Chapter 6
Creating Answers
Seeing Sarah so distraught and his cat’s obvious rejection troubled Seymore. He quietly and sincerely apologized to Sarah, stroked Fred’s back, which he bristled, and went into the library. He idly fondled the old ivory chess pieces on the game table and continued to be forlorn. He was in a depressing quandary and realized he was feeling burdened by his unfamiliar emotions in addition to the general situation.
The flower-speckled green meadow stretched out from the front of the cottage and he decided that a good walk might bring him back to center. At least it would be pleasant to stroll down the pretty lane and maybe clear his head. He opened the handsome double doors and walked out toward the top of the lane leaving the doors open to the warm light and to catch the gentle breeze. It really was lovely and he took real pleasure in knowing it was his creation. It seemed bigger and the colors more intense than when he had first projected it. Was it possible that it continued to expand and develop? Intriguing thought.
The lane led toward the sea and when he could hear the waves on the beach he stopped and looked back at his cottage and the luminous glass dome. It was soothing to hear the water rush to shore and back again and have a good view of the cottage with its thatched roof (he didn’t remember making that) and window boxes of flowers (he didn’t remember making those either) surrounded by the soft light. The dome seemed very technical by comparison to the cottage, though beautiful in its own way. It was all definitely his creation but better than he remembered. Somehow it had improved without his notice or any effort on his part. He found that odd but not odd enough to distract him from his immediate concerns.
Seymore decided that he would just sit quietly on a big boulder at the end of the lane where it met the beach and hoped that insight and inspiration would overtake him in some meaningful way. He didn’t have any solid answers and needed some badly.
After Seymore left, Sarah continued to cry and bemoan her situation. The apology Seymore had offered seemed sincere and she didn’t doubt that he had not intended to add to her distress. But she couldn’t help but notice that his own cat was upset with what was going on. Fred still looked cranky.
She pulled herself together and walked out across the library and into the office. Geralty was there, alone this time, sitting at the beautiful table and when he saw her he stood up and flashed her his best I’m-really-glad-to-see-you smile. She smiled back and asked. “Are you OK?”
“I am! You’re not supposed to know about what happened though. ”She told him that Seymore had spilled the beans about his horrific ride in the dome and that she was glad he hadn’t been badly hurt.
She looked around for a place to sit and Mesa instantly materialized a chair for her. She just stared at it and felt limp and was again near tears. Geralty said, “Don’t worry! It’s OK! We just want you to be comfortable. Honest.”
Gingerly she sat in the newly formed seat and Geralty’s reassurance helped her to relax slightly. The cat had followed her and jumped up on the desk (Mesa was so tempted to shoo him off) and she relaxed a little more. She turned to Geralty and asked as normally as possible, “How long he had been here. ”He looked relieved by the change of subject and gladly replied, “Mesa brought me here shortly after they arrived. They came together.” Sarah noticed that Geralty didn’t say where anyone came from and she decided she didn’t need to know that. They both fell silent and Fred began to clean one of his front paws.
Sarah decided to ask her big questions. She tentatively leaned on the desk and looked squarely at Geralty and with the confidence she had left asked, “How are you able to turn into an elf or a boy?” and before he could reply quickly added, “Where’s Mesa? Why isn’t she here?” Geralty looked down at the table and continued to stare at it until Sarah started to fidget.
Without looking up he said, “I don’t know how I can create new images. I’ve been able to do it every since Mesa brought me here (he again was careful to not say from where).Mesa’s here. She’s the table you’re leaning on. ”Sarah jumped up and moved toward the door. Geralty looked crestfallen and Fred shifted so he could clean his other front paw. As she turned to look back Mesa quickly threw a portion of herself to form the lovely winged young woman. Sarah was stunned as she watched the beautiful fairy reach out and rub one of Fred’s ears. He agreeably moved his head to make it easier for her to fondle the other ear as well.
This Mesa had beautiful sea green eyes and she trained them on Sarah as she motioned for her to sit down again. When Sarah was as comfortable as she could be given the situation, Mesa offered, “There were some things you probably should know.” Sarah hesitantly nodded in agreement and glanced in the direction of the door to be sure she could make a quick, clean getaway. She obviously had her doubts about just how much more knowing she could handle.
Mesa sat next to Sarah and carefully took her hand and began to massage it almost exactly as the doctor had done in the hospital just before she bolted out of her body and was whisked away. It was such a tender gesture that Sarah began to quietly cry. Mesa took Sarah in her arms and wrapped her lovely wings around her, motioned to Geralty to leave, and did her utmost to comfort the scared and confused young woman.
And why wouldn’t she be scared and confused, thought Mesa? She has left The Rim on a big bright light, landed at a place she didn’t know where, and was keeping company with personalities that were not human and could make and remake their images to suit the occasion. At times, it was quite unsettling to Mesa as well even though she was a willing, even eager, participant. When she signed up she did not expect half of what had happened and could not really adequately explain much of the rest. And now she was faced with making things clearer for Sarah without creating more anxiety.
As Sarah began to regain some of her composure, Mesa told her, “You can ask anything you want. You are entitled to good answers. I think you are very brave. You have weathered lots uncertainty but have kept your intelligence and good will through thick and thin. You have lots to be proud of and we all hold you in very high regard. You are a precious treasure to us and we are glad you are here to share this new creation we are working on. We thank you very much. We will do everything it takes to get your home safely so you can continue with your life at The Rim. Count on it.”
Sarah gave Mesa a look of pure gratitude and thanked her. Mesa had no idea just how much Sarah was counting on what Mesa had just told her. But she was not sure exactly what to ask. She glanced out at the dome and the first question became obvious.
“What is that white light and how did it capture me?” Sarah asked.
Mesa easily explained, “It’s a collection of particles and energy that people at your earth create, usually because they are in deep distress from injuries or illness, as a way of escaping from their lives in their bodies. They are amazing structures and are only made by your species. We don’t know how it’s done. We wish we did so that we could be more helpful. Your earth is haven to the most gifted creators in all of Everything and what you and your companions at The Rim, as we call earth, do with dazzling ease is mysterious to us. It is the only source we have for original creation. We are all in service to The Rim and everything we have and do is generated from the incredible creativity that occurs in your environment. ”Mesa paused and gazed at Sarah, who she saw was taking in every word and nuance. Then she continued.
“The light you came in on is one of many that have been created. The ability to form one of these lights is a new form of creation. The lights have been getting stronger, larger and more focused and have reached planes and platforms that are related to the origins and purposes of the individual who projected the light. There are millions of potential destinations for such directed light. The light makers on board have been met and coaxed to willingly turn back to The Rim riding with the light and no damage done. Once a light creator has return to life at The Rim, the lights dissipate back into the general
atmosphere until called upon again to respond to another distress signal. We don’t understand how that happens, but obviously it does.
“The increase, size and focus in the light tunnels require a new platform that can serve The Rim creator’s needs more effectively. Seymore was commissioned to create a method that would welcome the lights and provide a helpful means of returning the lights and their riders back safely to their original purposes. You are the first to make the trip here and we weren’t ready for your arrival. Seymore is brilliant and had done a great deal, but he hadn’t yet finished creating the means for your safe return, and until you and your light found the dome we didn’t think there was any way for light tunnels to arrive here. Clearly our assumption was wrong. But I’m certain that he is very busy working on figuring out both what happened to bring you here and the means for your return. Does that help?”
Sarah nodded that it did. She then said, “So, Seymore is in charge of everything here?” Mesa nodded that that was so, but knew that Seymore had more help than he knew about. Sarah went on, “How do you know Seymore and how did you and Seymore get here?”
Mesa had a hunch that that would be the next question and she only had part of the answer. The other part was unknown to her presently, and she also wanted to know that herself.
“Sarah, there was no here here when Seymore and I arrived. Seymore used his many talents to create this charming cottage and its lovely environment and even the dome from Units of Energy that were made available to him for just that purpose. It is the same kind of energy that makes the white light but is directed differently.” She purposely omitted any mention of Geralty and fetching him from Mercury Place, no sense in over informing she decided. And Sarah hadn’t really asked about Geralty’s arrival anyway.
Sarah sat quietly thinking and concluded that it was safe here after all and decided to find out more about her white light. Mesa had also decided that finding out about Sarah’s white light was now very important. They exchanged a glance and both smiled.
Mesa offered, ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Sarah responded, “About the white light in the dome?”
“Yes!” Mesa laughingly replied. She went on, “Do you remember when you created the white light?” Mesa was glad to now be asking instead of answering questions.
Sarah smiled and said, “I didn’t create it. It found me. Actually it found me several times. First I saw it in the hall way of the hospital but then it just looked like a big white transparent tube moving down the corridor of the maternity ward. I was out of my body and sitting on a step in the stairwell when it found me. It whooshed me away and inside there was a tiny figure that rocketed by me twice in different directions. After the second pass, I found myself in the stairwell again all alone.”
Sarah paused and Mesa pondered that information. Then Mesa ventured, “So you weren’t in any distress but you could leave you body?”
Sarah told Mesa the story of the wreck, her boyfriend, the baby, the kind doctor and made it clear that she was certainly in great distress. She finished her tale about the trips in the light tunnel and her painful realization that her physical self was possibly beyond repair. She didn’t know the condition of her baby at this moment and couldn’t bring herself to guess. Just thinking about her child brought her back to tears. Mesa immediately saw her distress and tried to comfort her.
Mesa also noticed that emotions were very accessible now at ES360 as she had suspected they would be. She wasn’t sure how that was going to sit with Seymore. She bet that emotions would look like confusion and a burden to him. It harkened back to his own time at The Rim and she wasn’t sure what he would make of the new feelings that seemed to be easily flowing into his Place.
Mesa refocused on Sarah and asked, “Do you remember arriving at the dome?” Sarah said she did, both times. Mesa’s surprise was obvious and she asked Sarah to describe both events. Sarah did and Mesa hesitated a few moments to take this new turn into account. She was very curious about how it was that Fred met Sarah in the dome. He had seemed neither uncomfortable nor impressed with the white swirling light. She knew that Fred hadn’t been here from the beginning, but he apparently had some understanding of the light and probably the Units of Energy that escaped both her and Seymore. Geralty had been very attracted to the light as well, but now not so much
Mesa decided to take a risk and said, “Seymore must have been surprised when he heard your whole story.” She had guessed right because Sarah said she wasn’t sure he was surprised as he didn’t seem to be when she told him. Mesa now knew what Seymore knew and she would not have to catch him up. That was a relief
She said to Sarah, “Let’s go find Geralty and Seymore.” As they walked toward the library they both knew that a bond existed between them and that it would help them both in the future. They found Geralty in the library looking at the specimens of insects, a favorite pastime since he arrived, and they could see Seymore walking up the lane along the edge of the meadow. Everything seemed to be in good order and the two young women sat down on the bench at the entry to the cottage to wait for Seymore.
Seymore’s plan to wait for gaining insight and inspiration had worked out well and his perch on the boulder provided both a good view that inspired a spate of clear thinking and had cleared his head nicely. He now had a plan. He still needed to learn more about the white light so he decided that if he couldn’t go into the dome he could carefully examine the exterior. And he was more than sure that Sarah wanted to return to The Rim and would possibly help him find out more about the activity inside the dome.
He slid down off the boulder and walked with a spring in his step up the lane toward the dome and cottage. He didn’t see Sarah or Mesa on the bench as he was focused on the dome. As he neared the top of the lane he veered off toward the dome and made his way through the stubble and grass to walk all the way around it. As he did so he noticed that the speed and density of the light next to the glass changed to form a bright clot which followed him around the edge as if it was some foggy eye or misty antennae keeping track of him. If he moved backward so did the blurry clot. It was rather unnerving to know that the light was not just strong and fast but also observant and probably intelligent. He walked around until he came to the arched walkway he had built, turned around and retraced his steps. He did this three times. The interior observer stayed right with him. At the end of the third trip he looked up at the cottage and saw Mesa, Sarah and Geralty in the big office window watching him. He waved and headed back toward the top of the lane to return to the cottage.
He didn’t have any rock solid answers yet, but he did have more information and that’s almost always a good thing. He was curious about what had transpired among the members of the trio in the window and meant to ask some very pointed questions all around.
He was feeling stronger and more focused, more himself and that too was almost always a good thing.