Shaken (41 page)

Every newscast was the same. They showed the bloated, decaying bodies of the two beloved prophets lying near the Wailing Wall. People danced around the bodies and laughed, pointed, held their noses, and mocked. Some went close enough to kick the bodies.

The party spread to other parts of the world. People created dummies that looked like Eli and Moishe and paraded them in town squares and at musical events. The dummies were hanged, stabbed, and burned while people cheered and laughed. Reports confirmed that many were exchanging gifts like it was Christmas.

Late the next night, Vicki found a commentator who quoted the latest Global Community poll. “People were asked if the preachers should be buried or remain in the street. An overwhelming 87 percent agree the preachers should not be buried. But let's be honest. The scene in Jerusalem is sickening. Put this chapter behind us. They were executed Tuesday. It's Thursday. You've had your fun. Don't let this get any gorier. It's time to get past this, to give these men a proper burial and move on.”

But the celebration in Jerusalem only picked up steam. Top stars performed nonstop, and the crowds increased.

Judd kept watch for the next two days, but Kasim didn't come back to his apartment. Judd wondered if something bad had happened to him. Mr. Stein had been upset with Judd for walking around during the Gala, but when Judd explained the situation, he understood.

The scene at General Zimmerman's house was incredible. It was wall-to-wall people, most of whom had the mark of the true believer. Mr. Stein and others spoke about what events might happen next and for everyone to be on guard for a possible GC clampdown. “They have promised not to arrest anyone this week, but be careful. They have lied to us before.”

Judd watched for news of Carpathia's next speech, but the man seemed to be in hiding. Judd figured Nicolae was watching in secret, excited about all the sinful things going on.

Friday morning, Mr. Stein led the entire group of new believers to the Wailing Wall, where they could see Eli and Moishe. He was convinced that something miraculous was about to happen.

Judd had told Lionel and Sam to keep watch for Kasim. As they drew closer to the place where Eli and Moishe lay, Judd's stomach turned. He smelled the rotting corpses from a hundred yards away. People still danced and sang around the dead men, though most people couldn't stand the stench any longer and had moved their party down the street.

Judd put a handkerchief to his face and followed Mr. Stein. They came as close as the GC guards would allow.

“I don't see how people can stand so close to them,” Sam said, plugging his nose.

A siren wailed a few blocks away, and Judd realized it was another band kicking off the morning's celebration. Judd turned and saw a GC Peacekeeper talking to someone perched in a tree. The Peacekeeper grabbed the man's robe and pulled him down.

Judd gasped. It was Kasim.

Vicki set her alarm and got up early Friday morning. She didn't want to miss what was about to happen. The others followed not long after and sat around the room in pajamas.

“You're sure this is going to happen this morning?

” Mark said.

“Yes and I don't want to miss the live coverage. You can bet we'll only get one shot to see it and then they'll destroy the video.”

Vicki put an arm around Darrion. The girl had wandered into the woods the day before and now seemed sad. When Vicki asked what was up, Darrion shook her head.

“Come on,” Vicki whispered.

Darrion sighed. “This place brings back a lot of memories, good and bad.”

“Tell me the good stuff.”

“Fishing with my dad. Hiking with Mom. Summer nights when we'd leave all the windows and doors open and it'd be cold enough to see your breath in the morning. We had a lot of fun up here.”

“What about the bad?”

Darrion stared at the TV. “Mom and Dad were usually too busy to come here. Dad traveled and Mom didn't like to drive alone.”

Mark found a live feed from the Wailing Wall.

“There was something else that happened,” Darrion continued. “I don't like to think about it.”

Vicki scooted closer. “Tell me.”

“I was mad at Mom one weekend. Dad was out of town. I took off with a girlfriend who told her mom she was sleeping at my house, and we met these two guys. I knew I shouldn't do it, but I brought them all up here.”

“What happened?”

Darrion looked away. “I've been reliving it ever since we got here. I've never told anybody.”

Vicki hugged Darrion tightly. “I did a lot of bad stuff before I became a believer. Some of it comes back at the weirdest times.”

“I know God forgives,” Darrion said, “but how do I get it out of my head?”

“Sometimes it helps to tell somebody else,” Vicki said.

Lionel grabbed Judd's arm as Judd started to run. “It's Kasim! I have to get him,” Judd said.

Lionel let Judd go and turned back to the scene before them. Mr. Stein and others knelt, hands clasped, and silently prayed. A few who were dancing and drinking saw them and laughed.

“You people want to be next?” a dark-haired girl said. She lost her balance and fell, and her friends laughed.

Drunken people danced in a circle around the dead bodies. The line went one way, then changed direction and quickly went the other. Faster and faster they danced until the line fell apart. People fell over each other, laughing, tears rolling down their cheeks. One woman became sick and was hit by another who fell over her.

Sam pointed toward Eli's and Moishe's bodies. “Look what those people are doing.”

A girl crawled toward the two witnesses on her hands and knees. A man sat nearby talking to her. She turned around and held out a bottle. Lionel stepped closer to hear their conversation.

“I gotta have another drink before I do this,” the girl said.

“Here you go,” the man said. “What number is this— 4,000?”

The girl laughed. “I think I lost track … three days ago.”

The man laughed and took the bottle back. “What are you going to do, have a dance with the corpses?”

The girl pulled out a pair of scissors and snipped at the air. “No way. I got a business idea.”

“What?”

“Hear me out. These guys have been in the news for years, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So what do you think people would pay on-line for a piece of their clothes?”

“You wouldn't.”

“Watch me! I'm goin' right up there and snip some of that burlap or whatever they're wearing. And the next thing you know, it'll be Jerusalem Twosome dot-com.”

Lionel shook his head. He couldn't believe anyone could be so greedy. The man helped the girl to her feet. She wobbled a little, then made her way to Moishe.

“This is awful,” she said. “There are bugs all over.” She swatted at a bird picking at Moishe's flesh. A rat scurried out from under him and she shrieked. She quickly plugged her nose.

“What do you expect?” her friend said. “They've been lying in the sun for three days.”

She inspected Moishe's body. “I can't even find a spot that's not soaked in blood.”

“Just cut it and get out of there before somebody stops you.”

A dancer came close to the girl. “Watch it! This is delicate surgery, especially when my head's spinning.” She pulled at Moishe's robe. “Right here looks like a good piece.”

Lionel noticed movement of Moishe's body and thought the girl had rolled him slightly.

“Hey, whoever's moving this stiff better stop it!”

Lionel looked closely at the dried blood around Moishe's body. Something strange was happening. The red flakes were turning from dust to liquid before his eyes and moving back toward the body. Moishe's head wound was closing, the skin stretching over his scalp. Hair replaced itself. When Moishe took a deep breath of air, several people nearby screamed.

The girl stopped cutting the robe and stared at the dead man. “What in the world?”

Her friend shouted, “Get out of there, Cindy! Come on!”

“This … can't … b-be,” the girl stammered. “These guys have been dead three—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Moishe took a huge breath and his chest heaved. He opened his eyes wide and raised his hands into the air.

The girl couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, couldn't move. Inches from her face the disgusting remains of two dead men were coming together. They were being made whole before her eyes.

Lionel heard Mr. Stein and a few others whisper, “Praise God! May Jesus be praised!”

The girl finally scooted backward and screamed. Others who were still dancing stopped and glanced at the two bodies, covered their mouths, and ran away. To them it was horrifying.

To Lionel, it was the most wonderful sight he had ever seen.

Vicki kept an arm around Darrion as the girl wept. Shelly screamed and Vicki glanced at the screen. Eli and Moishe were moving.

“It's happening,” Mark said. “It's really happening.”

The camera pulled back to show shrieking people running from the place. Others ran forward to see what was happening, only to stop in their tracks when they saw the dead bodies coming to life.