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«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 756 Newer› Newest»"Did you also know that I dedicated this beautiful Symphony to the great Napleon?"
I admired him and considered him a friend; I believed in what he stood for....honor...the democratic cause!
He betrayed me and the honor I bestowed upon him; his only interest was in himself when he declared himself emporer.
Bishop interupted, " What did you do when Napoleon betrayed you?"
" I scratched Napoleon's name from the manuscript....I could not bear to see that name; I couldn't bear to have him associated with my music...he was not the man I thought he was and he no longer stood for what I believed he did."
Soon after I willed myself to go completely deaf; only then could I hear music in my head.
I couldn't bear to hear the negativity around me, and I could not separate myself from it; the doctors were baffled at my deafness.
They tried everything to cure me but nothing worked; secretly I didn't want it to.
In my head I found peace and tranquility; through my deafness I wrote my most powerful music...and it was music of love not admiration for war.
Did you know that I wrote the melody for The Undiscovered Universe?...that is truly a song of love and I know that you boys will sing it in perfection tonight, fear nothing...
I looked at Ian and Ian looked at me...this was unbelievable!
We wanted to ask the great Bethoven so much more...he had written the melody...and who had written the words...and how could we make a difference?
Bethoven turned to leave and the music began to fade, "Remember, he said, Sing from your hearts...sing full of love...because music and love will open great doors..."
Love and music is the key to one's soul.
Everyone can not be saved, and everyone will not want to...but those who long for something more will hear the beauty in your message, yet those who don't will have deaf ears.
Sing proudly for those who can hear you...and fear nothing, for you have nothing to fear!
At that moment we heard beautiful music and saw him pass instantly through a portal of light.
"Bishop, did you know there are four more lines to 'The Undiscovered Universe'?"
"I don't know, Ian, but if there are, you must tell me what they are so we can have the full effect that Beethoven's melody can have."
"Let me sing the full song to you", Ian offered, "and you can use the pad of paper in your pocket to write it down as I sing it slowly to you."
Bishop waited with an open, expectant and hopeful mind and the pad of paper.
"An undiscovered universe lies within that no one can see; It is filled with light so sacred, the materials of eternity."
"Things we only talk about in hallowed halls,in secret places, dreams, prayer and beneath the shawls."
"Our universe we cannot completely see, and feel things we cannot say; we stand helpless amidst the movements of our souls, and hope for that which is unknowable for now."
"So far", Bishop thought, "this is the song I was introduced to, and now comes the rest."
"But we see the light within and dream a dream."
"There is something more in our deep parts that warms our hearts, that warms our hearts."
"We dream a dream that warms our hearts."
"An undiscovered universe lies within that no one can see; It is filled with light so sacred, the materials of eternity."
Bishop saw that the last line was the same as the first line, and he heard Ian sing it with such a deep conviction and with faint music emanating from his glowing presence.
Bishop felt a glow within that warmed his heart, and just at that moment Kay walked up and said, "Ian, you sing so well that I think that you and Bishop could sing for us tonight at the big event."
"We'd be glad to, Kay," Ian exulted.
"You boys have seen the grounds here, and from the look of that grass you obviously have had a good rest, so perhaps both of you would like to see the castle."
"That is a good idea", Bishop agreed, and walked closely by Kay with Ian on his right.
It felt good to have Kay walk so near to me...once or twice her arm brushed against mine; that wonderful but strange feeling came over me.
I glanced over to Ian on my right,and he just smiled.
We were looking forward to Kay's personal tour of the castle and the night ahead.
I couldn't help but wonder, though, what was happening back at Kildare Hollow.
"How old are you boys," asked Kay.
Bishop was glad she asked the question because he was wondering the same thing about her.
"I'll be 15 on August 10, which is in 10 days, come to think about it."
"I'll be 14 on October 2," said Ian.
"Why, you guys are young pups, for I'll be 17 on November 12," teased Kay.
"She is quite beautiful", thought Bishop.
Ian saw and felt the obvious interest they both had in each other, though he was younger.
"Ah, we're here," announced Kay, as we came near the large, heavy-looking iron door with ancient decoration and important looking symbols.
As the huge iron door opened a young impish looking girl came running out," Kay! Kay! your back...who are you? Are you Kay's boyfriends? Pleased to meet you, I'm sure!"
She was so very happy and excited to see her sister,and she spoke so quickly, we could barely understand her sentences;she danced and twirled around us in a most jubilant manner.
"This is my little sister, Natalia; Natalia these are my new friends Bishop and Ian,"
Natalia had a very short pixie-like haircut, and her mannerisms were more rough than ladylike; one could confuse her for a boy.
Her hands and knees were all covered with dirt; Kay gave Natalia a looking over and half rolling her eyes and half smiling said, "Natalia..were you playing in the garden again..really now you should be more careful, you've gotten yourself all filthy."
Natalia reached into her little dress pocket and proudly pulled out a large worm she had unearthed; she wiped her pale blonde pixie bangs from her eyes with her other dirty hand.
" Ewwwww..Natalia off with you...hurry and get yourself cleaned up," Kay half-scolded.
Natalia happily skipped off, all the while singing..."I know a secret! I know a secret!"
Natalia looked back at Ian and me and with her deep black eyes she winked; she paused just long enough for us both to see her black eye turn a brilliant blue.
"Kay...how old is Natalia?" Ian inquired; but Ian and I already sensed Kay's answer.
" She's nine." Kay replied.
Kay changed the subject as she talked about the castle.
"In this northern section of the castle is the room where concerts are held, the Music Hall, formerly called the Baroque Chapel."
"Natalia, like me, adores this room because we love music and dance and all the important people who mingle and talk of affairs of State and the wars."
"It is quite large", Bishop observed, "and very beautiful with all the colorful tapestries draped on the walls and beneath these ornately designed windows, and the blue cushioned chairs."
The three walked slowly around the room in awe and were fascinated by the pictures of men and women gracing the walls, and scenes of nature.
Kay sat in one of the chairs and said, "I'll never grow tired of this room, for the memories are magnificent, and my childhood was spent here with all kinds of delicious and memorable things."
Bishop and Ian were quite taken by what all the room offered, for there was history, beauty and obvious important stories found everywhere.
Ian thought, "This place reminds me of the Music Hall in Killarney, with all of its grandeur and music history; so I want to see more of it."
Ian walked away from Kay and Bishop along the wall and saw fabric draped and bound at intervals to form graceful curves, and so he was reminded of important Music Hall memories.
Bishop welcomed Ian's departure, for he needed to understand his deep feelings for Kay, and he wanted to ask about Natalia, for she had a forceful personality for a nine year old.
Bishop sat down by Kay and asked, "Tell me about some of the things that have happened here."
I could tell by Kay's expression that she was unsure if she could trust me; my intuition sensed her doubts as well, yet at the same time, I could tell she felt connected to me.
" What goes around comes around," I found myself saying to her.
Kays eyes widened.
"Bishop, I have heard my father say that often as he has given his generals and soldiers medals and compliments for jobs well done."
"He can deliver a deadly blow to his enemies, but he can give great rewards to those who serve him well."
"He has been always been generous with me."
"He has paid for all my martial arts and weapons classes, and spared no expense in providing me with tutors in all the arts of war and stealth."
"He and I have spent a very tough 7 years together in the Father-Daughter classes taught by masters in their crafts"
"I'm glad my training is over, for I would rather use my other talents on a daily basis, such as singing, cooking, dancing and dabbling with my scientific experiments."
"Many women here join their fathers and brothers in the wars, but a woman's most rewarding role is with a man in a noble cause, other than war, though war is also necessary, as our politicians and security operatives say."
"Slovakia has no war because great leaders, statesman, generals, and world bankers need a place of refuge away from the wars they create and manage."
"Slovakia is a place of culture and gentleness."
"But what about the places where your wars take place?", asked Bishop.
"I'm sure there are hundreds of thousands who don't share this peace, quiet and culture, but instead have great pain, misery and deprivation."
"Wouldn't you like to ease their pain?"
"It's out of my hands, Bishop."
"You'd better not let anyone hear you talk that way, for Slovakia's peace is based upon war, and that should be respected."
Bishop thought it best to drop the subject and give an assenting nod, for he felt there would be time later to talk about it.
Just at that moment, the great iron door opened and a group of tall, strong men and women entered, and among them was a very tall man with strength written all over him.
This mountain of a man said, "Kay, my dear daughter, I am glad to see you."
Then his eyes turned cold and bored into me, and turning to his daughter, he bellowed, "Who, might I ask is this?"
"Father, this is Bishop whom I met in the woods with his friend Ian."
Suspiciously, he looked at me, but directed his words toward his daughter, "Kay, you know there are enemies about who would want to hurt me and my family.
You can't trust anyone."
"But, Father, Bishop is just a boy with a beautiful voice who has consented to sing for us tonight."
I could see that Ian and I had our work cut out for us for the King suspected everyone, as must happen when war permeates your world.
At that moment, Ian had been exploring the great castle on his own.
He can come upon a great room, the main library; the walls were made of a rich mahogony with many ornate and beautiful carvings, and the carpet was soft and plush.
The room had a large staircase that led to a second level; each level was filled from floor to ceiling with books.
This room was truly a knowledge seeker's paradise.
As Ian wandered around this fantastik place, it wasn't long before he felt as if someone were watching him.
His heart raced as he ducked behind one of the many rows of books within this great room.
Surely a stranger wandering about would be in trouble; Ian hoped he would go undetected, but he could now hear that someone was in this room with him.
He held his breath, maybe whoever it was would go away.
"Boo!" Natalia yelled as she jumped in front of him. "Scared you didn't I?"
" You most certainly did Natalia," Ian said with much relief.
natalia grabbed Ian by the hand and prompted him to follow her; she led him through a secret doorway into another secret room filled with books.
"These are the books father forbids me to read, but mother brings me here secretly and she lets me read them."
" You've read all of these books?"
"I've read them more than once...I've read EVERY book in our library but these are the only ones I really really like."
Ian could tell Nalalia was special, she possessed a true gift like so many others back at Killarney Hollow.
He looked around this secret room; its' contents were filled with every kind of metaphysical and scientific book imaginable.
There were books about the mind, the human body, astrology, numerology, Law of Attraction, Psychology, Intention, Positive Thinking, Self Improvement, Science, and the Universe.
"Father doesn't believe in these things...he says it's hocus pocus!" Natalia offered.
" I know differently though," and she pointed out a book titled WHAT THE BLEEP, "That's one of my favorites"
"Do you link to sing, Patty?"
"Sing? I love it."
"There are some books in my library that are all about singing, but the one book I have has some particularly wonderful words in it."
"It's a book about the universe in the science section."
"I think the universe is a symphony, for all the stars and the planets and the lights have a gigantic, mysterious beautiful song they all sing together."
Natalia was almost singing as she said this, and then she picked up a book entitled, "The Undiscovered Universe".
"You know, Ian, I think that, like the Universe, there is an undiscovered universe within each one of us, with light so special and so sacred filled with the things of eternity, you might say."
Ian about lost it at that moment, but he was able to suppress the strong feelings he had within him.
"You're right, Natalie, we often stand helpless amidst the movements of our souls and can only hope for what is unknown, but certain."
"You warm my heart, Ian, and so I would like you to see an old music book dating from the late 18th Century, one of my favorite music books in the library."
"It's actually a book of Beethoven's music, and the piece I like the most is entitled, 'Eroica', which means 'heroic'."
"Natalie, how can you, so young, have such a grown-up and sophisticated view of music?"
"I don't know, Ian, I just do, but what I want to tell you is that Beethoven had such a fit of anger one day over Napoleon Boneparte's being crowned Emperor of the French in May of 1804 that he violently scratched out the name Boneparte on the paper and created a hole in it, here."
"He must have been quite forceful because other papers in his collection got damaged, like this torn piece here."
"She held up an old paper fragment that had the words written on the top, "An Undiscovered Universe lies within..."
Ian stood with his mouth open, gaping at the paper fragment holding those precious words.
"Natalia," Ian began, "Tonight when Bishop and I sing, you must join us."
"How can I? I don't know the song you will be singing."
"You know the words. I am quite certain that when we begin singing, you will feel the harmonious melody inside you."
Natalia agreed, somehow knowing that what Ian said was true.
At the same moment as Ian tried to assure Natalia, Bishop faced General Zidovska, and said, "I am not your enemy, but you are right to warn your daughter to be careful."
"Father, please, I trust him. Trust in my judgement. You know I am not often wrong."
"For you, my sweet Kay, I will be trusting, but ever vigilant, and so will my captains and section chiefs whom I have invited to celebrate our great Slovakia and our military might."
Bishop could see that the others he came in with were beaming with confidence and pride at the words of their leader, Dinoja Zidovska, whom they loved and admired.
"So, my young man Bishop, where is your friend, Ian, whom you say will sing with you."
"Here he is, Father," interrupted Natalia.
"Ian invited me to sing with them tonight, and I look forward to it with anticipation, Father."
"Can you sing, my little one?"
"Sing, Father? Why you have been so involved with war and State and Kay's military training that you have not properly seen what I can do and what I am interested in."
"Natalia, I do remember your birth because you were born on the 9th day of the 9th month in 2009, and when your dear mother died on the delivery table, but then came back to life, it was even more a surprising and memorable event."
"It is too bad she had to volunteer for that ill-fated sea campaign several years ago to arrest an illegal speed boat in the ocean."
"No one had ever seen such a vessel travel at such a high velocity and with that much armament and accuracy."
"The survivors tell quite the story about how wicked shot from that mysterious craft ripped apart their cruiser and our dear, beloved Adriana Zidovska, fell decisively into the sea's turbulence with heavy finality, but with honor."
Bishop could only wonder.
"Natalia", asked the General, "would you and your friends like to give me a preview, just a little something to humor your loving father?"
"Father, I myself would like to hum a tune to you called 'Eroica', and I know you would love it because, of course, it means 'heroic', like you."
Natalia began to hum the beautiful melody; she had the voice of an angel, and I could hear the instruments joining her in my head.
I knew her song choice was no coincidence, and from the look on Ian's face I was right.
He was obviously bursting to tell me something.
General Zidovska seemed quite pleased and even a bit surprised at young Natalia's talent.
His large hands made a thunderous sound as he clapped at Natalia's performance, "Brava! Brava! indeed!" he said; then he kissed Natalia on the forehead.
His lips felt a slight but noticable flicker of electricity.
Natalia looked up adoringly at her father; she was proud at having pleased him.
" Father, Father...let me sing some words for you...shall I sing it in German? French?...how about Italian..oh let it be Italian!"
Natalia continued, "Italian sounds so beautiful!"
Natalia was now skipping about the room; she was filled with such delight as she hummed and then sang, " Ma vediamo una luce dentro e sogniamo sogno."
The General was quite amused with his young daughter, " Your language tutors have taught you well my dear."
By now Natalia was to involved with her skipping and singing that she barely heard her father's words.
She just kept repeating..." Ma vediamo una luce dentro e sogniamo sogno."
" My young sister is quite the handful," Kay said to me and smiled.
"Ian invited her to sing with us, and now I can see why, for she is filled with potential and talent that seems ready to burst from her soul."
"Natalia and Ian, let us go to the front of the Music Hall and practice what we will sing for tonight's performance."
"If you want, Kay, you can join us."
"Oh, Father, will you excuse us while we have some fun see that they are more prepared for tonight," asked Kay.
"Yes, run along, for I have a major military campaign to plan with my associates here, in Strategy Hall."
Bishop and Ian felt comfortable and assured in the Music Hall, away from many others who were going about their business preparing for the night or for some great battle or cause, and with these two beautiful sisters we had grown fond of.
The Piano was a rich brown color and obviously a great musical treasure.
Natalia sat confidently at the keys well prepared by her teachers.
"Natalia, I'm sure you know how to play music from Eroica," Ian assured her.
He placed the words for "The Undiscovered Universe" before her on the piano, and all three of them began to sing, hoping for a successful synchronicity and blending of their voices and feelings.
Bishop and Ian instantly felt the electricity and power as the three coursed through the words and melody, and as the moments blended in with each successive one, a rich curtain of light and sound suddenly opened up and carried them to the Killarney Grotto, where Ian's and Bishop's eyes lit up with joy, and Kay and Natalia seemed to burst with surprise and wonder.
"What are we doing here?", Kay bellowed, "and what is this place?"
Natalia spoke wildly and with instant pleasure as she said, "It is an undiscovered universe, and we are part of it."
A very tall woman stood before them and said, "Kay, Natalia, I am your mother, Adriana, and this is Killarney, a place of refuge; come to me, my darlings."
Kay was incredulous and first thought that she had been drugged, as her Father had described when he told her about the possibilities of warfare and medical indoctrination and trickery.
But the comforting embrace and kiss of her mother persuaded her that this is too real to be a drug-induced dream or delusion.
Natlia and Kay held onto their mother and could not let go, for they had remembered her love, had her picture in their rooms, and had heard their Father tell stories about her that they would never forget.
"But, Mother," Kay exclaimed, "Father said you had fallen violently into a watery grave."
"Yes, darling, I had, but as the strong and powerful waves pummeled me into resignation, I felt arms lift me into a curtain of light, and then I found myself amidst hundreds of young children."
"I thought I had died, but it was not so.
"This is a real place you must visit and understand, but you then must go back and prepare for the meeting in Bratislava's Music Hall and for your and Natalia's mission to help your Father and Slovakia."
"Bishop and Ian will go back, and all of this will only be a song away, so a grand finale can occur which will only be a preparation for more to come."
"But what about you, Mother," Natalia intoned, "will you not come back with us."
"I will come back, but not right away, for the timing must be right for Slovakia to be ours."
" Oh Mother," Natalia implored, " It was you all along..I'd heard your voice..guiding me to the secret library..and when I sang alone..it was you for real!"
" Yes Natalia it was me you heard..I have always been with you..both of you."
It was my great love inspiring you.
The next hour went by quickly, but everyone had terrific, enriching experiences with sights and sounds, and Bishop, Ian, Kay, Natalia and Adriana, with others, took a short stroll on the beautiful grounds of Kildare Hollow and in the cottage.
Bishop, Ian, Kay and Natalia briefly practiced The Undiscovered Universe with hundreds more of the children and friends of Emme.
In the midst of scintillating song just before the light took them back, Bram said, "All of us wish you the best as you seek to change Slovakia", and then Ben and Bobbi Brennan sobbed with joy as their eyes lingered on Bishop's as the light curtain took them away.
Ian thought, as the Bratislava Music Hall appeared, "It seems so much darker than the Grotto".
The four friends' joys were diffusing through their bodies like living waters.
As Ian played the piano with conviction and beauty, all four sang the same two verses together spontaneously, "We dream a dream that warms our hearts, an undiscovered universe lies within that no one can see..."
At that moment, General Zidovska strode up to us with several of his friends and practically cheered with "I have never heard or felt such a musical performance."
"Everyone important in Slovakia will be here tonight, and so if you sing at least as well as you have done tonight, it will be a wonderful part of our celebration."
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