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Epilogue: The Visitor Goes Home
The Visitor decides to take leave of the Urps one day and he asks if any of them would like to go with him to see the rest of the world. At first, close to a hundred out of the thousand or so inhabitants enthusiastically voice their desire to go see what's out there. But with this or that, family commitments, fear, and other reasons and excuses, only ten out of the hundred actually prepare themselves to make the journey out of their small section of reality.
On the day of departure, the entire population of Urps gather together to see them off. Among much tears and goodbyes, the visitor, along with the ten adventurers bid farewell to their friends and family and begin the trip, which consists initially of a three week hike to the ocean.
The trek is not an easy one, but the Visitor had prepared them for it by having them pack enough food and water to last the entire way. The load is a heavy one and they trudge slowly across the desert and plains headed for the coast.
Being an insular tribe, the Urps had never walked such a distance and some of them begin to question their wisdom as they walk farther and farther from familiar surroundings. Some of them start to lose faith in the Visitor and secretly make alternate plans. One of them even suggests that the visitor is actually a demon leading them to a fiery hell. Thoughts of doing physical harm to him come up but is abandoned quickly. However, three of them decide to turn back. The Visitor wishes them well.
After two weeks of travel, four more decide to go back to their tribe. The Visitor tells them that they only have a week left before reaching the coast, but they are adamant in returning. Sad to see them go, the visitor can only give them his blessings as he watches them leave.
Finally, the long walk ends. Upon cresting a low hill, the visitor and the three Urps see the great ocean. The Urps are stunned, never having seen such an expanse of water. But the ship is nowhere to be seen.
The Visitor tells them they must wait until the ocean liner arrives offshore on its regular schedule which he tells them is soon. They camp out on the beach and relax, getting a much needed rest. Just seeing the ocean has calmed the nerves of the Urps, and they are eager to see what will happen next.
One night, as they are scanning the horizon, a spectacular object of many colored lights appears on the horizon and begins to get larger as it nears. The Urps get to their feet and jump up and down, gesticulating wildly. The Visitor smiles and feeds more wood to the smoldering flames until it is a huge bonfire, a previously agreed upon signal.
The ocean liner closes the distance until it is a few hundred yards offshore. The Urps can't get over how grand and majestic it is. Then, in the moonlight, they see a small boat being launched and make its way to where they are. When the boat is beached, the visitor greets them in a strange language and the Urps are taken aboard, although initially with a bit of trepidation, after which they are rowed to the huge, brightly lit cruise ship.
Their accommodations having been taken care of, the Visitor is at the railing with the three Urps watching the shore recede into the distance. The natives know that they may never see their land again. They are introspective, musing over their fate when one of them turns to the Visitor and asks, "All of this is truly fabulous, but I keep wondering, when are we going to find the great leaf which floats on the water?"
The Urp by his side at the railing grins and putting a hand on the first Urp's shoulder says, "you are on the leaf, my friend." Tapping the wooden railing, he explains, "this thing we are on is the leaf."
A puzzling look freezes the first Urp's demeanor. A moment later, realization flashes across his face, "Oh! Of course. It was right in front of my nose all the time." He laughs.
The Visitor smiles and says, "Yes. Many things of which I speak is right in front of you. As your soul evolves, you will become aware of them more and more. Open up the vision of your soul and you will see and do things which are beyond even your imagination. Get ready to be amazed and awed, my friends."
The ship turns away from the shore and heads out to sea. The stars glimmer around the magnificently lit vessel as it leaves a white fluorescent wake streaming behind. The last rays of the sun, now way behind the horizon, tinges the sky over the edge of the world with a hint of dark red as the Visitor returns home with three Urps destined for a new land.
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