Chapter 8

A few hours passed by while I grieved and prayed,

and I began to walk back from Culloden into the

town. The redcoats were already marching into

town, and they probably only had more suffering to

give to the people of this land.

I was interrupted in my thoughts by the

messenger boy. "Sir, they are going to kill Jenny,

you must hurry. They are going to kill her outside

the Gaelic church."

The boy was distraught. In answer, I ran

faster than I ever had run. I ran so fast that the boy

was soon a speck behind me. The boy had managed

to shout to me as I ran that Brother Peter and Jenny

were trying to convince Draco and his firing squad

to have mercy.

As I reached the old Gaelic church I saw

soldiers huddled together, smoking and joking

together. Among them was Draco, who was to lead

the execution. The Jacobite rebels and other

prisoners were bound and blindfolded, and some

seemed to be trembling due to both fear and the

cold.

Peter was still shouting at the defiant Draco:

"Stop! The girl is innocent!"

"I don't want to hear it!" Draco barked, the

words spitting from his mouth. His eyes were full of

hate.

But Peter would not give up without a fight.

He truly believed in the power of words and logic.

"You would kill this girl and these young

men for a kingdom that will not last forever. Vanity,

vanity!"

"Shut up, you old fool!"

By now, a number of the soldiers who had

been chatting among themselves were watching the

show, wide-eyed with surprise at the boldness of

this former monk. Townspeople, too, were drifting

into the scene.

"The kingdoms and empires of this world

are led by Caesars who are deluded about

themselves. They have no sense of the human

family. In fact, the word allegiance comes from the

word Lord. So to serve them is to serve ones who

are saying they are lord, when Christ alone is Lord!

The kingdom of Christ is one of love. It is a

kingdom not of this world!"

Draco was going red with rage, but he knew

that Peter was well respected among the troops and

the people who had begun to gather.

"May I say a few words to your troops and

to you?"

"Fine," Draco replied, but his tone implied

he regretted it.

Peter began to speak boldly:

Hiding the poor,

Killing the prophets,

Generation of vipers,

Trees that bear no fruit.

The grass withers and the leaf fadeth.

A puff of smoke, a vapour

All empires crumble and fall.

One thing remains.

His name is LOVE.

A couple of the soldiers with softened hearts

hesitantly said amen, but others remained silent.

"Enough," Draco snapped. "Let's get on

with our duty."

I ran forward. Peter had bought us time with

his arguments and short-lived speech, enough that I

could get into the crowd without being noticed until

I wanted to be—and enough that others could get in

place also.

"I must speak with the man in charge!" I

shouted.

The bewildered soldiers looked at me with

surprise. Draco's face reddened, and he was about

to reply when a horse galloped up. Seated on its

back was a soldier, and the messenger boy who had

finally caught up with me.

"A message for you, sir!" the boy said,

sliding off the horse and addressing Draco. "You're

to report to your superior immediately!"

"Can't it wait?" Draco snapped, his eyes

darting to Jenny and his revenge.

"No, sir, they insisted immediately. You are

to give your duties to the next in command and

come at once."

Draco's commander was even more cruel

and corrupt than he was. Quickly he handed over

command to a younger soldier and was on his way.

Our plan had begun to fall into place.

This young soldier had never seen war until

recently. He had little stomach for it. Seeing Draco

was out of sight, I ran up to him and pleaded with

him not to allow Jenny to die.

"I must perform my duty."

"Yes, but no one will know if you don't kill

her."

"They will—the number to be executed is

recounted when disposing of the bodies."

The words sent a chill down my spine. These

people, including young men, boys, and my still-

beautiful Jenny were soon to simply be corpses.

Suddenly my face lit up, and I knew it was time to

part with the plan we had agreed upon at the chapel

and go to my last resort instead. I had told no one of

my thoughts—they would have tried to stop me

from going through with it.

"What if I take her place?"

Jenny was crying softly as I spoke the

words. I heard others gasp and protest in surprise.

But the young soldier in command seemed glad to

hear them.

"Very well, I have no stomach for killing

girls anyway. You are either brave or stupid,

though."

"May I speak with her before I die?"

"Aye, but make it quick."

In a moment of great love, I walked up to

Jenny, untied her, and then removed her blindfold.

Gazing into her bright blue eyes, I kissed her.

"You don't have to do this, Davy," she

sobbed.

"I do. It was for this reason I was born."

"I think I am with child, Davy."

"Today I save both your lives."

Crying, she embraced me and whispered in

my ear, "How will I raise the child on my own in

such a world?"

I turned to Peter and Rose. "This is your

family now." They were holding each other in tears.

"Such a strange gift . . ." she said with half a

smile.

"Good-bye, Jenny," I said, giving a nod to

Peter. He seemed to instinctively know he had to

take her to stand with them so I could perform my

calling. As he was taking her away, she suddenly

broke free from his gentle arm and ran back to me.

Kissing me, she said, "I love you."

Then a slightly irritated young soldier pulled

her away, and she went and stood beside her new

family. Without being blindfolded or bound, I stood

still as the words sounded: "Ready, aim . . ."

Just as the word "fire" was being shouted, I

saw an angel standing by my tearful, pregnant wife

and the new family God had provided for her.

"Hallelujah," I whispered, and then fell to

the ground covered in blood with the other

prisoners.

Jenny took me in her arms as it began to

snow, even though it was April. "Merry Christmas,"

I said with a smile. Then I used every bit of life and

energy I had left to say as loudly as a dying man

possibly could, "Soli Deo Gloria!"

With that, I departed from this world and

awoke in heaven.

At my funeral, Jenny had a little girl from

Peter's congregation light a candle that she placed

on the river Ness. Peter gave a short word before

more candles were lit by others and placed on the

water:

Alone it floats on the water, lit by a child, a

call for peace amidst the wars.

It's a sign to beckon the weary to come.

Slowly more candles are lit,

More people come.

They come, not to curse the darkness.

They simply come to light a candle.

Soon the water reflects so much light.

Broken and surrendered they come.

Softly without words or song they minister.

In prayer and stillness they gather.

The ever-growing, universal vigil for peace has begun.

So what's it like, here where I am?

Hopefully you will find out when you get here. As

for Jenny, she forgave her father, Victor, for

inadvertently condemning her and causing my

death. Thinking she was dead, and finding out that

the rebellion, which he had secretly supported, had

failed, Victor shot himself. Draco went with a ship

to see the New World, thinking his revenge was

complete. He was killed when his boat blew up after

taking on board a supply of arms he intended to

deal.

Peter and Rose were married and moved in

with Jenny on her estate, and together they raised

our son—Davy. They established a small community of radicals who believed in love and

redemption and set about trying to reform both

church and society through simple acts of love.

The End

Lay down together, friends.

Roar lion, roar!

Silent lamb to slaughter.

A child will lead them.

Lay down together, friends.

Speak and nations bow.

Swords to ploughs.

The harvest is plenty.

Lay down together, friends.

Prince of peace.

Hallelujah, angels sing.

Saints awake.

Lay down together, friends.

Lay down on holy ground.

Lay down your weapons.

Lay down your burdens.

Lay down together, friends.

This is the end.