Ultimate Justice (15 page)

The pastor smiled.

“Let me tell you a story that comes from Planet Earth,” he began, “as it is told in their Scriptures. It goes like this. A couple of millennia ago, God decided the time was right to be born as a ‘human being on Planet Earth'. Actually we share our DNA with them – they are our close cousins and we have had actual contact through the portals we sometime hear about that God, very occasionally, has set up for an individual. In fact some here have come to live on Joh by this means even today. It is through these people that we have gained our knowledge of their Scriptures and the story of the events in which God revealed himself.”

Kakko moved uncomfortably in her chair. Her parents spoke to very few people of how they had arrived on Joh, although it was no secret. The people of Joh did not engage in gossip. The only way in which a person's origins would be discussed is if it had a direct bearing on a situation. Kakko wondered if she should say that, in fact, her father was from Earth One. But she was too interested in what the pastor had to say and did not want to interrupt at that moment.

Ruk continued, “Human beings are noted for their tendency to become aggressive, some of them actually believing that attack is the best means of defence. Also a few are obsessed with selfish ambition, and others are driven by
fear
to engage in wars and violence. They have, nevertheless, a huge capacity to love and this generally wins out in family relationships, which are mostly, but not always, peaceful. They long for peace but fear of the enemy (who is usually characterised as less than human) drives them to violence. The production of weapons on an industrial scale characterises the species.”

“The Earthlings are a pretty cruel lot then,” commented ‘mango chutney', a large middle aged woman with a ‘tea-pot' smile.

“Like all human species, they are a mixture,” explained Ruk. “And so God decided to come to his own creatures as a fellow human being. He was born a child on Earth One. As he grew, this child learned his mission – to reveal that God, who is love, loves everyone on that planet whatever his/her language or group. As a young man, he witnessed to them that in God there is no darkness of evil. He was immensely popular among the ordinary people, but those in authority feared they would lose their hold on power and plotted to rid their planet of this young man who was also God. They chose not to believe he was from God – probably because that was inconvenient for them. So they arrested him on trumped up charges and then had him executed by nailing him to a cross of wood, which they set upright in the ground on top of a small hill so all could see who was in charge.”

“Yuk,” shuddered Tam. “Why be so cruel? That's an awful thing to do!”

“Apparently it was a pretty common thing to do with your enemy in those days on Earth One.”

“But he hadn't been violent himself?” quizzed Kakko.

“All he had done was reveal God's love. He wouldn't let his followers fight – not even to defend him. So now, tell me, where is the justice in that?” asked Ruk.

“There is none,” said Kakko. “He was all love and he was tortured and killed just because he was too good for those who held power. I have heard the story, he was called Jesus Christ. Nan Matilda often tells it… because actually she was born on Planet Earth One.”

There was an audible collective gasp that rippled around the small group.

“Your grandmother is from Earth One?!” exclaimed ‘apple and custard'.

“Yeah,” said Kakko slowly.

“I know her,” she said, “she's a friend of my mum. I never knew she was born on Planet Earth One.”

“No need to know really,” said ‘mango chutney'.

“No. It's never made any difference, but actually I'm half Earthling,” said Kakko.

“Wow,” said ‘apple and custard'. “Do your friends know?”

“Some of them. Tam knows. We don't go around talking about it. It doesn't seem to matter who your ancestors are. Does it matter, Pastor Ruk?”

“Only in what you might be able to contribute to society. A diversity of backgrounds makes us rich. The more the merrier. It helps us look at things from different angles and get a clearer picture. You can probably tell the story of Jesus better than I.”

“Nuh. I only know what Nan told me.”

“You should ask her more… OK. So what might this story tell us about God and justice?” Ruk asked rhetorically. “It tells us that it is the nature of the Creator to suffer injustice as well as His creatures. God is not above it all, but comes into His creation and suffers hatred He does not deserve. So when we think something is not fair, it isn't because God doesn't care (like some kind of landlord sitting above it all looking down on us from some great height). He cares enough to suffer alongside us, bearing the injustice too.”

“So,” asked the quiet spoken man, “God allows injustice?”

“No, not exactly ‘allows'. He has no choice,” said the pastor.

“Surely,” said a woman from across the circle, “God has the power to do anything? If He doesn't like it, He doesn't have to put up with it.”

“We like to think that,” replied Ruk, “but in practice He cannot because He is so bound up in the universe and He has to travel along with it. Not even God can make a star cold. A cold star is not a star – He has to obey the laws of physics. He cannot give his creatures the power to choose love, and at the same time make sure they choose it. That is no choice at all. What He
can
do, and has done, is build love into the system – and demonstrate what He wants us to choose, but then it is over to us to make the choice. If someone is bent on evil and injustice they can block God out, and the laws of the universe mean there is nothing God can do about it. That's not to say that He cannot act to restore and heal, but only when people let him.”

“I don't get that,”retorted the woman. “If God is God, no-one can exclude him!”

“Yeah,” came in Kakko. “Why doesn't He just zap the evil ones and do away with them? Why does He put up with wicked people killing him? That would be fair.”

“But there's good and bad in each one of us,” said the quiet man, “once He had started He would have to zap everyone.”

“Yeah,” added Tam gently, “ and God loves even the most wicked. His love prevents him from destroying them. All He can do is show them the way. He won't give up on them as long as there is a chance they will change. I agree God is not able to do everything in the universe as it is.”

“Right,” said Ruk, “God's power is not the zapping sort. That's the way the Earth people thought of power. That's the way we sometimes do here too, but God's power is the power to transform, heal and restore. That's what being love means.”

“Nan says the story doesn't end with Jesus dying,” explained Kakko. “He is raised from the dead and goes up to heaven in glory.”

“Exactly!” said Pastor Ruk. “In the end justice
is
done, God wins, but not always in our time, but in His. Thank you so much for that question Kakko. And God bless your nan for sharing that story with you. I would like to come and talk with her sometime.”

***

The discussion went on. The pastor brought in other people and many struggled to get their minds around the nature of God's power. Kakko couldn't follow everything. Tam seemed to do better and explained a bit afterwards. But what she did take away from the little group was that God cared about injustice – and she felt better about it. She was also proud of her nan and was glad she had told her the stories of Jesus.

“I'm going to get Nan to tell me more,” she told Tam on the way home. “Do you want to go again next week?”

“Yeah,” said Tam, “that pastor's cool. I guess he's in trouble though. That couple will probably give him a bad report.”

“That's unfair!” declared Kakko. “So many people get put off with the traditional stuff which doesn't work for them. It begs so many questions. And they didn't stay to hear him properly. They were against him from the start.”

“Agreed,” said Tam. “And, as for the unfair bit, if it's unfair for God, I'm sure Pastor Ruk will cope with it.”

Kakko laughed. “He didn't dodge anything did he? He's cool… thanks for being patient with me Tam.”

“Why? I don't want you to be any different from what you are. I like the way you speak out. You know I've always admired you.”

“But I've been so arrogant!”

“Not
very
arrogant. But I must admit I didn't think you would ever really like me.”

“I was too obsessed with myself to see your qualities.”

“Thanks. I'm chuffed.”

“Come here,” said Kakko, swinging her good arm around Tam's neck. “Let me kiss you.”

“What here? In the street.”

“I don't care,” she said.

“No you don't, do you? And,” he whispered looking into her sky-blue eyes, “neither do I!”

“Hi Sis!” It was Bandi right up behind them. “Never thought my sis could get so cheesy,” he laughed. They looked round and saw both Bandi and Shaun with an expression that betrayed a combination of triumph and guilt.

“Bandi!” exclaimed Kakko. “What are you doing here? Pesky little brothers. Sorry, Tam.”

“We've just got back from the match,” said Bandi. “Guess what?” indicating his brother, “two goals and two assists. Ta-dah!”

“Wow! Brilliant!”

“Love midfield!” exclaimed Shaun.

“Congratulations,” said Tam. “Seems you have a fan in your brother at least!”

“We saw Nan just now,” said Shaun. “She went home earlier and found a note to say Mum and Dad have gone through another white gate, so she's come back to town again with her things and is going to stay at Mrs. Pippa's.”

“A white gate?” quizzed Kakko. “Where?”

“Usual place, in the hedge next to the real gate.”

“No, I mean, where have they gone to?”

“You mean where through the gate? No idea. Apparently there was only stuff beside the gate for two, so they guessed it was only for them. Nan couldn't see anything. We are to check when we get back.”

“The note said to look after Nan,” added Bandi, “but she rang her friend and arranged to go and stay with her.”

“Like we're not up to looking after her,” said Shaun.

“No. It's not like that. She's never been really happy since Grandma died,” said Kakko. “She'll get bored with just us around.”

“She gets bored anyway,” said Bandi, “we're all out at school, college or work for a lot of the time.”

“And you know how she likes to talk,” said Shaun.

“Anyway, now she's with Mrs Pippa, no doubt telling her what wonderful grandchildren she has, or not,” said Shaun. Their bus approached the stop and Tam put out his hand.

“Are you going to sit with us, or do you want to carry on snogging on the back seat?” asked Shaun.

Kakko went an odd shade of purple. “Come on Tam. I guess we'd better sit with these pesky brothers of mine.
So
immature!”

As they walked towards the bus stop, Tam squeezed Kakko's hand and smiled.

Back in Woodglade, there was no sign of a white gate for them. Although not surprised, they were at first disappointed, but then the thought of having the cottage all to themselves cheered them up. Perhaps they could have some friends over?

Jack and Jalli were sitting together on the bench in the garden under the tree where they had first sat twenty-two years before – then two strangers from different planets. The weather was almost the same as that first time, and the time after that, when they pondered the question of whether they should enter the cottage. Jalli still put a space between the syllables: ‘cot-tage', even though she had learned to speak English very well for herself. She no longer needed to have it translated inside her head by the ‘Owner'. They spoke English a lot – for Matilda mostly. And the children were fluent. Wanulkan, however, was not so easy for Jack. Not being able to see meant he couldn't do any written learning. He couldn't refer to the dictionary Jalli had brought with her. Nevertheless he had persisted. There had always been Grandma to give him practice, but now it was left to Jalli. The children understood it, but they were less competent at speaking it.

That day, however, Jack and Jalli were using Wanulkan. Jack was getting his tongue round it rather well. The lovely day reminded them of the Municipal Park and the Wanulkan City centre just through the hedge beyond the white gate that was no longer there. It did not seem so far away – although they knew it was somewhere on the other side of the universe. Jalli had realised one night, gazing at the stars, that she did not even know in which direction to look. She had tried to see the cluster of three stars that shone down on Raika, but Jack told her that, even if Joh was on the same side of the same galaxy as Jallaxa, Suuf and Shklaia, from Joh they would look like one star. And Planet Joh was not even likely to be in the Elbib-Andromeda galaxy anyway. Yet sitting on the old bench and speaking Wanulkan, the city in which Jalli grew up didn't feel so
very
distant. They began to talk about Mr Bandi.

“I wonder how he's going on?” mused Jalli.

“Must be retired by now.”

“Coming up for it.”

“And your school friends?”

“All married to handsome, rich bankers, I suppose… ”

Jack laughed. “And they all have kids who prefer the beach to their school work!”

“Except for the occasional one inspired by the biology teacher… Jack!” Jalli was staring across the lawn.

“What?”

“A gate! It's just this minute appeared. A white gate in the hedge where I used to pass through to Wanulka.”

“It's the reminiscing. You're imagining it.”

“Jack, I know a white gate when I see one!” she declared in English.

Jack scanned his brain and then nodded.

“Got it. I was feeling so lazy here! When are the rest due to come home?”

“Nan's with Ada. Kakko is with Tam so God knows when she will be back. Shaun is playing away isn't he? So he and Bandi will be really late.”

“So do we wait for them? Are there any things?”

“No… I mean, yes…” Jalli went over to the hedge. She called back, “Two sun hats with, what's this, a wallet with what looks like money. The writing on the bank-notes is Wanulkan! They are different from what I remember but it says, ‘Bank of Wanulka'. Wanulka! Jack we're invited into Wanulka. We're off to Wanulka! Jack, we're going to my home city!” Jalli bounced up and down with excitement. She was seventeen again. “We're actually going back, right now!”

“I'm so pleased for you to be going back. The place you grow up stays with you deep down. Especially if you were happy there for most of the time.”

“I
was
happy. Grandma made sure of that. It'll be strange without her though… the notes have changed design but it definitely says, ‘Bank of Wanulka' in Wanulkan… and we're rich. There's three hundred Wanulkan units. I've never had so much cash.”

“Inflation. You haven't been there for over twenty years.”

“Guess so.”

“There are only two hats?”

“One for you and one for me. The others are not meant to come, then. Mine is lovely. It's Wanulkan ibon straw,” Jalli smelled it, “and it has a broad brim with a pale blue ribbon.”

“Sure that's not mine?” teased Jack coming over to her.

“No. Yours is a smart fabric hat. Worthy of a dapper man.” She put it on his head. “Thank you my kind sir, I would be honoured to have you walk me through the Municipal Gardens.” She did a little jig. “I wonder, perhaps we can go and find Mr Bandi.”

“Maybe. It'll depend on what the Creator has lined up for us of course… better leave a note for the others.”

Jalli fell silent.

“Jalli, what's wrong?”

“The last note anyone left in the cot-tage was from your mum saying Grandma had been taken to hospital… I'll miss her especially in Wanulka.”

“Of course. But remember Grandma is happy. She is with all those you don't remember meeting even if you did meet them when you were little. People she had missed for forty years…”

“Yes, you're right. With or without Grandma I can't wait to go to Wanulka.”

“I tell you what. We'll pin the note to the door so it doesn't look the same. We won't put it on the kitchen table.”

“Good idea… Jack, I'm quite excited.”

“I love you, my beautiful wife.” Jack caught her up in his arms and kissed her passionately. It was the most passionate embrace they had shared since Momori's death. Jalli responded to Jack's lips, her arms around his waist and clutching her new hat with its blue ribbons.

“I'm going to put on my Jallaxa T-shirt!” she exclaimed. “I feel young again. And it will go perfectly with this hat ribbon.”

Jalli decided against a handbag. Instead she put a few things into a beach bag. She elected to wear a pair of shorts she had not looked at for years but which she had often worn with the T-shirt.

They stepped through the gate and out onto the street exactly where Jalli had originally found her way into Woodglade for the first time. There was the bus-stop where Jack had seen her onto the bus when she was struggling to walk.

“Let's go into the park,” said Jalli.

They walked down the outside of the wall and in through the main gates of the Municipal Gardens. The suns shone more strongly than on Joh. All three of them were above the horizon, Jallaxa high in the sky. Their new hats were not just fashion items. At that moment Jalli did not feel old enough to have an eighteen year old daughter! To her amazement (and delight) she was aware that men were giving her a second glance. She was turning heads like she did when she walked through the park as a seventeen-year-old. She had despised them then. But now, with Jack's hand in hers, walking among the sweet-smelling flower-beds she quite liked people looking at her – she still despised them though!

They traced their way up the slight incline that led deeper into the park. Jalli was half-consciously heading towards the far gate that led to the Wanulkan high school.

“Where are we now?” asked Jack.

“In the middle of the park.”

“You're walking as if we're going somewhere.”

“Am I? This is the way to Wanulka High School. I used to walk this way every day.”

“Are we going to see Mr Bandi?”

“I guess that's what I want to do.”

“Fine. But he's probably not there. Is the school in session?”

“I don't know. We'll find out.”

As they got near the far gate Jalli stopped. Something had caused her to exhale sharply.

Jack squeezed her hand. “What is it?”

“School kids. At least the uniform has not changed much. Took me back.”

Jalli led Jack through the school gates and up to the main doors. She pressed a button and a door lock clicked. Pushing the door they found themselves in a small lobby in front of a receptionist's desk.

“This has changed,” said Jalli. “Never used to be a reception here.”

The woman behind the desk looked up. “Can I help you?”

Jalli stammered in Wanulkan. She hadn't spoken it to any Wanulkan except Grandma for so long it seemed odd. “I'm… Is Mr. Bandi in?”

“Mr. Bandi. The biology teacher?”

“Yes.”

“No. Sorry. Mr. Bandi retired last year. Are you an ex-pupil?”

“Yes. I'm… we're in Wanulka just for a short time and I was wondering where I might find him.”

“Well, you could try Parmanda Park. When he retired he went to work there part-time. He loves his insects. Do you know how to get there?”

“Yes… yes, we… we do.”

“You could take the new bus. It goes by the park. The bus-stop is right outside. If you go now you might just get the bus before the students come out. Being on the bus with them is rather crowded.”

“Yes, I remember,” smiled Jalli, recalling when she was a school-girl. They all used to get packed into the bus so tightly that the other passengers were squashed and sat on.

Outside the school Jack turned to his wife. “Parmanda Park.
Are
we going to Parmanda Park? Do you really want to go there?”

“Perhaps that's why we're here, Jack.”

“What. To go to Parmanda Park?!”

“I think… I think it will help. Jack I do really
want
to go to Parmanda Park!”

“Right. We go to Parmanda Park. Where's this bus-stop?”

“Jack, I wasn't thinking.
You
don't have to go.
We
don't have to go. Not if you don't want to. What happened there was worse for you than for me.”

“Let's not go into all that again. You know I don't agree with that. All I care is that
you
are comfortable. If you want to go, we'll go. But I'm not leaving your side this time – not for a minute!”

They didn't have to wait long for a bus. Jalli felt odd getting on a bus in such a familiar place and yet having no idea how much the fare would be. Jack had warned her about inflation but it did not stop her from having to apologise for offering the driver a note that did not cover half the cost for two single tickets.

“I could have travelled all week for that when I was at this school,” she murmured to Jack as they made their way down the bus. “Do you think they've had a financial crisis?”

“Probably not. Just a small percentage adds up over twenty years. It really doesn't matter. What matters is the ratio of income to prices.”

“Right, I'll remember that Mr Economist,” said Jalli with a mocking tone. “It doesn't stop things sounding expensive all the same.”

“You're showing your age,” laughed Jack, “but,” he added, “I guess you don't look it!”

“Stop teasing! If you really want to know, I feel quite young today.” Jack pulled her towards him on the seat.

“Are you sure about this? Parmanda Park, and everything?”

“Yes I
am
. Actually, I am
really
ready to go there. I think that perhaps now is the time to face the memories. I can't say I'm not nervous, but I really think I can deal with this now. How about you?”

“I'm fine about it. You know I can't remember too much about the bad bits. The last thing I remember seeing is the parmandas' dance. You called out and the rest is a blank. So hang on to me and don't let me go…”

“I promise I will keep hold of you… all the time.”

The bus went through districts of Wanulka that simply hadn't existed when Jalli was last around. New estates of brick houses and bungalows had sprung up all along the route to Parmanda Park, but the park itself was still quite unspoiled and unchanged. They got off the bus opposite the entrance and Jalli led Jack through the wrought iron gates that had stood there for over a century. They crossed the car park to the Visitors' Centre through which people had to pass to enter the park itself.

Inside Jalli spotted a notice and read the admission charges. She resisted the temptation to remark on how high they seemed to be. Season tickets, she noted, were only three times the cost of a single visit and life members were free. They were directed through a series of channels where people were showing passes, cards or proffering cash. Jalli counted out two adult single entries and asked the man for two tickets.

“ID,” he demanded.

“ID?” repeated Jalli.

“Identity card, or driving licence. Guess you're too old for a student card?”

“Sorry,” said Jalli, “we don't have them with us. They never used to demand ID cards. It's been some years since we were last here.”

“Well, it's a
really
long time then. Years ago we had a man damage a hive and then get killed. We have to protect the parmandas and people. But that must have been, what, over twenty years ago. You must have been only a kid then.”

“I was seventeen then… when we last came. That was twenty-two years ago.” The man did his mental arithmetic and then looked at Jalli again in her bright T-shirt and shorts. She clearly looked after herself.

“The one who broke the hives,” asked Jack, “Is that the one that attacked a girl too?”

“Now you mention it, I believe it was. Clobbered her boy-friend too. Then days later the bloke was killed by the parmandas. Never happened to anyone since but we have to be careful.”

“But
he
didn't come through the entrance did he? The man who broke the hive. He came in round the back.”

“Might have done then. Not now he couldn't. He would risk being fried on the electric fence… now if you don't have ID you need to go over there and get your prints checked… next please.”

Jalli led Jack into a space away from the desk. “So, what are we going to do? If they take our finger-prints they'll find out we don't have identity cards.”

“Maybe. But we might still get in. The worse they can do is send us away. I'm sure they are not out to catch people without passes – it's just about not letting the wrong people in.”

“You mean like what happened to me in your country on Planet Earth? No. Everyone here has an identity card automatically. I had a student card. If I had still been here it would have just become a standard ID card. I guess that hasn't changed.”