Chapter Twelve
~/*\~ Sasah ~/*\~
The family was given the use of a tent, just outside the main assembly. Rahab’s house was the only one still standing; but they didn’t go back to it. Rahab had taken the clothes she was wearing, and little else. She had sent one last glance back towards the lone bit of the Wall, and then resolutely turned away from it, resolving never to look back on the life she’d given up.
Within the tent, Sasah had been organizing the family as best she could with one room and no belongings. Rahab gave her mother a steady look as everyone settled in for the night. The older woman had been avoiding Rahab as much as possible. Rahab knew why, but didn’t push.
~/*\~
The assembly bedded down for the night. Guards were posted, but there was really no need. There was nobody left in range to attack them. Most agreed that Jericho had fallen so completely in an hour that nobody escaped to tell the tale to the other cities of the land.
As the family settled in for the night, Sasah sidled over to Rahab as quietly as possible; putting their bedrolls close together. “Why am I alive?” She whispered, once the rest of the family was asleep. “I was fighting you, and the stand you made for Jehovah at every step of the way.”
Rahab turned over in her blanket, almost nose to nose with her mother. It was the only bet for privacy they had. “You were there.” She whispered. “I didn’t have anyone chained up. Whatever else may have happened in that house over the last week; you didn’t leave.”
Sasah shrugged. “I… have been doing some hard thinking, the last few hours. Baal, and Molech? They couldn’t keep the Walls standing. Jehovah isn’t a pacifist God. How can He destroy, and forgive an enemy at the same time?”
“Are you still His enemy, Mother?” Rahab asked.
“Still? I don’t know. But this morning? I would have happily gone back to my old life.” Sasah admitted. “I’m the only one in the family that can say that.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Maybe not, but Jehovah can’t possibly approve of me, given my entire life until this morning.” Sasah pointed back at the city. “That was your town, more than mine. But it had Soldiers. Traders. Temples to the same gods that I grew up worshipping. What sets me apart from any of the people who died today?”
“You were in the one house God declared ‘safe’.” Rahab said simply. “I know, because I was there when it was declared.” She gestured back at the ruins with her chin. “I don’t know who the most moral, most generous person in Jericho was. I don’t know who was the most outraged, the most angry at the evils being done in the name of false gods. But I do know that Jehovah’s people marched around our City in plain sight, for a full week, without a single weapon being brandished on either side… And everyone else in the City shut up the Gates, and hid behind the walls. For that matter, the walls fell flat. What were spies needed for? The biggest difference those spies made to the battle was that one piece of the wall kept standing.”
Sasah froze, considering that. “Are you saying that the week-long stalemate was to see if anyone else would surrender? Run to Jehovah and ask for Sanctuary?”
“I don’t presume to know what God was thinking about anything, mother.” Rahab said simply. “I know only that I was told to make a public symbol that I was trusting in Jehovah to spare my household.” She gestured over at the crimson cord. The only unique personal item she carried with her. “And it worked. And my family is here.” Rahab let out a shaky breath. “And if you think you ‘got away with it’, just remember that neither of us have.”
Sasah’s head tilted. “Meaning?”
Rahab pointed a finger at her. “The Hebrews don’t allow worship to other gods.” She turned her hand to point at herself. “They don’t allow Prostitutes or Temple Concubines, either. Neither of us can just ‘pick up where we left off’.” Her face was unreadable for a minute. “Nothing I did for those two men is in any way equal to what I did for my entire life before that. So clearly, Jehovah wasn’t concerned with my past when I made that deal.” Rahab turned and shifted in her bedroll. Something totally different to the comfortable beds and pillows of her Inn. “The Hebrews are not so eager to ‘mix’ with foreigners. Our lives aren’t going to be easy right now. There’s still an invasion going on, and we have no idea what kind of nation they’re going to build where Canaan used to be.”
Sasah considered that; and didn’t really have an answer. “Your faith saved my life, daughter.” She said finally. “You’ve had a lot of opportunities to lord it over me today. You haven’t taken them. Thank you for that.”
Rahab said nothing as her mother shuffled back to her husband’s side, and they went to sleep.
~/*\~ Gail ~/*\~
Gail woke up, feeling dazed. What happened?
She took stock of herself. Her head was still spinning, but less so. There was metal under her. Something softer under her head. Her feet were elevated too. I passed out. That’s embarrassing.
She heard a low voice nearby. Eldon was praying, softly enough that she couldn’t make out the words; but there was no mistaking the tone.
She stayed still, lethargic. While her head cleared, she let herself think about the last week. The things she had done. The things that convinced her she was on the wrong side. The things that had happened to the world. Am I supposed to believe it’s just over, now? No more war? No more sickness? No more death? Just like that?
If a Holy, loving God is running the world right now, why did He spare me?
Eldon glanced up from his prayers as she shifted. Their eyes met. He saw that she was awake, and began speaking, as though they were mid-conversation. “When Jesus came to earth, he preached the Kingdom of Heaven to the sons of Israel. The way had been prepared for him there. But when Jesus died, his followers took up the work, in his name. The Kingdom was open to gentiles as well, so a Witness had to be given to all the nations. But the Apostles were all Jews, and there were centuries of tradition keeping them apart from Gentiles. Of all the people to appoint as a ‘Witness to the Nations’, Jesus chose an Inquisitor. A man named Saul, who had persecuted, hunted, and executed the early Christians, day and night; in one city after another. Jesus appeared to Saul in a supernatural sign. Something that couldn’t be denied, or explained away. From that moment on, the killer of Christians became their strongest advocate. He spent his life declaring that Jesus and Jehovah were more forgiving, and more righteous, than any man had ever known.” Eldon finally looked over at Gail. “Of all the people to become an ‘honorary Apostle’, Jesus chose the man who tortured Christians to death.”
“I get it.” Gail rasped. “The lesson is not subtle.”
“Oh, I’m just getting started.” Eldon drawled. “Thousands of years before that, Israel entered the Promised Land, and found it occupied by false worshippers. The first stop in their Campaign was a city called Jericho, surrounded by strong walls. Two spies went in, to scout the place. They were hunted by the local leaders; but a local Prostitute named Rahab took the Spies in, and helped them escape detection. In return, she made a deal. Rahab knew that Israel had supernatural help, and Jericho would fall, but she agreed to help the spies, and serve Jehovah, if she and her family were spared. This deal was honored by God, and Rahab is recorded in the Bible as one of the ancestors of Jesus.”
“I am not an apostle!” Gail nearly yelled at him. “I’m not… whatever the other one was either. I’ve made a living based on vice, and violence, and opposition to all of this.”
“So did Paul, and Rahab, and many others who are remembered for their ‘redemption’ story.” Eldon told her firmly. “I’ve told you two stories, just off the top of my head, that are famous to people like me. There are plenty more where that came from.” He gave her a hard look. “Do you really not see the parallel to your life?”
She groaned, rubbing her face. “Maybe. But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to turn my life into a ‘teachable moment’.”
“None of us do.” Eldon told her. “You might think you’re worse than any of us, but in all honesty: Compared to God, none of us are even close to perfection. But we don’t have to be. Because we’re forgiven. And so are you.”
“Well…” Gail wheezed a little. “I can’t say you’re wrong. I’m here, after all. But I can’t help but feel like God made a mistake. I was pointing a gun at you yesterday. You, Jamel, and Cherry. I called in an arrest warrant on Cherry because she tried to tell me something that turned out to be the truth.”
“God gave you a chance to prove it.” The older man said firmly. “And He gave it to you, for the same reason He gave it to Jamel or Cherry: Because you asked Him for it. And if you asked at the last moment, it doesn’t change the fact that you did ask.”
“Anyone would have, at that stage.” Gail said quietly.
“Most didn’t.” He countered. “Maybe billions of people didn’t. We won’t know until we get a count. And for that, we have to find the others. But, Gail? You’re in a special group. You’re the one who didn’t believe in miracles until you saw one. Plenty of people saw Christ heal the sick, raise the dead, feed thousands from nothing… and the crowd still demanded Jesus be put to death. You reacted correctly. It’s the way God wanted people to respond to signs and prophecies. That’s why He provided them.”
“Maybe so, but I don’t know what to say to you.” Gail countered. “When Cherry realized what she was seeing on the news, she said to me: If this is really happening, then that means it was always true. God really does exist. He really did wipe out wickedness and sinful people this morning. It means He existed when I got drunk in high school. He existed when I paid my bills by posting dirty movies of myself online to strangers. He existed when I told Cherry that He was a fairy tale. He existed when I put on this uniform for the first time. He existed when I… when I killed people. When I decided that I liked it.”
Eldon hugged her tightly before she could get any further, and Gail felt herself burst into tears.
“That doesn’t make God wrong.” He said gently to her. “It means that He’s more forgiving than even we thought He would be.”
She rocked on Eldon’s shoulder for a long time, before she finally settled, wiping away her tears. “By the way, where are the others?”
“Trying to find us a ride.”
Gail looked down at herself. She had taken off her insignia, and discarded her weapons, but it was still clearly a Coalition uniform. “I’d better go find a change of clothes, before we meet up with any of your people.”
“Our people.” He reminded her.
“Right.”
~/*\~
Cherry and Jamel found another Coalition Jeep. Pretty much the only vehicles left with fuel in the tank were military.
Eldon took the driver’s seat, since he had a better idea of where to go. Cherry and Jamel took the backseat, with Gail between them.
“How are your people likely to react?” Gail asked nervously. “To me, I mean?”
“Gail, if you’re here, then I’m betting you’re not the only one.” Eldon offered from the front. “A lot of us will be surprised at who’s here.” His voice dropped. “And who’s not.”
Jamel leaned over. “You and I aren’t enemies to anyone now. We’re ‘unknowns’. Nobody in the world knows us except these two.”
Gail felt her stomach drop; as a wave of horror at her own selfishness went over her. “Gawd, that’s really true. My family…”
“Not just yours.” Cherry said quietly in her other ear. “My father is the only one of his family that came into the Truth.” She looked down. “I remember throwing that in his face whenever we argued about my leaving.”
Gail swiftly understood. I’m not the only one who lost everybody.
The roads were blocked and torn up with checkpoints and the signs of violence that had swept through over the last few weeks. “Gail? Did you still want to change out of the uniform?” Eldon called from the front seat. “There’s a camping goods store a few blocks from here. They might have some clothes. Outdoors stuff, to be sure, but…”
“Actually, I’d like to change clothes too.” Cherry put in. “We’ve been wearing the same thing since we got tear-gassed.”
“Maybe they’ll have some food, too?” Jamel asked. “I haven’t eaten anything since I detoxed. I might actually be able to keep something down now.”
“It’s been quite a week all around.” Eldon drawled.
~/*\~
Eldon steered them around destroyed vehicles and what looked like a mobile command post in the large open parking lot of the camping goods store. Every window was smashed or shot out. It had been looted clean of survival gear, weapons, and anything edible. There were spent shells on the floor.
“Sorry, kid. I was hoping to find at least some jerky, or something.” Eldon called to Jamel. The young man’s stomach was growing enough that Eldon could hear it from across the store.
Gail came hurrying out from between the aisles, to a place where she could see them both. “Would… you guys come back here for a minute? I think I might have found something.
Eldon got there first and saw what Jamel had found. “A… bathtub?”
“Camping tub. It’s meant to fold up, so it’s made of canvas, but it’s waterproof, and big enough to wash in.” She bit her lip. “Or maybe…?”
Eldon smiled. “Jamel, go see if the water’s still working?”
~/*\~
Cherry rejoined them a moment later. “Hey, good news. I found a radio that’s still working.” She trailed off when she saw Jamel filling a camp bathtub with water from a hose, running from the staff kitchen. “What’s this?”
“As good a place to symbolize a dedication to God and seek eternal life as any.” Eldon said brightly, testing the temperature.
“It’s a sporting goods store that’s been looted clean of everything else. Everything in the parking lot is still smoldering from the riots.” Cherry retorted.
“Okay, so it’s almost as good a place as any.” Eldon conceded. “Where’s our guest of honor?”
“Changing rooms at the back of the store.” Jamel directed.
Cherry tossed him the radio she’d scrounged. “I’ll go get her.”
~/*\~
Gail had changed into a wetsuit, of all things. “Camping goods store. It’s what they had.” She took a breath. “This is nuts.” She saw Cherry’s look. “I know. It was my idea, but it’s still nuts.”
“Why?” Cherry asked.
“...I don’t know.” Gail admitted. She put her head down and started marching without another word.
Jamel saw them coming, and raised his hand. “Not to step on Gail’s moment, but I haven’t done this either.”
“There’s more bathing suits upstairs.” Gail nodded. “Go for it, man.”
He went, but Cherry kept her eyes on Gail. The ex-soldier was staring at the tub full of water like it was about to boil her alive.
~/*\~
Once Jamel returned, they assembled around the tub. Eldon had already rolled up his sleeves.
“Gail, I asked you the questions, in the back of a Prison Van, while the armies of heaven were already on the way.” Eldon gestured at her. “You clearly answered honestly. And I’m glad for that. We all are. Baptism is the second half of that pledge. It symbolizes the start of a new life; washed clean of all your wrongdoing in the past; and your new future is dedicated to Jehovah’s service. I can’t think of a more appropriate time than the first day in the New World.”
“How about yesterday?” Gail commented, fidgeting a little.
“Alas, I still don’t have a time machine handy.” Eldon smiled. “The story of the people in this room isn’t the most conventional, I’ll admit. But there was a lot about the last few weeks that seemed very different to what we were expecting. As always, in times of ignorance, faith was enough to see us out of the dark.”
Gail felt someone squeeze her hand. It was Jamel, standing beside her.
“For the new people, there’s a reason Witnesses don’t baptize infants, like some other churches do.” Eldon blinked. “Or, they used to, anyway. Baptism is a symbol of your sins being forgiven, and your old life being washed away; as you dedicate yourself to your new life.” He spread his hands wide. “It was how we showed the world who we were now. That world is now gone, but there’s no reason not to show this to ourselves, and each other.”
Gail felt something cold in her stomach.
“So, let’s say a prayer, and get this started.” Eldon bowed his head. “Fath-”
“I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” Gail said suddenly, and turned to run back to the changing rooms.
~/*\~
When she had changed back into proper clothes, she found Eldon waiting for her. “Before you say it-”
Eldon held his hands up. “I’m not here to try and talk you into anything. I’m not going to preach a sermon. I just want to know where your head is at.”
She set her jaw and went for broke. “I worked two jobs to stay ahead of my bills. One was part time at a Tabacconist. I was selling the ‘premium’ stuff to people who came in. I became quite knowledgeable; and I never minded that I was spreading lung cancer; because I needed the money. The other job was as a Camgirl, and I never even blinked at the… morals of it. If people were willing to pay, what should I be ashamed of? Then I joined the Coalition. My whole life is vice and violence. I know God is willing to forgive me. But Baptism is being ‘born again’ without sin. And if I ‘wash it all away’... What’s left? What’s left of me once you take away my sins?”
Eldon nodded. “Okay then.”
Despite herself, she was disappointed. “That’s all?”
“You made your Dedication at a pretty unique time. I don’t pretend to know what happens next, but I can understand that you don’t know what your life is going to look like as a Believer. As of this morning, I don’t know either. That’s why we’re planning to join the rest of our people. Somewhere, someone has figured that part out.” He held out her boots. “When you get to know the others, and get an idea of what your future will be; we’ll revisit this.”
~/*\~ Iyara ~/*\~
Emet stayed with the family for weeks. It took a while for Iyara to notice, but he wasn’t just introducing them to people, or educating them about their new community. He was questioning them. Whenever one of them mentioned anything about the seasons, or the harvest; or other cities in the land; Emet would go and have words with one of the older men.
He’s teaching us, and we’re teaching him. Iyara thought. Or it could have nothing to do with that. He probably has responsibilities that don’t involve us.
Finally, as they sat for a meal, she had to bring it up. “What do you do? When you’re not looking after us?”
“I’m a Scribe.” Emet said proudly. “I’m one of the men who keep the records for Joshua. Everything we do now is the start of our new nation, in our promised homeland.”
“Ah.” Iyara understood. “My brother is obsessed with reading those records, you know.”
“He’s been a very diligent student of our language.” Emet agreed.
“He’s been deciphering history.” Sasah came over, and sat down heavily, pointedly putting herself between Iyara and Emet. “The things we knew, the things we were taught; the things that were wrong.”
Her position effectively ended the conversation they were having. Iyara gave Sasah an eyeroll, and for just a moment, it was like old times again. “You don’t really think-”
Sasah shushed her. “You were watching him. I was watching the older men. If the only thing they took from Jericho was us; then it’s just a matter of time before one of them makes a claim. And these people don’t have Temples to protect us.”
“Mother, how do you not understand this yet?” Iyara sighed, getting fed up. “The Temples never protected us. When it came right down to it, they couldn’t even protect themselves.”
“They’re not looking to make a claim on Iyara.” Bodhir said swiftly, coming to join them. “I think it’s the other way entirely.” He glared at Emet. “Isn’t it?”
Iyara leaned over to look past her mother, at their guide. “What’s he talking about?”
Her brother answered anyway. “I’ve been reading the most recent events in their history, and working backwards. Just before they crossed the River, they had some dealing with Priestesses, and other women from Moab.”
Emet scowled. “You have to understand, our nation was warned against listening to foreigners, who have other values, and worship other gods. Whenever we’ve disobeyed that rule… it went poorly for everyone.”
“Foreigners, and beautiful women especially, right?” Bodhir challenged. “The sort of women who worked as Priestesses and Temple Prostitutes?”
“Seriously?” Iyara couldn’t believe it.
Emet looked embarrassed. “It’s not a slight against any of you, Iyara. And Rahab is honored among us. Everyone here can say they’re alive because of daily miracles from the Hand of Jehovah. Rahab is the first woman, and the first Gentile in this Camp to receive that kind of personal miraculous deliverance for a full generation. Believe me, none of us consider you an enemy.” He took a breath. “But there are many, many families; who lost loved ones to the temptations of beautiful women, right at the end of our Exile in the wilderness. Something dangerous like that is hard to shake.”
“Dangerous?” Iyara repeated, looking slowly back at the pile of rubble that used to be a city. The wall was a rolling dump of rock and gravel that seemed to go on beyond her sight, and at every step the pile of rubble was taller than she was. “Us? Dangerous? To you?” She burst into giggles, finding the idea oddly thrilling.
“Don’t laugh, daughter.” Her father said. He’d been listening to this so silently that she’d almost forgotten he was there. “When someone is afraid of something, they respond either with anger, or with avoidance. And nobody’s making an effort to send us away.”
“You are in no danger here.” Emet assured them seriously. “You are new, in our world. But you’re not totally unique. My own father was an Egyptian who left his gods when he saw what Jehovah could do. Your family is the first out of this nation to do so. With luck, you won’t be the last. Jehovah welcomes all followers, from every nation and tribe.”
Iyara couldn’t help the glance at Sasah. Iyara had accepted Jehovah as her God. It just made sense. She had been delivered, by a miraculous act. She’d never seen Baal or Molech do anything similar, not even to save their own Temple. And it was pretty clear there wasn’t going to be one Temple or Icon left in one piece once this campaign was over. Her mother wasn’t quite so willing.
Looking at her, Sasah could tell what Iyara was thinking. “Living is more than just escaping death, daughter.” She whispered privately. “And no God would ever just… overlook everything I’ve ever believed in my life.”
~/*\~ Cherry ~/*\~
They followed the road, heading for the Hall. The closer they got, the more people they saw. The streets were all but deserted, compared to a month before, but it was clear there were survivors, and they were all coming to meet at the same place.
When they reached the Hall, they found something new had been added. A table had been set out in front of the Hall, long enough for the whole Congregation to be gathered around it… and it was covered in plates of food. The entire Congregation seemed to be there.
The scent of the food hit them before the Jeep even pulled to a halt. “Are you sure we haven’t died and gone to heaven?” Gail asked.
Jamel’s stomach roared loud enough to be audible. He almost threw himself out the window, barely bothering to open the door first.
Felipe was near the head of the table, and he waved them over, jubilant. “Cherry!” He called; and a cheer went up from the rest of the table. “You made it! And Eldon, my dear friend! It’s so good to see you! We thought we’d lost you!”
“Did we lose… anyone?” Eldon asked, coming over to embrace his friend.
(Author’s Note: It’s understood that Jehovah’s people will be protected as a group, during this time. On an individual level, it’s much less clear. There is nothing to say either way if individual believers are guaranteed to survive.)
“There were… casualties.” Felipe admitted. “But we have a pretty good idea what happens next.”
“Reunions.” Eldon said, sighing it out like a prayer.
Jamel had gone straight to the table, eyes big as saucers. “Um…”
“Help yourself, son.” Felipe said, not even asking his name. “I can hear your stomach roaring.” He smiled at Cherry. “We’ve been celebrating for an hour, and the food never seems to run out. The hot dishes aren’t even getting cold.”
Cherry burst into giggles. “It doesn’t feel real.” She breathed. “It feels… where’s-” She looked back at the Jeep. “C’mon, Gail. We’re all friends here!”
Gail was still hiding in the Jeep, but she came out slowly, sending a quick glance at the sky.
At Felipe’s questioning look, Eldon explained. “This young woman is an ‘11th hour’ sister. But now that it’s over, she seems convinced that she’s going to be struck down by something.”
Felipe smiled, a little sadly. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, with more than just her.” He waved Gail over. “Come join us, sister! Have something to eat! There’s plenty to go around.”
~/*\~
The celebration had ended eventually, and everyone had to decide what to do next. The consensus was that they should head for the Branch Headquarters. Sooner or later, the rest of the world would get in touch with each other again, and things would get organized.
They’d been making slow progress on the roads. The last few weeks had left the highways as battlefields, and most of them had to be cleared. Finding vehicles was easy. Gail had known, firsthand, how tight the fuel was getting, and was amazed to see them all working. When Eldon and Cherry took a vehicle of their own, Gail and Jamel took a truck, carrying cargo for the camp. The fuel tank didn’t run dry during the day. The cooking fuel and toilet paper didn’t run out when they were camped.
“We aren’t the only ones with ‘teething problems’ you know.” Jamel said to Gail that night, as they paused the journey and started setting up Camp. He explained what he meant as Gail followed the gestures of those in charge, directing her to a parking spot. “Everyone was thrilled to see Cherry had made it, because they knew she’d been away from the faith for a long time, and then as it got bad, she disappeared.”
“They figured she’d spooked and run?” Gail nodded, not really surprised. “I wonder how many of them actually did that, at the last minute?”
“Well, last night, while Cherry was catching up with old friends, and you were hiding in the back of this truck, I started watching for others who stayed away from the Campfire.” He grinned. “It’s instinctive. In a dark, unfamiliar place, you seek the light. So I’ve been introducing myself to the people who hang back, away from the others.”
“You’re saying we’re not the only ones?” Gail guessed. “I guess it makes sense. I couldn’t possibly be the only one in the world to flip at the last second.”
Jamel’s head tilted, not really liking the way she phrased it. But he didn’t comment. “People are having adjustment problems for all sorts of reasons. There was one guy: He’d been a believer his whole life, and stone deaf from the age of about eighteen. The first thing he’d heard in forty years was that Angelic Chorus. He’s getting the shakes any time there are too many people around, talking so joyfully. People get loud when they’re excited.”
Gail didn’t answer, though she recognized the point he was trying to make.
He said it anyway. “I guess some people just don’t react the way most people do.”
Gail found she had an answer to that. “The only people left in the world are the people who didn’t react the way the rest of the world did.” She felt her breathing hitch. “And people like me, who did exactly what the world told them to do; and somehow got here anyway.”
Jamel let out a breath. “This is going to take a lot of work.”
“Don’t make me a ‘special project’, Junkie.” She warned him; shame putting her on the offensive.
“Can’t help it, Soldier.” He shot back. “The thing you gotta remember? Everyone in the world right now was outnumbered dramatically two days ago. The Believers were a very small minority, until the world found out who was on their side. And you might not see it, but I’m in the same boat as you. I’ve spent my life drowning in my own weakness, and hating myself for it. But that’s the thing about addiction: After a while, I didn’t enjoy it anymore, but I did it because I just couldn’t stop.” He spread his hands wide. “But God saw something else. Something that even we don’t see.”
“He’s got Angels running around singing hosannas. He could let me know what it was.” Gail drawled.
~/*\~
Even so, Jamel’s point had been made, and as she reluctantly came out and joined the rest of the group while they ate, and prayed, and laughed with each other, she noticed that she wasn’t the only one who wondered why they had been saved. It was a minority group, but she found herself wondering about their stories. Did these people change their minds before I did? Did they try to help the Believers? Did they take a moral stand, or act on something other than pure self interest?
Cherry stayed with her during the meal. She made introductions to a few people, but the conversations were stilted and awkward. Nobody was willing to ask her about her past, or what had happened to her during the last few weeks.
They already know, and they’re avoiding the only topic anyone’s talking about, because they don’t dare mention it to me. Gail thought. They don’t know what I’m doing here either.
And looking over at Cherry, she saw that her friend knew it too.
~/*\~
“So, when this march gets somewhere… I should probably go.” Gail said quietly as dinner finished up, and the tables broke down into conversations.
“Where are you going to go?” Cherry asked, and Gail could tell she wasn’t surprised. “Everywhere in the world is like this now.”
Gail looked sick to her stomach. “I don’t belong here, Cherry. You’ve been very nice to me, to say nothing of saving my soul from actual Doomsday, but I just… There’s no place for me here.”
Cherry didn’t know what to say, and turned to the person sitting on her other side. “Dad?”
Eldon nodded, having heard the whole conversation. “It’s true, you’re the new kid. But we all were, at some point. The Witnesses were one of few religions that got the majority of their numbers by convincing others to convert. The only thing that makes you different from a lot of the people here? The timing.”
“And we’re as new to this world as you are, babe.” Cherry said gently.
“The others won’t see it that way.” Gail said with certainty. “I changed clothes, but the Witnesses are a pretty tight-knit group. They know each other by name. They know the one person that nobody’s met before.”
“It’s not just you.” Cherry reminded her doggedly. “There are plenty of people here who didn’t ‘make sense’ on paper.”
“Less than you think, but more than anyone seemed to expect.” Gail commented. “I get that. I even agree. But how many of those other ‘new’ people were actually wearing Coalition uniforms?” She gestured around the table. “If these people knew my story, you telling me that they’d welcome me-”
And then, at the other end of the table, Jamel stood straight, and knocked on the surface, drawing everyone’s gaze as he started to speak to the whole group. “I am not a Brother.” He said clearly, loud enough to be heard over the background conversation.
That got everyone’s attention. Suddenly the whole table was looking at him.
“Everyone will have a story to tell of their deliverance during Tribulation.” Jamel told them. “Mine? I will say that I was going through detox, shaking and puking, in an apartment my dealer abandoned. I had one lone believer in Jehovah, refusing to leave my side; even as I begged her to go and save herself.”
There were murmurs at that.
“She stayed with me, even as I said not to, because she felt that was what Jesus would do for someone in need. She stayed because she wouldn’t give up on me, even when I was beyond hoping for myself.” He paused for a perfect beat. “And she was right. Here I am; against all reason.”
Gail couldn’t help the glance around the table. People were nodding.
“If I was looking for a practical, reasonable, logical reason why I should be spared, when others aren’t?” Jamel spread his hands wide. “I don’t have one. But the thing is, there’s no logical, practical reason why God should create humanity in the first place. What did He need, that He created us to provide it?” He shook his head. “I have spent the majority of my life being condemned by the world as a ‘waste of potential’.” He scowled briefly. “And I hated how often I heard that. How I could be a ‘productive member of society’ if I got my life back on track.” He shook off the feeling. “But this much I know for sure: God isn’t impressed by our productivity. If our work in His name was all that mattered, he would have put quotas into the Bible. And He didn’t.”
Cherry glanced around, seeing how people were reacting to this little speech.
“But I’ve known enough recovering addicts to know that the point of life isn’t to work, or be profitable. It’s to live. It’s enough to just… be alive. Without ‘deserving it’, without worrying about ‘our productivity’ or even ‘our worth’. The gift God gave us isn’t an eternity of forced servitude to Him: It’s existence. He made a world where we could live in peace and beauty. Where it was enough to do things you loved because you love them; without having to ‘be the best’ at it, or ‘make a living’ at it. A world where fears like financial debt, and ‘saving for retirement’ and ‘providing for the children after we’re gone’ weren’t ever meant to be a factor. If Eden had never failed, our service to God would be an act of gratitude, not survival. Even the most jaded parent doesn’t have kids purely for their ‘earning potential’.” He spread his hands wide. “We aren’t here because God thought we’d be His best bet at making some kind of gain for Him. We’re here because He loves us in spite of… well, everything we’ve spent our lives doing. I believe God created us so that we would exist. Because He wanted us to be here. And… at last, we are.”
There was a spontaneous round of applause at that, and Jamel returned to his seat at the table.
Gail still said nothing, but Cherry could tell she was listening. Eldon seemed more impressed than Gail was, and he leaned over to speak to his daughter quietly. “Alright. There’s more to him than I thought.”
~/*\~
Gail left the group after dinner. She went far enough out to have some privacy. The Camp was outside of town. There were no landmarks she recognized. The only privacy was distance. Looking around, she saw some of the others. Jamel was right. She wasn’t the only one seeking quiet, or privacy; while they processed recent events.
Others had taken it upon themselves to give her some reassuring thoughts about her presence here. She’d been given a Bible, several study guides, and a bag full of essentials. She was hardly the only one entering the new world with nothing but the clothes on her back.
Not even my clothes. She thought grimly. I swiped these from a store when I had to ditch my uniform.
The Bible she had been given was marked. Several ‘helpful’ people had highlighted certain passages for her. Once she had privacy, she began flipping through pages, stopping whenever she found one.
“When evening came, the master of the vineyard said to his man in charge, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last and ending with the first.’ When the 11th-hour men came, they each received a denarius. So when the first came, they assumed that they would receive more, but they too were paid at the rate of a denarius. On receiving it, they began to complain against the master of the house and said, ‘These last men put in one hour’s work; still you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat!’ But he said in reply to one of them, ‘Fellow, I do you no wrong. You agreed with me for a denarius, did you not? Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last one the same as to you. Do I not have the right to do what I want with my own things? Or is your eye envious because I am good?’ In this way, the last ones will be first, and the first ones last.” Gail took a deep shuddering breath. She’d heard the term ‘at the 11th hour’ before, but she didn’t know it was a biblical quote. “So…” She thought aloud. “I guess the point isn’t that I need to ‘earn’ my reward?”
“The point is that eternal life is a Free Gift offered to servants of Jah.”
She turned. A small boy was sitting cross-legged on the ground behind her. “I like that parable too.” The Boy said. “But notice, Jesus never said what any of the employees spent their wages on. The money being paid was enough to live on for a while. If a man was given enough money to feed his family for an hour’s work, is one of those 11th hour workers going to say ‘I should spend only what I earned, and throw the rest away, just to be ‘fair’.’?”
Gail smirked, despite herself. “I’ve been completely broke enough times to know that if you get money, you keep it.”
“And those other workers? Who complained about the unfairness of their master’s generosity? The parable doesn’t describe their situation either. What if, after working hard all day in the sun, they decide to spend their money on wasteful things, and leave their families hungry?”
Gail shrugged. “I’ve never had a boss who asked what I spent my wages on. Only how useful I was to them. I imagine you could say the same about employers in Jesus’ day. Isn’t that the point of the Parable?”
The Boy nodded. “So, was the Master in this story unfair, or generous, in a world where generosity was so unlikely, that his own employees assumed there was something wrong with him?”
“I get the moral of the story.” Gail nodded agreeably. “But I don’t have a clue what I did to earn my ‘pay’.”
“You did one thing.” The Boy said. “You rejected the lie.” When it was clear Gail had no idea what that meant, he pushed on. “The ‘Secure in Peace’ Campaign was a lie; but it was one of the few lies that had the backing of the entire world. Then there was the Truth. For that, you had your roommate. An unemployed young woman, who told you the story, secondhand from what her estranged father told her. The Coalition told you things you’d been wanting to hear your whole life, and when you realized it was wrong; you still broke away.”
“A rat isn’t virtuous when it abandons a sinking ship.”
“It isn’t undeserving of survival, either. You saw the lie for what it was, and chose to reject it.”
Gail shook her head. “I knew enough to see the world coming to an end. Anyone would have bailed out at that point.”
“Bailed out how?” The Boy challenged. “Because you’re right: Plenty of people decided it was ‘every man for himself’ halfway through the Tribulation. But they chose to respond by stealing guns, and food; and running away to the hills.” The Boy pointed a finger at her. “You? You chose to respond to the collapsing lie by protecting a few of Jehovah’s servants. People you had no reason to turn to. People you expected to hate you. Why’d you save them, Gail?”
Gail was about to answer, when she froze. “I never told you my name.” She turned to look at the Boy properly.
The Boy was still there. But the instrument was gone. And instead, he had wings.
Gail fell down. Her knees gave out and she fell back on her elbows.
The Angel stepped forward, wings extending around her like he was hugging her with them. “Some servants of Jah, even in Bible times; they offered themselves to God when on their deathbed, or when war came to their door. Survival is a valid reason. It’s just not the best one. When you come to understand what this new world is really about? You’ll find so many reasons to be joyful. To be grateful. That’s when your real life begins.”
“I hope so.” Gail admitted. “Everything I ever did, for fun or for work, is gone forever. My whole life isn’t mine anymore.”
“What it comes down to is this.” The Boy told her gently. “If you saw someone here, someone you didn’t expect to survive, would you be angry at them for surviving?”
“...No.” She admitted.
“And God? Would you be angry at Him for saving someone you didn’t expect?”
“I’m not crazy enough to try that one.” Gail snorted.
“Then why are you angry at yourself for being here?” The Boy let that settle in. “Your choices are your own, even if your options have changed dramatically.” He smiled. “Pour out your concerns to God. You aren’t the only one struggling with these thoughts. Not tonight. But Jehovah will complete your training on this matter. Yours and everyone else’s; until you all see in yourselves what Jehovah sees.”
Feeling herself shudder inside, Gail took a deep breath, and started to pray, for only the second time in her life. “Sir? Lord?” She cleared her throat. “I don’t have much in the way of ‘goodness’ in my past. The world didn’t care what I did. Pretty much everything I’ve done in my adult life? None of it is according to Your Commandments. But yes, I did want to live. I did want to atone for my sins. And yes, I did want to protect Cherry. Let’s be honest: We were friends, but our friendship was based on the fact that neither of us had anywhere else to turn when the money got really tight. But she was… better than me. I was afraid to show her what I did to get by; first online; and then in that uniform.” She felt her breath hitch. “It took me a while to realize that she was trying to protect me from something a whole lot worse.”
Back at the campfire, someone was laughing, someone was singing, others were joining in…
Gail shook off the distraction and bowed her head again. “Father, um… Jamel said that You speak through Your servants. When he was telling Cherry to leave him and go, You were there, telling Jamel that he still mattered. The ‘Prophetess’ you chose for that message was his ex-girlfriend. The only servant of Jehovah he knew.” She almost laughed. “Same one I knew, in fact.” Another shaky breath. She looked up, hands spread wide. “I don’t know what I can offer to this world. I don’t even know if I… well, have the ability to love You, the way I’m meant to. But I want to.”
“Would I surprise you to learn that Jamel and Cherry are feeling the same way right now?” The Boy asked. “Cherry is fixated on every unkind thing she ever said about Jah to her father. Jamel is trying to do what the Twelve Step programs taught him, and not dwell on how often his vices snared him back, or hurt the people around him. You are far from alone.”
Gail’s eyes opened, and she found her visitor was gone. But his last words lingered in her mind; and she got up to return to the bonfire.
~/*\~ Rahab ~/*\~
“You want my story?” Rahab was startled. “Why?”
“Joshua requested that it be added to the record.” Emet said agreeably. “It sounds like a tale worth telling.”
“Around a campfire, or in a tavern, maybe. But adding me to a record of God’s dealings with man?” Rahab shook her head. “I’ve heard the story of Moses confronting Pharaoh. Why does my name belong in the same scroll as that? All I did was hide two people and keep my door locked for a week.”
Emet took that in. “My father kept the record, before I took over for him. I spoke with Moses often growing up.” He lowered his voice, almost wistful. “My father was an Egyptian, who couldn’t bear to be part of the way things were. My mother was a slave, who never got to see our Promised Land. Their hopes for what they would do in freedom? I’m the only legacy they got. I owe it to them to get it right.”
“What am I speaking for now?” Rahab wondered. “There’s nothing left from the life I lived before.” She sighed, and rubbed her eyes a little, tired. “And to be honest, I’m glad for it. I might have understood the rules a little better, but I didn’t enjoy the world I lived in. I certainly didn’t love it.”
“Something I learned for a fact, from Moses himself.” Emet said kindly. “Jehovah doesn’t see us the way we see ourselves. Moses said Jehovah’s view of us was worth pledging your life to. Because Jehovah makes things happen. The way He sees us is better than we see ourselves, and He will make us into what He sees.” Emet sighed to himself. “Even if it takes a very long time.”
~/*\~
Except for Rahab, the family was still terrified of their new community. Emet was making an effort to introduce them to people. Some of the soldiers had questions about other cities in Canaan.
Privately, Iyara wondered what they could possibly offer to the invaders. She had met the two spies herself, but she had no idea what that recon had done, in the face of such supernatural help. Why had Israel even sent spies into Jericho?
If they hadn’t, Rahab would be dead right now. A little voice said to her. And probably the rest of the family too. The thought made her shudder, as Rahab came back into the tent. She looked preoccupied by something. “Something wrong?”
Rahab looked over at her sister. “No. Not really. Emet is apparently a Scribe. He asked permission to add my story to the history he’s keeping for Joshua.”
Iyara let out a quick sound of amusement. “Really? Well. A place in the history books.”
“A very small footnote at best.” Rahab waved that off. “The fact that God chose to honor my request? It was enough to save the rest of the family. I couldn’t hope for more. I’m a prostitute from a pagan town that Jehovah’s servants wiped out to the last man and animal; and that’s hardly the sort of person who gets praised by holy men. In another week, nobody outside the family will care that I did anything at all. A week after that, nobody will even remember.”
Iyara squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll remember. In fact, I think I’ll never forget. Bodhir is thrilled to be learning these things. Father is trying to pretend everything is normal… Mother would happily go back to the way things were a month ago, just because she understood them better.” She spread her hands wide. “And me? I was fighting with our father over how long I had to wait before starting work as a Concubine to Baal. None of us make sense as Servants of Jehovah. But your one act of faith saved our lives. Jehovah is generous, if nothing else.”
At the other end of the tent, curled tightly into a ball on her bedroll; Sasah was quivering with worry.
~/*\~ Gail ~/*\~
“Hey.” Cherry smiled when Gail came back to the bonfire. “There you are. We’ve been hearing the most amazing stories ab-”
Gail threw her arms around Cherry and hugged her close. “I can’t remember if I ever thanked you.” She said in Cherry’s hair. “But just so you know, I’m really, really happy to know you made it. And I’m even happier to know you’re going to live forever and ever. The future should be full of people like you.”
Cherry was a little blindsided by the sudden moment, but returned the hug. “I’m glad you’re here too.” She whispered back. “We’re hearing stories of how protection is promised. When I needed to be protected from you? The floor under your feet gave way. When I needed protection from a firing squad? You saved me. And my father, and Jamel… I’m very glad you’re here too.”
Gail still didn’t think she deserved it. But she believed Cherry was telling the truth. At least one person in the world was happy to have her in Paradise.
Well. She told herself. It’s a start.
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