"Ah, Italy!" Rogue sighs as she leans back in her seat on the
Blackbird and looks out the window at the lush landscape.
"I can't thank you all enough for your help," Romana says as she
leans forward from her seat behind Hank.
"It is my pleasure to help a fair maiden on such a romantic
escapade," Hank answers as he homes in on the village of Placio and
turns on the cloaking device for the jet. "Now everyone remember
where we parked!" Hank brings the jet in for a soft landing in an
overgrown field and opens the landing platform. He grabs his own image
inducer and turns it on so he looks like a large burly farmer. "Can't
go arousing suspicions, can we?" he says with a wink.
As they step out into the country air, Romana closes her
eyes and remembers the village of her past, the smells of fresh baked
bread and wine combined with the bustling noises of farmers. As they
walk into the village, however, she sees the crumbling shell of the
place she once new. "I guesss you can't go home again..." Romana sighs
as she looks around at the dilapitated buildings and vine covered
stones.
"Especially when it's been over 400 years," Rogue says as she
claps her hand on Romana's shoulder and motions them on.
"Right." Romana says with a smile. "I've got a future waiting
for me to think of." They continue walking down the main street till
they come to the worn steps of the church where Romana hid for so
long. She walks up the stairs and kneels down to cross herself before
entering. "Old habits, I guess..." Romana mutters. As they walk in,
they all can't help but notice the bright shaft of sunlight breaking
through the holes in the roof to shine on the erroded stone pedestal
on the altar. "It's still here!" Romana exclaims and runs to the
pedestal. She then turns around and starts walking heel-to-toe while
whispering, "One... two... three,"
Hank watches Romana in eager silence while Rogue watches the
entrance of the church. All is quiet except for Romana's whispering
when suddenly she stops. "Here it is!" Romana exclaims and drops to
her knees. She starts dusting off a stone in the floor and running her
fingers along the edges.
"I take it it is underneath that stone?" Hank asks as he crouches
beside Romana and sets down his tool kit. He puts on a pair of goggles
and pulls out a hammer and chisel.
"It IS the stone!" Romana explains. "Father Dominic took no
ends to protect this work. We sealed it in a leather case inside a
metal box that he put inside this stone box that we buried into the
ground to look like another stone tile of the floor."
"Quite ingenious," Hank says with admiration. He then examines
the stone carefully, and marks a spot where he holds the chisel. He
then hands the hammer to Rogue and asks, "If you would give us a love-
tap, my dear?"
"Why sure, sugah!" Rogue says with a smile as she kneels down and
takes the hammer. She aims carefully, and then softly taps the hammer
on the chisel. With Rogue's super-strength, however, it is enough to
send a deep crack through the stone with a 'pop.' Hank then uses his
claws to lift the pieces of the stone lid away to reveal a rust
encrusted, but still intact metal box. "Allright!" Rogue exclaims as
she pumps her fist. "Do we get to see what's in it?"
"I suggest we reign our curiosity in untill we can return to my
lab where I can open this ancient container in more sanitary
conditions." Hank says as he puts his tools away and stands up. "That
and we don't know when our angst-ridden elf will be returning from his
errands."
"That's right!" Romana says with a groan as she smacks her
forehead. "I got so caught up in being here again, I forgot we were
in a hurry. Let's go!"
~~
-Vell zat vent vell-. Kurt walks out of the church into the afternoon
sun and puts his hands into the pockets of his coat. -Der Vater vas
very helpful in putting me in contact mit der Unitarians, und despite
his best efforts, I could tell he vas relieved to see me go. Zey
tolerate my appearance in der name of God, but I know I frightened
zem. I could tell by zer looks und der way zey vould try to avoid me.
I guess it is just as vell zat I choose to continue my studies vith a
sect more practiced in tolerance und acceptance. Kurt smiles bitterly
and raises the collar of his coat to the wind as he walks down the
street.
~~
"Open Sesame'!" proclaims Hank through his filter mask as his laser
cuts through the last of the metal box lid. He carefully pries it open
to reveal a worn leather case sealed in wax. "A regular puzzle box,
this one is!" Hank jokes as he takes a scalpel and cuts through the
aged wax. The last seal broken, he holds his breath as he opens the
case to reveal a leather- bound journal with the faded embossment of a
shining cross on the front.
"That's Father Dominic's journal!" Romana confirms. "He would keep all
his important notes and thoughts in there. Are the pages still
intact?"
"One must be careful when dealing with history, my dear." Hank says as
he dons rubber gloves and takes a flat-stemmed tool and carefully
slips it under the cover of the journal. He opens the journal to
reveal yellowed pages, while delicate to the touch, are still intact.
Hank scans the first page and is amazed by what he reads.
"Herein lies my accounting of the gospel of St. Thomas[i],
the last known words of the living Jesus Christ. I know that
what I have written means my excommunication and death, but the
will of God has compelled some of us to make the words of his
son accessible to all.
"This is incredible, Romana! This is a historical find of the
ages! Why haven't you shared this with the world?"
"Because the world isn't ready," Romana says with a heavy sigh.
"Especially now, in a world that cries off any sense of personal
responsibility, how do you think they would take the news that Christ
had nothing do to with the building of churches, and that they were
created by the ruling class? That is, if the Vatican even let such a
document as this get to the public[1]. Better to let Father Dominic's
work help heal the troubled soul of the man I love, than to be buried
in the ground for the rest of the century. I think he would appreciate
that."
"Your words speak a hard truth, Romana." Hank says as he closes the
book and places it in the velvet lined wood box that Romana gave him
to keep it in. "I must confess, I am envious of our furry friend, to
have someone who loves him so much that she would travel across the
world to heal his soul."
"Your time will come, Hank McCoy." Romana says with a smile. "You have
the soul of a hopeless romantic and genius far beyond your years. Such
gifts can't go ignored forever." Romana kisses Hank on the cheek and
takes the box in her arms.
"Hopeful, Romana. Never hopeless." Hank says with a wink as she
leaves.
--------
[?] This scroll, the gospel of St. Thomas, has been claimed by scholars around the world to be the closest record we have of the words of the historical Jesus.
2 The Vatican refuses to recognize the gospel and has described it as heresy
-----------------------
-----------------------
Blackbird and looks out the window at the lush landscape.
"I can't thank you all enough for your help," Romana says as she
leans forward from her seat behind Hank.
"It is my pleasure to help a fair maiden on such a romantic
escapade," Hank answers as he homes in on the village of Placio and
turns on the cloaking device for the jet. "Now everyone remember
where we parked!" Hank brings the jet in for a soft landing in an
overgrown field and opens the landing platform. He grabs his own image
inducer and turns it on so he looks like a large burly farmer. "Can't
go arousing suspicions, can we?" he says with a wink.
As they step out into the country air, Romana closes her
eyes and remembers the village of her past, the smells of fresh baked
bread and wine combined with the bustling noises of farmers. As they
walk into the village, however, she sees the crumbling shell of the
place she once new. "I guesss you can't go home again..." Romana sighs
as she looks around at the dilapitated buildings and vine covered
stones.
"Especially when it's been over 400 years," Rogue says as she
claps her hand on Romana's shoulder and motions them on.
"Right." Romana says with a smile. "I've got a future waiting
for me to think of." They continue walking down the main street till
they come to the worn steps of the church where Romana hid for so
long. She walks up the stairs and kneels down to cross herself before
entering. "Old habits, I guess..." Romana mutters. As they walk in,
they all can't help but notice the bright shaft of sunlight breaking
through the holes in the roof to shine on the erroded stone pedestal
on the altar. "It's still here!" Romana exclaims and runs to the
pedestal. She then turns around and starts walking heel-to-toe while
whispering, "One... two... three,"
Hank watches Romana in eager silence while Rogue watches the
entrance of the church. All is quiet except for Romana's whispering
when suddenly she stops. "Here it is!" Romana exclaims and drops to
her knees. She starts dusting off a stone in the floor and running her
fingers along the edges.
"I take it it is underneath that stone?" Hank asks as he crouches
beside Romana and sets down his tool kit. He puts on a pair of goggles
and pulls out a hammer and chisel.
"It IS the stone!" Romana explains. "Father Dominic took no
ends to protect this work. We sealed it in a leather case inside a
metal box that he put inside this stone box that we buried into the
ground to look like another stone tile of the floor."
"Quite ingenious," Hank says with admiration. He then examines
the stone carefully, and marks a spot where he holds the chisel. He
then hands the hammer to Rogue and asks, "If you would give us a love-
tap, my dear?"
"Why sure, sugah!" Rogue says with a smile as she kneels down and
takes the hammer. She aims carefully, and then softly taps the hammer
on the chisel. With Rogue's super-strength, however, it is enough to
send a deep crack through the stone with a 'pop.' Hank then uses his
claws to lift the pieces of the stone lid away to reveal a rust
encrusted, but still intact metal box. "Allright!" Rogue exclaims as
she pumps her fist. "Do we get to see what's in it?"
"I suggest we reign our curiosity in untill we can return to my
lab where I can open this ancient container in more sanitary
conditions." Hank says as he puts his tools away and stands up. "That
and we don't know when our angst-ridden elf will be returning from his
errands."
"That's right!" Romana says with a groan as she smacks her
forehead. "I got so caught up in being here again, I forgot we were
in a hurry. Let's go!"
~~
-Vell zat vent vell-. Kurt walks out of the church into the afternoon
sun and puts his hands into the pockets of his coat. -Der Vater vas
very helpful in putting me in contact mit der Unitarians, und despite
his best efforts, I could tell he vas relieved to see me go. Zey
tolerate my appearance in der name of God, but I know I frightened
zem. I could tell by zer looks und der way zey vould try to avoid me.
I guess it is just as vell zat I choose to continue my studies vith a
sect more practiced in tolerance und acceptance. Kurt smiles bitterly
and raises the collar of his coat to the wind as he walks down the
street.
~~
"Open Sesame'!" proclaims Hank through his filter mask as his laser
cuts through the last of the metal box lid. He carefully pries it open
to reveal a worn leather case sealed in wax. "A regular puzzle box,
this one is!" Hank jokes as he takes a scalpel and cuts through the
aged wax. The last seal broken, he holds his breath as he opens the
case to reveal a leather- bound journal with the faded embossment of a
shining cross on the front.
"That's Father Dominic's journal!" Romana confirms. "He would keep all
his important notes and thoughts in there. Are the pages still
intact?"
"One must be careful when dealing with history, my dear." Hank says as
he dons rubber gloves and takes a flat-stemmed tool and carefully
slips it under the cover of the journal. He opens the journal to
reveal yellowed pages, while delicate to the touch, are still intact.
Hank scans the first page and is amazed by what he reads.
"Herein lies my accounting of the gospel of St. Thomas[i],
the last known words of the living Jesus Christ. I know that
what I have written means my excommunication and death, but the
will of God has compelled some of us to make the words of his
son accessible to all.
"This is incredible, Romana! This is a historical find of the
ages! Why haven't you shared this with the world?"
"Because the world isn't ready," Romana says with a heavy sigh.
"Especially now, in a world that cries off any sense of personal
responsibility, how do you think they would take the news that Christ
had nothing do to with the building of churches, and that they were
created by the ruling class? That is, if the Vatican even let such a
document as this get to the public[1]. Better to let Father Dominic's
work help heal the troubled soul of the man I love, than to be buried
in the ground for the rest of the century. I think he would appreciate
that."
"Your words speak a hard truth, Romana." Hank says as he closes the
book and places it in the velvet lined wood box that Romana gave him
to keep it in. "I must confess, I am envious of our furry friend, to
have someone who loves him so much that she would travel across the
world to heal his soul."
"Your time will come, Hank McCoy." Romana says with a smile. "You have
the soul of a hopeless romantic and genius far beyond your years. Such
gifts can't go ignored forever." Romana kisses Hank on the cheek and
takes the box in her arms.
"Hopeful, Romana. Never hopeless." Hank says with a wink as she
leaves.
--------
[?] This scroll, the gospel of St. Thomas, has been claimed by scholars around the world to be the closest record we have of the words of the historical Jesus.
2 The Vatican refuses to recognize the gospel and has described it as heresy
-----------------------
-----------------------
