The Judges Chronicles: The Farmer Upon the Hill by Terdell Lee Johnson - HTML preview

Chapter 24: Alive Again!

Coming to the west gate, Paskalo saw the aftermath of the murder. When he looked, it was hard to tell what was chained to the post, but knowing of the events, he fell to ground bereaved.

"I‘ll kill him," he said, having trouble with the words, "I‘ll kill that otter!"

Without a second thought, Paskalo made his way to the keepers‘ temple. He got through the courtyard without difficulty, and demanded that the two students at the door let him in. The commotion brought Naasson to the door, and upon seeing his old leader, he took a saucy attitude towards him.

"You dare to show you face here." said Naasson.

"I didn‘t come to look at your smug little face. I want to see Reiach, NOW!" Naasson reluctantly left and came back, allowing the greyhound to pass. Reiach was sitting still on a chair, playfully patting the money in the large vase that was filled to the brim. The otter‘s face was devoid of emotion. His wicked deed was eating at his heart, although he was trying his best not to feel anything. When he saw the former judge, a brief moment of shock came over him. Nevertheless, the new judge sat back comfortable in the chair, and pulled out the key from under his cloak.

"Give me the key."

"What key?"

"The key to the brace around his neck, where is it!!?" shouted Paskalo.

Paskalo‘s voice echoed throughout the hall. Reiach sat up in his chair, sucked is teeth, and pulled the key from under his cloak.

"You better lower your tone or you can watch the farmer‘s body dangle until the flies have him. You want to take down his body---then beg for it!"

Paskalo had the mind to choke Reiach to death, but something came over him. It was something that he could not understand. He was calm and bowing his head he asked for the key. Reiach relented by not without belittling the dog further for his foolishness for following the Kleos.

An hour later, Angus arrived at the temple. He was in great distress as well, for he had seen the execution from afar. He had the thirty pieces of silver in hand and pushing his way into the temple, he sought for Reiach.

"TAKE THE MONEY! I DON‘T WANT IT!" said Angus throwing the bag to the ground as the coins spread along the temple's floor, "I DON‘T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT YOU DID?"

"But you are a part of it" said Reiach, " And you played your part very well. What‘s done is done. I have no further use of you, get out!"

Angus was forced out of the temple.  An insurmountable grief began to grow in his heart and because of that the husky dog hung himself.

Before Paskalo returned to the tearing post, he brought an array of linen to wrap Kleos in. The greyhound had trouble walking up to the post, but soon found the courage to touch the blood stain brace. The key shook in his hand as he tried to place the key in hole, but every time he tried the tears would obscure his vision and he frequently wiped his face.

From behind him, Paskalo heard footsteps. When he turned around, he saw the ten standing. The expression on the faces was nothing less than pain. Paskalo with a silent look asked for help and the others came forward to assist him. The body was taken down, wrapped neatly and Aesop carried him all the way to the judges‘ tomb. Along the way, there were a few creatures who stopped to look. It was quite humbling to see eleven Shavronites walking in line, one behind the other, down the road, with a bundle in the arms of the bear.

The judges‘ tomb was an masterpiece of architecture and design. A slope of marble steps led up to a large stone door that was equipped with three seals, each representing the judges calling. The tomb was a massive rotunda. Twelve guards stood tall with sword and shield ready to defend the remains of the past judges with their lives. The eleven brought the bundle forward, one guard held them fast.

"This is the judges‘ tomb, no peasants allowed.

"I have rights here," said Paskalo, coming forward, " I was a judge, pervious leader of the keepers of the book. With that right I have a tomb here---check the records!"

The guard looked over the greyhound and the others. Seeing the bundle in the bear‘s arms, he inquired of them further.

"Is that the one that they killed? Why are you giving him your tomb?"

"I have my reasons, now will you please–"

The guard held up his hand, he demanded the prose that every judge knew at the time they wore the crest. Paskalo repeated it:

My God ,our Creator, bless us by day,

and soothe our souls by night as we pray.

As a judge He chose me to lead by His will.

Even in hard times, I must listen to Him still.

Holy One, help me to do as You call.

To keep me up so that I do not fall.

After the poem, the twelve guards went to work frantically to open the door. From a side door was brought out three circular stone keys that were carried by two guards. The keys themselves were engraved with the same markings of each crest. The keys were place in the indents on the door, with some difficulty, and turned to pull back the locking mechanism. The twelve guards used every ounce of strength to languidly open the door. With a wipe of his brow, the guard replied,

"You may enter."

The rotunda was faintly lit. The only source of light was the opening in the roof, where the sun could shine down on a replica of the stone on Tribless Hill. The coffins of the judges lined the entire wall of the rotunda from top to bottom. Gideon, Deborah, Samson, and Tiber, and many more( good and bad) laid quietly in white marble. The coffins gave the judge‘s name and a brief statement of their contribution. Paskalo found his coffin. It was near at the bottom, and it had no name. The coffin was removed from the wall. The covering was taken off by Boss and Aesop as Jaq, and Poe held Kleos.

They took Kleos over, and everyone help to lay him carefully down inside. The cover was placed back on and the coffin returned to its spot. They stood silently there for some time looking at the unmarked coffin. No one really wanted to leave, but Akim finally broke the silence with a question.

"What are we to do now?"

" I wish I knew." Aesop said walking away.

The others followed, with doubt already set in their minds. Kleos had told them that he would rise again, but none of them truly believed him. It wasn‘t until three days later that one of them, Priscilla, returned to the rotunda. She saw that the great door was wide open and all the guards were gone. She ran inside to see the coffin where they had laid Kleos, but alas, the coffin was removed and open: Kleos body was not there. A deep sorrow came over her and as she turned to leave, she a large eagle perched on the door, whose feathers were all white.

"Why are you weeping," said the bird.

"They have taken my Lord," said Priscilla, "And I don‘t know where they have laid him?"

"Kleos is not dead, but alive!" said eagle hopping down from the door, "Remember when he told you this many times. Now go and tell the others that he will meet them at Eldos lake very soon."

"You mean he‘s walking around."

"Very much so," said the bird smiling, "Very much so."

Priscilla ran to Pottermer‘s house (for that is where the eleven where out of fear of the keepers) and told what she had witnessed. Needless to say, they did not believe her.

"Excuse my wife," said Jaq, "She‘s delirious."

Priscilla promptly took his top hat and whacked him on the head.

"I am not delirious---Kleos is alive! He‘s going to meet us at Eldos lake--come on!"

Now during this exact moment, Crazy Magee sat under a tree with his face wet from tears. He was still mourning over the death of Kleos and nothing in the world could cheer him up– or so he thought. A stranger came by, and after looking at him, came over to console him. A touch on the shoulder brought him from his abjection. Looking up to the stranger the ragged dog gave little hope of changing his condition.

"Leave me stranger, no joy is here or ever will be again."

"Don‘t be down," said the stranger, pulling on his large brimmed hat, "This is not a day for sorrow, but a day of joy."

"Joy? What joy is there? They‘ve killed him."

"Who?"

"Have you been living in a hole for the past three days?" said Magee, " The red panda, the Farmer, the Begotten, the Son of the Holy One! Kleos! Look–"

Magee presented the stick the was once a rod of blossoming buds and foliage; it was now a brown mess of withered flowers and leaves, "It was once as green as emerald when I touch him, but now it dead– just like our Lord."

The stranger chuckled.

"Oh, Magee, you of all should know better than that. I am the resurrection and what was once dead, when I touch it becomes alive again."

The stranger took the stick from Magee‘s hands. Immediately all the dead flowers and dead leaves became green again. The dog stood up frantically, took a few steps back in awe.  He then fell to his knees and worshipped.

Reluctantly, the ten of the eleven made way to the lake. I say ten because, Poe was not with them. Before the arriving, Kleos had shown himself to hundreds around Shavron. At the lake Kleos was sitting slicing pears, apples, and a pineapple. Theafan spying Kleos, lead the others over slowly. When Kleos saw the ten, he beckoned them to come, but Ricco spoke rashly.

"Hold on, everyone--It‘s a ghost."

"Didn‘t go over this already," said Priscilla, "He‘s real."

"Yeah," said Ricco with an askance, "A real ghost."

"A ghost?" said Kleos, "Does a ghost have flesh and bone as I do? See," he said eating a piece of pear. "Come and dine with me."

They ate with Kleos as he spoke to them.

"I will leave you very soon, but do not look sad, I will not leave you alone. I will give you another Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit. He will be to you as I was to you. He will remind you of all that I‘ve said and teach you too. You will receive power from Him to be witnesses of me from the small town of Girgandale to the ends of the world.

The next day the ten where at Pottermer home again, and this time Poe was with them. They all expounded that Kleos was indeed alive and tried to explain to Poe all that he said.

"I will not believe," said Poe sternly, "When I see the marks on his body and when I am able to inspect those wounds then I will believe."

In divine fashion, Kleos appeared sending Poe running scared to the other side of the room.

"Come, Poe and see," said Kleos, "These are the marks on my hands and feet where they pierced me and look," he said revealing a wound under his cloak, "this is the gash at my side."

Poe came from the other side of the room. He touched each wound, as a child would inspect a new toy.

"It is you." replied Poe with watery eyes. "My Lord and My God."

"You believe because you have seen Me, but blessed are those who believe and have not seen."

Kleos remained with them for forty days longer, showing signs and preparing the eleven for the evangelism ahead of them. Then one day he was with them and he was taken into heaven as the eleven were watching. There were many other sayings, many other things Kleos did; that if this writer was given a thousand years to write it, could not begin to fulfill it.