“Goodnight, Rodney.”
Back at the hotel, Rodney debriefed with his three friends. Pete had recovered from his funk and kept his drinking under control. He laughed hysterically at Rodney’s story of the miraculous resuscitation of the Major. With Pete laughing face-down on the table in Rodney’s hotel room, it seemed even funnier to Rodney than it had at the time. In this friendly company, he laughed more freely, stoked by relief that he didn’t have to fight his way out of that bunker.
Will, on the other hand, brought them both down. “Okay, guys, it seems funny, until you think about how those people are gonna look at Rodney now. The people I met were all paranoid. I’m sure some of Rodney’s friends are gonna hold it against him, no matter how stupid that sounds to us.”
Rodney sobered up. “You may be right, but what can they do? I’m not really worried about them.”
Sara was not so confident. “The couple I had dinner with convinced me that there is some kind of insanity loose among these people. It’s like a self-imposed blindness.”
Rodney didn’t feel convinced. “You know, they seem to be trying to be insane, opposing an unstoppable force, but I don’t think they can really keep it up. You should have seen their faces when the immortals saved that guy’s life. They looked like lost children.”
For once Pete agreed with Rodney. “I think you’re onto something there, man. The folks I talked to seemed like they were really struggling to try to fit the immortals into the same mold as the Dictator. I liked what Rodney said about them still fighting the last war. They have no clue what to do with this new war of theirs, so they’re just going through the old motions.”
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea for us to stay together from now on, just in case,” Will said. “Just in case they do try something.”
Rodney smiled. “You gonna be my bodyguards?” He joked. “Emma will love you for that.”
Sara asked, “Did you speak to her tonight?”
Rodney told them all about his conversation with Emma, including the big news. High fives and handshakes gave way to questions. “Should I assume you both wanted to have kids?” Sara asked.
“That’s a funny thing,” Rodney said. “We didn’t discuss it seriously ‘cause Emma couldn’t have any more kids, that is, until my son and daughter visited. Olivia wrapped her arms around Emma and healed her so she could have kids. Then we kinda lost sight of the implications of that, with so many other things going on. I guess we only half believed it was real. Now we know it’s real and we’re both happy. Personally, I’m feeling pretty good about bringing a child into this new world, even if this congress can’t get it together.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The third day of the congress dawned cloudy, but the clouds parted after arranging an orange and purple sunrise, and the day turned warm and bright. When Rodney, Pete, Sara and Will walked out of the hotel, none of them wore hats, an unthinkable choice a year ago, with the faltering ozone layer and extreme UV conditions on most days. Just as they healed bellies, hearts and hands, the immortals seemed to be healing the globe. Rodney recalled the report he heard the night before that cited the concentration of the immortals around dead zones such as bombed cities.
Sara seemed doubtful. “Do you think they can actually clean up cities reduced to rubble?”
Rodney shook his head, Pete and Will both showed their bafflement.
Sara continued. “But that would fit with everything we’ve seen of them helping with agriculture and with government. They do seem to be trying to put the planet back together.”
Self-conscious of the radical split at the congress, they all toned down the conversation as they overtook two delegates headed into the Civic Center. A short and stocky woman with tight braids was speaking passionately to a middle-aged man with a round and friendly face.
The woman turned down her volume as they approached and then looked up at them, over her shoulder. She slowed down and looked Sara in the eyes. “You folks aren’t any of those Jerusalem haters, are you?”
Sara, caught off guard by the direct question, hesitated, but Rodney came to her aid.
“No ma’am, we definitely are not. We were just discussing the way the immortals seem to be fixing up the whole planet,” he said.
The little woman stopped walking and looked hard at Rodney. “Well, it’s good to see a big strong man who isn’t afraid to put down his weapons and trust someone else to take charge. It seems to me that they couldn’t do as bad a job as we’ve done in ruling this place.”
Rodney nodded and Sara found her voice.
“You know, we’re doing it again in this congress. We regular humans have such a poor record when it comes to wise and sensible government,” she said.
“Umhm, isn’t that the truth?” replied the woman.
Pete stepped in and made introductions. The woman’s name was Pearl Watkins, representing Memphis, Tennessee, and her fellow delegate was Jesus Ramirez from Charlotte, North Carolina.
After formalizing their acquaintance, Jesus spoke up. “I’m thinking that the only thing that we should be doing is arranging a way for us to communicate with the ‘immortals,’ as you called them, so that we can cooperate with the work they’re doing. I think that should be our role and I would be very happy to take part in that kind of government. But, if we are trying to form a government without them, or against them, then I want no part of such foolishness.”
Will, the most seasoned politician of the group from Iowa, said, “Well, that makes six votes right here in this little group. How many delegates are there?”
The organizers had reported a total number of six hundred and sixty delegates, many of the invited delegates not attending. These six, out of six hundred, seemed a very small drop, but Pete was in good spirits that morning and sought to boost his companions, as well.
“It’s a start, anyway. I think it’s time for us to see how widespread our ideas are among the folks gathered here. Who’s gonna keep track of the votes?” Pete asked.
Pearl volunteered to be the contact person and the other five agreed to direct people to her, or to collect names and report them to Pearl. They also agreed to keep this effort low key for now, given the uncertainty regarding how their opponents might respond to any list of delegates sympathetic to Jerusalem.
This last note, spoken by Rodney, sobered them all. He was feeling protective of the compact and confident woman from Memphis, admiring her determination, but not wanting her to be a target. He said nothing more on the subject, but intended to keep his eyes on Pearl, whenever possible. As a military tactician, he calculated that all he had to do in response to violence was to hold off an attacker until the immortals intervened, though he wasn’t absolutely sure whether they would violate their exclusion from the congress in order to protect the delegates.
The six delegates sat in the same section, where Pearl connected with a handful of Tennesseans whom she knew to be sympathetic. Jesus, after establishing his seat, went off to find other Hispanic delegates who would be sympathetic. Will, who spoke perfect Spanish, asked to go along. The two men left together, chatting about bilingualism. Rodney felt much better about the Congress, in the context of gathering like-minded folks, than he had the day before. He gladly surrendered his role as spy, though he had made a deeper foray into the world of the opposition than any of the others could. He looked across the auditorium toward his seat from yesterday and tried to spot Major Maxwell, still curious how he fared after the heart attack and healing. But he couldn’t see him in the mix before the gavel brought the meeting to order. He did recognize General Hardesty in that section, answering his question, in part, regarding the connection between the congress and that covert meeting.
That day began a string of days, which later faded together in the memories of Rodney and his friends. To the frustration of the organizers and those who wanted an independent American government, the gathering stalled over the issue of how to relate to the ruler in Jerusalem. Because this discus
sion would determine everything else they might decide, the majority of the delegates repeatedly voted to continue the debate. However, the extremes on both sides merely dug in deeper, as the middle grew wider. After six days of debate, repeated votes indicated that a small majority now congregated in the political center, neither spoiling for war against Jerusalem, nor ready to concede sovereignty over local and national affairs to the ruler on the throne.
None of the delegates had ever covered this situation in civics lessons at school. Invasion by a hostile dictator fit well into the history of the defense of American sovereignty, but no one had studied how to integrate their notion of democracy with genuine theocracy. Then, on the tenth day of the gathering, nearly a hundred delegates dramatically walked out, vowing to fight the ruler in Jerusalem and all who submitted to his reign.
Rodney, like many others, expected something like this, but their threats as they departed created a new agenda item for the remaining delegates. When the congress began, even hardcore opponents to Jerusalem had appealed for unity among the humans, whom Rodney preferred to call “mortals.” Turning their violent threats now on fellow mortals, the rebels altered the equation. Violence against the immortals had proven ridiculous, but violence against other mortal humans presented a danger the delegates had not yet discussed.
Day eleven of the Congress opened with the question of how to defend against the extremists, who would invariably see any cooperation with Jerusalem as grounds for violent retribution. In the intervening days, Pearl’s list of delegates who endorsed total cooperation with Jerusalem, had grown to over one hundred and twenty names. The resulting caucus adopted the name “Pearl’s List.” With this collected clout, the list gained a place on the agenda for the eleventh day. Rodney, because of his military background, was chosen to speak on their behalf.
Because of his strong opinion on the subject, as well as his experiences with the immortals, Rodney didn’t argue against his selection. But he did solicit input from a dozen other delegates on the list, in preparation. His opportunity came just before the supper break.
After his introduction by the newly elected President of the Congress, Rodney stepped to the microphone behind the podium. For the occasion, he had donned the only suit coat he owned. He looked over the gathered delegates and glanced at his notes, licking his lips, which had become unnaturally dry.
“My fellow delegates,” he said. “As we have heard from a number of speakers today, we face an unprecedented security challenge. I propose, however, that the uniqueness of the situation is no reason for us to fear, rather it is reason for us to formalize our relationship with the throne in Jerusalem and its locally appointed representatives.”
“Again, as others have observed, the Jerusalem people have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to disable both firearms and explosives. I agree that this implies their capacity, and their intention, to disable all forms of weaponry, no matter who uses them and for what cause they are used. In other words, our weapons of defense should not be considered exempt from their intervention, just because we are not openly antagonistic toward the throne. I believe the Jerusalem regime is not interested in us harming our opponents, even in self-defense. I believe their intention is for us to rely on them for protection, instead.”
“From my experience of the interventions of the immortals, relying on them for our defense is more effective than attempting to defend ourselves. I expect that inviting their protection would conform to their already-intended role on our behalf. I also believe that openly inviting their intervention on our behalf should be seen as part of our overall decision to cooperate with their government right here in our towns and over the entire continent.”
The murmur of delegates uncomfortable with this last conclusion, slowed Rodney, for a moment. He gathered his wits and spoke more spontaneously.
“I’ve been in war. I’ve risked my life for my country and my family. The circumstances of the last war convinced me that fighting offered a real chance to free us from the reign of a dictator that I could never cooperate with. Cooperating with the current global regime is a completely different situation. This unprecedented situation, of dealing with a ruler that is not subject to the same human limitations as every other human ruler we’ve faced in the past, requires thinking completely differently about this.
“If we seek to hold them at arm’s length, insisting on our own sovereignty, we make the same mistake as the extremists who are right now preparing to fight against people that cannot be killed. It is not only folly to try to kill them, it is folly to try to govern our country without them. I believe they are going to govern whether we choose to cooperate or not. It would be to our benefit to work with them, instead of against them, either actively or passively.”
Rodney took a deep breath. He felt as if he was rambling, but he also felt that he had made his point, so he ended his speech. “Thank you for your attention.” He concluded his statement with a bowed head and a sigh.
As he turned to walk away from the podium, the majority of delegates rose to their feet and applauded, a few even shouting their support. The President stepped up to shake his hand. She leaned forward and spoke into his ear. “I want you to consider a role in a national government, if we can form an administration working in cooperation with Jerusalem.”
Rodney looked into the eyes of the attractive, savvy politician and wondered how he could fit into a traditional political office. “If we’re willing to do this in a whole new way, that really fits with the rule of the one on the throne in Jerusalem, I’ll be willing to consider it,” he said.
She looked at him with a smile and seemed to read his mind. “You’d want to stay in Iowa, I suppose.”
Rodney smiled. She was good. He nodded, shook her hand again and headed off the stage.
That evening, at dinner, countless delegates stopped by their table to congratulate Rodney and to affirm his message. Sara, Pete and Will teased him a bit, but Rodney remained genuinely baffled at why his stumbling, and common sense, speech received such a strong response.
Pearl answered his question. “It’s like I said when I first met you, it’s nice to see a military man who’s willing to put down his gun when there’s no more use for it. You’ve done that and more. They’re all saying, ‘it’s about time someone said the obvious,’ and you’re a credible voice to say it.”
Rodney liked Pearl, another politician that he felt he could trust. He smiled and thanked her for the compliments and the clarification.
From the informal discussions around the dinner table, along the bar and in the hallways and rooms of the hotel, Rodney and his friends gained confidence that a vote in the congress the next morning would align the new government with Jerusalem in a formal, long-term commitment. The excitement among the delegates grew as sleepless delirium increased. Rodney began to feel apprehensive about closing in on such a momentous goal. On a practical level, such a vote would signal that he could go home soon, but tactically, such a resolution seemed likely to bring a sharp, and violent, response from the conspirators in the underground bunker and the delegates who had abandoned the congress. As usual, Rodney constrained euphoria by looking ahead to the likely backlash against its inspiration.
The majority of delegates staggered into the morning session weighed down by the previous late night, but the resolve that had peaked the previous night had maintained momentum. After procedural measures required for a legislative body of that size, the President called for a vote on a declaration that the newly formed government of America would operate in close cooperation with the throne in Jerusalem, avoiding mentioning the name of the one on the throne, or explicitly declaring the meaning and origin of that reign. By rule, such a measure would have to receive two-thirds of the votes and be voted on by more than three quarters of the delegates.
Counting the delegates present, followed by a discussion regarding invited delegates who had never attended the congress, leadership concluded that a sufficient number of dele
gates were present to take the vote. Each delegate registered their presence by means of a small electronic clicker, operating on a wireless computer network and authenticated biologically by the delegates’ DNA. To Rodney, registering his vote on such an historical question by simply clicking a button on a small plastic device, seemed somehow irreverent. He wanted to stand up and shout “yea,” when the President called his name. Will pointed out that this was an option and offered to call for a voice vote. But Rodney stalled at that option, explaining that his feeling was visceral and not political.
Finally, the President called the meeting to order and proposed a vote on whether the main question should be decided by a roll call vote. The roll call vote won. Will smacked Rodney on the back, declaring, “You may not want to admit it, but you have great political instincts.” In earlier days, from someone else’s mouth, those words would have seemed an insult to Rodney. However, he harbored no regret about the kind of political decision he was about to make and forgave Will for bestowing the dubious honor.
Of the five hundred and eighteen delegates present, three hundred and forty-six would have to affirm the proposal. Rodney thought that seemed like a lot of votes, but Sara reassured him that what they had seen after his speech yesterday was certainly the support of more than two thirds of the delegates, assuming applause translated to votes.
Before the vote, the President of the congress sought to persuade some of the doubtful, by assuring them that this single vote did not determine the outcome of every question that would follow. The new national government would still be able to decide point-by-point how to apply their declaration of cooperation. Her well-spoken, and expertly measured, statement solidified the vote. As delegates’ names were called, Rodney kept a mental count, checking simply that he heard two yeas for every nay. Pearl, in the row in front of him, checked off each of the people on her list, which had grown to over one hundred and eighty. She seemed to be getting one hundred percent consistency among those delegates whom they expected to vote “yes.”
The REIGN: Out of Tribulation Page 30
