Mel said, “Of course we have thought about that, Adam. Standing up to the KTP seems to be the obvious answer. But those who have tried to stand up in the past are either dead or part of The Order now.”
Maybe that was true, but Adam refused to give up so easily.
He said, “But what if the underground could get organized? If there are enough peaceful practitioners of RTP, maybe as a group we could confront the KTP and reach a peaceful agreement. Sort of a like a treaty. If the KTP won’t cooperate, then we declare war.”
Maddie, Sancha, and Mel all looked at Adam with wide eyes.
Mel said, “We are a peaceful group of people. We do not use RTP for evil or for killing or for war. That is what prevents us from standing up to the KTP.”
Adam figured he was treading on thin ice, and he didn’t want to offend his hosts, so he said, “I understand your reasoning. But that doesn’t make it any less unjust.”
Mel gave a half nod. Adam didn’t know if it meant he agreed with him or he was just ending the conversation, so Adam dropped the subject.
When the dinner was over, Maddie said, “I’ll help you clean up these dishes, Sancha.” They went into the kitchen, leaving Mel and Adam alone at the table.
Thanks a lot, Maddie.
Mel stared at Adam for a long moment, and then he said, “Do you like Mexican beer?”
Surprised, Adam said, “I don’t believe I’ve ever tried one.”
Mel stood up and motioned for Adam to follow. He led Adam to the back patio, where there was another Kiva fireplace and a fully stocked refrigerator. Mel pulled two Dos Equis beers out of the fridge, and handed one to Adam. They stood by the fire pit, drinking their beers and enjoying the unique Southwestern sunset in silence.
Mel looked thoughtful as he stared into the fire, then he looked at Adam and said, “Madeline has been hurt a lot in her life.”
Adam said, “I’m aware. She told me her story.”
“I consider myself to be like a big brother to her. I feel like I need to watch over her, protect her, and look out for her best interests. I want to make sure she doesn’t get hurt anymore.”
Adam nodded and said, “I understand. I would never hurt Maddie.”
Mel gave him a hard look.
“That said, if you ever hurt her I’ll kick your ass.”
So much for ‘peaceful people.’
Starting to get annoyed, Adam slowly emphasized the words, “I understand.”
After that, Mel seemed to relax a bit. Maybe the beer was kicking in. Adam looked out at the horizon. He couldn’t get enough of the view of the Sandia Mountains off in the distance and the lights of the city of Albuquerque as they lit up the night.
Mel interrupted his thoughts. “You know, Adam, you’re right.”
Adam turned slowly to look at him, trying to suppress his look of surprise.
“We shouldn’t have to live in hiding. It has always been difficult to find the balance between keeping the peace and fighting for our rights. Those of us who have thought about revolting and standing up to The Order realize we cannot do it without fighting and bloodshed. The Order will never back down and resolve this peacefully. So there is no hope for a peaceful outcome.”
It surprised Adam that Mel was the one who had brought up the subject again. Based on the dinner conversation, Adam thought Mel was completely against fighting back.
Adam said, “Maybe if enough of us join together, we could do something similar to what the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tried to accomplish with his peace marches. He had strength in numbers, and they protested peacefully without violence.”
Mel nodded and looked as if he was considering the idea. Just then, the back door opened and Maddie and Sancha came out to join them. Maddie walked up to Adam, put her arms around his waist, and gave him a quick kiss. The discussion about the KTP was over—for now. But Adam set an intention to broach the subject with Mel again when the opportunity next arose.
They spent the rest of the evening sitting by the fire, talking about good times, and making future plans for getting together. They talked late into the night until Sancha finally said, “We should probably let you guys get some sleep. You’ve had a long day of traveling.”
Chapter 38
Maddie and Adam spent two days at Sancha and Mel’s house. It was a wonderful visit, and it gave Adam some insight into what RTP could do in real people’s lives. He got to see for himself that regular people like Sancha and Mel could have whatever they wanted in life if they just believed.
Adam couldn’t help thinking about the conversation that he and Mel had that night on the patio by the fire. He felt a stirring for action, but he didn’t know what he could do. He was a newcomer, just coming into the ranks of the practitioners of Refined Transcendent Power. Who was he to get involved in their business?
On Tuesday they left Sancha and Mel’s for a new destination. It was bittersweet. Maddie was excited to get on to their next destination, but she was sad because she was leaving her best friends. Adam was glad to have met the people who had made such a big impact in Maddie’s life. After the initial rough start with Mel, Adam felt like he and Sancha had accepted him.
Their next destination was a secret as well. Again, Maddie wouldn’t tell him exactly where they were headed. All he knew was that she insisted on driving again and they were heading to Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital city.
When they arrived in Santa Fe, they drove around sightseeing for a while. Maddie acted as the tour guide. She explained that Santa Fe had been founded as a Spanish colony in 1610 and sits in the Sangre de Cristo
