Chapter 20

Lord Salban watched as the countries of Europe galvanized into a supportive unit to stand against his armies. Countries that had been enemies for centuries made non-aggression treaties and differences were set-aside until the looming threat from Salbanian Empire could be neutralized. The ability of the previously bitter enemies to compromise and assimilate into an organized resistance fascinated Salban. It was against his understanding of human nature and he wondered if he had underestimated the human capacity to survive.

Persecution outside the Empire of the supporters of Salbanism; grew at an alarming rate. The mere mention of the Empire was grounds for arrest and imprisonment. Those who openly supported the Salbanian religion were beaten and sometimes killed by angry mobs. The police refused to prosecute these crimes and over time the practice became common and accepted. Salbanian refugees from non-aligned countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East poured into the Empire causing food shortages and drained the economic resources of the enslaved Americas.

The jihad needed to move across the Pacific and Atlantic, but the prospect of accomplishing this was growing dimmer daily. In Europe and Asia Salban would be facing countries both willing and able to use atomic weapons. The greatest surprise was the Muslims' willingness to join forces with Christians and Buddhists to oppose their common enemy. In Asia he faced an alliance of Pakistan, India, China, and Japan supplying money and weapons the smaller countries offering foot soldiers. This created a formidable army with atomic power. In Europe Britain, Russia, France, Spain, and Germany marshaled an army of massive power and manpower that were ready to fight for their survival and freedom. It would be unlikely that the Salbanian Empire could crush the forces allied against it.

Bobby was missing and Salban could not locate his presence in time-space. It was like a protecting cloak had hidden him from his supernatural abilities. This angered Salban because he knew that only another Malinarri could accomplish this feat. Some power was interfering with his world. He still had the power to crush this human manifestation of military might, but if there was another Malinarri involved then the balance of power had changed and he would lose. He had to find who was aligned against him. He would attack with all the power and fury he possessed. This action should draw his adversary out into the open where he could be identified and beaten.

Bobby was a psychological wreck. The violence and bloodshed that epitomized the worship of Salban was a complete waste of human life. The virgin sacrifices were growing in number and the blood weighed heavily on his mind. He had become a monster of Biblical proportions serving a god without mercy or moral direction. Somewhere there must be a controlling power that could undo the darkness he unwittingly released on the world. His mind kept taking him back to the beginning at Circle Rock Academy. The friends that he sometimes remembered were long gone and his association with Salban had precluded making any new ones. He remembered the girls who gave themselves to him in their innocence because they liked him and not out of fear. Where did time take them he wondered? The answer must be back there at the beginning. That's where he would look for redemption if it was available he would find it.

The vacation was an avenue of escape for Bobby and Rachel. He had three weeks to find a place to hide and if they failed they would die at the hands of Salban's unforgiving wrath. He and Rachel discussed their possible options and decided that death was better than continuing as they were. What had started as a wonderful dream had developed into a twisted nightmare that threatened to exterminate mankind. This was Bobby's last chance to redeem his self-respect and if he was unsuccessful his name would be added to the tyrants in history on the lists of infamy.

Circle Rock remained unchanged with the great gray monoliths of stone standing as permanent monuments to the abilities of the ancients who built them. Shortly after meeting John Salban the visions and dreams he received on a regular basis from Estragon ceased. Bobby felt he had lost his connection with the beings he worshipped but the Lord Salban replaced them with his own cult rituals.

Last night a vision from Estragon once again invaded his sleep and he was taken on a journey through time to Salban's last reign of terror on Earth. That era in history was bad and bloody but affected far fewer people. What was happening today would chill even the coldest hearted person. He was shown Circle Rock and a cave located nearby hidden behind a large boulder and surrounded by thick brush. The answer to his quest was in that cave behind a long forgotten door made to look like the rock walls of the cave. Bobby was relieved to have received the vision; maybe he wasn't beyond help after all.

Bobby walked among the great stones. He remembered the bloody sacrifices that had taken place in this very circle and the beautiful women who lost their lives to appease the evil Lord Salban. Once again his own guilt boiled in his stomach until the bile burned his throat. Rachel took his hand when he found the cave in his dream and they squeezed through the slender opening behind the protecting boulder. The cold air from the cave felt good on the hot July afternoon. The end of his search was nearing, he could feel the presence of someone or something nearby and it was a comforting feeling.

The door proved difficult to find in the dark cavern. He and Rachel packed hurriedly and they gave no thought to needing a flashlight. After hours of fruitless searching, they were about to give up for the day when Rachel leaned against the wall of the cave and it move slightly. She pushed harder and slowly the door opened revealing the entrance to the Cave of the Ages. The inside of the massive chamber was ornate with carved statues of men and women and Corinthian columns reaching from floor to ceiling of polished marble. Swords of hardened steel with elegant gold inlay decorated the walls under shields that represent the family crests of long forgotten tribes. The room was rectangular in shape with a central aisle of elaborate design.

There was a large door at the opposite end of the room. Rachel and Bobby walked down the corridor and admired a mural that depicted a history of some sort. Three individuals were prominent in each scene and the one dressed in blue was easily recognized as the Lord Salban. The other two, one in red and one in yellow were unfamiliar to Bobby but all three seemed happy and contented as myriads of people worshipped at their feet. Closer to the doors the mural became more disturbing and chronicled a war or feud between the three godlike figures. In the final scene Salban stood alone amid the carnage and destruction of a great battle. His face was defiant and stern and the people were fleeing his presence in object terror. This picture caused Bobby to gasp; he had witnessed similar events in the vision during the night. Now more than ever, he knew Salban had to be destroyed, and soon if the human race was to survive.

Curiosity forced Bobby and Rachel to try the doors and surprisingly they pulled easily open. They stepped into a well lit room furnished with several plush chairs and a sofa. Standing in the middle of the room was an old man in a long white robe.

Bobby recognized Estragon immediately by sight but his voice was even more familiar when he spoke. "Come in children, we have a lot to talk about." The door closed behind them and locked with a click.

Bobby whirled around at the sound but he was too late to stop it from closing. "Are we prisoners here?" He asked.

"Your presence is shielded from Salban in this room and I closed the door to keep you safely hidden." Estragon walked to a chair and sat down. "I have no need to keep you imprisoned. You may leave anytime you wish."

Bobby looked at Estragon closely. "You're the guy from my dreams and visions. I thought you were a part of my imagination; at least Lord Salban said you were. Can you help us out of this mess I started?" Bobby reached out to touch Estragon and was startled when his hand passed through the hologram. "I'm a computer generated hologram. That's why I always visited you in your dreams. I can only project my image a few hundred feet from the Node

"Bobby, you didn't start this mess. Salban did several millennia ago. However the two of you can help end it. The Makers won't interfere with the history of Earth until the population desires it. You and Rachel will be staying with me for a while and learning some skills and information that will help you when you return to your homes." Estragon waited quietly while they considered what he said.