The Wind Rose Read Free Page A

and it's all right here in the scriptures. In the Gospel According to Luke, Jesus said: There will be signs in the sun, the moon, the stars. And on the Earth, distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
    On cue, a chorus of 50, wearing perfectly-tailored gold-trimmed ruby red robes, elevate the room with their powerful voices and soul-stirring gospel music. The church congregation waves its arms to the heavens, shouting awed and reverent Hallelujahs.
    * * *
    That evening, the Astronomy Club of Port Avalon University is convened atop Vista Point. Some never-before seen vision causes Jeff, one of the fledgling astronomers, to take special note.
    “What's this, Joe?” Jeff relinquishes the telescope to his colleague.
    Joe studies the celestial object pensively. “You mean that triangle-shaped thing?”
    “Well, that's a scientific description if I ever heard one,” Jeff cracks. “But, yeah, that triangle-shaped thing. Is it a light or a solid object?”
    “Hard to tell,” Joe replies. “It keeps ducking behind the clouds. It's moving fast, I'll tell you that.”
    “Can we get a picture?”
    “I don't know if the camera will pick it up, but let's give it a try.”
    Joe aims his telephoto lens at the mysterious object in the heavens. His camera clicks numerous times in succession, taking multiple images in split second sequence. When the object disappears into the cosmos, Joe checks the digital images.
    “Well, I didn't think I'd get much of anything,” Joe says. “But there's something there all right.”
    “It's kind of blurry because it's moving so fast,” Jeff comments.
    Joe shakes his head, bewildered. “I don't think it's blur. It's more of a shimmer. There's a glow coming from - whatever it is.”
    “Well, if ships could fly,” Jeff laughs, “I'd say it was a ship. Like an old fashioned clipper.”
    “Like the Flying Dutchman? That legendary Ghost ship that can never make port?”
    “In this case, a ship that can never find a planet to land on. Wonder how long it's been up there?”
    * * *
    Religious fundamentalism, doomsday prophecies, and all manner of superstition surrounding the coming millennium are rich fodder for every medium, even on local Port Avalon television talk shows. Psychiatrist Dr. Hilyer, who is also an expert on religion and mythology, is a frequent guest on such programs where the host, this time Randy Phillips, poses the same questions over and over:
    “The dramatic increase in Apocalyptic fervor is quite disturbing, Dr. Hilyer,” Phillips asserts. “Is this hysteria the norm around an approaching millennium, or is there really something to these doomsday prophecies?”
    “Yes, it is the norm,” Hilyer replies, “especially when approaching a historic point in time. Most of the doomsday prophecies fall into the category of Scriptures known as Apocalypses, which were written during times of oppression to reassure persecuted believers that God had not forgotten them. However, apocalypses portrayed divine intervention in a distant, cosmic future, and were not meant to be taken literally.”
    “So, are you saying that today's self-anointed prophets are harmless?” the host asks a loaded question.
    “Not exactly. The obsession with equating current events with Biblical prophecies causes more harm than good, especially when they put their own interpretation on things. By assigning hero and villain roles, they fuel distrust and even hatred of public officials and institutions, and increase the expectations of an end-times assault by demonic forces. There are many such examples that are now part of history.”
    “Like the Branch Davidians, under the leadership of self-proclaimed prophet David Koresh, whose killing of federal agents ignited the Waco catastrophe?”
    “Yes,” Hilyer concurs. “One result of this was to ignite