The Quest for Paradise - Page 86/94

A twisted cylindrical column of both flowing water and molten flowing magma spiraled up from the sands of this tiny island to climb impressively upward until it disappeared in the bright clouds above. In fact it appeared as if the hot rock and water was by some unknown process creating the glowing clouds of this hidden world, because the clouds moved away continuously from the semi-molten column of rock and crystal-clear water to disperse off in every direction.

It was a wondrous sight to behold and in quiet awe the people of this underworld land of seas made their way from the gentle lapping surf up onto the clean sands of the beach that surrounded the spiraling column. It was warm, but not as warm as it should've been given the presence of the flowing magma.

It was as if everything, at least here in this place, was being held in a perfect balance of harmony as opposed to all the contrary actions of nature elsewhere. Taking Sheatera's hand with mine, who in turn was holding the hand of a little black boy of about her own age, who was the son of Eli and his wife named Keturah, we walked towards the only sign of a structure not of nature that the tiny island of sand possessed.

Leaving Sheatera to be with her new playmate I stepped forward past yet one more bronze relief statue of King Solomon sitting on a throne to approach a doorway framed by molten stone that led inward to the clearest of waters that was wreathed in bubbles that floated upward as if in replica of a fish tank without walls of glass to hold the water in. Such design as this no man could boast of.

This was a place of God's design and establishment and yet turning to view the sculpture of King Solomon from behind I could not but admit the foolishness of my own kind in their ever present pursuit to be as gods in replacement of serving the Father of all creation. Truly towards the end of Solomon's reign all had become vanity and yet his actions of selfish conquest and exploitation reflected nothing new under the sun as having occurred within all the vast achievements that he had made. Man, without the intervention of God, was doomed to repeat his mistakes, until the day when time would be finally over.

"Any idea as to how to unlock the way to the surface?" Eli asked from where he stood off a short distance with his arm about the waist of his pretty wife.

Glancing to him I said, "Nothing is locked. The way to the surface lies before you." I said in gesture to the doorway of bubbling water framed with lava.