But she soon awoke and sensing someone near her she opened her eyes and saw a small fragile old woman leaning over her and stroking her head.
“You were groaning in your sleep and evidently something was wrong, which is why I have come to help you,” the woman said, explaining her presence in the hollow.
“And who are you?” asked Natalie.
“I live in the hollow of a different tree. You used to often come to me for help in the past and I heard your cries. But for now sleep, sleep. And I will comb out all the black bindweed that the enemies of light have woven into your hair. Just look how much there is and I've already been combing it for quite a while now. See, there they go flying out like black smoke. When I have freed your head of all these dark tendrils, my dear, you will have the most wonderful allegorical dream about your life. It will begin sadly but when you see the deceit and lies that surround you on the Earth then everything will turn out wonderfully. But now, sleep, sleep.”
The woman continued to stroke Natalie's head as if she were a small child. And Natalie once again fell asleep. And her dream continued where it had left off.
Natalie and Sophia were running out of the institute where they were studying and heading towards the tube along the path that cut through the park. Their route took them past a fortune teller.
“Cross my palm with silver my beauties and I will tell you your fortunes.”
Sophia replied:
“Go away we don’t want anything to do with you.”
And with that she ran away up into the student hostel where she had arranged to meet up with Alexander. Natalie also quickened her step. She also had a meeting under the clock of the institute’s main building. The gypsy woman continued to follow her. Natalie strode up the street towards the institute with the woman close on her tail. She then ran up to Natalie, tore the headscarf from her head and, in an instant, had disappeared.
Natalie was completely bewildered. At that moment a flock of pigeons flew straight towards her. Natalie crumbled up her sandwich for them. One of the pigeons particularly caught her attention. He was the sorriest looking one of the bunch, his wings were all pecked and he looked so piteously at Natalie. She quietly went up to him and took the poor thing into her hands and thus brought him home.
Everyone at home took pity on him, they made a special place for him, gave him food and of course attention. Having eaten and warmed itself the pigeon began to show his true colours, becoming increasingly aggressive and impudent. But for Natalie he was just a normal blue-grey pigeon who would coo and eat out of her hand. Then one night Natalie woke up to find him sitting on her chest. She barely had time to wave him off before he pecked her hard right next to her heart. Natalie was filled with an excruciating pain. The pigeon quickly flew back to its perch and immediately and calmly went back to sleep.
What was that about?” cried Natalie.
“All is well, all is well,” cooed the pigeon.
Soon Natalie forgot all about the event and became more and more attached to the bird.
One day Mama said:
“It’s getting a bit difficult having him in the flat. Why don’t you set him free to live with his own kind?"
No sooner had the words left her lips than the pigeon viciously pecked her and then jumped back on to Natalie’s shoulder and cooed and cooed.
But one day the pigeon pecked Ben right in the eye. Ben’s eye swelled up badly and he cried for a long time.
“Why did you do that?” Natalie asked the bird severely.
The pigeon just obsequiously jumped on to Natalie's hand and presented her with a small fly.
“Oh, aren’t you clever,” said Natalie and began to stroke the pigeon.
“He’ll have Ben’s eye out at this rate,” Mama said sadly.
“But the poor thing has nowhere to live and he’s become so attached to us,” said Natalie looking tenderly at the pigeon.
During this part of the dream, Natalie once again began to moan in her sleep.
"What's the matter with you, my dear, why are you groaning?" asked the old woman who had come to Natalie's aid. From the depths of her sleep Natalie murmured:
“He is torturing me, he’s torturing me. Oh my poor soul! Help me I can’t take it anymore.”
“Be calm my dear, we will sort it all out,” said the woman continuing to stroke Natalie’s hair. “Falcon, oh falcon,” called the woman.
And in an instant a large proud and handsome bird was standing in front of her.
“This young woman has suffered much, she needs our help. That part of her soul which has been stolen from her by taking advantage of her kind and gullible heart needs to be returned!”
The falcon nodded its head and sped away. The falcon was gone for a long while. The woman rang a little bell. In an instant a young man came in.
“Go and see what is happening and where the falcon is?” said the woman reaching her hand out imploringly.
“I have already looked,” said the youth, “he has been battling it out with a whole flock of crows, but he has captured the priceless ray of light, placed it in a drop of water and is already on his way back to us.”
After a little while the sound of flapping wings could be heard at the entrance of the hollow and the magnificent bird of prey dived in. The old woman turned Natalie onto her back and the falcon very carefully placed the priceless drop on that part of her breast where the human soul dwells. The drop flashed like a ray of sunlight and immediately penetrated inside Natalie. The woman gratefully stroked the falcon’s wings and a second later he flew off.
Soon Natalie woke up full of joy and happiness:
“Was there a golden bird here? I dreamed that it was sitting on my chest and everything became so warm.
“Everything will be fine with you my dear. It’s time for me to go; I have other cases and other people to help. I will leave you with this little bell, if you ever need me, ring it, and I will be sure to come."
And with a wave of her hand the woman disappeared.
When Natalie returned to the hall, Sophia was working out how to use the hi-tech computer but on seeing her sister she immediately jumped up and literally threw herself into her arms. The sisters hugged as if they hadn’t seen each other for an eternity. Then the Angel came in along with the young man. Both of them had broad smiles on their faces and looking at, the sisters were evidently very happy for them. Natalie drank a cup of the most wonderfully aromatic tea and the sisters began to take their leave of their kind host.
“Thank you so much," Natalie enthused, "we have both undergone such a fantastic renewal on this wonderful island."
“It’s amazing how well you knew us,” said Sophia looking gratefully at the young man.
“It was said by the ancient prophets long ago that those who put their hope in God have their strength renewed. But for the upcoming mission facing you let me give you one more blessing from the ancients: fight to the death for the truth and God will fight for you.”
When they were back sitting in the starship Sophia asked her sister:
“Which of our favourite saints did that delightful and wonderful young man remind you of?
“All that I can say is that I’m certain that that young man smiles down at your mother every morning – from one of her icons of course!" said the Angel.
The Angel was very glad that the visit to the island had been such a success. Overwhelmed by her emotions Natalie hugged her sister again:
"Of course in the depths of my heart I really wanted my inkling to have come true, but this is all beyond my wildest dreams.”
Sophia laughed:
“Tell me about it! I’m still in shock!”
At a complete loss what to do, Natalie looked at the Angel.
The Angel also smiled:
“Everything that has ever been given as a gift by God finds its way back home."
After a lit
tle while the starship found itself approaching the House of Lives. The house reminded them of a huge transparent drop of water, but the building’s transparent building materials moved in a multitude of planes that were constantly shifting. They thus reflected the light at various angles making the interior of the building invisible.
Natalie and Sophia entered into a huge hall with transparent ceilings and walls. In the middle of the space stood an enormous oval table with a green coloured surface, which looked like malachite shot through with a multitude of veins. However, on closer inspection the veins themselves had silver coloured ends. Buttons of various sizes and colours were positioned along the edge of the table.
To one side of the table sat a middle-aged man with a tidily trimmed beard and a healthy thatch of dark hair that flowed down onto his shoulders. Like the young man on the island, he was simply dressed. His dark coloured garment was set off by his severe white collar.
“That is the Wise Old Man,” Sophia quietly whispered to her sister.
And both of them were at quite a loss in his presence. They of course immediately recognised him from the look in his eyes that were so full of goodness, love and care. The Wise Old Man walked up to the sisters, took their hands and, on to each of their palms, placed a tiny egg shaped stone, which seemed to be lit up from within by a golden light. The sisters were as thrilled as small children by the presents and began to look at the gifts more attentively. Then, like a great magician, the Wise Old Man produced two golden rings and set the stones into
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