They managed three hundred yards
before the rain came. Nick held out his
hand and Merlin took it, and they both bowed their heads and kept on
going. By this stage, they were both
looking forward to getting inside, making contact with Alex and Philip, getting
a more comprehensive brief from them, and checking the place out. Merlin especially was feeling
excitement. No Enforcer had gone into a
situation like this before. If she
really could find a way to render the interface safe – and if the town turned
out to be worthwhile – she was considering keeping it as a training area.
Nick, of course, had invaluable
experience of being trapped in a bubble.
The New Eden Colony. That had
appeared every fifty years for three days before it vanished again, taking the
colonists and anyone unfortunate enough to have walked in. Derek had rescued Nick and Rachel on that
occasion. Now Nick was the one on a
rescue mission.
“Keep a watch for the barn,” he
called.
“I can see why people would want to
shelter in it,” Merlin remarked. “It’s
very clever.”
Nick silently agreed. Even sitting in the car, he’d wanted to go
shelter in the barn. It had seemed a
good idea at the time …
“It exerts a pull,” he said out
loud. “Influences choices. The sensible thing would be to wait in the
car but .. people go wait it out in the barn.”
“That should alert us to the type of
situation we’ll find on the other side.
This construct has rules. Entry
requirements. It wasn’t just made to
trap people, Nick. It wants them for
something, an’ whatever that is, it’ll be clever. The mind behind this is a
tricky one.”
Nick shrugged and grimaced as rain ran
down his neck. “Tricky minds are
invariably arrogant minds. An’ they are
prone to a lotta things which make ’em easy to knock over.” He glanced back at her. “We got nothing to worry about.”
They couldn’t see the road, despite it
only being twenty or so feet away to the right. The grass was soaking their feet and lower legs to the knee. The rain was soaking them from the head
down. It was a miserable way to travel,
bowed down with the weight of the backpacks.
But they were in control.
Eventually, thru the sodden murk, Nick
glimpsed a shadow. He paused,
squinting, wiping the water from his eyes, then took a couple more steps. The shadow became more substantial, more
regular in shape. He looked back.
“Ready?”
“Am I? Let’s get inside before I start to shrink.”
They went to the door and pushed on
it. It opened easily. They stepped into a musty scented dryness
and listened to the rain pounding on the stout timber roof.
“Stage one accomplished,” Merlin
declared, shrugging off the backpack and bending to unzip it. She pulled out dry clothes and the plastic
bag – Nick was doing the same – then she began to strip.
“How long d’you figure we’ll have to
wait?” he asked, unlacing his boots.
“Couldn’t guess. Why?”
“There’s a hayloft.”
“Yeah, I can see that.”
“We get the bags stowed an’ then ..
pass the time somehow.”
Merlin halted to gaze at him. “You’re kidding.”
“What else could we be doing?” Nick
challenged. “C’mon, Merli, where’s your
sense of adventure? You’ve never once
fantasized about making out in a hayloft?
In a thunderstorm? I know I
have.”
“This is a mission,” she pointed out.
“Right. So we’ll just sit here an’ wait till the other side opens
up. Sure. That sounds like fun.”
She pushed the wet clothes into the
bag and shoved them in the backpack.
“No, it sounds boring.
Okay. But, first, we prep for
stage two.”
“Absolutely.”
“Don’t forget to take the cash from
the backpack.”
“I won’t.”
“Where shall we hide the bags?”
“In the hayloft,” Nick suggested with
a wicked grin.
Merlin climbed the ladder and Nick
handed one, then the other, up to her.
She moved the dried grass and hid the packs, and finally created a dome
over them.
“Protected,” she nodded, covering them
over again. “No one can touch ’em
now.” Then she looked round. “Are you serious?”
“Would I joke around in a situation
like this?” Nick asked. “Besides, we’re
a couple of backpackers hiking in the countryside of the Diablo Mountains who
got caught in a storm an’ have taken shelter in a barn. It’s natural for us to get a little physical
while we wait for it to stop.”
“I guess so.” She paused to listen. “It’s still raining pretty hard.”
“And it’s thundering.”
She peered out the shutter over the
window. “Can’t see a damn thing except
water.”
“Then we’re not going anyplace anytime
soon.”
“One thing.”
“What?”
“Lay on the clothes. I don’t trust this barn. I bet things disappear from it. I don’t care about going into another
dimension and feeling a little outta place, but I do care about going in there
naked.”
“You got it,” Nick winked.
*****
Ninety minutes later, Nick stirred
from a satisfied nap. Merlin was
already dressed and ready to go. She
sat at the top of the ladder, smoking a cigarette.
“Rain’s stopping,” she remarked.
Nick began to dress. Another fantasy fulfilled. If only more Legacy investigations could be
like this and provide not only the place but the time as well …
It had achieved a couple of other
purposes beside physical gratification.
He didn’t know when next he would be able to make love with his wife so
he’d taken the opportunity when he could, and the act had not only reaffirmed
their love for each other, their bond, but it had also grounded them in
reality, exorcised any stray emotions which might affect their ability to
function. Now they could go on with a
clear head.
“Got the money?”
Nick checked his pockets. “All here.”
“What about your firearm?”
“Yep.
Bags are still here, safely buried.
Luck must be running our way.”
“Or the construct doesn’t object to
armed guys.”
Shafts of golden sunlight began to
spear thru the gaps in the timber walls, painting stripes across the barn floor
below them.
“I think that’s our signal to move
out,” Nick remarked.
She rose and glanced out the shutter
by the window again. “Yep. Field’s gone.”
“Congratulations. Welcome to another dimension,” he smiled.
“Feels pretty good.”
“That isn’t the place, it’s the
company,” Nick commented. “Aquila still
with us?”
Merlin angled her head. “Oh yeah.
Fit an’ feisty.”
“Let’s go kick some ass.”
They climbed down the ladder and went
to the door, noticing it was on the opposite wall. They pushed it open, paused to admire the view and get their
bearings, then they set off.
“Whoever designed this place must have
a subscription to Homes an’ Gardens,” Nick said. “It’s almost too perfect.”
“It’s smart,” Merlin observed. “People will be a little freaked, finding
’emselves in a place which isn’t the place they left, so this is soothing,
calming. Not threatening at all. Takes the edge off.”
They entered the park and strolled
briskly in the direction they were clearly meant to take. Downhill, along the path. At the far side, there was a man sitting at
a bench. He rose, smiling. Merlin’s nostrils twitched.
“Demon,” she murmured.
“You wanna take him down?” Nick
queried.
“Let’s hear what he has to say first,
huh?”
They drew closer. “Good afternoon to you both. Your admission fee, please.”
“Excuse me?” they chorused together.
“Your admission fee. Empty your pockets.”
Nick checked his jacket, then his
jeans. “I don’t have anything.”
“What is the admission fee?” Merlin asked.
“Six cents each and a handful of seed
from the barn,” the man replied, frowning suspiciously.
Merlin smiled. “I see.
One second.” She dug in her
pockets. “Nick, check again.”
“What d’you know … Must’ve missed it. Six cents .. an’ a handful of seed,” Nick said, depositing it on
the bench.
Merlin put her money and the grass
seed next to his. “Exact change.”
The man counted it carefully and
nodded. “Good. You can enter. A house has been set aside for you. That one just there. Some people are in there but they’re due to
leave at sunset. You have twenty four
hours.”
“An’ then what happens?” Nick asked.
“You have to announce your decision to
the community and take up residence accordingly.”
“What decision?” Merlin inquired.
“Whether you are good or evil. There’s two of you,” he said. “That’s fortunate. One of you must choose good, the other must choose evil. Twenty four hours is allowed for you to
debate an’ decide.”
“Okay. You say there’s people already in the house. Is one of ’em called Alex or Philip?”
“Yes!”
Merlin nodded. “An’ their twenty four hours is up at
sunset.”
“That’s right,” the man beamed.
“And .. if we waive our right to the
time, we can make our decision straight away an’ go into the community when
they do? We’ll be a group of four?”
“Well .. you’ll have to hurry. It’s less than a half hour to go.”
“Thanks.”
She set off at a brisk walk.
“Waive the right? Choose immediately? Merli, what’s going on?” Nick quietly
pressed.
“We have to stop them making a big
mistake, Nick. Later, I’ll
explain. For now, please hurry.”
The sun was dipping fast and lights
were coming on in the town. Nick and
Merlin reached the halfway house just as Alex and Philip came out.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Nick called.
“Nick!” Alex hugged him tightly.
“Peri … Are you ..? Do you have to choose?” she asked.
“Yeah, an’ now. We get put together in a group of four if we
waive the right to the extra time. I
need to know how you’re gonna choose.”
“I’m good,” Alex replied.
People were starting to emerge onto
the two sidewalks, waiting to hear the announcement. Nick watched them, watched them watching him. “What’s going on, Alex? We just got here.”
Merlin looked across at Philip. “No way.”
“It’s the rule,” Philip responded.
“You think I care about that?” Merlin
retorted.
“It’s a war, Nick,” Alex replied. “This town is divided right down the
middle. Good on one side, evil on the
other. And .. we have to fight each
other,” she related in a low voice.
“The choice!” someone called.
“It isn’t sunset yet!” Merlin shouted
back. “You’ll get our decision. Be patient.”
They withdrew but didn’t
disperse. They kept a respectful
distance but they watched with faces grim and desperate, suspicious and
hopeful.
“That’s why we have to choose,” Alex
went on.
“But .. how can we? We’re all good people. How can two of us decide to become the
enemy?” Nick queried.
“And that’s why you’re given twenty
four hours, so you can figure it out.”
He was silent, thinking that they’d
given away that interval.
“We don’t have any choice in that,”
Merlin told him. “What we do have is
control. I’m not giving that away. Alex, you have to choose good.”
She’d intended to do that anyway but
she was intrigued by Merlin’s reasons and irritated by being told. “Why?”
“Because you’re a good person. You’re a strong person. Good needs that.”
“I’ve been tempted before – ”
“An’ you beat it. There were others there, sure, but you were
the one who pulled back. No one could
help you do that, Alex. Right now, you
need to be on the good guys’ team.”
Merlin glanced at Nick. “Any
preferences?”
“I’ll do what you say,” he said in a
measured voice.
“Two down,” she nodded, turning back
to Philip. “That leaves us.”
“I told you, I’ve made my choice.”
“An’ it’s the wrong one,” Merlin
countered. “Why would you choose evil?”
“Because … Because someone has to go with Nick.”
“Thanks, Philip,” Nick remarked
flatly.
“And you,” Philip told Merlin, “more
than any of us, are a good person.”
“So are you.”
“I’ve done things which qualify me for
the other team,” Philip admitted.
Merlin crooked a finger. “Father Callahan, a moment of your time,
please.”
Philip stepped aside and bent his head
toward her.
“Like what?” she asked.
“I’ve questioned my faith. I let myself become possessed by an evil
soul and I tried to kill my friends. I
– ”
“We’re running outta time here,
Philip,” Nick commented. “Our audience
is getting impatient for the result.”
Merlin walked Philip farther away from
them. “Okay. You’ve questioned your faith.
At the time, your brother had recently been murdered. It was reasonable in those circumstances
because you’re a human being as well as a priest. You let yourself get possessed on purpose. You were willing to sacrifice your life by
committing suicide but it went wrong.
Noble motive, Philip. Good
motive. You broke your vows. Once.”
Philip looked shocked that she knew
that.
Merlin held up a finger. “Once.
You fell in love. Love isn’t
evil. Love makes the world go round,
isn’t that what they say? An’ you paid
for that. But .. d’you know what I see
when I look at you?”
He shook his head.
“I see a priest in a collar, even when
you’re not wearing it. Questioning your
faith isn’t the same as turning your back on it. You never quit believing, not once. God still loves you, Philip.
He still thinks you’re worthy.
Your trials have made you a better person, and one admirably suited to
give strong leadership to those people over there.”
“But .. you’re more qualified still,”
he argued.
She smiled. “Philip, you’ve touched the darkness. You haven’t lived in it, worked in it, not like I have. Nick an’ I can fit in on the other side of
the tracks.”
“It isn’t enough to convince me,”
Philip replied.
“I can do things you can’t. I can meet with you. You won’t be able to sneak over an’ pass
messages but I can.”
He bent closer still. “That isn’t why I’m arguing with you. Don’t you see that? Your strength will ensure evil’s victory,”
he softly pointed out.
“Why?” she frowned.
“Because Enforcers never fight on the
losing side.”
Merlin halted, studying the
ground. It was now more dark than it
was light. There were only minutes left
before they had to announce their decisions.
“Recently, I heard someone say that
there are no rules in chaos. It’s
true. In real chaos, there can be no
rules. But this place isn’t chaos. Look at it!
Even in Hell, it’s the appearance but not the fact. There are rules despite it being a chaotic
place. This town .. isn’t chaotic. It isn’t Hell, though it probably feels like
it. It’s an arena of sorts, safely
enclosed away from the world. It’s
orderly. These people .. they don’t
know what Hell is. They’re just being
forced to take part in an ongoing battle.
Some of ’em may want to. Most
don't. They’re actors, playing a role. Most of ’em .. most they can be is bad. I can show ’em what evil really is.” She glanced up. “And if that doesn’t convince you, answer me this. What is the most evil thing anyone can do in
a war?”
Philip shook his head.
“Betray your own side. Be a double agent. Work on the inside to betray trust, sabotage plans, wreak
havoc. I can do that, no problem. Nick an’ I are very qualified.
Those people, on the other hand, need you, Philip. They need you a whole lot more than the bad
ones.”
He lowered his head. “All right.
I’ll go with Alex.”
“Great. Glad I didn’t have to pull rank.”
They rejoined the others.
“We done?” Nick inquired.
“We are. Philip will go with Alex.
You’ll be with me.”
“The choice!” someone called.
“I choose good,” Alex said clearly.
“So do I,” Philip added.
“Then you two others become members of
my church,” said a voice.
“Welcome. I’m the Reverend James
Hicks. Please, let me show you to your
new home.”
Nick glanced at the tenement but Hicks
was walking the other way.
A woman in a ragged dress approached
Alex. “Please, will you come with us?”
Philip understood. The grim, fetid hovels belonged to
good. The elegant homes belonged to
evil. Yes, his place was with the poor
and dispossessed. Merlin’s was in the
salons of the rich.
He met Merlin’s eyes and nodded. She smiled and winked.
*****
“My God, Philip … ” Alex looked round and couldn’t say another
word.
He knew what she was thinking. Good may have been balanced but it wasn’t
winning. How could it? His army – the force he’d hoped to rouse
with strong words of faith and hope – was children.
“Father Callahan ..! You came for us!”
He smiled and crouched down. “Joanne!
Is your brother here?”
She nodded, hugging him hard around
the neck. “Mommy an’ Daddy said we’d be
safe here. They went to live over the
other side of the street. I wanna go
home,” she whispered into his ear.
“And you shall, little one. Very soon.
This is my friend. Her name’s
Alex. Alex, this is Joanne Brompton.”
“Hi there,” Alex smiled. “You have a brother ..?”
“Andrew,” Joanne said solemnly.
“Have you eaten your supper?”
“Not yet. I’m always hungry. They
don't let us have very much.”
“Well .. let’s see what’s here and
then we’ll get supper on the go. How’s
that?”
Joanne nodded.
“Joanne, you go with Alex. I’m going to take a look around, find myself
a place to sleep, introduce myself.”
“I wanna stay with you,” she
whispered.
“But you know where the food is, I
bet. You can show Alex.”
“O-kay.”
Philip passed the child into Alex’s
waiting arms. “Take good care of her ..
and all the others. I’ll come find you
when I’ve looked around my new parish.”
“Okay,” Alex nodded. Her face was serene. Amid all the suffering, she knew she’d made
the right choice. Here, she really could make a difference.
*****
“This is your house. Your home,” Reverend Hicks said.
“Nice place,” Nick remarked. “Nick”, he went on, holding out a hand. “This is my wife, Peri.”
“Charmed,” Hicks smiled. “We won’t expect you in church this
evening. We’ll let you get
settled.” He bowed his head. “Until tomorrow.”
“ ’ Night,” Merlin nodded. “Thanks for the welcome.”
They went into the huge house and
closed the door.
“We did choose right, didn’t we?” Nick
asked.
“We chose not only right but good as
well. Our neighbors just don’t know it
.. yet. And Alex and Philip chose right
too. All the players are in the right
squares on the board. Would you look at this place! Whoa ..!”
“What d’you make of Hicks?”
“Strangely enough, he’s human but he
smells like a demon. Probably been here
a long time.” She was warily
exploring. Room after room opened
before her. There was even a grand
piano in one window. “This is amazing …
”
“What’s Alex living in?” Nick asked, a
little harshly.
“Some rat infested flea trap over the
other side of the street.”
“Exactly.”
Merlin glanced round. “Can’t I be a little impressed with our
accommodations?”
“Not while our friends can’t share.”
“Okay. This is all part of the strategy, Nick. I told you. Whoever
devised this thing has a tricky mind, an’ then some. I think, seriously, that this is the most brilliant strategist
I’ve ever encountered.”
“Hicks?”
“Oh no. Hicks isn’t behind this.
He’s too low down the food chain.
This mind is .. on the same level as William Sloan. You have to have a running start on him,
just to keep up.”
“Someone else then. Someone .. over the road?”
“Uh uh. I’d say he or she doesn’t live in the town. They just enjoy the spectacle.”
Nick nodded. “Playing God. Set up an
arena, populate it, set the scene, an’ sit back to watch.”
“That’s right,” Merlin agreed.
“So .. we take ’em down, place
collapses, everyone’s free.”
“More or less, yeah.”
“So what’re we waiting for?”
“Who’s the target? Where do they live? We need to do some fact finding.” She smiled.
“But not tonight.”
“Why not?”
“Because Aquila will be busy on other
projects.”
“Such as?” Nick wasn’t going to give up until he got an answer he could
accept.
“Helping Alex an’ Philip over the
road.”
Nick gave up.
*****
Philip wandered purposefully,
introducing himself, shaking hands, getting to know names and faces and put
them together. His initial assumption
was proved wrong. There were adults on
this side of the street, but, mostly, there were children. The adults, he noticed, were invariably
women. There were very few adult men.
“How’re you doing?” asked a voice and
Philip turned, only to step back in surprise.
“Peri? How – ?” he frowned.
“I’m Aquila. What do you need?”
He looked around and gave a half
shrug. “Just about everything. But .. for tonight, hot food and plenty of
it, and something warm to sleep on.
Tomorrow, in daylight, I’ll be able to make a more thorough inspection
of our situation here. Go find
Alex. She needs you more than I do
right now.”
“Philip, you’ve make a good start,”
Aquila said and vanished.
“Well, I certainly hope I have,”
Philip mused quietly.
Alex was in a communal kitchen and
going thru the cupboards to find adequate supplies of anything with which to
give the children a decent supper.
“Alex ..?” Joanne asked.
“What is it, honey?”
“Are you Jenny?”
Alex smiled as she glanced back. “No, I’m Alex.” She saw the little girl’s expression fall and she frowned. “Why?
Why would you ask that?”
“Because all the kids here know about
Jenny. Jenny saves people. So I wondered if you were here to save us.”
“I’m surely going to try,” Alex
said. “Joanne, could you go find your
brother, huh?”
“Okay. Are we gonna eat tonight?”
“Yes,” Alex replied. Somehow …
Joanne skipped out into the hallway
and, a fraction of a second later, Aquila appeared. “Philip sent me to find you.
He says he wants hot food and plenty of it.”
“Sure, and I’d be happy to oblige but
I bet Nick and Peri are feasting like kings while we starve. There’s nothing here.”
“What do you need?” Aquila asked.
“Bread. Fresh water. Meat. Vegetables.
Soap. Towels. Toothbrushes and paste. Basic hygiene supplies. Basic kitchen supplies.”
Aquila glanced at the table. “That should be enough to last you a couple
of days. Blankets as well. I think you’ll find it gets cold over here
at night.”
“Thank you,” Alex said. “Tomorrow, we’ll see about new clothes.”
Aquila frowned. “I wouldn’t. Clean clothes, yes. New
clothes would alert people that .. you have a powerful friend. What miracles we work must remain behind
closed doors.”
“I understand,” Alex nodded. “Thanks for the food and blankets. Will there be more or should I ration
everyone?”
“There’ll be more.” Aquila straightened. “My advice is to keep everyone inside during
the hours of darkness. Evil does its
best work during the night.”
“In that case .. how about some
toys? Toys and books for the
children. Books and magazines for the
grownups.”
“Done.” Aquila smiled quickly. “I’ll come back tomorrow and resupply
you. Stay strong, Alex. Philip will need your strength.”
Alex watched Aquila shimmer into
nothing and then pushed up her sleeves.
When Joanne returned five minutes later with her brother Andrew, Alex
was stirring something in a large pan on the stove.
“Food ..!” Andrew exclaimed. “Where’d you get it?”
Alex smiled at him. “I had a visit from a guardian angel. She gave us food and blankets, and she left
toys and books. We’ll all eat well, and
sleep well tonight.”
*****
While Merlin explored the huge house
and let Aquila go start the sabotage project by rendering aid and assistance
over the road, Nick decided to explore his side of the street. He had a double purpose in mind – find out
what usually went down during the night, and the location of Liz and Kevin
Sumner. Specifically Liz.
He walked casually, his hands in his
pockets, his eyes alert and raking the bushes, the yards. The road itself was empty.
How would they have chosen ..? Liz is a good person. So is Kevin, I guess. But they have two kids as well. My bet is the kids are over there. Lizzie’s this side. She wouldn’t give her kids away to evil.
“Nick ..?”
He turned. Liz stepped out from the shadows, pulling a robe around her body.
“Lizzie … You okay?”
“I’m fine. I thought it was you I saw earlier. You’ve come to save me, haven’t you? Save me again. I knew you
would.”
Nick swallowed. “I couldn’t leave you here, Liz.”
She stretched. “I’m not sure I want to be saved. This is a wonderful place, Nick. We have a beautiful home. Clothes.
Furs. Everything we would ever
want, or imagine needing, and we don’t have to work for any of it.” She came closer, putting her arms around
his neck, pressing her body against his.
“Nick, we could be together here.”
Nick grasped her wrists and pulled her
arms away. “What about your children?”
Her face twisted with a pain so deep
it tore at his heart. “I had to do
it. You understand! Tell me you understand!”
“Sure. But look at you. You’re
living in splendor. Where are your
children? What’re their lives like?”
Liz shook her head wildly. “I don’t want to think about them!”
“Why?” Nick frowned.
“Because it hurts too much,” she
growled. “They’re safer where they
are.”
“They’d be better still with their
parents an’ in a home they know. You
stay here, you’ll lose ’em forever.”
“The Reverend Hicks says we can’t
leave. We have to stay. There is no way back. Nick .. be with me. You’ll make this life paradise.”
“Won’t Kevin have something to say
about that?” Nick asked in a steady voice.
“Kevin,” she spat. “Kevin is consumed by jealousy. He doesn’t care anymore. I don't love him. I don’t think I ever did.
He was second best. He knows it,
so do you.”
“Liz, c’mon. I’m married.”
“You’re still here, aren’t you? You came to get me. Doesn’t that say you still feel something
for me?”
“Sure. I do feel something .. but it isn’t what you want me to
feel. Liz, I don’t love you.”
She drew back, her face becoming
still. “That’ll change, Nick. Here .. we have everything we could ever
want. And I want you.” She smiled.
“It may take a little time .. but we have all the time in the world.”
Nick watched her drift back into the
shadows and he shook his head. It
wasn’t quite how he’d imagined their reunion would go down. Liz had changed, or she’d been changed by exposure
to this side of the street. He hoped it
was the latter …
*****
Merlin was making coffee when Nick got
back. “What’d you find out?”
He leaned against the door. “Liz thinks I’ll leave you an’ go back with
her. Says it’s just a matter of
time. She doesn’t wanna think about her
kids, it’s too painful.” He shook his
head. “It isn’t her, Merli. Liz was never like that.”
“Anything else?”
“Hicks is some kinda local guru. I saw a little action on the street. Mainly drug deals. People started going along to the church around midnight.”
Merlin nodded. “What’re your feelings about the place?”
Nick considered. “About what I expected. Nothing’s banned. Greed is encouraged.”
“Well .. Aquila stocked the cupboards
so everyone got a decent supper. She
also gave them basic hygiene necessities an’ some toys, books, magazines an’
blankets. They’re doing okay. Tomorrow, we’ll make it better again.”
“What’s your take on the place?” Nick asked.
“About what I expected. Clever.
It’s all very clever. But I need
to learn more. Low profile for us
tomorrow. We’re the new kids on the
block so we act the part.”
“Hicks doesn’t bother you?”
“He’s the carrot and the stick. You can’t
beat strong, local influence for keeping people fighting for the cause. He’s evil, no doubt. The people .. well, they’re still
learning. They’re having the humanity,
the goodness, slowly stripped from them.”
She shook her head. “But there’s
a lot more to this town, Nick. We
haven’t scratched the surface yet.”
*****
Tuesday morning dawned at six o’clock
exactly. Philip woke from a
surprisingly restful sleep and felt he’d already taken some giant strides. Today, he would establish his church and
begin his ministry.
Philip had taken up residence in a
ramshackle house next to a rundown, mildewed hall with a leaking roof. As he sat up and combed his hair with his
fingers, Aquila came to him again.
“What do you need?” she asked.
Philip had worked out a list before
he’d slept.
Alex had found a room in the tenement
block. She, too, had slept well. The rain which had begun around two in the
morning had leaked thru around the window and the drapes had become wet but
she’d only woken for a few minutes, enough to drag her mattress to the other
side of the room.
She’d gotten herself a reputation
already – that of a miracle worker.
Alex had tried to tell them she’d had help but they had been too busy
eating and laying claim to the blankets, and smiling.
“Alex, are you awake?”
“Yeah. Come on in,” she called.
The door creaked open and a young
woman stood there. “In all the
excitement last night, I didn’t say thank you.
I’m Maria. Maria Escobar.”
“Oh .. Rafael’s girlfriend!”
“You know of me?” Maria frowned.
“I spoke with Rafael’s mother,” Alex
explained, pulling on her sweater.
Maria crept closer. “Are you Jenny?”
“No, I’m not. I don’t know who Jenny is, but I’m not her.”
“You’re not like the rest of us. You didn’t become trapped.”
“I did,” Alex corrected, “but I was investigating the
disappearances. I knew there was a town
here. I came to find everyone and,
somehow, free them.”
“So .. you are Jenny!”
“I’m Alex. C’mon, let’s get breakfast going. Do you help look after the children?”
Maria nodded. “It keeps my mind off Rafael. We had to choose. He told me he would go to that side of the street so I could be
kept pure. I worry about him,
Alex. What if he’s forgotten me? What if he’s found someone else? What if he’s become an evil man?”
Alex took Maria’s hand and felt
how cold it was. “Rafael’s mother told
me he loves you very much. I’m sure she
wasn’t lying. Love like that doesn’t
get eroded overnight, Maria. He’s
probably just as worried about you.
Now, let’s go fix breakfast and you can tell me how things work in this
town.”
“All right,” Maria smiled.
*****
Merlin was gazing out at the backyard
when Nick came down. He kissed her
cheek and put an arm around her shoulders.
“It has to work both ways,” she said
thoughtfully.
“What does?”
“This town is extremely fair. It has balance. It’s a war zone between good an’ evil. So .. if evil is working flat out to sway an’ tempt an’ corrupt
the good people … Some of ’em have to
give in. Some have to surrender to the
temptation an’ change sides. But it has
to work both ways because, otherwise, the balance is off. Evil would be weighted against good. Which means Philip has a good chance to do
some swaying an’ tempting of his own.”
“Be the equivalent of the Reverend
Hicks.”
“Precisely. It means the situation here is fluid.”
“That’s good to know. It means we can influence it.”
“Oh yeah.” She smiled. “Big time.”
“How?” Nick asked.
“After we gather some more facts, I
think the best way is to set up a challenge to the Reverend Hicks. Not establish a second church but just
out-evil the evil sonofabitch. An’
scare the bad people so evilly that they run screaming to Philip.”
“That’ll throw the balance off.”
“Yes, it will. But, this time, we don’t let it correct
itself. That should flush the
mastermind into the open.”
“Then we take him down, construct
collapses, everyone’s home in time for dinner.”
She shook her head. “Then we learn what we’re really up against.”
*****
Philip finished his breakfast and rose
to his feet. “Today, I have a challenge
for you. Every one of you, from the
smallest to the biggest.” He
paused. “Well, maybe not the babies.”
There was a ripple of laughter and it
was like a blessing. The mood on this
side of the street had grown lighter during the night and now it was starting
to hit new heights of optimism.
“There is a hall about a third of the
way along the street,” Philip went on.
“I’ve taken the house next to it.
I took a good look at the hall last night and I’ve decided to make it
our church. But it’s in a very run down
state of repair. Today, we’re going to
make it fit to be a house of God.
Together, we’ll clean it up, repair it, and then we’ll worship in
it. The other side has a church. A nice, big building. Warm, dry.
We’re just as deserving as they are.
I say what they have, we have
too .. only we’ll get it by our own efforts.”
“Father Callahan .. we don’t have the
supplies.”
“Oh yes, we do. Mops, buckets, paint, brushes, anything you
can think of, it’s all waiting for us.
God rewards action, my friends.
Let’s earn our rewards today .. and we’ll sing God’s praises as we earn
them.”
The cheer was deafening, and
definitely heard on the sunny side of the street.
Continue to Chapter
9 Return to Home