EPILOGUE: THE REVELATION
Lilith had been summoned immediately on that day when Boyce was severely injured. Without hesitation she came to the Blue Mansion with Sister Rhonta and together they patched Boyce's critically wounded body.
For a fortnight Lilith stayed by her beloved husband's bedside caring for him and praying to the great and true Living God to spare his life.
Rhonta had spent her time also praying, but her prayers weren't all taken up with requests for Boyce's recovery. Her prayers begged for forgiveness, for feeling close to a man such as Lloyd, and for feeling a deep personal loss with his death.
She prayed for guidance and strength to forget him and soon she only prayed for Boyce to heal and be as he was when he was at Gothal.
All of Pomperaque prayed, as did Gothal and the Northern United
Alignment.
Even Jessuum Benitar, atop his great mountain, kept himself from food and sleep for the fortnight, while he prayed to God that Boyce would recover from the wicked hardship that he had
experienced since his birth.
Then, one morning, Jessuum saw a great white dove glowing brightly as it emerged from the sun, and the beautiful bird was being ridden by a small boy.
The little boy on the dove circled Pomperaque three times and an array of trumpets were heard echoing throughout the land.
Jessuum sighed with relief and threw himself off of the mountain and turned himself into a dove. He circled the great dove, with the boy on its back, and he heard the boy call to him.
"Henceforth, all will be well!"
The dove then soared back to the direction of the sun and disappeared.
That same morning Boyce rose out of bed and woke his loving wife, who was asleep at his feet. They embraced and kissed one another, and Boyce wiped the tears of love from Lilith's eyes with his kisses.
When they settled into each other's arms, and all was truly well, word was sent out of the Blue Mansion to the rest of the northern continent announcing that the sovereign of the entire northern continent was alive.
Gifts of homage and loyal praise were sent from all parts of the continent to the Blue Mansion.
Pomperaque was not the same as it was during the time of Brook, or of the ArchBishop Manguino. As was instructed, Halls was totally destroyed. Not a rock was left standing on Canon's Butte.
The rise that had been known for centuries as the Canon's Butte, looked more like a small, round mountain.
An edict was made to all the citizens of the northern alignment, that from the day of Halls' destruction, no more building would ever be allowed to take place on the rise of land that now was called, 'Lloyd's Hill'.
With the help of his wife Lilith and his trusted friends Empal, Tucker, Harvard Bartlett and Cavander, Boyce began a program of building and social reforms for the entire continent.
Knowledge was made free to everyone who was interested in learning the truths about their past and many citizens did partake of this freedom.
The poor peasant class was taken care of an they all became a new class respected farmers that now loved and enjoyed producing food to feed the multitude.
Many of the unreasonable taxes were abolished and the citizens were permitted to give Boyce's new government whatever they felt they could spare for the governing welfare of the entire land. The people, having the freedom of paying taxes, had allowed the land to grow quickly through their generous contributions to the government.
The entire continent was transformed into a grandeur that was never before heard of, in the history of mankind.
News of this remarkable civilization spread throughout the world, and many before unknown nations, sent ambassadors to Pomperaque to negotiate a union with them.
Knowledge had made quantum leaps and bounds, and ideas and technologies that were once lost were rediscovered and improved upon by a new generation of scientists.
That knowledge that was once use for evil and sinful purposes, was put to use with only good intents.
The most part of planet Earth had become one of universal love and trust. There was no prejudice between the diverse types of people that were the descendants of the survivors of the great world holocaust, and all places became lands of having, rather than have-nots. The world economics was engaged to follow an ancient scriptural term that suggested that it was better to give, than to receive, and the people's prolific giving spread material possessions, as well as necessities, to every single individual. Every living person had that which was needed to survive by being given gifts of it.
Gifting became proper and there soon came to be a life that became happy and alive, rather than miserable and morbid.
One could not tell the difference between the wealthy and the poor since everyone lived modestly, but well.
Even Boyce Loebh Scullion-Blue, living in the Blue Mansion lived modestly, not selfishly keeping the mansion only to himself, but having citizens stay with him for some specified lengths of time, if they so wished.
All was peace. All was love and evil only had control of those few who did not accept the new ways.
Truly, a new age of understanding and cooperation had come to man by man, and their love for the one victor over damnation.
Jessuum Benitar watched the growth of the world and was pleased and excited with the abundance of life and treasure of love an trust.
He went down to Pomperaque because it was his time to speak with Boyce.
He went into the Blue Mansion and found Boyce and his beloved wife Lilith, in the viewing den; watching images on the wall, of the ways life once was like in the world.
They sat and talked for hours and Jessuum gave to Boyce an account of the thousand years that had passed by since man's greatest madness. He told Boyce about his roots and confided to him his own true name and relationship to him.
"I was born Gavin Jones, the son of Hosea Jones and his fourth wife, Ruth." he told Boyce. "You come from the line of Hosea Jones and his fifth wife, Margaret, and their daughter Dioneza (twin sister of her brother Richalé)."
He described to Boyce his intricate line of descent that reached right back into the Twentieth Century through Dioneza's artificial insemination with sperm saved from that age.
Boyce was impressed with his seventh generation great uncle Gavin, called Jessuum.
Jessuum explained to Boyce that he had been alive since Hosea's time and had never aged _ a gift given to him by God, at his birth.
Hours after the story of their relationship, Jessuum finally told him that he was here to tell him of something that would make the earth the envy of all worlds.
"You have done well, my son!" Jessuum told him. "You are good and have fought, not for your own gains, but for the gains of the entire world."
Boyce listened with anticipation and Lilith was amazed, as if she was living through a dream.
"The scriptures have promised that the Son of the true Living God would one day return to establish His kingdom of love and happiness. I am here to tell you that the day of His coming is at hand."
Jessuum stopped for a moment and saw Boyce smile a little and give
Lilith a loving glance.
"What will you do on that day, Boyce?" Jessuum asked him.
"I am not a god and could never be one. I would gladly step down from my rule to submit to
a way of life as promised through Him. I will patiently await Him, and try to rule my people as best as I an able until that day when He comes — then I will rest." promised Boyce.
Jessuum shook hands with Boyce and bowed to him.
"You are surely a king among living men and may God bless you with the strength to deny evil, a single breath!"
Jessuum walked over to the window and transformed himself into a large crow. Glancing back at Boyce he squawked a few times.
"Zoar-caw, Zoar-caw!" his crowing echoed about the room, then he jump from the window, to fly back to his mountain.
Boyce had thought that Zoro had been lost, too. Yet, he was neither with him nor gone far from him. Jessuum's concern had guided him through the most demanding times of his life and now he left him to rule with Lilith, until the Son of Man returned.
Jessuum looked down on Pomperaque, and the world, with tear-filled eyes of happiness and contented fulfilment.
"His truly will be a wiser rule!" Jessuum said to himself then he turned into a great bird of light, ascended into the sky and disappeared.
THE END
SCORCHED EARTH
A Novel Written By: Walter D. Petrovic (c) Copyright January 1980 + April 2004 Committed to MSWord 6, April 1998 Approximately 111,591 Words WALTER D. PETROVIC walter.petovic@3web.net