A hearty welcome of all my readers of this exciting and thought provoking issue of this bi-weekly newsletter, The CORNERSTONE TRAVELER. Also available online at www.cornerstonetraveler.com

Mid-Hudson Valley news: To all my readers of this newsletter, especially those who read it online. Please forgive ,me of the layout of the last issue. Because of the, malware that infected my other P.C. I had to update to another P.C. with Windows 8. I had to use Microsoft Word for the word processing (I had previously been using Corel WordPerfect.) I am still getting used to using Word and learning Word. Hopefully this issue will be that much better.
I have been having a problem with the groundskeeper St. Charles Cemetery where my family plot is located.
Last summer he didn’t like that I spread marble stones in front of all five grave markers (mine included). These marble stones were kept in place by a three inch high wooden fence. He took it away because it was inconvenient to mow around. Then I found I couldn’t pay my respects to my family because though he plowed the snow from all the roadways in the cemetery, the road to where my families plot lay was too inconvenient to plow and I had to trudge through snow to check on my families plot
Am I sorry that my families plot is too inconvenient for him? One word NO!

observations: I like watching PBS almost nightly because I really enjoy Nature and Nova. The other night I was wathing NOVA and it was a show about the writing of the Hebrew Bible. They used both the writitngs of the Hebrew Bible and archeology to show how the Hebrew Bible was written.
This show interested me because of the archeology used. I became interested in archeology when I was in high school and wanted to get a degree in the same field in college. But I couldn’t find a college that I could afford or would’ve been accepted that had archeology as a field of study.
I am still very much interested in archeology. I have even joined the mid-Hudson Chapter of the New York Archeology Association. But we essentially disbanded when the woman who directed this chapter retired. And I (we) have never been on an archeology dig.
If you like Nature or archeology, I urge my readers to watch Nature or Nova on PBS.

sports: March Madness is almost over. Thank God. I don’t know about everyone else, but I can only watch so much college basketball.
NBA: The Knicks are still at the bottom of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern conference and out of playoff consideration.
The Nets are still in the middle of the same division with very little chance of post season play.
NHL: The Rangers who crept past the Islanders in the Metro Division of the Eastern conference are still creeping further away from the Islanders. I would not be surprised if the Rangers win the Stanley Cup.
Major league baseball starts next week. Let’s hear it for the Yankees and Mets!

Other: As with all previous issues of this newsletter, everything printed here is either copyright protected or copyright pending.
After this newsletter is the most recent history of P&G’s.
After this history is a short story I wrote called The ORDER of REBIRTH
I hope you like it.

Thank-you – Rik McGuire

Present Day at P&G’s

P&G’s is the place to go for the college students, especially on Friday nights. I figure the students, after a week of classes and studying need a good place to crash and unwind and P&G’s is the ideal place because it is so much fun. There is always a DJ spinning records (or at P&G’s CD’s) at least on Friday nights. Though it is packed with students it is still fun.
Other than the partying on Friday nights, you can still have a good time on any other night. The place is that much fun.
Not only is it a bar, but also a highly rated restaurant. The food at P&G’s is top notch. There are always the best chefs preparing the food. There are chefs that were trained at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America).
There are the parties , World Series and Superbowl. At the Superbowl there are always free munchies and a grand layout for half time.
Every year on the Friday before Memorial Day is the annual P&G’s golf tournament where you can play 18 holes with a golf cart at a reasonable fee. The fee also includes free food and drink after the tournament for all the golfers. And naturally dozens and dozens of prizes are awarded for such things as longest drive, closest to the pin and scores of others.
It should be noted that the bartenders will not over serve people. If you are hammered, go someplace else for booze.
That’s P&G’s as it is today.

The ORDER of REBIRTH

My name is Alan of Doan and I am the man servant for William of Dale. We have known each other since we were children, he of noble birth and me of common peasants, I naturally became his man servant when we were both eighteen years of age.
I was there, always by his side, to sharpen and hone his weapons, sword, dagger and lance plus to shine his armor and shield. I was there at his table for meals, to serve him his meat, bread and Meade. I only ate after he was finished and I had cleared the table of his eating utensils. Then I would have to gobble my food and drink quickly because my master would require something of me soon after dinner. Either I had to find a fellow knight and bring him to the master or go to another home and inquire about a book the master wished to read or a half dozen other required duties on my part.
You are curious how a commoner, such as myself can write? It began when William was being schooled and tutored. This was before we became master and man servant. He thought it better that I be there as he was being tutored and his parents agreed. I found the learning easy and I helped him when he was having a tough go of the learning, I was there to help him. Thus I learned to read and write. I even learned my numbers.
The relationship between master and man servant went extremely well for almost four years. Then came the night of his initiation into the Order of Rebirth. I was not supposed to know of this order of the privileged knights, but all of the man servants knew of this special order of knights and we also knew who was selected because of the drastic change of our masters the next morning after the initiation. Our masters became more reflective and driven by an invisible inner force. They became more contemplative and they read more than at any time
before this initiation.
The year was 1099 when Pope Urban decided that all of Christendom had to fight the non-believers, heathens in the holy land where Jesus once walked and taught.
My master, William, as I will refer to him from here on, ordered me to prepare his knightly gear for a long voyage and many years in the holy land. I had all of his gear prepared by nightfall as I didn’t need to sharpen and hone his many weapons because I was diligent in doing this daily. I even shined and polished his armor and shield on a daily basis. All I had to do was pack his regular clothing and mail. It was only two trunks for him and one small trunk for me.
The next morning we met the ship at the required time at the port of Londoninium. We got on board and were issued our quarters. He towards the bow on the upper level and me in the lower barges of the ship with other man servants and lowly seamen.
It was a long two month voyage to Joppa where we finally disembarked the ship. But all during the voyage, I was by his side to aid him with meals and to listen to him talk endlessly on why we had to rid the holy land of the non-believers, heathens, from the ground where Jesus once walked and taught. Who was I to argue with this thinking? I was, but a man servant to a princely knight. But I learned. I learned more than I should have. I learned that Jerusalem was not only a holy place to the Christians, but also to the Jews and Muslims.
And I learned this Order of Rebirth was so diligent in their efforts to rid the holy land of these non-believers, heathens, they would commit the most outrageous atrocities against the old, the infirm, women and children. Most visibly the children. But what should I know? I was, but a man servant to my superior, my master. I was there by his side when we fought in battles.
Always watching his unprotected side. And many around us, as I learned died needlessly in a
needless war that Rome wanted. These non-believers were not to be moved from their lands without a fight. And fight they did on a constant basis. We barely had time to eat, bathe or breathe before we were attacked by, yet another band of non-believers. For the most part we fought the Muslims for they were eager to keep Jerusalem as their holy city. And they fought valiantly for this their own holy cause. They were aided by the Turk who didn’t want to see a white Christian in the holy land. And the Turk was a seasoned fighter, they had learned much since fighting under Alexander the Great many centuries earlier who conquered much of the land surrounding the Mediterranean. They could be as vicious as we were and when pushed, even more vicious
It was a chance hand on who could be more vicious, the Christians or the Turk? I only saw what our princely knights with their supposed respect for human life would do to the unprotected like the old, the infirm, women and children. I saw some rather nasty acts of violence and the killing and rape of young dead girls. It appalled me.
I tried to talk to William about the callousness of the princely knights. Though he agreed with me, he argued that the good white Christians had to show the non-believers how they were lost with the rejection of Jesus Christ. And we had to show them that their ignorance of the pathway shown to them by Jesus would lead to their being punished, raped and killed. It was only in this way that the non-believers would be convinced of the error of their ways.
Naturally I did not accept William’s explanation and argued that Jesus would not condone such actions. I argued that I too had read the bible and how when Jesus was smacked by a fellow Jew, he only turned his head to give Baranabus a target to slap the other cheek. Needless to say, we argued into the early morning hours. He would have sent me away to fight with the common soldiers of Christendom, but he knew I was almost invaluable as a protector to his unguarded side.
We were a powerful duo on the battlefield. There was not one Muslim or Turk that could get by our swinging and deadly sword thrusts. We became known throughout the Christian army. Every commander knew that if we were in his battle group, he had a better chance to turn the tide against the Muslim or Turk. We were that good!
One night we separated. He to his fellow princely knights and me to the caravan of man servants. We were in the city of Antilock and as I approached my tent, I saw a knight of the Order use his sword to run through a young girl of no more than fourteen. He killed her for no more reason than that she was there. I felt bile in my throat when he stripped the dead girl of her clothes and rape her corpse.
I yelled. “What are you doing? That is not what Jesus taught.”
He looked at me, smiled and then snarled. “I am getting my reward for fighting for Jesus against the non-believers and this girl was a non-believer.” He said as he rose from between the dead girls legs.
“That is not what Jesus taught his followers.” I insisted.
“What do you know of what Jesus taught?” He growled. “You are, but a man servant to William, a member of our Order.”

“I know that Jesus, your prophet and son of God, would not approve of your actions.” I
said with temper.

He pulled his sword from his sheath while he still had his pantaloons around his ankles
and I had to laugh loudly as I pointed to his exposed parts and the trapped ankles.
“What are you laughing about?” He shouted.
I could only smile. “I see that small thing between your legs and your trousers at your ankles and you are prepared to fight?”
He looked down between his legs and covered himself with his free hand and he raised his sword hand for battle.
I calmly walked up to him, sword in hand. I was within a sword length of the knight when he swung his sword at me with both hands and I deftly brought my sword up to deflect his swing and knock his sword to the ground.
I smiled as I pointed my sword to his groin area. “I could, if I wished end your wanton raping of young dead girls.”
His hands went immediately to cover his private parts and I smiled again. “Your Hands will only slow me down, but one slash of my sword will expose your private parts yet again.”
“You realize.” He snarled. “That if you injure or harm me, you will be tried and executed for a serious assault on the King’s royal guard. You will be hanged.”
I looked around and explained. “There is no one here to witness what I might do to you. The only ones here are you and me. So I would be forced to kill you if my arm should twitch and I slice off your manhood.”
The knight looked around and saw that I was correct so he pleaded. “Please let me be and I will tell no one that you assaulted a knight of the King’s royal guard.”
I lowered my sword so that he could reach down and pull his pantaloons up. As he did this, I reached down, grabbed his sword and threw it with all my might into the night air. I knew he would be searching for it for a long time and it would gave me the time I needed to get to the caravan of tents for the man servants.
“If you say nothing of this encounter.” I said. “I will say nothing of you killing and raping of a dead fourteen year old.”
I left him with him muttering agreement to my terms of his surrender.

The next morning as I was at William’s side to help him don his knightly gear and armor. We were due to follow commander Leonardo into the city of Jerusalem. It was rumored that the Muslim Mosque in Jerusalem was built over Herod’s temple of the time of Jesus and Herod built this temple over the ground that held the riches of Solomon’s temple. The Order wanted these riches to bolster their treasury. But before we could do this, we had to rid the city of the damn Muslims.
As I prepared William for our next battle, I explained to him what had happened the previous night.
He only nodded and said. “I appreciate how you thought it wrong for a knight to kill a young girl for no legitimate reason. But to confront this royal knight of the King’s guard and threaten his manhood and life was wrong.”
“But master.” I said. “I was only trying to follow the teachings of the Christ.”
“By threatening a man’s manhood?” William asked.
“I thought it the only way to teach him.” I replied.
“Who was the knight?” William asked.
I shook my head saying. “I do not know. But I do know he was a member of your Order.”
“Impossible.” William thundered. “We have been taught to respect life and not one of us would ever do such a dastardly act. Impossible!”
“I only know what I saw.” I said sheepishly. “And he told me that you were brothers in the Order.”
Later we raided, pillaged and killed in Jerusalem. The blood was so thick, it was like rivers through the streets. We found the mosque that supposedly was built over Herod’s temple and over Solomon’s riches, but we found, little or none at all of Solomon’s treasure.
After the days battles were over, I sat in my tent wondering. ‘Was all the blood and lives lost, worth it?’ I asked myself. ‘Somehow we had lost the sight of Jesus.’ I thought and I knew I had to get out of my tent and walk to gather my thoughts. I slipped on light weight clothing that was comfortable in the cool desert night and left my tent to walk and think.
I walked out of the city of Jerusalem and into the surrounding desert. I had walked further than I had intended because any lights still burning in Jerusalem were but tiny specks of light and I knew I had to turn around and walk back if I was to get to my tent before sunrise.
I turned when I saw the apparition that stopped me dead in my tracks. I just stood in awe

as I looked up to the apparition of the figure I knew to be Jesus.
Jesus shook his head with sadness. You are right. He whispered into the night. This
Christian army is not acting in my name or in God’s
“That is what I tried to explain to my master tonight.” I explained.
Jesus nodded. I too am tired of having these knights yell and scream my name as they kill and murder the innocent with words like;

In God’s Will
or
In the name of Jesus
Or even
It is the Christ’s will

I am tired of this wanton killing in my name or God’s name.
“And I am to do?” I asked.
Try and convince your master that needless killing is not in my name or that of the Holy Father.
“How can I convince them that I spoke to you and you told me what to tell them? They would never believe me.” I explained to Jesus.
Jesus shook his head I really don’t know and I should, but the temperament of these Christian soldiers confounds me, as it does the Holy Father.

“Then, what am I to do?” I pleaded.
You just tell people what you believe what I desire and you will be holy in my eyes and in
the eyes of God.
I walked away from this conversation with Jesus confused. Because I didn’t know how I could convince people that wanton and needless killing are not His wishes or that of God’s. I got back to my personal tent and slept fitfully for just two hours before I was forced to wake by another man servant. I ate quickly the breakfast offered and went to William’s tent with sleepy eyes, but awake if you can understand.
As I helped him on with his armor, I explained that I had a weird and strange dream the previous night. And in this dream I explained to William, that Jesus told me He didn’t want people to kill in His name or in God’s name. I told William that Jesus was opposed to needless killing of innocent life.
William just laughed and asked. “Who is innocent?”
I could only say. “Surely the old, the infirm, women and children.”
William laughed again then turned to me and asked. “You will still be there to protect my unguarded side?”
“Of course. My master.” I said. “Have I ever not been there at your side?”
“I don’t know.” He mused as he rubbed his chin with his left hand. “You have always been there, but something has changed in you and I am at a loss of what that is.”
“I have seen Jesus.” I insisted.
“In your dreams, may be.” William retorted.

“No.” I insisted again. “It was more than just in my dreams.”
“How so?” William asked.
“I believe the Christ is trying to tell me something. And what it is, is that the needless killing must be stopped.”
“What of the treasure to be found in Jerusalem?” William asked.
I nodded and said. “Remember what Jesus told his followers, That it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich (greedy) man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
“The Muslims and the Turk have retaken the Mosque last night, so we have to retake it again today.” William told me.
“Why?” I asked. “The Mosque is their holy place. Just as a church is holy to us, as we worship the Christ.”
William chuckled. “That dream you had, did change you. You will be by my side in today’s fight?” He asked.
“You know better than to ask that. I was always there and always will be.”
“Good.” The master said. “Let us take our leave now and meet with commander Leonardo and his battalion.”
We left the tent, William fully armored with sword and shield in hand. I had no armor, only a shield and sword as protection. We joined the three hundred other knights and man servants at Leonardo’s tent. Leonardo came out with his retinue of several armed servants. He scanned the battalion and caught sight of William and me on the edge of the group of knights.
He signaled to William and William took me to Leonardo’s side.

“I will lead the charge into that Mosque.” Leonardo said. “And I can think of no one better than the two of you to be by my side as we retake the Mosque from the heathens inside. Are you with me?” He asked.
“Of course.” William said. “I and my man servant, Alan of Doan, will be at your side for protection.”
After William said that, I brought up my sword to bear in salute with my shield held in front of me to signal we were ready.
There was only one way into the Mosque that was protected by a foot thick stone barricade that surrounded the Mosque. And it was through a wooden barricade that was the door to the inside and to the Mosque. The barricade would be easy enough to breach with our wooden battering ram that was two feet thick and manned by twenty troops with their shields and swords on their backs. The only problem evident was the dozen or so archers on the barricade walls who could fire their Saracen bows with pinpoint accuracy. But Leonardo was prepared for these archers, for he positioned over fifty archers, to rain arrows on the archers defending the Mosque. We were ready for a bloody assault into the Mosque that maybe held untold riches for the Order. And God only knows what riches were there and if we had any right to them.
As we waited for Leonardo’s command to charge the fortress like Mosque, I started to wonder how many lives would be lost for these still unaccounted for riches and treasures. It will be many, I thought as I stood nervously by my master’s side. I only hoped that I was good
enough and defensive enough to protect my master.
Leonardo gave the signal and the archers let loose a flurry of arrows on the ramparts of

the Mosque’s defending wall. We heard the screams of defenders being hit and dying. As the archers continued their onslaught, Leonardo gave the signal for the men with the battering ram to rush the wooden door. They charged at full speed to the door and it took only three more runs before the door gave way and we could enter with swords swinging.
It was a holocaust because the Muslims and Turk were prepared for us. Even the Mosque defending archers that survived the initial archery barrage were ready to unleash their deadly arrows onto our backs. Many of the Christian knights went down within minutes of our surging the front gate with arrow in their backs. Somehow and miraculously my master and I survived the archer’s onslaught and were able to fight along with Leonardo as we pushed the defending Muslims back.
I was at my master side swinging and slashing my sword to protect him when a Muslim sword sliced my legs and I went down yelling to my master. “I am down and wounded, my master. Watch yourself.” I must have passed out because the next I remember was waking in a stifling hot tent with my master by my side smiling. “You’re back.” He said.
“What happened?” I asked.
“We took the Mosque. But there were not the riches we had hoped. But there was enough that the Order can continue to exist.”
I turned my head away and asked. “Was all the blood and lives worth is so the Order can still exist?”
My master bowed and said. “I am not certain, but the holy land is ours.”
“For how long?” I asked. “Do you really think the Muslims or the Turk will just leave?

quietly without trying to take back what was once theirs?”
My master nodded. “It seems the army of Christendom will be here for a long time
before the heathens learn that they cannot take back the holy land of the Christ.”
“But will they learn this, my master?” I had to ask.
“They must and they will.” He insisted.

The Hospitalier knights were able to mend the wounds to my legs and within two months I was able to get around without the aid of anyone helping me. My master visited me almost daily to check on how I was mending and I appreciated this greatly.
My master was commanded to return to England to report on how the war in the holy land was going and what if any riches were found. He was to report to the Grand Council of the Order.
The day he left, he saw me one last time and said. “When I return I expect you to be up and strong so you can be my man servant, yet again.”
“Surely you can find another man servant to satisfy your daily needs.” I said.
He shook his head. “Never one like you who has been with me during late night discussions, arguments and in battle. All of the other knights of the Order believe you to be the best a master could have in battle. They all wished their man servants were as good as you in battle. Face it Alan of Doan, you are the one a knight should have. And I expect you to be up to your fighting form when I return in a years time.” He said leaving the tent for the last time.
It was a year before I saw him again and though I was almost back to my former self, I

was a changed man. Shortly after William left that final time, I was able to get around alone with a staff provided by the hospitaliers. And each day I was able to push my damaged body that much more until I was able to trudge in the city of Jerusalem. When I got there I saw the poverty
that the war in the holy land caused for the Jew, Muslim and the Turk who stayed. It was appalling. ‘Is this what we hoped to achieve?’ I asked myself. ‘With this holy war? All this poverty and disease?” I had to shake my head when I saw small children as young as four or five begging in the dirty streets. ‘Is this what we wanted to accomplish? If it was, then it was a travesty.’
One night, I walked out of the hospitaliers tent with a long staff as my crutch so I could walk. I walked far into the desert night and I was about to turn and walk back, when the apparition of Jesus appeared before me again.
He whispered to me in the dark night. You have seen and witnessed much of the travesty of wars, holy or not. Have you not?
I could only nod and gurgle a response. “Yes I have. What more can I do to please you?”
Jesus smiled. It is not difficult. Just write of what you have seen and then maybe people will not use my name in their causes for war and death. And then maybe people will learn that I do not and will not condone or bless the wanton killing in my name.
“I don’t know how many people will even read what I will write.” I told the apparition of Jesus.
Just write of what you have seen and maybe one person will read it and pass it on to another to read. Jesus explained.

“I guess I can only try.” I admitted.

I am writing this on my death bed or so the doctors treating me believe in the small town of
my birth. It seems I contracted a virulent strain of the flu that has been decimating our people. William, my master, saw me one final time and after we talked for hours on what I believed the Christ wanted from us, he relieved me as his man servant.
I survived by being a clerk to many in my small village and any village that surrounded Doan. Now I am close to death and what you have just read I passed on to my son and daughter who promised that they will pass it onto others. God willing.
Thank you Alan of Doan 1108
8/10/07
10:00pm
@P&G’s