We were off by 7am and tried to start the Goldwing. The battery was quickly killed before we could get it to start. I think that the fuel mix that we had used has done damage to the engine. Perhaps it was time for a little walking. It did give us much more chance to talk and think about the pilgrimage, and the events that had taken place.
We set off from Fairfield and walked about two hours when we found the walking man. I call him that because like us he was just walking along; well actually, he was standing when we came upon him. He was about 35, I guess, my age. His long flowing hair and beard fit seemed to him well. He was dressed like he had made a recent visit to Cabela’s and picked up a white cammo coverall and wore a white blanket draped over his shoulder.
“Good morning to you, sir”, I offered.
“Yes, yes it is, a blessed day” He answered.
“Where is your path leading you today?”
“I am just walking, I have no where I need be. May I walk with you for a bit?” He responded.
“Of course, I am Matt, this is Tanya”
“Ah, then I think you are the ones I am supposed to meet.”
I was a little surprised by that. “Oh?”
“Yes, I had a vision, that there would be two pilgrims that I would meet, and I should walk with them for two days, and then they would move on.”
“Okay”, it seemed strange to me, but perhaps there was a special meaning to this meeting and it is Your will, my Lord.
“So let us move along, I know we have miles to cover before the end of the day.” He said.
“Yes, it seems your vision has told you about us, and we still know nothing of you.”
“True, fair enough, I am, ah, Chris.”
The way he said it I was not sure that it was his real name, but it worked for now. I never felt frightened or concerned about this man. He was just there, and he just radiated a level of peace and comfort. Had it been another person, I might have been on edge. It made no sense, but I just felt good in his presence.
As we walked, we talked about things, we told him of our pilgrimage, our wandering off for 40 days to find more about God and where we should be in His grace. I explained that I felt that even though we had missed giving a service for our group, being Easter morning that it was His will that we travelled as we did.
Chris did not say much as he listened to our story and to our tales of survival as we had made it through the last year. It was kind of good to put all that out there, in words, to someone who was other than our group. It helped me clarify many thoughts and in some cases doubts in my mind about our actions.
“I have been watching the events as they unfolded, and the results of plague that has cursed you, us, it has hurt me to see how man has reacted to all of this, and yet groups like yours have inspired me. There is still goodness.” He said.
“Thank you, we have tried”, I was a little confused by his ‘watching us’.
“You have done well, others I have run into at times have tried to kill me, or enslave me, yet you walk beside me.”
In the back of my mind I am beginning to wonder about this guy, he has been out here for a while and perhaps he has lost it. This is not your normal person wandering in the woods. Yet, as I said, I am fine in his presence.
We found a little gas station just before the Dogleville, on Route 29. Much to our surprise, there were actually some canned goods still in the store. A couple of cans of Beef-a-Roni had fallen from the shelves, we found them. Perhaps it was foolish, but we had a warm meal that night after building a small fire to heat them up. Just before we dug in, I stopped.
“My Lord, thank you for this meal, this warm meal we are about to eat. And thank you for our companion and his company, Amen.”
Chris smiled and joined us in “Amen”.
(Lance) Feeling better, less sore and stiff. I am thinking that a day or two more and I will be back to feeling good. Del helped a little last night giving me a sort of massage.
I talked to the Major today and we are putting together some information to share with The Three about the radiation thing and what we need to consider in the next couple of weeks. We need to get food planted soon if we are planning to stay, or get on the road to try to get somewhere where we can have a growing season of some kind.
Another nice day, it is again sunny and warm, the trees are really starting to bloom and very soon we will have leaf cover again. I love this time of year. Code and I did a little looking around the lake for anything unusual but found nothing strange.
While we were on the far side of the lake we found Ron, Fred and Stephen all working on the airplanes and helo. We stopped and talked to them a little. They seem to think that they have enough fuel, usable fuel to do some flying, the planes not so much, but the helo was good with the kerosene, that does not appear to spoil as much with age. The gas for the planes, I was told was another issue.
April 21st
(Lance) I can move! I feel good, the stiffness is gone, and I can move. I actually was almost able to last 2 miles before I had to fall behind the rest of the group. Well, actually Chelsea and Taylor and I ran together, slowly falling behind, Del stayed with us, but we were better, much better.
She went light on me with defensive arts training. I am starting to understand the principles behind it and in doing so getting more effective in my movements. Nick came out and spent some time with us at sword drills this morning. I had never realized that he was as agile and quick as he was. His movements are so fluid, and smooth. He showed me, actually both of us a couple of moves that seemed awkward at first, but once we practiced, very easy and effective.
I was thinking more about that radiation issue. I think that we really need to make contact with either the Pittsburgh or with one of the Sat-Comm links and try to get some ideas and information on the whole power plant thing. They may be able to give us some ideas as to the exact nature of the radiation or what direction we can go in to escape the threat.
Code and I spent some time in the afternoon trying to make contact, but we had no luck. I am trying to put some numbers together for the Major based upon what we have so far. It would be a lot easier if we had the Internet because then I could see what types of radiation we are experiencing and what types we need to really be worried about. I mean I know that the gamma and x-ray radiations are real bad, but the alpha type is something else.
(Margo) I woke up in the middle of the night; Code was over in the boy’s dorm so I had the place to myself. I think Lucy woke me up because she usually sleeps by the door and I heard her moving around.
It was a fairly warm night so I took a little walk outside for a bit, just to look at the stars. As I did, I saw there were those distant lights off to the west, the moving ones. It was the Hunters. They are still out there, but a long way off. I am going to tell The Three about it, but I think that we are okay.
It was another awesome day with sunshine and the warmth. Not much else to report. Code and Lance are busy trying to do something with the satellite thingy, boys and their toys.
Del and I talked for a while, she is doing better, and she says that she and E are getting on well. I have to stop calling him that, E, he is Lance now, I think it will be easier when he doesn’t have the black hair thing going anymore.
I did a sketch of Lance, a side by side, the old Captain Emo and the new Lance. It was kind of cool.
(Matt) We were up early and walking before 8 am. As we moved along, Chris talked about himself for a bit. He told us of some of his adventures on the road. He has been like us in some ways, although he was more an itinerant, not really with a group. But he had tried to spread a message and word of how the world should be now to those he met on the road.
He told us “I have been to Fort Stanwix and there I had been captured, and imprisoned. The folks, I call them, the early Romans were once decent and kind people, but then a small group of soldiers came in. They took over the fort and it was not good. They raped, killed and just ran wild.”
Chris said “They would take those who did not fit into their plans, or angered them, or in some cases just have a random lottery in which the person selected was killed or tortured in horrible ways.”
“I think we saw the results of that, they tied someone to a tether and let the Changed, undead come after him.” Tanya told him. “They were going to kill him, and let him turn.”
There was silence for a few moments as that scene sank in, as well being re-lived by Tanya and me.
“I was not there long but I had heard of that being done. Usually they were a little less extreme in their killings; whoever it was that had been staked out was someone they really were upset with.”
“We shot him” I whispered.
“What?”
“I shot him, I killed him, I couldn’t let him go through being torn to pieces, and then being turned.”
“Wow, that must have been hard for you.” Chris said with amazement, yet there was no condemnation in his voice, but rather, empathy, and sorrow.
“It was, but we couldn’t let him just…..”
“Your action was a kindness.”
“But we, I was not so kind also, I took a shot at the leader of the soldiers.” I added.
“Ah, and you are having difficulty over that.”
“I tried to murder, the guy staked out was killed, because it was a kindness to him, but I tried to murder the soldier, there is a difference!”
“hmm, let’s think about that, the weight of the attempt…., did you kill him by the way?” Chris asked.
“Huh? ah, I am not sure. But does it matter? I tried to murder him.”
“Well, sort of, but were you trying to kill him or were you trying to stop an evil? What was your intention?”
‘He was evil, and he was causing the death of another. Although I did not think of it at the time, he probably had done this to others. But mostly I saw this monster that had to be stopped.” I said.
“I see, so why is it that you are disturbed by your actions?”
“I feel that I fell away from the word of my Lord, that I have broken His Commandments, the one that says ‘Thou shall not murder’.”
“Okay, but your intentions, were they just? Were they noble? Were they right?”
“I” then I stopped and looked at him, I understood, that it was the intention that was important, not the act. We are not perfect, and we are going to do things that are outside the exact code, but that it is what is in our heart that is important.
“But I was angry!” I said glaring at Chris.
“Of course you were, who won’t be, this guy made people do evil, he made people suffer. Your actions were to the good of men, and to stop one evil man to continue to exist. The Father understands that, and forgives.”
That was really the end of the discourse and as I thought about it, I did see and understand. I was quiet for a while as we walked. Chris and Tanya talked a little as they walked along.
We found a place to spend the night in a school building on the east end of Oppenheim. It was clear, and empty. Again, we made no contact with anyone during the day, living, or reanimated.
I wonder about Chris, his point of view, his ways and mannerisms, he was so at peace and gentle.
April 22nd
(Margo) We started off a little later than usual this morning, around 8 am. I am not sure why, well actually, it was a rainy, crappy day and I think none of The Three of us were looking forward to a trudge in the foul weather. Much of the first part of the morning we walked along in silence.
“You two have come a long way, and discovered a lot of stuff about yourselves and about the Word. I think that the Big Guy would be pleased”, stated Chris with a smile.
I gave him a sidelong glance and thought to myself, “The Big Guy?”
“Well, we have, and I am not sure I could call him the “Big Guy” as much as the Big Concept”, said Tanya.
“In what way?” posed Chris.
“Well, while we have been walking and riding about we have met people, some more strange than others, some more evil than others. But we have all somehow survived the events. And in all that time there has been very little talk of God, or religion with them. But we have seen a code of ethics in many of those we have dealt with”, started Tanya.
“I see”.
I added, “And we have seen some of the known facts that had been the basis of our belief system shared by other belief systems. There is a commonality to most of them in terms of certain acts or ideals, like generosity, caring, helping, compassion. It is almost as if there is a common thread through both man and the religious tenets.”
Chris thought for a moment, and then said, “So are you saying that God does not exist and all of this is a creation of man?”
“No, not at all, what I think is that so many have come to the idea that God is this creature, this mystical being that has lived forever, and that may be the problem, or part of it.”
“In what way?” asked Chris thoughtfully
“Well, why are there so many manifestations of God? Why are there so many different images? Each one seems to adapt to the locale, Hindu Gods are based in Elephants, for example. Egyptian Gods were based in jackals and hawks. Christian Gods were human in form, and Native American Gods were depicted in a different manner. Yet they all seem to have certain threads, similarities. Doesn’t that strike you as strange? You, for example fit the image that I would believe to be Jesus.”
Tanya gave me a funny sidelong look at that comment.
“Interesting point, but you might consider that many of the gods are related to the sun (light) and the moon (darkness)or elemental factors of earth, wind, fire and water”, added Chris.
Tanya looked at him and quietly said, ”What if the manifestations are wrong, what if God is really the thread of survival, of something that has tied man together for as long as man has been around and that the entire concept of religion is just a means to educate people on how to most effectively survive. Think about it, the Jewish people and well the Islam don’t eat pork, why is that? Maybe, just maybe, it is the all about survival.”
“Then why do you pray to the Lord?” asked Chris.
Silence, we have painted ourselves into the proverbial corner. On the one hand we seem to be saying there is no God in the sense of a being, yet we are conceding that there is a “God” in an inanimate form. Either seems to control our existence.
“Well, let’s take a break here and have lunch,” suggested Chris, “Today, it is on me.”
He produced several tins of canned sardines and some cans of B&M brown bread.
As we ate, Chris looked at us and finally said, “Let me run something by you here, and it may help get you out of the corner. Why can’t both scenarios exist, in unison?”
Tanya looked at him questioningly, “I don’t understand.”
“Okay, we see that God is perceived by humanity in a number of different ways, and much of the perception depends on where man is based.”
“True enough” I said.
“Now” Chris continued, “Have you or anyone you know ever seen God?”
“No”
“But you believe in Him, in the Lord.”
“Yes”
“Why?”
“Because I..”
Before I could answer Chris said, “That is a rhetorical question. And one that I want you both to think about before you answer.”
We walked on for the rest of the day, mostly in silence, I couldn’t speak for Tanya but I was deep in thought, why, why do I believe?
We reached Garoga as night was setting in. There was a little auto shop, C&C Auto Works. We camped there for the night. They had a little wood stove so we got to dry out and warm up after the damp day. We talked, but it was not about God or the Lord, or much of anything serious. Chris seemed quiet tonight, yet there was a look of satisfaction on his face. I think he really enjoyed getting us thinking.
(Margo) Code spent the night, and at about 3 am we got up
and looked at the sky, we did not get a long look because as we, did the clouds started to roll in, we were in for rain. Looks like an indoor day.
We got back up for breakfast and then did a little run. It was a warm shower for the girl’s day so life is good.
Not much else to report.
(Lance) Code and I tried to get through to someone, anyone on the Sat-Comm again today, nothing. I know we’re not alone, it could be anything, we may be off a little in hitting the satellite, the Pittsburgh may be deep under water, weather, who knows.
I would like to make a run into either Hinsdale or Pittsfield and visit their libraries. I am thinking that we could get some info on power plants and radiation. It might be helpful in making our plans for the future.
I was watching a movie with the gang last night and had an idea; if we have to move, how we might be able to set up something that would be more effective against the radiation and also more heat effective. Tom had played with an idea back before he left, and this is kind of akin to it. But let’s get some books on radiation first.
April 23rd
(Margo) Breakfast this morning was interesting, Lance wants to go to the library, he was thinking about a visit to Pittsfield or Hinsdale to try to get some books on radiation and nuclear stuff. He would not say why specifically but how bright do you have to be to figure it has something to do with the radiation levels we have been tracking over the last year or so.
“Okay, I can see making the run, and I am in. But do you think a mall is going to have what you want?” asked Del.
“Pittsfield has to have a college or trade school, maybe that would be a better place to look.” added Code.
Out came the maps and we found Berkshire Community College on the west side of the city, just a straight shot up West Street.
“Good idea guys, can we go?” asked Lance, “I’ll clear it with the Major and The Three.”
“One for all and all for one”, smiled Code.
The plan was approved and we are going to head out in the morning, assuming the weather is good, and there is no reason to expect anything that would prevent the trip.
The Event Trilogy (Book 2): The Gospel According to Matthew, Margo & Lance Page 13
