The Disappearance of a Pied Piper

Settling In

The Lord Jesus motioned the group to their new guide, Governor Wisdom, the leader of Mercy Island. "You've had time to rest, to be nourished, and to be refreshed on the ship, known as Grace, under the good guidance of Captain Bob Blessing. You've passed through the fiery eyes of the Lord Jesus at the port. Now, it is my honored responsibility to lead you to the land, where each of the couples and the single men will be able to settle into new homes and new lives, presently. If you will climb into our van for the ten-minute ride to Sheltered Valley, then you will be on your way."

"We're all feeling a little unsettled, Governor Wisdom," Bud said. "A couple of the men have lost their wives in a most unsettling way. What wisdom can you give us to deal with the loss of four of our community members? How can we process what our hearts are feeling in order to settle into our new lives on Mercy Island?"

"Dear Elect ones, do you all believe, that Jesus is completely God and completely Man? Do you believe His thoughts to be perfectly right?" Governor Wisdom asked.

They all nodded their heads, "Yes."

"Then, that which has been done has been done 'for us to fulfill all righteousness.' (Matthew 3:15, KJV)," Governor Wisdom said. "The feelings you are experiencing right now are residual from your earthly perspective, since you are still living on the Earth, and have yet to be transformed into your eternal bodies. Ultimately, as you study the Word of God your perspective will change to come in line with the Heavenly perspective, and you will be settled into a state of peace in the Lord."

"Will we ever see our loved ones, again?" Bud asked, "Or are they damned forever?"

"You should know, that your loved ones have not been taken to Hell as of yet," Governor Wisdom said. "They have simply been transported to the mainland, where they will have a decision to make. Will they take the mark of B. East, forever selling their souls to him? Or will they find places to run and hide, surviving in whatever way they can, until the Saving Lord Jesus returns to the Earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom, choosing to trust Him with their lives? Will even one or all of them make the commitment to Christ to the degree, that they must die physically in order to be with Him forever?"

"So, we may, indeed, see them, again, someday?" Bud asked.

"If any of them chooses the first option of selling their souls to B. East, then that day of seeing them, again, will never come," Governor Wisdom said," but if they choose the other two options, then 'Yes,' you will see them, again. Pray for them often and long to avoid the mark, that they may be restored to you someday."

"We will," Bud said as they all shook their heads, "Yes."

"Now, dear friends, if you will look to your right, you will see the beautiful valley of your new homes," Governor Wisdom said. "Life here is gentle. The sun shines every day, and when it is time for the rain, it comes through the sunshine as a mist arises from the ground to receive the rain from the sky. Everyone here has fulfilling work. Those, who are skilled at gardening will help those, who tend our crops. Those, who are skilled with carpentry tools, will assist those, who build houses. Those, who are wise to educate, will be given classrooms for the education of our young. Those, who are gifted singers and players on instruments will be given those instruments and opportunities to lift praises to The Lord Jesus Himself. Every one of you will live the life of joyfully fulfilling what you were created to be as we fly under the radar of the world system, waiting for the return of our everlasting Lord."

They all smiled, beginning to drink in the sights and sounds of their new town.

Fellowship is the theme of this beautiful valley. Within a few weeks, every couple was settled into their new homes, and even the single men decided to share a house because believers in Jesus Christ know by heart, that doing life together is always preferable to living by oneself.

Bud Best began to realize, that there was little call for a police officer in the beautiful valley. So, he took up gardening and even spent part of his days helping out in some of the larger farms. Cynthia took up sewing and became the best seamstress in the valley.

Jerome, First, Rich Deux and George Board found, that they enjoyed farming, too, and spent their days working for Bud as they had done for years.

Grady Barnes fell in line as the fourth assistant farmer, helping former Police Chief, Bud Best. In many ways, Grady replaced Stan Book as a part of Bud's team, but in service only, not in honor.

Bubba John and Pearl Trax became hymn singers, cutting demos and tracks to be played in people's homes, keeping the hymns very much alive in the beautiful valley as the Christians sang the doctrines of the Lord, encouraging praise of the One Almighty God in preparation for their eternal worship of the Lord.

Calvin and Grace Tulip found themselves quite at home tending one large herd of dairy cattle, providing a large number of residents with milk, butter, cream, and curds.

Lem Cutter and Pace Kerr became great friends and first-rate cowboys in charge of a large herd of beef cattle. They rode herd from sunup to sunset, raising the best beef in the valley.

Altimus and Rosa Gonzalez along with Israel and Libertad Incarnación started a Spanish school, training many of the residents for future ministries in Spanish-speaking countries.

Everyone remained completely fulfilled in their work throughout the duration of their stay in the beautiful valley. At times one of them voiced a bit of confusion over the fact, that they still lived in the same world, that had once attacked them repeatedly on Nevermore Island, but not once in this hidden valley had they been forced to deal with creatures or monstrous insects, meteors, heatwaves, or rogue waves. Yet, in time they forgot about the lack of disruptions and settled into the life of Mercy. One wonders how The Lord separates some of His children from troubles for a long portion of their lives when other of His children are seemingly required to face one problem after another for the bulk of their lives. An even greater question is "Why?"

Weeks melted into months, which melted into years, and before anyone realized it, it had been six years, since the children of Fairly Same, and one preacher, had disappeared in their sleep one night, turning the lives of the remaining adults quite upside down, but the past five and a half years of fulfilling lives on Mercy Island had been such a balm to the former residents of Fairly Same, that had nearly forgotten their major losses.

Governor Wisdom, on the other hand, had been monitoring the news, pertaining to outworlders. He had been particularly interested in the career of World Tech's Chairman of the Board, B. East. He was no longer, simply in charge of World Tech, but while maintaining that power position, He had ascended to the leadership of the World Council of Churches, and the new International Governmental Body, Global Governance. B. East bore many titles in addition to Chairman. He was now the Supreme Religio, Mundi Deo, and Mundi Rei. No one was allowed to have an opinion in public, except for those approved by this supreme ruler.

In six years he had solidified his power of 99% of the world, but that 1% holdout was starting to wear a hole in his psyche. "There has to be an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, that we haven't found, yet. FIND IT!," he screamed. Immediately a barrage of drones and small planes inundated the Atlantic Ocean in search of what they didn't realize was Mercy Island.

Governor Wisdom called a meeting of his top advisors to say, "We've got to stop our daytime activities. We'll have to become like deer and cats, operating at night."

Few can understand just what an engineering marvel Mercy Island really is. A series of mirrors is monitored and turned, albeit imperceptibly, at regular intervals during the day and night. Skilled men and women are charged with keeping the island hidden from prying eyes.

However, incognito has its price. Most of life has had to be lived in the valleys of Mercy Island where passing ships could never see those activities, due to the monitored grid. However, now, that fly-overs are a daily occurrence, life has had to change.

Translucent screens were immediately deployed to cover the crops from above. The herds of beef and dairy cattle, as well as the sheep, must now be exercised during the daytime in the underground caverns, which were seeded years ago with food grasses, and high-powered grow lamps, that burn for the same number of hours as daylight, and are then turned off to simulate nighttime.

The livestock are kept quite well in the caverns with springs, that flow through the entire pattern of caves.

Mercy is not receiving the punishment, that you actually deserve. However, when the world is in great tribulation, even those, who have received God's Mercy may find themselves in harm's way from time to time. This is a fallen world, and great tyrants are allowed to rule for the purpose of glorifying God, even in their wrath.

Beauregard East is no exception. This ruler wants to rule over everything. If he thinks he doesn't rule something, then he has the driving passion to find that thing and rule over it to the fullest degree possible. When Mr. Beauregard has no word of the location of his prize in three days, he demands one of his private jets to fly him over the length and breadth of the Atlantic Ocean for days at a time.

When He sees a desert island with grass, that is unnaturally green, he demands his pilot to land in a field of one of the valleys. The landing was by no means landing strip smooth, but the pilot landed without a crash.

Beauregard started a thorough search of the island on his own. "Something is fishy about this place. There are people here. I can feel it in my bones." As he crossed over to what looked to him like a cave entrance something unusual happened to Mercy Island. A storm of meteors the size of grapefruits started to hit the ground between Mr. B. East and the cave entrance. A cow-sized meteor narrowly missed his private jet, and the pilot frantically waved to him to return to the plane.

He ran to the plane screaming expletives at the sky. "We've got to take off immediately, Sir, or we may never be able to take off."

"Whatever. Just do it!" he screamed at his pilot and beat his fists into the sofa pillows.

"I don't think there's anything down there, Mr. East," the pilot said, "but those meteors got awfully close to us, today."

"I know that, Fool. Just leave me alone to think." Mr. Beauregard East sulked for the rest of the flight back to his governmental complex in Europe.

When the jet of the Mundi Rei was out of sight Governor Wisdom said to Bud, "I am quite sure my people understand why I installed a titanium outer shell on this island. These meteor hits didn't even dent the shell. Besides, the lightning rods, that I had installed to attract meteors miraculously scared away the King of the World (Mundi Rei,) and his pilot. Much longer of a search and he would have found our caverns. We must improve our defenses to insure, that he (and anyone, who works for him,) never gets that close, again."

"We will start on those new designs immediately, Governor Wisdom," said his Chamberlain.