I remember being there with you. I am from there and I know now that is where I live. I am here on Earth, but I am only here because I wanted to be. I am here to do the things of the God of All Good Things. Sun is from there, and has now returned. I know these things, Domatarious, but I do not know how I know them."

"You have been given a gift of remembering your journeys before you came here Eve. It is a gift that will give you great understanding and you will help others to know how good life is and how much they are all loved."

She looked back at the home and saw Adam and Wind sitting on the ground still holding Sun's body. "I must go to the other male," she said.

"Why do you think you have to do that Eve?" Domatarious asked.

Looking up at him, she said quietly, "Because, he is Adam. I am Adam. All of us are Adam and we must be one together. He is hurt and lonely and I will go to him, for he is one with me." She turned and went into the forest to find the new Adam.

"You are Eve to those who know you here," Dom said quietly as he watched her disappear. "But you are my Satari and I love you and I celebrate your journey."

Enough moonlight filled the night to see the path, but even without it, she felt his presence. He was in physical pain, but the pains she felt went much deeper. She wondered what things he had been through to cause this much pain and hurt inside. Coming to the clearing by the lake, she saw him sitting near the water holding his arm to his side. "Adam, are you hurt badly?" she asked as she approached him.

He jumped to his feet and turned toward her. "Do not come near me." He snarled at her and stepped away.

"I am Adam also, and I am called Eve," she responded as she continued to walk toward him. He was somewhat larger than her Adam and his head hair and face hair were long and matted. He seemed much darker than Adam, but the moonlight was dim and caused the shadows to play tricks with her eyes. He did not move as she came near, but continued to look at her and tense in his body. "Let me see your arm Adam."

He looked at her and seeing she was but a small girl, relaxed somewhat and held out his arm. The forearm was a mass of small bite marks, but the upper arm was torn open and, even in the small light of the moon, Eve saw it was sliced open deeply. She reached out, took his good arm, and led him into the lake, where she had him sit until the wounded arm was submerged. She held it there for a time and then lifted it from the water and placed her lips on the deep cut. She felt the healing flow through her and into the wound, just as Sun had taught her to do. She ran her lips down his arm to the smaller hurts and finally placed the arm back into the water. All the time she did this, Adam never took his eyes off her.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked her quietly.

"Sun taught me this," she replied, "I see the hurt, then I call upon a deep love for you and let it flow through me. Look at your arm now Adam and you will see that the love I give you brought healing to your pain."

Adam pulled his arm from the water and saw the deep cut had now closed and only a long red mark remained. The smaller cuts were but dots on his arm. "Who are you that you do such things?"

She smiled at him and he saw her gentle face in the moonlight as she spoke, "I am Adam, and I am known as Eve. I am the child of Adam and Sun, and this is where we live."

"Why didn't you do this to the female who was hurt back by the fire?" he asked.

"Her life was gone, and nothing I could do would help. She has gone to the great healing and we cannot bring her back from there," Eve replied as took his hand and led him out of the water, back to the grass on the shore. "Why did you act as you did Adam, for it caused great pain to all of us?"

"The male was with my Wind and he cannot take her from me."

"Why do you think Wind belongs to you?" she asked.

"We are one from the beginning and she is for me and not for him."

Eve looked at him for a minute and felt the feeling of loneliness that had been part of her for sometime. It was his pain she felt, and she had a better understanding of what he was thinking. "You have been apart from Wind for a long time and yet you have continued to search for her. I do not think you would search for a lost animal that long, so I think it is because you love her and miss her that you go far from your home to find her. How can you think she belongs to you and yet still love her?"

"I do not know this love thing you talk of, for I only want Wind to be back with me. I have looked for her so I could bring her back."

"Why did she go Adam?"

"I don't know, she is like the wind, so I call her Wind."

"She left you because you look at her as you look at other things you call your own. She is an Adam, as you and me. No other Adam owns her. You feel love for her because she is different from the other things around you and you want to be with her and have joy. However, because you feel this, you have to let her be who she is, and not force her to be what you want. That is love Adam, and it is a great gift."

"Does this new Adam she is with love her?"

"Yes he does, and he loved Sun, who was with him as Wind was with you. He gives to Wind and allows her to be who she is and she loves him because of this. Because of you trying to take Wind back, Adam has now lost his Sun. I think when we act in ways that do not show love, only hurt will come to us. Now we have much hurt at home, and you are still without Wind."

"Now he has Wind and I have nothing. This is love?"

"I know this is love when I am able to be with you and you do not cause me harm. I know this is love when the healing flows to your arm and makes it well." She reached up and touched his face. "I know this is love because I feel your loneliness is less than it has been for sometime, and you cannot leave us, or the loneliness will destroy you. You must stay with us and learn to love, for you are Adam, and this is your strength."

"How do you know all these things for one so small?"

"I have a great teacher who explains things to me and I seem to know things that I did not learn here. I don't understand how all this comes to be, but I know you are hurt inside more than you are hurt in your arm. As love healed your arm, it will heal your inside too. I must go back home to help with the pain there. Go up the hill, for there is a clearing where you may rest. I will come for you and bring you home and you will not be alone anymore."

"I will not go back and see Wind with him and not be with her."

"That is your choice Adam, but think about leaving and never being with anyone again. It would not be a good thing for you to do, but I cannot force you to stay. It is your journey."

She rose and walked back to the path in the forest. He watched her go and looked down at his arm. The cut was almost gone, and he felt no pain at all. He thought of Wind and her being with this other Adam and felt the tightness in his belly. How could she do this to him? He could not allow this. Then he thought of this gentle girl with her thoughts of love. She knew him as if she had been with him forever. She brought a feeling to him he felt when Wind had been with him. That feeling made him relax and he slowly stood to his feet and headed toward the clearing Eve had suggested. "I will try this love, but I am still Adam and she is my Wind."

Eve came into the clearing and saw Adam and Wind were still sitting next to Sun. Neither spoke as she came near and she felt the hurt they were feeling.

Wind looked up as she approached and said, "Where have you been Eve, I looked for you, but could not find you."

"I have been with the other Adam."

As she said this, Adam looked up at her and she felt a feeling she had never received from Adam. He jumped to his feet, grabbed her, and shouted, "Where is he, show me for I must find him?"

Eve looked into Adam's eyes and gently took his hands off her shoulders and held them to her lips. "Adam would Sun want you to cause more pain?" she asked softly. She opened his hands, put them around her face, and continued to look into his eyes. "He is Adam, as we all are Adam, and Sun would want us to love him as we love each other." She let go of his hands, walked over to Sun, and knelt before her lifeless body. Sadness filled her as she realized she would no longer hear Sun's laughter and feel her love of life. Nevertheless, a greater joy filled her, as she knew that Sun was now in a place of beauty she had never seen before. Eve smiled as she pictured Sun touching all the beauty and feeling good in her new home.

"Why do you smile Eve?" Wind asked.

"I know where Sun has gone and I know how happy she is with all she is seeing. I am sad she is not here, but I am happy for where she is now."

"How do you know these things Eve?" Adam asked.

"I have been there," she replied. "I do not know when, but I know I have been there and it is where we will all go when our journey here is through." Looking at Adam she continued, "Domatarious has spoken of these things to you long ago, and you must try to remember his words so your pain for Sun will be less."

"How is the other Adam, Eve, is he hurt?" Wind asked

"I have allowed the healing to flow through me and his arm is well now. However, the hurt he feels inside will take time to heal. I told him to rest in the upper clearing until I return to him, but I do not know if he will do this." Sitting next to Wind, she said to her, "He is very much alone and this causes him to act in ways that are not good for him or those around him. He loves you Wind, but thinks you must be his for him to be well. I have talked to him about this, but his need is great and my words are small. I will go to him and bring him here, but it is up to you and Adam how he will heal from his pain. I do not know how you will do this, but I know you both can stop his pain, if you choose to do this."

Turning to Adam she said, "You and Wind must wake the children and explain that Sun is gone. We will prepare Sun for a celebration of her new life, for our sorrow may be great, but knowing she is well and happy will make us lighter. Carry Sun to the lake and I will wash her in the water. Send Star to the lake and he will help me prepare what we must do next."

Adam looked at her for a long time and said, "You talk to us like we are the children and you the older. You do not seem as the Eve we have known. What has happened to you?"

"There are things I see and understand that I have not seen before. When Sun was no more, it is as if the clouds went from my mind and things became clear. I only want to make your pain less Adam, for I have great love for you and know that the feeling you now give me is not one that will work well for you. You and Sun brought life into the Earth we live in, because you loved each other and wanted to bring more love. Now you feel this anger and it is strange to you and to me. I know it is because you are in pain, but it must not stay as part of you, or all you and Sun ever wanted will go away. You are Adam, and I am Adam, feel my love and Wind's love and know that we will always be with you, even as Sun is always with you inside." She slid next to him, put her arms around his neck, and felt his arms go around her and hold her. He began to cry, and in his release, she felt the anger become less. "I loved Sun very much," he sobbed as he held her, "and that love gave us you. I feel her inside me making me whole from my pain." He pulled back, looked into her eyes and smiled. "I see her eyes in you and that feels good. I will carry her to the lake and you do what is right in your thinking. We will feel our sorrow, but we will also celebrate Sun's new life. Go to the new Adam and bring him to us, for Sun would want all the Adams to celebrate her life together. Wind and I will talk and find what we are to do, but know that your words, wherever you found them, are healing to our wounds." He held her again and she felt his love grow strong. "Thank you Adam," she whispered to him, "for being strong."

Chapter 9

Year 8

Sun thought how quiet it was and decided it was either early or the children all had slept late. She opened her eyes and saw that it was very light.

"Welcome home, Sun."

She looked around, saw Domatarious standing beside her, and sat up quickly. "Dom, how good to see you again after such a long time." She viewed her surroundings and immediately saw she was not in the clearing. "Where am I?" she asked as she stood to look about.

"Sun, your journey is over, and you are home with us. Do you remember what happened?"

Sun gazed at the surroundings and felt great joy at seeing the beauty and glory of everything. Looking down, saw she was in the beautiful white garment and that the light radiated from it, and brought her great comfort. "I was hurt when I fell, but I do not remember what happened after that."

Dom sat near her and said, "You hit your head and it damaged your brain. Your heart was no longer able to work and your body died quickly. You fell when the new Adam pushed Wind into you, and you lost your balance."

"The new Adam?" she asked.

"Wind's Adam found her and became angry when he saw your Adam holding Wind."

Still looking around her, she replied, "Anger because he was still demanding that Wind belonged to him? This is a hard lesson for him to learn. Where am I now?"

"This is Eternity, Sun, and this is the place all life begins. You came from here, but this is the first time you are aware of being here. You are a new soul, created by the thoughts of God for the purpose of your journey."

"I am no longer living on Earth?"

"No, your journey on Earth is over, but it is just the beginning of your journey, for you have many other adventures before you. Each adventure will teach you more about the magnificence of God's love and the Power of Light."

"I feel like I am still alive, Dom. I can see, hear, and," she squeezed her fingers together, "I can feel. If I am not alive, what am I?"

"Sun, all life as we know it is created by the thoughts of the God of All Good Things. You are that thought, and we call you a living soul. Your purpose is to explore the Universe and constantly see how the Love of God is the source of all things. Each journey you take, as with the one you just finished on Earth, provides new experiences for you to see God's love in action. God created you to be one of the first humans on Earth, and therefore, it was your first journey. Your Adam has made several journeys and has seen the power of God's love from different experiences."

"Adam never spoke of this to me. Why didn't he tell me about these journeys?"

"When you enter a new journey, you will not have a conscious memory of your other journeys, and will enter each new lesson as a new experience. However, in your soul, you remember all these lessons, and if you truly listen to your inner self, you are able to call upon these experiences to guide you in your new lesson. The more lessons you learn, the easier it is to hear your inner self and receive guidance. You were created with an abundance of love and understanding for your first journey, and you did well in walking in that creative love."

Sun looked at the beauty around her and asked Dom, "What of Wind, and the children? Are they able to draw on their past journeys?"

"Wind, like you, is a new soul, created by the thoughts of God for the beginning of the human development. The children, except for Eve, are souls who have asked for their journey on Earth, so they may experience new things."

"Why is Eve different?"

As she sat beside Domatarious, he explained, "Eve is a soul who remembers her other journeys, and she has many insights she can share. Eve has become aware of the Power of Love and is trying to bring everyone together so the shadow will not grow. She is having success thus far and I am sure she will give them all alternatives to the shadow."

"My little Eve is an old soul," laughed Sun, "I always felt she was different, but I did not know why. How is my Adam doing now?"

"He grieves you leaving him, but Eve gives him hope and he is finding his inner strength. He and Wind will find strength in each other and carry on in their journey."

Sun considered this for a minute and said, "They will be good together for they are good souls. I felt her love always, and I know she will be happy. What of the other Adam, will he be with Wind and Adam?"

"We will see how he progresses, but I believe it will all work for him in his journey. Are you ready to share your journey thoughts with me now?"

Sun sat quietly for a while and thought about all she had seen on her Earth journey. "I do not remember ever having a feeling that did not focus on love, and the reality of walking in the Light of love. I am also aware that I did not really share with others about the Power of Love. I think that would be a wonderful thing to do for the children, as they will need understanding of this to pass on to others. I see in my journey that I allowed the distractions of life to become a strong focus instead of using my internal senses. I often felt things inside that certainly desired to give me understanding, but most of the time, I ignored thinking of these things and went on to do something else. I do remember the things Satari taught me, and I spent much more time thinking about these truths before I had Adam and the children. Those thoughts became quiet as I became more active."

"It is a common problem when away from here," Dom interjected. "The shadow grows in the distractions, and there are many things to draw away attention from Light and truth. Anything else you feel was important in your journey?"

"The sense of possession of others is a problem in the growth of trust," Sun said. "I remember sensing the need to encourage Wind to have a deeper relationship with Adam, because I felt her need and love. She was hesitant to do this because she felt he was mine. The strange part is how she disliked feeling the possessiveness of her Adam over her, yet she placed the same thing on me. I believe this is a problem in the nature of the creation that may continue to cause the shadow to appear."

"The creation will evolve into a natural coupling," Dom said, "but we can only hope it is a coupling of the soul and not driven by the desire to possess. You and your Adam did not have a connection from previous soul journeys, and yet the two of you flowed naturally. Wind is also a new soul, but she and her Adam did not melt into soul understanding. This is also a problem in one of the other Adam locations and we will watch to see how it evolves. Eve and a few others who have deeper understanding will impart this insight to the species, but it will be up to the Adams whether or not they develop relationships based on the Power of Love and Light or on the deception of shadow and possession."

Turning to her, he took Sun's hand and said, "You have lived your journey well and imparted truth of the Power of Love as you desired. Go, enjoy Eternity and then decide what you would like to do in your next journey."

Sun thought for a moment, and said, "I would like to bring the Power of Love and Light into a more difficult relationship. Adam was very open and giving, and it was easy to love in that place. I believe it will strengthen my understanding of the Power of Love and Light to use it in a situation that is difficult."

"That will be your next journey. You will have an additional gift of sensitivity to be able to find your soul connection in relationships and try to impart more Light into that area. If your inner strength is truly prepared for this growth, you will also have ability to teach others the truth of the Power of Love and Light. If you cannot succeed in this task, you will know more about God's love through your failure." Dom placed his hands on her said, "You have done well Sun, and your understanding has grown. The God of All Good Things sends you forth with all the Love and Light needed to accomplish your journey."

Sun reached up, embraced Dom, then rose from the seat, and walked out into the splendor of all her surroundings. Within she felt the joy of being part of the beauty and peace of eternity. "How wonderful is the plan of the God of All Good Things," she thought, and then wandered out toward some others she saw waving at her and beckoning her to come and see them.

He watched her as she walked off to meet new friends and establish herself in Eternity. She was a gentle soul, and the journey she requested would challenge her greatly, but he was confident she was able to handle it with Love and Light. She was created as one of the eight female Adams, and she had shown her strength in truly loving.

Domatarious turned from Sun and entered into a room that contained the sleeping form of Satari. He looked down at her and smiled, remembering how she, in her human form as Eve, was beginning to have recollections of being in Eternity. As Pantermums, she, Domatarious, and others traveled throughout the Universe overseeing creation and the progress of the plan of the God of All Good Things. Whenever they had permission to become one with creation, the level of understanding greatly increased among the created. Domatarious was aware that Satari provided a strong force that could bring understanding, and influence the evolution of the humans greatly. The ability to use the Pantermums in the creation process was a great help. The first Earth creations did not have this gift, and had only their own understanding. With the humans, the addition of periodic Pantermums among them would give a guidance they could choose to follow or reject, for the choice was always up to the created species. Nevertheless, the direction provided by the Pantermums would allow them understanding of the eternal plan and not just the things in the temporal world. He smiled and touched Satari and said, "Work well my love, and I will wait for your return."

***

Eve had washed Sun's body in the lake as Star prepared a large amount of wood for a fire. Together they placed Sun on new, clean sheep covering and Eve wove flowers into her hair and covered her body with beautiful leaves and flowers. She told Star to go back home and have everyone meet at the lake to celebrate Sun's new life. The boy's sadness seemed to melt away as Eve explained where Sun had gone and how they would all see Sun again when they went to Eternity. Unlike the older Adams, Star accepted what Eve said and was happy to help Sun move on to Eternity.

Eve climbed up the path toward the high clearing over the lake. She saw no signs of the other Adam, and wondered if he had stayed or if he decided to depart. As she entered the clearing, she felt his presence, and called out his name. He emerged for the forest near the clearing and stood looking at her, neither speaking nor moving any further.

"How is your arm, Adam?" Eve spoke as she approached him.

He looked down at his arm and returned his eyes to her. "It does not hurt. Where is Wind?" Eve set a sheep covering on the ground and opened it. In it were some cooked sheep's meat and sweet plants from the forest. She handed them to him and said, "Sit with me Adam, and eat this, for it will help you feel better. Wind is with the other Adam and the children, and we are going to meet at the lake to celebrate Sun's new life in Eternity."

Adam sat beside the sheep covering and took the food Eve offered and began to eat. She saw that he had many marks on his body that appeared to be cuts. His hands were also hard and rough, but his frame was as strong and hard as her Adam. "What are these marks on your body, Adam? They look like cuts."

"Animals fight against Adam in the trees, but they do not win," he said. "What do you mean by 'a new life in Eternity'? I have never heard of Eternity."

"It is where we go to when our time here is over. Sun lived with us and now has gone to a new home in Eternity. We will see her again when we go there."

Adam thought for a moment and said, "I do not know of this place. What about Wind, when will she come to me?"

Eve reached up and pulled some sticks out of Adams hair, and said, "We need to take you to the lake and let you get rid of the dirt and woods on you. You have gone far from home, and I will help you feel better." She took the sharp stone from the sheep covering and showed it to him. "I would like to cut away some of your head hair and face hair so you look better."

He looked at the sharp stone and then looked at her and handed it back to her. She went behind him and began to cut away all the long snarls that hung over his back. As she did this, she saw he had more marks on his back, and she began to wonder how much pain he had gone through over his time of looking for Wind. She ran her fingers through the shorter hair and pulled out some of the smaller twigs and snarls. Coming in front of him, she held his face hair and gently cut off the long straggly pieces and made it all more even. He never said a word to her; he simply continued to look at her as she worked. She ran her fingers through his face hair and finally said, "Now we will go to the lake and swim and clean off the mud. Then you and I will wait for Adam, Wind, and the children to join us. My Adam knows you will be there as does Wind. We are all Adam, and this day we must be one and not be against each other."

"Wind belongs to me, and not to him or this place."

Eve stood and looked at him and spoke to him in a firm but loving voice, "You are here because the God of All Good Things wants you here. You, Adam, Wind, and I will talk of the problems you have after we celebrate Sun's new life. She was a loving person who gave us much joy, and she would have given you much love and joy. However, she is gone. You will come and be part of us who come to love, or you will sit here alone and be angry. However, do not come with anger to a place of love. I ask you this as one who will love you and be with you. Even so, if you cannot love, I will not be able to help you."

She stood and looked at him as he stared at her. Finally, he stood, reached down, picked her up, and put her on his shoulders. "You are like Wind," he said, " telling me what to do and what is good. I will go to this place with your love for I like you. We will talk about other things after."

As he headed down the path, Eve reached down and kissed him on his forehead. Ever so slightly, she saw him smile, and felt his body relax. "Walk in Light, Adam," she said quietly, "Walk in Light."

They had finished swimming in the lake and were sitting on the shore near Sun's body when the others arrived. Star was holding Moon in his arms and Dawn was carrying Leaf and leading River with her other hand. Wind walked before Adam and held her baby and Sun's baby in her arms. They walk near Sun's body and stood looking at Eve and the new Adam. At last Adam left the group and walked over to Eve. He stood before her and looked at the new Adam, who remained sitting on the ground, as if not sure what to do next. Wind handed the babies to Dawn and took Moon and River by the hand. She walked beside Adam, looked down at her Adam, and said, "This is Moon and River. Together you and I have given them life."

The new Adam starred at the children and finally stood and looked at Wind. "We made these before you left? Why did I not know this?"

"I did not know until I was gone from our home, and unable to go back. I continued on, and saw fire smoke before me. I followed it and came to this home with Sun, Adam, and the children. I have wanted you to see them, but did not know where you were until you came into the home last night."

Eve rose and said, "Let us come together for Sun, and talk of other things when we are done." The two Adams looked at her and both sat on the ground and did not say a word. Wind walked over to the children and brought them to the two Adams. She said, "Eve, you seem to understand things we do not, so tell us what we are to do. I have come to trust you see things with eyes that are not of a child."

Eve stood by Sun's body and quietly spoke, "Inside me are things that speak understanding to my thoughts. I do not know how this happens, but I do know that the understanding is truth. We are all part of the plan of the God of All Good Things, and we are here on Earth to accomplish the things God has desired. Sun came to Earth, from a place called Eternity, which is our entire place of beginning. This place is beautiful beyond anything we have ever seen, and is a place of Love and Light that never stops. We come to Earth to make it a place that is the same as Eternity, for that is the plan of God of All Good Things. Sun gave us love, and we loved her. She gave us life, and as her children, we will give life to others because of what she and Adam made. Sun loved us all, and now she is in Eternity, and waits for us to join her when we are finished here. This Sun is gone, and is but an empty shell. Our Sun is in Eternity, and we will send her shell into the sky, and celebrate that her love is always with us."

She turned and took a flower and, kissing Sun, placed the flower on her body. She then handed a flower to Sun's Adam and he rose and stood before her body with the flower in his hand and looked at her. With tears in his eyes, he kissed her and set the flower on her body. Next Eve presented flowers to Star, Dawn, and Leaf. They stood with Eve and placed their flowers. Wind handed the babies to Dawn and went to Sun with River and Moon holding her hands. She kissed Sun and reaching down, put her arms around her and held her. Finally, Eve handed the new Adam a flower, and he hesitated and finally walked to Sun and looked at her for a long time. He placed the flower on her and then knelt on the ground and began to sob. Eve came to his side and lay her hand on him, but he turned from her and tears fell from him. Adam rose from where he was sitting, and walked to the new Adam and knelt beside him and asked, "Why does this bring you pain when you did not even know Sun?"

The new Adam stood and wiping tears from his eyes looked at Adam and said, "I have lived looking for Wind, and now I find her here. I see this Sun and know that she is gone. This child Eve shows me love, and I have not felt that in a long time. I see Wind here, and know she will not leave. However, it is as if all this that I see has pulled a great pain from me. I have caused pain, and yet here I find pain taken from me. I feel great sorrow for the pain I cause, but great release from the pain taken away. What Eve says about being on Earth and in Eternity, I think is true. However, this time on Earth is hard, and I feel great sorrow for it. I now see these two children Wind and I made, and I feel good seeing them but believe they will not want me." He turned and looked at Adam and said, "And I see you, who I felt great anger for, turn, and bring me into your home. I see Sun, and am happy she is in this Eternity, but I see me, and I do not know where I belong." He turned abruptly and headed quickly to the path taking him to the high clearing.

Adam stepped from Sun's body, watched the new Adam head away, and then shouted, "You are Adam! I am Adam!"

Eve stood and shouted, "You are Adam, and I am Adam".

Wind turned and shouted, "You are Adam, and I am Adam". Soon Star and the other children all shouted the same, "You are Adam, and I am Adam." The new Adam stopped as he heard their voices and turned to see them all standing looking at him. He hesitated and then said to them, "You are Adam, and I am Adam."

Eve walked toward him, took his hand, and leading him back to Sun's body stated clearly, "We are Adam, and we are all one. Today, we celebrate our lives together and Sun's life in Eternity." Having said that, she took a flaming stick and put it under the wood beneath Sun's body. The flames grew and as they all stood together, that which was Sun on Earth, became one with the Universe.

Chapter 10

YEAR 18

Sun was sitting on the hill, looking out over the beautiful array of color filling the landscape. Eternity was beyond anything she tried to express, yet it felt as it was part of her very being. Those she met and shared with had such joy and love, and the adventures they had all been through in their journeys! She loved their journey stories, and felt herself strengthened by all they shared with her.

"Isn't it beautiful, Sun?" she heard a voice say in her thoughts. Turning, she saw Domatarious standing beside her, and she felt the peace and joy his very presence brought to her.

"Oh Dom, it is beyond anything I can describe, and it fills me with such peace to simply look at its beauty. Every color produces light and yet there is no sun or light in the sky."

"That is the beauty of Eternity," Domatarious said as he seated himself beside her. "All light comes from within, and there is no shadow or darkness. I am happy that you are meeting others and growing in your understanding. Are you ready to begin your next journey Sun?"

"So soon? I am only starting to settle in and find new things here?"

Domatarious laughed and said, "Sun, in your Earth time, you have been here ten years".

"That is not possible!" she exclaimed. "I just got here and have only started to explore."

"In Eternity, there is no time, Sun; days, months, years, all become one. However, on Earth, because light comes from outside, time is something that you measure. Come with me; let me show you something that will please you greatly."

He stood, took her hand, and led her down the hill to a great lake. As they neared the lake, she saw that it was clear, and she saw through it to the bottom. As she peered deeper, she saw trees and mountains in the bottom. "What is this, Dom?"

"This is the place we watch all life on Earth and see how it all progresses. Look over to those mountains and tell me what you see."

Sun looked over the landscape and saw a river running through into a lake. As she looked, it began to come closer in her sight until she made out a small settlement in a clearing near the lake. Looking at the clearing it became larger to her until she was able to see sheep grazing in a field and a shelter built near the lake. "What is this Dom?"

"It is your home, Sun," he replied, "It is the place you lived on Earth."

Sun looked at the shelter, and it came closer to her until she saw people around it. "There is Wind," she exclaimed with joy, "and the children are playing over there. Oh, Dom, look at how much they have changed. I do not know some of them."

"Wind has had a few children since you left," Dom said, and pointed to a group playing near the middle of the clearing. "Those are the babies you had before you came here, and over there you see Dawn with the new ones. Wind has had two set of twins and a female child. Look down the river and tell me what you see."

Sun looked at the river and followed it past the clearing to a small area that had a few people gathered together. She looked closer and was now able to see a tall male and two females working on something.

"That is Star, Moon, and Eve working on a new creation they have formed," Dom said. "Star and Eve followed the river until it widens, and they have found ways to float on the water and go even farther. What they are working on is a raft, and the three of them shall soon journey from home to a new destination. Look back toward the lake. There is River and Leaf cleaning the animals they have caught with the new Adam. He is now called Adam Hunter, for he has learned to catch animals for food and shelter and the boys go with him for each hunt and have become good providers."

"They kill the animals in the forest?" Sun questioned.

"It is the way they have decided to provide for themselves, but they are always thankful for the animal giving its life so that they may live. It is their way of living."

Sun thought about this and said, "I do not think the killing of another life is right, but they must do what they think is best. Where is my Adam?"

"He is over there with the sheep."

Sun looked past the clearing to another large clearing filled with white sheep. She spotted him on the edge, and as she focused, he appeared much closer to her. "He looks well and seems happy," she said quietly, "I do miss him."

"That is because you are soul connected, and you will spend time together throughout eternity as you journey back and forth. You will connect with others in your journeys. You will find great joy in being together, no matter where you find yourselves. You may not know Adam when you meet as you travel, but you will have an inner peace that lets you know he is one with you. You will also have times together up here to share your love for each other."

"Do you have a soul connection Dom?" He smiled and said, "I have different connections, as I am a Pantermums and not an eternal soul as you. Satari is one with me, and we find each other often in our travels."

"Where is Satari, Dom? I have not seen her in Eternity."

Domatarious pointed to Eve and said, "She is the life energy in Eve."

"My little Eve is filled with surprises," Sun laughed.

"Well Sun, you have one more surprise coming with Eve," Dom said. "In your next journey, you are to be the life energy in the child she creates. As a Pantermums, we can be life energy, but we do not provide connection for other souls in the reproduction. When a Pantermums becomes life energy, we will not produce after our own kind, so it is necessary for a soul who has journeyed before to become the life energy in the womb. You are the only soul who has completed a journey on Earth; now you are going to be the life energy for the being in Eve's womb. She has not met her mate yet, but will soon, and then your journey will begin."

"I am to be the child my own child brings forth," Eve stated, and laughed saying, "The ways of the God of All Good Things are all good, so this too I know I will enjoy."

"You will not remember Eve in your human understanding, but you will feel the connection in your own heart. She is to journey with Star and Moon to a new location and will become one with another Adam there. He is a very strong male Adam and leads many people in the ways of the God of All Good Things. You will become a leader of these people and meet with a new Adam who is very strong in ability and yet is deep in his shadow. Your journey will be to lead him back to the Power of Love and Light so the people around the two of you will walk in all that God has provided."

"Will I succeed in this?" Eve asked.

"That we do not yet know. You and the male Adam will have choices that will determine how your journey progresses. If you succeed, then the progress of humans will go in a direction according to that outcome. If you fail, then it will go in the direction of that outcome. Either way, you will learn much about God's love and the Power of Love and Light, and the evolving of the humans will be one-step closer to God's ultimate plan. The plan of God is like a river in a mountain. It will flow from the top to the bottom, and nothing can stop it. If it meets an obstacle, it will simply flow in another direction as it journeys to its conclusion. Nothing will change the eternal plan of God, it simply flows in different directions until it finally comes to the conclusion God has determined is perfect."

"Somehow, I understand what you are saying, and it brings me great peace," she said.

Dom pointed to the clearing and said, "Close your eyes and open them".

Sun did as he asked and when she opened them, she saw Wind, Adam, the new Adam and all the children gathered around a fire near the lake. It was night, and she saw the light of the moon on the ground around them.

"They have all gathered for a Celebration of Sun." Dom said.

"What is this Celebration of Sun?

"Every full moon they gather by the lake and Celebrate your life with them. They tell the story of how God sent you to give them life. They express their gratefulness to God for you and for their lives."

"They gather to celebrate me?" she asked with alarm. "Why are they doing that?"

"You are the mother of life to them, and they see you as a special person sent from the God of All Good Things."

"But Wind is the same as I am," she protested.

"Yes," he replied, "but your death has become a focal point for celebrating life and giving thanks for all that the God of All Good Things has given them. Watch how they go about this celebration."

Sun looked at the group around the fire and saw Eve stand and face the group. Eve had grown into a fine young woman with a strong body and long light colored hair. As Sun focused on Eve, she began to hear her speak.

"Today we come together as the Family of Adam to give thanks for our lives and for all that Mother Sun provides for us." Bending down she took dirt, sprinkled it on her feet, and said, "We are reminded we are from the Earth and are part of the Earth. We are thankful for the life it gives to us." With that, she sprinkled the Earth on Adam's feet, who in turn did the same to Wind, who continued by doing the same to Adam Hunter, and on it went until each person had covered the feet of his or her neighbor with Earth. Eve continued by taking a bowl and dipping her fingers into it. She took the red liquid, wiped it on her stomach and between her legs, and said, "From the Mother of life we come forth to live as one. We give thanks today for the life we have and for the ability to create new life."

Eve passed the bowl and each person took the liquid and anointed their belly and genital with it. She took the bowl and again dipped her fingers in it and wiped the stain between her breasts. Handing the bowl to Adam she said, "We give thanks for our life within, for it is who we are. Mother Sun was a life within who has returned to her home and our life will return to her in our time. It is in this place we shall forever be one." Again, each person passed the bowl around and repeated what Eve had done.

Receiving the bowl, she once more placed her fingers in it and touched her forehead saying, "This night we cleanse our thoughts and ask Mother Sun to take our thoughts and make them one. Our thoughts are now pure as hers, and we are truly one Adam."

When the bowl returned to Eve, she turned and poured it on a large bunch of stick behind her and then lifted her arms and declared, "I am Adam." She took a flaming torch from the fire and handed it to Adam who declared, "I am Adam," who passed it to Wind who did the same. As the torch made its way around the fire, every person who could, stood and said, "I am Adam". Eve took the torch and put it into the sticks, and as the flames grew, she turned and embraced Adam, Wind, Adam Hunter, and went around until she had touched them all. As she did this, they all began to move their feet and clap their hands in unison. Soon they began to move around the clearing, and embrace any who happened to be beside them. As Sun watched, she felt touched by the joy she sensed in the gathering.

"That was beautiful Dom," Sun said as she continued to watch them, "but I feel a little small in comparison to all that Eve gave me credit for as she spoke. But I also feel the love and joy in the celebration, and know it is good."

"Let me show you something else going on in this celebration," Dom said as he waived his hand over her eyes. Suddenly, everything she saw became such vivid colors, she stepped back in awe. The trees and forest were vivid greens and the area of the clearing literally exploded in beautiful white light.

"What am I seeing Dom?" Sun asked.

That is the color of the Power of Love and Light, Sun. When there is great joy, the light is very bright and white. The trees are bright green for they give life and thrive in the harmony of being together. Look off into the distance; do you see the other colors?"

Sun looked out past the clearing and saw a glimmer of red and some yellow. As she looked at this, Domatarious said, "Those are some animals in the forest who are feeling fear due to the fire and noise. When any feeling comes, other than joy and a feeling of harmony, the colors change. The colors show shadow growing and it is a place that is not part of the joy of the God of All Good Things." As he said this, he waived his hand toward the red light and Sun saw a white glow depart the celebration and move toward the red. As it came near, the red started to fade and became the bright green as the trees around it.

"What did you do to cause that?" she asked.

"I simply directed a Provider toward the animals so they might feel safe and without fear."

"What is a Provider, and how did they make the animals feel safe?"

Domatarious pointed to the very white lights around the campfire and explained, "When a great sense of joy and harmony is given, the white lights all come together and it is very powerful. The white lights are Providers, and they bring Light and peace to everything they touch. They will produce whatever is necessary to increase Light and peace, as long as love and good thoughts are active. This interaction is the source of everything the God of All Good Things provides, and we call it energy. However, when there is no love, or the thoughts are not focused on the goodness of life, the Providers withdraw and there is only emptiness."

Sun looked at the white light around the people and saw that it was not one light, but countless numbers of lights all together. "What happens when they are not there, and it is empty?"

"Close and open your eyes again," Dom said, and as she responded to his words, she now saw she was looking at a different time and place. Looking closer, she saw her Adam and Wind playing by the fire, and she saw herself standing and laughing behind Wind. Dom said, "This is the night you died. I want you to watch the colors and see how the Providers work with the energy around them."

He waived his hand again and Sun saw the beautiful colors all around the fire. The white lights of the Providers covered the three of them, and she saw the lights coming from within the shelter where the children slept. Off to the side, her eyes saw a bright red glow slowly moving toward the camp. Suddenly, the glow rushed into the camp and ran into Wind who fell. Another red glow ran from the side and attacked the first red glow and Sun knew this was Wellna attacking the new Adam. "Now watch carefully Sun, and see how the Providers respond," Dom said quietly.

The light lifted above the clearing and pulled away from the red fighting on the ground. Sun watched as the light pulled back from her Adam and then from Wind. She still had them on her, and still saw them in the children's shelter. Her Adam and Wind began to change from the beautiful green color into the red as the ones on the ground.

"When any negative or unloving energy becomes part of life, the Providers pull back," Dom explained. "You see the two Adams, Wind, and Wellna have now started to become red. At this point, they are on their own, and will have no provision to give them joy and fullness. If they stay like this, they will be without power to use the joy and goodness God gives all creation. Due to this, they will only be able to create more things that will cause them unhappiness and lack. Now close your eyes and open them again."

Sun did as he said and saw her Adam and Wind sitting by her dead body on the ground. Domatarious waived his hand, and she again saw the colors. Both Wind and Adam were now bright Red, but there was no color on her body. She saw a bright light enter the camp, and realized it was Eve. She watched as Eve talked to Adam and Wind, and saw bright flashes come off Eve and touch both Adam and Wind and then return.

"Eve is sending love to both of them. She cannot change how they will handle what they are feeling, but she can send Love and Light to them to help them make better choices than the anger they now feel." As Eve talked, Sun saw her Adam begin to grow dimmer in his redness and the light from Eve was staying with him much longer each time it went forth. Wind was not as red, but she still reflected more red than Adam did. At last, she saw her Adam move from red to green and when this happened the Providers rushed in and covered him with light.

"When the Providers come," Dom stated, "there is a new sense of love and peace. Whatever the person needs in order to grow in this love and peace, the Providers will go find it and bring it to them. It may be wisdom, friendship, something to use, or a direction for the journey. Whatever is needed, if the energy is kept loving and in harmony, then the Providers will do what they have been created to accomplish. They will provide."

Dom took Sun's hand and led her to a couch near the lake. As they sat together Dom said, "I have given you this insight so you may retain it for your journey. Eve, as your mother, will teach you many things about the inner strength of your soul. You will have this understanding in your inner being and, if you use it, it will aid in your task."

"I don't understand why this truth is not given to all on Earth to help in their journey."

Dom looked at her and replied, "It _is_ given to all, but the choice to follow it or not is up to each individual. Ultimately, all humans will understand the truth of Love and Light, and will walk in harmony with each other. This will complete the plan of the God of All Good Things. However, the harmony must come through the free choice of every person, and that will take time to accomplish. Your task is to impart these truths, in order for others to know and accept them. Understanding the love of God only comes from seeing how empty the journey is without this love. When that is known, there is joy in walking in the ways of God."

Sun put her head on Dom's shoulder and said quietly, "I understand these truths, and I desire to go and provide them to others. When will I go back?"

Putting his arm around Sun, Domatarious said to her, "Close your eyes Sun, and let your journey begin."

Chapter 11

Year 19

Star pulled the woven vine tight against the sheep coverings and stepped back on the shore. Eve and Moon carried the last of the food supplies down to the river, and put them on the floating platform they had created. The three of them had said their goodbyes to all the adults and children in the camp, and left for the river early in the morning.

"That is all we brought with us," Eve said, "now we have no reason not to get on and see what happens."

She and Star had taken the float out a couple times, to see if it would truly stay on top of the water. While they had not journeyed far from home, they felt it was sufficient to take them wherever the God of All Good Things desired them to go. Star had studied the tree trunks as they floated in the water and came up with the idea of tying them together. They found that by weaving the vines as one, they could tie things together at home. Star tried this with the tree trunks, and found they held together well. When they finished it, and tried it out, Eve suggested they follow the river downstream to see where it would lead. Star was up for the adventure, but insisted Moon go with them. Though she was younger than Star, she was a strong young woman who had no fear of trying anything. In addition, Star and Moon had been inseparable since early childhood, and obviously cared a great deal for each other.

The three of them walked a day's journey down the river and saw it became much wider as they went. The river appeared shallow in most of what they saw, and they had cut long sticks from the trees to use to guide the float. They discussed their plan with the two Adams and Wind, and agreed not to go farther down the river than a few days journey by foot. Eve felt that this journey was important for all of them, and her enthusiasm was a contagion for both Star and Moon.

Star grabbed the vine that held them to shore and said, "You two get on and take the long poles while I push us off from the shore."

Moon jumped on and took the far side of the raft and Eve went to the near side. "Ready when you are." Moon shouted to Star, and he began to push the float away from the shore. As soon as they were free from the land, he climbed up and took a third pole and began to push. They glided out into the middle of the river and felt the current pick them up and move them forward. At first, they used the poles to push, but soon discovered the current moved them at a good pace, and they retired all but one pole. Taking turns, they kept the float in the middle of the river until it began to widen, and then they stayed closer to shore, in order to pull in if they thought it necessary.

As they floated by large forest trees and fields filled with wild flowers Eve exclaimed, "It is beautiful. Look at all the colors and different flowers." Half way through the day, they passed the spot they had previously walked to and the three of them became quiet as they now journeyed into places they had never seen before. As the sun moved toward the horizon, they pushed the float near the shore. Moon and Star jumped into the water and pulled it while Eve pushed with the pole. They laid out some sheep covering and Star made a fire while Eve and Moon gathered wood.

As the sun set, Moon looked at the stars overhead. "They are the same here as they were at home," she said. "Why is that?"

"The God of All Good Things placed them over us, so we will always feel at home," Eve replied. "No matter where we go, the pictures in the sky will remind us that we are one with all who look up and see them."

"I am very happy with our float," Star said with some pride.

"You have made a good thing Star," Moon said as she rested her head on his leg. "I wonder where it will take us and what we will see."

Eve looked out at the river and said, "A day on the river takes us more than two days walk from home. We seemed to be going faster, so we will have to be careful not to go too far, or it will be along walk home."

Star thought about this for a moment and said, "If we go down the river two sunsets, we will still be close enough to make it home. Look at what I have been doing as we floated along." He took a long piece of white tree bark and laid it on the ground before them. On it was a line with markings all around it. "As we go along, I am marking spots that are easy to find on the river. See, here is the large tree that was on the edge of the river and had fallen over. Here is the spot where the small river joined our river. This will help us as we head back up the river, then we will know where we are."

Moon looked at the markings, and threw her arms around Star and kissed him. "You are the best there is," she exclaimed as she hugged him again. Eve laughed and jumped on Moon and Star and began to press her fingers into both of their sides. They started to laugh and rolled to their sides spilling Eve onto the ground. Star held Eve down as Moon grabbed Eve's foot and lightly ran her fingers up and down the bottom of Eve's foot. "No, not that!" Eve hollered in laughter as the funny feeling ran all over her foot.

Exhausted from the long adventure, they finally lay back on their sheep coverings and pulling close together, gave thanks to Mother Sun and her protection, and fell asleep.

They rose with the sun the next morning, secured their belongings on the float, and pushed off into the river once more. The world around them changed quickly as they went farther down the water. The large forest and trees gave way to open clearings and a view of huge mountains far in the distance. They came ashore about midday and decided to explore the new area for a while. The ground on the shore had a covering different from the dirt and rocks they had lived with at home. It felt as a covering of large dust all over, and it felt good to walk on when they got off the float.

Returning to the float in the early afternoon, they set off once more downstream following the ever-expanding river. As the late day sun began to set, they passed an opening in the clearing where another smaller river merged into theirs. The current changed and pushed them toward the middle of the water and their speed increased greatly. Ahead they saw that the river was showing choppy white water and appeared to be rougher than they had experienced. Taking the long sticks, they tried to push closer to the shore, but the water was stronger and kept pushing them down river at a rapidly increasing pace.

"I can't stop us," Star hollered out to the others. "Whatever is ahead is pulling us toward it and we have no control. Pull in the sticks and hold on to the vines, we are going to have to go through whatever this is."

The float began to bounce as the water splashed around and on the surface. Suddenly, they saw a great rock in the water and realized they were heading straight toward it. They each grabbed a long stick and began to push away from the rock, and cleared it by a small space. The current turned them around, and they began to rush forward at high speed. They all fell to the surface of the float and grabbed the vines to keep from falling into the water. More rocks appeared, and they caught the side of one and began to spin wildly, increasing their speed and plunging toward another rock in the path. Unable to avoid this one, they hit it directly and the impact threw Moon into the water. Eve grabbed a long stick and, with one arm, tried to reach Moon. Just as Moon had the stick, the float hit another rock and Eve lost her grip. As Moon, holding on to the stick with her arms, began to fall behind the float, Star suddenly jumped into the water. Eve watched in horror as the current swept him away from the float, but he was able to reach Moon and grab onto the stick. Suddenly, the float tipped down and began to rush through the rock and white water all around her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw no sign of either Star or Moon. She put her head down on the float and held on with both hands as it cascaded faster and faster down the river.

Finally, she felt the water slowing, and as she looked up, she saw nothing but wide smooth river before her. She rose to her knees, looked back, and saw the place they had traveled through on the river. It was a long, steep path filled with rocks and waves, and she could not believe the float had gone through it and remained in one piece.

Rising to her feet, she called out, "Moon, Star, are you there?"

She waited, but heard nothing but the wind around her. She watched to see if they would come down the rocks as she did, but as she came around a corner of the river, she lost sight of the rocks and found herself alone.

While the river was slower, she still moved quickly, and watched as the shore sped by her. All the long sticks had fallen off the raft, as had most of the food and sheep's coverings. The sky was quickly turning darker, and she now knew she was at the mercy of whatever direction the river desired to take her. She sat down on a sheep covering and pulled the only other remaining one over her shoulders. She quieted her self for some time, and then said aloud, "God of All Good Things, I am here to follow my journey. I believe this too will be good, and I ask for peace in my heart for whatever is ahead." As the last light of day disappeared, she closed her eyes, and exhausted from her ordeal, fell asleep.

When she woke, it was very dark around her and, at first, she was confused about where she was. The sound of the water hitting the float quickly reminded her. She looked up at the star-filled sky, and saw by the position of the animals and people in the sky, that sunrise was soon. She made out the shadows of the trees as they moved by, and turning to the front of the float, she saw the river before her. As she watched the river, there appeared to be a light in the sky far ahead. She knew the sun was not in that direction, but could not understand what the light was. In an attempt to keep the chill away, she pulled the sheep covering around her naked flesh. She kept looking at the light in the distance until she once again fell asleep.

Eve woke with a jolt and realized she had hit something. Looking up, she saw a large rock before her and the float was stuck on it. Looking around, she realized she was near land and trapped in a small group of rocks near the land. She took one of the long vines fastened to the float and, holding one end, jumped into the water. It was only up to her waist, and she slowly moved toward shore, pulling the float behind her. Finally reaching the shore, she pulled the float up and secured the vine to a large tree nearby. The sun was now above the edge of the Earth, and as she walked toward the trees, she felt its warmth on her body. Climbing up one of the trees, she saw she was on a small piece of land sitting in the middle of the river. One side of the land had trees while long grass covered the other. Looking at the river, she saw both shorelines. She also noticed some green food on the trees below and quickly climbed down to retrieve them.

"I am very much alone here," she said to herself. "But I am still on my journey, and this too will be good." She ate the fruit of the trees, took a long swim in the warm water, pulled the sheep coverings off the float, and set them on the shore. "I cannot stay here," she thought, "but where should I go now?" Looking at the river, she noticed the current was strong on one side of the small land and seemed slower on the other. The fast side was the side that might eventually bring her back to her home, but that was a long way away, and she was not sure how far she had gone while she slept. The slow side of the river was nearer the other shore, but she had no reason to believe it would be any better for her.

As she watched the land on the slow side, she suddenly saw movement near the edge of the river. It appeared some small children had come out of the woods and were going toward the water. She then saw two women behind the children and they all went down and entered the river. Eve rushed to the waterside and began to holler and wave to the women. Finally, one of the women saw her and pointed, while the other gathered the children close, and watched. They turned and ran into the trees, leaving Eve standing alone.

"Those were female Adams, I am sure," she said to herself. "They must be similar to Wind; other Adams who live here that I have never seen." As she watched the woods across the river, a new form suddenly appeared and walked to the shore. This was a male Adam and one of the females who pointed toward Eve followed him. The male stood for a moment and walked into the river. He came toward her until the water was up to his shoulders, and then he went under. A moment later, he came to the surface and continued toward her. As he came closer, Eve saw that he was a young Adam, and wore a fur cover that went from his shoulders to his knees. The male came out of the water, walked up to her, and stopped. Eve walked toward him and said, "I am Adam, called Eve." He did not speak, but continued to look at her. His skin was dark like Adam Hunter, but his head hair and face hair were not long, but shorter and tighter to his body. The fur he had on was not a sheep covering, but an animal covering that was not as thick.

"I am Adam," he finally said to her. "Did you fall from the sky?" he asked.

"I came down the river," Eve said as she pointed up river.

He looked up the river and then looked back at her. "How did you come down the river?"

"We built a float and went on it."

"We?" he said. "Where are the others?"

"We ran into some rocks and white water, and they fell off the float and I lost them," Eve said quietly.

"You came down the falling waters?" he exclaimed and smiled. "They are not friendly to us. It had to be a difficult trip down. Do you know where the others are now?"

"No, I lost them as the float went down the river."

"Where is this float you are using to go down the river?" he asked.

"It is on the other side of this land we are on. I put it there when I hit the rocks."

"Show me this float thing."

Eve turned and walked through the small woods to the other side of the land and pointed to the float that was resting on the beach near her sheep covering. Adam walked down to it and looked at the vines that held it together. He looked up at her and said with a sound of wonder, "You went down the falling waters on this? You should be dead by now. Are you hurt in any way?"

"No, but I am quite happy to see that there are other Adams here, for I was sure I was all alone. Do you live in the trees over there?" she asked, pointing back to the other shore.

"Yes, we live there and also farther away from the river. This is where we fish, and inland is where we have our home with the others. I will take you there, and you can rest with us."

They crossed the river and when they arrived, they found a group of others waiting for them. The two males were dressed in the same animal skins as Adam and the three women wore loose animal skins around their waists, but nothing above. As Adam, they were all dark hair and a darker skin than Eve. As they walked toward the people, Adam announced, "This is Eve, and she has come from beyond the falling water."

One on the females came toward Eve and looked at her. "I am Morra," she said as she reached out and touched Eve's hair. "I have never seen hair this color. Do you have others where you come from, or have you come from the high mountain with God?"

"I come from others who are also Adams, and we live far up the river," Eve replied. "I do not know of the high mountain, but I believe we are all from the God of All Good Things."

"Do you believe there is a God of _bad_ things?" Another woman asked her.

"No, there is only one God" Eve replied, "and our name for God is the 'God of All Good Things'".

One of the men now approached her and asked, "Has your God of All Good Things sent you on this journey to us?"

"I did not know I would be here with you", said Eve, "but I do believe God sent me on my journey, and now I have found you. It must be for good that we are together."

"We have many things to ask you", said Morra, "but let us go to our tents and give you some food and let you rest. Later we will go to the village and meet together with the Elders to see what this means." Taking Eve by the hand, she led her into the woods and up a path. The others all followed behind them, and nobody spoke a word while they walked. As they came over the summit of the ridge, Eve saw several structures that looked like half a circle placed on the ground. The children were all sitting near a fire amid these structures. Morra led her to a place near the fire and told the children, "This is Eve and God has sent her to us from beyond the falling waters. Bring her some food and milk."

The children ran off to one of the half-circle structures and went inside through a place cut in the side. They soon returned with an assortment of tree foods and a large piece of something Eve could not identify. One of them also brought a holder of liquid that was some type of animal skin, but held together so that it did not leak the liquid in it.

Adam took the large piece of what appeared to be meat and said, "Have some fish Eve, we caught it this morning, and it is fresh. Eve tasted the fish and found it quite good to eat. She had never thought of catching the fish in the lake near them, and wondered why they had never seen this as an obvious food. He handed her the thing filled with liquid, but she did not understand what to do with it. He laughed and turned it and placed one end near his mouth and squeezed it. When he did, a white liquid came out and he drank it. He handed it to Eve, and she followed his direction and tasted the sweet milk inside.

"This is all very good," she said. "I am very happy that we have come together, and you found me and helped me."

One of the children came up to her and touched her hair. By now it was dry, and much lighter than when she came out of the water. "Did God make you like this?" the child asked.

"Yes," said Eve, "but there are also others where I come from who have light hair."

"Tell us about where you come from and why you are here," one of the other males asked. Eve explained about the two Adams, Sun, and Wind and told them of the journey she and the others had taken and how they became separated at the falling waters. No one spoke as she talked, but all listened to her very carefully. When she finished, Adam said, "Toran and Sanda will go up near the falling water and see if they can find your friends. You rest now, and later we will go to the village, and you will talk to the Elders about your journey."

"Who are the Elders?" Eve asked.

"They, as your two Adams, Sun, and Wind, are the beginnings of life, and they guide us. They have come together here from distant places, and we are all their children. They will understand why God has sent you to us and what is to happen now. Come into the tent and rest, for you have come through much to be with us."

He stood and walked to one of the half circles on the ground and went inside. Eve followed and found the structure was made of long tree parts, bent to make a half circle and covered with some type of animal skin. On the floor were sheep coverings and leaning on the walls were long sticks with what looked like sharp stones on the end. "Rest here Eve, and then we will talk more," Adam said and then touched her face with the back of his hand. He smiled at her, and left the structure known as a 'tent'. He pulled down another piece of animal skin over the opening, and it became dark inside. Eve lay down on the skins, and felt the tiredness take over her body. "Thank you God of All Good Things," she whispered quietly, "for you have taken me to your desired place. Be with Star and Moon, and keep them safe." With that thought, she drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep.

"Eve, we must leave for the village."

She woke with a start, and realized that Morra was beside her. She followed Morra out of the opening and saw night was all about her. The people, gathered near a path in the trees, were waiting for her to join them.

Morra turned to Eve and said, "We must leave now for the village for they have sent for us. Two of our friends were working in the trees, and they fell and were hurt. We must go now. Do you think you can make it?"

"I am ready to go with you," Eve replied. Morra turned and headed toward the group, and Eve followed behind her. Adam told the others to start back, came to Eve's side, and walked beside her. "It is not easy to go back in the dark, so stay close and I will show you the way." He handed her a skin similar to the one he wore and said, "Put this on so the sharp trees on the path do not hurt you. We use them in the woods and river, so we do not get cut."

The skin was soft on both sides and felt good on her flesh. It had cuts so her head and arms would go through, and it covered her body down to her knees. She noticed both the women and men now wore the same covering, and it made them all look like a group of two-footed animals. Eve smiled at this thought and Adam said, "You smile, is the skin not good for you?"

"It feels very nice," she replied. "I am not used to seeing people covered with animal skins, and it looks strange."

He smiled and said, "It must look different, I never thought about it. In the village, we do not need the protection, but it also is good if the night winds become cold."

Eve followed Adam into the woods, and it became so dark, she barely saw him in front of her. They were heading up the hill, and she noticed how the night became cooler as she walked. They came to a clearing that led to a very steep path up a mountain. The moon was full, and she could see that they were on a trail that was winding up the mountainside. The higher they went, the cooler it became, and she was happy she had the animal covering on her body. They entered a group of trees that had very sharp points that hurt when she brushed them with her arms. At last, they came over the height of a ridge, and there below, Eve saw this thing they called their village. There were fires burning and much larger tents scatter all about the surrounding area. As they came closer, she saw more male and female Adams than she had ever imagined in one place.

The women took the children toward a nearby tent, but Adam motioned for Eve to follow him in the direction of a group gathered in the middle of the clearing. It was much warmer in the village and the skin became uncomfortable to wear so she took it off and carried it in her hand. Adam proceeded to some people seated on the ground and then stopped and said. "This is Eve, who God has sent from above the falling waters." One of the males stood and approached her and said, "I am Adam known as Sortes, Eve. I have known that God would send a messenger for us, and I am happy you have come. We will talk soon, but first, we are all trying to help Camms and Sento with their pain."

Sortes pointed to the two men who were lying on sheep coverings nearby. Eve walked over to the two men, and saw one was hurt badly in the side and the other appeared to be in great pain, but she saw no sign of an injury. She knelt down beside the one with the bleeding side and felt a tremendous rush in her inner being. She leant over and put her lips on his side, and the healing power immediately began to flow through her. Sitting up, she looked at the man and saw the bleeding had stopped. Looking over at the other, she asked him, "Where are you hurt?"

"My leg is broken, and I cannot move it," he replied through much pain. Eve looked at the broken leg, and saw how it bent in the wrong direction about half way between the knee and foot. She reached out and put her hands on the place it bent, and felt the pain he was feeling. As she touched him, a love for him became so strong, that she began to cry. Not knowing why, she placed her head on his chest and let the tears flow, while her hand remained on the broken leg. Soon, the pain in her began to leave, and a great joy filled her that she had never before felt. She lifted her head and now felt a heat in her hand that was like a fire. She felt her fingers squeeze his leg tightly, and he tensed as the leg moved under her grip. She experienced a rush of healing as she had never had before, felt lightheaded, and fell on her side.

She was suddenly aware there was not a sound around her and, looking up, saw the people had all pulled back, and stared. One of the women came near her and handed her a wet skin. Realizing that the wounded male's blood still covered her face, she wiped it with the skin. She stood and looked down at the two men, and saw them looking up at her in amazement. The one with the side wound sat up and lay his hand on the place he had been hurt, but found only a small mark remained. Looking at her, he whispered, "You are God."

Eve smiled at him and said, "No, there is only one God, my name is Eve, and I am Adam, just as you." She turned to Sortes and said, "I did not mean to cause problems, I was moved by their pain and wanted to help them."

Sortes stood looking at her for a long time, and then turned to the people and said, "Our God has shown love by sending Eve to us. Come to her and show love to her, for we see clearly it is by loving that our God comes among us."

He turned and embraced her as the people all came and began to embrace and hold her. The power she felt from all of them made her feel like she was floating in the air. At last, Adam came, held her, and touched her face. "From God you have come and I have found you. I am one with you Eve, and I feel you are one with me." He kissed her on the lips and walked back into the group.

A woman came to her and said, "I am Adam, known as Canna. Come with me and sit with the other Elders, so we may know more of your journey."

Eve spent the night talking to the Elders as the others sat around and listened. She explained about Adam and Sun and the other Adam and Wind. They said that Sortes and Canna had been in this location from the beginning. Another male known as Betoon and a female known as Life had journeyed from the direction of the setting sun, and found Sortes, Canna, and their children in this location. Another male, known as Adam Fish, and a female, known as Day, came up the river and settled with the others. They all pointed to the children they had produced, but Eve got lost in the names. She did figure out that Sortes and Canna were the parents of the Adam who had found her, and that Morra, who she had met near the river, was their child, too. Eve told of her journey with Star and Moon. She explained how she separated from them and how Adam had found her. She spoke of Domatarious, and each of the Elders responded they had similar encounters with such beings, but they had different names. At last, Eve physically felt the exhaustion of the events of her day, and asked if she could rest for a while. Her friend Adam came to her and said she should follow him, and he would put her in his tent until she decided where she wanted to set up her own. They climbed through the opening in his tent, and she found it much larger and filled with strange objects she had never seen. He laid out several sheep coverings for her, and she lie down and felt the softness envelope her body. He pulled more over her and then brushed the hair from her face.

"I have never known anything such as you," he said quietly. "I will be outside if you need me."

As he stood to leave, Eve took his hand and said, "Come lay with me, for I will sleep better with you near. This has been a very different day, and I would like to be near you."

She pulled back the sheep covering, and Adam slipped in beside her. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. She felt his warmth and closeness and quietly whispered as she drifted off to sleep, "and I have never known anything such as you."

Chapter 12

Year 20

Eve laughed as she watched Adam and Sunna play in the water near the shore. The child loved the water, and shouted with glee every time Adam set her down in it. While Eve and Adam both loved the village, it was on the water they felt the greatest freedom. Adam carried Sunna back up the shore and handed the dripping infant to Eve. "You two rest and feed," he said, "I am going to get some fish for our food."

She took the baby, held her to her breast, and watched as Adam took the long stick and walked into the water. Because the sun was hot, she took the baby and walked back into the tent area.

"Motherhood becomes you Eve," she heard in her head. Turning she saw Domatarious standing behind her. She rose to embrace him and felt great joy.

"Oh Dom, it has been such a long time since you have been with me. I cannot tell you what a joy it is to see you."

Domatarious sat down on the sheep covering and Eve settled in beside him. He looked at her with a smile and said, "I have missed being with you, but your journey seems to be going quite well. How do you feel with your new little girl?"

Eve looked at the child who was now sleeping in her arms and replied, "She is a delight, and I feel such a strong bond with her. This life I have is very full of new things to understand." She hesitated for a moment and asked, "What of Star and Moon, can you tell me anything about how they are?"

"I can tell you they survived the river and are together. Beyond that, it is for the future to reveal itself."

"I am so relieved to know they survived. I do miss them very much, and I think of all my people every day. What brings you to me now? Is something going on that I need to know?"

"Your journey is a pleasure, and you have grown in your understanding of the Power of Love and Light," he responded. "Your child is important for your journey as are the people in the village. Take time to truly rest in your inner understanding and stay strong in seeing with the eyes of your soul."

"The eyes of my soul?" she asked.

"When circumstances produce events that need your attention, you will see them with your natural eyes and act according to what you understand. However, what you see in the natural, and the understanding that it brings, may not be the best course of action. Use the eyes of your soul to see things from God's perspective instead of your own. When the float was going downstream, and you were alone, your natural eyes saw difficulty and danger. Nevertheless, you chose to see it as another place where God would work good things. That is seeing with the eyes of your soul. The decisions you made were based upon believing that all things work toward good, and you maintained your peace."

"The people in the village look to me for direction," Eve responded. "Even the elders seek my guidance, and I am often without understanding or direction for them. Often I am concerned that I may lead in a way that is not best for them."

Dom looked at her and replied, "If you stay in harmony with the thoughts that bring you inner peace and joy, you will see the problems with the eyes of the soul, and have wisdom from God for the answer. You have awareness of all you have learned in other journeys and can draw on that knowledge. The people with you may also touch on their inner wisdom, but they need to understand how powerful a tool the inner place is for their journey. Your child will be important to the growth these people's inner understanding and you need to teach her to be confident in her trust of the goodness and faithfulness of God. Remember always, the thoughts that you hold become beliefs. A belief is always a creative power and will bring forth that which you believe. If you believe in the goodness of God and the Power of Love and Light, you will create even more Love and Light. Nevertheless, if you believe in the deceptions of shadow, you will create more shadow and the journey will be difficult."

Standing he looked down at her and touched her face, "I have great joy in seeing you, and I am always with you in your journey." As Eve looked at him, he faded away and she was once again alone.

"I will use the eyes of my soul," she said quietly. "For I truly believe the plan of God is good."

Sitting quietly, she heard Adam come from the water into the tent area. He was proudly holding a large fish and beaming at his accomplishment. "We will eat well today, my love." He spoke as he neared her, "Our friends the fish have given of themselves for us, and we are grateful to them for their giving."

"Has Sortes spoken to you about his concern?" Eve asked Adam, as he prepared the fish for cooking.

"Do you mean about Adam Fish?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "He is troubled by Adam Fish's claims that the works done on the lower river belong to him and that only he can use them."

"He did most of the work down there," Adam replied, "and it produces many fish for him. There is more than enough for him and for others in the village, but he does not want to share what he has. He has always been more to himself than the other males, and it is hard to understand what he is thinking."

"I spoke with Day," Eve said, "and she believes Adam Fish thinks he does more work than any other, and what he produces should be kept for his use. He is willing to give us fish from down river, but wants us to give him something for them. It is a strange request."

Adam put the fish over the fire and said, "He told me the other day that he would provide animal skin and fish from down river if I would give him some of the stones I had sharpened. I told him I did not need the skins, and he should take whatever stones he wanted from the ones I was working on at the tent. He said he did not want anything for nothing and would leave skins for what he took. I also noticed he is keeping Day away from the night meals together, and is eating alone at his tent. Why would he do that?"

"I think Adam Fish is much like my Adam Hunter back home. Adam Fish believes Day belongs to him. Unlike Wind, Day seems to go along with what he believes, but I am not sure she is always happy with his actions. Do you think I belong to you?"

Adam laughed and put his arm around Eve. "I have great love for you, and I know you do for me, but I could never keep you as I do my tent or stones. Do you feel like I belong to you?"

"I own you, and you may never talk to another," Eve said, and laughed at Adam's shocked expression. "You take me serious my love, and I am only playing with you. I do not want to keep you, for you are with me because you want to be with me. I am with you for the same reason. I cannot think of anyone else who I would want to be with as you, but we do not own each other."

Adam reached out, grabbed Eve, and pushed her down on the sheep covering behind her. He kissed her, pulled her close, and looked at her. "As I have told you, from the first sight of you, I have felt strong feeling for you. I have never thought of you leaving me, for we are one. However, if you did leave me, I would be sad for my loss, but happy for you being happy." He was quiet for a minute and continued to look at her. "I believe I would be more unhappy than happy. I do truly love you Eve and I will work hard to be sure no one will ever make you happier."

She reached up, pulled him close, and held him tight. "My Adam, I am sure no one will ever make me as happy as you." She kissed him again and continued with a smile, "and I know that no one will ever be as good for you as I am."

They finished the day together and went back to the village in the early evening. When they arrived and settled in, Sortes came by and asked if he might speak with them for a while. "Adam Fish has decided to leave the village and live on the lower river. He will take Day and their children and settle in down there. I do not have any problem if he wants to do this, but he also says that we cannot use his area of the river unless we give him something. I told him it was not his river; it belongs to all of us. He said the river belongs to all, but the land and fishing places were his. What do you make of this?"

Eve thought for a moment and said, "My first thought is that if this makes him happy, let him go. However, I am troubled he considers himself as an Adam who is separated from all the other Adams. I do not think this is a good thing for us to act as though we are not one Adam working together."

"What if we do not agree with his request?" Adam asked.

Sortes smiled and said, "Adam Fish did not come to me as a request, he simply said this is what he was going to do, and I should inform the others."

"We have never acted unless we agreed," Eve stated. "How can one believe he is separate from the others? I think we need to all come together and talk to Adam Fish about this."

"I was hoping you would say that, as I have told the others to come together, and I asked Adam Fish and Day to join us. He said they would come, but it would not change his mind. We will meet with him by the night fires and see what can be done."

Sortes got up and left, as Adam and Eve quietly sat by their tent and pondered the problem.

"I feel this is not good," Eve said, "but I will try to see it with the eyes of my soul."

They all gathered in the midst of the village and happily talked about what they had been doing during their day. The little children were mostly asleep, and these fire times were usually a place of great joy and laughter. As Adam Fish and Day came into the group, a quiet came over all the people, until finally Sortes spoke. "Adam Fish has decided to move to the lower river and make his tenting area there. I have asked him to come and tell us what he is planning."

Adam Fish stood and looked at the people around him and said, "I have worked in the lower river by myself, and it is a place that provides well. Because I have done this, I am going to live there with Day and the children, and we will take care of our land and the lower river. I will hunt the land and fish the water, and if you want anything from that area, you will give me something in return. It is what I have decided."

He then sat down, crossed his arms and looked at the group. No one spoke for a long while, and finally Eve said, "Adam Fish, the river, land, animals, and all things are given to us by God. We, as Adams, receive this provision, and we do not keep anything as our own. In this village and in my first home, we worked hard to keep peace and love among ourselves so we may be one Adam. Do you not believe what you are doing goes against all we have been together?"

"I do not care what you do together," Adam Fish replied with a harsh voice, "I know I have made the land mine, and I will use it as I see best. God has provided this land to me, and it is mine."

One of the younger males asked, "What if we hunt and fish on this land, and see it as something you do not have for yourself, but it is something provided for all of us?"

"If you come on my land and I have not said you can be there, " Adam Fish paused for a minute and said darkly, "I will kill you as any animal who comes where he is not wanted."

A gasp went up from the group as he spoke these words. No one had ever thought of taking the life of another Adam. Eve stood and faced Adam Fish and Day. "In my home, Adam Hunter came one day with great anger. He believed he owned Wind and wanted her back. His anger and need to possess her caused the death of Sun, the woman who gave me life. It brought great sorrow to our home, and it was only through love that we were able to survive. Now you come to us and tell us you will kill us if we do not let you own this land. Do you not see how much shadow you walk in with these thoughts? The Light gives us joy and peace, but the shadow brings pain. Is this what you want, to bring us pain? We are all Adam, we are one."

Adam Fish rose and faced Eve, "I am Adam Fish, and I take care of Adam Fish. You come to us and try to lead us into your Light and Love, and we have nothing to show for it. I work for me and I will take what I need. You, light- haired woman, will not stop me with words."

With that, he turned and walked away, motioning for Day to follow. As they left, every eye turned to Eve who was still standing in the circle. She saw Adam Fish go and in her heart, a great pain began to pull at her. Tears fled from her eyes and ran down her face. She turned to the group and quietly said, "I am Adam, you are Adam, and Adam Fish is Adam. We are one. I have pain by what he has said and done, but I will honor him and love him as one. Call on God to bring this to a place of goodness, for no matter what Adam Fish may think he will always be one with us.

One by one, the people rose to their feet and quietly took the hand of the person beside them. Eve joined them and said, "Dear God of All Good Things, we come as one, and we believe this too shall work for good. We love Adam Fish and Day, and ask you to protect them and take the shadow from their heart. We are Adam, we are one."
Chapter 13

Year 30

What is it you look for out there?"

Star turned at the sound of the voice and saw Wind climbing up the path behind him. He turned and pointed toward the distant world. "I often think of Eve and wonder what she is doing and how her life has changed where she is now."

Wind came and sat next to him, and looking out in the distance replied, "We don't even know if she survived, Star. Nevertheless, if she did, I am sure she is doing well. She was very different, and I know she will always find peace, no matter where she journeys."

Star looked at Wind and asked quietly, "Do you ever wish you could go where she has gone and see what she is seeing?"

Wind leaned back, looked up at the clouds overhead, and finally replied, "Star, many seasons ago I wandered far from all I knew and lived alone for many full moons. I saw many things new, but I did not like being alone. I would love to be with Eve, but I do not want to go out and be alone again, for it is very hard."

"I feel like we are no longer to be in this place," he said.

"Why would you feel like that? We have all we need here to be happy, and Moon has given you children. You two have sheep and good harvest. Why would you feel this is not your place?"

Star did not reply for a while, just continued to look out across the landscape as though looking for something particular. Finally, he turned and said, "What you say is true, but what can we do here but continue to raise sheep and crops. I know that Eve has found other Adams, as you found us. We have accomplished much because you and Hunter have been with us. How much more could we do if we had more Adams. The children are becoming young males and females, and will soon start more families. Do we continue to live here, or do we try to find another place where others may be living?"

"Since you came back from the river, Star, you have not been totally happy here. Is it Eve, or do you simply need to be somewhere else?"

"I think it is both, Wind. When she spoke of going down the river, I felt as I had new life in me. Even in the terror of the waters, it was a feeling of being more than alive. Moon and I survived, and even that was exciting. But now, I don't know, I feel like I am dead inside."

Wind was quiet for a while and finally asked, "How does Moon feel about leaving?"

Star laughed and said, "Moon is like her mother. She would go in a second just for the fun of going. She and I have talked, and we think the open place between the mountains will lead in the same direction as the river. We could take some sheep, and start in that direction. If we get through the open place, we can find the river and follow it farther down. If Eve is there, we might be able to find her."

Wind smiled and put her arm around Star. "You two have done more than talk about this journey. It sounds as if you have already started to leave."

"Would you, Adam, and Hunter go with us?"

"I know your restlessness," she answered, "and a part of me would love to go out and see what is beyond the mountains. But I also see that this is a good place to stay and let the children grow. I don't know Star, I will talk to Hunter and Adam and see what they think about your adventure. Come, let us return to the quiet life below. I think you will not be here longer, and I want to be with you and Moon as much as I can."

That night, as Star and Moon sat by the fire, Adam came and joined them. "Wind tells me you have another desire to see what lies beyond the mountains. In talking about this, we know it is the right thing for you to do. Dawn and Hunter are also thinking about joining you, as long as you do not try the river again. I know Wind is always ready for adventure, but will stay if I do. I have always loved being here, but since Sun left, it has not been the same. Tell me what you see in this journey through the mountains."

"Several moons ago," Star said, "I went high on the near mountains, and I saw a large clearing between the far mountains. From up there, I saw a small river run through, which I think is the river we went by early in our river journey. If it is, there is flat land and open field from there to the rushing water where we lost Eve. When Moon and I finally came out of the river, we saw more open land beyond the rushing water, but decided to head home instead of getting farther away. If we went to this open land, we could follow the river and see where it goes. Eve had to go that direction, because the float went that way."

Adam thought about this for a while and said, "If this was as you say, we could take the sheep with us and not have to cross the river. They would have water as we traveled and I think there would be food for them to eat in the flat land as we travel. Do you really think we will find Eve down there?"

"After being caught by the rushing water," Moon replied, "when we were finally able to reach land, we saw a distant light in the sky, like a fire burning and lighting up an area. It was very faint and far off, and it might have been nothing, but I think it was other Adams. If this is true, I am sure God took Eve to them, and she is with them now."

"I agree with Moon," said Star, "but even if she is not, what will we ever know of our entire world if we stay here? This land has been good to us, and I am grateful for its provision. But I think we are alive for a plan greater than staying in one place and doing the same thing."

Adam laughed and said, "Doing the same thing every day is not a bad thing, if you know you are safe and have all you need. As you have seen by the river, not everything away from home is safe. I do agree that if we simply live and then die, what have we really accomplished. Sun would have the answer for us now, for she has lived, died, and is now in Eternity and understands all. Dom does not come to us anymore, so we must do our own thinking. If the others feel this is right, I too will go with you. I will speak to them, and we will talk again tomorrow. I feel a peace in my heart about the journey, even though my thoughts question why I should do this. Sun and I learned from Dom to follow our hearts, and I will trust that lesson."

The next day, they all gathered in the sacred clearing and spent the day discussing the proposed journey. By nightfall, they agreed that this was a good thing to do, and had begun to prepare. They decided that Star, Moon, and Leaf would go before everyone else, and they would find the best path for the others to follow. The sheep, who were such a large number, would move slowly along this path, and it would be the work of everyone to keep them together. They now had many Wellnas to watch over the sheep as they traveled, so as long as they could find water, they would travel easily.

The next full moon, they gathered to celebrate Sun and ask her for guidance. Dawn was now the leader of the celebration, and she followed the same procedure established by Eve many moons ago. As they all headed back to home and the fires dwindled, Wind found Adam sitting up on the cliff, and looking down at the valley below. "Will you miss this?" she asked as she sat next to him.

He put his arm around her and said quietly, "Sun and I would come up here and I would shout out, "I am Adam," and we would wait for a reply. Soon it would come, and we always thought there was someone out there shouting back. Now I know it is my voice coming back from the other mountains, but it was a great adventure."

Wind said, "When I was out in the far valley, I heard you once. I hollered back, but got no reply. That sound gave me hope for living. I headed in this direction to see if I could find who made the sound, and that is how you found me."

"God guided us and protected us in this land, Wind. Even though Sun died here, it has always been a place to feel safe. I saw Sun here for the first time, and found you here. The new land will be good for us; I do know this in my heart. However, I shall miss all that this place has been. You have gone far from your original home and this has become your home. I have always been here and it is strange to think of not waking and seeing the things I know and understand. But Star is right, we are here for more than simply doing the same things all the time. God of All Good Things placed us here for a plan, and now we need to see what that plan is."

Wind kissed him and stood. "Spend your time here and say what you must say. I will wait for you by the fire until your return. Tomorrow, we will send Star, Moon, and Leaf on their way, and will leave here to see what God has in mind. I love you Adam, and I love my friend Sun. I know she is with us in this journey."

Standing near them, Domatarious watched Wind go by and head down the hill. He remembered the first meeting he had with the Adam male and female, and how beautiful the innocence of life was for them. Things had changed much in such a short time, yet all of this new creation still reflected beauty and peace. Looking out toward the far mountains, he saw the direction in which this new part of the journey would go. Soon the many pieces would be together, and the plan of God would evolve into the next stage. He felt peace in his heart, for he knew it would all work for good, no matter how the circumstances may take place. For now, he smiled, sent Adam a strong energy of love, and left him alone. "Be at peace Adam," he said quietly, "your journey is only beginning."
Chapter 14

Year 30

Eve and Sunna loved the times by the water when they could laugh, talk, and not be interrupted. Eve watched Sunna run and play in the water and was entranced with the growth of her little girl. Eve sensed that Sunna was in touch with a deeper truth, and seemed to feed on the conversations the two of them shared about God's plan and the Power of Love and Light. While sometimes disappointed that she never had more than one child, Eve felt grateful for the one she had brought forth. Sunna was rapidly becoming a young woman, and soon would have her own children. As she watched Sunna play, she thought back on her times with Dawn and Star and how they all loved to play together. In her heart, she knew they were well and following in their own journey, but she still missed seeing them.

The life she now enjoyed was full of love and peace, guided by the plan of God for his creation. Other than the problems with Adam Fish, the people truly lived as one and celebrated their lives together in all they did. She did miss her communication with Domatarious, but understood that he was with her always, even if she did not see or hear him. He had not visited Sunna, but Eve knew in her heart that he would show himself to her in the proper time.

"Mother Eve, look at this that I have found in the water," Sunna shouted as she ran toward her. She knelt before Eve, opened her hand, and showed her the stone she had found. "Look at how bright and beautiful it is and how it shines in the sun."

Eve took the small stone and found it was heavy for its size. It was different from the rocks and stones on the beach, as it brightly shone as though it was a light all in itself. Eve recognized it as the type she had seen farther down river. When beaten into smooth shapes, the stones became decorations for ceremonies in the village. "That is beautiful Sunna. Show it to Adam later and he will be able to make it into something for you."

"It is beautiful and I want you to have it," Sunna said.

"Thank you Sunna, I will have Adam make something for me and it will always remind me of you. I have to go back to the village and meet with the Elders. Do you want to go with me or stay here for a while?"

"I will stay for a while," Sunna replied. "Maybe I can find some more of the bright rocks for you."

Eve kissed her and headed back into the woods as Sunna went down to the water's edge and continued to look for bright stones. Sunna had been looking for some time when she began to sense someone else near her. Looking around, she saw no one, but continued to feel a presence. She heard a tree snap and saw a figure move up ahead. "Hello, who is there?" she hollered up the beach. Hearing no reply, she ran to the spot to see what was making the noise. As she approached, a young male stepped out and surprised her.

"Why are you here?" the male asked her.

"I am looking for bright stones in the water. Why are you here?" she asked. He said nothing, but as she looked at him, she was amazed she did not know him at all. There were no people in the settlement who she did not know, and this unknown person was now a puzzle.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You are not allowed to be here," he said rather abruptly.

"You must be from Adam Fish," she said softly. Looking around her, she suddenly realized that her wanderings down the shore had taken her rather far, and she was close to the place Adam Fish called his home. She had never seen Adam Fish, and the Elders all warned the children not to go near that part of the woods or river.

"I am Adam called Sunna," she said.

"You have hair like the bad female," he said as he grabbed her arm and started to pull her toward the woods. Sunna was startled at his move, and instinctively pulled her arm free and backed up from the male.

"What are you doing?" she shouted. "You cannot grab me and drag me where you want. Who are you to do this?"

"I am Fire, son of Adam Fish, and you are going with me because you have come into my land."

Sunna knew she should run from this male, but something about him kept her rooted in place. "Fire, son of Adam Fish, why do you treat me with such anger? I have done nothing to harm you."

He took a step toward her, and she stood firm and held her ground. He was older, but Sunna was tall and able to look him in the eye. She felt no fear in this place, only a sense that this male called Fire was unsure what to do next.

"No person is to come on our land unless they ask. Why have you not done as we have told you? Why are you causing trouble?"

Sunna laughed and said, "Fire, I was walking along the water, looking for stones. You came and became angry with me. Now tell me, who caused the trouble, you or me?"

"You came on our land without asking. That is causing trouble," he shouted at her.

Sunna stepped toward him, placed a hand on his chest, and quietly said, "I am sorry I did not ask. However, next time I come to see you, I will stand near the water and ask," she turned and walked slowly back to the river, feeling his eyes follow her. Then she heard him run up behind her and follow her to the river.

"Why would you come back?" he asked, in a much quieter voice.

Sunna turned, looked him in the eye, smiled, and said, "Probably to see you Fire." She then turned, walked back down the beach and around the bend. As she disappeared from sight, Fire was still standing in the same place, watching her.

That night, as she sat with Eve by the fire, she told her about her meeting with Fire. Eve watched Sunna closely as she described the encounter, and saw no sign of fear in Sunna as she talked.

"I think I would like to go see Fire again tomorrow," Sunna said. "Tell me what you think about my idea."

Eve sat and looked at the fire and thought many different things. As Sunna's mother, she wanted to protect her. She knew that Adam Fish being separate from the other Adams was not a good thing. She had tried to meet with Adam Fish in the early times of his separation, but he called her a bad woman with light hair, and told her to stay away. She found Adam Fish's wife, Day, and tried to talk to her, but she told Eve not to look for her anymore for it would upset Adam Fish. Since then, no one from the settlement had journeyed to see Adam Fish and his group. Every full moon the village would gather in the clearing and celebrate Mother Sun and the Blessing of The God of All Good things, and they always gave thanks for Adam Fish, Day, and their children. They asked Mother Sun to provide a way to bring all the Adams back together, and now Sunna had run into Adam Fish's son, Fire.

"Sunna, that is hard for me to decide," she said. "I do not think Fire would hurt you, but I also know that Adam Fish believes I am the cause of his problems. I don't know why he thinks this, and your Father Adam and I have tried to think of what caused Adam Fish to hate me, but we cannot even guess the answer. We have all prayed for a way to bring the Adams back together, and now this has happened with you and Fire. I remember Fire is older than you, but he was a small boy when I last saw him. I have taught you the way of listening with your heart and not your head; go with the eyes of the soul, and see what God desires to do with this problem."

Sunna reached out, gave her mother a hug, and then laid her head in her lap. "I will see what happens as God desires. But Fire is also a very good looking male." Eve and Sunna laughed at this and quietly sat and watched the flames in the fire, each lost in their own thoughts.

Chapter 15

Year 33

Star threw a stone into the river and watched as it quickly sank into the clear water. The land around the river was lush and full of grass and trees. He had sent Leaf back to the others to guide them along the path the three of them had created. Moon was far down river exploring the new territory they had discovered. He laughed when he thought of her boundless energy and desire to find new things. She was definitely Wind's daughter, and he loved her deeply. Continuing to stare at the river, he began to sense another presence near him. Turning he saw a man in a long white covering. While surprised to find another being, Star did not feel fear or concern; rather he felt a strong sense of peace.

"Hello Star, I am Domatarious."

Star heard the words in his head, but saw the man did not speak. Eve had talked of Domatarious, and she said he was from the God of All Good Things. Star said nothing as the man walked toward him.

"We have never met," the man again said in Star's head. "I am a friend of Sun and Adam and have talked often to Eve."

"I know who you are, Eve has spoken of you," Star finally said. "She told me you were from the God of All Good Things."

"Yes, I am," Domatarious said. "I have the pleasure of watching over you and the others as you progress through your journey."

Domatarious came close and motioned for Star to sit with him near the water. Star felt a tremendous peace as he looked at this strange visitor. "Why are you with me today Domatarious?"

"I have great pleasure in your journey, and it was a good time to speak directly to you and give you insight regarding some of the things in the future. I see Moon is out exploring again. She does love to be free and find new things."

Star smiled and said, "I think we should call her Another Wind instead of Moon. She just cannot sit in one place very long without wondering what the next stop will be."

"Well Star," Domatarious said, "that is why you two are so connected in this life. You both will travel a great distance in your journey, and it is a good thing. In the future, you will stand one day and watch the rising sun come over distant mountains, and you will know that is the place to go. You will meet another group of Adams in your journey who will become one with you, and together you will continue to move toward the rising sun. I will be with you in this and teach you the truths of the Power of Love and Light so the generations after you will walk with deeper understanding of the plan of God."

"Eve often spoke of the Power of Love and Light," Star said as he looked out at the distant landscape. "She told me our life was to be a journey of joy and peace, and that anything distracting us from that journey would be shadow. I understand joy and peace, but I am not sure what is meant by the shadow of life."

Dom drew a straight line in the sand and said, "You are on an eternal journey that is much like this line. It began with the thought of God and ends when the thought is completed. The God of All Good Things has no thought that is impure or imperfect; therefore, your journey is a reflection of that purity and perfection."

He then drew two small lines through the long line and continued, "Your life here on Earth is part of the full thought of God, but it is only a small part. Your journey is the full line and this space between the smaller lines is your time on Earth. If you focus only on the time on Earth, then you loose your perspective of the total journey. You and the others are here to see how perfect God's thought is even in circumstances that seem to be different from God's thought. On Earth, you will find times of pain and suffering. If you only focus on the pain and suffering, then you have fallen into the shadow of understanding. The Light of understanding is the eternal journey and how it is pure and perfect. The Power of Love and Light is the ability to trust in the beauty of God's thoughts and plans, even when it seems difficult to see how they will work. For example, when you and Moon lost Eve on your river trip, it was a difficult and painful time. The shadow would keep you bitter and afraid to go forth again, because the trip caused you pain. However, the Power of Light has caused you to seek Eve and see the things she has discovered. You trust that God has protected her and now you desire to follow your inner need to keep going. Shadow would leave you a bitter lonely man who would never fulfill your desire for new things. The Light allows you to go forth and find all that you yearn for in your inner place. If you had followed shadow, then your time on Earth would not have taught you all you could have learned, but when your time on Earth was over, then you would continue on with the eternal journey, and have learned a lesson about trusting. If you follow the Power of Love and Light while on Earth, then you will walk in the power of God, and have a good journey. When your time on Earth is over, then you will continue with your eternal journey and understand a lesson about trusting. Either way you choose, it will work for good in your eternal journey, for that is the only way the thought of God can operate. Shadow will only bring you difficulty while on Earth, but your eternal journey will always be one of Light."

Star looked at the long line and focused on the space between the two small lines. "It looks like our time on Earth is rather short compared to the long line of God's thought."

"Star, your journey is eternal, but not bounded by time. Here on Earth you measure time by the rising and setting of the sun. In Eternity, there is no rising and setting, and no sense of time. There is only the joy of being on a wonderful journey that will always end in the perfection of God's love."

Star looked up at Domatarious and felt a peace within that was more powerful than anything he had ever felt. "These things you tell me, this is what I am to take to the far lands and teach other Adams?"

"These truths are in all of God's creations, but your task is to provide the reminder of the Power of Love and Light to those who are distracted by shadow. No matter how much shadow exists, Light will always triumph, for there is no shadow stronger than the Power of Light."

Domatarious stood and placed his hand on Star's head. "Enjoy your journey Star, for life on Earth is a beautiful thing."

Star felt a warmth flood his body and as he looked around, he saw magnificent colors of green and white. "That is the color of the Power of Love and Light." said Domatarious. "When you walk in joy and peace, your world is filled with this color. The white light is the presence of God's Providers. They are attracted to the places of joy and love, and they provide everything to keep joy and love alive. When you turn to the shadow of anger, hate, and other darkness, they will depart and you will have nothing providing for your journey except your own abilities. The absence of the Providers makes the journey on Earth difficult."

The magnificent colors disappeared from Star's vision and he was once again looking at the normal terrain around him. He turned to speak to Domatarious, but found he was no longer there. Looking down the river, he spied Moon running up the bank and waving at him. He saw her smile and felt the energy of her joy and love. "I am sure she is covered with these Providers," he thought, and then smiling at the sense of love and joy he was feeling declared, "and so am I."

***

Sunna set the sheep's covering on the sand and then walked down to the river and dove into the clear waters. She loved the feeling of freedom the water gave her, and she swam upstream and then allowed the current to pull her back to her original location. She walked out of the river, and saw him standing by her sheep covering.

"Hello Fire, I hoped you might come see me today."

He straightened his back and raised his fist toward her, "I told you not to come on our land, and yet you defy me. Now it is you who are making trouble and must learn to obey."

Sunna walked by him and sat on the sand next to the sheep covering. "I brought some food to eat; do you want to join me?"

He came and stood over her and glared at her. His face reflected his anger, but his eyes showed confusion. She reached up, grabbed his hand, and gently pulled on it. "I do not wish to make you angry, come sit with me and let me rest and then I will leave your land."

"I will not sit with you and allow you to break the rules. You come with me and Adam Fish will deal with you."

She let go of his hand and stood to face him. "Fire, if we go to Adam Fish, he will be very angry, and most likely do something to hurt me. I know the rules he has set up, and while I may not agree, I respect his decision to keep to himself. However, I did not come here to fight with Adam Fish and his rules, I came here to see you, talk for a while, eat some food, and perhaps enjoy your company. Now if you want to take me to Adam Fish and have him hurt me for wanting to see you, then go ahead and take me."

"Why do you want to see me?"

"When I saw you the other day, something in me found you exciting and I want to find out more about you. I will answer you honestly if you answer me one question."

"What question?" he asked.

"Have you thought about me and wanted to see me again since we met the other day?" she asked as she sat down once again.

"I have thought about how you broke our rules and did not pay for it."

She smiled and said, "Well that is sad, as I have thought of you a lot and I really wanted to kiss you. But I guess I was wrong, so if you are not going to take me to Adam Fish for punishment, I guess I will go home."

She started to pick up the sheep covering when he placed his hand on her shoulder and then sat beside her. "I also thought of you and wondered if you really would come back here. When I saw you today, I was very happy. But, you are still breaking the rules."

"I know I am, and I am truly sorry if this causes you problems. In the forest above your land, there is a clearing by a small stream. I often go there at night to be alone and watch the stars. It is not Adam Fish's land, and if you want to continue talking, I will be there."

Sunna left and returned to her village. That night, after everyone had settled in for the night, she walked down to the clearing and lay down in the soft grass to watch the stars. She heard him approach and walk cautiously to her side. "Hello Fire," she said quietly as she continued to look at the stars. "Do you know the story of Sumba the cat?"

He sat next to her and looked up at the sky. "I know some of the things up there, but Sumba is not one I know."

"In the very beginning of all things," she began, "Mother Sun found Sumba in the forest and raised her as a friend. Sumba and Mother Sun would race up the mountainside and try to see who was faster. Sumba was running one day and became distracted by another animal in the woods. When she stopped to look at the animal, Mother Sun ran by her and up the mountain. Sumba realized Mother Sun was going to win, and then ran faster than she had ever run. She ran so fast that when she got to the top of the mountain, she could not stop and she ran right up into the sky. She is still running and we see her each night as she runs from one side of the Earth to the other."

She sat up, looked at Fire, and asked him, "Do you know what that story tells us?"

"It tells us not to run up a mountain too fast," he said smiling.

"True, but what I think it tells us is that if we are going in a direction that is right, don't be distracted by things around us, or we may end up running the wrong way forever."

"Somehow, I have a feeling that you are going to apply that to me," he said.

"No, but I do feel it applies to my being with you. You tried to distract me from liking you by being angry and nasty. But I stayed on my direction and here we are together."

He frowned at her and said, "I was not all angry and nasty, you were the one who broke the rules and I was only doing what was right".

"Oh Fire, you do love trying to be right, and I will once again say I am sorry for being such a bad person and breaking such important rules. However, if you are meeting here to keep bringing up all the things that make you angry, then keep running up the mountain and I will look for you in the sky."

He looked at her for a long time, and then laughed and said, "You are one of the most unusual females I have ever known. How is it you can face life with such authority and always think you are right?"

She sat up straight and looked directly at him. "I am not always right, and I do not have any problem knowing when I am wrong. I also know that the journey I am on is good and whatever happens, will always work out for good. Eve has always taught me to listen to my inside thinking. She calls it the voice of the soul. When I see things going on around me, I often have thoughts that bring me a lack of joy and peace. If I stay with those thoughts, then I become unhappy and find life difficult. But if I really listen to those thoughts and ask myself why I am listening to something that makes me unhappy, then I will hear the voice of my soul tell me things that will bring me back to peace."

"So you are happy because you talk to yourself? That does not make much sense."

"I only talk to myself when I have a thought that makes me unhappy. Tonight I am happy and feel great joy that we are together. In my mind, I hear thoughts that tell me you are a stubborn, angry person who I should leave. However, in my soul I remember how happy I am to be seeing you and how I know you are really a person I enjoy knowing. Therefore, I stay here and watch this angry, stubborn man and I feel happy."

Turning to face her he said, "So in my mind I hear a voice that tells me I am with a female who frustrates me with her thinking, and I should leave her before she ruins me. But inside myself I hear a voice telling me how good I felt when I saw you at the river, and how much I really desire to be with you. I guess I am here because I too talk to myself."

Sunna reached out, touched Fire's face, and said quietly, "Then we agree that our inner voices speak truths that bring us happiness. This is a good start Fire; I think there may be hope for you."

Having said that, she leaned forward and kissed him. In that moment, Adam Fish's son began his journey back to the Power of Light.

CHAPTER 16

Year 35

Dawn climbed to the top of the ridge and could now see the river below. After spending much time in the dry empty spaces, the river looked as eternity on Earth. She turned, looked behind her, and saw Hunter coming up the path. The two of them had volunteered to see if they could find a passage that crossed the river or if they needed to go farther down for crossing. Moon and Star had been away from the main group much of the travels, and now that Moon was going to have another child, they decided to change places. It was exciting to be out here alone, and she greatly loved being with Hunter. This was the first time she had been to the river since they left their home, and she could not wait to jump in and feel it all over her body. She pulled off the animal skin she wore for protection in the woods, and felt the coolness on her skin. She was not used to wearing the covering, but Star and Moon told her it was important in the woods and trees, as many things might cut her.

"You are faster than I am, Dawn," Hunter said as he climbed to the top of the ridge and joined her. "Now see if you can get to the river before I do!" Laughing, they darted down the ridge and ran for the water. Hunter won, but just barely and they both plunged into the cool, refreshing water. Dawn surfaced and, treading water, looked around for Hunter. Suddenly, she felt a tremendous tug on her ankle that pulled under the surface. She saw Hunter below her and tried to catch him, but he pulled away and charged to the surface. Swimming after him, she grabbed his body and yanked him under as she broke the surface. He exploded to the surface and in mock surrender said, "You win, you win," laughing she swam to him, and he pulled her close.

She kissed him and said, "That will teach you to trick me and try to pull me from below the water." He gave her a tight hug, and they wandered back to the shore, and sat on the sandy ground. Looking down the river, she said, "I don't see anyplace shallow enough to cross in this area. However, look way down there; it appears to be a small piece of land in the river, and the two sides get closer together past that point.

Hunter looked where she was pointing and tried to make out what the small piece of land was. It looked like the river went around it, but he could not see from this distance. Looking at the sky he said, "The sun is still early in the sky, and we could move in that direction and be close before night. If we follow the river, we might find a good place to cross, or at least provide a safe place for the others to settle for a season."

The entire group had followed a small stream for a long time, but when it headed down a sharp cliff, it became an impossible path for the sheep. The others had moved inland staying in the level places where the sheep could move easily. They now needed to move toward water, and find good grassland to settle, for they all were weary of travel. They agreed that Hunter and Dawn would search until they found either a crossing or a good place for all of them to settle.

Dawn rose and reached out her hand to Hunter. "Yes, but no more trying to figure out who is faster, I am going to be worn out, and you will have to carry me." He jumped to his feet, grabbed her, threw her over his shoulder, and ran to the water. Laughing and splashing wildly, he threw her in the water and shouted, "I win, I win, and I am the best." Dawn sank as he threw her, and she burst to the surface and swam to his side. "You did not do that fairly, but I will allow you to feel good about the win. But when we camp tonight, you may wish you had been nicer, because, I am the prize."

He tried to grab her, but she ran up the shore and waved for him to follow. Grabbing their animal skins and supply sack, he ran after her shouting, "I will be nice, I really will."

The shore proved too rocky, and they journeyed inland for some time before heading back toward the river. As the night began to gather, they settled in a clearing and Hunter made a fire while Dawn found some tree fruit in the nearby forest. She climbed one of the trees and looked farther down the river. She now saw the piece of land in the water clearly, but it appeared void of any life. Looking down the river from the small land, she thought she saw something going across the river from one shore to another. It might be a fallen tree, but she could not tell as the night was now rapidly approaching. She returned to Hunter and said, "Something is in the water farther down river, and it may be a place to cross. We will look in the morning light. It looked as though it went from one side of the river to the other."

"If it is a tree," he replied, "then the river may be shallow there. We will see in the morning."

They finished eating as the night shadows engulfed them and the stars filled the sky. Hunter looked at Dawn in the firelight and was once again amazed at how alike she and Eve looked. Dawn had let her hair grow, and it appeared almost white in the fire's light. She rose from the fire, came to him, and sat down. "What are you thinking mighty Hunter who cheats in water games?" she asked.

"I am always amazed at how much alike you and Eve are. I know she is your twin, but sometimes I think you have switched places with her."

"She has a small brown patch on her lower back, and I remember Sun would have to turn us around to see who was who. I miss Eve so much, and everyday I ask Mother Sun to show me where to find her. I really believe she is near here, and we will find her."

"The land is hard," he said as he pulled her close to him, "but if anyone could make it, it would be Eve. Now, I have been nice, and I will tell the world that I did cheat. Does that mean I get the prize?"

Dawn laughed and held him close. "You do, and I also get a prize. For you are my prize."

***

Adam Fish sat in the dark shadow of the woods and quietly watched the open clearing. Tonight he would make things right and put an end to the evil infecting his family. For some time he had been suspicious about Fire and his nighttime wanderings. Fish knew that Fire was meeting someone from the village, but he had never been able to catch them together. Tonight he had a plan to fool them, which would end this problem permanently. He looked out from the forest and saw Fire sitting looking at the darkened sky. Fish knew that whoever this woman was would soon show and then he would confront them both and keep Fire from doing further harm to himself.

Adam Fish smiled as he thought about how he had fooled everyone into thinking he was down river fishing. He had left with the boys and told Day to stay in her tent until he got back. She and the girls would wait for him, and not come out until he told them. He left Fire to watch over the camp, knowing Fire would go find his woman as soon as Fish was gone. Fish had sent the boys down to the lower fishing catch, and then had come back secretly and followed Fire to the clearing. Day was in her tent with the girls, and he knew she would not cause problems—Day always did what he said. But since the last baby she had refused to open up to him, and he had to force himself into her. He grew to dislike this and now left her alone in her tent with the other girls. He could not understand why she refused him, and even when he had beaten her, she still refused to let him in and enjoy. He knew that the oldest girl would soon be able to open up to him, so he was not concerned about Day. They all belonged to him, and he would take what he wanted. He was Adam Fish, and these were his things to use as he desired.

He looked far up the hillside and saw the faint glow of the village fires as they filled the night sky. While he could not hear anything, he knew the people would all be gathered and having their nightly time together. What stupid people. He could have taught them so much and made them a great people who could move far from this valley and find other Adams. Nevertheless, the evil light-haired woman had made them all women, and now they were stupid just like the animals in the forest. Why they could not see Eve was evil and bringing them all down was something he did not understand. He was just happy to know that her spell did not work on him.

A movement on the far side of the clearing interrupted his thoughts. A figure emerged and began to move toward Fire. As she came out of the shadow, the moonlight caught her figure and Adam Fish almost let out a scream of rage. At first he thought the woman was Eve, but then realized she was much younger. As she came closer to Fire, Fish saw the light-haired woman was the daughter of Adam and Eve. He could feel the heat of rage build in him as Fire stood and they embraced each other and kissed. He could not believe the betrayal of Fire to his own family. Not only did he have a woman from the village, but he was with the daughter of the source of evil herself. He tried to remember her name and it finally came to him; "Sunna," he whispered quietly. That was her name and now she must pay.

Sunna came into the clearing and saw Fire sitting in the moonlight. He rose as she came near, and they held each other closely.

"I miss you when we are forced apart," he said softly. "Adam Fish and the other boys have gone down river tonight, so we have all night together if you can stay."

"I told Eve I would be with you, but Adam is still silent on our togetherness," Sunna replied as she sat on the sheep coverings Fire had placed on the ground. "They both caution me about Adam Fish, but it is you I come to see and not him."

Fire sat beside her and pulled her close as they watched the moon move slowly through the night sky. Since they met long ago, they had developed a deep caring for each other, but Fire was not anxious to tell Adam Fish he was in love with a member of the village. Adam Fish had become more dark as the time went on, and he especially hated Eve, for he believed that she was the principal cause of his being separated from the village. No one could understand where his thinking came from, and Eve was one of the few in the village who believed that Adam Fish should still be part of the group. Fire knew that Eve met with Day at times, and that she saw Day was lonely and often frightened of Adam Fish and his tirades. Sunna told Fire that Eve desired him to live in the village with she and the others, but Fire was hesitant to abandon his family, and was sure Adam Fish would make trouble if Fire left.

Sunna kissed Fire and rested her back on his legs. "I do not want to spend all night talking about Adam Fish," she said, "but I no longer wish to live apart and fear his anger. I love you, and I want us to be together, but for that to happen, we must face Adam Fish and settle this problem."

Fish sighed deeply and finally said, "I have talked to Day about you and me."

"Really," Sunna said as she sat up quickly. "What did she say?"

"I think Day would come with us if I move with you to the village. She has put up with Adam Fish, and while she still cares for him, he has become impossible to reason with on any subject. She fears the children will be influenced by him and I think she fears he may continue to hurt her or the children when his anger is so high."

"I hope she knows we would all love to have her back," replied Sunna. "Maybe that is what it would take to bring Adam Fish back to the Light. Can we set up a meeting of all of us to discuss this?"

"I am almost ready to take that step. Day's reaction gave me encouragement, and we all cannot keep living as we do, or we will face more problems."

He reached over, brushed the hair from her face and pulled her close. "Enough of the problem. Let us enjoy the time together, for soon it will be daylight, and we have to separate."

They kissed and fell back on the sheep covering, allowing their love and passion free expression. As the night passed, they enjoyed the peace and love that they so deeply shared together. Adam Fish would return early in the morning, but for now, they were alone in their own space, far from the concerns of the day.

Adam Fish watched them as they sat together talking. While he could not hear them, he could see that they spoke easily to each other and obviously had spent much time together. As he watched them in the moonlight, he saw Sunna lay back and Fire enter her. He watched as they enjoyed each other and thought about the lifeless times he now had with Day. The feeling of rage and betrayal grew as the passion of the couple increased, and Adam Fish was about to charge at them and confront them when he had another thought. If he captured the Sunna and killed her for being on his property, then he would also cause deep pain to the evil Eve. He would be able to strike a blow against the woman and her dark ways of deception. As the couple settled into a place of deep peace, Adam Fish quietly left the forest edge and headed back to camp.

He entered his tent and found what he needed. The fishing spear he had made was just the right tool. He smiled to himself as he remembered making the spear from the sharp stones that Eve's Adam fashioned. Tonight that stone would find a place in the man's own child. It was a perfect way to hurt all of them.

He exited his tent and turned to look at the river. The sun was now above the horizon and he must hurry to catch the evil child. His eyes saw movement on the far side of the river and he looked to see what was happening. For a moment, he could not believe what he saw. There on the other shore stood Eve and some other male Adam who he did not recognize. What was she doing on the other side of the river? As he watched, she pointed toward his camp and began to follow the fishing line into the river. Adam Fish could not believe it. Eve was going to come into his camp. She must believe he is away and is coming to take his things. He stood for a moment, trying to decide between attacking the daughter of Eve or waiting to confront the evil woman herself. At last, he moved quietly into the woods near the camp and settled into the shadows to wait for Eve to cross. "I will rid myself of you and your curse this day," he quietly pledged to the woman as he watched her enter the river and begin the journey toward her death. "Today, the God of All Things has given me the opportunity to be free. I will celebrate that with great joy. I am Adam Fish."

Chapter 17

Year 35

Dawn awoke as the sun came over the mountaintop, and she saw that Hunter was already up and looking for food. She went to the river and felt the glory of the water caress her naked flesh. The many moons spent traveling had definitely given her deep appreciation for times of Adam being wet. She did not like the flat dry spaces, and was happy they all had agreed to find a resting place near the river. Looking down the stream, she once again saw the distant object that seemed to go across the entire river. Today, she and Hunter would find out what this strange object was, and possibly find a home for the others to settle or cross the water.

They came together at their resting place, hurriedly ate, and started the journey down river toward the object. As they came closer, it appeared not to be a tree at all, but a long thick vine that attached to each shore. Soon they had come close enough to see that it was definitely a vine, but was woven together similar to the ties that Star made for the float.

"Look Hunter, the vine is wrapped around that big tree on this side of the river. It looks like something to hold onto as you cross. This is not a natural thing to find. There have to be other Adams around who have done this."

They ran down the shore and came to the large tree that held the end of the vine. They now saw that it was several large vines tightly put together and fasten very securely around the tree. Dawn pulled on it, and found it was very strong and tight. Setting their animal coverings and supplies on the shore, they began to wade into the river, holding on to the vine. The water became deeper, but they were still able to touch bottom and hold the vine. Soon they were across the water and heading toward the other shore. "This is a perfect place for the others to come," Dawn shouted over the noise of the river. "The clearing ahead looks like it would be big enough for the sheep and all the others."

They came up the shoreline and stopped to look around at the new territory. The clearing appeared cleared by hand, for there were still short stumps on the ground where someone had cut down trees. They walked up the shoreline, and as they came over the top of the crest, both stopped short and stood looking in awe. Before them appeared a group of large half-round houses and a full place for cooking and fire. On long vines, there hung many animal skins and a large array of dead fish. Hunter went to the fish and took one. It was very dry and covered with some white powder. He tasted the powder, found it was a dry taste, and left his tongue prickly. He tore off a piece of the fish and discovered the meat white and still moist. He tasted the meat, and handed it to Dawn. "This is good," he said. "We have never been able to keep a fish after they are dead, but this is still fresh, and it smells good, too."

Dawn tasted the fish and agreed it was good to eat. She headed into the camp area and stopped to look at the half- circle dwellings. She went inside and found trees bent to form a half circle on the ground that held the coverings. She saw a woven container and knelt down to look at its contents. Inside, she found beautiful rocks that, even in the darkness of the dwelling, shown brightly. As she was about to call Hunter, she heard a loud scream outside and rushed to see what happened. On the ground, she saw Hunter lying on his face with some sort of stick in his shoulder. "Hunter, what happened?" She screamed and took a step toward him. As she did, she became aware of another behind her and turned to see who it was. As she turned, something hit her head and her world exploded in bright light and went dark.

***

In the clearing, Fire and Sunna were starting to go their separate ways when they heard a scream from Fire's home. They both ran to the woods and headed down the hill toward the noise. When they came to the top of the ridge overlooking Adam Fish's camp, they both stopped and looked down at the scene below. Adam Fish was standing over two figures on the ground screaming something at them. The male figure, which they could not identify, was on his face with a fishing spear in his back. Sunna looked at the other figure and let out a gasp, "It is Eve!"

Fire looked at the female and saw it was Eve, and she was not moving from the ground. "Run and get Adam and the others, I will try to stop Adam Fish from hurting her."

Sunna wanted to run to her mother, but turned and ran up the hill toward her people as fast as her legs would carry her. Fire went down the hill and approached Adam Fish. He was screaming at Eve, "Now I caught you. Now you will die for all you have done. You will die now."

"What is going on Fish?" Fire hollered as he approached.

Adam Fish turned and looked at him with a darkness Fire had never before seen. "I left you here to watch the camp, but you sold me out to hump the evil one's daughter. Now I caught her and she will die. I should kill you too for not doing what I said, and selling me out to the village." He lunged at Fire, grabbed him by the throat, and began to strangle him. Fire fought, but lost his balance and landed hard with Adam Fish still holding on tight.

"Adam, stop it, what are you doing?"

Fire saw the voice came from Day who was pushing Adam Fish with all her strength. Adam Fish released Fire and swung his fist at Day, hitting her in the face and knocking her back. He turned back to Fire and struck him hard in the mouth. "You all are evil, and I will deal with you later."

Adam Fish rose and walked into his tent, while Fire stood, wiping the blood from his mouth. He went to Day and helped her up, seeing she was stunned but able to function. She looked at the figures on the ground and screamed, "Eve, Oh God, it is Eve."

She ran to the female and was about to help her when Adam Fish came out of the tent and shouted, "Unless you want to die with her, do not touch her".

Adam Fish grabbed the unconscious woman, took the vine in his hand, and wrapped it around her body and her neck. He took the vine, went to a tall tree, and threw an end over a branch. He began to pull hard on the vine and then tied it off. The vine pulled hard on the woman's throat, and she began to choke. As she did this, she awoke, and rolled forward to lessen the tightness on her throat. Adam Fish grabbed her, pulled her to her feet, and dragged her to the tree. There he pulled the vine tighter and once again, the woman began to gasp for breath.

"Stop this now," said Fire as he ran up to Adam Fish and grabbed the vine. Adam swung at Fire with his fist, but Fire ducked and hit Adam Fish hard in the chest. Stunned by the blow, he dropped the vine as he fell down, allowing the woman to collapse on the ground, where once again she was able to breath.

"How dare you strike me," Adam Fish hollered as he rose from the ground. "You are banished from here, and I never want to see you again."

"You will not kill Eve," Fire shouted at him and placed himself between the Eve and Adam Fish.

"She is evil and corrupts all of you. She brought her darkness to our people and destroyed trust. Now she is stealing the bright stones from me, and I will deal with her and will not be stopped."

Adam Fish reached over to the campfire, and pulled out a long sharp cutting stone. He turned quickly and lunged at Fire. Stepping back, Fire was too slow and felt the sharpness cut his arm. Adam Fish turned, saw the wound, and brought the stone high to strike again. As he began to move, another form suddenly struck from the side. The two men hurled through the air and crashed on the ground near the tent. Fire saw that it was Sunna's father Adam, and realized that others were running into the camp to help Adam. They reached Adam Fish and took the stone from his had and lifted him to his feet, with two men holding him tight. Adam Fish glared at the men and then his stare turned to absolute fear as he looked across the camp and saw Eve standing at the edge. He looked at the woman on the ground and then at Eve and realized that his captive was not who he thought it was. Eve rushed into the camp and fell beside the woman on the ground. "Dawn, is it you? Are you all right?" She quickly pulled the vine from Dawn and threw her arms around her.

"Oh Eve, we found you," Dawn cried and buried her face in Eve's shoulder and began to weep. "Who is this man, Eve? Why was he going to kill me? Oh my God, Hunter!" She jumped to her feet and ran to the other side of the tent with Eve following. There on the ground, trying to reach the spear in his back, Hunter lay in agony.

Eve fell to the ground and placed her hands on Hunter's shoulders. "Do not move Hunter, or you will be hurt worse." He looked up, saw both Eve and Dawn, and smiled. "This is not the way we wanted to find you Eve."

"Hold very still Hunter, it is in your shoulder and must come out." By now, Adam was beside her, and she indicated he should hold Hunter down while she pulled out the sharp part. With a great tug, she removed the spear as Hunter gave a loud groan. Adam handed her water to pour on the wound and then Eve put her lips on it and felt the healing warmth flow through her. Soon she pulled back and saw that the wound was not bleeding and had started to close. She leaned down, kissed Hunter on the forehead, and said warmly, "It seems I am always getting you out of trouble." He smiled and with Adam's help sat up and looked around. By now, the entire village was in the campsite, and Hunter had never seen so many Adams in one place. He took Dawn's hand, and she helped him to his feet.

Eve turned to the gathering and said, "People of my village, these are my people from up the river. This is my Sister Dawn and this is Adam Hunter. We shall celebrate all this later, but for now, we must deal with Adam Fish and the unresolved problem he has brought."

"I did not bring any problem," Adam Fish shouted, "you are the problem, and now there are two of you. We will all have evil in our lives if we allow both of you to live. This one," he said as he pointed to Dawn, "came into my tent, and was stealing from me. I caught her, and now she must pay."

"Adam Fish," Eve said as she approached him, "we have all tried to give you what you wanted, because we are all one, we are all Adams. Now you have shown the depth of your shadow by thinking you had the right to take another Adams life. You are still an Adam, and we will love you because of that. Even so, now we must all agree how to deal with your lack of love and the hatred you produce."

Sortes stepped forward and said to the men holding Adam Fish. "Bring him to our village and stay with him. If he becomes difficult, use the vine to hold him." Turning to Adam Fish, he said with sadness, "Old friend, you have traveled so far to come together with us, and we made this place with joy. I do not understand why you have turned far from us, but I do desire to hear what you have to say, and I can only pray to the God of All Good Things that you will listen to what we say. I truly believe we are still one."

The men took Adam Fish up the hill as Adam asked, "Where is Sunna?"

She responded from the far side of the clearing, "Over here, Adam. I am with Fire, and he has been hurt."

Adam went to her and saw that Fire was lying in her arms, with his arm bleeding badly. Eve came and the two of them looked at the depth of the cut. Fire lost much blood and was weak and unable to stay awake. Eve placed her hands on the wound, but could feel that her healing was not enough for the depth of the cut. She looked at Sunna and said quietly, "It is for now that I have taught you the lessons of Love and Light. Put your hands on mine and join with me in the flow of healing." Sunna reached over and placed her hands on Eve's bloody hands, and she felt the power all through her body. Slowly, she lowered her head to their hands and placed her lips on the wound. She began to feel dizzy, and was overwhelmed with a brilliant light. She felt herself fall to the side, and her hands slipped away from Eve's. Adam caught her and lifted her upright, and pointed to Eve's hands. As Eve pulled away from the wound, they all saw that it was not bleeding, and the depth of the cut was slowly receding. Eve took a wet sheep covering and wiped the blood from Sunna's face. "You have done well my daughter," Eve whispered. "Now comfort Fire, and allow the love you feel for him to complete the healing."

Eve turned and saw Day kneeling beside her. She put her arm around Day, and holding her close, she quietly said, "The separation is over, Day. Somehow, in the plan of God, we will once again be together. We are Adam."

Chapter 18

Year 35

The usual pleasant time around the evening fire was not part of the gathering this night. Adam Fish sat in the circle with Day at his side, and neither spoke a word to the others around them. Their children sat behind them, except for Fire, who was by Sunna on the far side of the circle. Sortes finally stood and even the quiet conversations ended.

"My family, we come together tonight in order to bring greater understanding. The things that are taking place in our village must be addressed if we are to live in harmony." Tuning to Adam Fish, he said, "You and I have been together for more seasons than I can remember. When you and Day came up the river, we were all excited to be together and to celebrate the new life and hope you two brought to us. You worked hard and taught us many things, and we are grateful to God for bringing us together. My sadness has grown as I have watched you slowly withdraw from the village and become distant. You told us you wanted us to stay off your land, and while we do not agree that the land belongs to any one person, we have honored your request. You have refused to share the things you produce unless we give you something for them. This we have not done, but we have continued to offer you the ability to share freely from all we have produced. We pray for you at every celebration of Mother Sun, and yet you do not join us. Now today, you have attempted to take the life of a fellow Adam, and we are now here to see why you do these things, and what it is we have done to trouble you. Our desire is to bring harmony among ourselves and not further separation."

With that, he sat and all eyes turned to Adam Fish. Slowly, he rose to his feet and looked each person over carefully. "I came up the river because I believed that more Adams were here, and we needed to find each other. When I came, I found a group of you who lived in small shelters on the ground and new little of hunting or fishing. I showed you how to build tents. I showed you how to fish and to hunt. Together we expanded our village and took from the surroundings all we needed. _I_ did this with you—not some woman, but _me_. I have watched you become weaker as you grew in number, and I have seen how you do not look to me for your understanding, but trust in the voice of all. You men have become as women, filled with ideas that keep us buried in this place. We could be strong and find other Adams and bring them into our understanding, but you do nothing." He turned and looked at Eve and continued, "And then you come with your ideas of the God of All Good Things, and the Love we share. You are but a woman needing only to make children and keep us happy. You are not a man, you do not hunt, you do not build, you are here for my use, and yet you come to us and take over our minds as a man."

He turned and looked at every male in the group and said, "The woman is but a male who God has cursed. Her outside place for sex turns into her for her shame, and we are the ones who go into her to make children. We are strong and become stronger when we are ready to go into the woman, but she is only there to catch our life, as a horn catches water. We are the force of life and strength, not the woman. Yet this light-haired female, with her darkness and thinking, has taken all of you and made you weak. Now this one," he pointed at Dawn, "has come to make the evil grow stronger. I will not allow this to continue, so I will kill it and bring us back to our strength. I am Adam Fish, and unless you can see the truth I speak, you are all women, and I curse you."

Adam Fish sat down and glared at the group. No one spoke, for none could believe what he had said and what he believed. Eve looked around the group, and suddenly she began to see colors all about her. The trees and forest became a bright green. She looked at the tents and saw the sleeping children all covered with bright white lights. Looking around the circle, she saw many shades of light on all the people gathered there. Then she looked at Adam Fish and saw he was a deep, dark, red color. As she saw all this, she began to remember all she knew about the colors of light. She remembered that the lights were actually Providers who came when love and positive belief came forth. As though she was suddenly in a new world, Eve remembered all she had ever known in her journeys before Earth, and was flooded with eternal understanding. Quietly, she rose and began to speak.

"I am Adam, known as Eve, but I am not part of who you are. I have journeyed many lifetimes and come to you by the God of All Good Things to serve the new life on Earth. I bring you understanding of the Power of Love and Light so that you will all be able to remain in harmony with the plan of God. The Earth you are in is a gift from God for your new beginnings. God has created several female Adams and placed them on the Earth. Here we have three of them: Canna, Day, and Sky. Another female was Sun, who was my and Dawn's mother. One more is coming and her name is Wind. There are three more, but I do not know where they are located. These female Adams are new creatures made by God, and placed here to be one with the male Adams. The males are from a people who were just like Adams, but from another time. They did not know how to follow the power of light, and their shadow destroyed them all. However, from these people, a new beginning came forth, and the males carefully placed with the females on Earth are the remainder of these people. Here we have Sortes, Betoon, Adam Fish, and Adam Hunter. Another male know as Adam, is Dawn's and my father, and he will come to us soon. The other three I believe are with the females, but I do not know where. These are the beginnings of the family of Adam, which is the opportunity for the beauty and Love of the God of All Good Things to come forth from a people who choose to walk in Light and not in shadow."

Eve stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts, and not a person moved in the circle. She walked around the circle and sat before Adam Fish. She could feel his anger and knew his shadow was very dark. She looked into his eyes and said, "Adam Fish, you are one of the gifts God has placed on the Earth to show forth Love and Light. From you will come forth countless numbers who will go forth and fill this world. You say I am evil and bring these people to weakness. You may think what you want, and I simply will not agree with you. Nevertheless, I ask you this: does your thinking bring you peace and joy? Or, does your thinking bring you unrest and emptiness? The way of God is always with peace and joy, and it is the guide to show us if we are in harmony with God's plan. You say that God curses the female for we are evil. Again, how you think is not something I may argue with, but it is also something with which I do not have to agree. We are all entitled to have opinions, but we are not entitled to force others to agree with our opinions. I know that God directly created the female for the beginning of this new creation. She is not a curse, but a vessel of love and joy for new life. I know the male was selected by God for this journey, and is not good or evil, but perfect for the new life."

Eve looked long and hard at Adam Fish, and sent him as much love energy as she could find in the Universe. She then stood and returned to sit between Adam and Sunna. At last she said, "My fellow Adams, who I love dearly, hear and remember these things. You are one with God, and are not separate from anything that is. You are one with all life, as all life is one with you. There is no division in the Universe, for all things are of God and nothing can be separate."

She paused for a moment and began to go deep into her own being. Finally, she said quietly, "There is no shadow without Light, and Light is always stronger than shadow. The deception of shadow is the thought that we are separate from Light. The truth is that you are one with God and can never be separate from that place of security. Shadow only brings the fear and uncertainty of being alone. The truth of Light brings us peace and joy for it shows we are one with God."

She lifted her eyes toward the fire and began to feel the depth of the Love of God for this new creation. She felt the fullness of God in her as it sought to bring love to all of creation. She saw thousands and thousand of Adams all around her, and felt the love of God pour over them. With tears in her eyes, and sobbing out the words she finally said, "In love, there is ultimate joy, peace, and abundance. God creates and sustains all things by the Power of Love and Light. Love does not seek to receive it only seeks to give. You must love yourself as part of God, and you must love others as yourself, as you are all one. Love is the first sound of God and the completion of all thoughts. Love creates joy and abundance."

Eve felt the Power of Love and Light pour out of her toward Adam Fish. She saw the light of the Providers speed toward him and his redness began to change to a lighter color. Exhausted, she leaned over into her Adam, and he held her close. She watched as the Providers covered the people around the circle, and saw how they had received God's truth and blazed with Love and Light. Then she watched as Adam Fish looked at her, and she saw the Providers fall away, and his color begin to turn even darker red. He stood and, looking directly at Eve, spoke, "You are good with your words, but they are lies to keep us weak. You speak of others who are out there, and I believe it may be true, but I will not trust you or your word. I will find them myself. I will leave you, light-haired woman. I will leave you because you choose to walk in evil, and not in truth. I am Adam Fish. _I_ am Adam." He looked around the group and finally said, "And _you_ are all fools."

Eve began to sob with a broken heart as Adam Fish walked away. Day rose to her feet and turned to follow Adam Fish, when Fire jumped up and said, "Do not go with him Day. Stay here and I will care for you and protect you." Day turned and looked at him, and with sadness simply said, "I cannot leave him, for I am one with him. It must be the way of God for us to be together. I love you all, and I do not believe Eve is evil. I do not believe that females are cursed. However, I do believe that Adam Fish is the one I must follow, for I am his." She started to walk away and then stopped and turned to Eve and said, "I do not understand all you told us tonight. Even so, I felt in my heart that you spoke truth from another place. Know I will think often of what you have said, and I will treasure the fact that God directly created me. I do believe at the end of my journey, I will see you all again."

She turned and, taking the hand of the children, disappeared into the night.

Sunna turned to Eve and said, "I know you for being someone else I have known in another time. As you spoke, I felt your words deep within me and knew I had heard you speak these things to me before this night. Do you remember when we were together before this life?"

Eve looked at her daughter, and she knew that the life energy within Sunna was Sun herself. She smiled and thought, "My mother has become my daughter. Now that is hard to explain."

She simply reached out, pulled Sunna close, and said, I do not know all of our journeys, but I too know we were together before this time. When our journey here is over, perhaps we will have better understanding."

Sortes stood and said, "It is with sadness we face the moving on of Adam Fish and Day. However, tonight I believe I have heard the messenger of God, and I have great peace. Eve has come to us from God, and now we have Dawn and Hunter. Soon the others will join us and our family will become much larger. Tonight, let us feel joy for the new beginnings, and pray the God of All Good Things will bring an understanding of Love and Light to Adam Fish as he journeys forth. Let us break forth with celebration that we may truly welcome Dawn and Hunter into our family. I am Adam." Each person stood and repeated "I am Adam" and then in one voice, they proclaimed, "We are Adam."

Eve spent the night as if being moved by another force. She spent a long time with Fire and Sunna and they talked about the Power of Love and Light and she gave them deeper understanding of this mystery. She and the Elders talked long about the insight Eve had shared with them, and she felt them grasp new thoughts and rekindle old understanding. She, Dawn, and Hunter had long conversations about how Wind and Adam were and what Star and Moon had gone through in their time on the river. They made plans to go to the others and bring them to the river and their new home, as soon as they rested and prepared for the journey.

Finally, Eve found herself with Adam, and they settled together before the fire. They shared their love for each other in a quiet and unspoken way, which only those who trust can do. Finally, as the camp settled into sleep, Eve rose and descended the hill toward Adam Fish. She felt driven by the need to try one more time to transform his thinking.

She entered the camp and all was quiet. Again, she saw the glowing lights of the Providers, and the tents filled with lights of Love and peace. However, she could not see Adam Fish.

Then Eve turned and saw the redness of his shadow and anger. "You have come to torment me one more time," Adam Fish growled at her.

Eve walked to Adam Fish and quietly stood before him and said, "I have come to tell you I love you and to provide you one more time to try to understand. If you go, you will start a pathway of shadow that others will follow. Please try to see that the Love of God is the only way of joy."

She reached up, pressed her hands on his face, and sent forth the Power of Love. In her mind, she heard a voice saying, "Remember, we cannot change another individual's journey, we can only give them Light and then hope they will see truth." She knew the voice and quietly said "Domatarious."

She felt Adams Fish's fist hit her in her stomach, but she stood and looked into his eyes. She felt a pain, but it was in her heart and not her stomach. "Why Adam Fish? With so much love, why do this?" Eve felt her hands slip from Adam Fishes face and slide to her side. As she looked down from his face, she saw his hand on her stomach, and the blood that flowed over it. She saw, but never felt, the long sharp stone with which he stabbed her. Instead, she felt the sharp pain of his shadow as he stabbed into the beauty of the creation. She slowly slid to the ground and became aware of the brightness of light all around her. She knew her journey was over, and with her last breath of life on Earth she said, "I am Adam, and we are all one".

In the morning, Fire came to the campsite to see if Adam Fish was gone. He found Eve lying in her blood with Adam Fish's cutting stone still in her. He felt a rage come within him that blinded him. He wanted to run down the river until he found Adam Fish and kill him with his own hands. He also felt shame that his father had done this cruel act to the mother of the woman he loved. Finally, he sat on the ground and wept over Eve's body, unsure of what to do next. He looked at Eve's lifeless form, and found even in her death, she was able to bring a peace to his inner places. He sat there for a long time, and simply watched the waters flow by his resting place. He heard footsteps in the woods and turned to see Sunna enter the clearing. He rose and quickly went to her and held her tight.

"What is wrong Fire? You look and feel like you are deeply troubled."

Holding her tightly, Fire explained to Sunna what had happened and how he had found Eve. She broke from his embrace, ran to Eve's lifeless body, and fell on it with a scream of pain. He came and knelt by her side and held her as she cried out her pain and grief.

"I will go after him and either bring him back or kill him," Fire said as he wiped her tears. "He must not be allowed to escape punishment."

Sunna took Eve's hand in hers, and held it to her face. "She would not want that Fire," Sunna said. "Something inside me says that she came here to meet with Adam Fish and give him one more chance. She knew what might happen, but bringing us together as one Adam was worth the risk. We cannot further destroy our unity by seeking out Adam Fish and killing him. He and God will work through this; it is not up to us to take God's place."

She looked up from Eve and saw the confusion in his eyes. So much of the hatred and mistrust Adam Fish had taught Fire was now boiling to the surface. However, the desire to walk in Love and Light was his goal in life.

"Fire, look at me," she said quietly. His eyes met hers and she spoke, "Remember what Eve told us only last night. The way of God is always with peace and joy, and following it keeps us in harmony with God's plan. In our grief and confusion, let us not drift into the shadow and away from God."

Fire looked at her, and she felt his countenance change as her words took root. "You are right Sunna. I will not dishonor her with doing things she would not want. However, we will have to bring this thought to the others, and that will take strength. I will carry Eve up the hill, but you go before me and tell Adam to meet us before we get to the village. He will need to work through his feeling before he is with the others." He touched her face and said, "You are different today. I feel a strength within you that gives me strength. I believe Eve imparted wisdom to us last night and touched us to prepare us for this journey."

He stood and helped her from the ground. Holding her tight, he allowed the comfort of their love to bring a moment of peace. "Go now;" he said as he pulled back, "the pain we will all go through is great. However, Eve would also have us remember the Eternity to which she has now returned. Bring Adam, and we will go through this pain together."

Chapter 19

Year 50

Satari sat by the lake of glass and watched the activity near her. She felt Domatarious approach and turned to greet him.

"Still watching Adam Fish?" Domatarious asked her.

She returned her gaze to the lake as Domatarious sat beside her. Shaking her head she replied, "He continues to amaze me. He has such a strong ability to lead and bring order to his surroundings, but he continues to cling to his own shadow and cause problems."

"What is he up to now?" Domatarious asked her.

"He has been with the new Adams about 10 years now, and has established himself as their ultimate authority on everything." Pointing to the village on the shore, she continued, "They are building small boats to go further out into the sea and fish. I believe he is also building them to see what is beyond the horizon of the water. He is positive that there are more Adams someplace, and is driven to find them and teach them his views on life."

Domatarious smiled and said, "I assume his views include how evil Eve was and how God had her killed to protect all the Adams."

"Yes, he has now developed the story to the stage that I was created from Adam, and not directly from God, and that I believed in a false God and would lead the male Adams astray. His story is that all women are part of this darkness and must be under the influence of the male, or God will not be pleased. At no time does he ever tell anyone that he was the one who killed me, or that all the female Adams are directly created by God from the beginning. What amazes me is how he is able to get the others he has found to believe him."

"How is Day handling this entire story?" Domatarious asked.

"She simply says nothing, but continues to be with him and do what he wants. I believe she has lost the emotional strength to even question him, but she knows better in her heart and quietly encourages others to follow Love and Light."

"The shadow is strong and its deception will distract the humans from Light," Domatarious replied. "But I rest in the confidence that there is never enough shadow to put out the Light of God's Love, it will simply take time for this harmony to take place."

Looking away from the seashore, she moved her eyes to a place closer to her and saw the large settlement that existed on the river. Over the last years, the people she had lived with had become quite industrious, and had expanded the village into many new sections. "Have you been with Sunna?" Satari asked.

"I visited with her a while ago, and she is still the embodiment of Love and Light. She and Fire have many children, and lead the people in ways of great understanding. She always asks of you and is well aware that she has journeyed with you before she was born, but she is not aware that her life energy is Sun."

Pointing far out into the distant valley, Satari said, "I see that Wind and Adam have finally settled in a new place and seem to be prospering well. It was good for them to settle away from the others for they have much Light and Love and will create many strong generations for the plan of God. Several of the other young people joined the group, so it is a good settlement they have created. It was interesting to see Adam's connection to Sunna and feel such a strong bond with her. The life force is Sunna is his Sun, but neither identifies with their past. He touched on his connection with Sun, and he and Sunna's time together was a great joy for both of them. And what of your Adam, how is he doing?" Domatarious asked.

Satari pointed to a settlement on the other side of the mountain from the original village. "He, Hunter, and Dawn have settled far to the east along with Star and Moon. Star is following the instructions you gave him and will move even farther over the next years. The other two Adam groups are in that direction, and they will meet in the future. When that happens, all the Adam creations will have established contact with each other, and the next part of the creative plan will begin. My Adam is very happy with Hunter and Dawn, and they are beautiful vessels of Love and Light. Both of them love Dawn, and they share life together easily. Star is now a strong vessel of Light, and brings new direction for the entire family to follow. I am very happy for all of them, and I know they will live long and full lives.

"I look out at this vast and beautiful Earth," Domatarious said, "and I am filled with joy seeing all God has created. It is a good beginning, and other than Adam Fish and his shadow, it is all doing well. We have done all we can for now." Satari replied, "They will expand and find new things to understand. The Light they have within them is a powerful tool, and they will either use it, or find struggle in their journey. The darkness of Adam Fish will be a problem in many ways, but I also am filled with joy as I see all the beauty before me."

As Domatarious and Satari watched, the full moon filled the sky above the Earth and its light shown down on the new creation. In a far away valley, Adam and Wind came together with others and sat around a campfire. Wind stood to her feet, held dirt in her hand, and spread it on the feet of the person beside her. "Tonight we are reminded that we have come from the Earth, and we are filled with joy for all it provides."

***

In the center of the village on the river, Sunna, Fire, and all the people of the village gathered around the campfire, and all the people of the village gathered around the campfire. Sunna took the bowl of blood and wetting her fingers, she made a line on her abdomen. Passing the bowl she said, "From the Mother of Life, we come forth to live as one. We give thanks today for the life we have and for the ability to create new life."

***

Far to the east of the village, Star, Moon, Dawn, Hunter, Adam, and all the others from the settlement gathered around the campfire. Star took the bowl of blood and again dipped his fingers in it and wiped the stain on his chest. Handing the bowl to Adam he said, "We give thanks for our life within, for it is who we are. Mother Sun and Mother Eve were lives sent to Earth to show us Love and Light. They have returned to their home and our life will return to them in time. It is in this place, we shall forever be one."

***

In a small area, away from the seashore, Day and some of the women gathered, and Day took the bowl of blood. She once more placed her fingers in it and touched her forehead saying, "This night we cleanse our thoughts and ask Mother Sun and Mother Eve to take our thoughts and make them one. Our thoughts are now pure as hers, and we are truly one Adam."

Around each campfire the leader, when the bowl returned to them, turned and poured it on a large bunch of sticks and then lifted their arms and declared, "I am Adam." They took a flaming torch from the fire and handed it to another who declared, "I am Adam," and then passed it to the next person who did the same. As the torch made its way around the fire, every person who could, stood and said, "I am Adam." The leader then took the torch and put it into the sticks, and as the flames grew, they turned and embraced the person adjoining them and went around until they had touched them all. As they did this, they all began to move their feet and clap their hands in unison. Then, they began to move around the clearing, and embraced any who they happened to find next to them proclaiming, "We Are Adam. We are one."

***

However, in a small dark room, one sat by himself, far from any celebration of joy. As he watched the fire grow dim, he simply said to himself, "I am Adam Fish. _I am Adam!"_
Enjoy the continuing chronicles of Domatarious in the new novel by James Shipman Twerell entitled:

The Light and the Shadow.

In this exciting new adventure, two mythical characters, thrown together in a supernatural journey, uncover truths destined to transform the world. These characters find themselves drawn together by love, and the intervention of unseen powers. Their journey becomes one of passion, discovery, and deep insight regarding truths governing all life.

TURN PAGE FOR PREVIEW OF:

THE LIGHT AND THE SHADOW

Available September 2010 at local bookstores or web site at:

http://www.jtwerell.com

or write:

Living Word Publications

7 Dey Street

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PREVIEW OF THE LIGHT AND THE SHADOW
Chapter 1

The morning fog hung in the air and filled the road and woods as a soft blanket of fine wool. It was a moment of tranquility in a world that knew no peace. I rode the trail with my mind as misty as the morning sunrise. How long I traveled across this land, I little knew or cared. Zoë, my stable and trusty mount, trod the path with no complaint or hesitation. She knew the pointless direction I sought and obeyed my foolish and empty thoughts.

My journey had not always been unfilled as this. In the earlier times, believing in the honor of serving my King and country, I found glory in protecting our land from forces of darkness. Those days brought abundance of life to my fertile soul. In all we pursued, the value of honor was our existence. In our lives, there was a presence of God and majesty we genuinely believed would still the heart of the unfaithful. We rode to battle as eagles seeking the heights of eternity. We loved each other as much as we loved our King, and knew we would never see failure.

The glory of that precious time is but reminiscence. The King is dead and a sleep of fear has taken over the hearts of the people. The land rests fallow and the souls of her mighty men wander in search of the hope that may keep the vision alive. How naive we all must appear to the destiny makers who watch our foolish games. How they must laugh and scorn our dreams and vision. How empty they have left us as we wander aimless across the cursed world.

I began to sense the gentle warmth of the summer sun and knew it was time to provide Zoë a rest. My body ached from the weight of the iron suit I wore and my back longed to be free from the confines of metal and brass protecting my vulnerability. I looked at my gloved hands and realized these weapons of war had not moved in hours. Instead of holding a sword and shield, they clung to reins with no direction or purpose.

A small stream ahead caught Zoë's eye, and she pulled the reins to direct my eyes toward the ultimate goal. I gave in to her desires, for they clearly transcended any I had of my own. She stopped by the stream and commenced to drink of the cool waters running by her tired hoofs. She lifted her head, looked around to me as an encouragement for my own movement, sighed as I lifted the heavy load from her back, and set my feet upon the ground. I took off the helmet that seemed part of my own body and felt the cool morning breeze across my neck and face. How many years had I worn this burdensome load of iron in order to protect King and country from the spreading corruptions. Now, in the same way Zoë carried her burden, it was a heavy encumbrance carried out of habit.

The sun breaking through the trees above brought warmth to my haggard soul and the stream beckoned to heal the wounds of body and spirit. I removed the breastplate that had been my loyal protector in many a gallant challenge. I studied the nicks and dents, which spoke of valiant opponents who previously sought to terminate my feeble life. How they too had believed in their own noble cause to which I appeared as the antagonist. Was this simple plate of armor the thing protecting me from premature death, or was there a benefactor who watched my every move? One more question escaped my ability to reason. In confusion and exhaustion, I sat my reliable protector on the bank and proceeded to strip to the pale reflection of my own vulnerability. Wading into the stream, I felt the coolness wash over my weariness and bring a great refreshing. I must have remained in reverie some time for when I returned to the bank of the river, Zoë had moved on to tall grass, which offered her sustenance for what ever was ahead. I walked to her with a sense of peace I had not felt for many a month. Unfurling the blanket from her saddle, I reclined on the ground and drifted into a sleep that provided a temporary refuge for my tormented soul.

I awoke some time later feeling I was being watched. Reaching for the sword, I rose and cried out "Who goes there?" The natural quiet of the day responded with no words, just a sensation of the existence of another. I realized how foolish I must appear, standing with my sword in hand, prepared to vanquish all foes, and as naked as the day I was born. This new reality overshadowed the alarm, and I fetched my undergarments and suit of chain mail. Looking about I saw no person or beast but still perceived I was not alone in this place of refreshing. My peripheral vision caught a movement to the left. I held my place and avoided the impulse to turn and charge this possible figment of mind. I lowered my sword and pretended to move toward the retrieval of my armor. It was at that moment the stillness of the woods gave way to the sound of a snapping branch, and I knew the figment had become reality.

I turned and in three strides was upon the site of my perceived activity. Jumping into the low bushes surrounding me I raised my sword to bring a quick death to whatever person or beast lurked in hiding. The sudden shriek of a small voice arrested my attack in mid flight and my sword crashed far to the right of the sound.

"Show yourself as friend or die as a foe," I shouted to the bushes around. Battle had honed the instinct of survival, and I began the second move of the sword toward the place of concentrated focus.

"I be friend, I hope." Came the high-pitched voice, "Hurt me not for I intend no harm to you or your steed". The shrill voice became a small boy, or perhaps a man, it was difficult to determine at that moment. His outward appearance was of a mature individual yet half the appropriate proportion of a normal man.

"Who are you and what is your purpose spying on me? What do you seek and do not make a quick move, or it will be your last? Step forward and show yourself. Where are you from and do you represent any in the land?"

"My lord, you ask me much, and I don't know which to answer or how to move. I fear that if I do either in the wrong way, I shall never have a second chance to try again. I am Troy, and I am frightened." He moved with hesitation and held his hands before him as one who would bring me a gift but had lost it in transit. He was a man, but about four stones high. His legs and arms appeared as muscle prepared to defend his honor well, but his stature betrayed his vulnerability.

"I come, my lord, as one who has allowed his curiosity to be his downfall. I mean no harm, as I honor seeing one of your obvious nobility lodged in our woods. I beseech you, please forgive my intrusion, and I will disappear from your sight as though I never existed. Let me be a passing vision and we will both be at peace tonight, especially me."

"No foe," I ordered with a calmer voice, "Stay your ground till I am sure of your particular purpose in these woods. Do you live here alone or are you serf to a local noble?"

With caution he lowered his hands and said, "No, my lord, I am a free man and have been since birth. I have lived in these woods with my people since the great sickness. We have now become few, but wander the woods with complete freedom bringing harm to none. I protect no one and serve as observer for no one, and I have nobody to whom I report. I am not here by any order, I have no place to go to tell of your being here, no one will find this of interest, and they will not come to see what I have seen. I am alone, my lord."

I laughed at the denial that hid truth I had best unravel if I was to know the risk at hand. "This no one who you speak of, is he King or robber?"

"He is not a he, my lord. Oh, I mean, he does not exist, no I mean she does not exist. Oh, would to God I did not exist." At which he commenced to tremble and cry." Take my life my lord, for I have failed my mistress in my task." Falling to the ground, he bent his neck to prepare for the blow of my sword.

What a strange creature. Prepared to die and yet not even knowing why I was here. In addition, who was the mistress he had failed? For that particular matter, where had Zoë and I wandered in our meandering?

"Stand up Troy and stop cowering before me. I will not take your life or harm you unless you refuse to answer my questions with truth. Your tongue had best speak truth or I may have to relieve you of its presence! Whose territory is this and who is this mistress you appear to serve this day?"

He rose and with great care moved into my shadow, as if the sunlight was blinding him. "Thank you my lord. May God have mercy and grace on all you do for showing mercy on one who deserves to die; on one whose presence is signature of a life misspent; on one who is less than dirt, on one..."

"Enough Troy, you have humbled yourself enough to please God and man, now talk of the explanations I seek, and do it without further games!" My patience with this small man was now wearing thin, and I still was not sure of the potential vulnerability into which I may have fallen. I knew from accumulated experience, if one person existed in an empty place, others were also around. Caution increased the concern for responses, and I stepped closer to this boy/man and reached out for his shirtfront. In an instant, I found myself in the air and flying over the boy/man's head. I landed on my shoulder and lost the grip from my sword. I rolled to my feet and planned to lunge at whatever rouge had slipped up on me in my foolish lapse of diligence. Nevertheless, no one was about; only the man/boy who now held my sword. It was as large as he was tall, but he lifted it with no effort and flung it at the nearest tree. As the blade buried into the tree and the shaft swayed from the significant power of the impact, I realized I had misjudged this man/boy known as Troy.

"As my mistress would say, my lord, what you have sown will often bring a rapid harvest. I will show you no harm as you showed me none. Nevertheless, I too would appreciate some answers as to how a noble as you finds his way into our quiet wood. I also am curious to know if you are a friend or foe." With that, he started to laugh and hold his belly as if he would burst. "My lord, forgive me for my indiscretion," he said between bouts of laughter, "but the look on your face as you flew over my humble head was one I shall never forget. I hope I laugh with you and not at you, my lord, for picture in your head what my eyes beheld, and you will know the cause of my unpardonable joy."

My immediate anger at his mocking turned to a quieter discontent as I did mentally picture the exchange as he proposed. Here was the battle-hewn warrior overcome by one who was a third my size. I knew my expression had to be one of pure astonishment and confusion. A begrudging smile worked its way to my lips and with a small shake of my head acknowledged my change of attitude. "Troy, I too ask for your forgiveness for underestimating my opponent. Long ago, I learned from a great King that the heart of a man knows no boundary or limit. I trust your heart is large and strong, protecting all you honor. I entreat you to permit me to begin again, not from strength, but from respect. I also trust you will show me how you accomplished this great defense in the midst of a sure defeat."

"Come my lord, sit here in the shade for the sunlight hurts my eyes. We will talk as strangers who seek to be friends." With that, he turned and pulled my sword from the tree, handed it to me and proceeded to walk to a quiet green space among the trees. Amazed at his boldness, I followed and reclined against a stout tree across from the stump he had chosen to make his chair.

"It is one of the difficulties my people suffer since the great sickness. The sun causes our vision to blur and produces great pain in our head. In the shade and dark, we are as the owls that see all, but in sun, we seem as bats, moving in the shadows as though blind. Now, my lord, tell me of yourself and your quest, and I shall answer all you ask to the best of my humble ability. "

Smiling, I responded, "I shall not underestimate your humble ability ever again my friend. My name is Sir James, and I come from the court of the King of all England. I serve and have served his honor and grace for over ten years. My King died over a year ago. While the physicians and wizards say it was because of many battle wounds, I know it was of a heart that had been broken. My King had a Queen who was of great beauty and honor. Together they ruled with absolute truth and mercy, and the land prospered in all they did. Nevertheless, my Queen's heart turned to another, and she and her lover fled the Kingdom in shame. My King did pursue them and defeated the knight and his rebel soldiers. Nevertheless, he allowed my Queen to escape. She died in a convent in France several months later. My King grieved for her and lost his ability to rule with truth. Others took advantage of his weakness and commenced to divide the Kingdom into pieces to fit their pleasure. As the Kings' pledged protectors, we remained loyal until his death. Since that time we have wandered our separate paths in search of answers to save the dream of our King."

He pondered my words as if memorizing the lines I spoke. "My lord, if I may be bold enough to ask, what is this you seek, and how will it save the Kingdom?"

"Before my King died, he called us together and told us he knew his time was over. A great magician, who had been with him almost all of his life, had come to him and informed him to prepare for his end. The great magic man told him his love had failed the Kingdom , and now it would be restored by another who would hold the honor of the dream above all things in this world. The Kingdom was to be a pure reflection of the heart of God himself. It would be a place of peace and joy in which a people had respect for each other as though God himself lived in them. The one who would fulfill that which my King had not accomplished lived in the land of England. It was our duty to find this person and bring them to the throne to rule. We all left on the day our King died and went into all parts of the land searching. Soon after we left, his honor, Duke Prindle, acceded to the throne. Upon hearing of our quest, he sent our warriors in secrete to persuade us from our search, for he feared the old magician would cause betrayal to his reign. He ordered the troops to persuade us to stop our search or, if we refuse, then kill us. Last I was able to find out, two of us remain, Sir Thomas and myself. All others died at the hands of Duke Prindle's army. I have wandered for many months in search, but I fear it may all be a lost cause, as I have found nothing to support this quest."

"Therefore," he replied", your quest brought you to our woods and stream. Weary of your pursuit, you rested here and been discovered by your humble servant."

"That is the tale I bring to you, Troy, humble servant with strong arms." I answered, "And now to your part".

"This forest in which you rest belongs to Lady Fleur. Her father held the land and before his father and before his father and before ... I imagine his father, but I cannot say as I ever thought back that far. My people settled here long ago and have worked in the field and forest as good friends of the Lord of the land. A great sickness came upon my people some time ago, and we lost all but a handful. I am the second generation after the sickness, and we continue to recover from our loss. While we are small of stature, we have learned from the ancients the art of arm fighting. I am able to throw men five times my weight, and my brother Jerrod once threw a large bull that attacked him. While we are a peaceful people, we fear little that comes toward us."

I definitely found myself is awe of this little man, for he spoke with confidence that would preclude even our bravest knights from bringing challenges. "Tell me of your Lady, and what she brings to these woods you seek to guard".

Lady Fleur is our protector. She is the light that shines in our heart even in the darkest moments. Her mother was from another land, and our Lord brought Lady Fleur here after her mother died. As she grew, it was obvious she had a love and kindness able to win the heart of even the wicked in the land. Upon her father's death, she accepted full responsibility, and has given us great peace and prosperity. She has been kind to our people, and she has given some of us a position of great honor by making us keepers of the night. Our task is to guard the land within the shadows and keep watch in the night. No intruder slips by us, for we see all in the dark. It was my duty to find out about you and your particular purpose in order to tell my Lady. In this, I have succeeded, now I must report.

"It appears you were captured in your seeking, friend Troy. I did find you as you sought to hide from me."

He pondered this for a moment and replied, "Perhaps this is true, perhaps not. Cast your eyes on the trees behind you and tell me what you see."

Behind me was a group of trees, which appeared similar to all the others. "I perceive nothing different in this group as in any..." Returning my eyes to his position, I found it vacant. In the moment I looked away, he had transferred himself into the air and I had not heard a noise or sensed any movement. He had vanished from sight.

Sitting in that shade covered spot in the mystical woods, I began to believe it was not I who captured Troy, but he who had apprehended me.

