IMAGINATION'S PLACE
FICTION
"WHAT IS THAT YOU WORSHIP?"
By; Gerald A. Polley
Ben Gerald Masad hurried into the little universal chapel at
the space port. The sun was setting and he had almost forgotten
about evening prayers. There was only one other person in the
chapel praying, a tall, gray Fallujian with dark red hair and
piercing green eyes. Ben took off the locket from around his
neck, hung it on the altar rail, took a towel out of his
backpack, spread it on the floor, got down and performed his
prayers. When he was done he put the locket back around his neck,
folded his towel, and was about to leave when the Fallujian spoke
up in very bad Spiritist.
"You are Hume? You are child of The Lords, child of
Spirit?"
"Yes," Ben answered. "How may I help you?"
"What is this you pray to?" the Fallujian asked,
pointing to Ben's locket. "We have nothing like this. We
carry no symbols, no signs of devotion. Explain to me, if not
offensive?"
"Of course not!" Ben answered. "We pray to Our
Beloved, Our Ancestors, Those Who Have Gone Before Us, and ask
Them to call upon The Bearers Of Light to guide and protect us. I
do not pray to the locket. The locket holds a relic, an artifact
from ages ago that has been handed down in my family for many
ages."
"What is it?" the Fallujian asked.
"A small piece of leather," Ben explained, "from
the sole of a slipper that once belonged to one of our greatest
Teachers. Ages ago one of my Ancestors was visiting him and asked
for some token to take home, and the religious Teacher said
"I have just been given a new pair of slippers. I wore these
old ones when I worked for Jesus and Muhammed. They are filled
with Their power. Take these!" My Ancestor took them. When
he died his two sons each inherited one of the slippers. When
they died their sons took the slippers apart and each family
member kept a piece. With each succeeding generation the pieces
were cut into smaller and smaller fragments until it was decided
they could not be cut any more. So the first born heir of each
family gets the relic."
The Fallujian looked wide eyed. "And you carry this about
with you?" he finally managed, "Such a treasure, such a
thing of wonder, something from a Bearer Of Light? I have heard
of this Jesus. I have heard of this Muhammed. Surely anyone that
worked with Them was a Great One, also! Did this one do many
wonders?"
"Many," Ben answered. "And each of these fragments
is said to bring wonders. Even a short time ago I was on a ship
that was attacked by Thuggins. We were in pretty desperate shape
when suddenly the weapons systems on both of the Thuggin ships
failed, and they had to break off the attack! All aboard believed
it was because I was there and had this relic!"
The Fallujian looked thoughtful. "Where you go?" he
asked.
"Oh, ours is a construction ship," Ben answered.
"We hire on to do building projects in any of the colonies
in the area."
"What is your ship's name?" The Fallujian asked.
"Arabian Construction," Ben answered. "If you'll
excuse me, sir, I have to get going. Things to arrange!"
"May all that is good be with you!" The Fallujian
saluted as Ben departed.
"Peace, prosperity!" Ben answered.
A couple of days later Ben's captain and a Speaker came to his
cabin. "You seem to have made a friend!" the captain
announced. "The Fallujians have been resisting us purchasing
a tenth of their homeworld for a colony for years, though they
have a completely uninhabited southern polar region which would
be excellent for us. They've suddenly announced they'll agree to
a colony, but only if you are that colony's governor!"
"What?" Ben gasped. "I'm no politician! I'm a
construction engineer! I like to build things!"
"Well, we really want this colony," The Speaker put in.
"If you give it a try for a while we would appreciate
it!"
Ben sighed. "Well, I guess so!' he replied. A few months
later the colony was going strong. One afternoon Ben went to the
Fallujian capitol summoned by the emperor! As he entered the
great hall a majestic man approached him in golden robes.
"Ah!" the emperor said in very poor Spiritist, "At
last you have come! It is almost sunset. Come to the altar. Lead
us in prayer! And afterwards my daughter would like to meet you.
She wonders about one that carries such a treasure!"
Ben suddenly recognized the man before him. "Yes, your
majesty!" he replied bowing. "It is very nice to see
you again!"
"I'm glad my last trip before taking office," the
emporer answered, "was so beneficial, so beneficial,
indeed!"
Ben returned his smile and led the prayers. The relic had worked
again in its usual, mysterious way!
THE END