Chapter Nine
It wasn’t instantaneous this time.
We traveled for what seemed like quite a while through what I could only describe as a corridor, though no earthly word truly fit what we were moving through. There were no walls, no ceiling, no floor. Yet somehow, we were traveling.
I didn’t mind.
In fact, I welcomed the journey.
I was looking forward to returning to the Place of Peace.
More than anything, I wanted to see the little creature I had fallen in love with. I still couldn’t describe it. It defied every earthly comparison. Yet the gentle melody it hummed seemed to lift my soul in a way no words could explain. It was as if heaven itself breathed through its song. I imagined that if angels played music before the throne of God, it would sound something like this.
I longed to sit once again upon the grass.
It wasn’t really grass.
It was softer than satin, perfectly groomed, alive in a way that earthly things never seemed to be. The breeze carried peace instead of wind. The trees seemed to welcome you. Even the sky possessed a beauty beyond description.
It was a place where silence spoke.
A place where nothing demanded your attention, yet everything invited your heart to rest.
Just as that thought crossed my mind…
We were there.
But something was different.
The Minister of Justice was already waiting beneath the great tree.
His scales no longer rested in his hands. They leaned quietly against the trunk as though they, too, had been set aside for a time.
He was no longer wearing the solemn robe I had first seen him in. Instead, he was dressed much like the Teacher.
Nearby sat the hammer that had once seemed so powerful in his grasp. It rested beside the stone upon which he was seated.
The lightning bolt lay across one of the tree’s broad branches.
For the first time, I saw these symbols of authority laid down.
Not discarded…
Simply resting.
My little friend was there.
The gentle melody had already begun before we arrived.
Only now it wasn’t alone.
Several other strange little creatures had gathered nearby. Each was unlike anything I had ever imagined, yet together they formed a harmony so peaceful that I found myself smiling before I even realized it.
The Minister of Justice laughed.
“Teacher… which creature do you like best?”
The Teacher smiled.
“Oh, that’s easy.”
He pointed toward one of the oddest little animals I had ever seen.
“This one.”
The creature slowly stood.
It had long, shaggy fur, a tail that swayed lazily behind it, and a short trunk that reminded me of a tiny elephant. It walked toward me without the slightest hesitation.
“Gently,” the Teacher said.
It pressed against my hand.
The moment I touched it, a warmth spread through my entire body.
Every burden…
Every fear…
Every ounce of tension simply melted away.
I couldn’t explain it.
It was as though peace itself could be felt.
The three of them exchanged knowing smiles.
Then the Minister of Justice looked at me with a grin that caught me completely off guard.
“Grab a seat, Marine.”
He paused.
“At ease.”
Then, with perfect timing, he added,
“Smoking lamps lit.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
No one reached for a cigarette.
No smoke filled the air.
But every Marine understands exactly what those words mean.
The work is finished—for now.
Sit down.
Relax.
Share the day.
For the first time since this extraordinary journey had begun, I wasn’t preparing for another lesson.
I was simply looking forward to spending time with my friends.