In the previous story the teaching on emptiness was left out. Also left out was the figure who assisted Father Andrew Thomas: a woman who simply identified herself as “The Assistant.”

Here is the text of their teaching for Aulden:

Aulden suddenly understood the value of Father Andrew Thomas. Aulden thought, “He can show what is empty. I’ll talk to him about it.” Like Poseidon, Ferdinand and Maybelle, although he appeared frightening at first, he could eventually become treasured.

Aulden apologized for being angry earlier, and said that he didn’t want to be tempted but that would like to taught about the emptiness in things. “Can you be that teacher to me?” Aulden extended his hand to shake hands with the Priest who appeared very surprised. They shook on it and the Priest said, “Well, I’ll be that person.”

Aulden asked, “And you, too, Assistant?” They also shook hands and Aulden asked, “What’s your name?” She said, “I want you to know I’m The Assistant.” Aulden accepted that, “Okay. Now, can you show me what’s in that box?”

Father Andrew Thomas and the Assistant tilted the box to show Aulden: the box was empty.

Aulden asked, “Why did the Bus Driver bring us to you?”

The Father answered, “Because there was a detour.”

“But why?” Aulden demanded, “What do you bring me? The fact that you said you tempt me with empty things tells me that you know they have no value. Tell me more about you and empty things.”

“What about tempting?” Father Andrew asked.

“Yes,” Aulden responded, “Tell me what you have for me to learn. Teach me.”

The Assistant asked Father Andrew, “Do you want me to tell him?” and the Father told her, “Go ahead.” The Assistant explained, “Illusion can be useful, to hide our scars, our flaws. Your images are an illusion to help you see. We aren’t them. This is empty. Your storyline is illusion to help you explain. We aren’t story. This is emptiness and illusion.”

Aulden asked, “Is illusion and emptiness the same thing?”

Father Thomas interjected, “Of course! What is more empty than illusion and what is more tempting?”

The Assistant continued, “That’s not to say stop your stories. You play the part of the illusionist. You teach through metaphor of illusion – all illusion.”

Aulden asked, “You said you tempt me with empty things. Still, the Bus Driver brought us here. What do you have for us? For me?”

Father Thomas instructed, “Let go even more, knowing this is emptiness – all of it. And then make more illusion.”

The Father’s face appeared distorted for a moment. He said, “The faces you give us come from your imagination.” The Assistant added, “But the faces you give us are masks.”

Aulden asked, “What do you really look like?”

The Assistant said, “We don’t look like anything.”

Aulden felt disappointment and said, “Everything must be masked then.”

She answered, “But it’s a mask that reveals.”

This answer was enough, or maybe her answer was all that Aulden could take in, and he excused himself, saying, “Goodbye Assistant. Goodbye Father.”