kingdom of nations

Chapter 39: Selection Ceremony (Part )
There were only two children left in the huge church.

The Temple Church was originally a Saracen temple built in the ancient basilica style, that is, a huge rectangular block.

The building is surrounded by colonnades for worshippers to rest. Inside is an empty hall, which is divided into several long spaces by longitudinal columns - starting from the gate, the long corridor, the nave, the side aisles on both sides (the nave is much higher than the side aisles and can be equipped with high windows), the main hall, the north and south side aisles, the platform and the altar, and finally a semicircular rear hall.

The distance from the north gate to the semicircular rear hall is about three hundred feet, and its width is half of its length, the same as its height.

Such a magnificent palace was never destroyed after the Crusaders recaptured the Holy City. It was first used as a temporary palace for King Alazar in the Holy City. After the completion of the Fort of the Holy Cross, the Knights Templar needed a residence, and the then King Baldwin II of Alazar gave this place to them, and the Knights Templar got its name from this.

The Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon in 1119 lived up to their name. The Templars had little money, or rather, all they had spent on weapons, armor, horses, and other military equipment to fight the infidels. After moving into the temple, they immediately converted it into a Latin Cross church, but their approach was crude—in short, they preserved whatever they could and saved whatever they could.

The seven large lampstands hanging from the highest point, which could hold candles or burn oil, were retained, as were the twenty-eight smaller lampstands and forty-nine torchstands fixed to the temple pillars.

They were all lit now, especially the large lampstands, the bowls of which were filled with clear olive oil, which had been scented, so that along with the light came a rich aroma—the sharp myrrh, the sweet and sour frankincense, the rich sandalwood.

Seventeen small marble "niches" were left, and statues of saints were placed in them - because seventeen is a pagan number (note 1), one more was later added to make eighteen.

The saints either look compassionate or solemn. According to custom, each saint holds the instrument of his martyrdom: Saint Peter leans the inverted cross on his shoulder; Saint James holds a sword, while Saint James the Less (of the same name) holds a club; Saint Bartholomew holds his skin in one hand and a skinning knife in the other; Saint Simon holds a saw, and Saint Jude (not Judas) faces him, also holding an axe...

A chapel (located in the apse), which could almost be said to be a symbol of the Saracen temple, was also retained because it was made of gold, silver and precious stones. Only the Saracen scriptures written on it were worn away, and a cross with a statue of Jesus crucified was placed inside, with the words JNRI on top.

When the Savior was crucified, Pilate, the governor of the Roman province of Isaac, wrote a sign and placed it on the top of the cross: Jesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum, which means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the People of Isaac."

It is said that every Knight Templar had to kiss this cross before joining the order.

In order to transform a rectangular building into a hall with at least a cross-shaped interior, of course the excess space needed to be partitioned off. The Knights Templar at the time did not use stone or bricks (too expensive!), but used cedar boards that were abundant in the area.

The pale cedar board partitions stood in the temple for a long time, until the Knights Templar had a little more money, and then they hired painters to paint these cedar partitions with colorful egg tempera paintings. The contents were probably the most common ones such as "The Majestic Image of Christ", "The Dormition of the Virgin Mary", "The Special Graces Promised by the Sacred Heart" and so on.

This was probably a thoughtless move that prevented the old wooden partitions from being replaced before they completely rotted away. After all, no one wanted to take the responsibility of destroying the holy images.

Most painters at this time still used the "side-to-front rule" that has been passed down from ancient Egypt to the present day. Like the screen we see in the chapel of Santa Croce, the characters' faces are facing the audience, and their bodies are sideways to the audience, whether it is the Virgin Mary in blue, the saints in red, or Jesus Christ wrapped in white linen...even angels flying in the air, or demons trampled in the mud, it is the same.

People walking through these images will feel as if they are being stared at by countless pairs of eyes, which is indescribably terrifying.

Of course, only Cesar felt this way. Baldwin spent nine years, from infancy until he was diagnosed with leprosy, under the gaze of these eyes. To him, these saints were more like family and friends hanging on the wall. He had previously thought he would only be able to see them in his room for the rest of his life, but now, seeing them, he felt only joy, not fear.

He straightened his face and composed his mood, took Cesar's arm and placed him opposite him - there was an altar filled with candlesticks and sacrificial vessels between them, and a coarse linen mat stuffed with unwashed wool was placed under their knees.

The children were initially chosen to wear linen robes, kneel barefoot on the ground, and perform the ceremony on whatever day they chose: the sweltering feast of St. Eusebius (August 8) or, as Baldwin did, on Epiphany (January 2).

But after a while, women came out crying and begging, worried that their children had not yet won the favor of the saint and had returned to enjoy happiness at the feet of God. The priests had no choice but to make some concessions and allowed a cushion or something to be prepared for the child during the ceremony, but the materials used must not be too luxurious.

The cushions under Cesar and Baldwin's knees were something that even an ordinary shepherd could make, but they were stuffed with wool and were slightly larger than the one under the king's knees. A short boy could easily curl up and take a nap on them.

"Does anyone really do that?" Cesar asked curiously. If someone fell asleep during mass, they would definitely have to buy indulgences or be pressed down on the bench and beaten.

"I don't know," Baldwin said, "but if you ask them, whether they were chosen or not, they will definitely tell you what a hard and difficult day and night they went through—that they were harassed by countless demons and tortured by countless saints, and that they only relied on a strong, pious and pure heart to hold on until the door was opened."

Cesar thought about it and that was the only thing he could say.

"I'm just telling you..." Baldwin whispered, "I didn't tell my teacher or my father about this, but after I took the teacher's potion, I really saw the devil."

"What kind of devil?"

"...exactly like me...a leper with festering ulcers and mutilated limbs."

Cesar wanted to hold Baldwin's hand, but Baldwin held out his. The altar was so large that they could only touch each other's fingertips. "When I saw it, I was no longer afraid. It threatened me, saying, 'This is my future—destined to die miserably in pain and despair, alone and helpless, with no one around me.' But I immediately said, 'I still have you, and you will definitely be by my side.'"

"The devil is the greatest liar," said Cesar. "You will be a knight and a king, and I will always be by your side."

"Even if I chase you away, don't leave."

"Even if you drive me away, I won't leave."

Baldwin suddenly laughed happily, and then carefully took out two small fish bladders tied with hair and waxed. During the "selection ceremony", the chosen people could not wear weapons, jewelry, or fancy clothes. They could only wear the simplest linen robes that only reached the knees and had no belt.

To be on the safe side, Heraclius did not even put the potion in a glass bottle, but used the swim bladder of a deep-sea fish. After processing, the swim bladder can hold a little liquid, and the user can swallow it whole without leaving any trace.

Cesar hesitated for a moment, and Baldwin saw what he was thinking, "If it were something else, I could indulge you..." But not this time.

Baldwin watched Cesar take the fish maw. "Baldwin, my friend," Cesar said, "if anything happens..."

"Are you worried about those hidden enemies?" Baldwin interrupted him: "They may still have some means, but we are in the temple.

The Knights of the Temple, Holy Sepulchre and Charity are here, along with my father, the King of Alazarus, and under the watchful eyes of Jesus Christ and the saints, what can they do?

But if you had not swallowed the potion to protect me, it would have been fine if you were chosen, but if you were not chosen - my regret would have been endless, and even if I stood before God, the first tear I would shed would surely be for this."

Cesar had no choice but to swallow the potion.

Before the potion took effect, Baldwin instructed him, "Pray, pray. If you truly cannot believe in a saint, then respect him as your teacher. Remember, you are like a piece of transparent crystal in front of a saint; he can see you clearly. So, it's better not to believe than to lie... Never try to deceive a saint!"

Baldwin's voice gradually faded away. Heraclius was indeed a monk who was proficient in medicine. Although until this moment, Cesar still didn't know what effect these potions would have, the side effects after taking the potions were visibly reduced. You know, there were no instruments or reagents available now.

Baldwin saw a devil disguised as himself in his hallucination, but Cesar could not see his familiar past and people in his hallucination. Was it that the world did not allow it, or was it that his subconscious mind had been following his orders - eliminating all possibilities of exposure?

But this time, Cesar clearly felt that something was coming towards him.

------

Cesar lost consciousness. He seemed to still be able to feel the existence of his body, but it had long since lost its connection with his soul. He tried to find the right way out of a tangle of lines, but they sometimes gathered together, sometimes dispersed, and could never form an object that he could recognize. Countless sounds rushed into his body like a tide, causing him to swell in the noise, and then disappeared in an instant, leaving behind a soft, empty hole...

He seemed to see it—was that the saint Heraclius had spoken of? The body seemed composed of light and mist, with no visible features or outlines, but for no apparent reason, he felt a strong urge to catch up with it, to speak to it, to…

More and more lights and shadows appeared. They moved ahead of him, seemingly slowly but as if flying or flashing. He couldn't catch up with them, or even touch them...

Wait for me!
He cried out, and a voice—or perhaps it was so, for it came directly into his head—said, Quick, come, we will catch up with Him!
Who to catch up?
Lord of all nations!
Who?
He causes rivers to gush out of the desert, He causes flowers to grow out of steel, He causes mud to solidify into roads, He causes city-states to shatter into gravel, He causes lions and sheep to coexist, He carries thunder, He holds light in His hands, no one is nobler than Him, no one is more just than Him, and no one is more powerful than Him - come quickly, follow me, let us follow Him, let us find peace in His kingdom of heaven!

Tell me his name!
His holy name is...

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Cesar felt empty beneath him, as if he had fallen from a great height. The hard, cold touch told him that he had simply fallen on the stone slab in front of the altar, but he still felt the pain of being shattered. His memory was intermittent, and he didn't know whether he had been "chosen" or not. He gasped for breath, his fingers clasping his throat tightly. No, no! This was not a normal reaction!

Unless Heraclius brought the wrong potion, but even if it was the first time, his reaction was not so severe. As soon as Cesar turned over, he couldn't help wanting to vomit, but they hadn't drunk a drop of water the night before the ceremony, and only a little bright trace was left on the ground.

He turned his head and wiped his face on his shoulder. He could clearly feel his heart beating wildly, as if it would jump out of his chest or throat at any time. So he didn't waste any more energy and just crawled on the ground to the other side of the altar. Baldwin was silent there, and his situation might be worse than his. After a few breaths, he saw Baldwin lying on his back on the ground with his head tilted, unconscious.

Cesar pulled off Baldwin's veil and opened his eyelids. When he saw his pupils that had shrunk to the size of needles and did not react to the sudden light, he couldn't help but close his eyes.

He placed Baldwin on his knees, with his back against the altar, and groped with his fingers to find the candlestick on the altar - he could hardly hold it, but fortunately, he blew out the candle before it caught fire on his robe, then bit off the candle with his teeth, revealing the spikes on the candlestick, which were used to hold the candle in place. Due to frequent use, these spikes were sharp and shiny.

He pricked his own finger with the thorn until it bled, and when the fog in his head cleared a little, he pricked Baldwin's finger again.

It took Baldwin a while to come to his senses. He knew he might have made a mistake again and had implicated Cesar, but now was not the time to apologize. "Yes... yes, what?"

"I..." Cesar was about to say that he didn't know, but suddenly, a strange smell awakened the memories that were forced to sleep.

Every young doctor has seen, smelled, and touched those things that can turn people into beasts and devils in an instant with just a little bit of them. Because of the special nature of their profession, they have access to some powerful analgesics and are easily targeted by people with ulterior motives, even those people are their friends. In previous cases, there have been cases where doctors were careless and their friends took away their blank prescriptions and passwords, leading to their imprisonment.

"Yes..." he gasped, "I smell... the smell of... opium..." He was looking up at the lights that, although not that bright, were still dazzling enough, those big lamps, small lamps...

In the castle he had seen servants take down and clean the lampstands on which the bowl-shaped lamps were fixed. They would burn for a long time with olive oil and wicks screwed in.

If someone had added an ointment made from sinful fruits instead of olive oil...

(End of this chapter)