Chapter II. A Meeting with Pater Theophilius
Lucia and I went to the stone church of Mater Dolorosa located in the center of the village of Kolir. Our village was a collection of a few villas of retired Elders, the church, a depot that lead to an underground rail system that crisscrossed the continent, various shops, and the council house. The church and its adjoining structures acted as a school for the children from the surrounding countryside. The courtyard outside of the council house had a playing field for athletics. It also functioned as the training area for the martial arts that we practiced every day of the week except on the Sabbath. It was lined with oaks and pines and was a pleasant place to play sports and exercise. Tonight after being defeated by Lucia in the arts of boxing and wrestling, we had lessons on the legends and history of our people from Pater Theos.
I liked Pater Theos. He was an eastern rite priest, somewhat of a mystic, less logical and more into the spiritualism of the faith then Pater Faustus. I never understood why Mother did not prefer the rational view of the western rite, but she detested the Latin language so much. Not logical for a Vulcan, but well…
Pater Theos was very old, we never knew his age. We on Hellas were not used to seeing anyone that looked old. A person could be nine hundred years of age and look thirty. Aging only occurred very near the end of our life. The adults told us that Pater Theos looked old when he taught them. He really did not look Latin either. Pater Theos had a long beard, very white and sprinkled with areas of grey. This was unusual since Latin men never wore facial hair. Wrinkles covered his face; his hair was long and white. This was again odd since men always had their hair cut short due to being in the military. All in all, you would think Pater Theos was the homeliest man you ever saw. Yet when the priest spoke and taught us he seemed almost magical. His voice was so rich and textured and his eyes conveyed joy and amusement when he told us tales of long ago. Pater Theos' eyes were grey in colour and if you looked in them you could not help but see an ancient agelessness and a wisdom that seemed unfathomable and infinite. We children were always caught up in his stories of the ancient days on Hellas and about the legends on the planets around Sol.
"Tonight, children, I thought I would relate a story about the planet Terra of the star Sol and how it led to our way of life on Hellas." started Pater Theos. "Many millennia ago, before the people of Hellas had any culture, the planets around the star Sol were ten in number. The third planet we call Terra was known as Middle-earth."
Pater Theos pulled a thin roll of clear material and gave it a flip. It unrolled before us and flattened out and levitated horizontally before us. He touched various portions along its edge and nine planets with their moons and wayward Pluto appeared before us in three dimensions, floating above the screen slowly revolving about the star Sol. I knew the important ones by their Latin names, Venus, the green coloured orb, Terra, the blue and red Mars, named by the ancients for false gods.
"Middle-earth?" asked Lucia. "What is this word earth mean?"
Pater Theos smiled.
"Earth is the word that the inhabitants of Terra call their home," he answered.
Continuing on, Pater Theos added, "The Terrans name themselves earthlings, but rarely use that term. Instead they call themselves various names derived from where they live, for example, the Sancta Parentis lives in a place called Italy, so he would be referred to as an Italian. Also earth is a Terran word for soil but that is not important for this lesson."
Pater Theos stopped and looked at us all. "Drusilla which of these worlds is called the Blue Planet in tales I told you last time?"
"Terra, Pater Theos." She answered confidently. "It is blue appearing because of the oceans."
"You are right, Drusilla. As I already said Terra in our ancient legends was known as Middle-earth or in even more ancient times, Thulcandra. It is said that the Creator's first race of men from the legends, were known as the Eldar, people of the stars or Elves. They were said to be noble beings, intelligent, seekers of wisdom, and eternal. They were graceful and walked softly across Middle-earth. They were followed by the next race of men, the Humans or Terrans the second born of the Creator, not eternal like the Elves, but like us having limited life spans. There were others also, like Dwarves, shorter in statue then Terrans, but very strong and powerful, who dwelled in the caves of the mountains. And finally, the Halfings, small people that were simple in their outlook and hardworking lovers of the land. Remember I told you earlier that the entire universe was made in the beginning by the Creator."
"Were other races then brought forth on different planets, like here on Hellas?" asked Lucus Tiberia Florien. He lived north of our estate, perhaps an hour's walk.
"Sic, Lucus, at their allotted time, races were born on each planet," answered Pater Theo. Continuing, "Now, recall from our last lesson those that existed before the awakening of the Elves were the Ainur, messengers of the Creator, also known as spirits, angels, giidas, or eldila. Their mission was to aid in the formation of the planets in the galaxy. They would watch over the birth of the world. Some would remain to reside in the world. These Ainur were known as the Valar with their voices giving a world its life essence. Yet one of the Valar was a dark presence that caused discord among the messengers. His disharmony caused ruin in the earlier worlds. This is what led to an important event in our history. "
Pater Theos paused and looked at us waiting for any other questions. None arose, so he then started anew, "Middle-earth had three ages, great wars occurred particularly in the second age, with the Elves and Terrans allying themselves against the dark forces of the evil one located at Mordor. That legend is epic in portion with many mighty heroes. Another day we will discuss that saga, but we are concerned with the end of the final war and the rise of the Terrans. The Elves left Middle-earth at the end of the third age and sailed into the west across the seas to distant shores to reside with the Ainur. This event is starting point of our known history. It is said that five thousand years ago, the Elf Queen of the Woodland Realm, Lady Galadriel, arrived on Hellas. She arrived with some of her people. How she arrived she never said. Our ancestors said they called themselves the Sindar."
Pater Theos stopped for a moment and took a sip of cold tea flavored with lime. Then he continued.
"When Lady Galadriel and the Elves arrived on Hellas, they found a primitive world. Chaos abounded. Men were warring barbarians who enslaved women and children. They had no higher culture and only lived by the sword and club, vicious were they. Hellas was then known as Dra-Kalian. It was a dark world with much evil and strife. Lady Galadriel with the strength of her presence and wisdom tamed the ancient ones. The Sindar gave us the law, elevating the importance of women and children. Many stayed with us and intermarried with our people. Thus our life spans increased. Lady Galadriel became the first empress of our world. It is said she ruled for two thousand years and then returned to the Ainur. By the end of her reign, the Latin Empire on Hellas and sister planet Gondor was well established. She gave our people all the wisdom of the Sindar from Middle-earth. The knowledge she gave us included all our understanding of our Creator, she called him Eru or IIúvatar. We know him as the great I Am. She told us that the Valar had instilled a life proponent into each world. She talked of the coming of the son of Eru, born of the virgin, The Lady, on the planet Terra. She foretold of his arrival 1600 years after she left us. Also, she said that our world would need to join with Terra and the other worlds of Sol when the prophecy of the Red Princess and the Lost Prince was realized."
"Besides the prophecy, she gave us knowledge on much technology obtained from ancient civilizations now long dead. We were taught the means to provide energy by cold fusion. We used this knowledge to build ships to fly in the sky, cross the seas, and pass through the void from Hellas to Gondor. Wind and light from our sun were used to generate electrical power. As she reigned, she set up our whole empire. She taught us how to terraform the moons about Gondor and Hellas. She gave us the legends and histories of Mars, Terra, and Venus. Our whole history was shaped by her. Planet and moon names came from places of the Sol System. Of all the Sindar, Empress Galadriel was the only one that never married into our people. She remained apart. The other Sindar, in marrying with us, became mortal. Lady Galadriel named a young woman, Helena, as her regent, to replace her. Helena added the names Cartorius Constantine to become the second empress, Helena Cartorius Constantine. Latin became the common language of the realm. With Empress Galadriel's guidance, Helena organized the empire giving the military and the church the task of educating everyone. Classic languages from Terra of Greek, Aramaic, and Latin were used in the schools and at home. Once Empress Helena was established, Lady Galadriel left us and returned to the Ainur. It is said, upon departing, she told our people 'I return to the western white shores and the Ainur to reside with Eru'."
"Then Pater Theos," asked Lucia. "If Empress Galadriel gave us so much, would not she be a Goddess or at least a Valar or Ainur?"
"Non my child, she is said to have told the ancient Elders that she was acting as messenger from IIúvatar. Lady Galadriel said that while she, as a Sindar was eternal, she was also mortal in that she could die if harmed. She said she was not a spirit but a flesh and blood person as all of us, one of the first born. She left us with this insight that as we grew in wisdom and developed the ability to travel the stars and colonize other worlds to stay humble and close to the Creator. She told us that we were to guard the Sol System until the prophecy of the Princess of Red wedding the Lost Prince was fully revealed. She charged our people to grow in faith and service to the Creator. We were to colonize and unite systems around Sol to isolate it from other races of men and protect the three worlds until the appointed time. She particularly stressed the importance of keeping our agrarian lifestyle as we progressed in knowledge. She said true wisdom comes from staying close to nature. We do not want to lose our sense of awe and wonder of what was made by the Creator. That is why every empress since then has stressed wisdom, simplicity, sustainability, and peaceful colonization of the surrounding worlds."
"Pater Theos, what does the Lost Prince and Red Princess Prophecy say?" I asked.
Pater Theos stopped and looked into the sky at the closer moon we called Sparta, the one that was the first to be terraformed four thousand years ago. He seemed to muse on my question, on whether to answer it or not. Finally he turned and looked at me, then the rest of the children and the adults present who also were listening to his story.
"It is said that a mighty hero, a lost prince of blue will come to the aid of The Red Princess in a time of great need on one of the planets of Sol. When it is revealed to the Latin Empire that this has happened, then we are to return to the Sol system and swear allegiance to The Red Princess. She will become the greatest empress of the united star systems in the realm. We are to aid her in ending the dark danger to the empire. Once the great strife is ended and the enemy defeated, then she will reign over the empire and a thousand years of peace throughout the galaxy will occur."
"There is a poem that recalls the legend:
'A prince will be lost on a world of blue;
in the empire, confusion and chaos ensue.
No heir apparent to take up the crown.
A Red Princess will arise having great need.
The Prince returns to perform a mighty deed.
Red and Blue wed; peace in the realm is found.'
It is more cryptic than it appears."
"So Pater Theos," I asked again, "A prince of blue suggests to me a person from Terra and The Red Princess is from Mars?"
"Perhaps," smiled Pater Theos enigmatically. "The Way only says that we will know when it is fulfilled. Try not to read more into it; it is a mystery and mysteries are seldom simple and clear, Marcus."
Pater Theos stopped here. He sat down on a small stool he always carried about. He looked at all of us and with a wave of his left hand, dismissed us for the evening. It was the same as always, I thought, just as we are getting to the good parts of his stories, he tires and sends us home. Or perhaps he feels he has told more to us then he intended. He never seems to say much about the prophecy except in riddles and little snippets.
I arose with Drusilla and Lucia and we turned to leave.
"Marcus," called Pater Theos softly. "Come here a moment."
I turned to him. He motioned for Drusilla and Lucia to leave as he wanted to see me privately. I came close to him. He looked closely at me, deep into my eyes as if trying to read my mind or what was in my heart.
"Marcus, do you believe the tales I tell you?"
"I am not certain, Pater Theos, but I have many questions especially about the princess and prince. I am not like Lucia who seems to believe in her heart. I try but only can reason it in my mind and never it feel here." I then touched my chest, indicating my heart.
Pater Theos looked kindly at me then he said "I know you are only eight, so young. Since your pater is gone due to the war, you only have your avum, Ignatius, to answer many of your questions about becoming a man. You are very advanced for your age, Marcus. I want you to know that I am also here for you now and in the future."
I nodded and wondered at Pater Theos.
"Have you been reading the books I lent you about Terra and Mars?"
"Most of them Pater, but my reading of Greek and Aramaic is weak. I often see many words I do not understand. I have not read the Martian text about the time of oceans on the planet. But since it is in Latin, I should be able to easily read it."
"Marcus, I ask you this because you're are wise for one so young and your affinity for different languages is a gift you need to maximize to its potential. Keep reading in your spare time and if you need help with the Greek or Aramaic, come see me. Also, when you get older, I will talk more in depth about the prophecy after you have read many books. When I feel you are old enough to truly understand I will tell you more of what may come. Remember I am here to teach, and you are my special pupil. Go now boy and catch up with your sorosis."
"Sic Pater," I replied and off I went out into the cool evening air. I looked about the courtyard near the council house. I spied Drusilla and Lucia standing near the opening and they appeared to listening to something.