Botanicaust

by Linsey, Tam

  Sister Amelia stayed and watched the game.

  “There are a lot of sick children.” Tula’s thoughts returned to the larger problem as they left the Ward, passing room after room of sleeping children. Ten percent of the population, if Levi’s numbers were correct.

  They walked to Bethy’s in near darkness, lights from the perimeter fence a few miles away glowing against the drift of steam from the methane stacks. They each held one of Eily’s hands. Tula was glad for the connection.

  “God has beset us, though we know not why.”

  “You think God wants your children to suffer?” Tula was horrified.

  “‘Accept that which we cannot change, and turn always to the Scripture for comfort.’“

  “But you sought change.”

  Levi was silent for a few steps. “I sinned against God. I put the life of my boy above Gotte’s Wille.”

  “But maybe it is Gotte’s Wille for you to find the cure. It is curable, you know. The Haldanians can do it. When they found the flaw in your DNA, I begged them to fix —”

  “You must not talk this way.”

  “Science can make people better!”

  “God created everything according to its Kind. The green plants of the land, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea. He gave the world to us to care for, to have dominion over. But to mix the plant with the animal, the bird with the fish, that is against God’s purpose. The Blattvolk are an Abomination of Kind.”

  The air was suddenly too thick to breathe. Her chloroplasts were a part of her, a part she had long treasured. She hoped Levi might come to accept the value of her photosynthesis. The scar on her arm, hidden by the darkness, itched. “Do you really believe I’m an abomination?” she whispered.

  Levi halted. Tula turned to him, but couldn’t make out his features.

  “I’m sorry. I’m reciting dogma. You are not your body. You are your soul, and your soul is good and beautiful to God. And to me.” He raised a hand and cupped her cheek in the pale dark.

  “Levi.” A man’s voice called from Samuel and Beth’s porch. Levi jerked back the hand on Tula’s cheek as if he’d been burned. A dark form clumped down the steps toward them. “There’s been a call to meeting. At the Lundgren’s.”

  “Yes, Brother Amos.”

  “The Blattvolk are not welcome.”

  “They can stay here.” Beth’s voice emerged along with a shaft of light from the house’s open doorway. Tula gratefully pulled Eily into the warmth and comfort of the kitchen.

  The congregation had been preparing for the evening meeting all day. Hard wooden church benches filled the downstairs of the Lundgren home, the accordion wall pulled aside to make room for women on the kitchen side and men in the sitting area. Men greeted each other with handshakes and low words, while women kissed each other on the cheeks and eyed Levi warily. There were no children at this emergency evening meeting, no tables laid with sandwiches and pies. The scent of sassafras tea wafted from an urn on the sideboard, and men filled ceramic mugs before taking seats on their side of the gathering. The women’s side seemed emptier than normal.

  Out of habit, Levi held out a hand to greet Brother Abe as he found a seat next to him. Abe looked at the offered hand and said, “May the Lord come to your help.” He turned and placed his hat beneath his bench.

  You’re in the Bann. Shunned. Of course he won’t greet you. But Levi’s heart broke.

  The Brethren didn’t often meet at night, and most members were tired from a long day of work. Men in field clothes rather than Sunday vests murmured together from their places on the benches. Women had donned proper bonnets, but wore daily work aprons. In the far corner, Levi spotted Brother Peter surrounded by Brother Yonnie and several others. The old man twisted the brim of his hat around and around in his bony hands as he nodded in response to their murmured words.

  “We apologize for the late hour,” Bishop Eldon greeted everyone as the last stragglers found their seats. “With Communion Sunday in a matter of days, and the return of Levi, we felt we needed to address our Unity in the Scripture one last time.”

  The room fell to silence as all eyes turned to the bishop. “The Elders have met with Levi and discussed his removal from the Bann. We, as your servants, do not presume to take his request upon our shoulders alone. The decision to remove him from the congregation was decided upon in unity, and the decision to bring him back must also be considered with the Scriptures and voted upon. Let us take a moment of prayer that God may guide our decisions.”

  Levi eased to his knees on the floor before his bench and silently recited the Lord’s Prayer, focusing on ‘thy will be done.’ At the end, however, he entreated God to give him the words he needed to provide for Tula and Eily. If it be your will, God. The entire house remained silent for several minutes as everyone present asked for the Lord’s guidance.

  Shuffling among the pews as people regained their seats was the only indication prayers had ended. The Bishop spoke again, his words the traditional reminder spoken at every Council Meet in review of the Ordnung. “I ask everyone gathered here to remember that adherence to rules and regulations does not promise us Salvation. True obedience comes from willing love, not fear of punishment. Our forefathers set us to review and ratify the Ordnung twice yearly, that better and more spiritual rules could be accepted and adopted, according to our times. As our Lord bid us in the book of Matthew, as the Prophet taught us during a period of great upheaval. But the principles of the Scripture are unchanging, now and forever.”

  A chorus of “amen” rumbled through the rooms.

  By unspoken agreement, a man moved to speak from a bench behind Levi. “I would ask about the Blattvolk.”

  Several deep throated “aye’s” sprouted among the men.

  The Bishop replied from his position at the accordion wall. “Let us ask Levi to speak, if that is agreeable to the congregation.”

  A rise of voices again, and several “aye’s.” The Bishop nodded to Levi.

  Levi rose to face his people — the men and women he had grown up with. The original decision to restrict seeking a cure from the outside had been a difficult discussion for many of the members here. Most had close loved ones who also suffered from the disorder, and the women in particular had gleams of hope in their eye during the Salt Trader’s story. They would want to know what Levi had found.

  “I must first begin with the decision I made to leave you in spite of the rules of the Ordnung. I freely confess that what I did was a prideful thing, born out of a desperation many of us have felt when it comes to our children. I asked God to work through me, to keep my son upon this earth so that he might be baptized and serve the Lord. Now, I recognize my reasons were selfish, and that I did not so much wish Josef to remain on this earth to serve God, but to stay with me. All I accomplished by leaving was lose precious weeks of time I could have spent with my son, whom God will take home when it is his time, regardless of what earthly measures I may apply.”

  Throughout the congregation, heads nodded.

  Levi forced back tears. “What I found on the Outside, though, was not what I expected. Blattvolk, Cannibals, Fosselites — I met both good and evil, deception and truth in all races. The cure I sought bore a steep price, far more than even our congregation anticipated. A price I would not have been aware of if God had not crossed my path with Peter’s lost daughter, Katie.”

  Whispers blew through the congregation like a dust devil. Brother Yonnie put a hand on Peter’s shoulder to urge him to keep his seat.

  “I will tell you all I learned of the Outside at another time, should any wish to know. Tonight we must consider how we will treat one of our own, a child who was taken from us long before her baptism into the faith, but who has been brought home like a lost lamb. Before you pray on my petition, I ask you to consider Katie’s. My own place in the congregation I leave in God’s hands, for I am unworthy to decide my fate. But Katie, and the child, Eily, who has yet to fully learn the Salvation of Chr
ist, are among us, seeking refuge. Seeking salvation. Nothing happens but by Gotte’s Wille.”

  The usually silent congregation erupted with exclamations and indignation. Bishop Eldon rose and raised his hands. “Peace, Brothers and Sisters. Peace. Levi is honest in his position, which must be considered before we can decide on an action. Let those who wish to discuss the matter in Scripture do so as the Spirit moves them.”

  Brother Yonnie popped to his feet. “I would like to put before you Article Nine of the Discipline of 1865 as amended by the Prophet. ‘It is improper for a Christian to mix the creatures of God, such as the horse and donkey, by which mules arise, because the Lord God did not create such in the beginning. Nor shall man insert the Life Pattern from one creature into one of another ilk, for God created the creatures of the earth, everything in its kind.’ The Blattvolk are an Abomination of Kind, as spoken by the Prophet, and Marked by the Beast.”

  Levi was prepared for the argument, but he knew this would be only the first of many brought against Tula. “Did not the Prophet also distinguish two Marks of the Beast? The Mark of Acceptance is given to men who choose to reject God of their own free will. But, ‘unto the children the Beast placed the Mark of Affliction, that the Earth might be deceived.’ The Beast has shrouded even its mark in deception! Does our Lord Jesus Christ not ask us to judge not on appearances, but to judge correctly?”

  Brother Amos slowly rose to his feet. “Are you sure it is not your judgment that has been clouded? Your history of carnality has been forgiven but not forgotten. You arrived at our gate half clothed, in the presence of a naked woman. Do you deny you have carnal knowledge of the Blattvolk?”

  Heat swamped Levi so intensely, a sweat broke out all over his body. Amos had seen him caress Tula from Beth’s porch. History repeated itself; he’d also stood before the Brethren when Sarah became pregnant. “I am weak and sinful, I confess. I would make right my deeds by taking Katie as wife, if her father would allow.”

  Yonnie jumped to his feet. “You cannot take an outsider as wife! Article eight of the Essingen Discipline clearly states marriage shall be only in the Lord and not with the world. The Prophet demanded we turn our backs upon the world and shut our ears to the cries of the damned. The Blattvolk, Accepted or Afflicted, bear the mark of the damned.”

  Peter, still clutching his hat, wobbled to his feet next to the deacon. “My Katie is not damned. She is Afflicted. If a child falls and scrapes a knee, even if they are at fault, do we refuse to comfort them? Let me comfort my daughter. I wish to help her rise and walk with the Lord again.”

  “Now, Brother —”

  Another man spoke from the back of the room. “Did not the Lord entreat us to give succor to our enemies? Did he not command us to feed and clothe the needy, regardless of their faith, that by our actions we may be judged righteous in the eyes of the Lord?”

  Deacon Yonnie spoke again. “The Blattvolk are a different ilk. They are abominations, ineligible for reconciliation.”

  Brother John rose and cleared his throat. “I am a sinner and unworthy of Christ’s redemption. I cannot presume to know how the Lord may find, for there is only one Lawgiver and Judge. Revelations says that our people shall be drawn from every race and tribe and language.” His words, although about himself, directed shame upon Yonnie’s prideful words.

  Yonnie glowered at Brother John. “The Blattvolk are not cannibals to be turned from their ways. They are anathema to the body, the Temple of the Holy Spirit.”

  “Who among us has been so pure as to not abuse our bodies in some way? Who has not tasted too much wine, or pushed the plow past endurance, or carelessly clipped a nail so short it bled? Are these not mistreatments of the body? I shall not cast stones. The Lord will forgive me my sins, as I forgive those who sin against me.”

  The Lord’s Prayer, so central to Old Order beliefs, held the congregation silent. Forgiveness was a core value among them, and to not offer it meant God would not offer His forgiveness on Judgment Day.

  A rustling from the women’s side of the congregation drew attention, and Levi saw Beth standing with head bowed. “Brethren, I shame myself by rising. I know I am to keep my peace. But I have met the child, the one called Eily. I feel called to give my testimony. She is small and afraid. Would we not wish mercy shown to our own children if they found themselves in a strange land? That is all.” She sat, head still bowed, her face flushed. The other women whispered in each other’s ears.

  Brother Abe rose from his seat near Levi. “I forgive the Blattvolk in my heart. I pity them their choices. Their actions can be forgiven, but not pardoned.”

  Yonnie took the opportunity to drive home his opinion. “God has sent them here to test us, Brothers and Sisters. To test our obedience to His laws. Our decision to remain clean and free of the taint of the world will prove to Him we are worthy.”

  Many heads in the congregation nodded agreement.

  Levi rose, concealing his anger by keeping his head bowed in humility. “What would Christ have done with them? Physically force them back through the gate to face their deaths? Cast them to the dogs? Jesus dined with sinners, and washed the feet of his disciples. If we do less, are we worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven?” His limbs trembled as he sat again.

  On Levi’s other side, Samuel half rose, settled back to the bench, then rose again. He did not usually speak at meetings. “Brothers and Sisters, you know I did not support my brother-in-law’s pursuit of earthly intervention for my nephew. Indeed, I was among the first to vote for his excommunication. To my shame, I acted in anger and fear. I pray to God to grant me wisdom and peace to do His will. I have met the Blattvolk, offered them respite in my home. In the time of the Prophet, we allowed the Englisch to baptize into our faith. Only two generations ago, we brought in a cannibal child, and when she came of age, she accepted the faith. Pastor John is issue of her loins. These Blattvolk cannot change what has been done to them. Does the color of their skin reflect the nature of their hearts?”

  The congregation again buzzed with whispered contemplations.

  Gatekeeper Peter rose. He looked across the congregation to meet Levi’s eye. “You have spent much time with my daughter. My Katie. Do you believe she can be moved by the Holy Spirit to accept the Salvation of Christ?”

  “I cannot speculate on the condition of another person’s soul. But I believe Katie is as worthy of salvation as any of us here.”

  Peter’s eyes glossed with tears. “I would be pleased to have you as a son.”

  A rumble of dissension swept the congregation. Levi trembled with gratitude. “What of the other one? The child not of our blood?” someone called out.

  This time Bishop Eldon answered. “‘From the lips of infants and children, He has perfected praise.’ Lepers were once shunned, and Jesus was filled with compassion and reached out His hand and healed them. This Affliction is like leprosy. I would not deny a child to learn the ways of our Lord.”

  Several “amens” floated throughout the gathering.

  “What say you, Brothers and Sisters? The hour is late. Shall we vote?”

  Everyone rose, women and men.

  “Who is in favor of allowing the Blattvolk to stay and learn the ways of Christ?”

  The room vibrated with “aye.”

  “Who would see them cast to the dogs or beyond the gate?”

  A few called “aye,” but not as many.

  The bishop sighed. “We are not in unity, then. Let us adjourn until tomorrow evening, after we have had time to pray. Let not idle gossip sway your decisions, but seek Gotte’s Wille with a true and clean heart.”

  The congregation gathered hats and headed toward the doors. Many Brothers and Sisters met Levi’s gaze and nodded. The decision wasn’t made, but his heart was filled with hope.

  Haldanian Protectorate

  Vitus leaned against the nuvoplast wall outside the Liebert Building to catch his breath. Sunrise painted long shadows along the streets, and the morning air pressed coo
l against his clammy skin. I should have ordered a skimmer. He filled his lungs and pressed on toward the duster hangar.

  Last night, Burn Ops had located an industrialized settlement northeast of the river. That had to be where Tula had gone, and he wanted to be there when they flashed the place. The Fosselites wanted Tula alive — to administer justice, they said, but Vitus wasn’t so sure. More and more he’d come to believe Kaneka had given her the longevity treatments, and they wanted the technology back.

  Not if he got there first.

  Rice still claimed she couldn’t access the data in Kaneka’s files, and Vitus’s treatments had ceased days ago. His blood samples showed the telomerase fungi were doing their job, but his own body had turned against him; his T-cells had gone rogue, attacking not only his chloroplasts but also his other cells as foreign objects. He’d been born with chloroplasts! The ripening had been bad enough. Now, he itched and ached and his eyes had become bloody and sensitive.

  He needed Tula more than the Fosselites did, and he intended to be there when Burn Ops found her. He’d even put up a reward to assure they would bring Tula to him before releasing her to the Fosselites. The need to take her alive soured his stomach. He’d have loved to see her burn.

  At the hangar, a duster was preparing for takeoff. He’d requisitioned his treatment team to accompany him, in case Tula needed their attention when they found her. The men met him on the tarmac, carrying medical cases. Jules put a hand on his elbow to help him and Vitus shrugged him off. “Get in the duster,” he growled.

  As he attempted to hoist himself into the vehicle, he regretted refusing the man’s help. His beads tangled on the door latch and he fumbled to free it, nearly toppling back onto the pavement. Heart racing from the exertion, he regained his balance and his dignity, and said, “Pilot, take us up immed —” He stuttered to a halt at the sight of Tula’s mongrel boyfriend. “I thought you’d been removed from burn duty.”

  The Burn Supervisor huffed up into the cabin to address Vitus. “Sir, this is only scheduled as a QC run.”