Chapter 122

122
THE WATERGATE HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D.C.

General Tower's mood had become split, in a sense, when he was informed of the plans to move to the ranch. A mere hundred-eighty miles distance represented endless details and arrangements for the Secret Service and the Marines, not to mention the uprooting of the rather extensive operations center and its people. Along side of this irritation at the disruption of everything he had carefully organized during Jesus' stay at the Watergate, was actually relief for the Brazilians. City life, especially one which had been as limited as theirs had been, was weighing heavily on the pair. Their whole frame of reference, with the exception of just the last few months, had been life on an isolated island.

When he received his wedding invitation, his first strong inclination was to cite military regulations. There were, after all, channels to go through for an enlisted Marine to receive permission to marry, especially when the groom was a foreign national. At first he had decided to refuse the permission based on the fact that the couple had only known each other for a short time, and second, because his experience made him suspicious of Corporal Ramsey's sincerity where so much money was involved. Juan Gemarro was a very wealthy man.

He called Jesus to arrange for Him to translate the interview. "It is necessary for me to talk with the couple to satisfy myself that the interests of the Marine Corps and both parties will be served by such a marriage, Sir. I am sorry to say that very often such joinings have less than wonderful results. I have seen many heartbreaking examples when lonely young Marines have married while on station around the world, only to find that cultural differences make a happy marriage impossible. Surely, You understand my caution."

"Perhaps, if you have time, General, you might come up for a cup of coffee and a more personal conversation. I find the telephone awkward for talk which should be done face to face." Jesus protested.

The General was at the door in moments. Jesus could see that the move was taking its toll on the man's energy. Now this had come up to further complicate things. "Please come in. Sit down. They just brought a nice fresh pot of coffee. I'll get you a cup." Jesus made small talk.

"It does seem that everything is happening at once. Why have they made this plan on such a short notice? Do You know?" Tower asked.

Jesus chuckled. "I know only that love's timetable is set by its own rules. I will respect this wonderful development by not trying to second guess anything about it. Have you forgotten that sometimes love is innocent and pure? That sometimes it really is just as a fairy tale?" Jesus asked the now perturbed General.

"It might be like that, but my experience has been that. . ." the General responded.

Jesus broke in, still laughing, "I think that all your experience means is that you have experienced the wrong things! Every man needs to have the idea of love for something or someone in his heart as he lives his life. Can something like that slip away? How could anyone choose such a life after having ever experienced the fullness of knowing love each moment? What can be so valuable that you have forsaken love in favor of it?" Jesus asked as if telling a joke.

"Why am I suddenly so reassured about this? I suppose I haven't thought about love, just as You mentioned. I probably haven't thought about it for a long time. I realize that this is true not because I am a Marine General, either. There is no occupation which is mutually exclusive to this fundamental human quality." Tower was pensive.

"You have seen that I allow no harm from My presence. I have those orders from well up the ladder, so to speak, along with strong reassurances that I will be able to correct whatever mistakes I cause as I go along. You accompanied Me at the hospital with Corporal Scott, for example." Jesus looked squarely into the older man's eyes to be certain that he understood how important this was. "Well, I pledge to you that this will be a long happy marriage and that no harm will come as a result of it, not to Nicole, Juan, their children or even Beatrice. In fact, I can assure you that this marriage will greatly add to the happiness of the world!"

"After Your, ah, conversation with President Haskill, I'm sure that there will be no interference with this request at higher levels. I appreciate that You have allowed me to make this decision without Your interference in my thoughts. You didn't interfere, did You?" General Tower inquired suspiciously.

"No, this decision was truly your own. I have tried to influence your thoughts in the past, but only in a very direct and obvious way. Now, you are influenced only by your perception of your own memories of My influence." Jesus reassured the General.

Tower agreed that he had given approval, but was uncertain just when and how in the conversation. In any event he didn't regret it. "I suppose I should be thinking of some kind of wedding gift. Also, I should make my appearance a brief one. Those Marines will never be able to get comfortable while I am in the room."

"That is probably true. In any event it is very considerate of you to think of such a thing, a general officer concerned about the affairs of six enlisted Marines. I think I perceive a subtle shift in your thinking from when we first met, General." Jesus spoke good naturedly, almost teasingly.

"I know I have had a shift in my thinking, Sir. It has been anything but subtle. The more I am around You, the more I feel like Corporal Scott as he was whisked away from the morgue." General Tower always spoke bluntly.

"Do you mean that you feel as if you have come back to life?" Jesus asked.

"Well, things haven't come that far yet. No, what I mean is that more and more often I don't want to be a Marine General anymore. I don't want to be a Marine at all. I certainly don't want to do any more fighting." the General confessed.

"That is a small victory, but a very sweet one, General. I'm certain that you are aware that My feelings toward you are as toward a close friend, a close friend to whom both Juan and Myself owe a great deal. Try to have a good time tonight. That will make everyone more comfortable." Jesus said. "We're having a rather elaborate buffet prepared by the Secret Service so I'd show up hungry if I were you."

Unlike General Tower, Secret Service Agent Barnes, that constant watchdog and nervous guardian from the hallway outside the penthouse, had agreed to attend with little resistance, probably under the orders of his superiors. Jesus had reassured him that everyone would be wearing about what they always wore and that any gift should be very modest.

As usual the Treasury Agent seemed to be crawling out of his skin in the presence of Jesus. "Agent Barnes, I am very happy that you will be able to join us. Juan specifically asked that you attend because you have, in a sense, become like family to us. We see each other every day almost, and both he and I find it very comforting to know that you are nearby."

"I would normally be on duty at that hour, Sir, but my superior has given me the go-ahead. Rest assured that another agent will take my place here in the hallway. That will occur soon, in fact. I am going to slip downstairs to the gift shop to get a wedding present, but I will be here at seven for the ceremony." These represented more words than the agent had spoken in the whole time he had been on duty at the penthouse.

"We'll be glad to see you, Agent Barnes. We're serving a nice dinner for the guests." Jesus was totally casual in hopes of calming the man a little.

In the penthouse, the entire staff of the military affairs office was making what paltry preparations were necessary. Nicole had decided to be married in her Class A uniform, leading all the others to the same easy decision. Although dress and arrangements were spare, the excitement of the event was contagious. An hour before the ceremony, Jesus found Himself happily consumed with translations of every kind of bachelor joke and comedic crack known to the United States Marine Corps. Juan frankly failed to understand many of these things, but he laughed, then roared good naturedly. For him it was very much the thought that counted.

Nicole had at first attempted to be a nervous bride, but as the time drew near she more and more acknowledged her honest lustiness toward her soon to be husband. Nicole, it turned out, was not one to blush without orders.

At seven o'clock sharp the General appeared, wedding gift in hand. As predicted the room quieted a little then miraculously seemed to spring back to life. "Congratulations Corporal! And congratulations to you too, Juan. You've chosen well. There's nothing better than a Marine for a wife!" Tower laughed. His good humor was almost shocking.

"Welcome to our home, General." Juan answered in uncertain English.

General Tower smiled kindly, stepped across the room and patted the Brazilian on the back heartily. Actions told more than words.

At this moment Beatrice joined the conversation with "GENERAL TOWER! GENERAL TOWER! MY NAME IS BEATRICE! I LIVE HERE!"

The comment cast the whole room once again into a comfortable laughter.

Mark Stentson spoke up, uncertain of his proper protocol in the presence of the General, "Now we just need Agent Barnes and we can commence."

"Oh, it slipped my mind. Agent Barnes will not be able to attend. He was called away for a family emergency just a few minutes before I came up. We'll have to go on without him." General Tower said. He failed to understand why the Secret Service Agent had been included in the wedding party in the first place.

Suddenly Jesus was paying complete attention to the General. "What has happened?" He asked.

"His little girl pulled a boiling pan off the stove. He told me that she was very badly burned. The worst news is that she is permanently blinded. His wife was with her at Bethesda when he got the call." General Tower still seemed somehow uninvolved with the news.

"That's where he has gone?" Jesus asked.

"Yes, but it will take him a while to get there through the traffic. The Bethesda Naval Hospital is as good as they come. It's famous all over the world for excellent care, but, of course, they can only do so much. The child is in God's hands now." the old Marine tried to soften the news so as not to dampen the festive atmosphere.

"Perhaps not, General. Or, shall We say perhaps more directly than you think." answered Jesus slowly.

"I'm not sure I understand what You mean, Sir." Tower commented.

"First of all, please try to call Me Jesus, at least for tonight. That will help you fit in a little better around everyone else who is calling Me Jesus. Next, we'll delay the wedding until Agent Barnes and his family can join us. You and I are going to Bethesda in your helicopter. Right away. Can you help out with all of that?" Jesus presumed the General's cooperation.

"Oh. It's that again. I know better than to say no. I'll order the helicopter immediately. Give me fifteen minutes." Tower said, already putting on his hat and heading for the door.

"Everyone try to stay in a joyful mood. The General and I should be back in half an hour or so." Jesus said as he followed the Marine out the door.

Airborne, the two men sat in silence for a minute or so. The trip to the Naval Hospital would be a short one, ten minutes at most. Finally General Tower spoke, "This won't be a repeat of the Corporal Scott incident. I made arrangements for Naval Security to meet us on the chopper pad and get us right inside -- no rude nurses, no scuffles with the police. I need to know what You will require, physical contact or what."

"I can't really say until we get there, but I'll know when the time comes." Jesus answered.

"Doesn't it make You nervous, not knowing the details until You hit the ground?" The General asked.

Jesus laughed. "From the moment you told us what had happened, I was completely certain that the situation would be corrected. I have great faith in My, ah, 'Superior' Officer. In a sense I don't receive orders as much as an abiding understanding that what is willed will occur. It is almost as if I received direction in the past tense, as if things were already accomplished. How could I be nervous about some sort of details here and there when that is the case?"

"I think I see what You mean. In any event, that's the hospital right over there. We're already cleared to land." General Tower leaned back to rest for a few moments.

The Security team met them at the helipad and led both General Tower and Jesus quickly through the sprawling hospital. Finally they all arrived at a small waiting room where Agent Barnes sat dejectedly. "Hello." he said weakly.

"How's is your little girl?" Jesus asked directly.

"She's not doing too well. She's back in surgery right now. They've given up on her eyes, but her face and head are burned very badly. My wife is in the chapel." Barnes answered with a distance in his voice. He was very tired. Tired in a way that only parents know.

Tower looked at Jesus. "I'm not sure we can get You into surgery."

"It's just behind this wall. This will be close enough, General." Jesus answered quietly.

"Are You going to do it?" Tower asked.

"It's already done. I hope the good doctor realizes what's happened before he cuts any more." Jesus stated as if nothing had happened. Then, speaking to Agent Barnes, "I think things have taken a turn for the better with Alissa, Agent Barnes. I think your whole family should come to the wedding this evening. Perhaps it will be a way to put this awful affair behind you a little. Go and collect your wife. Alissa will be out in a moment and we can all return to the Watergate in General Tower's helicopter."

At this moment Allissa came running out of the operating room trailing every sort of nurse and doctor, all urging her to be careful. "Daddy! Daddy! I think they fixed everything! I feel wonderful. I'm not sick at all! Where's Mommy?" the little girl rattled off question after question faster than Agent Barnes could answer.

His response was to grab the girl, look her over and then hold her tightly in a loving embrace. He looked at Jesus, saying nothing for a few minutes, then "Thank you, Sir. All the times I stood outside the penthouse, I didn't believe, I mean, I didn't know what to believe. How can I tell You? I mean..."

The surgeon appeared, smiling but with a puzzled look just the same. "Mr. Barnes, your daughter is fine. I'm not sure what happened, but it wasn't anything we did. In fact the stitches we put in her are just laying on the gurney. The incision I was making just healed up behind the scalpel. Her eyes are perfectly healthy -- she can see fine. I'm releasing her from the hospital, although we will want to see her back in a couple of days to see how she's doing."

"Thank you very much doctor. I know you did a lot of work to help her." Barnes told the man nervously.

The surgeon faced Jesus. "Normally, I would be pretty upset if someone were to intervene during surgery, but I know what happened. I am a member of the UCFC. We studied the miracle of Collin Scott. I just want to say that I am honored to have had the opportunity to witness what I saw in there. I don't know what to think, standing here in Your presence. Perhaps I wish that I had something to take back to the others." The man kept edging closer and closer to Jesus, a situation that did not escape General Tower's notice.

Suddenly a scalpel appeared from the doctor's surgery gown. The General lunged between the blade and Jesus Robeles. As fast as light, Jesus had the man's arm in a vise like grip, but not before the instrument had sliced a six inch long gash in the General's side. Agent Barnes separated Jesus from the melee, protecting Him with his own body as two of the Navy Intelligence operatives dragged the man to the floor. Jesus was immediately moved to another room along with Alissa who was frightened and crying.

Jesus could see the surgeon, as if he were possessed, writhing wildly on the floor in the next room. He asked Alissa if she would like to sit on His lap for a little. Instantly she was calm and happy, oblivious to what was happening next door.

The surgeon kept screaming over and over. "The child is soiled! She is unclean with the work of SATAN! She must be killed to save her immortal soul! She must be killed!"

Jesus sat Allissa down in the chair next to His and walked over to the door. Emergency room technicians were attempting to remove General Tower's dress uniform to reach the wound. When the General saw Jesus, he gruffly ordered them away, saying under his breath, "Can You help me, Sir?"

Jesus laughed. "Only if you call Me by my right name. I am Jesus!"

Tower actually laughed himself, which was a bit of an accomplishment through the pain. "Of course. Jesus."

As he said those words, he looked down at the blood stained shirt. There was no wound or scar below that stain, just a cut in the fabric and an area red with blood. The emergency room technicians were ordered out of the room, but they had clearly seen what happened.

The General braced himself on the seat of a near by chair and regained his feet. "That's amazing! I feel as though I had never been wounded! Thank You, Jesus!"

"I think we should collect Agent Barnes and his wife and Allissa and you and get on the helicopter before something else happens to delay Juan and Nicole's marriage! I don't want to presume too much, but they were already having trouble waiting when we left!" Jesus laughed. So did General Tower.

As he dressed, the General ran his finger along the tear made by the scalpel, examining it with respect to the possibility of repairs.

"I don't do mending of that sort. It's too complicated. You'll have to take it to a tailor!" Jesus joked. Tower roared.

Doris Barnes was uncertain about everything based on the account of events when she returned from the chapel. She was, of course, grateful, yet quite stand offish when it came to Jesus. She seemed shocked at the prospects of leaving the hospital on board a Marine helicopter to attend a wedding celebration so quickly after her daughter's disastrous afternoon. She slowly warmed to the idea at the urging of her husband. Allissa was, naturally, completely prepared to leave in an instant. She remembered the events of the day, including the surgeon, but with her childish innocence placed all of it behind her as simply another memory.

With all their various thoughts, the party boarded General Tower's helicopter as it made its way the short distance back to Watergate.

General Tower's mood had become split, in a sense, when he was informed of the plans to move to the ranch. A mere hundred-eighty miles distance represented endless details and arrangements for the Secret Service and the Marines, not to mention the uprooting of the rather extensive operations center and its people. Along side of this irritation at the disruption of everything he had carefully organized during Jesus' stay at the Watergate, was actually relief for the Brazilians. City life, especially one which had been as limited as theirs had been, was weighing heavily on the pair. Their whole frame of reference, with the exception of just the last few months, had been life on an isolated island.

When he received his wedding invitation, his first strong inclination was to cite military regulations. There were, after all, channels to go through for an enlisted Marine to receive permission to marry, especially when the groom was a foreign national. At first he had decided to refuse the permission based on the fact that the couple had only known each other for a short time, and second, because his experience made him suspicious of Corporal Ramsey's sincerity where so much money was involved. Juan Gemarro was a very wealthy man.

He called Jesus to arrange for Him to translate the interview. "It is necessary for me to talk with the couple to satisfy myself that the interests of the Marine Corps and both parties will be served by such a marriage, Sir. I am sorry to say that very often such joinings have less than wonderful results. I have seen many heartbreaking examples when lonely young Marines have married while on station around the world, only to find that cultural differences make a happy marriage impossible. Surely, You understand my caution."

"Perhaps, if you have time, General, you might come up for a cup of coffee and a more personal conversation. I find the telephone awkward for talk which should be done face to face." Jesus protested.

The General was at the door in moments. Jesus could see that the move was taking its toll on the man's energy. Now this had come up to further complicate things. "Please come in. Sit down. They just brought a nice fresh pot of coffee. I'll get you a cup." Jesus made small talk.

"It does seem that everything is happening at once. Why have they made this plan on such a short notice? Do You know?" Tower asked.

Jesus chuckled. "I know only that love's timetable is set by its own rules. I will respect this wonderful development by not trying to second guess anything about it. Have you forgotten that sometimes love is innocent and pure? That sometimes it really is just as a fairy tale?" Jesus asked the now perturbed General.

"It might be like that, but my experience has been that. . ." the General responded.

Jesus broke in, still laughing, "I think that all your experience means is that you have experienced the wrong things! Every man needs to have the idea of love for something or someone in his heart as he lives his life. Can something like that slip away? How could anyone choose such a life after having ever experienced the fullness of knowing love each moment? What can be so valuable that you have forsaken love in favor of it?" Jesus asked as if telling a joke.

"Why am I suddenly so reassured about this? I suppose I haven't thought about love, just as You mentioned. I probably haven't thought about it for a long time. I realize that this is true not because I am a Marine General, either. There is no occupation which is mutually exclusive to this fundamental human quality." Tower was pensive.

"You have seen that I allow no harm from My presence. I have those orders from well up the ladder, so to speak, along with strong reassurances that I will be able to correct whatever mistakes I cause as I go along. You accompanied Me at the hospital with Corporal Scott, for example." Jesus looked squarely into the older man's eyes to be certain that he understood how important this was. "Well, I pledge to you that this will be a long happy marriage and that no harm will come as a result of it, not to Nicole, Juan, their children or even Beatrice. In fact, I can assure you that this marriage will greatly add to the happiness of the world!"

"After Your, ah, conversation with President Haskill, I'm sure that there will be no interference with this request at higher levels. I appreciate that You have allowed me to make this decision without Your interference in my thoughts. You didn't interfere, did You?" General Tower inquired suspiciously.

"No, this decision was truly your own. I have tried to influence your thoughts in the past, but only in a very direct and obvious way. Now, you are influenced only by your perception of your own memories of My influence." Jesus reassured the General.

Tower agreed that he had given approval, but was uncertain just when and how in the conversation. In any event he didn't regret it. "I suppose I should be thinking of some kind of wedding gift. Also, I should make my appearance a brief one. Those Marines will never be able to get comfortable while I am in the room."

"That is probably true. In any event it is very considerate of you to think of such a thing, a general officer concerned about the affairs of six enlisted Marines. I think I perceive a subtle shift in your thinking from when we first met, General." Jesus spoke good naturedly, almost teasingly.

"I know I have had a shift in my thinking, Sir. It has been anything but subtle. The more I am around You, the more I feel like Corporal Scott as he was whisked away from the morgue." General Tower always spoke bluntly.

"Do you mean that you feel as if you have come back to life?" Jesus asked.

"Well, things haven't come that far yet. No, what I mean is that more and more often I don't want to be a Marine General any more. I don't want to be a Marine at all. I certainly don't want to do any more fighting." the General confessed.

"That is a small victory, but a very sweet one, General. I'm certain that you are aware that My feelings toward you are as toward a close friend, a close friend to whom both Juan and Myself owe a great deal. Try to have a good time tonight. That will make everyone more comfortable." Jesus said. "We're having a rather elaborate buffet prepared by the Secret Service so I'd show up hungry if I were you."

Unlike General Tower, Secret Service Agent Barnes, that constant watchdog and nervous guardian from the hallway outside the penthouse, had agreed to attend with little resistance, probably under the orders of his superiors. Jesus had reassured him that everyone would be wearing about what they always wore and that any gift should be very modest.

As usual the Treasury Agent seemed to be crawling out of his skin in the presence of Jesus. "Agent Barnes, I am very happy that you will be able to join us. Juan specifically asked that you attend because you have, in a sense, become like family to us. We see each other every day almost, and both he and I find it very comforting to know that you are nearby."

"I would normally be on duty at that hour, Sir, but my superior has given me the go-ahead. Rest assured that another agent will take my place here in the hallway. That will occur soon, in fact. I am going to slip downstairs to the gift shop to get a wedding present, but I will be here at seven for the ceremony." These represented more words than the agent had spoken in the whole time he had been on duty at the penthouse.

"We'll be glad to see you, Agent Barnes. We're serving a nice dinner for the guests." Jesus was totally casual in hopes of calming the man a little.

In the penthouse, the entire staff of the military affairs office was making what paltry preparations were necessary. Nicole had decided to be married in her Class A uniform, leading all the others to the same easy decision. Although dress and arrangements were spare, the excitement of the event was contagious. An hour before the ceremony, Jesus found Himself happily consumed with translations of every kind of bachelor joke and comedic crack known to the United States Marine Corps. Juan frankly failed to understand many of these things, but he laughed, then roared good naturedly. For him it was very much the thought that counted.

Nicole had at first attempted to be a nervous bride, but as the time drew near she more and more acknowledged her honest lustiness toward her soon to be husband. Nicole, it turned out, was not one to blush without orders.

At seven o'clock sharp the General appeared, wedding gift in hand. As predicted the room quieted a little then miraculously seemed to spring back to life. "Congratulations Corporal! And congratulations to you too, Juan. You've chosen well. There's nothing better than a Marine for a wife!" Tower laughed. His good humor was almost shocking.

"Welcome to our home, General." Juan answered in uncertain English.

General Tower smiled kindly, stepped across the room and patted the Brazilian on the back heartily. Actions told more than words.

At this moment Beatrice joined the conversation with "GENERAL TOWER! GENERAL TOWER! MY NAME IS BEATRICE! I LIVE HERE!"

The comment cast the whole room once again into a comfortable laughter.

Mark Stentson spoke up, uncertain of his proper protocol in the presence of the General, "Now we just need Agent Barnes and we can commence."

"Oh, it slipped my mind. Agent Barnes will not be able to attend. He was called away for a family emergency just a few minutes before I came up. We'll have to go on without him." General Tower said. He failed to understand why the Secret Service Agent had been included in the wedding party in the first place.

Suddenly Jesus was paying complete attention to the General. "What has happened?" He asked.

"His little girl pulled a boiling pan off the stove. He told me that she was very badly burned. The worst news is that she is permanently blinded. His wife was with her at Bethesda when he got the call." General Tower still seemed somehow uninvolved with the news.

"That's where he has gone?" Jesus asked.

"Yes, but it will take him a while to get there through the traffic. The Bethesda Naval Hospital is as good as they come. It's famous all over the world for excellent care, but, of course, they can only do so much. The child is in God's hands now." the old Marine tried to soften the news so as not to dampen the festive atmosphere.

"Perhaps not, General. Or, shall We say perhaps more directly than you think." answered Jesus slowly.

"I'm not sure I understand what You mean, Sir." Tower commented.

"First of all, please try to call Me Jesus, at least for tonight. That will help you fit in a little better around everyone else who is calling Me Jesus. Next, we'll delay the wedding until Agent Barnes and his family can join us. You and I are going to Bethesda in your helicopter. Right away. Can you help out with all of that?" Jesus presumed the General's cooperation.

"Oh. It's that again. I know better than to say no. I'll order the helicopter immediately. Give me fifteen minutes." Tower said, already putting on his hat and heading for the door.

"Everyone try to stay in a joyful mood. The General and I should be back in half an hour or so." Jesus said as he followed the Marine out the door.

Airborne, the two men sat in silence for a minute or so. The trip to the Naval Hospital would be a short one, ten minutes at most. Finally General Tower spoke, "This won't be a repeat of the Corporal Scott incident. I made arrangements for Naval Security to meet us on the chopper pad and get us right inside -- no rude nurses, no scuffles with the police. I need to know what You will require, physical contact or what."

"I can't really say until we get there, but I'll know when the time comes." Jesus answered.

"Doesn't it make You nervous, not knowing the details until You hit the ground?" The General asked.

Jesus laughed. "From the moment you told us what had happened, I was completely certain that the situation would be corrected. I have great faith in My, ah, 'Superior' Officer. In a sense I don't receive orders as much as an abiding understanding that what is willed will occur. It is almost as if I received direction in the past tense, as if things were already accomplished. How could I be nervous about some sort of details here and there when that is the case?"

"I think I see what You mean. In any event, that's the hospital right over there. We're already cleared to land." General Tower leaned back to rest for a few moments.

The Security team met them at the helipad and led both General Tower and Jesus quickly through the sprawling hospital. Finally they all arrived at a small waiting room where Agent Barnes sat dejectedly. "Hello." he said weakly.

"How's is your little girl?" Jesus asked directly.

"She's not doing too well. She's back in surgery right now. They've given up on her eyes, but her face and head are burned very badly. My wife is in the chapel." Barnes answered with a distance in his voice. He was very tired. Tired in a way that only parents know.

Tower looked at Jesus. "I'm not sure we can get You into surgery."

"It's just behind this wall. This will be close enough, General." Jesus answered quietly.

"Are You going to do it?" Tower asked.

"It's already done. I hope the good doctor realizes what's happened before he cuts anymore." Jesus stated as if nothing had happened. Then, speaking to Agent Barnes, "I think things have taken a turn for the better with Alissa, Agent Barnes. I think your whole family should come to the wedding this evening. Perhaps it will be a way to put this awful affair behind you a little. Go and collect your wife. Alissa will be out in a moment and we can all return to the Watergate in General Tower's helicopter."

At this moment Allissa came running out of the operating room trailing every sort of nurse and doctor, all urging her to be careful. "Daddy! Daddy! I think they fixed everything! I feel wonderful. I'm not sick at all! Where's Mommy?" the little girl rattled off question after question faster than Agent Barnes could answer.

His response was to grab the girl, look her over and then hold her tightly in a loving embrace. He looked at Jesus, saying nothing for a few minutes, then "Thank you, Sir. All the times I stood outside the penthouse, I didn't believe, I mean, I didn't know what to believe. How can I tell You? I mean..."

The surgeon appeared, smiling but with a puzzled look just the same. "Mr. Barnes, your daughter is fine. I'm not sure what happened, but it wasn't anything we did. In fact the stitches we put in her are just laying on the Gurney. The incision I was making just healed up behind the scalpel. Her eyes are perfectly healthy -- she can see fine. I'm releasing her from the hospital, although we will want to see her back in a couple of days to see how she's doing."

"Thank you very much doctor. I know you did a lot of work to help her." Barnes told the man nervously.

The surgeon faced Jesus. "Normally, I would be pretty upset if someone were to intervene during surgery, but I know what happened. I am a member of the UCFC. We studied the miracle of Collin Scott. I just want to say that I am honored to have had the opportunity to witness what I saw in there. I don't know what to think, standing here in Your presence. Perhaps I wish that I had something to take back to the others." The man kept edging closer and closer to Jesus, a situation that did not escape General Tower's notice.

Suddenly a scalpel appeared from the doctor's surgery gown. The General lunged between the blade and Jesus Robeles. As fast as light, Jesus had the man's arm in a vise like grip, but not before the instrument had sliced a six inch long gash in the General's side. Agent Barnes separated Jesus from the melee, protecting Him with his own body as two of the Navy Intelligence operatives dragged the man to the floor. Jesus was immediately moved to another room along with Alissa who was frightened and crying.

Jesus could see the surgeon, as if he were possessed, writhing wildly on the floor in the next room. He asked Alissa if she would like to sit on His lap for a little. Instantly she was calm and happy, oblivious to what was happening next door.

The surgeon kept screaming over and over. "The child is soiled! She is unclean with the work of SATAN! She must be killed to save her immortal soul! She must be killed!"

Jesus sat Allissa down in the chair next to His and walked over to the door. Emergency room technicians were attempting to remove General Tower's dress uniform to reach the wound. When the General saw Jesus, he gruffly ordered them away, saying under his breath, "Can You help me, Sir?"

Jesus laughed. "Only if you call Me by my right name. I am Jesus!"

Tower actually laughed himself, which was a bit of an accomplishment through the pain. "Of course. Jesus."

As he said those words, he looked down at the blood stained shirt. There was no wound or scar below that stain, just a cut in the fabric and an area red with blood. The emergency room technicians were ordered out of the room, but they had clearly seen what happened.

The General braced himself on the seat of a near by chair and regained his feet. "That's amazing! I feel as though I had never been wounded! Thank You, Jesus!"

"I think we should collect Agent Barnes and his wife and Allissa and you and get on the helicopter before something else happens to delay Juan and Nicole's marriage! I don't want to presume too much, but they were already having trouble waiting when we left!" Jesus laughed. So did General Tower.

As he dressed, the General ran his finger along the tear made by the scalpel, examining it with respect to the possibility of repairs.

"I don't do mending of that sort. It's too complicated. You'll have to take it to a tailor!" Jesus joked. Tower roared.

Doris Barnes was uncertain about everything based on the account of events when she returned from the chapel. She was, of course, grateful, yet quite stand offish when it came to Jesus. She seemed shocked at the prospects of leaving the hospital on board a Marine helicopter to attend a wedding celebration so quickly after her daughter's disastrous afternoon. She slowly warmed to the idea at the urging of her husband. Allissa was, naturally, completely prepared to leave in an instant. She remembered the events of the day, including the surgeon, but with her childish innocence placed all of it behind her as simply another memory.

With all their various thoughts, the party boarded General Tower's helicopter as it made its way the short distance back to Watergate. Jesus entertained the little girl and made small talk with her mother.  "Yes, We've decided to move to a ranch not far from the city. Well, not far, that is, by helicopter." Then turning to the girl, "We really wanted to have a dog and a yard and maybe a horse to ride. Do you have a dog?"

"Oh yes! Our dog is named Rags. He stays in our back yard." Allissa answered.

"So. See, there you have it." commented Jesus, obviously enjoying Himself very much. "We have been living in a hotel so we couldn't have a dog. We do have a parrot though!"

"A parrot! Does he talk, Jesus?" Allissa asked.

"Well, she's a she and, yes, she talks all the time. She is very clever. She reminds Juan and Me of Brazil where we came from. Her name is Beatrice. Juan named her after a woman who was very brave and helped us when we didn't even realize we were in trouble." Jesus looked at Doris Barnes, "I hope we get there soon. I'm getting hungry!"

"You're a very brave man, Jesus." Doris commented cryptically.

"Do you mean the surgeon? General Tower was the brave one there." Jesus answered.

"Oh, no. Well that, of course, but I was thinking of the fact that You are hosting a wedding just two days before You move to Your new home. I hate moving, all the clutter and confusion. It's difficult to keep a family together through such an awful process. And a wedding is nothing easy either." Both her comfort level and attitude were improving. "I would be glad to come and help get everything into boxes or whatever else You may have to do."

"Why thank you, Doris. Offering to give one's time and energy is the greatest gift of all. Actually, all we have to move is the parrot. General Tower, on the other hand, has all sorts of people and things to haul out there. Your husband will be stationed there, too, I suppose." Jesus was beaming now at the prospects of a new friend.

"Oh, I'm used to not having Frank at home. Most of his assignments are somewhere besides Washington. That's why we live in special housing at Andrews." Doris responded cheerfully.

"That gives Me an idea, actually. Perhaps I should ask General Tower first." Jesus leaned back. "Where will all the troops and the Secret Service live after the move?"

General Tower's mood had become split, in a sense, when he was informed of the plans to move to the ranch. A mere hundred-eighty miles distance represented endless details and arrangements for the Secret Service and the Marines, not to mention the uprooting of the rather extensive operations center and its people. Along side of this irritation at the disruption of everything he had carefully organized during Jesus' stay at the Watergate, was actually relief for the Brazilians. City life, especially one which had been as limited as theirs had been, was weighing heavily on the pair. Their whole frame of reference, with the exception of just the last few months, had been life on an isolated island.

When he received his wedding invitation, his first strong inclination was to cite military regulations. There were, after all, channels to go through for an enlisted Marine to receive permission to marry, especially when the groom was a foreign national. At first he had decided to refuse the permission based on the fact that the couple had only known each other for a short time, and second, because his experience made him suspicious of Corporal Ramsey's sincerity where so much money was involved. Juan Gemarro was a very wealthy man.

He called Jesus to arrange for Him to translate the interview. "It is necessary for me to talk with the couple to satisfy myself that the interests of the Marine Corps and both parties will be served by such a marriage, Sir. I am sorry to say that very often such joinings have less than wonderful results. I have seen many heartbreaking examples when lonely young Marines have married while on station around the world, only to find that cultural differences make a happy marriage impossible. Surely, You understand my caution."

"Perhaps, if you have time, General, you might come up for a cup of coffee and a more personal conversation. I find the telephone awkward for talk which should be done face to face." Jesus protested.

The General was at the door in moments. Jesus could see that the move was taking its toll on the man's energy. Now this had come up to further complicate things. "Please come in. Sit down. They just brought a nice fresh pot of coffee. I'll get you a cup." Jesus made small talk.

"It does seem that everything is happening at once. Why have they made this plan on such a short notice? Do You know?" Tower asked.

Jesus chuckled. "I know only that love's timetable is set by its own rules. I will respect this wonderful development by not trying to second guess anything about it. Have you forgotten that sometimes love is innocent and pure? That sometimes it really is just as a fairy tale?" Jesus asked the now perturbed General.

"It might be like that, but my experience has been that. . ." the General responded.

Jesus broke in, still laughing, "I think that all your experience means is that you have experienced the wrong things! Every man needs to have the idea of love for something or someone in his heart as he lives his life. Can something like that slip away? How could anyone choose such a life after having ever experienced the fullness of knowing love each moment? What can be so valuable that you have forsaken love in favor of it?" Jesus asked as if telling a joke.

"Why am I suddenly so reassured about this? I suppose I haven't thought about love, just as You mentioned. I probably haven't thought about it for a long time. I realize that this is true not because I am a Marine General, either. There is no occupation which is mutually exclusive to this fundamental human quality." Tower was pensive.

"You have seen that I allow no harm from My presence. I have those orders from well up the ladder, so to speak, along with strong reassurances that I will be able to correct whatever mistakes I cause as I go along. You accompanied Me at the hospital with Corporal Scott, for example." Jesus looked squarely into the older man's eyes to be certain that he understood how important this was. "Well, I pledge to you that this will be a long happy marriage and that no harm will come as a result of it, not to Nicole, Juan, their children or even Beatrice. In fact, I can assure you that this marriage will greatly add to the happiness of the world!"

"After Your, ah, conversation with President Haskill, I'm sure that there will be no interference with this request at higher levels. I appreciate that You have allowed me to make this decision without Your interference in my thoughts. You didn't interfere, did You?" General Tower inquired suspiciously.

"No, this decision was truly your own. I have tried to influence your thoughts in the past, but only in a very direct and obvious way. Now, you are influenced only by your perception of your own memories of My influence." Jesus reassured the General.

Tower agreed that he had given approval, but was uncertain just when and how in the conversation. In any event he didn't regret it. "I suppose I should be thinking of some kind of wedding gift. Also, I should make my appearance a brief one. Those Marines will never be able to get comfortable while I am in the room."

"That is probably true. In any event it is very considerate of you to think of such a thing, a general officer concerned about the affairs of six enlisted Marines. I think I perceive a subtle shift in your thinking from when we first met, General." Jesus spoke good naturedly, almost teasingly.

"I know I have had a shift in my thinking, Sir. It has been anything but subtle. The more I am around You, the more I feel like Corporal Scott as he was whisked away from the morgue." General Tower always spoke bluntly.

"Do you mean that you feel as if you have come back to life?" Jesus asked.

"Well, things haven't come that far yet. No, what I mean is that more and more often I don't want to be a Marine General anymore. I don't want to be a Marine at all. I certainly don't want to do any more fighting." the General confessed.

"That is a small victory, but a very sweet one, General. I'm certain that you are aware that My feelings toward you are as toward a close friend, a close friend to whom both Juan and Myself owe a great deal. Try to have a good time tonight. That will make everyone more comfortable." Jesus said. "We're having a rather elaborate buffet prepared by the Secret Service so I'd show up hungry if I were you."

Unlike General Tower, Secret Service Agent Barnes, that constant watchdog and nervous guardian from the hallway outside the penthouse, had agreed to attend with little resistance, probably under the orders of his superiors. Jesus had reassured him that everyone would be wearing about what they always wore and that any gift should be very modest.

As usual the Treasury Agent seemed to be crawling out of his skin in the presence of Jesus. "Agent Barnes, I am very happy that you will be able to join us. Juan specifically asked that you attend because you have, in a sense, become like family to us. We see each other every day almost, and both he and I find it very comforting to know that you are nearby."

"I would normally be on duty at that hour, Sir, but my superior has given me the go-ahead. Rest assured that another agent will take my place here in the hallway. That will occur soon, in fact. I am going to slip downstairs to the gift shop to get a wedding present, but I will be here at seven for the ceremony." These represented more words than the agent had spoken in the whole time he had been on duty at the penthouse.

"We'll be glad to see you, Agent Barnes. We're serving a nice dinner for the guests." Jesus was totally casual in hopes of calming the man a little.

In the penthouse, the entire staff of the military affairs office was making what paltry preparations were necessary. Nicole had decided to be married in her Class A uniform, leading all the others to the same easy decision. Although dress and arrangements were spare, the excitement of the event was contagious. An hour before the ceremony, Jesus found Himself happily consumed with translations of every kind of bachelor joke and comedic crack known to the United States Marine Corps. Juan frankly failed to understand many of these things, but he laughed, then roared good naturedly. For him it was very much the thought that counted.

Nicole had at first attempted to be a nervous bride, but as the time drew near she more and more acknowledged her honest lustiness toward her soon to be husband. Nicole, it turned out, was not one to blush without orders.

At seven o'clock sharp the General appeared, wedding gift in hand. As predicted the room quieted a little then miraculously seemed to spring back to life. "Congratulations Corporal! And congratulations to you too, Juan. You've chosen well. There's nothing better than a Marine for a wife!" Tower laughed. His good humor was almost shocking.

"Welcome to our home, General." Juan answered in uncertain English.

General Tower smiled kindly, stepped across the room and patted the Brazilian on the back heartily. Actions told more than words.

At this moment Beatrice joined the conversation with "GENERAL TOWER! GENERAL TOWER! MY NAME IS BEATRICE! I LIVE HERE!"

The comment cast the whole room once again into a comfortable laughter.

Mark Stentson spoke up, uncertain of his proper protocol in the presence of the General, "Now we just need Agent Barnes and we can commence."

"Oh, it slipped my mind. Agent Barnes will not be able to attend. He was called away for a family emergency just a few minutes before I came up. We'll have to go on without him." General Tower said. He failed to understand why the Secret Service Agent had been included in the wedding party in the first place.

Suddenly Jesus was paying complete attention to the General. "What has happened?" He asked.

"His little girl pulled a boiling pan off the stove. He told me that she was very badly burned. The worst news is that she is permanently blinded. His wife was with her at Bethesda when he got the call." General Tower still seemed somehow uninvolved with the news.

"That's where he has gone?" Jesus asked.

"Yes, but it will take him a while to get there through the traffic. The Bethesda Naval Hospital is as good as they come. It's famous all over the world for excellent care, but, of course, they can only do so much. The child is in God's hands now." the old Marine tried to soften the news so as not to dampen the festive atmosphere.

"Perhaps not, General. Or, shall We say perhaps more directly than you think." answered Jesus slowly.

"I'm not sure I understand what You mean, Sir." Tower commented.

"First of all, please try to call Me Jesus, at least for tonight. That will help you fit in a little better around everyone else who is calling Me Jesus. Next, we'll delay the wedding until Agent Barnes and his family can join us. You and I are going to Bethesda in your helicopter. Right away. Can you help out with all of that?" Jesus presumed the General's cooperation.

"Oh. It's that again. I know better than to say no. I'll order the helicopter immediately. Give me fifteen minutes." Tower said, already putting on his hat and heading for the door.

"Everyone try to stay in a joyful mood. The General and I should be back in half an hour or so." Jesus said as he followed the Marine out the door.

Airborne, the two men sat in silence for a minute or so. The trip to the Naval Hospital would be a short one, ten minutes at most. Finally General Tower spoke, "This won't be a repeat of the Corporal Scott incident. I made arrangements for Naval Security to meet us on the chopper pad and get us right inside -- no rude nurses, no scuffles with the police. I need to know what You will require, physical cont122
THE WATERGATE HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D.C.


General Tower's mood had become split, in a sense, when he was informed of the plans to move to the ranch. A mere hundred-eighty miles distance represented endless details and arrangements for the Secret Service and the Marines, not to mention the uprooting of the rather extensive operations center and its people. Along side of this irritation at the disruption of everything he had carefully organized during Jesus' stay at the Watergate, was actually relief for the Brazilians. City life, especially one which had been as limited as theirs had been, was weighing heavily on the pair. Their whole frame of reference, with the exception of just the last few months, had been life on an isolated island.

When he received his wedding invitation, his first strong inclination was to cite military regulations. There were, after all, channels to go through for an enlisted Marine to receive permission to marry, especially when the groom was a foreign national. At first he had decided to refuse the permission based on the fact that the couple had only known each other for a short time, and second, because his experience made him suspicious of Corporal Ramsey's sincerity where so much money was involved. Juan Gemarro was a very wealthy man.

He called Jesus to arrange for Him to translate the interview. "It is necessary for me to talk with the couple to satisfy myself that the interests of the Marine Corps and both parties will be served by such a marriage, Sir. I am sorry to say that very often such joinings have less than wonderful results. I have seen many heartbreaking examples when lonely young Marines have married while on station around the world, only to find that cultural differences make a happy marriage impossible. Surely, You understand my caution."

"Perhaps, if you have time, General, you might come up for a cup of coffee and a more personal conversation. I find the telephone awkward for talk which should be done face to face." Jesus protested.

The General was at the door in moments. Jesus could see that the move was taking its toll on the man's energy. Now this had come up to further complicate things. "Please come in. Sit down. They just brought a nice fresh pot of coffee. I'll get you a cup." Jesus made small talk.

"It does seem that everything is happening at once. Why have they made this plan on such a short notice? Do You know?" Tower asked.

Jesus chuckled. "I know only that love's timetable is set by its own rules. I will respect this wonderful development by not trying to second guess anything about it. Have you forgotten that sometimes love is innocent and pure? That sometimes it really is just as a fairy tale?" Jesus asked the now perturbed General.

"It might be like that, but my experience has been that. . ." the General responded.

Jesus broke in, still laughing, "I think that all your experience means is that you have experienced the wrong things! Every man needs to have the idea of love for something or someone in his heart as he lives his life. Can something like that slip away? How could anyone choose such a life after having ever experienced the fullness of knowing love each moment? What can be so valuable that you have forsaken love in favor of it?" Jesus asked as if telling a joke.

"Why am I suddenly so reassured about this? I suppose I haven't thought about love, just as You mentioned. I probably haven't thought about it for a long time. I realize that this is true not because I am a Marine General, either. There is no occupation which is mutually exclusive to this fundamental human quality." Tower was pensive.

"You have seen that I allow no harm from My presence. I have those orders from well up the ladder, so to speak, along with strong reassurances that I will be able to correct whatever mistakes I cause as I go along. You accompanied Me at the hospital with Corporal Scott, for example." Jesus looked squarely into the older man's eyes to be certain that he understood how important this was. "Well, I pledge to you that this will be a long happy marriage and that no harm will come as a result of it, not to Nicole, Juan, their children or even Beatrice. In fact, I can assure you that this marriage will greatly add to the happiness of the world!"

"After Your, ah, conversation with President Haskill, I'm sure that there will be no interference with this request at higher levels. I appreciate that You have allowed me to make this decision without Your interference in my thoughts. You didn't interfere, did You?" General Tower inquired suspiciously.

"No, this decision was truly your own. I have tried to influence your thoughts in the past, but only in a very direct and obvious way. Now, you are influenced only by your perception of your own memories of My influence." Jesus reassured the General.

Tower agreed that he had given approval, but was uncertain just when and how in the conversation. In any event he didn't regret it. "I suppose I should be thinking of some kind of wedding gift. Also, I should make my appearance a brief one. Those Marines will never be able to get comfortable while I am in the room."

"That is probably true. In any event it is very considerate of you to think of such a thing, a general officer concerned about the affairs of six enlisted Marines. I think I perceive a subtle shift in your thinking from when we first met, General." Jesus spoke good naturedly, almost teasingly.

"I know I have had a shift in my thinking, Sir. It has been anything but subtle. The more I am around You, the more I feel like Corporal Scott as he was whisked away from the morgue." General Tower always spoke bluntly.

"Do you mean that you feel as if you have come back to life?" Jesus asked.

"Well, things haven't come that far yet. No, what I mean is that more and more often I don't want to be a Marine General anymore. I don't want to be a Marine at all. I certainly don't want to do any more fighting." the General confessed.

"That is a small victory, but a very sweet one, General. I'm certain that you are aware that My feelings toward you are as toward a close friend, a close friend to whom both Juan and Myself owe a great deal. Try to have a good time tonight. That will make everyone more comfortable." Jesus said. "We're having a rather elaborate buffet prepared by the Secret Service so I'd show up hungry if I were you."

Unlike General Tower, Secret Service Agent Barnes, that constant watchdog and nervous guardian from the hallway outside the penthouse, had agreed to attend with little resistance, probably under the orders of his superiors. Jesus had reassured him that everyone would be wearing about what they always wore and that any gift should be very modest.

As usual the Treasury Agent seemed to be crawling out of his skin in the presence of Jesus. "Agent Barnes, I am very happy that you will be able to join us. Juan specifically asked that you attend because you have, in a sense, become like family to us. We see each other every day almost, and both he and I find it very comforting to know that you are nearby."

"I would normally be on duty at that hour, Sir, but my superior has given me the go-ahead. Rest assured that another agent will take my place here in the hallway. That will occur soon, in fact. I am going to slip downstairs to the gift shop to get a wedding present, but I will be here at seven for the ceremony." These represented more words than the agent had spoken in the whole time he had been on duty at the penthouse.

"We'll be glad to see you, Agent Barnes. We're serving a nice dinner for the guests." Jesus was totally casual in hopes of calming the man a little.

In the penthouse, the entire staff of the military affairs office was making what paltry preparations were necessary. Nicole had decided to be married in her Class A uniform, leading all the others to the same easy decision. Although dress and arrangements were spare, the excitement of the event was contagious. An hour before the ceremony, Jesus found Himself happily consumed with translations of every kind of bachelor joke and comedic crack known to the United States Marine Corps. Juan frankly failed to understand many of these things, but he laughed, then roared good naturedly. For him it was very much the thought that counted.

Nicole had at first attempted to be a nervous bride, but as the time drew near she more and more acknowledged her honest lustiness toward her soon to be husband. Nicole, it turned out, was not one to blush without orders.

At seven o'clock sharp the General appeared, wedding gift in hand. As predicted the room quieted a little then miraculously seemed to spring back to life. "Congratulations Corporal! And congratulations to you too, Juan. You've chosen well. There's nothing better than a Marine for a wife!" Tower laughed. His good humor was almost shocking.

"Welcome to our home, General." Juan answered in uncertain English.

General Tower smiled kindly, stepped across the room and patted the Brazilian on the back heartily. Actions told more than words.

At this moment Beatrice joined the conversation with "GENERAL TOWER! GENERAL TOWER! MY NAME IS BEATRICE! I LIVE HERE!"

The comment cast the whole room once again into a comfortable laughter.

Mark Stentson spoke up, uncertain of his proper protocol in the presence of the General, "Now we just need Agent Barnes and we can commence."

"Oh, it slipped my mind. Agent Barnes will not be able to attend. He was called away for a family emergency just a few minutes before I came up. We'll have to go on without him." General Tower said. He failed to understand why the Secret Service Agent had been included in the wedding party in the first place.

Suddenly Jesus was paying complete attention to the General. "What has happened?" He asked.

"His little girl pulled a boiling pan off the stove. He told me that she was very badly burned. The worst news is that she is permanently blinded. His wife was with her at Bethesda when he got the call." General Tower still seemed somehow uninvolved with the news.

"That's where he has gone?" Jesus asked.

"Yes, but it will take him a while to get there through the traffic. The Bethesda Naval Hospital is as good as they come. It's famous all over the world for excellent care, but, of course, they can only do so much. The child is in God's hands now." the old Marine tried to soften the news so as not to dampen the festive atmosphere.

"Perhaps not, General. Or, shall We say perhaps more directly than you think." answered Jesus slowly.

"I'm not sure I understand what You mean, Sir." Tower commented.

"First of all, please try to call Me Jesus, at least for tonight. That will help you fit in a little better around everyone else who is calling Me Jesus. Next, we'll delay the wedding until Agent Barnes and his family can join us. You and I are going to Bethesda in your helicopter. Right away. Can you help out with all of that?" Jesus presumed the General's cooperation.

"Oh. It's that again. I know better than to say no. I'll order the helicopter immediately. Give me fifteen minutes." Tower said, already putting on his hat and heading for the door.

"Everyone try to stay in a joyful mood. The General and I should be back in half an hour or so." Jesus said as he followed the Marine out the door.

Airborne, the two men sat in silence for a minute or so. The trip to the Naval Hospital would be a short one, ten minutes at most. Finally General Tower spoke, "This won't be a repeat of the Corporal Scott incident. I made arrangements for Naval Security to meet us on the chopper pad and get us right inside -- no rude nurses, no scuffles with the police. I need to know what You will require, physical contact or what."

"I can't really say until we get there, but I'll know when the time comes." Jesus answered.

"Doesn't it make You nervous, not knowing the details until You hit the ground?" The General asked.

Jesus laughed. "From the moment you told us what had happened, I was completely certain that the situation would be corrected. I have great faith in My, ah, 'Superior' Officer. In a sense I don't receive orders as much as an abiding understanding that what is willed will occur. It is almost as if I received direction in the past tense, as if things were already accomplished. How could I be nervous about some sort of details here and there when that is the case?"

"I think I see what You mean. In any event, that's the hospital right over there. We're already cleared to land." General Tower leaned back to rest for a few moments.

The Security team met them at the helipad and led both General Tower and Jesus quickly through the sprawling hospital. Finally they all arrived at a small waiting room where Agent Barnes sat dejectedly. "Hello." he said weakly.

"How's is your little girl?" Jesus asked directly.

"She's not doing too well. She's back in surgery right now. They've given up on her eyes, but her face and head are burned very badly. My wife is in the chapel." Barnes answered with a distance in his voice. He was very tired. Tired in a way that only parents know.

Tower looked at Jesus. "I'm not sure we can get You into surgery."

"It's just behind this wall. This will be close enough, General." Jesus answered quietly.

"Are You going to do it?" Tower asked.

"It's already done. I hope the good doctor realizes what's happened before he cuts anymore." Jesus stated as if nothing had happened. Then, speaking to Agent Barnes, "I think things have taken a turn for the better with Alissa, Agent Barnes. I think your whole family should come to the wedding this evening. Perhaps it will be a way to put this awful affair behind you a little. Go and collect your wife. Alissa will be out in a moment and we can all return to the Watergate in General Tower's helicopter."

At this moment Allissa came running out of the operating room trailing every sort of nurse and doctor, all urging her to be careful. "Daddy! Daddy! I think they fixed everything! I feel wonderful. I'm not sick at all! Where's Mommy?" the little girl rattled off question after question faster than Agent Barnes could answer.

His response was to grab the girl, look her over and then hold her tightly in a loving embrace. He looked at Jesus, saying nothing for a few minutes, then "Thank you, Sir. All the times I stood outside the penthouse, I didn't believe, I mean, I didn't know what to believe. How can I tell You? I mean..."

The surgeon appeared, smiling but with a puzzled look just the same. "Mr. Barnes, your daughter is fine. I'm not sure what happened, but it wasn't anything we did. In fact the stitches we put in her are just laying on the Gurney. The incision I was making just healed up behind the scalpel. Her eyes are perfectly healthy -- she can see fine. I'm releasing her from the hospital, although we will want to see her back in a couple of days to see how she's doing."

"Thank you very much doctor. I know you did a lot of work to help her." Barnes told the man nervously.

The surgeon faced Jesus. "Normally, I would be pretty upset if someone were to intervene during surgery, but I know what happened. I am a member of the UCFC. We studied the miracle of Collin Scott. I just want to say that I am honored to have had the opportunity to witness what I saw in there. I don't know what to think, standing here in Your presence. Perhaps I wish that I had something to take back to the others." The man kept edging closer and closer to Jesus, a situation that did not escape General Tower's notice.

Suddenly a scalpel appeared from the doctor's surgery gown. The General lunged between the blade and Jesus Robeles. As fast as light, Jesus had the man's arm in a vise like grip, but not before the instrument had sliced a six inch long gash in the General's side. Agent Barnes separated Jesus from the melee, protecting Him with his own body as two of the Navy Intelligence operatives dragged the man to the floor. Jesus was immediately moved to another room along with Alissa who was frightened and crying.

Jesus could see the surgeon, as if he were possessed, writhing wildly on the floor in the next room. He asked Alissa if she would like to sit on His lap for a little. Instantly she was calm and happy, oblivious to what was happening next door.

The surgeon kept screaming over and over. "The child is soiled! She is unclean with the work of SATAN! She must be killed to save her immortal soul! She must be killed!"

Jesus sat Allissa down in the chair next to His and walked over to the door. Emergency room technicians were attempting to remove General Tower's dress uniform to reach the wound. When the General saw Jesus, he gruffly ordered them away, saying under his breath, "Can You help me, Sir?"

Jesus laughed. "Only if you call Me by my right name. I am Jesus!"

Tower actually laughed himself, which was a bit of an accomplishment through the pain. "Of course. Jesus."

As he said those words, he looked down at the blood stained shirt. There was no wound or scar below that stain, just a cut in the fabric and an area red with blood. The emergency room technicians were ordered out of the room, but they had clearly seen what happened.

The General braced himself on the seat of a near by chair and regained his feet. "That's amazing! I feel as though I had never been wounded! Thank You, Jesus!"

"I think we should collect Agent Barnes and his wife and Allissa and you and get on the helicopter before something else happens to delay Juan and Nicole's marriage! I don't want to presume too much, but they were already having trouble waiting when we left!" Jesus laughed. So did General Tower.

As he dressed, the General ran his finger along the tear made by the scalpel, examining it with respect to the possibility of repairs.

"I don't do mending of that sort. It's too complicated. You'll have to take it to a tailor!" Jesus joked. Tower roared.

Doris Barnes was uncertain about everything based on the account of events when she returned from the chapel. She was, of course, grateful, yet quite stand offish when it came to Jesus. She seemed shocked at the prospects of leaving the hospital on board a Marine helicopter to attend a wedding celebration so quickly after her daughter's disastrous afternoon. She slowly warmed to the idea at the urging of her husband. Allissa was, naturally, completely prepared to leave in an instant. She remembered the events of the day, including the surgeon, but with her childish innocence placed all of it behind her as simply another memory.

With all their various thoughts, the party boarded General Tower's helicopter as it made its way the short distance back to Watergate. Jesus entertained the little girl and made small talk with her mother. "Yes, We've decided to move to a ranch not far from the city. Well, not far that is by helicopter." Then turning to the girl, "We really wanted to have a dog and a yard and maybe a horse to ride. Do you have a dog?"

"Oh yes! Our dog is named Rags. He stays in our back yard." Allissa answered.

"So. See there you have it." commented Jesus, obviously enjoying Himself very much. "We have been living in a hotel so we couldn't have a dog. We do have a parrot though!"

"A parrot! Does he talk, Jesus?" Allissa asked.

"Well, she's a she and, yes, she talks all the time. She is very clever. She reminds Juan and Me of Brazil where we came from. Her name is Beatrice. Juan named her after a woman who was very brave and helped us when we didn't even realize we were in trouble." Jesus looked at Doris Barnes, "I hope we get there soon. I'm getting hungry!"

"You're a very brave man, Jesus." Doris commented cryptically.

"Do you mean the surgeon? General Tower was the brave one there." Jesus answered.

"Oh, no. Well that, of course, but I was thinking of the fact that You are hosting a wedding just two days before You move to Your new home. I hate moving, all the clutter and confusion. It's difficult to keep a family together through such an awful process. And a wedding is nothing easy either." Both her comfort level and attitude were improving. "I would be glad to come and help get everything into boxes or whatever else You may have to do."

"Why thank you, Doris. Offering to give one's time and energy is the greatest gift of all. Actually, all we have to move is the parrot. General Tower, on the other hand, has all sorts of people and things to haul out there. Your husband will be stationed there, too, I suppose." Jesus was beaming now at the prospects of a new friend.

"Oh, I'm used to not having Frank at home. Most of his assignments are somewhere besides Washington. That's why we live in special housing at Andrews." Doris responded cheerfully.

"That gives Me an idea, actually. Perhaps I should ask General Tower first." Jesus leaned back. "Where will all the troops and the Secret Service agents be staying once We move to the ranch?"

"Well, the plan is to rent some temporary quarters, and just set up a camp out away from the main house. The operations people have already started. They have a dedicated satellite already on line to handle communications. As for the rest of us, we're Marines. We can live in tents if we need to. That's the way we are." Tower answered.

"I plan to build housing for everyone, nice housing, and enough of it so that the people who have families can live with them while they're out there. Your Marines should have a recreation center, too, with a swimming pool and some other things. Mr. Santos will call you tomorrow. You can tell him how big it should be and where you want it. You will handle that for Me, won't you, General?" Jesus asked.

"Well, of course, if that is what You wish." Tower turned around to the little girl on her mother's lap, "There's the Watergate and our wedding party, Allissa."

"Jesus. I'm sorry that I was so rude earlier. I want You to know how very, very much I appreciate what You've done for us, for our little girl. I felt like the world was ending, then suddenly the nightmare was over. Thank You so much!" Each time Doris addressed Jesus by name, her husband, still quite the Secret Service Agent, winced. Agent Barnes would take some work before he was willing to break protocol and get to first names with his Charge.act or what."

"I can't really say until we get there, but I'll know when the time comes." Jesus answered.

"Doesn't it make You nervous, not knowing the details until You hit the ground?" The General asked.

Jesus laughed. "From the moment you told us what had happened, I was completely certain that the situation would be corrected. I have great faith in My, ah, 'Superior' Officer. In a sense I don't receive orders as much as an abiding understanding that what is willed will occur. It is almost as if I received direction in the past tense, as if things were already accomplished. How could I be nervous about some sort of details here and there when that is the case?"

"I think I see what You mean. In any event, that's the hospital right over there. We're already cleared to land." General Tower leaned back to rest for a few moments.

The Security team met them at the helipad and led both General Tower and Jesus quickly through the sprawling hospital. Finally they all arrived at a small waiting room where Agent Barnes sat dejectedly. "Hello." he said weakly.

"How's is your little girl?" Jesus asked directly.

"She's not doing too well. She's back in surgery right now. They've given up on her eyes, but her face and head are burned very badly. My wife is in the chapel." Barnes answered with a distance in his voice. He was very tired. Tired in a way that only parents know.

Tower looked at Jesus. "I'm not sure we can get You into surgery."

"It's just behind this wall. This will be close enough, General." Jesus answered quietly.

"Are You going to do it?" Tower asked.

"It's already done. I hope the good doctor realizes what's happened before he cuts anymore." Jesus stated as if nothing had happened. Then, speaking to Agent Barnes, "I think things have taken a turn for the better with Alissa, Agent Barnes. I think your whole family should come to the wedding this evening. Perhaps it will be a way to put this awful affair behind you a little. Go and collect your wife. Alissa will be out in a moment and we can all return to the Watergate in General Tower's helicopter."

At this moment Allissa came running out of the operating room trailing every sort of nurse and doctor, all urging her to be careful. "Daddy! Daddy! I think they fixed everything! I feel wonderful. I'm not sick at all! Where's Mommy?" the little girl rattled off question after question faster than Agent Barnes could answer.

His response was to grab the girl, look her over and then hold her tightly in a loving embrace. He looked at Jesus, saying nothing for a few minutes, then "Thank you, Sir. All the times I stood outside the penthouse, I didn't believe, I mean, I didn't know what to believe. How can I tell You? I mean..."

The surgeon appeared, smiling but with a puzzled look just the same. "Mr. Barnes, your daughter is fine. I'm not sure what happened, but it wasn't anything we did. In fact the stitches we put in her are just laying on the Gurney. The incision I was making just healed up behind the scalpel. Her eyes are perfectly healthy -- she can see fine. I'm releasing her from the hospital, although we will want to see her back in a couple of days to see how she's doing."

"Thank you very much doctor. I know you did a lot of work to help her." Barnes told the man nervously.

The surgeon faced Jesus. "Normally, I would be pretty upset if someone were to intervene during surgery, but I know what happened. I am a member of the UCFC. We studied the miracle of Collin Scott. I just want to say that I am honored to have had the opportunity to witness what I saw in there. I don't know what to think, standing here in Your presence. Perhaps I wish that I had something to take back to the others." The man kept edging closer and closer to Jesus, a situation that did not escape General Tower's notice.

Suddenly a scalpel appeared from the doctor's surgery gown. The General lunged between the blade and Jesus Robeles. As fast as light, Jesus had the man's arm in a vise like grip, but not before the instrument had sliced a six inch long gash in the General's side. Agent Barnes separated Jesus from the melee, protecting Him with his own body as two of the Navy Intelligence operatives dragged the man to the floor. Jesus was immediately moved to another room along with Alissa who was frightened and crying.

Jesus could see the surgeon, as if he were possessed, writhing wildly on the floor in the next room. He asked Alissa if she would like to sit on His lap for a little. Instantly she was calm and happy, oblivious to what was happening next door.

The surgeon kept screaming over and over. "The child is soiled! She is unclean with the work of SATAN! She must be killed to save her immortal soul! She must be killed!"

Jesus sat Allissa down in the chair next to His and walked over to the door. Emergency room technicians were attempting to remove General Tower's dress uniform to reach the wound. When the General saw Jesus, he gruffly ordered them away, saying under his breath, "Can You help me, Sir?"

Jesus laughed. "Only if you call Me by my right name. I am Jesus!"

Tower actually laughed himself, which was a bit of an accomplishment through the pain. "Of course. Jesus."

As he said those words, he looked down at the blood stained shirt. There was no wound or scar below that stain, just a cut in the fabric and an area red with blood. The emergency room technicians were ordered out of the room, but they had clearly seen what happened.

The General braced himself on the seat of a near by chair and regained his feet. "That's amazing! I feel as though I had never been wounded! Thank You, Jesus!"

"I think we should collect Agent Barnes and his wife and Allissa and you and get on the helicopter before something else happens to delay Juan and Nicole's marriage! I don't want to presume too much, but they were already having trouble waiting when we left!" Jesus laughed. So did General Tower.

As he dressed, the General ran his finger along the tear made by the scalpel, examining it with respect to the possibility of repairs.

"I don't do mending of that sort. It's too complicated. You'll have to take it to a tailor!" Jesus joked. Tower roared.

Doris Barnes was uncertain about everything based on the account of events when she returned from the chapel. She was, of course, grateful, yet quite stand offish when it came to Jesus. She seemed shocked at the prospects of leaving the hospital on board a Marine helicopter to attend a wedding celebration so quickly after her daughter's disastrous afternoon. She slowly warmed to the idea at the urging of her husband. Allissa was, naturally, completely prepared to leave in an instant. She remembered the events of the day, including the surgeon, but with her childish innocence placed all of it behind her as simply another memory.

With all their various thoughts, the party boarded General Tower's helicopter as it made its way the short distance back to Watergate. Jesus entertained the little girl and made small talk with her mother. "Yes, We've decided to move to a ranch not far from the city. Well, not far that is by helicopter." Then turning to the girl, "We really wanted to have a dog and a yard and maybe a horse to ride. Do you have a dog?"

"Oh yes! Our dog is named Rags. He stays in our back yard." Allissa answered.

"So. See there you have it." commented Jesus, obviously enjoying Himself very much. "We have been living in a hotel so we couldn't have a dog. We do have a parrot though!"

"A parrot! Does he talk, Jesus?" Allissa asked.

"Well, she's a she and, yes, she talks all the time. She is very clever. She reminds Juan and Me of Brazil where we came from. Her name is Beatrice. Juan named her after a woman who was very brave and helped us when we didn't even realize we were in trouble." Jesus looked at Doris Barnes, "I hope we get there soon. I'm getting hungry!"

"You're a very brave man, Jesus." Doris commented cryptically.

"Do you mean the surgeon? General Tower was the brave one there." Jesus answered.

"Oh, no. Well that, of course, but I was thinking of the fact that You are hosting a wedding just two days before You move to Your new home. I hate moving, all the clutter and confusion. It's difficult to keep a family together through such an awful process. And a wedding is nothing easy either." Both her comfort level and attitude were improving. "I would be glad to come and help get everything into boxes or whatever else You may have to do."

"Why thank you, Doris. Offering to give one's time and energy is the greatest gift of all. Actually, all we have to move is the parrot. General Tower, on the other hand, has all sorts of people and things to haul out there. Your husband will be stationed there, too, I suppose." Jesus was beaming now at the prospects of a new friend.

"Oh, I'm used to not having Frank at home. Most of his assignments are somewhere besides Washington. That's why we live in special housing at Andrews." Doris responded cheerfully.

"That gives Me an idea, actually. Perhaps I should ask General Tower first." Jesus leaned back. "Where will all the troops and the Secret Service agents be staying once We move to the ranch?"

"Well, the plan is to rent some temporary quarters, and just set up a camp out away from the main house. The operations people have already started. They have a dedicated satellite already on line to handle communications. As for the rest of us, we're Marines. We can live in tents if we need to. That's the way we are." Tower answered.

"I plan to build housing for everyone, nice housing, and enough of it so that the people who have families can live with them while they're out there. Your Marines should have a recreation center, too, with a swimming pool and some other things. Mr. Santos will call you tomorrow. You can tell him how big it should be and where you want it. You will handle that for Me, won't you, General?" Jesus asked.

"Well, of course, if that is what You wish." Tower turned around to the little girl on her mother's lap, "There's the Watergate and our wedding party, Allissa."

Now, Doris Barnes the mother turned to Jesus.  "Jesus. I'm sorry that I was so rude earlier. I want You to know how very, very much I appreciate what You've done for us, for our little girl. I felt like the world was ending, then suddenly the nightmare was over. Thank You so much!" 

Each time Doris addressed Jesus by name, her husband, still quite the Secret Service Agent, winced. Agent Barnes would take some work before he was willing to break protocol and get to first names with his Charge.

Chapter 123

123
THE WATERGATE HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Remarkably little time was spent sharing the account of events at Bethesda. Much more time was spent between the four young women and the little girl Allissa. The wedding buffet was everything it had been promised to be. Mark Stentson had purchased CD's of wedding music and polkas. General Tower, having forgotten the blood stain on the side of his uniform was interested at the amount of attention the Marines were paying to Agent Frank Barnes' child.

"It's amazing how quickly the little girl seems to have forgotten everything that happened." he mentioned softly into Jesus' ear.

"What benefit could such a clear memory have for a little girl? Children aren't like us, General. They don't have much appetite to cling to painful things day after day even years after they happen. I think they sort out memories which are useful from those which aren't." Jesus spoke back softly amid the noise in the room. "How many grown men and women still suffer from something that might have just as well been left behind?"

"I see Your point, Sir." General Tower answered absent mindedly.

Jesus laughed. "You need a lesson in language from Beatrice! After she learns something, that's all you ever hear from her! You don't seem to be able to call me Jesus for more than an hour or so. Then suddenly, I'm Sir again!"

Changing the subject, Jesus turned back to the General. "By the way, do you know any common things that one might say during the performance of a wedding. I have to admit that most of what I have seen of them has come from dramas on television."

"That's not exactly my line of work, but I have at least attended a few in my day. Perhaps I can make some suggestions." the General continued, "I am certain that You must ask each of them whether they take the other as a lawful husband or wife, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health to have and to hold. Each will say 'I do', then that part is pretty much over. The rings can be placed on the finger of the other at this point."

"Then that's all there is to it?" Jesus asked.

"One last thing is that You must ask if anyone objects to the marriage. You must say that such a person must say so now, or forever hold his peace. The last part is to say to everyone, 'What has been put together here today, let no man tear asunder.' Afterwards You pronounce them man and wife."

"I should be able to do a passing job at that. All the parts seems reasonable enough." Jesus said thoughtfully. "Did all this arise from the Christian religion?"

"Oh no," laughed the General, "people were getting married in essentially this same form thousands of years before You were born the first time. Of course, the Christian religion lays claim to it all in this country as if they had invented it yesterday." The General continued, "I can still have a Marine Chaplain up here in minutes if You're getting cold feet."

"No, I'm sure I can handle it. Somehow I feel a little more at ease knowing that it's a non-sectarian thing." Looking back into the room, Jesus noticed the young Marines of both sexes playing with the little girl. "They are all quite taken with her, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are. That is a sign that You will probably be performing more marriages in the near future. If You don't mind my asking, I have wondered about Your plans with Sergeant Teal." the General asked in a friendly way.

"Well, I have already had a chance to play with Allissa. When Brenda Teal and Allissa are in the same room, I just seem to put two and two together. I have been thinking about how nice it would be to have a family of My Own." Jesus seemed to be lost in His thoughts.

"I know. I mean, I can see that just from watching the two of You when You are together. I can notice that she is trying to be very military when she is around me, but the wife and mother side of her is beginning to show through."

"You wouldn't object if we decided to get married, then?" Jesus asked.

"I would have the same objections that I did with Nicole Ramsey and Juan. You haven't known each other very long. One of You is incredibly rich. One of You has had little opportunity to meet other women. All those sorts of things." General Tower sighed, "But just as with these two, You would overwhelm my objections and I would agree. More than that, I would wish You the very best. When You told me that it would be a long happy life, I would have no alternative but to believe You. I know better. I probably wouldn't even worry."

Jesus laughed. "I heard you tell Juan that Marine women make the best wives. I couldn't agree more. But most important, I thank you for your blessing. Because it comes from you, it means a great deal to me. In fact, when you bless Me, it means a great deal to My Boss."

"That is more brass than I'm comfortable with, Jesus." the General laughed. "Now let's get these people married before they just start living in sin!"

"Sin?" Jesus asked, not understanding. "Oh, yes, sexual sin without the approval of the religion. Of course. Sometimes it's hard for Me to remember what an unusual way things are done here."



Doris Barnes had purchased an inexpensive Polaroid from the Watergate's gift shop. "Everyone group together now. I'm going to take the wedding pictures!"

Her husband rushed to her side with his normal urgent protocol. "Jesus won't appear on the film, honey. No one can take pictures of Him." he whispered.

Overhearing the conversation, Jesus stepped toward the couple. Very comfortably, He began to explain, "The pictures don't come out when I don't want them to. Juan and I had our picture taken getting off the destroyer in Rio before We knew any better. We had our picture taken again by a U.S. spy satellite while We were swimming, naked by the way, in our pool at Government House. We also had our pictures taken by Our friend Hernando after he cut Our hair. All of those pictures came out fine, and these will too." He made a point of taking the camera from Doris' hands, then returning it to her. "So, shoot away! Then we can switch photographers until we have all the pictures we want!"

The pictures did come out. The rest of the buffet was eaten -- Marines had the habit of never wasting food. The women, including Doris, 'Oohed and Ahhed' at the wedding ring Juan had given Nicole. It was about what one would expect from a twenty-something multi-millionaire hopelessly in love. Doris stole the show when she jokingly scolded the newlyweds and ordered them to go to bed. They did.

The Barnes thanked Jesus again for what He had done for Allissa. General Tower shook every one's hand, except for the bride and groom, of course. The company left. The Secret Service came and collected the remains of dinner. Mark Stentson built a fire in the fireplace and sat down on the divan with Cindy Bennet. The penthouse settled into its normal mode of operation.

Jesus found Himself standing in the kitchen with the most beautiful woman in the world.

"How did I do as a preacher?" He asked her good naturedly.

"I was impressed, although that was about the shortest wedding I ever heard." she answered as she hugged Him. "Was that Your idea?"

"No, actually, General Tower briefed me on the high points of a standard civil ceremony. I think it worked out alright, though." He answered as He smothered her in His arms. "Now that I am experienced, I'm completely ready to do it again. Except I don't think You can marry Yourself."

"In some cultures all You have to do is say 'I marry you' three times and it's done. I sure wish You would do something. I'm ready to eat You alive." she whispered.

He did. She did. It was the second marriage in the place that night.

Santos was informed in the morning. He excitedly congratulated everyone, then quickly made Nicole a multi-millionaire and Brenda Teal a billionaire.

Chapter 124

124
GLOBAL IUP WIRE SERVICE

WHEATON, MD 

The Product Safety Section of the Federal Food and Drug Administration released its final report today after examining the "End Times Flame Proof Bible" being offered by the Buck Stratton Ministries. Contrary to claims made in the complaint, the Product Safety Section detected no asbestos anywhere in the materials of the eleven pound books. Spokesmen did warn that "some type of flame retardant elastomeric substance" was present in both the covers and pages of the product and classified it as hazardous at temperatures higher than eighty degrees, emitting gases with high VOC levels. Product Safety Section analysts suggested that the Bibles should not be held closer than two feet from the face at any temperature, and should not be left indoors or in other closed areas when temperatures exceed eighty degrees.

Spokesmen for Stratton Ministries said there was currently no plan to recall any of the estimated 1,500,000 of the Bibles already sold. Stratton Ministries sells numerous religious products by mail order and on its web site.

EVANSTON, IN

A citizens' group has threatened the Evanston City Council with legal action after that body passed an ordinance prohibiting the operation of "Fifth Angel Laser Beacons" in the city. The law was prompted by the crash of a police helicopter in which the pilot claimed to have been temporarily blinded by the beacons.

"Fifth Angel Laser Beacons" are sold by Buck Stratton Ministries, a California corporation. The faithful have mounted hundreds of the devices on roof tops throughout Evanston "to help the angels find the homes of the saved" anticipating the end of the world. The lawsuit is based on religious freedom and the First Amendment.