"What did you say to the Oath Taker?" he snarled.
"Ask him," said Shannow.
"d.a.m.n right I will," said the man. He swung on his comrades who were all drinking. "Let"s go!" he shouted.
As they rode away Shannow returned to the fire and slumped down into Dr Meredith"s chair. Jeremiah and the doctor approached him.
"I thank you, my friend," said Jeremiah. "I fear they would have killed us all."
"It is not wise to stay here the night," Shannow told him. "They will return."
There are those among us," said the Apostle Saul, the sunlight glinting on his long, golden hair, "who shed tears for the thousands who fell fighting against us in the Great War. And I tell you, brothers, I am one of those. For those misguided souls gave their very lives in the cause of Darkness, while believing they were fighting for the Light.
"But as the good Lord told us, narrow is the path and few who will find it. But that Great War is over, my brothers. It was won for the Glory of G.o.d and his son, Jesus Christ. And it was won by you, and by me, and by the mult.i.tudes of believers who stood firm against the Satanic deeds of our enemies, both pagan and h.e.l.lborn."
A great cheer went up, and Nestor Garrity found himself wishing he could have been one of those soldiers of Christ in the Great Wars. But he was only a child then, attending the lower school and living in fear of the formidable Beth McAdam. All around him the men and women of Pilgrim"s Valley had flocked to the Long Meadow to hear the words of the Apostle. Some of the other people present could still remember the sleek white and silver flying machine that had pa.s.sed over Pilgrim"s Valley twenty years before, bringing the Deacon and his Apostles to the people. Nestor wished he could have seen it in the air. His father had taken him to Unity eight years ago, to the great Cathedral at the city centre.
There, raised on a plinth of shining steel, was the flying machine. Nestor would never forget that moment.
"It may be over, my friends, but another battle awaits us," said the Apostle, his words jerking Nestor back to the present. The forces of Satan are overthrown - but still there is peril in the land. For, as it is written, the Devil is the Great Deceiver, the son of the Morning Star. Do not be misled, my brothers and sisters. The Devil is not an ugly beast.
He is handsome, and charming, and his words drip like honey. And many will be deceived by him. He is the voice of discontent whispering in your ears at night. He is the man - or woman - who speaks against the word of our Deacon, and his holy quest to bring this tortured world back to the Lord.
"For was it not written, by their works shall ye judge them? Then I ask you this, brethren: who brought the truth to this benighted world? Tell me!" Raising his arms, he stared down from the podium at the crowd.
The Deacon!" they yelled.
"And who descended from the Heavens with the word of G.o.d?"
THE DEACON!" Caught up in the hypnotic thrill of the moment, Nestor stood, his right fist punching the air with each answer. The voices of the crowd rolled like thunder and Nestor found it hard to see the Apostle through the sea of waving arms. But he could hear him.
"And who did G.o.d send through the vaults of Time?"
THE DEACON!".
The Apostle Saul waited until the roar died down, then spread his hands for silence. "My friends, by his work have you judged him. He has built hospitals and schools and great cities, and once more the knowledge of our ancestors is being used by the children of G.o.d.
We have machines that will plough the land, and sail the seas, and fly through the air. We have medicines and trained doctors and nurses. And this tortured land is growing again, at one with the Lord. And He is with us, through His Servant in Unity.
"But everywhere sin waits to strike us down. That is why the Oath Takers move through the land. They are the gardeners of this new Eden, seeking out the weeds and the plants that do not bloom. No G.o.d-fearing family should fear the Oath Takers. Only those seduced by Satan should know the terror of discovery. Just as only brigands and lawbreakers should fear our new Crusaders - our fine young soldiers, like your own Captain Leon Evans."
Nestor cheered at the top of his voice, but it was lost within an ocean of sound.
As it died down the Apostle Saul raised his voice one last time. "My friends, Pilgrim"s Valley was the first settlement over which we flew when the Lord brought us from the sky.
And for that reason the Oath Taker"s role shall be a special one. The Deacon has asked me to fulfil that role, and I shall do so, with your blessing. Now let us pray As the prayers were concluded, and the last hymn sung, Nestor made his way back to the main street of Pilgrim"s Valley, moving slowly within the crowd. Most of the people were returning to their homes but a select few, Nestor among them, had been invited to a reception at the Traveller"s Rest, and the formal welcome for the new Oath Taker. Nestor felt especially privileged to be asked to attend, even though his role was only that of a waiter. History was being made here, and the young man could hardly believe that one of the Nine Apostles was actually going to live - if only for a month or two - among the people of Pilgrim"s Valley. It was a great honour.
Josiah Broome, who now owned the Traveller"s Rest, was waiting at the back of the inn as Nestor arrived. Broome was in his late sixties now, a slender, bird-boned man, balding and near-sighted. Despite his tendency towards pompous speech Broome was a man with a heart, and Nestor liked him.
"Is that you, young Garrity?" asked Broome, leaning in close.
"Yes, sir."
"Good boy. There is a clean white shirt in the upper back room. And a new black necktie.
Put them on and help Wallace prepare the tables."
Nestor said that he would, and moved on through the rear of the inn, climbing the stairs to the staff quarters. Wallace Nash was pulling on his white shirt as Nestor entered the back room. "Hi, Nes. What a day eh?" said the red-headed youngster. Two years younger than Nestor, he was an inch taller, standing almost six foot three, and as thin as a stick.
"You look like a strong wind could blow you down, Wallace."
The red-head grinned. "I"d outrun it afore it could."
Nestor chuckled. Wallace Nash was the fastest runner he had ever seen. Last year on Resurrection Day, when he was just fifteen, Wallace had raced three times against Edric Scayse"s prize stallion, Rimfire, winning both short sprints and losing only on a longer race. It had been a fine day. Nestor remembered it well, for it was his first time drunk - an experience he had pledged to himself he would never repeat.
"You want to carry the drinks or the eats?" Wallace asked.
"Doesn"t matter," said Nestor, pulling off his faded red shirt and lifting a clean white one from the dresser drawer.
"You take the drinks then," said Wallace. "My hands ain"t too steady today. Lord, who would have believed that an Apostle would come to our town?"
Nestor pulled on his shirt and tucked it into his black trousers. For a minute or so he fumbled with the necktie, then he moved to the mirror to see if the knot was in place. "You think he"ll perform any miracles?" asked Wallace.
"Like what?"
"Well, I guess he could try to raise the Preacher from the dead." The red-head laughed.
That ain"t funny, Wallace. The Preacher was a good man."
"That"s not so, Nes. He spoke out against the Deacon during one of his sermons. Can you believe that? Right there in a church. It"s a wonder G.o.d didn"t strike him dead there and then."
"As I recall hearing it, he just said he thought it weren"t necessary to have Oath Takers.
That"s all."
"Are you saying the Apostle Saul ain"t necessary?" asked Wallace.
Nestor was about to make a light-hearted remark, but then he saw the shining glint in Wallace"s eyes.
"Of course I"m not. Wallace. He"s a great man," he said carefully. "Now come on, we"d better get to work."
The evening was long, and Nestor found his back aching as he stood against the wall holding the bra.s.s tray in his hands. Few were drinking now, and the Apostle Saul was sitting by the fire with Captain Leon Evans and Daniel Cade. The old prophet had been late arriving; most of the welcoming party had long since gone to their homes before the old man made his entrance. The Apostle had welcomed him warmly, but it seemed to Nestor that Daniel Cade was ill at ease.
"It is a privilege to meet you at last," said Saul. "Obviously I have read of your exploits against the h.e.l.lborn in the First War. Vile times, calling for men of iron - much as now. I am sorry to see that you have such difficulty with your movements. You should come to Unity; our Hospital is performing miracles daily, thanks to the discoveries of our medical teams."
The Daniel Stones, you mean," said Cade.
"You are well informed, sir. Yes, the fragments have been most helpful. We are still seeking larger Stones."
"Blood and death is all they"ll bring," Cade said. "Just like before."
"In the hands of the G.o.dly all things are pure," said Saul.
Excited as he had been earlier in the evening Nestor was now tired, and becoming bored.
He was due at the lumber site soon after dawn to collate the orders for timber, and issue working instructions to the men at the sawmill. Uncle Joseph was not an easy man to serve, and one yawn from Nestor would earn an hour"s lecture at the end of the day.
"You knew the Jersualem Man, I understand," remarked Saul to Cade. Instantly Nestor"s weariness was forgotten.
"I knew him," grunted the old man. "And I never heard him say a word of prophecy. I don"t reckon he"d be pleased to read what"s said of him now."
"He was a holy man," said Saul, showing no sign of irritation, "and the words he spoke have been carefully gathered from sources all over the land. Men who knew him. Men who heard him. I regard it as a personal tragedy that I never met him."
Cade nodded solemnly. "Well, I did, Saul. He was a lonely man, heartsick and bitter, seeking a city he knew could not exist. As to his prophesying ... as I said, I never heard it.
But it"s true to say that he brought you and the Deacon into this world, when he sent the Sword of G.o.d thundering through the Gates of Time. We all know that"s true."
"The ways of the Lord are sometimes mystifying," said Saul, with a tight smile. "The world we left was a cesspool, owned by the Devil. The world we found had the potential for Eden - if only men would return to G.o.d. And by His grace we have conquered. Tell me, sir, why you have refused all invitations to travel to Unity, and be honoured for your work in the Lord"s name?"
"I don"t need honours," Cade told him. "I lived most of my life, after the h.e.l.lborn War, in Rivervale. Had me a good woman and raised two tall sons. Both died in your Wars. Lisa was buried last Autumn and I came here to wait for death. Honours? What are they worth?"
Saul shrugged. "A worthy point, from a worthy man, Mr Cade. Now tell me, do you think Pilgrim"s Valley is a G.o.dfearing community?"
There are good people here, Saul. Some better than others. I don"t think you can judge a man merely because three of his friends say he"s a believer. We got farmers on the outskirts, newcomers who wouldn"t be able to raise three men who know them that well. It doesn"t make "em pagans."
"You also had a church that welcomed Wolvers," Saul pointed out, "And a preacher who offered them the word of G.o.d. That was an obscenity, Mr Cade. And it took outsiders to put an end to it. That does not reflect well on the community."
"What have you got against Wolvers?" Cade asked.
Saul"s eyes narrowed. They are not true creations, Mr Cade. In the world I came from, animals were being genetically engineered to resemble people. This was done for medical reasons; it was possible then for a man with a diseased heart, or lungs, to have them removed and replaced. That was an abomination, Mr Cade. Animals have no souls, not in the strictest sense of eternal life. These mutated creatures are like plague germs, reminding us all of the dangers and disasters of the past. We must not repeat the errors that led G.o.d to destroy the old world. Not ever. We are on the verge of a new Eden, Mr Cade. Nothing must be allowed to halt our progress."
"And we"re going to find this new Eden by hounding people from their homes, by killing Wolvers and anyone who doesn"t agree with us?"
"Not the Deacon, nor any of his Apostles take any joy in killing, Mr Cade. But you know your Bible. The Lord G.o.d does not tolerate evil in the midst of his people."
Cade reached for his sticks and slowly, painfully, pushed himself to his feet. "And the next war, Saul? Who is that going to be with?"
The unG.o.dly wherever we find them," answered Saul.
"It"s late, and I"m tired," said Cade. "I"ll bid you good night."
"May G.o.d be with you," said Saul, rising.
Cade did not reply as, leaning heavily on his sticks, he made his way to the door. Nestor stifled a yawn and was about to ask if he could be excused from his duties when Saul spoke to Captain Evans.
"A dangerous man, Captain. I fear we may have to deal with him."
Nestor blinked in surprise. At that moment Leon Evans looked up and saw him and the captain grinned. "Go on home, Nestor," he said, "otherwise you"re going to keel over like a felled tree."
Nestor thanked him, bowed to the Apostle and walked out into the night where the old prophet was leaning against his buggy, unable to mount the steps. Nestor moved alongside him and took his arm. With an effort, he half-lifted Cade to the seat. "Thank you, boy,"
grunted Cade, his face red from the exertion.
"It was a pleasure, sir."
"Beware the words of bra.s.s and iron, boy," whispered the prophet. He flicked the reins and Nestor watched as the buggy trundled off into the night.
Alone now, Shannow waited among the rocks, his horse tethered some fifty paces to the north in a small stand of trees. Glancing to the east, he could make out the last of the wagons as they travelled further into the mountains. The sky was lightening. Dawn was close.
Shannow settled down with his back against a rock and stared to the west. Maybe he had been wrong. Maybe the white-haired Oath Taker had decided against a punitive raid. He hoped so. The night was cool and he breathed deeply of the crisp mountain air. Glad to be alone, he let his mind wander.
Twenty years had pa.s.sed since his name was feared among the unG.o.dly. Twenty years!
Where have I been, he wondered. How did I live? Idly he began to review what he remembered of his life, the gunfights and the battles, the towns and settlements.
Yes, I remember Allion, he thought, and saw again the day Daniel Cade led his brigands into the town. In the blaze of gunfire that had followed several of Cade"s men had been shot from their saddles, while Cade himself took a bullet in the knee. Daniel Cade. Brother Daniel. For some reason that Shannow could never fathom, G.o.d had chosen Daniel to lead the war against the h.e.l.lborn.
But what then? Hazy pictures drifted into his mind, then vanished like mist in the breeze.
A blonde woman, tall and strong, and a young fighter, lightning-fast with a pistol . . .
Cram? Glen?
"No," said Shannow aloud. "Clem. Clem Steiner."
It will all come back, he promised himself. Just give it time.
Then came the sound of horses moving slowly through the darkness, the creak of leather saddles, the soft clopping of hooves on the dry plain. Shannow drew his pistols and eased himself further down into the rocks as the horses came closer. Removing his wide- brimmed hat, he risked a glance to the west; he could see them now, but not well enough to count them.
I don"t want to kill again.
Aiming high, he loosed a shot. Some of the horses reared in fright, several others stampeded. Shannow saw one man thrown from the saddle, and another jumped clear of his bucking mount. Several shots were fired in his direction, but the bullets struck the rocks and screamed off into the night.
Dropping to his belly, Shannow peered round the rocks. The riders had dismounted and were now advancing on his position. From the east he heard the distant sound of gunfire.
The wagons! In that instant he knew there were two groups, and the blood-letting had already begun. Anger surged within him.
Swiftly he pushed himself to his feet and stepped out from the rocks. A man reared up ...
Shannow shot him through the chest. Another moved to his right and again his pistol boomed.
He walked in amongst the men, guns blazing. Stunned by this sudden attack, the raiders broke and ran. A man to Shannow"s right groaned as the Jerusalem Man strode past him.