Book of Days_ A Novel - James L. Rubart [120]
"What does that mean?"
"As stunning as the earth can be, its current beauty is a shadow of its original splendor. God says the earth itself groans, longing to be restored to its original design. And one day it will be. There will be a new earth restored to its former glory. Far more beautiful than what man sees now."
"What does that have to do with the book?"
"Maybe it's my imagination, but I believe this place we're about to step into has retained much of that original design. At the very least, the presence of God is here in a way I've never sensed anywhere else."
Cameron gave a wry grin. "Should I expect a bush to start burning?"
Stone's eyes narrowed. "The ice has grown thin under your feet, Cameron. Be careful. God will not be mocked."
Cameron's face flushed. "I shouldn't have said that."
"Let it go."
"I'm sorry—"
"It's all right. Truly. He is a God of vast mercy. Vast forgiveness." Taylor smiled. "Let it go. He has."
Taylor pointed over Cameron's shoulder. "Do you see anything through the pines?"
He turned. "I see a rock wall on the other side of them."
"That's where we're going. Right through the rock."
He followed Taylor through the ten yards of trees and stopped just beyond them. Taylor motioned toward the wall. "What do you see now?"
"The same thing I saw a moment ago. A rock wall."
"That's what I see too, even if that's not what's there." He winked at Cameron. "Watch this." He took half steps up to the rock and then seemed to vanish. A moment later he was back. "Now that's an illusion worthy of David Copperfield. Are you ready to try? I'll be right behind you."
Cameron stepped forward till he was inches away from the wall.
"Step forward; trust me you'll be fine."
He took another step forward and laughed. His eyes said he was stepping through solid rock, when in reality he was stepping in between two narrow rocks so perfectly aligned and with colors that matched so precisely he couldn't tell where one ended and the other started.
He was in a thin path, between the rocks. The walls narrowed at the top creating the sensation of walking through a tunnel. Sunlight shone through the other end like a beacon.
When he exited the path he stumbled to a stop. A gasp escaped. The scene before him was staggering. They were in a small valley the size of two football fields. The jagged, snow-capped peaks surrounding them shot up at least a thousand feet on each side. Pine trees lined a crystal clear lake so still it was impossible to distinguish any difference between the real mountains and sky from their reflection in the water.
The silence during the moments of rest they'd taken on the climb up seemed like the roar of the ocean compared to this place. A sense of peace immersed him like an ocean wave, and Cameron took in long breaths, pushing his lungs to take in more of the mountain air than possible.
"This is . . . astonishing." Cameron turned to look at Taylor.
Stone shook his head and smiled wide. "I'd forgotten how beautiful it is."
Cameron glanced at the sky. "Is it me, or is the sun getting brighter? This whole valley is—"
"It's not the sun. Look." Taylor pointed across the lake to the far shore.
A circle of light the size of a pinecone hovered in the air over the water.
"What in the world . . . ?"
Taylor shrugged. "I'm not sure."
Even from fifty yards away it was so bright Cameron had to shield his eyes.
Through his fingers he watched the circle split and streak around the lake toward them, then split again and sprint toward the sky. And again and again till there were thousands of trails of light into and through and around each other till they filled the valley, arching over them and surrounding them like an ocean of light.
A roar like thunder exploded against his ears, and he covered them while at the same time holding his elbows up to his eyes in a vain attempt to block the increasing brilliance.
An instant later he lay facedown on the lake's shore, the light pressing him down and into his back, as if the weight of a thousand planets were on