Chapter 6
The Leper Messiah ~ continued from Chapter 6 | Be My Mouth & Tongue
“Allah is great,” Ali yelled as they approached Palmyra.
“Ahh,” Omar let out a sigh of relief, “A hot cup of mint tea.”
Soon the desert gave way to the splendor of the City of Palms.
Palm trees lined the busy paths and a great pool of water stood in the center of the town, holding the promise of life and love.
As the three men stood at the gates of the town a parade of light and music followed. A slight rain fell as elephants and tigers walked through the town on great iron leashes held by bare-chested men. Young boys and girls laughed and giggled in the market square waiting for a glimpse of the Desert Rose.
Queen Zenobia with her beauty and strength had conquered all of Syria and Egypt and her armies had reached as far as Asia Minor.
Nine veiled women carried baskets of roses and scattered them along the path.
“Allah is with us, my friends,” Ali spoke in awe.
“Allah is always with us,” Arlemay mentored.
“But in many ways today,” Omar whispered.
When the village children turned their eager faces upward, the colorful silk drape slowly parted and a smile emerged from the recess of the throne. A single rose was gently handed to a dark-haired girl.
Arlemay in that instant gazed upon the Queen as she looked out. Her eyes darted to him then disappeared.
The procession made its way slowly to the Temple of Bel with its majestic arches, past the agora and toward the amphithe- ater on its way to the palace. The smitten lover raced past the children down to the baths and past the Tetrapillion in the hope of one more glimpse of the Desert Rose.
“Master, Master,” Omar cried as he followed him.
“Master,” said Ali following him quickly through the alleyways and warrens.
Ali grabbed his tunic. He flipped a coin and shoved it into his master’s face.
“There, you see, there is her face; you saw her again. Now come.”
“I must see her again,” Arlemay said.
“They will cut you open and leave you to the desert,” Ali whispered into his ears.
“I must see her again,” he repeated to himself.
Dusk fell over the village. A diamond sun sank behind the distant mountains while from the minarets came the last call for prayer. The carriage was gone and the crowd moved slowly away from the palace gates leaving the three men standing alone.
“Allah Akbar,” echoed through the quiet streets and rang off the pillars of the temple only to disappear out over the desert.
“Master, please,” Omar whispered.
Arlemay saw six large olive baskets outside the gates and jumped into one of them. All was black as he waited for the supplies to be carried into the palace.
When he was inside and the basket was still, he pulled back the beautifully colored silk drape and beheld her.
“My desert lover, you know not what you do, for I am The Mystical Rose, the light of the burning bush that burns brighter than the sun . I am life and beauty while also withering death . I grew first in the garden only to burn disease from your body and be placed around your neck in the victory.
Fear not my blinding light for it nourishes the world . When he left the garden, it was I who remained to watch on high, guarded by the angel Zagzagel.
From the Tree of Life, I see all and will not let spirits or demons harm thee.”
Continue reading… Chapter 6 | How Much Will You Pay
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