The Adventures of Captain Marvel, Chapter Eleven: Valley of Death is now posted on http://johnpirilloauthor.blogspot.com/

The Shasta Caper, Chapter Forty-Four is now posted on http://johnpirilloauthor.blogspot.com/

Chapter Forty-Four

Samuel, Jimbo and Nanny couldn't believe what they were seeing. The two giants were walking them right up to a big church like structure, but without a cross, instead sporting a huge symbol that looked like a Nazi symbol.

"I don't like this." Jimbo whispered to Samuel.

"It's okay. Going the wrong direction." Samuel warned Jimbo.

Nanny looked over. "Believe me, if these guys had been Nazis, we wouldn't be talking about Hitler in the past tense."

Jimbo relaxed.

Meagol looked back at him and smiled. "You upper Earthers have no idea of the power of our symbol, do you?"

Jimbo said nothing.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Meagol said with a grin.

The path to the front doors was heavily laden with flowering rose bushes. The fragrance of the roses was so rich and pure, Samuel thought he had just walked into a perfume factory.

"How do you get these roses to be so fragrant?"

Darrell plucked a rose, then gave it to Nanny, who took it delightedly and wove it into her hair. She spun around. "Like it?"

Jimbo grinned.

"These flowers are special. They can sense love."

"Love?" Nanny asked, her eyes widening with curiosity.

"They are woven from the buds from above with a special essence that our Divine Brothers create during their meditations with the One."

"Oh God! More spiritual mumbo jumbo!" Jimbo hissed.

Darrell laughed. "Jimmy, you are probably one of the most spiritual people on your upper Earth and you talk like a man who doesn't believe in God."

"That's because I'm more of an in your face kind of guy. You put God in my face, then I'll believe Him."

Darrell shook his head, then gestured at the front doors of the building. They opened silently. 

"We must hurry now, they are ready for us."

The two giants entered first, leaving it up to Samuel, Nanny and Jimbo to follow on their own.

Jimbo looked at the brightly lit interior, so bright you couldn't see any details. "I hope they're not tricking us into going into some kind of tunnel of light."

Samuel bumped Jimbo. "Jimbo, you're not dead!"

"Sure feels like it sometimes. I still have a creak in my back from that horrible night on the cabin floor."

Nanny began rubbing his back.

Jimbo rolled his eyes with pleasure. "Man, you are blessed with the touch!"

Nanny gave him a hug from the back, then sprinted into the interior of the building.

Jimbo frowned. "Those women always get us into trouble, don't they, Sam."

"Usually you, not me."

Jimbo grinned. "Yeah. And you should thank God every day for all the troubles you're missing out 

on ."

Samuel patted his friend on the back. "Oh, I do. Believe me. I do."

Then he entered the lighted interior.

Jimbo stood there a moment, wondering if he had just been agreed with, or made fun of, then entered as well.

When Samuel entered the light, it felt as if every single cell in his body was being caressed by something so warm and gentle, that he almost felt as if he were a baby in his mother's arms again. For a brief moment he could see her face floating in the light, then it vanished, leaving him with a feeling of vast loneliness, and sadness, while at the same time feeling as if her love were surrounding him like a warm blanket.

When he looked back, Jimbo stood in the entrance, his huge frame shaking slightly. Tears were coming to his eyes. Samuel knew his friend had many feelings buried beneath that rugged exterior and didn't try to interfere with his friend's emotional moment.

"Is he okay?" Nanny asked from beside him.

"Are you?" Samuel asked, as he turned to look into her worried face.

"I don't know. It feels, somehow, as if we don't belong here, and yet as if we had been born here and should never have left."

"That's because these people are one with the One."

Nanny looked up into his eyes. "Like Jesus was."

"Is." Samuel corrected. "He never died...remember?"

"Oh. Right." 

Jimbo joined them, wiping at his eyes as he did. "Something in the air got into my eyes. So now what?"

Samuel turned back to look at the table of twelve seated to the back of the structure, in front of which Meagol and Darrell stood in two of the places. They turned to gesture at them.

"I think now what, is what next?" Samuel uttered, moving forward, taking in the view of the interior as he did.

The walls were made of some kind of substance that reflected light, and yet remained soft and pliant. A kind of living wood. The ceiling was very high and made of a similar substance, but it seemed to twitch every now and then, as if it were breathing.

There were benches on either side, just like in a church, but they weren't hard and uncomfortable like a church's might be. They weren't made to keep the visitor uncomfortable, but to help them relax and feel the love radiating around them. And the air was as thick with it as a watermelon is with water.

Meagol and Darrell gestured towards a bench that was before the table. It had comfortable and soft cushions placed on its surface. They sat down and the two giants did as well.

Then it was that Samuel could see the other ten seated. They were also giants, and about their heads were halos as bright as the sun. Only he could see them. He and Al and M, who were standing to his left and gazing at the giants with devotion.

The tallest of them, who also sat at the center of the table, rose and spread his arms wide. "Welcome to Agharta, Samuel. Jim. Nancy."

Jimbo looked over at Nanny and mouthed "Nancy."

She shook her head and mouthed. "Later."

Samuel stood up a moment and inclined his head. "We are honored to be here, Ancient One."

The tallest of them smiled broadly. "Your manners serve you well, mortal."

"And yours, you, honored Master."

The tallest one sat down.

Samuel looked to the others. "This is the man who began most of the legends of immortals."

Jimbo almost cried out in shock. "No!"

"Yup." Samuel said. "Methusaleh!"