First Speaker, Second Voice - chapter 24

For a little bit better than seventy-two hours we had the entire world almost on our side. For a little better than three days, it looked as though we had finally managed to convince the people to come over to The Father. Then two things happened that changed it. Mr. and Mrs. Adams got up and left, and Wormwood's Comet arrived.

Looking back, it would be very hard to say which event hurt our cause the most. They were both devastating to The Church in their own way. But at least Wormwood hurt the Enemy as bad as it hurt us.

I'll tell you of the Adams' last blow to us first. The world was still rejoicing at their death and the end of the troubles associated with them. The Enemy forces were having to fight so many internal conflicts with their own people who were coming over to us that for the moment they were leaving us alone. Mass defections and desertions of their military personnel were adding significantly to our ranks. It was a good time.

Steve had ordered that the cameras stay on the bodies and that the broadcast of the scene be continuous. This was so the world could see the price the old couple had paid, and the joy of those actually there. That decision turned out to cost us tremendously because the world was able to view and be aware of the rise of that old man and his woman at the call of the Enemy as soon as it occurred. We would not control the information that was already put out.

The Adams were reanimated at about ten o'clock at night. There were still many people partying on the street where the bodies had fallen. Their corpses had become a sort of local attraction for those who wanted to see them while they were celebrating, just to confirm they were really gone and no longer something else to worry about. Some had even been dumping garbage on the bodies instead of flowers as a show of their contempt. It was just a normal night, not as hectic as the frst two as the people calmed down.

Suddenly the spotlights which had illuminated the scene for the cameras blew all at once with a loud POP! Then a solid shaft of light so white that it hurt the eyes to look at it shone down on the two corpses lying there. All of the garbage on and around the bodies shriveled and just melted away with no ash or smoke produced. The bodies themselves jerked upright from the sprawl they had been in since their death. They raised their arms skyward and pointed ruined faces upward as though they could see without eyes or brains.

Then the wounds and damage resulting from decomposing in the sun for three days began to correct themselves. Gases that had built up in the bodies and bloated them grotesquely vented and dissipated. Blood again became liquid and distributed equally through the bodies removing the dark purple of bruising and coagulation. The heads and faces also grew new flesh, new eyes, and new bone. This was especially dramatic on Mr. Adams as his head itself seemed to grow when his mouth, nose, eyes, forehead, and crown restored themselves. Then hair sprouted and grew. To a nicely combed cut, too. It was strange.

Their clothing no longer appeared as rags either. They were dressed plainly but in the same type of clothing they had probably worn throughout their time together in the small country store they ran together for thirty years before they had answered the call of their God and given it all up to end up in the street in Bethlehem.

The couple had joined hands, and were now smiling as they looked toward the sky. A voice that wasn't loud, but could still be heard around the world said quite clearly, "Come here." The old couple from the deep south then rose into the sky, riding that shaft of light, which continued to shine until they could no longer be seen and had disappeared as though they had never been there at all. It was a disaster for us.

All those present, except for the Hands, I am pleased to say, fell to their knees, wailing and praying to the God of their ancestors, begging forgiveness and forsaking The Father with all their cowardly hearts. It didn't take much imagination to see the scene repeated a thousand times around the world.

I called Steve and he immediately called for a meeting of senior staff to decide how best to control the damage. He wanted all four of us present either in person or by video link. So the next thing I did was to call April, who I knew to be back in Eden by that time.

The radiophone was answered by a young lady in her office. It was still early morning there. "Church Of The Father, Ms. Showers' office."

"Hello. Get Ms. Showers on the phone immediately. Tell her it is Jason calling from Jerusalem," I said into the line.

"Sorry, but Ms. Showers is not available. Could I take a message?," the young lady replied. I couldn't believe I was being put off.

"She is not unavailable to me. This is Jason Nevette, Second Speaker, calling from Bethlehem. Get her for me now," I ordered, losing patience.

There was a brief pause on the line as the woman realized who I was. She came back soon, saying, "I'm so sorry sir. I didn't realize it would be you. Please forgive me..." I could hear fear in her voice now.

I had to calm her to get anywhere. "Of course. Don't worry about it, just get April immediately. It's very important."

"I can't, Sir. She really is unavailable. She was taken to the hospital last night, right after what happened there was on the T.V.," the young voice said.

Now I was afraid, "Why? What happened? Is she all right? Did someone hurt her?"

The young lady sounded sad as she said, "She tried to kill herself, sir. She took an overdose of the medication she had to help her with the dreams. She is still alive, but she hasn't woken up."

I don't know what the young woman thought as I hung the phone up without saying anything. I walked over to my window and looked out into the dark. Strange that I never felt guilt or fear over the billions who had already died, including my own family. But I did feel it when I thought about April lying in a bed, comatose. I was terrified that she would die and leave me alone.

I did get myself back together and called back to Eden. We still had a crisis and I had a job to do.

"Church Of The Father. Can I help you, please." The young woman sounded the same. This irritated me, and I decided that I didn't like her.

"Yes. This is Mr. Nevette again. Who is filling in for April while she is unavailable?"

The lady did not hesitate this time as she replied, "Mr. Luke, sir. He is her Operations Assistant. Would you like to speak with him?"

"No. But tell him to be in his office ready for a video link in an hour. There is to be a meeting and we will need the input of his office." I felt sort of disconnected, but as least I was getting the job done.

"Yes sir, I will tell him and make sure he is there," the young woman replied, making a promise she wouldn't be able to keep.

Wormwood struck about five minutes after the promise was made and I hung up. Where I was in Bethlehem, there was at first just a low rumble. Then another earthquake, just like all the rest that had become so common over the past three years as powers greater than man used the planet itself as a weapon.

I was sitting in my office, thinking about April and trying to get ready for the meeting to come when fine dust began to fall from the ceiling like snow. Then pictures started to fall off the walls. Then items sitting on my desk started to dance and tumble over. I could hear glass or pottery breaking somewhere outside my room. Then my door was opened without a knock and a group of Hands came in.

"Come with us, Sir, into the street. It looks like this might be a big one," the ranking Hand said as they 'helped' me up out of my chair and hustled me out the door, down the hall, and into the street. Steve and General Paine joined us on our way out and we moved as a group into he middle of the street, as far away from any buildings as we could get. As I looked around, I saw buildings were falling. Not all of them, but the front of two directly across from my building just sort of slipped down to the sidewalk like a poorly built sandcastle in a cloud of dust, with slabs and chunks of concrete along with splintered timbers looking like a flood, and washing over several people who were just coming out the door.

When the dust settled down a little you could see the pile of debris where people used to be. Near the edge of the pile there was an arm sticking up that was bent where it shouldn't be, that really looked like someone had tried to swim through the concrete flood as the weight of a building flowed down upon them. You could hear rumblings coming from every direction and see dust rising up here and there, advertising that the entire city was part of the drama. We had no idea at the time that this earthquake was happening all over the world, in some places erasing entire land masses while creating new lakes and seas.

It lasted a very long time for an earthquake. They were usually over in just a few seconds. This one lasted as least forever, or maybe ten minutes, according to a wristwatch worn by one of my guards. The aftershocks continued for hours after the initial quake. That was a very long time for the entire planet to shudder in pain.