Read Online The Book of Paul -- A Paranormal Thriller by Richard Long - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Richard Long
Tags: Fiction
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on, the angel watched and waited for the boy to manifest some remarkable ability that would prove beyond any doubt he was An Té atá Tofa.”
“The one who has been chosen,” Martin whispered worshipfully.
“Aye,” Daddy said, suddenly very serious . “An Té atá Tofa,” he repeated. Martin had to recite it over and over until he got the pronunciation right. When Daddy was finally satisfied, he continued the story.
“The angel was certain the omen would soon arrive. When it did, and the boy came of age many years later—years that would pass like the flicker of a candle for the ageless angel—then and only then would he offer his magnificent gift to the boy, honoring him with the most profound knowledge ever bestowed upon any human.”
“Tell me, Daddy! Tell me what the angel told the boy!” Martin begged.
“The boy wasn’t ready.” Daddy frowned, shaking his head solemnly. “The omen had not yet arrived. When it did, if it did, the boy would have to make an unbreakable vow of loyalty and secrecy. The gift of the angel was so monumental that it could never be allowed to fall into the hands of the unworthy. You see, the angel and all his kind possessed powers far beyond human understanding. They could transform thought into matter and change matter into any form they chose. They possessed all knowledge—the mysteries of life and death, time and space, past and future—the secrets of immortality. They could see far into the future and knew a day would come when our universe and theirs would face the threat of utter destruction. Only An Té atá Tofa could avert that apocalypse and bring salvation to all beings. If the omen came and the boy proved worthy, all the powers of the all the angels would be granted to him, if he vowed to guard their sacred knowledge until the time of his anointing. Until the Becoming .”
“Daddy, what’s ‘the Becoming’?”
“You know full well I can’t tell you...until I see an omen about you .”
“When will the omen come? When will I be ready?” Martin pouted.
“Someday not too long from now, yet not so close either. But don’t fret, lad. I know it will arrive, just as the angel knew the boy was blessed.
“For him, the omen came on a cloudless day, as omens often do. The boy was still a tiny infant, lying peacefully in the shade while his mother bathed in a nearby stream. When the angel gazed through his portal to look at the boy, what should he see but the boy gazing right back. He was smiling. Waving! The boy could see through the portal, not in his dreams, but awake. And he was only a baby! Not only did he have the mark—he was a seer! The boy must truly be An Té atá Tofa! ”
Suddenly, Daddy’s expression changed from elation to sorrow.
“But at the very moment when the boy revealed his true nature, something horrible happened. While his mother was still bathing, a mean, ugly crone snatched up his cradle and stole him away to her filthy hovel made of sticks and mud in the deepest, darkest depths of the forest. She treated the poor child worse than a mongrel dog. When he was old enough to walk, she tethered him to the biggest tree outside, his ankle tied to a rope just long enough to fetch wood for the fire and water from the well. She never spoke to him except to bark commands and barely fed him enough to keep his ribs from poking through his skin…”
“Then one day…” Martin cut in, anxious to get past this part of the story.
“Yes, then one day…” Daddy grinned, goading Martin along.
“He stole a knife from the cutting board and cut the rope and he was finally free!” Martin shouted, his smile shining like the sun coming out from a bank of thunderclouds.
“Aren’t you leaving something out?” Daddy pressed.
The clouds passed over Martin’s face again, eclipsing his eager smile.
“He had to do the bad thing first,” Martin replied, his chin sagging to his chest.
“Was it really such a bad thing?” Daddy asked, planting
“The one who has been chosen,” Martin whispered worshipfully.
“Aye,” Daddy said, suddenly very serious . “An Té atá Tofa,” he repeated. Martin had to recite it over and over until he got the pronunciation right. When Daddy was finally satisfied, he continued the story.
“The angel was certain the omen would soon arrive. When it did, and the boy came of age many years later—years that would pass like the flicker of a candle for the ageless angel—then and only then would he offer his magnificent gift to the boy, honoring him with the most profound knowledge ever bestowed upon any human.”
“Tell me, Daddy! Tell me what the angel told the boy!” Martin begged.
“The boy wasn’t ready.” Daddy frowned, shaking his head solemnly. “The omen had not yet arrived. When it did, if it did, the boy would have to make an unbreakable vow of loyalty and secrecy. The gift of the angel was so monumental that it could never be allowed to fall into the hands of the unworthy. You see, the angel and all his kind possessed powers far beyond human understanding. They could transform thought into matter and change matter into any form they chose. They possessed all knowledge—the mysteries of life and death, time and space, past and future—the secrets of immortality. They could see far into the future and knew a day would come when our universe and theirs would face the threat of utter destruction. Only An Té atá Tofa could avert that apocalypse and bring salvation to all beings. If the omen came and the boy proved worthy, all the powers of the all the angels would be granted to him, if he vowed to guard their sacred knowledge until the time of his anointing. Until the Becoming .”
“Daddy, what’s ‘the Becoming’?”
“You know full well I can’t tell you...until I see an omen about you .”
“When will the omen come? When will I be ready?” Martin pouted.
“Someday not too long from now, yet not so close either. But don’t fret, lad. I know it will arrive, just as the angel knew the boy was blessed.
“For him, the omen came on a cloudless day, as omens often do. The boy was still a tiny infant, lying peacefully in the shade while his mother bathed in a nearby stream. When the angel gazed through his portal to look at the boy, what should he see but the boy gazing right back. He was smiling. Waving! The boy could see through the portal, not in his dreams, but awake. And he was only a baby! Not only did he have the mark—he was a seer! The boy must truly be An Té atá Tofa! ”
Suddenly, Daddy’s expression changed from elation to sorrow.
“But at the very moment when the boy revealed his true nature, something horrible happened. While his mother was still bathing, a mean, ugly crone snatched up his cradle and stole him away to her filthy hovel made of sticks and mud in the deepest, darkest depths of the forest. She treated the poor child worse than a mongrel dog. When he was old enough to walk, she tethered him to the biggest tree outside, his ankle tied to a rope just long enough to fetch wood for the fire and water from the well. She never spoke to him except to bark commands and barely fed him enough to keep his ribs from poking through his skin…”
“Then one day…” Martin cut in, anxious to get past this part of the story.
“Yes, then one day…” Daddy grinned, goading Martin along.
“He stole a knife from the cutting board and cut the rope and he was finally free!” Martin shouted, his smile shining like the sun coming out from a bank of thunderclouds.
“Aren’t you leaving something out?” Daddy pressed.
The clouds passed over Martin’s face again, eclipsing his eager smile.
“He had to do the bad thing first,” Martin replied, his chin sagging to his chest.
“Was it really such a bad thing?” Daddy asked, planting
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