HEARTS OF STEEL
By the time ten minutes had passed, Ankar was reunited with his three little ones, in full health. And though no amount of tears or remorse could bring back the lives of those he loved so dearly, still Ankar thanked God that he had regained the day, and another chance to give his life to this God Who had been so merciful in the face of his brazen scorn and denial. L The dwellers of the remaining houses in the area had not been so fortunate. Of the near twenty people who combined to fill the other two homes, Jay had found only two alive: a young mother, and her infant son, who by a miracle of Heaven had been spared where the men had perished. “I don’t suppose there’s any hope of bringing the dead ones to the fountain, is there? Like that little girl came back to life—you think it could do the same for these?” Cal whispered grimly to Jay once they had met up again. “It’s not the fountain that healed all those people, Cal,” Jay answered quietly. “It was their faith, manifested in their obedience in heeding the call and coming to it. Faith is something that can’t be reversed. You either take the step of faith or you don’t—and then you have to live with the consequences of your actions.” The two grown survivors wept not a few tears upon the realization that what had happened to their families was partly on their account, and so the three decided to spend the remainder of the day helping them to bury their dead and to help them get on the path to restoring their lives. By the time they had finished their arduous and unpleasant task, the sun was beginning to set on the horizon. Jay and Cal paused for a moment on the brink of the small oasis and looked out on the desert. 272