Chapter 4

In what seemed like an 'blink of an eye', he was seated on a stone bench, within a dark cave, waiting. There was no sound, no feeling, no sense of time or temperature, just hearing his own thoughts.

Then he saw visual images and heard things in his mind, someone was communicating with him!

Medicos around the world tell us that what we perceive to be an OBE(Out-of body experience) is caused by certain chemicals our body and mind produce when under certain pressures and emotions. So the golden thread, the mind thoughts, the looking down, etc. all were just a figment of James' imagination. It could not be real.

What was a bit strange regarding this event was that it was not past events and images that he saw, but what seemed to be future occurrences.

Some might call it prophecy, others a vision, fortune or a premonition, but they all seemed to deal with decisions dealing with keeping the book or not

What he saw was very revealing.

Each view was like that of a TV screen going on and off or a door/window opening and closing.

Each was neither all good or all evil, each seemed to retain elements of both, and they were all different aspects.

Nothing was familiar. In some views he was alone, holding, no clutching the book like a mad man possessed. In others, he was holding it up, pointing out pages or a section of a page like a teacher might.

In some, a dark figure lay behind the scene, in others the shape of a girl or woman was evident. One though, contained that of a beast. The beast was eating his leg and James had his eyes closed as if he were dreaming.

At one particular scene, James bolted up and tried to reach out and grab hold. In his mind, he thought out. "That's it ... I..." Then everything began to fade and he was descending back into his body. A voice in his head was saying, "You must choose, only you can decide."

On the ground, both Shelly and the 'Old Lady' were holding James' head and hand. The 'Old Lady' asked Shelly, "Girl, what have you told him? Either about the book, yourself or me?"

"I have said nothing. It is not my place to tell my Master anything."

"Girl, he is not yet 'The Master', the Book may have chosen him, but he has not yet decided to keep it.'

"I will serve him no matter if he keeps the Book or not. It has been so deemed that I serve his needs so shall it be, and you, Hag, may not interfere or suffer the consequence. He is to be my Master until death parts us."

James was starting to return to his body.

"Now, be quiet 'Old Woman' or I shall be rid of you for now and all eternity. The choice must be his and his alone, you have no right to attempt to influence that, nor have I."

"What! What happened to me? Where is the Book?"

You grew weak! You fell! The Book is still in your hand Master!"

"When you regain yourself, the 'Old Woman' says she will try to answer your questions as best she can about the Book."

"Let her begin with a story while you regain your strength, Master.

The Hag(Old Lady) begins... "When I was a very young girl, one of the Books Of Ptolemy was given to me. There were many, each dealing with a certain subject, aspect or theme. Mine was one of seven with respect to Astrology. It was given to be by an Oracle, an 'Oracle of Delphi'(Still today those secrets remain guarded by the Knights of Pythia, much like the Freemasons, guard the secrets of the Knights Templar).

It was never explained to me what the differences were or who had the other six. It was always meant that they were to be unique and that they never were to be brought together.

In all the disciplines, there were twenty-seven unique books. It was said there was one other, the twenty-eighth that held the keys to the others, and with them all together could form into one which could unlock the Knowledge of the Ancients.

Unless my feeble mind deceives me, you hold in your hand that twenty-eighth book. It is said that within it's pages lie insertions handwritten by, by ... I cannot say it. I cannot say more, it is not my place. I will tell you that you must choose to keep it or leave it be for another."

Shelly took my hand. "We will return again when my Master has rested. You will see to it that all is prepared for our return, Hag!"

"Yes Mistress, I hear and Obey!"

We left to return home. This was not the little girl I had left with. She had changed. But how? Why?

How were pieces of parchment, almost 2,000 years old, capable of changing my, no, our lives, all of our lives, for it would have an effect on the "Old Lady' also.