The great influx of refugees from America (many without official papers, and all without prior application) had forced Australia to re-think its position on refugees. It was impossible to put all these former allies through the same ordeal that she had been inflicting on other refugees for so many years; so the Americans were welcomed freely, without visas or detention. This, of course, led to embarrassment about all the refugees who were still being held as prisoners.
The Government delayed making a decision for as long as possible, but by the end of the year it had declared amnesty, opened the doors of its cruel detention centres, and freed people like Mashallah, who had been locked away for years.
A short time later, Australia.did away with visa requirements altogether.
Mashallah himself had, while imprisoned, reached the conclusion that even after his release All ah wanted him to continue his stateless existence, as a wanderer in this new world. He became convinced that he was to travel the country in search of the Imam Mahdi, the messenger of All ah who would lead him and other Muslims to the Messiah.
For twelve months Mashallah wandered aimlessly, from Port Augusta, to Adelaide, to Melbourne, and finally to Sydney, visiting mosques and talking to people on the streets, in an effort to glean hints from them about where he could find the one whom he sought. There were lots of theories, but none that led to anything concrete.
He did not seem any closer to finding the prophesied Imam by the time he reached Sydney, than he had been when he left Baxter; but he was still determined to stay faithful to the agreement that he had made with his God before leaving the detention centre. Furthermore, it was so good to be free, that he did not care if it took the rest of his life to fulfill this peculiar mission.
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During that same year, Chaim stayed gratefully free of further confrontations with Friends, and he continued to maintain contact with Vaishnu.
The free work movement had disappeared from the public eye in India, because of the threat from Krishnamurthy. But over that year, Vaishnu had shared excitedly with Chaim about what he was learning of those who had dispersed. Many of them were continuing to help others for free, but they were doing so quietly and sometimes even anonymously, and still they were surviving.
On top of that, there were changes in the government which had the potential for greater freedom for Vaishnu and his followers.
In fact, eight months after the sect's sudden disperson, the BJP was voted out of office in Tamil Nadu, and in the neighbouring state of Karnataka. Vaishnu had learned his lesson, and although he was working on rebuilding communication with his followers, he was doing so quite independently of any government assistance this time. In Delhi, the ruling Congress Party brought back far more liberal religious policies. Changes were brought in which made international travel easier as well.
Throughout the world similar changes were taking place. Immigration restrictions, visas, and even passports were being phased out in many countries.
There was a rush by people from poorer countries to move to the West, but it was not the mass migration that many had expected. There were so many good things happening within the poorer countries themselves, that most people wanted to stay on and to be a part of it.
This one world view was reflected in an interfaith conference to be held in Sydney, with representatives coming from all of Australasia. Similar conferences were being held in other areas of the world to coincide with talks involving the newly elected Pope Pius XIII, and the U.N. Secretary General Xu Dangchao in Jerusalem.
Chaim had maintained just enough contact with the university to qualify for an invitation to attend. He was suspicious about where this movement was heading, but he decided to participate anyway. Because it was being held in January, he would have to skip Yearly Meeting, which was being held in Melbourne this year.
Vaishnu had been invited to attend as one of many representatives from India, and that was one big reason why Chaim wanted to be there. The organisers had also given him permission to bring David Hartley and Aunty Molly along as observers.