Chapter Thirteen: Falling Apart

 ~~/*\~~ Alvin ~~/*\~~

The FRA Protests had been put down hard, and as the Coalition made good on its vows to burn every ‘Holy’ site of every religion around the world, people were starting to realize that God wasn’t going to stop them. With their sacred places destroyed all around the world, everyone who still held a belief was forced to face a new reality.

The protests turned to riots for a while, before the Coalition deployed the military. With Stage Three underway, they had to sign or be treated as criminals anyway. Those that were willing to sign were rejected by the protesters. Those that didn’t sign were shot for rioting. Nobody was quite sure how many were killed, because the Coalition blacked out every scene before the cameras could upload their record of the events.

For a day or two, it felt like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the ‘fresh start’ for humanity to begin, as promised. The superstitious were waiting for something more terrible, as if God hadn’t noticed right away, but He would any day now.

~~/*\~~

“I wonder what it must have felt like in Bible Times.” Alvin commented to Paige. “When Israel was taken into slavery, and the Temple destroyed.”

“Which time?” Paige drawled.

Alvin chuckled a bit. “Yeah. They had the same worry, you know. With the Temple wrecked, where would they worship? How would God hear them? The whole point of Christianity is that worship was never again tied to a place, or a building. Jesus was our High Priest, and he could reconcile followers to his Father, no matter where they were, or how many.”

“Isn’t that the whole point of this period?” Paige asked absently. “To tear down everyone who didn’t get that? To eliminate all the people who did evil and signed God’s name to it, one way or another.”

“It is indeed.” Alvin sighed.

“You should see this.” Del called from the living room.

Everyone went in to see the news, and its latest report of the world situation. Gordon was still keeping his professional expression, but he’d been on the air long enough to look haggard. His tie was off, his collar stained; as he interviewed a man who looked shell-shocked.

~~/*\~~

“...understood how it was about to unfold.”

“People didn’t know how it was going to unfold, because the people who did know were being ignored, Gordon. By everyone. Including you. The banks and the major firms are doing exactly what they did during the Great Financial Crash. In fact, if memory serves, that was the last time you had me on this show. And I told you then that massive reforms were needed to get financial leaders in line, so that it couldn’t happen again. The Powers That Be did none of these things.”

“Even so, the collapse of large international banks has happened before. They know what to look for, and how to react to protect themselves.”

“Exactly. Protect themselves. The last time they protected themselves, they did it by putting a million people on the streets and giving their own directors massive bonuses.”

“... so what are they doing this time? Another bailout?”

“Nope. Just before coming on the air, I spoke with the Coalition’s International Monetary Fund, and they’ve apparently learned their lessons from the last Financial Crash. None of the governments are willing to just hand out money this time, because they were there and saw how it didn’t work last time.”

“Okay. Um… banking hours are starting for our viewers soon, so let’s cut to the chase. What’s the next step?”

“Well, the government and the banks have to figure something out, but neither side is willing to compromise to make a deal, and in a couple of weeks it won’t matter anymore.”

“...are… are you going to get in trouble for saying this?”

“My phone has been buzzing in my pocket for the last thirty seconds or so. I’m guessing I’m already fired, but it’s not like my final paycheck is worth spit.”

~~/*\~~

Over the next hour, the news lined up other experts who assured people that things weren’t as bad as they seemed. There was a scramble as the newscasters tried to cover the reactions to the disastrous interviews.

Alvin and the other Elders spent the time calling around on other brothers in the congregation, seeing who needed help, or needed lodging. The Witnesses had experienced times of economic hardship before; and had learned lessons of their own.

“The truth is, it makes little difference to us.” Alvin reported to his houseguests that afternoon. “We’ve never been encouraged to focus on financial gain. Those few brothers that did have stocks and bonds knew what would likely happen when the ‘Secure In Peace’ Campaign started. Those that didn’t take the warnings are… well, losing their shirts right now.” He gestured at Del. “In many regions, brothers have already had their assets seized. In this area, most of our savings went towards paying the huge price hikes for food and medicine.”

“I had to keep working right to the last possible moment because I was facing opposition at home.” Paige put in. “And I’m not the only one in the Congregation to have no support from relatives.”

“A problem that isn’t limited to individuals.” Alvin added. “Some of our people report that their landlords are suddenly demanding huge increases in rent, to make up for their losses after the market collapse. Plenty of our people are on the street now. Those that aren’t are taking them in as fast as they can.” Alvin gestured around. “I have one guestroom, and three guests.”

Paige raised her hand. “Um. I know there might be some questions about my living here with three single brothers…”

“We’re working to make everyone comfortable.” Alvin nodded. “But the truth is, the numbers aren’t lining up perfectly. We’re housing suburban refugees, not building dormitories. If you want, we could try and swap you around with-”

“No, I’m fine staying with you guys.” Paige assured them. “I just didn’t want there to be any…”

“We’re hardly the strangest combination of people in hiding right now.” Nate said flatly. “In the meantime, we can be thankful that we had so little left to lose when the world came tumbling down. My brother’s covered warzones and refugee crises. He says the number one rule of survival is: Don’t have anything you can’t walk away from at a moment’s notice.”

~~/*\~~

“Gordon, I’m standing just up the street from the largest banks in the region.” Karla reported. “You can see the crowd behind me trying to get inside.”

On the screen in the news van, Ryder followed both sides of the conversation. “Karla, there’s been a run already, at least online; which has reportedly crashed several banking websites.” Gordon reported. “But there is speculation that the sites have actually been shut down deliberately, to avoid more losses.”

Karla gestured at the crowd, filling the background of the shot. “It certainly feels that way here. Banking hours started almost an hour ago, and the doors have still not opened. The crowd was restless and scared already, and it’s turning into an impromptu protest.” She reported. “I’ve heard chants and slogans being called, and the early police presence has now joined the crowd. Their money’s in there too.” She gestured in the other direction. “Coalition Forces are setting up a perimeter, treating this like a regular protest; but nobody knows if the banking staff are even in their offices now… or what they could do if they came out and faced this crowd.”

In the news van, Ryder looked over at his laptop as a message came in. “Karla?” He said into his mic as she spoke. “We finally have the government’s statement about the supply crisis. I’m going to read it to you, and you repeat it when Gordon asks. Copy?”

On-Camera, Karla brushed her lapel a little, their signal that she was prepared.

A few moments later, with the riot squads taking position around the outer edge of the perimeter, the streets being closed to traffic, Gordon asked the question. “Karla, what’s the official response been this far?”

“Gordon, the government made a statement a few minutes ago, which says: “While we can appreciate the concerns that the public may have, we’re pleased at the calm and orderly way they’ve responded. Everyone can rest assured that their savings will be protected, as soon as-”

Crack! Crack! The sharp bark of gunfire interrupted her, and somewhere in the crowd there was screaming. Karla froze, looking back behind her.

Ryder tapped his earpiece urgently. “Karla, stay with me. We’re moving! I need you to throw it back to the studio!”

“Gordon, I’m going to have to stop there!” Karla said tightly. “I’m hearing gunfire, and seeing tear gas being used now. The mob is heading this way to escape it. We have to get clear.”

On the television monitor, the studio was returning to the Anchor Desk, who was improvising his way to the next segment. Ryder jumped out of the van and scooped up the tripod. “Let’s get out of here!”

Karla agreed, and the two of them hurried to flee. Ryder took the driver’s seat, and started moving them away from the riot. There was a sudden crack as something smashed against their windshield, and the two of them yelped, ducking automatically. The rioters were going berserk, ripping at anything that moved, as though having a vehicle meant they were to blame for everyone’s sudden poverty.

Ryder gunned the engine. “Stay down!” He barked at Karla. She did so, and he drove straight ahead, fast enough that the angry mob had to dive out of the way before getting run over. They heard howls of rage, and people beating on the walls of their van as they pushed through. He had to jump the curb to get out onto the road again, but they made it out.

As the echoes of more gunfire rang out behind them, Karla lifted her head, glanced around through the spider-web cracks in the windows, and burst out laughing.

Ryder did the same, relief making him giddy. He settled after driving a few blocks. Karla did not, laughing harder and harder. It was… unsettling, like she had just had a breakdown right in front of him.

“Karla?” He asked finally. “Still with me?”

“I did know.” Karla confessed, finally settling. “The reason I bit your head off when you asked about Johan...”

“He did tell you?” Ryder was stunned.

“He likes to… show off the things he knows, the company he keeps. He told me days ago. It was privileged information. I couldn’t report it, and he shouldn’t have shared it.” She rubbed her neck. “The big banks did the same thing they did during the Global Financial Crash. They pretended everything was fine until they had sold up, and then they shorted the companies they sold to.”

“Not really a surprise.” Ryder conceded. “Gordon even said so.”

“I knew on Monday that half the country would be broke by Friday. I cashed out everything. Got my money out of the banks that were going to fall… I had stock, and I sold according to privileged information before my station put it on the air. I’m a white collar criminal.” She rolled her head back. “I’m laughing like a crazy woman, because the Tax Office called me on Tuesday to set up an audit. But with the Markets and Banks closed… I got away with it.” She burst out laughing again. “Finally, an upside!”

~~/*\~~

Alvin came out of his room to his living area, where his extended household sat hunched around the television. “What’s the latest?”

“They closed Wall Street to all traffic.” Nate reported. “From what I’m seeing, the cliches are true. The millionaires are jumping out their windows. They don’t dare let anyone walk past the buildings for all the jumpers.”

Alvin nodded. “There’s been a freeze on wages and prices. That includes rentals. But that doesn’t stop landlords from kicking tenants out. Some people need the roof more than they need rent money they can’t spend.”

“It’s the end of the world.” Paige whispered.

Alvin almost smiled at her. “That surprises you?”

“I’ve spent my life counting every last coin.” Paige admitted ruefully. “When I became a Witness, I almost didn’t go for it, because I needed every weekend shift, every free evening, just to stay above water. When things got really tight I would sell a pint of blood here and there. Wasn’t sure Witnesses could do that.” She laughed, just a little hysterical. “And now the millionaires are in the same boat.”

Alvin already had his Bible out. “They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will become abhorrent to them. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them in the day of Jehovah’s fury.”

~~/*\~~

They watched the news as long as they could stand it, and then went over to the recorded meetings and talks from the website. It was certainly more encouraging. But they went back to the news. Staying uninformed as the world changed around them every hour, seemed… inappropriate.

Idly, Nate wondered if they were waiting for something miraculous to appear on screen.

The power went out for a few minutes, then came back, then went out for an hour, then came back. They slept in shifts, someone always keeping watch, but nobody knew what for.

“I’ve been thinking about Matthew 24. Wondering what else is left.” Nate admitted. “Nowhere in the Bible are we told to be afraid of what’s happening… And yet it’s the end of the world.”

“But not our world.” Alvin said quietly. “1 Peter 2 tells us to be ‘as temporary residents’ in this world. Because we were always living in earnest hope of another one.” He gestured at the TV. “We’re seeing an example of that now. If our people loved this world enough to cling to money or possessions, then they’ve lost everything they love already. Another few rounds, and everything else will be gone too.” He looked around. “I put it to you guys: What in this world would you weep for?”

“My mom was in and out of the truth for a while before my sister was born. Her new husband didn’t approve, and she couldn’t stick with it by the time I was about twelve.” Paige’s head tilted with a slight blush. “When I was little, I heard about a movie that was coming out ‘sometime next year’. I was scared I wouldn’t get a chance to see it, because I had to wait ten months? By then the end could have come.”

Everyone had a chuckle.

“When you’re little, a movie or a game can be the limit of ‘expectations’,” Alvin agreed. “When you’re an adult, you want bigger things. Promotion. Recognition. Wealth, Security… Revelation describes people wailing and sobbing when the wealth of Babylon the Great is destroyed. We got out of that part of the world as soon as we became Witnesses. The part that loved money? Also discouraged. The rest of the world… We can’t save it. Does anyone wish they could?”

“I wouldn’t wish to keep greed, or corruption, or income inequality, or starvation, or poverty…” Del put in. “But I would have liked to wait this out in my own congregation, with my wife and kid. No offense.”

“None taken.”

Nate considered his answer a bit. “When I started coming back to the meetings, my mom was asking me if I was just doing it to humor her. Maybe at first I was, given her health. But after a while I wasn’t. I’ve met people who held off on joining the truth for years because they didn’t think they could quit smoking, or because they liked weekly poker games… One or two who wouldn’t even consider it if it meant giving up their ‘single life’, or Christmas with the family…” He shrugged. “I have no idea what my life will look like next year.” He gave a nod to Paige. “Yeah, there are a few movies I was looking forward to seeing next year, and now I never will. A vacation I was saving towards, and now I wonder if half those tourist sites will still be there in a week… But no. I can’t think of a single thing I want from the world that could convince me to hold off on Paradise, even for a day.”

“Jannette can.” Paige murmured. “One of her RV’s was sixteen. Jannette held off on having children to put the ministry first; and the System lasted longer than she expected. I know she wants to be a mom more than anything else. I saw her when she studied with that kid. She would have adopted her if she could. And she was told not to go back.”

“People.” Alvin agreed. “People are the ones that you treasure most when it comes right down to it.” He sighed hard. “It makes me feel like a monster to say it, but we can’t save any of them, any more than we can save the money, or the images of false worship.”

Paige sank into herself. He was including her entire family in that statement.

“We never saved anyone.” Nate offered. “God saved people. We just delivered the invitation.” He paused. “Come to think of it, we could never save anything at all. It’s not like we could take our possessions with us. Whatever politician happened to seek power, he couldn’t hold onto it for long. Same with billionaires, olympians, and rock stars. The ones people remember still fall from fame, and for every one that gets famous, there are thousands that don’t. To say nothing of time swallowing up the rest.”

“I saw all the works that were done under the sun, and, look! everything was vanity and a striving after wind.” Alvin quoted. “Jesus once asked his apostles if they wanted to leave his ministry, and go follow other interests. Peter told him ‘Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life’.” He smiled a bit. “They knew what we know: Everything is temporary in the world. And where we’re going, most things still will be. When you live forever, are you going to rage at God because you’ll need new clothes, eventually?” He glanced at Paige. “What will last forever, sister?”

“Us.” Paige said promptly. “And all the others like us, going back to Genesis.”

“People.” Alvin summed up. “People are the ones that even God treasures the most. He could make anything last forever. But the only thing He’s taking from this whole messed up world? The People who are counting on Him. Compared to that, what’s a house to live in? Even for a little while?”

~~/*\~~

Though they were hundreds of miles apart, in totally different places, Ryder and Karla were having a similar conversation over the phone.

“With the national banking system shut down… and the international market likely to follow, if only temporarily, we’re all looking for accommodation.” Dion admitted. “A lot of us are staying at the office until this blows over. It’s the story of a lifetime, after all.”

“What about us?” Karla called. “They’ve closed most of the streets we used for our ‘on the scene’ reports. And come to that, if the financial network is closed, then we’ve probably lost this Airbnb too.”

“Yeah, we’ve been trying to find the guy who put that place up for rent. There’s no sign of him yet. Until one of us hears from him, sit tight.” Dion told them. “Look, the Government, the Coalition, the U.N., they all agree this is going to blow over. We’re routing all announcements to the newsroom for now. Stay when you are.”

“What about the remote spots?” Karla asked. “Who’ll be reporting?”

“Nobody. We’ll use social media images and footage for the ‘action’ shots, and we’ll have Gordon for announcement and commentary. We’ve got most of our people close enough that they can make it in. We’ll do shift work for the coverage. But for now, there’s no way to get you and the other field reporters back, so you’ll have to wait it out.” They could hear more phones ringing in the background of the call. “I have to go.”

He disconnected without another word.

Karla shivered. “When I was in college, taking Journalism 101? There was an old joke that if the world was about to be hit by a meteorite, a good journalist would only want to know where they should put the camera. When I finally got onto a serious news team; I realized how often the end of the world was at hand. There have been a hundred stories about possible economic collapse, planned terror attacks, potential pandemics, politicians declaring themselves all-powerful… Every day there’s a new way the world could end.”

“Sooner or later, you stop hearing it.” Ryder admitted. “I wonder if we’d even recogn-”

BAM! The front door suddenly blew back on its hinges, and a man came in with a shotgun. He had a desperate, adrenaline soaked look in his eye, and a backpack over his shoulder. “Freeze! Nobody move!”

Karla and Ryder scampered back against the opposite wall, hands going up automatically.

The gunman’s gaze swung around crazily, like he couldn’t believe he’d made it this far, and had no idea what he was looking at. “Medicine!” He shouted at them. “I need-I need… I need insulin, and food; and…” He scanned around. “Medicine cabinet?”

“In the bathroom.” Ryder said, as gently as he could with his heart racing. “But we don’t know what’s in it. It’s an Airbnb. We’ve been here for a day.”

Their burglar scowled, not liking that.

“Insulin would be in the fridge, right?” Ryder offered.

The man nodded frantically. “Right. Kitchen. Both of you. Keep your hands where I can see them!”

He pointed them into the kitchen, not even blinking all the way there. When he saw the refrigerator, he waved them both away, and yanked the door open. There wasn’t much there. A loaf of bread. A few cans of soda, heavy on caffeine; and a jar of honey. The gunman slung his backpack off and started packing it all. “No insulin?” He sounded wretched.

“No.” Karla promised, shrinking back from the gun. And then, from her pocket, her phone rang; sending a thrill of horror through everyone. The gun swung around quickly, following the sound. Karla bent double, hands out, trying to ward off a blast. “Please! Don’t shoot!”

“Take it out. Slow!”

Karla did so, with shaking hands, and checked the screen. “It’s my mom.”

The phone kept ringing. The gunman looked unsure. He hadn’t expected this. “Give it to me!”

Karla did so. “But… Please, it’s not worth anything to you- You came for medicine!”

“I’m sorry!” The gunman said desperately as he stuffed everything in his backpack and started backing out; one hand outstretched as if to make peace, the other gripping the gun tightly. “I’m so sorry. I need this more than you!”

And he was gone, leaving the two of them shaking, breathing hard.

“Did that really just happen?” Ryder breathed.

“I… I gotta call my mom back?” Karla said. It came out as a question, but it was clear she didn’t have any idea what to do next, a little stunned by the experience. “I’ve never been burgled before. Mugged once. Caught in a mob, sure. But never…” She looked around. “Who’s house is this, anyway? We didn’t book it. The network did…”

Ryder suddenly got back to work in his head. Hearing her confusion snapped him into focus. When she was blindsided on the air, it was his voice in her ear that kept her on topic. “Okay. Lock your phone out, before he decides to do anything with your bank details. Then call your mom back.” He handed her his phone. “You can use mine.”

She took it, and her breathing slowed. “Right.” She nodded, and then looked up at him. “My bank details? Who cares about that? My bank’s closed.”

Ryder shook his head, as if to clear it. “Right. Force of habit.”

~~/*\~~

When they reported events, Dion shivered hard enough to be heard over the phone. “It’s absolute bedlam. Everyone’s hoarding; even the supermarkets. Even here in the building. Do you remember, Karla did an interview with a team of Preppers that decided to wait it out in their bunker? Came in over the wires half an hour ago; they’re all dead.”

“You’re kidding? What happened?”

“They had tonnes of canned food, fifteen people, and fifty guns. They all turned on each other in less than a week.” Dion scoffed. “Same thing’s happening with the billionaires. They’ve been building their Five-Star survival bunkers for years. I did a story on it once. One of them bought out a government fallout shelter, another hollowed out a mountain, and started filling it with luxury. One or two of them even started recruiting harem girls, personal staff, and security teams.”

“Rich people.” Ryder scoffed.

“Same problem. Once the rules got thrown away, their ‘protection’ turned on them.” Dion reported. “My thing is this: If everything worked out, what’s their goal? To live out their lives, and be entombed in a bunker filled with empty food wrappers?”

“I don’t know. But I’m starting to think this might be it.” Ryder admitted. “For over a decade, I’ve been producing interviews with scientists, economists, activists… they all say the same thing, over and over: The System couldn’t last, unless we changed everything about it. And every year, the estimates got worse. If this is it, then it’s every man for himself.” He suddenly thought of his brother. “Well. Maybe not every man.”

~~/*\~~ Satau ~~/*\~~

The storms of burning hail moved like regular storms did. They moved from one place to another, the intensity varying. Over the course of days, there were few places in Egypt that were left untouched. Almost every rooftop had damage as people huddled within. Every street was cracked and layered with slushy ash as the hail burned, then went out. The grasses along the delta were all burned up, the trees along the Nile were stripped to nothing.

And still the storms continued.

As the number of wrecked homes continued to grow, people feared the next wave of the storm and fled to the Temples. The only buildings with stone and marble construction, they were the only places of refuge that weren’t smashed apart eventually. The noise of the hail pounding on rooftops echoed through the whole land. Anyone left outside scampered, but didn’t make it far, broken under the onslaught.

~~/*\~~

Satau was required to stand with his father, as well as a much larger delegation from the Priesthood. They weren’t the only group bringing more people to the regular meetings. Satau tried not to think about the obvious reason. If Pharaoh didn’t like what he heard, he would have lashed out, and having more people with you meant your odds of survival increased.

Pharaoh’s Royal Court was being briefed on the storm. It never really stopped; it just moved around the map unceasingly. General Aadesh had been put in charge of damage control for the ‘duration of the storm’, so he was the one briefing the King.

“We’ve got scouts out in every district.” Aadesh reported. “Each of them has horns for long-range signals. When they see hail coming towards their position, they are under orders to signal as loudly as they can and seek shelter. Flags and beacons have been placed on the watchtowers, and by using them as relays, we have approximated an idea of where the stormfront is at any given time. It’s not random. It doesn’t blow with the wind. It’s moving in an unbroken pattern around all of Egypt.”

(Author’s Note: The Bible is silent on how long the storm lasted, or how it may have behaved. For my own story, the worst of the hail was not a constant, but a moving stormfront that operated within Egypt. The reason for this is because the Bible says that Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron back. If the hail was deadly and Egypt-Wide, it would have made getting reports, or sending a messenger that much more unlikely. Having an intelligence behind the movement of the storm is a message in itself, but that part is my own invention.)

His report set off a murmur from the Court. Having nature be so predictable was normal with the Nile, but not with a hailstorm. Something that few in Egypt had ever seen before.

“The pattern is predictable enough that by signaling ahead, we’re able to keep the majority of people alive. Anyone caught out in the hail… their bones are shattered by the impacts. The bodies are scorched before a healer can get to them. To date, nobody has survived more than a few hits.” Aadesh reported.

“The fatalities are, thankfully, a minority.” Jannes put in. “The Temples are stone construction. They’re taking damage, but they can stand up to the stormfront. Our people are using them as shelters. I’ve had to wrangle a few guards that have, by tradition, refused entry to the Shrines when we needed the room. People are crammed in there for hours at a time, but the hail moves on.”

“Good. We can outlast it.” Pharaoh nodded agreeably.

Faas piped up. “Respectfully, my lord, the real losses are in the things we can’t evacuate. We were about to start the Flax and Barley harvest. This stormfront has been making its way methodically around Egypt since it started. The fields are not being spared. Our crop for the year is being wiped out. Remember, the hail burns after it lands.”

Pharaoh’s face changed, going back to that distant, angry frustration.

“And livestock. After the earlier Plague, I dread to think how many more were lost.” Nem-ur commented. Seated just in front of his father’s right hand, he didn’t see the gathering explosion on his father’s face.

General Aadesh spoke again. “Actually, Prince Nem-ur...” He said awkwardly. “The losses among the livestock have been remarkably minimal.”

Nem-ur was pleased. “Your people are to be commended for the speed of the warning going ahead of the stormfront.”

“That was how we protected livestock and herds once the storm began, but the storm began before we had those relays set up. The hail happened to fall in grazing land where the livestock was… already under cover.”

Pharaoh set his jaw. “Goshen.”

“Goshen, and… other areas that had chosen to follow their example.”

“WHAT!?” Pharaoh erupted, jumping to his feet. “Our People have been following Moses’ warnings?!” He sent a look around the Court. “How did they even find out? We haven’t been announcing it.”

“Some of the Hebrews have.” Bakennifi told him. “Most people ignore their warnings, and they never talk for long before someone tries to run them through, but those that had herds knew what Moses had warned.”

“We can’t have that trend continue.” The Pharaoh said darkly. “After all, who is in charge of Egypt? Me, or Moses?!”

“I agree, sir. I just don’t see an alternative.” The General nodded. “We don’t know how many are listening to Moses, or how long it’s been going on, but… My Lord, if we punished them for it, it would just raise the casualties among our people.”

Pharaoh looked to Jambres, who couldn’t meet his gaze. “I’ve heard that some of the public are rejecting the regular tithes to the Temples, for reasons that aren’t economic. I’ve heard that some of the families with Domestic Slaves are asking about Jehovah…” He sighed hard. “My lord… We don’t have an alternative to offer them.”

Pharaoh was silent. Nobody could tell what he was thinking. At that moment, there was a growing roar from outside, the hail and ice coming against the Palace again. It wasn’t the first time. The hammering of hail was enough to drown out conversation, fill every thought. The room was filled to the corners with the sound of it.

Pharaoh slumped, silent for a long time. He spoke, then shouted over the storm. “Tell Moses I’m…” He slumped further. “Tell him we have to put a stop to this.”

Everyone nodded, and turned to Satau. He blanched when he realized everyone was looking at him, including Jambres and Jannes. It was understood that Satau knew where to find Takarut, who would know where to find Moses.

But that means I have to ride to Goshen. He thought in horror. Will I survive the trip?

~~/*\~~

He made it as far as the stables, finding himself a horse. The animals hadn’t gone outside since the Plague started. They were scared by the storm, to say nothing of the fire left behind, and horses were too smart to go out in the hail, no matter what their riders demanded.

Outside the Palace, the hail was hammering down again, flames licking around everything that hadn’t been burned up already.

“Alright. The hail doesn’t stop, it just moves around the map.” Khnem shouted over the storm, trying to prepare his brother for the mission. “When it eases, you kick that horse hard and charge down the main street. Nobody will be there.” A particularly large chunk of ice bounced into the stables, skidding across the floor. “Nobody alive, anyway.”

The horse whinnied in worry as Satau put the bit between his teeth. Satau took a deep breath, feeling about the same. Jehovah God, I’ve never spoken to you before, but if Pharaoh is about to free your people, then this ride might be worth sparing my life, surely?

“Look!” His brother suddenly shouted, and Satau turned.

Moses and Aaron were coming up the middle of the street, in no particular hurry. The relentless hail didn’t come near them, and they didn’t even look up at the weather. They were the only thing moving in the street. Just the hail, and these two old men. Untouched, unhurried, immune.

“I guess you don’t have to go find them.” Khnem said numbly.

~/*\~~/*\~~/*\~

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