Celestial Kingdom

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Celestial Kingdom Page 18

by Stan Mason


  ‘That may be so,’ returned his protector, ‘but it’s his privilege to demand more.’

  ‘More!’ The messenger almost lost his voice in amazement. ‘What more can he want of me? I’ve given him my self, my life, everything I have and own!’

  ‘Not quite. He wants to be certain of the extent of your commitment to him.’

  ‘Extent!’ He seemed puzzled by the remark. ‘I’m committed one hundred per cent but how can I prove it to him when he’s so against me?’

  Xantha Vesta paused for a moment before she let him know what was in her mind. ‘By sacrifice!’ she uttered in a low tone. ‘He wants you to make a sacrifice to him.’

  The messenger stared at her thoughtfully. ‘What sort of sacrifice? Food, fruit, flowers, songs?’

  ‘It’s a little more serious than that,’ confessed the Goddess of Love solemnly.

  The messenger experienced an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He knew that he was going to hear something he disliked intensely. ‘What does he want?’

  A real sacrifice... a blood sacrifice!’ The words seemed to echo around the small room until silence prevailed.

  Warrior’s eyes opened wide at her words. Suddenly the tiredness left his body as his blood ran cold with fear. ‘You’re kidding of course!’ he managed to utter. ‘People don’t do that sort of thing these days. It went out with the ancient Romans, the Aztecs and the Incas.’

  She shrugged her shoulders as if helpless in the matter. ‘The Gods are serious,’ she told him with an element of sadness in her eyes, ‘especially Magester. When he issues an edict, it’s always obeyed.’

  Warrior leaned back on the cooker and puffed out his cheeks. The situation had become impossible... unbearable! A host of thoughts gathered in his mind regarding the implication of such an action. How could he sacrifice another person to the Gods. It was an unreasonable request to make to anyone in this modern day and age. If he were caught in the act... and he presumed that he would be... he would be charged with murder, branded as a lunatic and sent to prison for life. It was too horrendous to contemplate!

  ‘Who am I supposed to kill?’ he enquired irately. ‘You tell me that!’ He began to lose his temper and stuck the kettle with the back of his hand. ‘What’s the point? At the end of the day, what really is the point? If I took someone’s life, the police would arrest me and I wouldn’t be able to continue my work for the Gods. Is that what Magester really wants? You tell him from me... ‘

  ‘I’m not the one to tell him anything,’ she interrupted firmly. ‘In the words of your language, he’s the boss. What he says goes.’

  ‘So what am I to do?’ asked the messenger in desperation. ‘Find someone in the street? Bring them back here and slaughter them in cold blood?’

  She paused for a moment as if the next sentence was going to be difficult for him to comprehend. ‘There’s one person he already has in mind.’

  ‘And who may that be?’ His mind flitted to his wife. She was the most likely candidate for sacrifice. He wondered momentarily how he would deal with his children as he would certainly have to look after them following her demise.

  ‘The one he wants you to sacrifice already lives here with you. It’s your mistress.’

  Warrior began to cough loudly as saliva caught in his throat. ‘Rebecca!’ he uttered in shock. ‘He wants me to sacrifice Rebecca!’

  ‘It’s not as bad as you think,’ she went on.

  ‘Oh really!’ he spat. ‘How do you make that out?’

  ‘Because you won’t have to use a knife to kill her. I can take her back with me to the Valley of the Souls. She’ll feel no pain. She won’t feel anything at all.’

  He stared at his protector with suspicion clouding his eyes. ‘Why do I get this feeling that it’s all in your plan? It’s got nothing to do with Magester, has it?’

  She stared at him with a horrified expression on her face although he believed it to be an act. ‘How can you say a thing like that? Surely you don’t doubt the word of a Goddess!’

  He smiled grimly. ‘It’s because you can’t stand me making love to another woman, isn’t it?’ he told her arrogantly. ‘You decided to get rid of her and this is the only plausible way of doing it as far as you’re concerned.’

  ‘I come only as a messenger,’ she said simply unperturbed by his outburst. ‘I do the bidding of the Gods to those I protect... and I protect you.’

  ‘All right,’ he continued. ‘Let’s say you’ve been telling me the truth. Why does Magester want me to make this sacrifice?’

  ‘I told you. To establish commitment.’

  ‘But he already has it in the work I do for him! I don’t understand why he needs to take Rebecca away from me. She supports the cause... she helps the Gods! Why take her?

  ‘It’s the edict of the ruler of the Gods. Let me take her with me and settle the matter once and for all.’

  The messenger plugged in the electric kettle to boil the water. He really needed something stronger to drink than tea or coffee. The proposition was something he could never have envisaged. Rebecca was very dear to him. Before the incident with Sheila and the appearance of Xantha Vesta, they had been exceedingly amorous with each other, enjoying the love they shared together passionately and intensely. Although the situation had change somewhat since Sheila’s revelation that he had seduced her, he knew that, in time, they would return to each other’s arms. She was his mainstay in the cause, supporting him to the full, and he felt aggrieved that the ruler of the Gods wanted him to sacrifice her at whim. He was suddenly surprised to realise how cruel the Gods could be. It wasn’t as though he had failed in his quest to get people to pray to them. Quite the reverse... he had been exceedingly successful. Then he thought about the aspect of jealousy. Thee was almost certainly a Goddess of Jealousy. She had to have a hand in it. But that was beyond his control. So what should he do... remain loyal to his mistress or give his allegiance to the Gods? There could never really be a choice between the will of a human-being and that of the deity. But how would his life continue without his beloved Rebecca if he sacrificed her? He would be devastated, angry at her absence, alone, and furious with his conscience for agreeing to let her go. Yet, if he denied the Gods, he would bring the celestial kingdom crashing down on top of him. His life would not be worth living and he would lose the protection of the Goddess of Love. In effect, he would be sacrificing his own life if he refused to sacrifice his mistress!

  ‘Couldn’t I give up one of my henchmen?’ he suggested, searching for an easier solution. ‘Maidley or Guildenstern would gladly give up their lives.’

  ‘That’s what you would prefer, she replied smoothly, ‘but that’s not what Magester wants. He demands that you sacrifice your mistress.’

  ‘And where does that leave us... you and me?’

  ‘I am the Goddess of Love,’ she replied coolly. ‘I shall love you always. All you have to do is to think of my name and I shall come to you. What more do you want?’

  He pressed his lips together deeply in thought. He knew that he had to give up Rebecca but he refused to allow the words to escape from his lips. He was literally ending the life of his lover which was far from anything that he wanted. The kettle started to hum as the water began to boil and he focussed his mind on it.

  ‘I’m waiting for your reply,’ she ventured eager to settle the matter. ‘What do you say?’

  ‘You say the process is absolutely painless,’ he remarked in need of confirmation.

  ‘She will not feel a thing.’

  At that moment, the door opened and Rebecca peered inside. ‘What’s going on, Stephen?’ she asked with a puzzled expression on her tired face. ‘Who are you talking to?’ As she entered the room, she stepped back in surprise at the sight of Xantha Vesta. ‘Who are you?’ she demanded, believing that her lover was involved sexually with ye
t another woman.

  ‘It’s not important,’ replied the Goddess of Love. She raised her arm and pointed her finger at the woman.

  ‘No!’ shouted Warrior at the top of his voice realising what was going to happen. The last thing he wanted was the burned body of his lover in the house.

  ‘I wasn’t going to torch her,’ explained the Goddess smoothly. ‘I simply wanted to put her in a trance.’

  The messenger heaved a sigh of relief and puffed out his cheeks. ‘I thought she was a goner for a moment.’

  ‘What’s going on here?’ demanded Rebecca more forcefully. ‘Who is this woman?’

  ‘It’s a bit hard to explain,’ began Warrior, wondering how to relate the story to his mistress. How could he tell her about himself and the Goddess of Love? How could he explain to her that she was about to be sacrificed... that she would lose her life and disappear from the world for ever? He wanted to ask his protector what happened to people when the went to the Valley of the Souls but it was too late. Rebecca was in the room with them and he was determined to keep her sacrifice a secret. His expedience with domestic matters was always poor and he felt ashamed of himself for what he was going to do.

  ‘I’m sorry, Rebecca,’ he told her. ‘But I have to agree to Magester’s terms.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ she asked hesitantly. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘And you never will,’ he continued. ‘I’m very sorry.’ He turned to Xantha Vesta. ‘Okay... I agree with your suggestion.’

  Warrior had intended to take his lover in his arms to kiss her passionately for the last time but he was not afforded the opportunity. Immediately on his agreement, the Goddess of Love smiled at him and, in an instant, both she and Rebecca were gone. At that moment, the kettle began to scream as the water boiled up inside it and he turned the switch off on the electric cooker. Hopefully, this was all a dream and he would wake up to find Rebecca still there. He went into the bedroom and stared at the empty bed. Rebecca wasn’t there. Suddenly he was forced to face the truth. He had sacrificed his lover for no real reason... just to satisfy the whim of the ruler of the Gods. Whatever the reason, he was now alone in the world without his wife... without his mistress! It was a sad situation for him to dwell upon in the future!

  ***

  Warrior felt aggrieved at the loss of Rebecca but there was little that he could do about it. An order from the ruler of the Gods had to be obeyed. At first he began to make up a series of stories in his mind to offer reasons for Rebecca’s disappearance. They would be asking questions and he had to be prepared. He could tell them she had left him to visit her mother who was ill or that she had walked out as a result of his betrayal of her with his wife. Perhaps they would accept that she became disillusioned with his cause or that she simply tired of him and left. Whatever story he decided to tell them, he felt a sense of humiliation flood through him by allowing her to be taken as a sacrifice to the Gods.

  On this particular day, as he arrived at the television network studio, for his final appearance, the fate of Rebecca became the last thing on his mind. The hour in which the programme would be broadcast was going to be a solid test of his imagination and expertise. It would be necessary to think fast on his feet if he was going to survive, at the same time making an impact. More importantly was to avoid being made to look third-rate or having the ground from taken under him. He had to do something to get his message across under the weight of opposition and suddenly a great idea formed in his mind on how he was going to do it.

  He entered through the portals of the grand building but decided not to go to the make-up studio as he had done before. He went directly to the curtain behind the set and stood there nervously waiting for the other guests to arrive. Technicians milled around him like a swarm of flies, connecting the cameras and other equipment. Once again, the studio became a hive of activity with people moving in all directions, calling out to each other in technical terms. As he began to tire of the sounds, Brendan Moses appeared beside him.

  ’Don’t forget what I told you,’ he reminded the messenger.

  ’I’m ready.’ returned Warrior amiably. ’You’ll see a great show this evening. I promise you. Wait for the ending. That’s all I have to say. Wait for the ending!’

  The tracer nodded sagely. ’I look forward to it.’

  ‘It’s all about filibustering and irrelevancies. If I can carry off those two features, I’m home and dry.’

  ‘By the way,’ continued Moses dryly. ‘I saw Raalatar, the God of Communications, last night. I asked for his help and he came to me... in a vision of course.’

  ‘It’s quite an experience,’ related Warrior.

  ‘It frightened the life out of me at first but I now have him as my protector.’

  He fell silent as they were joined by Trevor-Edwards who had just left the make-up room.

  ‘You look a bit white around the gills,’ he told the messenger, staring at his face.

  ‘I’m not going to make-up,’ he returned flatly. ‘I’m going natural style this evening.’

  The presenter shrugged his shoulders. ‘Well you know the drill by now,’ he said grimly. ‘I don’t have to tell you. Are you ready for a good performance? It should be interesting. We have a bishop and two senior members of the church. ‘You’ll have a tough fight on your hands.’

  ‘So I understand,’ retorted Warrior, glancing briefly at Brendan Moses. ‘I’m expecting it to be hot and I’m ready for it.’

  Trevor-Edwards appeared disconcerted by the remark. He had planned to spring a reversal of support, as instructed by the sponsors, He recognised that if Warrior knew that fact, he would take alternative action which would be difficult for him. In truth, the man was simply boasting in ignorance. He would be shown the whip and bear the scars afterwards!

  The three other participants in the programme soon appeared on the set. They were all dressed in clerical garb in an attempt to make Warrior, exposing ‘Hubba-Hubba’ on his T-shirt look rather ridiculous. Eventually, the red light went on the camera and the presenter introduce the programme in the usual manner. However, on this occasion, instead of being called at the beginning of the programme, the messenger was left until last. It suited him well. The bishop and his two colleagues ranted on with their views on religion pointing out to the viewers the importance of a single God and of Jesus Christ. In between, they denigrated the messenger and all belief in the existence of the Gods and Goddesses in the celestial kingdom. Warrior glanced at his wristwatch as they cantered on. Fifteen minutes had passed, the first advertising commercials were displayed, and it was only after that when Trevor-Edwards brought him into the picture.

  ‘If you believe all that these guys are saying,’ he began casually, looking directly into the lens of the camera, and ultimately to almost twelve million viewers, ‘you’ll believe anything. What they have told you, if you’ll pardon the expression, is a load of crap! They dare insist there is only one God and that Jesus Christ is his son! How do they come to that conclusion? It doesn’t make sense! By their reckoning, God is supposed to be an omnipotent entity. So how come that the prophet Jesus is no long the son of Joseph and Mary but his son? I can only imagine by a long stretch of the imagination that it’s symbolic. Not true but symbolic. And you’re supposed to believe in it. On the last programme, I was asked to produce proof of my message. Well I ask them to produce proof that there is only a single God and the Jesus Christ is his son. Can they do it? No they can’t, so why do they say I’m not right about the many Gods and Goddesses int eh celestial kingdom. They are bigots who influence the people into something that’s not true and not real. And what do you all do? You go along with it. You’ve never seen God because he doesn’t exist. The world’s in chaos, because he’s not there to do anything about it. Wake yourselves up to the fact that you’re being fooled. Some people recognise the truth... a lot of them
do. They don’t go to church any more. They realise the futility of praying to one God who never listens to them. They are without the protections of the Gods, that’s why... because they don’t pray to them.’

  By this time he began to get a grip on the audience with sensible rhetoric, refusing to allow anyone else cut in with his filibuster event though they tried to do so.

  Let’s face a few facts,’ he went on unabated. ‘The church is one of the richest institutions in the country but what does it do with its sizeable investments... oh yes, it has sizeable investments in stocks and shares and on the money markets... as well as an enormous property portfolio. I’ll tell you what it does. It leaves its churches to rot. It begs from the people to raise funds for restoration of roofs and other repairs. Why should it use its own money for that purpose when their congregations are fool enough to pay up to have it done. It begs poverty when it’s really affluent. I can take you to two of them in this locality right now. They’ve been empty for years and the graves in the cemetery are covered with grass and weeds. Many churches have to fund themselves with poverty-stricken vicars and volunteers while the church lets it investment and property portfolio rise each year. What a way to run a religion impressing on the public that there is only one God! A recent survey showed that the number of people going to church has decreased considerably over the past twenty years. Is it any surprise? The people are being to wake up. Do you think that change cannot take place? Let me remind you of the Russian revolution in 1917. After that had taken place they forsook their faith in a single God and turned to atheism. Now the country has changed its policy the people are in a state of flux with regard to religion. They need to recognise the spiritual existence of the Gods and Goddesses in the celestial kingdom and obtain their protection. But they did not do so and therefore they laid themselves wide open to catastrophe. Look what happened to them! The U.S.S,R not longer exists. It has been broken up into a number of different countries such as Russia, the Ukraine, Belarus, Chechnia, and other smaller ones. They lost the protection and so will you if you don’t pray to them!’

 

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