Petra [Page 13]

Page 13

   "Now, here's someone from a period that greatly influenced you.", began Mai.  "He comes from 14th century France and you, Dixon and he were all members of the Knights Templar.  May I introduce...."

   "Uncle Pierre!", Petra let out excitedly. "But without his long beard and sword", she added, not really sure how she happened to know his name or habits.

   "Oui, c'est moi", the Knight responded, as he began to move their way.
  Petra noticed that he had a peculiar way of walking, as if he were barefoot on gravel, even though the floor was soft and he was wearing sandals.

  Pierre embraced the two girls and glanced back and forth at each.  "Yes," he continued, in English. "I am very much younger, when I am here, and have no need of beard or sword. But, I see I am not the only one that has changed.  In my time, You and Dixon were my twin nephews".

   Pierre sat down on one of the benches and removed his helmet, handing it to Mai. The girls positioned themselves on the floor, at his feet, as he began to tell his tale.

 

   "October, 1307, you boys were on one of the ships in our fleet which was at the harbour of La Rochelle. I, being one of the senior officers, had gone ashore for a meeting with the King's men. Our party was arrested and dragged off in chains, but a squire escaped their notice and was able to sneak back to the fleet, to warn them.  We had suspected there might be foul play involved and had made plans in advance. When they came, the next morning, for the rest of you, they found the fleet had set sail, never to be seen again in French waters.  They would not soon forget our battle flag though."

  "The fleet split up, with some of the ships sailing North to Scotland and the rest South to Portugal, to take on provisions before seeking the promised land. The Templars had secret scrolls that told of a shining star, in the west, known as Merica, where Christ consciousness would once again flourish. The two of you endured much together, finding and settling in la Merica. You made several trips back and forth to Scotland, but your brother died in the new land.  You burried him near present day Westford, Massachusetts.  It was our custom to place a simple marker stone with no name, only the likeness of the knights sword being engraved thereon, but you chose instead to engrave a full picture of him, on a slab of rock."

   "Those of our order, that had been arrested in France, suffered greatly at the hands of our greedy captors.  King Phillip and his puppet Pope wanted to steal our wealth and keep mankind from knowing the real truths that Christ taught. They tortured each of us, until we either confessed to their charges or died.  They charred my feet, in an oven, but my fate was not as bad as that of our Grand Master. That black hearted priest, Guillaume Imbert, reserved the worst torture of all fo our beloved Jacques.  He whipped him and put a crown of thorns on his head, then he nailed him to a cross. Near death, Jacques confessed and was taken down and wrapped in a linen shroud.  He was nursed back to health by the de Charney family.  Fifty years later, in 1357, the shroud was still in the possession of the de Charney family, but the last relative, that knew the truth about it, had been killed at the Battle of Poitiers, the previous year.  Today the linen bearing the likeness of Jacques is known as "The Shroud of Turin".

   "Christ's true teachings had been repressed for over a thousand years, by those calling themselves Christians.  Our Knights did much to bring the truth back into the light and end the Dark Ages.  We are forever Knights in the service of the Temple of our Lord. Go forth and spread the light."

 

   As Pierre concluded, the light became very much brighter.  Petra had never experienced such a bright light. It was like a hundred arc lamps were pointed at her and there was no place that the light was not. Even her own body seemed to be made of this white light. In that moment, there was only the light and she shared the consciousness of everything in creation.  In the light, there were no secrets, everything could be known.

  Alas, we would tell more of what it was like, in that light, but no amount of words could ever do it justice.  You must go there for yourself and see it. 

   As the light began to fade, Petra again found herself alone with Mai on the patio, but the joy that the light had instilled in her would be with her always, from that day forth.