Rise of the Beast (78 page)

Both Chris and Serena knew this place. It was the Great Hall of Judgment. Years ago, they had both stood in this place. For Serena it brought back painful memories. This meeting, so long ago, had been the prelude to Hell. She looked to the right. Yes, there was the angel and the book. She tried to remain calm.

It was then that a man in the stands stood up and began to clap. Another man and two women quickly joined him. Chris recognized them. It was Johann Kepler, David Bonner, Sister Elizabeth, and his own mother. Then more joined in and still more. Within a minute the great hall was filled with the sound. It was over a minute before it at last died down.

The great luminous figure on the throne smiled. “It would seem that the two of you have found favor with the saints of Heaven. Let us dispense with any
further formalities.” He turned to the angel who stood behind the book. “Does the name of Chris Davis still appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life?”

It took no more than two seconds for the angel to reply. “Yes, Lord, his name is still here.”

“And what of Serena Davis?” continued the luminous being. “Does her name appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life?”

This time, a good five seconds passed. Serena clung to her husband.

The angel looked up. “Yes, Lord, the name of Serena Davis appears in the Lamb’s book of Life.”

In that moment, Serena was smiling through her tears. The luminous being, the Father of the Universe, looked upon Serena smiling. “Well done, my daughter, well done indeed. Few could have endured all that you have. You have snatched many souls from the great Deceiver. You have confronted him face to face and remained true to Me. I could not have asked for more.” There was a pause. “There is but one more issue to be dealt with here.” The Father stretched out his hand and the spectators turned their attention toward the far side of the arena.

From a rear entrance two people emerged, a man and a woman. They too were dressed all in white. Serena’s eyes grew wide as she watched them approach. “Mommy?” she gasped.

Again the sound of applause arose from the stands. It grew until the majority of those present had risen to their feet and made both their presence and their will known. Serena rushed to her mother and embraced her even as Chris shook the hand and then embraced one of those who had rescued him and his wife from the darkest being in the universe.

“We have here an unusual situation,” began the Father. “Both of these people have stood here before. Both were condemned to Outer Darkness long ago. Yet they stand before us today.” The Father turned to the angel. “Does the name of Leland Brown appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life?”

The angel looked down into the text. “Yes, Lord, his name appears here.”

“And the name of Bedillia Farnsworth,” continued the Father. “Does her name also appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life?”

“Yes, Lord,” said the angel, “her name appears in the book.”

The stands erupted with a cheer as the saints rose to their feet. Indeed, some were jumping up and down. Serena looked to the Father. There was a look that might best be described as one of amusement upon his face.

The Father rose to his feet. The cheering ceased.

“Bedillia Farnsworth, Leland Brown, I don’t need to tell you that second chances are rare. Today you have been given just that. Your love and your sacrifice under a most dire situation speaks of the condition of your heart. Today you shall enter into My Kingdom.”

In their midst, a figure appeared. He was a handsome man with a short beard and the trace of a nearly healed puncture wound in his wrists. “Come, My friends, it is time for you to enter into the Father’s Kingdom. We have much to do in the next 42 months. Your friends Leland and Krissie James are waiting for you.” He placed his arms about them and led them away. They vanished into a cloud of sparkling stars.

Even before the comets hit, Abaddon’s children had poured like flood waters from teleportation rings around the world. They even erupted from certain oil wells in the Middle East. They immediately attacked the allies of Satan, those who had become one with the new religion. Yet they followed their instructions well; they killed no one.

They spread out in all directions, bringing the judgment of God with them. Those who had not followed Lusan, those who had not embraced his new faith, were left in peace. They judged the heart, and their judgment was severe.

Several hours after their arrival, the true children of God, those called by his name, vanished amidst glowing tendrils of light. The suffering Christians in Europe, Africa, and Asia had been liberated.

Politicians, philosophers, religious leaders, and scientists scrambled for an explanation for what they had just seen. For some the conclusion was inescapable; they had just missed the last flight from God’s judgment. Even as the clouds of dust darkened the sun and made the moon appear as red as blood, they begged for forgiveness.

The great tsunamis had destroyed a third of the world’s ships, and unimaginable catastrophe had been visited upon the Pacific Rim. Radioactive fallout
swept around the globe even as materials brought to Earth by the comet, mainly ammonia and methane, poisoned the waters.

Following the impact of the main body of the comet upon the moon, a shower of contaminated lunar material rained down upon Earth for days. The green Earth was becoming Hell on Earth, and its people would have to live with that reality.

E
PILOGUE

Within the mysterious ring setting in the old barn, a blue mist formed. The hundreds of tiny creatures that had become its new residents took notice. A few seconds later, a man in a black suit stumbled from the fog, following which it dissipated. They eyed him closely in the dim glow provided by the one light bulb hanging from the rafters.

The man gazed about at the many eyes watching him. “Welcome to Earth, my friends,” he said. “I hope you had a pleasant trip.”

One of the creatures flew from its lofty perch and alighted upon the man’s shoulder. Tom Carson looked over to see the curious little face gazing upon him. He knew right away that it was a female.

“Hello, ma’am,” he said in a pleasant voice.

She gazed into his eyes and smiled back. Within the depths of his mind, Tom heard a tiny greeting. He knew immediately that he had just been judged and found acceptable in their sight.

Walking toward the partially open barn door, he noticed a trail of blood leading away into the darkness. He turned toward the small creature on his shoulder. “My, you have been busy, haven’t you?”

The creature nodded. Tom knew that he wouldn’t need to fear Satan’s agents; they were long gone.

“Let me tell you,” said Tom, gazing out into the cool night air, then back toward the AC on his shoulder. “I don’t know that I’ve met you and your particular group of Abaddon’s children before, but that doesn’t matter. You make a lonely traveler feel right at home; thank you very much.”

The AC smiled broadly. There was no doubt about it, Tom did have friends here.

Tom walked away from the barn to see the farmhouse 50 or so yards away. There were lights on. Again he turned to the creature. “Is there anyone home?”

She shook her head. “They are all gone. They were bad.”

Tom was surprised. He’d heard her thoughts almost as clearly as a human voice. He had been fortunate to encounter an AC whose mind was so closely attuned to his own. “God is good,” he said. “I thank Him for His kindness. I wonder what He has in store for me.”

The tiny creature on his shoulder shrugged. It made Tom laugh.

“No, my friend, I didn’t expect you to have that answer,” said Tom, stroking her soft fur. “It was what we humans call a rhetorical question. I suppose that I’ll have the answer in time.”

Tom turned his attention to the clear autumn sky, toward the bright moon about two days before last quarter. The moon wasn’t alone. The comet held it in its deadly embrace. Its tail seemed to encompass the whole lunar disk. Here and there, Tom saw flashes of light on the moon’s darkened hemisphere as fragments of the comet impacted the lunar surface. He stood there mesmerized.

“Now that’s something you don’t see everyday,” he said to his small friend. “Too bad we don’t have a telescope.”

Then there was a bright flash right where day met night on the lunar surface. It was so bright as to briefly illuminate the field around them in its stark, white light. Then after about half a minute, the light faded to a bright orange glow on the lunar surface, surrounded by a growing gray cloud expanding in all directions from the impact site. Within that gray cloud were a myriad of crimson flicks of light, expanding with the cloud. Within a minute, the cloud had completely obscured the features of the moon. All that remained was a gray, featureless disk.

“Can you imagine what might have happened if that comet had hit the Earth?” said Tom. “We’re in enough trouble as it is with the tiny piece that did hit us.”

Tom stood there for the better part of ten minutes. The dust slowly cleared, and the familiar features of the moon reappeared. Still they seemed muted, somehow less distinct.

Tom realized that he had just been a witness to one of the most awesome celestial events humanity had ever experienced. He wondered what the ramifications of this impact might be. Still, he was tired. His new body didn’t seem quite as resilient as the one he had possessed these past six and a half years. He needed to get some sleep. He turned toward the farmhouse. Perhaps he would find a comfortable bed there, one not made of rock. He walked toward it.

The farmhouse seemed rather modest on the outside, but the inside was another matter. It appeared to have been recently remodeled and was well furnished. The renovations had, no doubt, been funded by Satan’s many earthly enterprises.

Exploring further, Tom found food in the kitchen, and clothing in a bedroom closet that fit him quite well. Heading on into town wearing a black power suit might raise unwanted questions. He would have to try and blend in if he could.

He also found quite a stash of money in a suitcase in one of the bedrooms, all in 10s, 20s, and 50s. There had to be tens of thousands of dollars there, at least.

Well, what next? What could a legally dead physicist do on Earth during the last half of the Tribulation? What could he do to become a thorn in Satan’s side? He really wasn’t sure. Then again, he was really very tired. This farmhouse offered comfortable accommodations for him and loads of security. He would sleep in a soft bed tonight and figure out the other stuff in the morning.