Aaron's Staff - Great Faith Mother Chapters 15 - 16 (Arrant Avenger Book 8)

Alexandria, Egypt
The city of Alexandria wore a veil of black. It sat like a horrid gargoyle perched on the edge of the waterfront. From God's point of view, the delta of the Nile River in Alexandria, Egypt looked like a huge spider's web. The red sandy shore at the mouth of river had water that was choked with oil, scum and garbage. There was no moon to penetrate the darkness engulfing the Red Raven Tavern. The owner and bartender of the dilapidated dive slept on a cot behind the stained counter. He hugged a large cudgel to his barrel-like chest in case any fracas occurred. A circle of unlikely friends huddled at a round table near the dwindling fire in the huge hearth. A chill wind blew down the flue bringing an acidic scent of the abyss with it. A single lantern hung above the table giving the foreign talebearer a ghostly appearance to his brothers of the night.
Paphos, Cyprus
Young Cass was exhausted and desperate. He was at the end of his proverbial rope. He could not find his big brother on the island of Cyprus. He had been searching for weeks. He looked in the high class places like the temples and gambling palaces. And he delved into the low class places like the seedy taverns and brothels. Finally, he resorted to kneeling in a pew at a quaint, yet ancient Christian chapel. It was located in Paphos the hometown of Barnabas the son of encouragement in the New Testament. The rich man's lineage still owned much of the crop-producing fields. His head was hung on his chest as tears poured down his face. He knew not where to turn for help. He came to God as a penitent and humbled young man. His heart felt like it was being crushed in a red-hot vice of iron. He heard the anguish of another human being, and then he forgot his own torment.