Solomon's Private File #454
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 36 in this story, in the Spring of 2062.
Solomon's Private File #454 "Russian Patriarch"
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I said to Pope Paolo, "I thought of warning the religious leaders,
but I wasn't sure of how the show would work out. Better the way it
happened, with obviously sincere emotions in the responses. Shocked our
host with that. Devout Catholic." He said, "I'm not surprised you
choose the religious for your hosts, but I have to admit to being
grateful you favor a Catholic." I said, "I don't usually choose them
for religion. The bosses there do most of the choosing, and in short
time situations, we use who's on air or doing updates at that time. I
did choose him once because he was Catholic, for the meeting in
Thailand. I do like him for some kinds of issues, because he's very
intelligent, and goes after things, but he's not the best in human
interest themes. John specializes in science and tech, so they choose
him for those shows. Wendy leans more to social issues. Greg is more
academic. Maria is good for current events and politics. Our all time
favorite was Don. He cared so much. Couldn't beat his expressions for
interest." He grinned, and said, "I think the public would agree."
He said, "Is there any progress on that subject?" I said, "Some of
the parents are asking to move to other locations. We're not doing that
with those already exposed. That would expose others where they would
be going to. Only a full witness protection program with complete
change of identities and breaks from all ties, would help them, and
they won't do that. What our younger set did, didn't help. There is
something I can do, but I view it as too invasive." We felt a touch. He
said, "I'm sorry." I said, "Thanks, but I'll live with it. You know
what happened." He said, "Orders, with a threat to do it in public
again?" I said, "Eavesdropper!" He almost smiled. I said, "Phased in
constant automated broadcast. Those who would do it, won't want to.
Couldn't do it all at once. It would be suspicious. Told my people
about it, so they won't act against people. Should take full effect in
a week. One good thing. Gave you and others a platform to make
yourselves more relevant." He said, "We did consider that. Thank you."
We hugged.
I had similar meetings with the other religious leaders. I met with
the karate Rabbi, for a grinning contest. He said, "Thank you for er,
appreciating me." I said, "You're welcome. Couldn't let George win by
default. Oh, alright." He grinned, and said, "He hit twice in his first
to the punch. I would have to rule in his favor." I said, "I have to
agree, but I got the loudest groan from the host." He said, "Started
with George's. You just pushed him over the threshold." I said, "Yes.
Why do you have to be so fair?" Chuckles. We hugged.
The meeting was different with the Russian Patriarch. He said, "You
know." I said, "You know, so I know. That's how I know. That sounded
odd, I know." He had to laugh. I said, "I would like to do for you,
what I did for the Mormon. But better dressed." He grinned, and said,
"I'll ask my people." I said, "Better hurry." He said, "Will you invite
a Lutheran?" I said, "Absolutely. You know I would have to, just to see
their reactions." He laughed. He said, "Would you announce who refuses
to come?" I said, "I don't know, but I have absolutely no problem with
them thinking I will." He laughed, and said, "I love you." I said,
"Thank you. Love is good. Well, for us." Grins.
I met with the Lutheran leader in America. I said, "Remember the LDS
turnover event?" He said, "I do. Something similar coming up?" I said,
"Russian Orthodox Patriarch. Attend?" He said, "I should ask our member
churches." I said, "You've got four days. I'm going to ask one in
Europe. Would be interesting if only one attended." He said, "It would
be. If the public asked, you would tell them we refused. I'll tell our
people." He tried not to grin. We hugged. I met with the Lutheran
leader in Germany, and told him about the impending death. He said, "I
should attend. My people would have to approve." I said, "You have four
days. I'm asking the leader in America, too. He's saying the same." He
said, "If we don't go, would you tell others that we refused the
invitation?" I said, "If I'm asked, you know I would have to. CNN
reporters are becoming very good at that." He grinned, and said, "I've
noticed, and that you have objected at times." I said, "But I still had
to answer. I'm not a politician. Good that I don't have to insult
myself." He laughed well.
I said, "You take the Bible literally. Tell me, what to you think
about Romans?" He groaned. I grinned. He said, "Privately, the less
than sane raving of a confused and angry man. He condemned himself with
it!" I said, "Yes, he condemned the unmerciful to death, showing there
were none more unmerciful than himself. But Paul didn't write that,
although he did say many of those things in his most er, energetic
speeches. Some strange person compiled the sayings into one document,
his own way. In addition, the modern world of equal genders objects to
'the proper use of women' statement." He said, "As a modern man, I have
to say rightly so. In private." I said, "Those who use two faces are
deceptive, and are not appreciated by God in that." He said, "I must
accept the rebuke as just and true, but I don't think this will
change." I said, "There will be a God contact at the event, but I don't
think he would ruin the event to criticize anybody in it. That would be
unjust to the Russians." He said, "I think that's probably so. Will the
American attend?" I said, "He hasn't said yet. You think I know if he
will, or not. And he thinks I know if you will, or not. You know I have
to love this!" He laughed.
They both used the other to convince their people they should go. All
the others I asked before, agreed to go. I said to the Patriarch, "So,
are we going to have a party?" He grinned, and said, "We are. The
Lutherans! I have to know." I said, "If you don't tell in advance.
Could cause problems. Both are coming. Yes, I managed that. That's why
I asked two." He said, "Game theory in action!" I said, "Absolutely.
About publicity?" He said, "We like what happened for the previous
event. As full as possible, but edited. God contact and afterworld,
too, and with a dream crystal." I said, "Somebody's been thinking!" He
laughed. I said, "And from now on, you're out of this. You just sit
back and watch the show." He grinned, and said, "I will, and enjoy
every minute of it. Ensure me a good view of the Lutherans?" I grinned,
and said, "A small thing, yes." We hugged.
I met with his replacement. I said, "Is it proper for you to grin
like that?" He said, "It's not. You see that hasn't changed it. Yes I
am sad the Patriarch is leaving is, and afraid of the change in my life
that is to come because of that. But the Lutherans!" I said, "What is
it between your denominations?" He said, "We have had a rivalry and
dislike." I said, "Not with the Greeks, the Coptics, and the other
minor Orthodoxes?" He said, "Not them. They're local to their own
countries. Lutherans try to convert our people." I said, "And
Catholics?" He said, "Nicer about it. We're considered what you would
call kissing cousins." I said, "Mormons?" He said, "Our people laugh at
them." I said, "So do mine." He laughed, and said, "I'm aware of their
Native American belief." I said, "But you will be nice to your honored
guests?" He said, "We will, and that will shame the Lutherans." I
sighed, and he laughed. I told him the guest list, and said, "Any more
you would like to ask?" He said, "I would like all the sister faiths to
attend, but that will be too many people. And they might not want to,
causing trouble." I said, "So might not inviting them. Isn't that
great?" He laughed, and said, "I was warned about your use of game
theory. What's worse, or better, is they know you're doing it!" I said,
"Like now, worse for them, better for others. A peace offering. They
would need to know Russian or English, and there isn't enough time for
them to learn. Those who are coming now, know at least English." He
said, "Please ask them."
I did ask them, mentioning the language requirement. The Greek asked
for English for future possible invitations. We grinned. They all asked
for it, if they didn't know it, or wanted it better. Those who already
knew it, asked for Russian. One who knew both, asked for Greek. I said,
"Even if it comes with a poor economy?" He laughed. They held the event
in the Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior, in Moscow, rather than
their central office in Danilov Monastery, which is also where the
Patriarch lives.
They had all the usual things going on, such as the choir and
processions. Patriarch was enjoying it very much. I announced, "We have
about an hour. All who would like to make any comments, please
communicate that to one of the very busy looking people. Please make it
short." Most did say something. Then I said, "Five minutes!" The choir
sang their prepared song. I did a local love broadcast, and the
Patriarch died with a beautiful expression on his face. Then the new
Patriarch was made official. Normally, he's elected after a long
debate, but the past boss made his strong wish known, and he was
popular anyway. So they did it in the fast track, to make it official
in time for the event.
I said, "I've been asked to do an afterlife contact. Anybody who
doesn't want to be a part of that, simply deny my mental link." Nobody
did. I said to him in Limbo, "So, how's the weather there?" He said,
"There's no weather. I can see you all, but it's not seeing. Oh Vlad,
you shouldn't have eaten that. You know it doesn't agree with you."
Laughter. Vlad said, "How did you know?" Past Patriarch said, "I don't
fully know. I can see inside you. I just sensed it. Solomon, is this
how your people see?" I said, "One of our ways, yes. Good for medical
things. Not that good for personal attractions." Chuckles. He said,
"You are God!" I said, "It can seem that way, because God is outside of
time. For Him, I've already fully joined him, but for us, I have only
partially. I can't fully understand that, so don't be concerned that
you can't." He recited a list of things he could see that should be
repaired. I said, "Enough of that! You're supposed to be on holiday."
Chuckles. He thanked us for a good going away party, and I closed the
connection. I said, "God contact next?" They all wanted it, and I did
it, and God came in and said, "I thank all my representatives here who
supported Solomon's people. In doing that, you support all their work
in my creation that I require of them. Please encourage your people to
love each other, MORE than they love themselves. Then they will know me
better." He gave us all his love, and left.
I asked the new Patriarch to recite what God said for the recored,
and he did. Then he described the afterlife conversation, and what he
felt in it, very well. Others commented as well. Then I passed around
the proposed news release in a crystal. Some adjustments were asked
for. Some of those were made. I said to him, "Here's a dream memory
crystal of this event. It will only work within 100 meters of the then
current Patriarch, who, if it becomes lost, can wish hard for it, with
an open hand, and it will appear in it. Do you wish to do a show on CNN
with me about this?" He said, "Would you agree to do it on a different
channel?" I said, "Either that, or Al Jazeera, or BBC. They won't edit
it. You can obviously appear on anything else you wish that will have
you, but not with me." He said, "I would appear on Russian TV first." I
said, "Then we don't need to do it on other stations after that. Old
news, isn't news." Some tried not to grin. That's the way he decided. I
said, "Here's the recordings for that. They change anything involving
me that I don't like, their network may stop working." More suppressed
grins. I said, "If our hosts agree, guests may stay and converse.
People asking to be ported home, which I will hear wherever I am,
better be standing for that." Grins. I included the network warning on
the locked media cards. I bowed, and shifted out.
Paolo said in his mind to me, knowing I would hear it, "You're still
manipulating people in their decision making." I said in his ear, "We
all do it. I just do it better." He tried not to laugh. Eventually, I
ported them all home. The next day the Patriarch appeared on the
premier TV station in Moscow. They knew about the warning, having
previewed the recording. They agreed to the Patriarch's request to edit
our the comment about food from the dead Patriarch, because it was
about him, Vlad. When the recording got to that part, I included it as
if they hadn't edited it. Patriarch wasn't happy. I said to both them
in their available ears, "You knew of the edit warning. Standard with
me. I can't disregard that even once, and have people think I'm not
fair. So, I put it back. Would you rather have your station go black?
As you would not play with God, so you should not play with me. I will
NOT have Him made less in the eyes of others, through me." They nodded
slightly.
When he was back in his office, the Patriarch asked to meet with me.
I shifted in. He said, "I apologize. I had not fully considered your
position, even your degree of holiness. Your reasoning was eminently
sound." I said, "For your information, some of your visitors suspected
you might want to do what you did, and hinted that to me in their
minds." He said, "They can talk to you that way?" I said, "Knowing all,
includes every feeling, every thought, of all the people in existence.
Some people accept that, and talk to me privately, just as they do to
God, but I answer a little more often. More humor, too." A smile broke
through his awe. I said, ""It seems your predecessor was mistaken in
his assumption that you didn't need to be instructed about me. He
regrets that, while he's not exactly sad about the entertainment
possibilities that could provide him before he reincarnates.
Interesting expressions." He displayed some more.
He said, "You knew I would do it, and you didn't stop me? Why?" I
said, "You knew of my abilities, and you knew of the warning. That
should have been much more than enough. That it wasn't, indicated that
you needed to learn your limits a little more strongly. It would have
been not as helpful to you if I had done more correction before the
edit broadcast attempt. You didn't believe in the consequence of your
planned action. You and I had to cause that belief by what happened,
for you to be improved by it. I didn't make it as strong as I could
have. You know that." He said, "I do. I apologize for thinking badly of
you. You did it FOR me, as a good parent would." I said, "Exactly. I
don't enjoy that, but you do know about responsibilities." He nodded. I
said, "Those who discussed this with me before it happened. Should it
be shared with them, so they can also learn from it?"
He was very conflicted. Then he sighed, and said, "Yes, they should
know. Will they keep it confidential?" I said, "Professional
confidences. They know what will happen if they violate that. Their
successors will know that better." He said, "Oh! I see you are truly in
authority over us." I said, "My power and responsibility, and my direct
superior, make it so. It's not what I want, but unlike you, I can't
chose not to do what I should." I hugged him, and shifted out.
I said to Paolo, "I didn't do the TV blackout. Instead I replaced
what was edited out. They noticed." I told him what I told them, and to
the Patriarch in his office." He said, "A little strong, but I see he
needed it. You stopped entire religions on other worlds, that had false
leaders. He should have known that." I said, "That's not fully real to
a lot of people, when the victims don't look like us. If he had known
said, "He would have laughed a lot. But he wouldn't have applied it to
him. People in his position just don't. The power they have, makes then
feel untouchable." I said, "Not you?" He said, "I knew your father, and
you, before I had much of any power, so this position didn't cause
that. How will the next Pope be? Do you know?" I said, "I do. Future is
unusually clear on that. No, I'm not going to tell you." He said, "When
I die, should I resist reincarnation to see what happens?" I said, "You
will make that decision then, but I know. Don't worry about it. You'll
have a very long and active life. Not a bad one at all, even if you
never get laid." He laughed. We hugged.
Mom said, "You're not going to tell us." I said, "What else am I not
going to do?" Pokes. Galya laughed.
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Grant
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