Tree of Life

Book II Chapter 10

It was fully night now, here in the city of the Tree. Lights were hung here, there and everywhere and made it seem the entire city was awash in a sea of stars, like the village had been built in the heavens in the first place. Men and women hurried along and were bustling about, attending to their many and varied tasks. Some women were gathered by the edge of the river, pouring out ground up leaves into the water. There were children about the city too, and some of these waved hello from their houses on the platform, though others were shy on seeing the strangers and went to turn and hide within the folds of their mother’s dresses. Nicole smiled and tried to wave back to the children.

Julian touched her arm. “Nicole, over here.” He pointed to the base of the great Tree itself. Someone was waiting for them. A young man, no more than fifteen or sixteen. And he was waving. “You see? You see him waving? He’s…” Julian froze. “Oh, no…”

“Huh?” Nicole stopped. She glanced around. All the others in her little party had stopped too.

Julian’s hand went to his mouth. “What is this?”

The group rushed off as one to the base of the Tree.

Nicole stared and tried to make sense of what they had seen but she couldn’t. She raced off after them.

At the foot of the Tree, she stopped. The men in the group and Julian were huddled around the young man and chattering away at him, touching him on the shoulder, holding his hand.

“My lord, what is it?” “Are you all right?” “What happened?” “How did this happen?”

The only one who didn’t appear surprised was Willibald. He stood off to one side of the group, silent. Nicole thought he might have been crying but she could not be sure.

The young man held up his hands. The group stopped talking. He brushed aside the men to make way and approached Nicole. She nodded to him hello, as he took her hand and cradled it in both of his. She was just a little taller than he was. He looked up into her eyes.

“Welcome.” He smiled. He measured her up and down. His eyes seemed to linger around her neck for a moment, but then he regarded her eyes once more. “I knew you would come.”

Nicole returned the smile. She fingered her necklace.

For the life of her, Nicole could not see what the others had been so upset about. Here was the finest specimen of young, unadulterated boyhood she had ever seen in her lifetime and probably ten other lifetimes as well. He was thin and lithe. Graceful. His skin was pure and without blemish and glowed with health and vitality. He was the Tree of Life all right, the same Tree that she had seen those many years ago, the same one who had spoken to them and saved them and helped Julian cure his father from his terrible illness of the mind. Though of course, back then, the Tree had looked to be about three years old and now he appeared to be fifteen or so. But still in excellent form.

“Please.” He indicated behind him. “Let us sit.”

Still holding her hand, the young man led Nicole and the others back to the base of the Tree. He lifted his other hand and made a gesture with it toward the ground.

Out of the grassy earth, vines appeared. They grew and grew longer and then began entwining with and among themselves until they formed a flat, bench-like slab, about ten feet long by four.

The young man led Nicole over to it and had her sit down. The vines proved strong, springy and surprisingly comfortable. The young man sat down too. The others sat around them on the grass.

“Joseph…” Julian couldn’t wait.

“Joseph?” Nicole smiled. She turned to regard the young man beside her.