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Sounds of Happiness
Sounds of Happiness
Sounds of Happiness
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Sounds of Happiness

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. In a loosely Christian based, allegorical fantasy, the author unfolds a drama which builds on a girl's out of the ordinary childhood experiences. The reader follows her through the surprises and revelations of life and love in two worlds.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 3, 2018
ISBN9781370955084
Sounds of Happiness
Author

George Thomson

George Thomson was born into a farming community in south eastern Queensland, Australia and continues to love the rural lifestyle. After spending a number of years on the farm, he trained in Theology and Counselling and is now retired and living on the bank of the Mary River, close to where he was born. In his spare time, (when he is not talking to his wife or fishing), he enjoys gardening, a bit of artwork, and some writing.

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    Sounds of Happiness - George Thomson

    Sounds of Happiness

    George Thomson

    Copyright George Thomson 2018

    Published by George Thomson

    Smashwords Edition

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    Chapter 1 - Dharwad

    Chapter 2 - Bailey

    Chapter 3 - Merrinda

    Chapter 4 - Daveed

    Chapter 5 - The Big Guy

    Chapter 6 - Growing Awareness

    Chapter 7 - Orientation

    Chapter 8 - Interlude

    Chapter 9 - The Wall

    Chapter 10 - Village of Livvon

    Chapter 11 - The Palace of Learning

    Chapter 12 - The Storyteller

    Chapter 13 - The Child

    Chapter 14 - Immanuel

    Chapter 15 - Richie

    Chapter 16 - Bastikuff

    Chapter 17Establishment

    Chapter 18 - The King

    Chapter 19 - United

    About the Author

    Map

    Chapter 1 - DHARWAD

    Dharwad loved walking. He forced himself to slow down and savoured the feel of the grass under his feet as he made his way home. He wanted to prolong the anticipation of his reunion with Bailey for as long as possible. This was the best day of his life. He had been separated from his wife, Bailey, for five weeks while he attended to business in the Royal Compound. But now, over and over as he walked, he was anticipating the moment when he would see the lift of joy that would flood her face when he told her his news. He knew her reactions better than his own. First, the corners of her mouth would twist into the hint of a smile, then the contours of her face would change, beaming with delight, and finally her eyes would light in an overflow of joy. He anticipated the moment when she would throw herself into his arms and they would dance for a moment in shared delight. The scene played over and over in his mind as he anticipated his arrival. After ten years of marriage, he loved her more than he had the day he had first asked her to be his wife. She seemed to grow more beautiful every day. As he pondered this he realised that everything in the kingdom of Immanuel had become more beautiful as the years went by.

    As he turned into the entrance to his home he felt something change within him. He paused for a moment to analyse what was happening. In the quietness, he heard a re-play of the voice of King Immanuel as he talked about the changes that were about to happen in his life and the life of his family. The words were as clear as they had been just yesterday when he was face to face with the King. As you begin to work from the palace of the King you will be given special abilities to enable you to do your work efficiently. Treasure these gifts. Use them only in my service and never for selfish gain. He pondered the words for a moment. Was this awareness that he felt rising within him a part of this gift which had been promised? He was certainly experiencing something different from anything he had ever experienced before, a strong awareness that something was wrong. He knew that this was something that was coming to him from outside of his normal mental processes.

    Now that he had identified the source of what was happening within him, the awareness became absolute certainty. He knew that Bailey was in pain. He took hold of the anticipation of reunion that he had been savouring and put it into submission. He would husband his wife with love. The sharing of his news must wait.

    Inside, Bailey had been waiting impatiently for his arrival and her emotions were overpowering her reason. As she approached the door to let him in, her anger rose to the surface. Why could he not have used instatravel to come home to her when her need was so great? One small part of her knew she was being unreasonable, but anger was easier to cope with than the fear she felt for the safety of their daughter, Merrinda.

    When the door opened in front of him, Dharwad was faced with a wife he had never seen before. The intensity of what was before him frightened him. He knew that if he had not been given that gift of foreknowledge he would not have been able to cope with the situation. He was confronted by a wife who hated him. What he knew in his heart contradicted what he saw, so he acted on the knowledge that was within him. As the first words of anger left her mouth he took her tightly into his arms and murmured into her ear, soft words of love and concern.

    Chapter2 - BAILEY

    At first, Bailey fought against the comfort her husband was offering, but gradually the murmur of his voice and the comfort of his arms created enough safety for her to let go of the cover of anger she was protecting herself with. As she let go, the fear began to subside and she slowly returned to being the rational, self-contained person whom Dharwad loved. It was not that she had no fear left. She still knew that Merrinda was in danger, but she also knew that she could trust the Great One and his messenger Alias, to protect her. As she relaxed she began to tell Dharwad what had happened during the morning.

    Was it really only this morning that she had stood at the window, looking out into the garden? The scene outside had been so peaceful. It had brought joy to her heart. She had been so happy as she watched Merrinda her daughter playing, that it was almost too much to bear. Added to the pleasure she experienced, was the anticipation of the reunion which would take place later in the day. Dharwad, her husband, would be home. She looked forward to hearing what he had to say about the last few days he had spent away.

    He had been given great honour by being sent on the mission from which he was now returning. It took him a step closer to being a part of the royal household. There could be no greater honour than that. She was immensely proud of him.

    With all these thoughts going through her mind she continued to watch the scene outside. Her daughter was playing contentedly under the trees. What a joy that girl was. Merrinda was just nine years old. Bailey watched, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen, able to experience her joy without hindrance.

    Merrinda was chatting away to Bear as if he could understand every word she said and every now and then the dog would wander over and join the conversation. She thought back to her own childhood and remembered doing exactly what Merrinda was doing now. Bear had been hers then, only the dog was different.

    Just then a tremor ran through the house. She turned and looked at the display cabinet which contained her most precious and fragile possessions. Nothing had moved.

    The tremor had been so slight that she had no fear for Merrinda. She returned her gaze to the scene outside and froze in shock. Merrinda had gone. What she saw did not make sense. She knew that what she was seeing was impossible but that did not alter the fact. Merrinda was gone. Then she realised that Bear and the dog had gone too. She let out a long piercing scream, followed immediately by another scream that ended in a sob. Her whole being cried out, No!

    She stood in shock, unable to move. Then, in the midst of her distress, she heard a voice. It said just one word, Bailey.

    She knew that voice. It was a voice from her past. Turning, she recognised her friend, Alias. He was one friend she knew she could trust. He came to her now, sat beside her and said, Will you trust me with your fears?

    She relaxed a little. His voice instilled calm into her troubled spirit. He had authority to work miracles. He was a messenger of the Great One.

    He said, Bailey, did you feel the tremor?

    Yes.

    Did you feel it with your feet? Did anything move or rattle?

    She thought for a moment and said, No, nothing moved. The tremor was in the air. Then memories of her own childhood came flooding back. You mean it was the shimmering?

    Alias nodded.

    She was thrown back into childhood with a vivid recollection of how she and her dog, Duncan, along with Bear, had been taken on that first journey into the unknown. As she recalled those events, excitement and fear fought for supremacy within her. Turning to Alias, she said, Please watch over her. There is so much danger.

    Alias looked at her and smiled. She knew what he was thinking. She remembered the intensity of her own excitement as she had travelled in the shimmering when she was Merrinda's age. She could not deny her daughter an experience like that. She gave Alias a nod of approval and was immediately lost again in her own memories, but the fear remained.

    Dharwad listened as his wife told her story, his only comment being the assurance of his presence. His own concern for his daughter's safety was growing. He recalled all that Bailey had told him about the times when she had been taken to other places in the shimmering. He was sure that she had never been away for as long as Merrinda had.

    He asked, When was she taken?

    I was just about to get myself a morning coffee.

    It didn't take much calculation. So, she has been gone about ten hours. Were you ever away that long?

    Bailey thought for a moment, then said, I can't have been. I always went after I had gone to bed and returned before morning. My parents never knew that anything had happened. I was always in bed, asleep, when they woke. Dharwad was heavy with the weight of responsibility. He decided to act. I will go immediately to the palace. I have an unconditional pass and can use instatravel to go and to return. Immanuel may have some answers. In any case, he needs to know what is happening in his kingdom. Before he left, he would look again in Merrinda's room to make sure there were no clues as to her whereabouts. When he reached the door, he knew that there was a clue, a big one. It was so unexpected that he took a while to believe what he was seeing. Bear was propped up in the corner of the room in his usual spot and, sleeping at the foot of the bed was that bundle of fur, energy and intelligence that they had named Fella, but was commonly called the dog. He felt tears stinging his eyes as he took in the scene. Snuggled under the blankets, lying peacefully asleep, was that small bundle of delight whose face reflected a mixture of features that could only have come from Bailey and himself. Merrinda was home, safe, and soundly asleep.

    He motioned to his wife, and with a shushing motion asked her to come. They stood together for a moment watching and wondering at the depth of their love for this small bundle of life which they had produced. Then, they left to fix a long-delayed and improvised meal before retiring to bed. Tomorrow, they would talk.

    Chapter3 - MERRINDA

    The next day when Bailey had almost finished cooking breakfast and Dharwad was seated at the table, Merrinda walked into the room. They had decided to talk with her quietly when they were relaxed and satisfied after eating, but one look at Merrinda as she walked into the room made the situation more urgent. Perhaps a stranger would not have noticed anything amiss, but to her parents, everything about her shouted that she was in distress.

    The next moment, even a stranger would have known something was wrong. She did not eat. Instead, she threw her fork onto the table, put her head between her arms with her face against the table-top and sobbed out just one word, Mummy. Lifting her head ever so slightly, she said again, Mummy, do lions really kill things? That one word, 'mummy', struck Dharwad to the core. All the love in his heart came to the fore. He had not heard her use that diminutive form of 'mum' for at least two years. He got to his feet, and scooping her into his arms said, Come, we will all sit together in the big chair and talk about it. And that is what they did.

    The big chair was a sofa at the end of the kitchen, close to the warmth of the fire. It was where they sat together for story times and games. It was the best place in the house.

    She snuggled against her mother and repeated, Mum, do lions kill things? This time, there was less distress in her voice and more curiosity. It was Dharwad who answered. You have no need to fear lions or any other animal. But, yes, there was a time when they were fierce and to be feared, but that all changed when Immanuel came to us and established his kingdom. Now all animals are at peace, as are all people. He stopped and thought for a while to decide how to explain the inexplicable. I don't know exactly how it all happened, but I think it was something like this. Way back in the beginning everything was perfect and there was no fear of any animal harming us. Then the first man disobeyed the Great One and a curse came upon the earth. The Great One exiled man from the garden where everything was perfect and all the productive plants grew, and he set guards so neither they nor the animals could go back in. That garden was the place where all the dapiboska plants grew and, because they were locked out, they could not eat the dapti any more. There was no other suitable source of protein to build the muscle structure of the bodies of the animals that needed it most. Soon, many of the animals began to attack and devour each other so they could continue to live. It continued that way until Immanuel came and the dapiboska was re-established in the land. There is nothing to fear from any animal now. It did not take Merrinda long to realise that she must have been taken to a time somewhere in the past, sometime before Immanuel's kingdom had been established.

    Dharwad told her that when her mother was about her age she had also been taken on journeys into the past and experienced things that later helped her to understand many things in life. Mum will talk to you about some of that later, but now we would like to hear what happened to you.

    Chapter 4 - DAVEED

    Daveed was about two days travel from home, more when travelling with the sheep. He had been given the task of caring for the sheep. This ensured that, as the youngest of the eight boys in the family, he would always have a position of usefulness and importance, even without any other inheritance. Fortunately for him, he loved this work. Alone in the hills, he had time to himself. He enjoyed the bond between himself and his sheep. They knew the sound of his voice, whether raised in anger, shrill with urgency or murmuring soft encouragement. They always responded to him as leader of the flock. They knew the sound of his voice as he sang his love songs. Sometimes these songs were of a woman, sometimes they were directed toward his God, the Great One who made the heavens and the earth. The sheep knew the sound of his flute as he played haunting music which echoed back from the mountains. They never strayed far from that music. It spoke to them of safety and the provision of food.

    This day was bright and sunny and the flock was quiet but, in spite of the tranquillity, Daveed was not at peace. He sang only enough for the flock to know where he was. He was gripped by a sense of unease, almost as if he was in the midst of a battlefield, sensing imminent danger. Perhaps this was because he had been practicing his fighting skills. One day he would be a slinger, fighting alongside his brothers in the army of the king. Already, here in the fields, he had developed remarkable skills. A shepherd needed such skills and a sling was a weapon easily carried. He had just taken the top off a thistle plant at a range of about thirty metres. Perhaps it was these thoughts of armed combat which engendered his feelings of being in danger, but he remained alert. He knew that sometimes the spirit senses what the body cannot see. It would be shame beyond bearing to lose even one of his father's sheep to a predator. In the midst of these thoughts he was totally unaware that he was being watched.

    Standing on the top of a rock which formed a part of an outcrop on the hillside, was a young girl of about nine years of age. She could not have come across the pasture. If she had, he would have seen her. She had simply appeared. This is where the shimmering which had taken her from her play with Bear and Fella had deposited her. She had never felt so alone. On the way, a man, who had called himself Alias, had taken the dog and the bear from her and promised to keep them safe until she was ready to return. She had not liked that but was powerless to do anything but leave them with him. However, she had no time to feel her loss. She was engrossed in what she was seeing. This man's skill was remarkable. She had watched him run, in much the same way as she had often seen her father do when he bowled for the Palace Eleven on the cricket field. But this man had not held the missile he had thrown in his hand. He had placed it in a leather pouch attached to a couple of cords of some twine-like material, all of which he had produced from within his belt. His running action had ended with a throwing motion, not unlike what she had seen her father use on the cricket field. Then, the flower had come flying off the top of the thistle plant about thirty metres beyond where he had been standing. She was sure that her father would be interested to learn a technique which could produce such results.

    Daveed had not yet seen Merrinda, but he had noticed something else. The sheep were restless, with every head turned in the same direction, watching something just over the brow of the hill. Like him, they too had sensed danger. He moved toward the flock, and then he saw it, a tawney, yellow shape crouched low to the ground, making its way stealthily toward the sheep. He had never seen a lion in these parts before but there was no doubt about what it was. He was instantly the warrior he had been training himself to be. He would protect the flock at any cost. He knew that he must get between the sheep and the predator. He must move quickly; the sheep were already restless and close to panic. If they took flight and scattered, the enemy would immediately go after the weakest and the end would be inevitable. If that occurred, even he could not move fast enough to save the situation. He paused and blew three sharp notes on his flute, each note the same, each note shrill and distinctive. The effect was immediate. The sheep clustered together and stood still. This was their signal to stand. They had been trained for just such a situation.

    Merrinda stood on the rock observing all that was happening. She had no fear. In her world, all the animals lived happily together, each eating its own preferred vegetation. She was puzzled. There was something strange about this lion. If she didn't know better she would have said, something evil. Instinctively, she reached out to the Great One for understanding. She was surprised at the lack of response. At home, in the kingdom of Immanuel, the Great One was always available. Here, it was different. She had to concentrate hard to sense his presence at all. What she found was fragmented and hard to understand, but she knew enough to realise that she must remain quiet and still. She was in some kind of danger. She watched the man make his way between the lion and the sheep.

    Daveed knew that he had now positioned himself exactly where he wanted to be. When he looked up, he saw the girl, standing on the rock a short distance away. This changed everything. Driving off the predator. was no longer an option. It would have to be killed. There was now a child to protect as well as his father's flock.

    As Merrinda watched, the silence was shattered. The voice that shattered the silence was deep and loud, so full of authority that she would not have been surprised if the ground had opened up and swallowed the beast he seemed so determined to destroy, but no such miracle happened, just the voice of the man ringing through the hills. You, beast and enemy of all that lives, I come against you in the power of the Great One, creator of all things and God of this nation. I bring you death. He was approaching it now with that same bowling run-up motion that she had seen when he took the top off the thistle plant. He had the full attention of the lion now. It was crouched low, facing him, ready to leap. He was now about twenty paces from it. Merrinda did not see the stone leave the sling. As he swung the sling, the lion let out its own roar of challenge. But before the roar could echo back from the hills it was silenced in a choking sound as a rock about the size of a cricket ball struck the back of its throat at a velocity of over two hundred kilometres per hour. The lion staggered and fell with blood dripping from its mouth.

    The man had not stopped running. Horrified as she was by what she was seeing, Merrinda could not help but be fascinated. She continued to watch as, without a pause, he released the rod which was strapped to his side. You would not

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