James BeauSeigneur - In His Image James

"Jon, the Secretary-General has already indicated his intention to retire at the end of this session. If you are the one to make the motion and we can get the votes we need for passage, we believe that you would be the obvious candidate to take his place."

Jon Hansen took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

Li the outside office Jackie Hansen was working at her computer when she looked up to see Christopher Goodman coming in the door. "Hi, Christopher," she said. "How was school?"

"Okay," he answered. "Is Mr. Hawthorne here?"

"He's out right now but I expect him back shortly. If you want, you can wait in his office."

"No, that's okay," he said. "I just wanted to let him know that I'd be a little late this evening. I'm going to the seminar and exhibit that the Saudi government is sponsoring. Would you tell him for me?"

"Sure, Christopher," Jackie answered. "You seem to stay pretty busy going to all those exhibits."

"Yeah, it's great. There's a different seminar or exhibit or program to go to every couple of weeks. And some of the exhibits can take days to go through."

"I envy you," she said. "I wish I had the time to take advantage of all the educational programs the U.N. has to offer."

Jackie saw the Ambassador's door start to open and put her finger to her lips to indicate that they'd have to continue the conversation in a few minutes, after Ambassador Hansen's guests left.

Christopher picked up a magazine to keep busy until he and Jackie could continue their conversation, but before he could start reading, he heard someone call his name. He looked up to see Assistant Secretary-General Milner standing next to Ambassador Hansen, looking straight at him.

"Oh, hello, Secretary Milner," Christopher answered.

"You two know each other?" Hansen asked Milner.

"Yes," Milner answered. "We've bumped into each other on several occasions at some of the exhibits, but we weren't formally introduced until a few days ago when I spoke at Christopher's high school about my 'World Curriculum' project and the goals of the United Nations. He's quite a good student, his teacher tells me. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Christopher went to work for the U.N. himself someday," concluded Milner, who then turned his full attention back to Hansen and Sabudu.

"As soon as you've had a chance to review the draft document I gave you and to come up with recommendations on how to improve it, please call me and we'll get back together," Milner told Hansen. "I'll do that," answered Hansen.

With that the men shook hands and Milner and Sabudu left. Afterward Hansen told Jackie to inform the senior staff that there would be a 4:30 meeting and they'd all be working a little late.

"Well," Jackie told Christopher, as soon as Ambassador Hansen closed the door to his office, "it looks like you'll have plenty of time at the Saudi exhibit. "I'll give Decker the message for you."

"Thanks," said Christopher, as he headed for the door. Before he reached it, though, it opened again. It was Milner.

"Christopher, will you be at the Saudi exhibit this evening?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. I'm going there now."

"Good, I'll see you there. They have a really wonderful presentation on Islam, including some exquisite models of the mosques in Mecca and Medina."

Six weeks later – Tel Aviv, Israel

Tom Donafin dabbed his finger across the bristles of his toothbrush to see if he had applied enough toothpaste. Satisfied that he had, he replaced the tube in its assigned spot on the counter by the sink. He had now been blind for about six months and was learning to live with it. Fortunately, he had always preferred wearing a beard so he didn't have to worry about shaving. When he took an apartment on the same floor in her building, Rhoda helped him set up his closet and drawers so that he could pick out matching clothes to wear.

He thought it might still be a little early, but as soon as he was dressed he locked up and walked down the hall toward Rhoda's apartment. Feeling his way with his long white cane, he reached the end of the hall, turned and counted his steps to her front door. He had done this many times by himself, and there was really no possibility he would go to the wrong door. Still, he had suggested to Rhoda that they carve a heart and their initials into her door so he could always be sure he had the right apartment. Rhoda had thought better of the idea.

Tom knocked at the door and was greeted a moment later with a very warm kiss, which he gladly returned. "You're early," Rhoda said. "Come on in. I was just about to change."

"Should I cover my eyes?" Tom joked.

"It's not your eyes I'm concerned about; it's the pictures in your mind. You just wait here. I'll be back in a minute." In the past Tom had always avoided any real involvement with a woman because he feared rejection because of his disfigurement. Strangely, now that he couldn't see, it was no longer a problem.

Torn made his way to the couch and sat down. On the coffee table Rhoda kept a book for beginning Braille students. He picked it up, intending to get in a little practice, but noticed a single sheet of paper sitting on top. Running his fingers over the formations of bumps one at a time, he determined the characters on the page. "I love you," it said.

Tom didn't mention the note to Rhoda when she came from her bedroom.

"All ready," she said.

Tom got up and walked toward the door. Rhoda met him halfway and placed his hand in the now familiar spot on her arm. "Rabbi won't know what to think when we get to Havdalah early," she said.

"That won't be his only surprise tonight," Tom added, and though he couldn't see it, he was confident that there was a smile on Rhoda's face.

After dinner at Rabbi Cohen's house, everyone moved to the living room. Benjamin Cohen, who alone with his father was the only member of the rabbi's family to survive the Disaster, turned off the lights as his father prayed and lit the three wicks of the tall blue and white braided Havdalah candle. The Havdalah or 'separation' marked the end of the Sabbath and the beginning of the work week – the distinction of the holy from the secular. Along with the Cohens and Tom and Rhoda there were nine others present. Originally there had been many more in Cohen's congregation but the Disaster had reduced their number by over a hundred and fifty. Now they could fit easily into Cohen's living room. Of those present, some, like Rhoda, had started attending Cohen's services only a few weeks or months before the Disaster. Others had joined the group afterward.

As the flame grew, Saul Cohen took the candle and held it up. In accordance with tradition, those in the circle responded by standing and holding their hands up toward the light with their fingers cupped. Though he could not see the flame, Tom could feel the heat of the large candle and he did as Rhoda had taught him. It meant nothing to him beyond simply being a tradition, but it was important to Rhoda and so he did it.

As they had planned, after the Havdalah, Tom and Rhoda waited for everyone to leave so they could talk with Rabbi Cohen alone.

"Tell me, Tom," Cohen asked, "how did my favorite skeptic like tonight's message?"

"Well," Tom said, "I understood what you were saying but don't you think it's kind of narrow-minded to say that there's only one way for a person to get into the kingdom of God?"

"It would be, Tom, "Cohen answered, "were it not for the fact that the one way that God offers is entirely unrestricted, completely free, and totally accessible to each and every person on the planet. God is no farther from any of us than our willingness to call upon him. Would it be narrow-minded to say that there is only one thing that everyone must breathe in order to live?"

"But air is available to everyone," Tom countered.