Soulmates Unite

(Cont.)

And Abram was 127 years old when he achieved his honorable death. Then Sarah came to pay her respects; and she buried Abram her husband in a cave of the field near the Trinity Site in New Mexico.

Now Sarah was eager to find an help meet for her daughter Emily. So she summoned her most trusted confidante, Keturah, who was the household’s plenipotentiary, and she said to Keturah: “My dearest, I have a mission for you. I need you to travel out to the sticks, deep in the wilderness: seek out a soul from among the Midianites, who would make a good consort for beloved Emily. Take this golden necklace, with the heart-shaped locket, and drape it over the one who seems fit.”

And Keturah answered her mistress: “I will do my best.” And they kissed, and then she left.

Keturah took ten camels from her mistress, and she trekked out past Mesopotamia, and into the wilderness. Soon she came to the cascade of Lynch Peak. And she stopped there to water her camels: But the falls were bone-dry. So she summoned the god of her mistress by way of meditation; and, after a loud shout, she said: “O voodoo master, you who are the volcano of potential, hear my request, and show kindness to my mistress, and to her daughter, Queen Emily, for whose sake I beseech you. Look: I stand here before a nonflowing waterfall, and my camels are thirsty. Plus I am charged with the task of seeking out an help meet for your Promised Seed. Now, so that I might perceive clearly the best individual to take back home as the damsel’s consort, please let the person that you prefer be the first one who opens the fountains at the source of this rock. So, when a stranger approaches, I shall sigh and say ‘Ay me, the rivers are desolate: the hay is withered, the grass faileth, and there is no green thing,’ and then, if whomever I address truly happens to be the chosen one, their heart should answer, saying: ‘With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.’ Let the same be the soul who has been appointed for our beloved Emily; and thereby shall I know that you have showed kindness unto the daughter of my mistress.”

And it happened that, even before Keturah had finished speaking, behold, Ishmael strode forth, the twin Promised Seed, who was born unto Hagar the Egyptian, and he was carrying the deific wand of a Midianite Magus. And he was an handsome youth, with long thick hair like a wild man, and gallant withal. And he came up and stood before the rock.

Then the emissary Keturah accosted this youth, and she said: “Zounds! the rivers are desolate today: the hay is all withered, the grass faileth, and there is no green thing!”

And Ishmael looked at the woman, while he struck his wand once firmly against the rock, which caused the cascade to descend, and he answered: “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

Then this Ishmael plenished the trough of Keturah’s camels; and he repeatedly returned to refill his pitcher, until all the animals had been watered. (Ishmael’s appearance had changed so much that Keturah did not recognize him: for she had only known him in his childhood; although he remembered her.) And the woman wondered at this good luck, and praised in her heart the Volcano, who had made her journey so prosperous.

And once the camels had done drinking, Keturah the plenipotentiary took out the golden necklace, which her mistress had given her, whose heart-shaped locket opened up to reveal an engraved image of Emily, and she draped this over the neck of the courteous Ishmael. And she said: “Whose son are you? Tell me, I pray! And, is there room in your mother’s house for us to lodge tonight?”

And he said unto her: “I am the son of Hagar the Egyptian, consort of Abram, though we live among the Midianites nowadays. And, yes, we have straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.”

Now, when Keturah heard the name of Hagar, who was her own wellbeloved when she was a part of Abram’s household, she bowed down her head, and tears came from her eyes, and she voiced praise unto Yahweh Peor. Then she said: “Blessed be the volcano of potential, who has not left destitute my mistress of his mercy and his truth. I am shocked by your change in appearance. You are so manly now.”

Then the young man ran, and told his mother and her household all these things.

And it happened that, when Ishmael’s mother saw the golden necklace, with the heart-shaped locket, upon her son’s chest, and when she heard the words of her son, saying, “Thus spake our old colleague unto me,” that Hagar hastened forth to meet Keturah, at Fallout Rock; and, behold, she stood by the camels at the cascade. And she said: “My love! Come in, you favorite of the Volcano! Why stand you here, without? for I have prepared the house, and room for your camels.”

Then Keturah embraced Hagar, and they kissed and wept, and they brought the camels unto the house; and Hagar gave straw and provender for the beasts, and drew water for a bath. And then a meal was set before her to dine: but Keturah said: “I will not eat, until I have told mine errand.” And Hagar said: “Speak on.”

And she said: “Sarah has sent me to fetch an help meet for her heiress, whose likeness you can see inside the locket that I gave to your son Ishmael. Now, behold, Abram has returned to Baal-Peor’s bosom; and thus, because of the inheritance, Sarah is blessed with all manner of flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and servants. And, as I said, she has sent me to find a consort for Emily, her daughter: and she said, ‘Go forth into the sticks of the wilderness, and seek out the Midianites, for the Volcano has advised me in this matter.” And Keturah relayed the story of her prayer, and the answering thereof, by way of her prearranged call and Ishmael’s response. And Hagar listened with amazement to all that her girlfriend said.

“And now,” continued Keturah, “if you will deal kindly and truly with my mistress, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.”

Then Hagar the Egyptian answered and said: “The thing proceeds from the Volcano: we cannot speak unto you bad or good. Behold, Ishmael is before you: call the lad, and enquire at his mouth. If he agrees, then take him, and go, and let him be the damsel’s husband.”

And they called Ishmael, and said unto him, “Will you go with this woman?” And he said, “I will go.”

Then Keturah brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Ishmael and to Hagar. And they did eat and drink, she and all the members of their household, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and she said: “Send me away unto my mistress.”

And they sent away Ishmael with Keturah, Emily’s envoy, and Sarah’s plenipotentiary.

And Hagar blessed Ishmael, and said unto him, “O my son, be a loving husband, and a father of millions; and let your seed possess the gate of those who withstood us.”

Then Ishmael arose, and rode upon the camels, and followed Keturah, the servant of Sarah, and went his way.

Now Emily herself happened at that moment to be coming from the way of the fountain Lahai-roi, which means “The All-Seeing One lifted me over the top of my mistress”: lo, it is the same place in the wilderness where Hagar was found by Yahweh after fleeing from Sarah, when she was pregnant with Ishmael; on the occasion when Yahweh blessed the fruit of her womb, and she rechristened Yahweh Elroy.

For Emily was accustomed to spending her days in the south country; and she had gone out to meditate in the field at the eventide. And she lifted up her eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

And Ishmael lifted up his eyes, and when he saw Emily, he lighted off his camel. For he had said unto Keturah: “What goddess is this that walks in the field to meet us?” And Keturah had said: “It is the daughter of my mistress.”

And Keturah told Emily all things that she had done. And Emily brought him into her mother’s house, and took Ishmael, and he became her husband; and she loved him: and Emily was comforted after her patriarch Abram’s demise.