The World Game (39 page)

CHAPTER
77

Time stopped. The Universe stopped.

God spoke to a human being.

“I am with you Sheila.”

Sheila found herself transported to a place where she was surrounded by all her friends. No one was injured and all looked at peace but a little puzzled.

“Your faith in Me is its own reward Sheila. I have created a new Universe to begin again. I give free will to My creations to choose to seek Me and do good for each other. This is the purpose of My creation. There is no other purpose. Your son Jeffrey and the daughter of Felicity, Jodie, will be renamed Adam and Eve and will be placed in this new universe to populate it and bring glory to My Name. You and all your friends will be brought to a place by My side, to exist in My radiance and to marvel at your children on Earth. Now please, you and Felicity, give your children a final word.”

Neither Sheila nor Felicity felt panic or fear of losing their children. This was their God and Creator, all Truth and Love.

Sheila picked up Jeffrey and hugged him, whispering in his ear, while Felicity did the same to Jodie, finally holding her out and looking deep into her brilliant blue eyes for the understanding. It was there.

Epilog
1

Still drifting through the old universe, the fragment continued its journey, the nuclear blast having been stopped by God, who now spoke to Arjmand and Zardooz in a dream.

They awoke in astonishment that they were still alive.

“I should kill you now Arjmand, for what you did to me!”

“You can’t. Allah just spoke to me and said we are both immortal. There is no one left but us on this fragment. Zardooz! We have finally won the war!”

“Oh Arjmand! You are really nuts!”

“I asked Allah when the seventy virgins would be provided. He said it would be after I died.”

“But we are immortal now!” replied Zardooz. “We will never die!”

“Yes I know.” said Arjmand smoothly, eyeing Zardooz’s ass. “Come to me Zardooz... come!”

“Nooooo!!!!” Zardooz jumped up and ran, pursued by Arjmand, unbuckling his belt as he chased him.

Epilog
2

Jodie, now known as Eve, her mind fresh and unsullied by the past, wandered about the lush garden, full of fruit trees and flowers, food plants and creeks of crystal clear, sweet water. Under the soil of this paradise, small worms tunnelled and fertilized the growth. This was a new world where even the lowest life form communicated in some way.

Two worms bumped into each other.

“Oof! Who is that?”

“Charonelle?”

“Peepers?”

“Where are we?”

Above them, Eve looked at the most glorious tree in the whole garden. She knew that she must not take anything from that tree. It was the one rule God had given to her and Adam, who was resting in some shade across the clearing. Eve gazed at Adam’s beautiful, exciting form and felt a flutter in her belly. Adam lifted a lazy hand and waved to her as he drank in the most enticing beauty of her body, the perfect curves, all designed by the Creator to urge him to join her in the pleasure of procreation. He could sense the life already growing within her from their very first joining.

A tall, thin figure lurked in the shadow of a fig tree, blending in with the dark and light dappling. It did not move and was invisible to the slender woman who was totally absorbed in touching and examining the fragrant fruit of another tree, scant feet away from it. It had bandages on some of its stubby digits and was strapped up around its middle. Another bandage was around its tiny head. The bandages looked almost like natural stripes.

The woman had long tresses of golden hair and was perfectly formed, other than a slight swelling of her belly, that in itself was beauty.

She suddenly balked and tensed, sensing the presence of something unknown, feeling eyes upon her. She looked about, without fear, just curiosity, scanning past the being and then swung back, suddenly fixing her brilliant blue eyed gaze upon it.

“Who are you?” Her voice was pleasant and lilting, her smile innocent and enchanting.

The being cocked its narrow, bandaged head to the side and stared at her silently through tiny black eyes that were ringed by vivid yellow circles.

“I am Snake.” it hissed. “It had tried to say “Nickle” but Snake hissed out instead. The Nickle in the Snake knew that his only hope was to get this woman to break God’s rule, then he would revert to Nickle and live in comfort on this planet. “You are staring at that tree. Why don’t you eat from it?”

Eve moved closer to Snake and replied, “Because God has commanded us not to touch this tree!”

Snake answered, “That is because if you eat from this tree you will have all the knowledge and power of God and be like Him. Believe me...”

Eve didn’t let him finish, her Mom’s parting advice flashing clear and bright through her mind, putting Snake’s lights out with a right cross that would do Smokin’ Joe Frazier proud. She stood over the unconscious form.

“Not this time Buster!”

* * *

The
End
Beginning.