THAT WORD DIRECTED THE INHABITANTS TO RECOVER THE INNOCENT AND REJECTED FROM THE SEA OF ETERNITY AND WITH COMPASSION, MAKE ROOM FOR THEM ON THE ISLAND OF INFINITY. IMANI KNEW THE SUFFERING AND THE BLOOD WOULD CONTINUE IN THE SEA OF ETERNITY UNTIL THE MEEK AND THE INNOCENT WERE, EITHER RECOVERED BY THE INFINITY'S INHABITANTS OR UNTIL HIS FATHER, THE MASTER CLOCK MAKER AND LIGHT HOUSE KEEPER, CREATED THE NEW LIGHTHOUSE AMONG THEM. KNOWING THIS, IMANI DECIDED TO ENTER THE SEA OF ETERNITY HIMSELF.

IMANI HAD FAITH IN HIS FATHER'S PROMISE AND HE WANTED TO SHARE THAT PROMICE WITH THE INNOCENT SO THEY MIGHT HAVE HOPE. IMANI INFORMED HIS FATHER OF THE DECISION HE HAD MADE, TO ENTER THE SEA OF ETERNITY IN ORDER TO IMPART THE MESSAGE OF PROMISE AND HOPE, BECAUSE HE KNEW HIS FATHER WOULD BE TRUE TO HIS WORD.

SACONI WAS WELL AWARE OF THE NATURE OF THE SEA OF ETERNITY AND WAS GREATLY SADDENED, BUT HE ALSO KNEW OF HIS SON'S INNOCENCE AND TRUSTED HIS JUDGMENTS, FOR THEY WERE AS HIS OWN, WHEN HE HAD CREATED THE LIGHT HOUSE, IN THE BEGINNING. SACONI TOLD HIS SON, THAT BECAUSE HE LOVED HIM, HE WOULD LET HIM GO, BUT THAT IF HE WERE NOT BACK BY NOON, HE WOULD MEET WITH HIM ON THE SEA OF ETERNITY AND TOGETHER THEY WOULD CREATE A NEW LIGHT HOUSE AMIDST THE INNOCENT.

IMANI ASSURED HIS FATHER THAT IF HE SAW THAT THE INNOCENT AND THE MEEK WERE REMOVED FROM THE SEA OF ETERNITY, BY THE INHABITANTS OF INFINITY, HE WOULD KNOW THE WAY OF THE ISLAND HAD CHANGED, AND HE WOULD RETURN BEFORE NOON.

NOW IMANI WAS SHAKING SO BAD HE COULD HARDLY STAY ON THE LIMB.
SPEAKING TO THE WISE MAN, HIS VOICE SHAKING, HE ASKED," WHAT'S THE WISE THING TO DO ?".

" HAVE FAITH ", THE WISE MAN REPLIED,HIS VOICE SHAKING IN FEAR TOO.

"BUT", IMANI SHOUTED DESPERATELY, " WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAITH AND WISDOM "?

BY THIS TIME, THE LION WAS ON THE LIMB AND, WITH AN ANGRY
GROWL, SANK HIS TEETH INTO THE WISE MAN, WHO, WITH ONE LAST EFFORT PUSHED IMANI OFF THE LIMB. IMANI, SO FRIGHTENED BY WHAT HE WAS SEEING TAKE PLACE BEFORE HIS VERY EYES, AND PROMPTED BY THE PUSH FROM THE WISE MAN, HE STEPPED BACK, WELL OUT OF THE RANGE OF THE LION. MUCH TO IMANI'S GREATEST ASTONISHMENT HE DIDN'T FALL. IMANI JUST STOOD THERE AS THE LION STARTED TO DEVOUR THE WISE MAN.

THE WISE MAN WHILE BEING EATEN BY THE LION, MANAGED TO LOOK IN THE DIRECTION OF IMANI, NOW STANDING SOLID ON AIR, SMILED A LAST FAINT SMILE, AND SAID , STRUGGLEING WITH HIS LAST BREATH, "IMANI,... AS TO YOU'RE QUESTION REGARDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WISDOM AND FAITH, YOU SEE, I AM WISE YET THE LION IS EATING ME...BUT YOU HAVE WALKED ONTO THIN AIR BELIEVING THAT IT COULD BE DONE... YOU HAVE FAITH AND ETERNITY, I AM LEFT WITH WISDOM AND REALITY.

THE END

IMANI, RELIEVED TO BE ON THE OUTSIDE, TOOK A DEEP BREATH OF THE NIGHT AIR. NO SOONER HAD HE EXHALED,... WHEN HE HEARD A BUZZING. THERE, COMING THROUGH THE NIGHT IN THEIR DIRECTION, WAS ONE OF THOSE FLYING THINGS, THOSE THINGS WITH A STING AS DEBILITATING AS HEROIN.

" GET DOWN! ", IMANI SHOUTED AS HE AND THE WISE MAN DROPPED TO THE GROUND JUST IN TIME TO AVOID THE STING OF THE FLYING THING AS IT PASSED OVERHEAD DISAPPEARING AMONG THE STREET LIKE CORRIDORS OF THE JUNGLE.

" NOW THAT WAS WISE IMANI ",THE WISE MAN SAID WITH A BIT OF INFLECTION IN HIS VOICE.

AS THE NIGHT WENT ON IMANI AND THE WISE MAN FACED A SUCCESSION OF CREATURES, AND WITH EACH ONE, IMANI ACTED WISELY. IT WAS AFTER THEIR SIXTH CONFRONTATION THAT IMANI WAS NOTICEABLY LESS FEARFUL. SO MUCH LESS, THAT HE STARTED TO WONDER IF HE REALLY NEEDED FAITH AT ALL. HE WAS THINKING AT THIS POINT THAT, MAYBE... JUST MAYBE WISDOM WAS ALL HE NEEDED.

NO SOONER HAD THOSE THOUGHTS CROSSED HIS MIND WHEN, FROM OUT OF THE BUSHES, JUMPED A HYPERAGGRESSIVE, I'M GONNA EAT YOU, YOU'RE BLEEP IS MINE, KIND OF A LION. THE LION WAS CARRYING ON IT'S BACK ALL KINDS OF LION TOOLS FROM PENCILS TO HAMMER JACKS AND EVEN AN ASSORTMENT OF DISEASES. THE LAST THING IMANI NOTICED BEFORE TURNING AWAY WAS A NAME TAG THAT THIS MOST FEROCIOUS LION WAS WEARING. PRINTED IN BOLD LETTERS, IT READ... REALITY!!!

USING THE WISE RESPONSE THAT HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT EARLIER HE TOOK OFF. IMANI AND THE WISE MAN RAN FOR ALL THEY WERE WORTH. UNLIKE THE OTHER THREATS IMANI AND THE WISE MAN HAD BEEN FACED WITH, THIS ONE DIDN'T END WHEN THEY MOVED... REALITY WAS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER!

IMANI NOTICING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE PREVIOUS ONES, FELT THE RESURGENCE OF THAT OLD FAMILIAR FEAR.

" QUICK, UP THIS TREE !", THE WISE MAN SHOUTED BACK TO IMANI. IMANI AND THE WISE MAN CLIMBED THE TREE TO ITS HIGHEST LIMB.ONCE THERE, THE WISE MAN DIRECTED IMANI TO THE VERY END OF THE LIMB. BEHIND IMANI WAS NOTHING BUT CLOUDS. THE WISE MAN HAD FOLLOWED IMANI OUT ONTO THE LIMB AND WAS STANDING NEXT TO IMANI BETWEEN HIM AND THE LION BELOW.

FOR A MINUTE OR TWO IMANI THOUGHT POSSIBLY THEY WERE SAFE FROM THE PURSUING LION, BUT THAN HE NOTICED THE LION WAS LAYING DOWN HIS LION TOOLS AT THE BASE OF THE TREE, AND, BARING HIS TEETH, STARTED UP THE TREE AFTER THEM....the ending comes next

IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE A BLUE AND WHITE SNAKE SLITHERED CLOSE AND OPENING IT”S MOUTH WIDE CONSUMED SOMETHING NEAR, AND LIKE A BUS, MOVED ON. IT MOVED ON DIRECTLY TOWARD IMANI AND THE WISE MAN. IMANI FROZE, MOTIONLESS FROM FEAR, TRANQUILIZED BY THE PROSPECT, OVERWHELMED BY THE IMPENDING DOOM.

ALMOST INAUDIBLY IMANI UTTERED, "GIVE ME FAITH OH WISE MAN".

WITH THAT, THE WISE MAN QUICKLY RESPONDED CALMLY SAYING, "MOVE", AND HE GAVE IMANI A PUSH OUT THE WAY OF THE APPROACHING SNAKE.

"BUT I ASKED FOR FAITH AND YOU GAVE ME A PUSH", IMANI SAID TO THE WISE MAN DISTURBINGLY.

"IT'S BEST TO HAVE FAITH BUT SINCE YOU DONT HAVE THAT YET, IT'S WISE TO MOVE ASIDE" , WAS THE WISE MAN'S REPLY.

"I CAN SHOW YOU THE WISE THING TO DO BUT I CAN'T DO FAITH FOR YOU", HE CONTINUED.

"WELL ARE YOU GOING TO SHOW ME WHAT FAITH IS OR AREN'T YOU ", IMANI IMPATIENTLY INQUIRED OF THE WISE MAN.

"FOLLOW ME", WAS THE WISE MAN'S RESPONSE AS HE STARTED TO WALK.

OFF THEY WENT, WITH IMANI FOLLOWING CLOSELY IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE WISE MAN. AFTER A SHORT TIME THEY CAME UPON A CAVE CARVED INTO A BUILDING LIKE HILL SIDE OF ROCKS.

THEY ENTERED THE CAVE, THE WISE MAN WAS IN THE LEAD. UPON ENTERING, IMANI WAS QUICK TO NOTICE THE LIZARDIN THE CORNER THE ONE WITH THE VENOM OF A THOUSAND MARTINI'S. NO SOONER HAD IMANI SPOTTED THE LIZARD, THE LIZARD SPOTTED IMANI AND INITIATED A CHARGE TOWARD HE AND THE WISE MAN. IT SO STARTLED IMANI THAT HE FROZE IN HIS TRACKS, AS IF INTOXICATED BY THE SPECTOR OF THE CHARGING LIZARD.

ALMOST INAUDIBLY IMANI COULD BE HEARD SAYING, "I REALLY NEED FAITH NOW".

WITH THAT, THE WISE MAN PULLED IMANI FROM THE PATH OF THE CHARGING LIZARD AND THE LIZARD CRASHED INTO THE CAVE'S WALL JUST NEXT TO IMANI'S RIGID FORM. IMANI LOOKED DOWN AT THE UNCONSCIOUS LIZARD AND THAN, AT THE HAND OF THE WISE MAN THAT SILL HAD HOLD OF HIS ARM.

" DON'T TELL ME ", IMANI SAID RATHER SHEEPISHLY, "I SHOULD HAVE MOVED ".

" NOW YOU'RE STARTING TO WISE UP ", THE WISE MAN STATED CALMLY WHILE STEPPING OVER THE UNCONSCIOUS LIZARD AT THEIR FEET. THE PAIR MADE A DETERMINED EXIT FROM THE CAVE, LIKE A NUN FROM A BAR...to be continued

YET AMONG THEM, WERE THE GREEDY, AND EVENTUALLY, THEY HAD LITTLE POWER AND FEW RICHES. ADDITIONALLY, BEING UNWILLING TO DEFEND THEMSELVES FROM THE AGGRESSORS BY ADOPTING THE SPIRIT OF COMPETITION, THEY WERE JUDGED UNWILLING AND UNFIT BY THE RULERS OF THE ISLAND AND WERE CONFINED TO THE SEA OF ETERNITY.

WHAT THE RULERS AND MOST OF THE INHABITANTS ON THE ISLAND OF INFINITY DID NOT SEE (IT COULD NOT BE SEEN SINCE THEY DID NOT LOOK) WAS THE LIGHTHOUSE, MANNED BY SACONI AND HIS SON IMANI. THE LIGHTHOUSE, HAD BEEN THE FIRST TO GREET THE ARRIVAL OF THE ISLAND'S CURRENT INHABITANTS AND WAS MADE BY SACONI OUT OF COMPASSION FOR THOSE THAT WERE AS HE, ...YET MANY WERE NOW BLIND TO IT.

IT'S BEACON WAS AS A WORD THAT HELD BACK ETERNITY'S SEA AND THUS, WAS THE PROTECTOR FOR THE ISLAND OF INFINITY.

IMANI, THE YOUNG SON OF AN AGED SACONI, WOULD STAND FOR HOURS AND OBSERVE THE JUDGMENTS BEING APPLIED TO THE INNOCENT FROM HIS VANTAGE POINT ON THE LIGHT HOUSE. IMANI KNEW NOTHING OF THE SPIRIT OF COMPETITION, SINCE IT HAD BEEN DEVISED BY THE ISLAND INHABITANTS.

IMANI WAS TAUGHT BY SACONI'S EXAMPLE AS HE MAINTAINED THE LIGHTHOUSE OF WORD AND COMPASSION ... NEITHER OF GOLD NOR COMPETITION.

IMANI WAS FILLED WITH YOUTH'S COMPASSION AND SAW MANY OF THOSE TOSSED INTO THE SEA AS NO DIFFERENT THAN HE. FOR THIS REASON, THE TIME CAME WHEN IMANI COULD WATCH NO LONGER AND HE WENT TO HIS FATHER TO PROCLAIM THE INJUSTICE ON THE FACE OF THE ISLAND OF INFINITY.

IMANI PLEADED THAT THE LIGHT HOUSE BE TURNED OFF AND THAT THE INHABITANTS OF INFINITY BE MADE SUBJECT AGAIN TO THE SEA OF ETERNITY. "MAYBE THAT WILL WAKE 'EM UP" HE SAID.

SACONI LOVED THE INHABITANTS OF INFINITY BUT HE KNEW THEY HAD SACRIFICED THEIR INNOCENCE TO THE COMPETITION OF SEEKING FOR GOLD.

SACONI LOVED HIS SON AND KNEW OF HIS INNOCENCE SO HE AGREED TO DO AS INANI HAD ASKED. SACONI, BEING A FATHER OF INFINITE LOVE AND COMPASSION IN THE FORM OF THE LIGHT HOUSE WITH A BEACON OF WORD, TOLD IMANI THAT HE WOULD LET THE LIGHT HOUSE BURN FOR SOME TIME TO GIVE THE INHABITANTS OF INFINITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE AND RETRIEVE THOSE THEY HAD FORCED INTO THE SEA OF ETERNITY. SACONI PROMISED HIS SON, THAT IF THE INHABITANTS OF INFINITY CONTINUED THE INJUSTICES AND DIDN'T RECOVER THE INNOCENT, HE WOULD CREATE A NEW LIGHT HOUSE AND A NEW INFINITY AMIDST THE INNOCENT, REJECTED, AND MEEK. SACONI SENT THE WORD OUT TO INFINITY INFORMING THE INHABITANTS OF HIS PLANS...to be continued