THE PRIEST OF SANTA MARIA

  ( CHAPTER  38 )  -  { PT.  1 }                                                                Christiano lay on a kingsize bed gazing contemplatively at the concave ceiling above him. The walls surrounding him were papered with trees abundant with robins and butterflies perched on lush, verdant leaves. The black notebook and the framed parchment were by his side. Angelica breezed out of the en-suite bathroom, changed, refreshed and ready for a little rest before dinner. Are you okay? With his thoughts disrupted, he turned to face her. Do you believe that premonition? That we are the reincarnation of Mary and Joseph? Have you translated the parchment already? I was going to take a look after dinner, but to be honest, I do not see Kurush as an incompetent man. And to fabricate all this would be an orchest...

{ PT.  20 } - His screams curdled the blood running through my veins. Then his body transformed into an obelisk that stood tall and firm. A man appeared dressed in long black robes, with a red sash and a ring of gold with a large amethyst stone. His hair was a lustrous white, with a streak of silver running through its centre. The man's hands were thick with blood, and it dripped on to the obelisk, which caught fire and devoured him. The voice spoke for the last time. Follow the road to Rome, to an enclave by the Tiber. There you will find the Emperor who has strayed. He will lead you to the Messiah. So I say to you, Jannara that was, go forth and ensure you meet the wishes of Mother Mary. You will know what to do, instinctively, as you are Jannara and your Soul is imprinted with the Messiah's instructions. Christiano looked up from the little black notebook through a new set of eyes--like a new-born seeing for the very first time. He found no words nor questions to catch Kurus...

{ PT.  19 } - He pointed beneath his left eye where I saw a cross etched into his skin. Christiano paused and made a visible gulp as the implausible took hold of his senses and sunk its teeth in. He looked round at the others to see Kurush looking round at the others to see Kurush looking at him with a confident smile and a told-you-so glint in his eyes. Christiano dragged his gaze away and back to the book, clearing his throat before proceeding. I was pulled to the left, lined face to face with the woman, whose hair fell from her head, leaving it naked. She turned around and ran her fingers from the centre of her earlobes to the center of her head. Where her fingertips met there appeared the very same mark. I was thrust back to my place. She faced me now, her hair fully grown. I watched in fright as her abdomen swelled and a baby sprung forth. As she held the child in her arms, the voice spoke once more. Jannara, Mary and Joseph will be reincarnated once more in the time of your s...

{ PT.  18 } - The central star, the one I did not recognise, was the brightest of theme all. The others I knew as Zarasta's Royal stars, Aldebaran, Antares, Fomalhaut and Regulus. A light appeared running from Aldebaran to Antares and from Fomalhaut to Regulus and ended on the central unknown star, which shone brighter. Then once more, each star dazzled one by one in the order of Aldebaran, Antares, Fomalhaut, Regulus, and then the unknown star. The voice spoke once more, Jannara as I speak, so my words and the vision drawn upon the heavens are imprinted in your Soul for eternity. The secret compartment will remain locked until the fiftieth year of your second and final incarnation, and must only be unlock by following the exact sequence of the Royals, as shown on the heavens. You are to heavens. You are to scribe the following riddle on the underside of the main compartment. I am Jannara. On the fiftieth year of my second and final incarnation, follow the status of each Royal thro...

{ PT.  17 } - I held it, and kissed it and laid it upon my eyes, calling upon my elders to bear witness to the miracle that was. And we knew without doubt that it was the truth. And my elders gave it to me, the treasurer of our tribe, for safe-keeping. That same night a vision was bestowed upon me, whereupon me, whereupon I saw His mother, Mary, and Joseph standing before me. A circle of light crowned Mary's head, and she welcomed me with the same reverent smile. She opened her mouth to speak, but the voice was not her own. It did portend to the future demise of the Messiah. The voice then commanded me to fetch the swaddling with which the Lady Mary had gifted me. I retrieved it from my home and presented it to Her, upon which She continued, Listen carefully to my words Jannara, as the Messiah himself chose you for this task. You must construct a box from the wood of the Cypress. In it, you will place the swaddling for safekeeping. In the lid of the box, you must construct a secret...

{ PT.  16 } - His father granted our wishes and my own eyes fell upon the heavenly creature, the Saviour predicted to summon the new age and save the Jews from their prescutors. When looked upon the Saviour's face, my life was changed, implicitly. His mother, Mary, allowed me to hold him in my arms, and his fingers touched my face, and my heart ripped open. I wept like never before, as I have wept many times since. I believe his essence lives in my body and now guides my life through its motions. I still feel the lightness with which he has left my mind and body. We gave him our gifts, and before our parting, Mother Mary gave me one of His swaddling bands as a gift. I thanked her reverently. Her angelica presence was filled with such humility and peace. As we journeyed home that same Star that had guided us to the Messiah, guided us safely back to our homeland, avoiding the route of Herod's kingdom. Once home we shared our experiences with our tribe and elders, showing them the...

  { PT.  15 } - But there are five stars, said Angelica. Yes, this one, in the center, is what Jannara refers to as the unknown. It materialised in the sky for the first time that night, five years ago, and disappeared the moment I plunged the pin into the central hole. It was all over the papers the next day. I have a copy here if. . . Yes, I remember reading about it in the paper, interrupted Christiano. It appeared just beneath the Pole Star and flickered for about five minutes before disappearing. And it has never been seen since. It was named The God Star. That's correct. That was our star. Now to the parchment. It is long, and I have transcribed it into a notebook for you to read yourselves. You will need to keep an open mind. He pulled on the middle drawer and removed a small black notebook, opened it to the relevant page and placed it on the table before them. Will you read it aloud please, Christiano? requested Angelica. I will, but first, I read Ancient Greek too. I ...

{ PT.  14 } - Over the millennia it came to be the symbol we know of as the cross on which Christ was crucified. So how did you deduce that it was meant in its modern context? asked Christiano. It was quite clear, not least because the positioning of each star formed the shape of a cross. And specifically, the Greek cross. Thus the use of the word stauros. In Greek Orthodox religion when they make the sign of the cross, they move their hand from right to left. He demonstrated on himself. As opposed to the Catholic church where we cross left to right, said Christiano. That's right. So the use of the word stauros made a clear distinction as to the sequence for opening the secret compartment, replied Kurush. And you're the reincarnation of this Jannara? asked Angelica. I believe so. Tell me more about the message, said Christiano. Of course. You see the spiral design? He pointed to the lid of the box. Christiano and Angelica moved forward for a closer look. My fiftieth birthday, a...

{ PT.  13 } - The box conjured in each of us the same instinct we would have for protecting our child. Perhaps because of the swaddling cloth that once covered the baby Jesus. We had no choice. My mother first showed me the box when I was five years old. She told me I went into a trance and muttered the words, I am Jannara. She was shocked. Every generation kept a note of their experiences, which was passed down with box, and nothing like this had ever been noted. She knew this meant something. She waited until I was a teenager, about fifteen, and handed it to me again. The same thing happened. And this time she was able to record it and play it back to me. From that moment my career path was decided and I set about learning to translate the inscription on the inside top of the middle compartment. No one had done that before? Yes, but I wanted to be able to read it myself. To be sure. Plus, I didn't want to be influenced by the generations before me. He opened the box and showed th...

{ PT.  12 } - It was my destiny that the message inside reaches me. What message? asked Christiano. Kurush opened another compartment in the lid of the box to reveal clockwork circuitry. An astrolabe? asked Christiano. Similar, but not quite, replied Kurush. It is some kind of advanced locking mechanism set to open in the future. And it did not burn, rust or malfunction, and the wood did not rot when it fell in this river you mentioned? asked Christiano. It di not. It's like something other-worldly, replied Kurush. Where 's the message? asked Angelica. Right here, said Kurush, swivelling his chair and picking up frame from a chest behind him. Encased in a double-sided glass frame was a piece of parchment paper with writing on the front and reverse. He placed it on the table. Ancient Greek, said Christiano. Yes. Kurush nodded. You had it translated? I translated it myself. I'm a Professor of Babylonian Studies, and I'm also fluent in Ancient Greek and Latin. It was a mes...

{ PT.  11 } - The cloth itself would indicate this time period, but even if it was authenticated, that in itself would not prove that it was the swaddling of baby Jesus. Also, please understand that I did not want to draw attention to it. It's a family heirloom, and I was explicitly told it stays in the family. You bring us all the way explicitly told it stays in the family. You bring us all the way to Rome for a box and a strip of fabric? said Christiano. Angelica put the swaddling band to her nose and breathed in the smell. Kurush smiled, exposing a glint of self-assuredness in his eyes. Please allow my to show you something profound. He held out his hand. Please. Angelica handed the cloth back to him. He rummaged through the middle drawer of his desk, and his hand emerged with a box of matches. He removed a match and struck it. They stared at him curiously as he proceeded to put the flame to a section of the cloth. Angelica gasped. The flames engulfed the fabric and burned fierc...

{ PT.  10 } - Christiano straightened his back and leaned forward. Are you saying that your ancestor was one of the wise men from the bible accounts? Indeed. I am That's not possible, said Christiano, leaning back in his seat and shaking his head. And it came to pass, when the Lord Jesus was born at Bethlehem of Judea, in the time of King Herod, behold, magi came from the east to Jerusalem, as Zeraduscht had predicted; and there were with them gifts of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And they adored Him, and presented to Him their gifts. Then the Lady Mary took one of the swaddling bands, and, on account of the smallness of her means, gave it to them; and they received it from her with the greatest marks of honour, quoted Kurush. Where is this text from? asked Christiano. From the non-canonical Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour, repiled Kurush. The Gospel of MATTHEW  2:1--12 does not mention this, announced Christiano. Yes, we are aware of this but please indulge ...

{ PT.  9 } - The room they entered was large and rectangular in shape, reminiscent of an old, stuffy library. Beams of light from a patio door highlighted the dust particles in the air. The doors led to a terraced roof garden, where a table and sun chairs occupied the space. To the right, Kurush approached a tidy desk. An antiquated wooden box stood out from other items. The tanned wood was light in colour, and the main body was covered with meticulous hand carvings of a starry night. He motioned for the others to come closer. Angelica and Christiano sat down on two chairs facing Kurush. From the age of fifteen, I was given a special task by my mother to look after this ancient wooden box, he said, taking a seat. This has been passed down to each generation of our family for over two thousand years. He pulled open the lid and slid the wooden panel inside to reveal a long strip of fabric. This, he said, holding it up and eyeing it with admiration, is a swaddling band given to my anc...

{ PT.  8 } - It is written, replied Kurush. The Cardinal was easier to locate than we thought. We were guided to Rome, to the Vatican in particular. This left us with the choice of the Pope, the Cardinals and anyone else who worked at the Vatican. We knew to look for an emperor who had strayed. Among other characteristics mentioned, Casar Beltz fit the description by name alone. He was our man. Angelica and Christiano returned a quizzical look. Kurush chuckled. Please, follow me to my study where it will all become clear. He led them up a short staircase and stopped outside a closed door. He removed a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Before entering, he turned to face them. What I am about to show you may seem like something out of a storybook, but please indulge me while I recount the  events of my life.                                              ...

  { PT.  7 } - What makes you sp sure about all the information you have? How did you know about the moles on our bodies? asked Christiano. Do you remember the first time Johan drove Cardnial Casar Beltz to Santa Maria? Yes, the day the Cardinal had that strange attack. Come to think of it, it was the moment Angelica passed throught the cloister. Is that what happened? said Kurush, raising his eyebrow. Well Johan here noticed the Cardinal reading a conspiracy theory newspaper on the drive to Santa Maris. On his arrivel at the convent, he locked it in his briefcase, which was a strange thing to do with a sensationalist newspaper. He was clearly hiding something. Johan's suspicions were heightened when you help the Cardinal to his car, and he saw the cruciform mole beneath your left eye. That very day, he purchased a copy of newspaper, read the article and told us the news. But how did you know of the mark in the first place? asked Christiano. And, that this particular Cardinal ...