Master Potter

by Jill Austin

  Enraged, Enchanter grabs her by her shoulders, shaking her violently. He stuns the crowd as he strikes her across the face. “Shut up! No one is going to ruin our family’s reputation, least of all a little whore like you.”

  Pastor Beguiler gives his son a disapproving look before turning to the people. “Don’t be shocked at the display of raw emotion by my son. He’s been terribly betrayed and deceived by this woman. I’ve called you here to discuss this situation because it affects the entire commune.”

  “As you know, my son found this woman wandering in the wilderness. We took her in and treated her like a member of our family. After just a few weeks, she managed to seduce him as many of you suspected. She claimed my son was the father of her child, Purity.”

  Beloved can see her daughter being restrained by the elders. She searches Purity’s little face for reactions to the awful lies of her grandfather. Heartbroken, Beloved strains to make herself heard.

  “He is your father! Don’t believe those lies, Purity.”

  “Unfortunately we know that’s not the truth,” counters Beguiler. Holding up the file, he tells them, “I have proof right here of her character and what she did before she came to our community.

  “She lived over the mountains in the seaside village of Comfort Cove, the daughter of the town drunk. She worked at Madam False Destiny’s Inn. Madam is a splendid and upright woman, whom I happen to know personally.

  “She loved Beloved like a daughter, and took her in out of the cold, just like we did. Beloved used the cover of her establishment for a prostitution ring in order to seduce the most wealthy and influential men of the community.

  “In addition to being a whore, she’s also a thief. Madam was shocked to discover her family heirloom jewelry had been stolen by none other than our own little Beloved.”

  THE CROWD TURNS AGAINST HER

  The crowd of sympathetic faces turn to frozen glares as Pastor Beguiler weaves his evil web of lies. A blanket of demonic energy charges them as they look at Beloved and remember how she came into their community and so quickly married into the Beguiler family. Long-buried jealousy and envy rise to the surface. Beloved had achieved wealth and prominence so effortlessly—the very things they work so hard for, but never achieve. Their frozen glares shift to angry accusation.

  Beloved’s emotions are ragged. Panic sets in as she realizes she’s lost whatever sympathy the crowd had for her. “Don’t listen to him. I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it.” She drops to her knees, overwhelmed by her inability to counter Beguiler’s lies.

  “They found the jewelry hidden in Beloved’s bedroom. Out of the goodness of her heart, Madam decided not to press charges, but this sad story doesn’t end there.”

  Pastor Beguiler now points his finger at Beloved. “If that weren’t bad enough, Madam told me confidentially how Beloved tried to seduce even the fine mayor of Comfort Cove. She threatened to ruin his reputation if he did not leave his wife.”

  Anger boils through the crowd as they shout their responses to his words. “I always suspected something was wrong with her.”

  “She came in here so haughty and seduced Enchanter right under our eyes!”

  “She never really fit in; she was always holier than thou.”

  “Well, I’m not surprised; I always said she was no good.”

  GUILTY AS CHARGED!

  “That’s right,” Beguiler continues. “My poor, inexperienced son didn’t have a chance against such a seductress! He never suspected the truth of her past until I revealed it to him. And, oh, it broke his poor heart in two. By then it was too late, but he decided to make the best of it. God only knows how hard he has struggled to make this marriage work. I don’t believe she knows who the father of this child really is.”

  Beloved rallies her emotional and physical energy for one last defense. “I wasn’t pregnant when I came here. Enchanter seduced me just as he did Harmony the other night. Please believe me. Why do you think they sent her away? I made some mistakes, but everybody has and that was before I met Master Potter. I’m not the kind of person they say I am. I’ve lived here for ten years; you know me.”

  Sensing some of the people have remained sympathetic toward her, Beguiler continues, “Sent Harmony away? That’s ridiculous! Just ask her father, Elder Self-Righteous. She was accepted at the prestigious music academy in Comfort Cove and will just be gone for a year or two.”

  The senior Beguiler goes in for the kill. “She hasn’t changed! She’s always had a hidden life. She wasn’t satisfied with just Enchanter! When my wife was away Beloved actually tried to seduce me. I threw her out of our home, and now you must throw her out of this good community so that her poison cannot infect anyone else.”

  Beloved’s tears won’t stop. She buries her face in her hands, realizing that she cannot unseat the Beguiler’s satanic grip on the community.

  A gray-haired elder steps up and continues, “She’s like a foul disease that will contaminate our young sons. She’ll not rest until she’s gone after all your husbands. We have righteous laws concerning this kind of behavior. We must not chance the wrath of God on our fine community. We must enforce His holy commandments.”

  STONE HER!

  A gasp ripples through the crowd as dark demonic spirits stir the listeners into a state of rage. Several women close to Beloved yell, “Stone her! She’s unclean! No family is safe with the likes of her around!”

  “Take her to the Field of Blood and stone her.”

  Pushing and shoving, the crowd turns into a frenzied mob hungry for blood.

  Breaking free, little Purity runs into her mother’s arms, sobbing, “Stop it! You’re hurting my mommy!” Beloved flings her arms around Purity, who buries her head on her mother’s chest.

  Beguiler throws more fuel on the fire. “Enchanter was determined to give Purity our name. But, she’s not a Beguiler! Our blood does not run through her veins. Throw her out with her mother!”

  Dark, vile spirits move among the crowd inciting them into a hostile mob. The crowd rushes in, pushing them to the outskirts of the commune, shouting, “Bad blood is bad blood! She may be only ten years old, but soon she’ll be just like her mother.”

  The crowd throws rocks at the two figures but Valiant deflects most of them. They struggle free from the mob and run. “Mommy, why are they hurting us? I’m afraid.”

  “It’s going to be alright. Master Potter will help us. Just keep running!”

  One large stone hurls through the air and strikes Beloved’s head. Stumbling, she pulls Purity down with her. Beloved throws herself over her daughter as the angry crowd surrounds them, pummeling Beloved with their stones. Her head is bleeding and she can feel bruises forming on her body and face. Pleading, she yells, “Please, don’t hurt my little girl. She has done nothing to you.”

  The silhouetted figure of Pastor Beguiler stands over them gloating. Beloved tries to get hold of her emotions. “Please, please, please,” she begs, “just give me Crusader and we’ll go.”

  Sensing the sympathy of the crowd beginning to shift toward Purity, Beguiler shouts, “I wouldn’t think of letting the children die with you in the wilderness. Leaning close to Beloved he whispers, “Purity will make a fine servant in my home. Of course, I’m changing her name to Promiscuous.”

  Yanking Beloved to her feet, he shoves her into the restraining arms of Elder Self-Righteous as he rips Purity out of her grasp. He orders his elders to take the now hysterical little girl back to his tent.

  Fighting to get free, Beloved screams, “Never forget, your name is Purity! It’s Purity! I love you.”

  Enchanter pushes through the crowd with eight-year-old Crusader, forcing him to look at his now dirty, disheveled and bleeding mother. “Son, I don’t want you to ever forget what you’re seeing today. This is what a whore looks like and this is what the Holy Scriptures tell us we must do to whores. Your mother has brought shame to the family. I know it’s painful to lose her and this might seem cruel, but you will und
erstand when you get older.”

  Looking into the pale, expressionless face of her son, Beloved feels her heart rend in two. “Son, please don’t believe them! I’m innocent! I didn’t do the terrible things they’re accusing me of. Please, Crusader….”

  Crusader looks at her blankly for another moment before Enchanter grabs his hand and disappears into the mob.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED!

  Beloved fights back with all her strength as Beguiler pulls her small bruised frame into his vise-like grip. One of the elders yells, “Silence!” Raising his other hand, he motions to the mob to stand back.

  The oppressive atmosphere suddenly fills with a foreboding stench. Beloved battles to get away as the dark, grotesque, disfigured face of Death emerges before her horrified eyes. Pastor Beguiler nods to him. “Here she is, signed, sealed and delivered! I’ve lived up to our part of the bargain! You can have Purity too, when I’m through with her.”

  Thrashing violently to free herself from his awful grasp, Beloved finally cries out, “No! No! I’ll go with him. Just don’t let him have Purity.”

  “You have nothing to bargain with; you’re already his.”

  Death opens his foul mouth, and long strings of yellow drool drip from between his yellow fangs. His jagged mouth spews his furious hatred. “So we meet again, Forsaken!”

  With every beat of her heart, her body throbs in pain. She staggers and regains her balance. With a boldness that surprises her she hears her voice say, “My name is Beloved! Master Potter changed it when He defeated you in the Potter’s Field.”

  “That was then—but He won’t help you now. You turned your back on Him a long time ago. You chose to live a lie these past ten years. Why would He want you back?”

  Hot tears stream down her face, stinging her cuts and abrasions, as Death’s river of ugly taunts washes away her resolve to fight. Drunk with the prospect of finally destroying her, Death hisses, “What about all those promises that you would become a prophetic voice? And all those grandiose visions and dreams you bragged about? What a pathetic joke! You’ll never see your children again. I’ve destroyed everything you’ve held precious.”

  Beloved pleads again with Beguiler for her children. “If I can have my children, I’ll stay and never tell anyone about this.”

  “No, Beloved, you’re not part of the family any more. I can’t trust you. But, you know how merciful I am,” Beguiler says with a smirk. “I’d hate to see my grandson’s mother die in the wilderness. Madam False Destiny has graciously offered to take you back and work out your rehabilitation. If you cooperate with Madam and make good progress, then maybe I’ll let you see Crusader and Promiscuous.”

  Beloved’s heart leaps at the thought of seeing her children again. Maybe I could go back and just pretend, then I could see Purity and Crusader again. Master Potter would understand that I don’t believe in that lifestyle any more. Her mind whirls in confusion as she tries not to let go of the idea of seeing her precious children again.

  Suddenly she flashes back to the first day in the wilderness and what the angel told her, “When you come to the end of yourself, remember what happened this day, and call upon the Lord.”

  I could never go back to Madam False Destiny—that would mean denying Master Potter. He saved me!

  Her last flicker of hope to see her children again dies inside her. Her body begins to tremble and by an act of her will, Beloved declares through her tears, “Master Potter may not want me back, but I will never renounce Him.”

  Beguiler scoffs, “You would be willing to lose your children for Him? You fool! You’ll regret that decision when He won’t take you back.”

  Death snatches Beloved from Pastor Beguiler’s grasp. “We had a deal. She’s mine! My master is waiting for her.” Beloved’s strength is spent. Unable to even struggle against Death, she hangs limply in his gnarled grasp and whispers, “Master Potter, please, help me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  WINDS OF GOD

  Beloved’s unseen guardian angel, Valiant, rushes into the fray on behalf of his charge. Moving toward Death with the power of resurrection glory, he unsheathes his gleaming sword and cuts Beloved loose.

  She jerks suddenly, yanking loose from Death’s firm grasp. Shock comes over her face as she realizes that she is free.

  The eastern sky quickly changes from pristine blue to a dark brown, as an ominous torrent of sand and wind sweeps across the desert, blowing directly toward the commune. The crowd panics at the blinding force of the approaching sandstorm.

  Flashes of fire and lightning illuminate the darkening desert sky. The Father’s thunderous voice rolls across the heavens, challenging demonic spirits. The hot sand pelts against Beloved, stinging her broken body and lashing at her open wounds.

  Protecting her eyes, she peers through her fingers to locate Purity. She catches a glimpse of her being dragged away, screaming and fighting. Beloved watches in horror until Purity and her captors are engulfed in the sandstorm.

  The frightened crowd flees the Field of Blood and runs for shelter as the heavenly whirlwind engulfs them. Now the wind intensifies and the air becomes thick with sand, making it almost impossible to breathe.

  Death screams in agonizing pain when Valiant scorches his vile being with the burning glory of his sword. Throwing his grotesque head back, he howls bitterly and blasphemes Master Potter.

  Valiant moves quickly to shield Beloved from the scorching sand. Convinced that Master Potter could never love her now, she clutches her torn robe and curls into a ball in the side of the dune, sobbing.

  ACTIVATING THE UNSEEN REALM

  Beloved’s nearly forgotten prayer language erupts from deep within her spirit, but her frail voice is lost in the roaring wind and pelting sands. Thinking she might die, she desperately pleads for Master Potter to forgive and rescue her. “Lord, please forgive me! Help me.”

  Beloved’s prayers to Master Potter activate warring angels who charge into battle. Throwing a huge, fiery golden net over Death, the angelic warriors hurl him into the engulfing storm through the power of the Cross’s vindication. As Death is thrown down, the angels shout wildly in victory.

  Soon, the sound of pulsating demonic wings and clashing swords fades to a distant rumble. But many curious angels crowd together in glorious light and hover over Beloved, waiting to see what will become of her.

  The sandstorm whips up into a whirlwind of dazzling glory and fire before calming to a soft, gentle breeze. Opening her eyes, Beloved sees the dear figure of Amazing Grace striding toward her. Then she loses consciousness.

  He lifts her into his powerful arms and carries her back into the mountains on the outskirts of Deeper Life.

  AMAZING GRACE

  When Beloved wakes up disoriented and in pain, she sees the compassionate face of Amazing Grace looking down at her. “Amazing Grace! I thought I’d never see you again. Was it all a bad dream?”

  “I’m here, Beloved,” he says, gently wiping blood from her forehead. “And, no, it wasn’t a dream.”

  A look of horror contorts her face. “My children, my children!” She tries to sit up and winces as a sharp pain immobilizes her. Amazing Grace gently lays her back down. She clings to his robe, crying, sobbing so deeply that Amazing Grace can’t make out her garbled words. He continues to comfort her, praying for the Father to send her peace.

  Finally, Beloved regains enough composure to be understood between her gulping sobs. “Please, please, release the warring angels right now to rescue them. They need me!”

  “No, Beloved, they need Master Potter.”

  Panic-stricken, she shrieks, “They need me more. I’m their mother. I can help them.”

  “Beloved, there’s nothing else you can do for them right now. The only way you can help them is to pray. When you lost your children your responsibility changed. I’m going to teach you to intercede for them, and that will release Master Potter’s protection. The question for
you now is, will you follow me?”

  Beloved is hysterical over Amazing Grace’s reply. Her high-pitched voice screams out at him, “But I can’t live without them! What will happen to them?” Not waiting for his response, she continues screaming out her frustration at Amazing Grace. Her rage momentarily dulls her pain and she pushes herself to a sitting position.

  Kneeling beside her, he continues praying as Beloved’s wild, ranting accusations toward him finally decrease enough for him to respond.

  “It is not for you to know the outcome now. Purity and Crusader’s destinies are hidden in the councils of the Trinity. These are secrets that will unfold in time.”

  “No, the time is now! I’m so afraid for them. Help them—help them now!” Her voice grows louder as panic sweeps over her again.

  “The question is still, will you follow me?”

  She grabs his robe and pulls him close. “Without my children? I can’t! Let’s go get them. You can take angels. Don’t you care? How can you let them die at Deeper Life? Do something, now….” She releases his robe as she pushes him backward. He puts his hand down in the sand in time to regain his balance.

  He waits patiently as her hysterical raging subsides into deep sobbing. She is furious over her inability to manipulate Amazing Grace into action. He reaches out to touch her and she turns away and lies back down. In a futile attempt to comfort herself, she curls into a fetal position, her back to him.

  “Beloved, I can tell you that your children are precious to us. We’ll move Heaven and earth to save them.”

  “I don’t believe you. If you loved them, you’d save them now.”

  There is silence for a long time. Beloved is still facing away from Amazing Grace. He watches as her shoulders begin to heave. Her body trembles and finally she bursts forth in deep, guttural sobs. Uncontrollable weeping wrenches her body and she wails in agony over the loss of her children and her inability to rescue them.