Chapter Five
~/*\~ Gail ~/*\~
In the weeks that followed, both Gail and Cherry were busy. Gail spent most of her time with the Coalition now. Half her job seemed to be collecting information about local problems that needed to be fixed. The other half of her job was spreading the word about successes.
The mania that gripped the people as they watched a greedy landlord be taken apart was apparently spreading around the world. Lynch mobs had formed, and nobody was stopping them. Property was being seized, if not outright stolen. With the new laws to support them, it seemed nobody was exactly safe; as nobody was really certain what was a ‘sanctioned action’, and what else was just a vengeful mob.
The news reported nothing but successes. Criminal empires toppled, untouchable corporations suddenly brought down as all the old rules no longer protected them.
Gail loved every second of it. Yes, it was out of control, but ‘control’ had brought the world to the brink of ruin.
“I’ve never really appreciated just how… tightly woven the threads of civilization are.” She said one afternoon to Roderick as she made her report on the latest mission. “When one person gets slapped down, it affects so many others, in ways that nobody realizes. I have spent my life wishing that someone would do something. It never occurred to me that someone could be me.”
“And why not?” Roderick challenged her with a smile. “Who are you not to be important? Who are you not to matter to the world?”
~/*\~
“I was listening to you talk that night, talking about how this was ‘good news’, and suddenly I was less sure.” Cherry admitted to Felipe. She had brought drinks to the Cart, with the Diner closed. She had played it off as a friendly gesture, but really, she wanted to talk about the special meeting; so she had timed her arrival with coffee to the moment Felipe was packing up to leave for the afternoon.
“It’s funny, but for some reason, I can picture the end of the world more easily than I can picture a miraculous paradise. At least, one with me in it.”
“Funny you should say that.” Felipe said elaborately. “We just got an update to the Bible. “Psalm 86:5 now says: ‘For you, O Jehovah, are good and ready to forgive; You abound in loyal love for all those who call on you… except for one girl in the 21st Century called Cherry, who is exempt from Your forgiveness.”
Despite herself, Cherry snorted.
“Why should you be left out of scripture? Who are you, that you are the exception?” Felipe said with just a touch of melodrama.
Cherry laughed, getting the point. “Okay, fair enough; I surrender.” They sipped their drinks for a few minutes, letting the thought settle. “I’m sorry that I bought cocoa and not coffee. That dark gold is way too expensive nowadays.”
“I know what you mean. We’re all feeling it.” Felipe nodded, taking the mug gratefully. “With the Diner closed, we scatter somewhat. Nobody wants to ‘call it a day’, but the door to door is getting dangerous. Standing around out in public is worse.”
“You aren’t the only ones feeling that.” She admitted. “Every time someone on TV says that the world is ‘finally fixed’, I feel like telling them that I’ve spoken to a dozen people who have lost their jobs because of the Coalition.” She sighed. “Including me.”
Felipe nodded sympathetically. “This isn’t even the ‘end’. This is the ‘Preamble’.”
“So you’ve stopped with the ‘we don’t know for certain yet’ thing?” Cherry pushed gently.
“Well. Let’s say I’m ready to.” Felipe admitted. “When you're an Elder, you have to be very careful about putting your own opinions forward, rather than what the Bible, or the Organization says. So I can’t say for certain, but…”
“But.” Cherry agreed grimly.
“We don’t know how long this ‘Peace and Security’ part will last, or how long Tribulation will take afterwards. We do know it’s going to be worse than anything else that has ever happened before. So yeah, we’re feeling the nerves. The unknown does that. That’s just how the human mind works. But the point of what comes next isn’t to make it hard for us. It’s Judgement. Jesus taking command of the Earth starts with stopping the lies that people tell about God. And believe me, there’s a lot to stop.”
“You keep saying ‘us’.” Cherry pointed out. “I haven’t come back.”
“No, but it’s pretty clear you’re looking for proof. When you get it, what are you going to do then?” Felipe challenged. “How much longer can you try to have it both ways?”
He was talking about it like it was a certainty. And Cherry had to admit, when she was talking to him, it felt that way. “Why is it so much easier to talk about this with an Elder I just met, than with my own father?”
Felipe smiled a bit, sipping his drink. “Conversations with family have their own layers. Family is like that. When you and I talk, it’s just one conversation.”
“Can’t argue with that.” She admitted. “Every time I talk to my father about the future, it inevitably turns into a whole trial about my past, too.”
“Don’t judge him too harshly, sister.” Felipe said with a smile. “For a long time, we thought that this period we’re living in right now was the last chance for people to get salvation.”
“That’s how it was when I was still coming to meetings.” She agreed.
“New understandings have ‘upped the ante’. What comes next will be the biggest, hardest trial that our people have ever gone through. But we’ll have more evidence of it being the Truth than ever before.” Felipe inclined his head towards her. “Your situation isn’t unique. Almost every family has that one person that ‘drifted away’. It was a source of great fear for those who still believed wholeheartedly in what was coming.”
“And now?” Cherry asked, mostly to hear his reasoning.
“Some are coming back already, seeing the ‘Peace and Security’ for what it is. Others, like you, are waiting to ‘be sure’.” He sipped his drink again, to let that sink in. “And nobody’s going to shame you if you wait for what’s next to decide. But James 2:17 said that ‘faith without works, is dead.’. Faith is like a muscle you exercise. It’s easier to stick with the longer you do it. When the trial begins, are you going to be ready?”
“You’re never ready. Not really. My doctor could tell me that I have a terminal disease, and I’d have to ‘be ready’ for that, too.” She waved that off. “Does it really count, though? I mean, my father always quoted a line from the Bible about ‘walking by faith and not by sight’. If I come back because I’m worried about being wiped out, is that the same as ‘belief’?”
“Why not?” Felipe countered. “Kings of Babylon recognized Jehovah when they saw examples of miraculous protection. Joseph went from a Prisoner to a Prime Minister, when Pharoah saw his ability to interpret signs. Neither of those people became followers of Jehovah.” He sipped his drink. “The reverse is also true: Jesus' enemies saw him raise the dead with a word, and still demanded he be executed. His tomb was empty three days later, and they made up a cover story. At what point would proof of the supernatural be enough for them?”
“I guess that makes sense.” Cherry nodded. “It’s just… hard to convince people the world is getting close to the end, when the world is constantly declaring victory. It feels like saying anything else is an act of treason these days.”
“Convince people? Or convince your roommate?” Felipe countered. “Who else are you trying to save, at this point? Because it won’t get any easier with what comes next.”
~/*\~
Gail started to notice when they moved on to institutional crimes. They brought down the corrupt, and then a day later she’d find others in the Coalition driving the seized vehicles, or wearing a gold watch that belonged to the newly-arrested prisoners.
Arresting the wealthy and the powerful meant tracking them down. It took a few hours' drive to return from their latest mission, and Gail shared her concerns that some of their people were ‘skimming’ from the seized property.
“The Coalition was given fewer rules, and less oversight than most law enforcement.” Roderick excused. “They had to, in order to work in any jurisdiction on the planet. It was the only way a UN Authority has any teeth.”
“So there’s no actual law against our soldiers just walking in and taking what they want?” Gail challenged. “There’s a difference between ‘legal’ and ‘wrong’.”
Roderick wasn’t concerned. “Last night, we arrested one of the wealthiest men in the world, for crimes so blatant and widespread that nobody ever even tried to call him out on it before. Our people ‘helping themselves’ to things they see during his perp-walk? That’s small time. None of our people can ever ‘seize’ enough to starve a whole country. Something that our new prisoner can’t say.”
“Even so, it doesn’t seem… good.”
“We’ll get to it.” Roderick said simply. “We’re a brand new army; with a mission to save the world from itself. And we’ll succeed. And then we’ll clean our house. But our priority is to fix the world. Big fish first.”
Gail nodded, seeing the logic of that. “We’ve taken on the biggest criminals. Other offices have taken down the biggest polluters. Other nations are taking on organized crime, even nuclear proliferation. What’s next?”
“We have people who are calculating that.” Roderick assured her. “Historians. Sociologists. Economists. We’re looking through the history books and finding the common causes of war, hostility, inequality… They’ll give our commanders a list of what to focus on.”
~/*\~ Iyara ~/*\~
The journey was slow. She’d been running errands for Rahab during the day, and her feet were already sore from the stairs. Making a journey between towns in the middle of the night when afraid of being hunted, without so much as a torch to light the way was harrowing. She would have laid down in the long grass and slept, if not afraid that a single snore would get her caught.
Iyara had no idea how long she had been walking, but when she arrived back at the edge of Adam; the dawn was breaking. She was tired enough to fall down, once she recognized the streets. Someone would surely carry her the rest of the way to her parents’ front doorstep.
Amazingly, Sasah found her first. “Iyara?” Her mother was surprised. “Did… did you just walk into town?” Her face turned to stone. “Did Rahab turn you out in the middle of the night and tell you to walk back alone?”
Iyara moaned, and forced herself to answer. “Things are happening in Jericho; and it’s only a little bit my fault, I swear.”
~/*\~
Iyara got to sleep for a whole twenty minutes. Then the door flew open loud enough to wake her back up with a groan. Sasah had gone to the Jordan River and brought back their father and brother. Iyara told them the whole story again.
Arjun took it gravely. “So, it seems the Wilderness Ones are going to invade after all, and their first stop is my daughter?”
“If that’s who they were.” Sasah countered. “It could easily be a misunderstanding. The whole nation is paranoid about the threat of invasion. Anyone from a foreign land is suspect when paranoia is a motive.”
Arjun scoffed. “I need to send her a message by courier. We’ll find out the situation now, and see if there’s anything she needs.”
“Word it carefully. If she’s in trouble, then someone in authority will be reading her mail.” Sasah counselled. “I’ll find a courier. One with a swift horse.”
~/*\~ Gail ~/*\~
Roderick called the entire Division back to headquarters for the announcement. He seemed energized by something. Gail didn’t know what, and by the looks of things, neither did anyone else. They’d been called in early. Whatever it was, it was something that couldn’t wait.
Roderick had them all assembled outside, so all of them could be in the one place. There was a projection screen set up. It was normally used for the rotation schedule, but this morning the screen was showing the Coalition Logo.
The Banner? Gail thought. There’s an announcement incoming?
~/*\~
Cherry rolled out of bed, eyes glued shut from sleep. She started inching her way towards the kitchenette, missing the smell of coffee. They hadn’t been able to afford any for weeks.
Gail had left her tablet. The Coalition had issued her an official one, which was a lot nicer and newer. Gail’s ‘civilian’ device was an impromptu television for them now, streaming one channel or another.
Cherry set it to the morning news, and carried it with her as she started boiling water. Tea would have to do.
The news was showing the Coalition Logo, with the talking heads providing commentary. They had nothing to add, and were just filling the minutes.
Another litany of achievements, I’m sure. Cherry thought, yawning. The thought would have made her smile, if she’d been more awake. You’re not getting jaded about this already, are you?
~/*\~
The announcement began, as they usually did, with a list of victories that the Coalition had won, and acts of generosity that they were setting up in depressed areas. It's all good news. Gail thought, curious. But why are we all assembled for this? They make these announcements every other day.
“But we are not satisfied. Indeed, the job is still far from done.” The Announcement continued. “Coalition Researchers have made a special effort to determine the most destabilizing forces; and the greatest threats to our continued existence. The Systems that have built the greatest threats require the global cooperation of the Coalition Nations. This work is vital, and difficult. It has the task of undoing what mankind has spent centuries putting into place. The Coalition is aware of the difficulty in making these changes; but to keep the future safe; the changes are needed.”
And so far, everyone is cheering us on. Gail reflected. The only people who are sorry to see the ‘old world’ go, are the one in a thousand people who stood to lose the most. Millions of people like me? They’re thrilled.
“History has lessons, and as the most committed force of peace and justice ever assembled; the Coalition is fearless in the face of change. One of the greatest forces of division and hate in human history is that of Mainstream Religion. Nobody can deny that Religion has been a driving force behind war and politics and intolerance across the whole timespan of human history.”
Gail felt the familiar thrill of adrenaline starting to build in her again. The others in the room were murmuring with agreement, wondering where this was leading.
“Religion has clothed their evil policies in good deeds for so long; and the leadership of the Coalition will not deny that acts of faith have done good for people at an individual, personal level. At the state and global level, however; it remains a force of division. Divisions that the human race can no longer afford. As long as there is the potential to cause devastation in the future, the Coalition’s work is not complete. And we can no longer deny that we have the responsibility to take action.”
~/*\~
Cherry turned around so fast she spilled the hot water over herself. Hissing in pain, she rushed to put all the mess aside, and give all her attention to the screen beside her on the counter.
The announcement paused for effect. “It’s time for individual, personal faith, to be the only kind. With that in mind, the United Nations has directed the Coalition to cary out the ‘Final Revelation Act’. A bill of laws that requires the elimination of all public religious affiliations. The Coalition seeks no authority over your hearts and minds; only the harmful impact you can cause others.” The announcement came. “‘Faith is a personal choice, but when that choice becomes public, it causes only division and instability’.”
~/*\~
Gail wasn’t sure how such a loaded announcement would be received. Almost before the words were out, the whole place erupted into a roar of approval that drowned out the rest of the announcement.
Surrounded by her fellow members of the Coalition, Gail was cheering louder than anyone, almost without thought. Her conversations with Cherry weren’t even a memory at that point, caught up in the explosive energy of the room. Everyone was cheering and applauding.
As the announcement ended, and the Coalition colors were left on display, Roderick stepped up in front of everyone with a microphone, adding his voice to the announcement. “We’ll have to move fast!” He declared. “This is to be a phased rollout, Stage One begins today. If anyone out there in the world has questions for you, direct them to the website. We aren’t keeping any secrets about what’s happening. No confidential measures, no exceptions. Religion is the last real division left that has any hatred in it. Once it’s gone, the world will be more united than it’s ever been!”
The crowd cheered again.
“In this city alone, there are dozens of Churches. So let's get started. Stage One begins today. Crews, report to your department heads. Dismissed!”
With military precision, the Coalition got to work. Gail checked her device. Her first stop was a small church in the suburbs. ‘Stage One’ of the FRA meant the icons had to go. Her instructions were given, along with the orders.
~/*\~
Cherry watched the television with a kind of jaded awe, as the announcement ended, and the newscasters reappeared, talking about the announcement, and the implications, reading out the details they’d been sent.
Cherry felt like she’d been hit with a stun gun. Her spine was tingling with it. She felt like her hair was standing on end; as her breath started to speed up, trying to catch her sudden heart rate. This is it. This is it. Am I having a heart attack? Why can’t I breathe? This is it. This is it. This is actually it.
Her phone started ringing, and her first instinct was to throw it across the room. Who’s calling? Am I about to be arrested? Why? I haven’t rejoined the… ohno! I haven’t actually rejoined! I’m about to be smote, aren’t I?!
It was her father’s number on the screen.
Trying to breathe, she answered it with shaking hands. “D-Dad? It’s too late. This is it, and it’s too late, and I never decided, and now this is it, and I don’t-”
“Cherry?” Her father tried to interrupt her. “Cherry, it’s okay. Just listen-”
She wasn’t hearing him. Her teeth were chattering hard. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I can’t breathe! I can- can’t (Gasp) I have to (Wheeze)-”
Whatever Eldon had called to say, he wasn’t getting there now. “Cherry? Just breathe, sweetheart. I’m on my way over!”
~/*\~
Gail grinned lightly as the cross fell hard to the ground in front of her. From the roof, her fellow soldiers waved in success. They started climbing down from the steeple slowly. At the front door, the rest of the team were carrying other relics out. Statues of Saints. Crucifixes from the altar, and a few paintings.
“Do the paintings count?” Gail asked Roderick. “I mean, artworks aren’t exactly ‘objects of worship’.”
“Hard to tell.” Roderick admitted. “But we’ve seized wealth from every other illegal organization. The extra funding can only help. Besides, the organization itself will be closed soon enough. It either comes to us, or to someone else.”
“Well, that makes sense I suppose.” Gail nodded. “You superstitious?”
“No.” Roderick said coolly. “Couldn’t very well be ransacking a church if I was.” He smirked. “That’s the point, isn’t it? These organizations have preyed on superstition for literal millenia. They’ve encouraged it. They’ve standardized their superstitions globally for money.”
“And it worked, too. Because even now, I’m half expecting to be struck by lightning.” Gail admitted.
“Just wait until we start burning stuff, instead of confiscating it.” Roderick told her lightly. “But in the meantime, if you ever have doubts? Just look at that.” He gestured at the crowd who were gathered to watch. They were all applauding, glad to see it happening. A few looked shell-shocked, but the majority were jubilant.
~/*\~
It had taken several minutes for her to get herself under control. She was nearly in the foetal position on the couch when the door swung open without a knock, and her father came into the apartment quickly. “Sweetheart?”
I thought I left that door locked. Gail never leaves it unlocked either… “I’m okay.” She called back, listless. She felt exhausted; like the emotion had ripped through her and left nothing behind. “I’m okay, dad. Really.”
He sat down gently beside her, not reaching, as she coiled in tightly on herself. “What happened?”
“I found that ‘proof’ I’ve been needing all this time.” Cherry told him. “And now I feel like an idiot. Because this means it’s real. And that means it was always real. It means that every time I said ‘no’, I was just making it worse.”
“But you believe it now.” Her father said, tears forming in his eyes. “Faith is knowing something in your heart. Understanding is knowing something in your head. You need both, if you want to consider yourself a believer. You’ve had the knowledge for your whole life. Having it land in your heart all at once is quite a turnaround.”
“Is it?” Cherry said automatically. “Because I remember all those stories about how people laughed at Noah, until the rain started falling, and by then the Ark was shut tight. If I was God, I wouldn’t let myself in now.”
“My turn to confess something: Felipe told me he’s been talking to you.” Eldon agreed. “He felt that talking to him had less… baggage than talking to me. But I know you heard that talk about how Jesus never demanded faith before miracles and healing. Whole nations of people still decided to turn away from a man who could raise the dead. Today’s headline is nothing in comparison to that. You see what’s happening, and you’re responding to it as a Believer.”
“I don’t know if I can.” Cherry admitted. Seeing his face change, she hurried to explain. “How can I just say: ‘Okay, I was wrong. Would you kindly give me eternal life now?’ How can I pretend I deserve it as much as anyone else?” She shook her head. “Pride was what kept me from coming back. I didn’t want to face you and say I was wrong all this time. It would be even worse to expect God to pretend I haven’t been ignoring him all these years.”
“None of us deserve it, kid. You know this. You haven’t been gone that long.” Her father counselled. “But if you really believe this is the Truth now, and you still decide not to do anything about it? Then that’s being prideful; because you’re telling God it’s not up to Him.” He took a shaky breath. “Nobody wants you to live forever in Paradise more than God. Not even me. Speaking as your father, that’s a big admission.”
Cherry took that in and started to cry a little. “I’m sorry, dad. I’m really sorry.”
“So am I.” Her father said immediately. “We’ve had this conversation a dozen times over the years, and when I knew it was getting this close, I found myself reliving them, seeing all the moments I should have kept my mouth shut, instead of pushing. I started as many fights about this as you did.”
Hearing him say what she’d been thinking all these years made the tears come faster. Eldon slid over and put his arm around her. She burrowed into it, like she did as a baby. “I told Gail that if this order came in, then that would be the proof that neither of us could refute. She actually agreed.” She looked up at her father. “She’s my friend, dad. If it’s not too late for me, then what about her?”
“I’m less concerned with her than with you right now.” He said honestly. “We’re entering the most dangerous part of human history. What do you plan to do next?”
Only one thing to do. Cherry said to herself. She started to say it to herself, and then remembered her father was there and spoke aloud. “Jehovah God…” She said, just loud enough to be heard by both of them. “I’ve prayed before, but mostly from my head. The Bible said to ‘pour out my heart’. I admit, I haven’t done that since I was little. But I know what the news means, for the world. What it means for me is up to you. But if You’ll have me, I promise to never ignore You again. This is really happening. And that means it’s really You who’s making it happen. And I want to be on Your side, and live in Your world. I’m sorry for the bad I’ve done, and I’m grateful for the good I’ve experienced. I ask you now for forgiveness, and for Your protection. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
“Amen.” Her father repeated, and hugged her tightly. “Thank God. Thank you, Jehovah God.”
She hugged him back, just as tight. “What happens now?”
~/*\~ Iyara ~/*\~
It had been days since Iyara had fled Jericho. Arjun had sent word, but Rahab hadn’t responded yet. The silence had them all concerned, but until they got an answer, nobody was sure of the next move.
“What if she’s in trouble with the King of Jericho?” Sasah demanded. “What if she needs our help?”
“If it’s anything like that, then Rahab can handle it.” Bodhir said seriously.
“He’s right about that.” Iyara agreed. “I never saw her ‘at work’ before, mother. Rahab’s smarter than all of us put together, and she can look after herself.”
Sasah grew a little taller, angered by that. “Oh really. She’s that smart?” She scorned. “Well, I’m glad to hear it. In the meantime, we have the rest of the family to take care of. The Priest has called for all servants of Baal to-”
She was cut off by a clatter of hooves rushing towards their door. The sudden sound made everyone in the house freeze, the topic of conversation making them all afraid of shadows for a moment.
There was a knock at the door. Sasah was paralyzed. “What do I do?” She whispered.
“Answer the door?” Arjun said simply.
Sasah nearly slapped her forehead at her own fear, and went to the door. “Can I help you?”
“Ma’am, I’m a courier from Jericho. I have a message for Iyara. Is she here?”
Iyara made her face deliberately calm, and she went to the door.
Arjun followed her, taking in the Courier as Iyara collected the message. “Son, you look like you’ve been through a hard night.”
“I was paid extra to make this delivery as swiftly as possible, sir.” The courier nodded.
“Sasah, bring the man some food and drink immediately. Bodhir, see to his horse.” The household patriarch commanded. “He’s been working hard to see this message to us; and we may yet need him to deliver a response. Let’s show him some hospitality.”
Everyone got to work quickly, and Iyara unrolled the message. Arjun touched her arm gently, leading her outside, where they couldn’t be overheard. Iyara followed, and read the message quickly. “She’s safe.” Iyara reported. “She was able to sort the problem out herself… She says she wants us all to pack quickly, and come to Jericho.” She looked up at her father in disbelief as he took the message from her and read it again. “I wanna cry. My feet just recovered from the race here, and now she’s calling me back.”
“Not you. The whole family.” Arjun read it carefully. “What could she be thinking?”
“Rahab has her life set up pretty well. She isn’t calling all her relatives together because she wants help.” Iyara reasoned. “Father, when she figured out who the two foreign men were, her first thought was to get me someplace safe. If she’s calling us back, she must think that’s the safer place.”
Her father winced, glancing in the direction of the Jordan, so close to their town. “If the two men were spies for the Invaders; there’s only one reason why she’d think that.”
~/*\~
Iyara had been expecting the family to hurry. Instead, father had told the family to make preparations, and to see what others in the City of Adam were doing.
Iyara had never been instructed to do that. The City’s mood was fairly stable. Like everything else, it changed with the times. Seasons kept people in and out. Harvest times and planting seasons were always the busiest. The Temples were usually busy during the planting season, making offerings for a good harvest. That was usually good for a party or two when the work was done…
But now that she was looking, she could see it. The mood in Adam was off. Everywhere she went, people were speaking in hushed tones, looking to the horizon every few seconds, watching for something. People were carrying their money much closer, or walking with their goods faster, as though afraid of being robbed. A problem that nobody had really concerned themselves with in the marketplace, at least not to an unusual degree.
There’s fear in the Market. Iyara decided, and hurried home. Scared people are unpredictable.
~/*\~
When they all met, back at their home a few hours later; Iyara learned that the mood was the same everywhere.
“The City militia were out in force.” Arjun reported. “They usually don’t bother with their full armor and swords. It’s enough for them to be seen, patrolling between the stables and marketplace stalls. But there was a line forming at the forges, sharpening weapons, or smelting away impurities from the older blades and spearheads.” He seemed to shiver. “The soldiers weren’t smiling.”
“It’s the same at the Shrine.” Sasah agreed. “Prayers and rituals for protection are being requested far more than usual.”
“Back in Jericho, I heard that the Temples once told tales of the Hebrews and their dark magics, as warnings.” Iyara put in. “What Jehovah did to the Egyptian Gods was a cautionary tale for our people not to take Baal and Molech for granted.”
“They gave that message here, too.” Sasah agreed. “I was very young then, but I remember. And I remember the day they stopped telling those stories all at once.”
“Why all at once?” Vihaan pressed.
“Because it looked like they were coming here.” Sasah admitted darkly. “Nothing to be gained by making people afraid of what was coming.”
“So, everyone is reacting like there’s going to be a war.” Arjun summed up. “A war we’ll likely lose. Rahab is telling us to get the family together behind Jericho’s walls. Opinions?”
“Those ‘fears’ are all out of proportion, right?” Iyara offered. “We’re terrified because we’ve been telling scary stories of those people for over a generation; but nobody has ever actually seen a Hebrew Camp. They’ve always been on the opposite side of the Jordan, and there’s nothing out there. It’s a wasteland. Have the Hebrews ever seen a City, or a river like the Jordan, or walls like Jericho has?”
“Thank you.” Sasah said, satisfied with that. She sent a glance at her husband, as though Iyara just explained everything.
“The reverse is also true.” Bodhir put in. “There’s nothing out there. If a whole nation survived out there for Generations; it’s because that ‘magic’ is powerful.”
“That’s definitely the mood in town.” Arjun agreed, giving his wife a hooded look. “And if Rahab is calling us all to Jericho, after a night with two Hebrew spies-”
“They sent spies into the nation when I was a child.” Sasah interrupted. “Whatever they saw here, they decided to turn away and stay in the wastelands. That was decades ago. If the new generation has decided to take another look, what makes you think they’ll change their minds?”
“Rahab does.” Iyara said, a lot harsher than she meant to sound. “I told you what happened back there, and she says to get everyone in one place.”
“If it was from her.” Sasah countered, just as harsh. “Has this really not occurred to you?”
“It’s occurred to me every ten minutes since we received word from that Courier.” Iyara shot back. “If Rahab wrote that message under duress, or if it came from someone else; then it means I got my sister in a lot of trouble.” She grit her teeth. “But I won’t know for sure until I answer the message.”
Heavy silence.
“We’re not going anywhere.” Sasah said firmly. And that was the end of it.
~/*\~
~/*\~~/*\~~/*\~
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