CHAPTER ELEVIN
"The sacrifice I ask of you is time! Your time! All that we have
left you is time, and now we come to you and ask you to give us
that also. How cruel we must be to be kind!"
Pheadeknosses sat with her hands to her face and wept, while the
great hall sat silent. They daren�t speak or make a sound for
they were afraid. Afraid to miss one word that was spoken into
their minds by this woman from the Stars who held them in
horrible fascination. What was this sacrifice of time she wanted
from them? What did she mean by it?
This question was being asked all over the Earth as people sat in
tense silence waiting for words they dreaded to hear. What
greater penalties were to be extracted from them for their sins?
For no one doubted that at last the debts of humanities crimes
against itself were being totaled and the payment called.
At last the alian woman raised her head and looked out at the
people of Earth and spoke to them once more. This time the people
knew that she used no language of Earth for she never moved her
lips again in speach. That she was moved emotionally, and fought
to control her lips, they were aware of. Into their minds came
the words:
"If any race can be said to have a future in the stream of time
it is only possible through creation of the next new generations.
We have not taken away your future in that respect. It is still
there as strong as ever, only the physical continuance has been
removed. There will still be many on Earth whose lives will not
be changed by this in an emotional sense or even a physical one,
and yet we know the Earth will suffer in a total sense by what
has happened.
"No man or woman builds an Empire for a day. And yet Empires will
still be needed up to the end for people will still have to be
fed and clothed and housed and protected. No artist creates for
himself alone. But not to create is agony and dispair. There is
much that is done on earth that is only of the moment and need
not, nor cannot, stop. However, while you are adjusting to the
new values you must find for survival, much that is important
can or will be lost and so we ask you to stop and think: What
will be the childrens inheritance?
"A world destroyed by their parents? A world left barren of those
other forms of life that share the Earth with you? Do the
children come back to Earth in shame and sorrow at what is lost
to them or in pride?
"They will have no understanding of the racial strifes that tore
your world apart. They will not understand and sympathise with
your religious wars and conflicts. Nor will the children see the
reason for your economic woes. They do not need to know of these
things if you don�t wish them to. Or if they do; can you not
leave them with the knowledge that you had the strength to
overcome these things?
"It is up to you. We will not interfere in anything you do or
attempt to do on this planet until the last man or woman is left.
But know this one last truth. When all are gone, we will come in
advance of the chosen ones and make it a paradise from what is
left before they see it. We would rather say to them with pride
that; this was your home and those are your peoples gifts to
you.
"Can you sacrifice to your children all that is left to you
...your time? To spend it making this earth into a paradise
again?
"We know you can do it. We have shown you that you can break free
of the chains of the past if the need is great enough. We have
shown you that you can work together and put aside your
differences. I have looked into your thoughts and found you
crying out for love. If you would find that love, you must first
seek it within your own being. Your Messiah�s spoke to you of
this. Does it truly matter if the love and honour you seek comes
in this life time or comes after you are gone, in the hearts of
your children. We offer you glory for all time to come!
"We are leaving you now and will not disturb you again.
Only the Watchers will be left in this small system. You will be
allowed to send your probes or space craft to any place in this
Star�s statelite system if that is what you wish to continue
doing, for it is not inhabited by any other life forms that
belong to the race of man. Further than that your probes will not
be allowed to go. I have answered for you all the questions that
mattered and all the questions you have left that are important
to you can be answered by you if you think about them hard
enough."