Shaken (13 page)
Judd watched the news about travel and was shocked at how hard it was to find flights. Smoke and fire and sulfur continued to affect every aspect of life.
Judd also checked the Global Community Web site based in New Babylon. Clearly, many workers had been killed by the latest plague, and by the looks of the Web site, many of them were in the technical area.
Though Nicolae Carpathia rarely talked about anyone but himself, he wasn't afraid to blame Tsion Ben-Judah for the deaths around the world. Judd found one newscast fascinating. Carpathia was in rare form.
There is probably no one more dangerous on the face of the planet as this religious zealot, Tsion Ben-Judah. The man tried to kill me before thousands of witnesses at Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem more than a year ago. He is in league with the two old radicals who spit their hatred from the Wailing Wall and boast that they have poisoned the drinking water. Is it so much of a stretch to believe that this cult would wage germ warfare on the rest of the world? They themselves clearly have developed some antidote, because you do not hear of one of them falling victim. Rather, they have invented a myth no thinking man or woman can be expected to swallow. They would have us believe that our loved ones and friends are being killed by roving bands of giant horsemen riding half horses/half lions, which breathe fire like dragons. Of course, the believers, the saints, can see these monstrous beasts.
Carpathia went on to mock believers and accuse them of murder.
The Ben-Judah-ites cannot persuade us with their intolerant, hateful attacks, so they choose to kill us!
Judd shook his head. Anyone who knew the truth could see through the man's lies, but most people followed Carpathia like a god. Judd could see what was coming. If Nicolae said it enough times, he could turn the whole world against believers in Christ. It was hard enough to stay away from the Global Community as it was. What would happen when the Morale Monitors and every citizen kept watch for followers of Christ?
Vicki looked for Melinda in front of the arena. The next session was about to begin, but Vicki didn't want to stop.
The hallway cleared as speakers inside boomed with music and voices. A Morale Monitor walked up to Vicki and said, “Can I help you?” Vicki could tell the girl meant, “Why aren't you inside where you belong?”
“I'm looking for a friend of mine. I really wanted her to hear the first session with Nicolae, butâ”
“You mean Potentate Carpathia,” the girl corrected.
“Right, Potentate Carpathia. Anyway, I don't see her, so I'll head back inside.”
“What does your friend look like?”
As Vicki described Melinda, the Morale Monitor inched closer. “What's your friend's name?”
Vicki hesitated. Melinda surely wouldn't have used her own name. But she didn't have a fake ID. “Uh, why? Have you seen someone who looks like her?”
“Come with me,” the Morale Monitor said.
Vicki followed a few paces, but when they headed for an identification machine, Vicki ran.
“Stop! In the name of the Global Community, I order you to stop!”
The girl pressed a button on her radio that alerted other Morale Monitors. Vicki ran down the concrete hallway. She reached for a door that led to the arena. Before she could open it, two Morale Monitors burst through.
Mark scanned the crowd, looking for Melinda. There were thousands of faces. He moved to an upper tier and sat next to a boy with binoculars. “Mind if I borrow those for a minute?”
“Sure,” the boy said, handing them over. “Did you see Carpathia?”
“Yeah, that was something, wasn't it?”
“The guy that's on right now is their top education man.”
“Quiet!” someone in front of them whispered.
Mark scanned the crowd as Dr. Neal Damosa talked about the new world kids were facing. The man paced the stage at a huge arena in Atlanta. His hair was neatly cut, and he wore an expensive suit.
“Probably everyone here and everybody watching by satellite believes that Potentate Carpathia is right when he says there has never been a time in history when we need our young people more.”
The audience applauded politely.
Carpathia's a tough act to follow,
Mark thought.
“If
you
don't step up at this critical time, who will? If
you
don't learn to embrace the truths taught by the Global Community and begin to spread them to others, who will? If not
you,
who? If not now, when?”
A murmur spread through the auditorium as Dr. Damosa went into the audience. Kids turned and watched him. Lighting men fumbled, trying to keep a spotlight on him.
“What's this guy doing?” Mark said to the boy beside him.
“I think he's looking for somebody.”
Dr. Damosa placed a hand against his earpiece, nodded, and walked a little farther.
“Is there a Stan Barber in this section?” Dr. Damosa put his hand to his ear again and nodded. “Stanley? Are you here, Stanley Barber? Come out, come out, wherever you are!”
Kids giggled and laughed as Dr. Damosa called the name again and again.
Finally, in another section, a young man of about seventeen stood. He had the unmistakable mark of the believer on his forehead. “I'm Stan Barber.”
Dr. Damosa ran forward with a wireless microphone. He asked Stan a few questions, and Stan answered with one- and two-word answers. He was clearly nervous.
“I don't like this,” Mark muttered.
“This doctor guy's cool,” the boy beside Mark said.
“Stan, let me ask you something. What did you think of Potentate Carpathia's message today?”
Stan took a deep breath. “Well, I suppose it was about like any other message by him.”
“Do you think it was good, bad, somewhere in between?”
Stan squirmed. He folded his arms in front of him and looked away from Dr. Damosa.
“You don't want to answer that because you're a follower of Dr. Ben-Judah, aren't you?”
The crowd gasped. Mark closed his eyes and prayed,
God, help this brother get through this situation right now. Give him the right words.
“The truth is,” Dr. Damosa continued, “you hate everything about the Global Community, and you've been working with other teenagers in different areas to fight everything we stand for.”
The camera pulled in close to Stan's face. The boy was sweating. Dr. Damosa read Stan's address, gave his phone number and e-mail address, and gave information about the secret church he attended each week. “We've had our eye on you and your friends down here for some time. Nice of you to drop in on our party.”
Kids in the audience began to boo.
“Let's keep Stan right here and go to our site near Cleveland. I understand we have someone there who agrees with Stan.”
The satellite feed clicked and crackled until a woman appeared with a microphone in front of an equally full arena. “I'm looking for a Deborah Mardy? Deborah?”
One by one believers were called out from different locations. Mark wondered how the GC could have found them all.
“Throw them out!” someone yelled.
“Get rid of the bums!” another said.
The rest of the crowd picked up the chant, and the noise was almost deafening.
Finally, the arena settled when Dr. Damosa came back on camera. “Now, on to a location near Chicago.”
Mark stood and looked for the person with the microphone. He saw an older man coming down the steps toward him. No microphone.
His heart beating wildly, Mark looked at the screen. A Morale Monitor was outside the arena. “Dr. D., we have someone here who not only follows the teaching of Tsion Ben-Judah, but is also on the wanted list of the Morale Monitors.”
Mark gasped.
Melinda
.
Vicki was nearly knocked down by the Morale Monitors who came through the door. One caught her by the arm and helped her stay on her feet.
“Boy, am I glad you guys are here,” Vicki said, out of breath. “That girl over there needs some help.”
“Come on!” one boy said to the other.
“Are you sure you're all right?” the other said.
“Yeah, go ahead and see if you can help her.” Vicki rushed into the darkened arena and let her eyes focus. She looked at the screen and couldn't believe her eyes. It was Melinda.
A woman with a microphone was beaming. “We set up a booth and offered free material from the rebel Ben-Judah. When this girl stopped, one of the other Monitors recognized her. She's going to have some explaining to do back at headquarters.”
Applause broke out in the arena. Vicki turned to find a seat and was met by three men in uniform.
The late spring sun had just set on the horizon over Jerusalem when Judd sat down to write an e-mail to Tsion Ben-Judah. He knew the man was busy and probably didn't have time to write back, but he wanted to explain what had happened in the last few weeks.
Lionel shouted from the back of the house, “Come here, quick!”
Judd ran to the patio and stood next to Sam. Mr. Stein was there with Yitzhak, crowded onto the small space.
Lionel pointed in the direction of some dark clouds. Judd looked closer and realized they weren't clouds. In the glint of the setting sun were millions of horses and riders. Smoke and fire swirled in black and yellow plumes. As they approached the ancient city, Judd shuddered. The massive horsemen looked angry and ready for death. The horses galloped faster and faster, rumbling toward the city. Their due time had come. All the other deaths by sulfur and fire were a prelude to this stampede. The breastplates of the riders flashed.
“Have mercy on us, O God,” Mr. Stein prayed softly. “You have permitted us to see this cavalry of demons on their final attack. Let this assault turn many from the evil one to you. May you be glorified forever.”
As Mr. Stein finished, the riders swept past the patio in a frightening display of power. Judd rushed to the computer and found the latest news. Fire and smoke and sulfur enveloped the globe. The 200 million horsemen were loose for a final attack.