" My brothers, I beg your pardon for my bold and inhospitable behavior,” Ani said softly, " but I just had to share with you what my charts have told me. I have never seen anything like it.” Isma'il and Appar leaned closer, both intensely focused on her words. " Surely the two of you have seen the new light in the heavens.”

Appar and Isma'il nodded in agreement. " It is the one that is like a fixed light next to the North Star, is it not?” Appar offered.

" That is the one,” said Ani. " Well, when I placed this new light into the standard chart calculations I read the potential for the birth of something new. Playing with it some more I took Isma'il's vision of a Western couple with child, searched for important points of celestial alignment in Europe and North America, based on a number of different days.” Here Ani paused to watch for the full effect of her words on the faces of her friends, and then continued, repeating the last phrase, " Based on a number of different days in the future. If my charts are right, a very important child will be born in the United States near the end of December this year. The closest I can pinpoint it is Chicago. The child is connected in some strange way to an important person in the past, who came from the town of this child's birth. I do not quite understand it, but I believe we are to travel there and see this child. This would explain Appar's vision of a path into darkness with light beyond. We must fly to the United States. Appar's holy wandering has never left the ground before, hence the darkness.”

There was stunned silence, each caught up in their own thoughts. Isma'il could feel the truth in Ani's words. Surely it was for this purpose that he had felt drawn, four years ago, to attend the Tibetan Islam Conference in Dharamsala. At this conference he met Ani and Appar for the first time. Despite their different life experiences and faith traditions they had found a mutual love of, and devotion to, the search for truth. In a very short period of time they had developed a very strong bond of friendship. Somehow their coming together was for far more than just friendship.

Appar was troubled by Ani's words. Many years ago he had renounced all worldly attachments and he had devoted himself to praising and serving Siva through a life of wandering. In India, he was a sannyasin, a holy man; to Western eyes he was a vagabond. While he had ridden on a train, bus, and even a boat, he had never flown in a plane nor left his native land. It was not the fear of death by flying that troubled Appar. Death was of no consequence to him. He feared what flying, at such high speeds and for such a great distance, would do to his soul and his karma.

It was finally Appar, who broke the silence. " I am sure your readings are true, Ani. But how do we get a visa? And, if by some miracle we do get permission to travel to the United States, I have no money.”

" I agree with Appar,” said Isma'il. " It will not be easy for us to get a visa. As for tickets, I have enough money for at least two, as well as spending money for when - if - we arrive.”

Relieved to hear her friends believing her story Ani said, " I hadn't thought about the difficulty of traveling, only that we must. I am sure I can get my travel costs covered by my government, when I show them my charts. First thing in the morning we will start applying for travel papers. I will leave you now. Once again, I apologize for barging in on you. We will meet in the morning following our prayers.” With that said, Ani turned, left the room and headed back to her room at the Shubseb Nunnery.

The next days were filled with going from one Dharamsala government office to another. In a very short period of time Ani had been able to find the financing and had made tentative travel plans. The biggest hurdle lay in New Delhi - The American Embassy. Whether they would get a visa was unknown. What was certain was that it would not be easy.

As October came to a close, Ani, Appar, and Isma'il found themselves traveling together to Delhi. Taking first the bus and then traveling by train it took them two full days to travel the 350 miles. Even for these two days of travel, as difficult as it was with so many people all around them, Isma'il remained faithful and attentive to his five daily prayers. Arriving well after dark at the New Delhi train station and wanting to conserve their funds, they found a quiet corner in the always busy station and stayed for the night, resting and praying.

Early the next morning, long before sunrise, they began to make their way to the American Embassy. Appar led the way. After a couple of hours of walking and getting lost once or twice, they turned a corner and there was the embassy. It was a palace, surrounded by high iron fences, covered in barbed wire. Between the fence and the building there were at least 30 yards. Standing by every entrance and walking the grounds were military police, armed with machine guns. It was not a palace, but a fortress.

By the time they arrived it was already mid-morning and there was a long line waiting at the gate to get in. The gates were opened at ten and there was a chaotic scramble to be first in line at the visa office door. The line moved incredibly slow and even calm, quiet Ani was beginning to show signs of impatience. At noon a person stepped out of the visa office and announced that they were closing for the day and would re-open the next day at ten.

In anger Ani ran up to the man, yelling, " We need to get to the United States as soon as possible. You can't close the doors now. We need a visa”

The man stared at her coldly and said, " We are open from ten until noon. If you are in such a rush, get here earlier tomorrow. Until then, here is a form to fill out.” He handed her a piece of paper.

Ani quickly said, " I travel with two others.” Looking disgusted at this inconvience, the man shoved two more forms at her and slammed the door in her face.

The paper was the visa application form for the United States. There were the expected items such as name, address, purpose for traveling and a need for a passport, but what caught Ani's eye and made her stop in her tracks was the final sentence: " Allow six to eight weeks for the visa application to be processed.” How were they going to get there in time?