The Harvest

by John David Krygelski

  With pain and sadness coloring his expression, Elohim answered, “I’m afraid that it has begun.”

  Concerned, Reese said, “It seems to be moving rather quickly.”

  “Far too quickly, my child. More quickly than I had guessed.”

  “Elohim, I know we’ve talked about this, but I’m still confused. I don’t understand why the other side is moving so fast. Why the attacks? Why the inflammatory speech from Kaval? Why now instead of waiting until after You’ve gone?”

  “They are afraid, Reese. They are afraid that I have already converted too many just by my presence. They are concerned that the reality of our departure will convert even more.”

  Reese twisted around in his chair, fully facing Elohim. “Just to play devil’s advocate for a moment, sorry about the choice of words….”

  “Actually, they are quite appropriate. Please, continue.”

  “What is actually so different between what Kaval said about his goals for the world, and what You’ve been saying? I mean, he’s talking about a one-world government, an equitable sharing of resources, only asking that each person be a good and tolerant citizen in return. The way he describes it, it sounds a lot like the way You’ve described Heaven.”

  “The answer to your question is simple. You rely upon his words, whereas I know what is in his heart. You must begin to trust your instincts…your ‘gut’ feeling.”

  “I should take it on faith?”

  “Haven’t you always? There have been many times in your life when you have listened to both sides. Both arguments were possible, even plausible. Both were fair and reasonable. There was nothing in the words of either side that, standing alone, was sufficient to sway you. Yet you chose a side…many times.”

  “That’s true.”

  “Reliance upon your instinct, your ability to perceive and infer beyond mere words, has become crucial in your society. Centuries ago people were simply conquered. Ruling them was enforced by the sword and the guillotine. It was not essential to conquer their minds and their hearts. The prize was their land, their crops, their animals, and their minerals. If they did not cooperate, they were killed, and others were brought in to do the work.

  “Today the true prize for any ruler is what can be produced with the mind. Real power and real dominance can only come with the products produced not in the field or from the mine but in the laboratory. Today’s rulers have learned that you can conquer a land yet not control the minds of those who produce such things. You may be able to force them to work. You may even hold their loved ones hostage with the threat of their torture and death. But you cannot compel creativity. To keep their loved ones alive, they will lie. They will tell you that the breakthrough you seek is only around the corner.”

  “That’s true. Apparently that’s what happened in Iraq under Saddam. The scientists were telling him they had produced the weapons he wanted, when, in fact, they had not.”

  “Yes. This is a relatively new phenomenon in your political world. Hitler understood it, as did Lenin and Marx. Earlier leaders only needed to control by force. These more modern leaders realized that they must give the people not only a noble goal, a reason to fight, but also a reason to create, to invent. They promised that, in exchange for their creativity and their inventiveness, the citizens would receive a better world. The promises of a better world were mere words. Yet these leaders discovered that the pen was, indeed, mightier than the sword.”

  “And that is what Kaval is doing now?”

  “It is. He and the others who have joined with him are very ambitious. Their goal does not differ from that of the despots to whom he referred in his speech. He seeks power. And the magnitude of the power he seeks can only be obtained if your country does not exist or, at the very least, does not exist in any sort of effective status. To obtain the power he and others crave, he must create a vision, a goal, a utopia where all would yearn to live. Then the people will not only follow him, they will be inspired to create, invent, and produce all that he will need in order to prevail. And do not underestimate him. He is quite effective. His words even resonated with you to a degree. Imagine the profound influence they had upon the majority of people around the world.”

  “Most people need to have something or someone to blame for their misfortune,” Reese offered. “He is providing them with an evil America on a silver platter.” Pausing, Reese looked thoughtful before saying, “I presume that we are not evil. You mentioned the same old bad guys utilizing the techniques of persuasion. I didn’t notice a mention of Roosevelt or Reagan.”

  Elohim smiled, his first smile since the President’s speech. “Your country is far from perfect, Reese. Over its history there have been many mistakes, as well as many times that its motives were less than pure. However, since obtaining its unique position as the first sole superpower, what is important is not to listen to the words but rather to notice the actions. Disregarding the obvious, which is that America has the wherewithal to eradicate every living person outside its borders from the face of the Earth – leaving the so-called resources free for the taking – it has, for the most part, done the opposite. Even if your country did not have the stomach to overtly destroy the other peoples of the world, it has intervened on their behalf many times when the expedient course, if Mr. Kaval’s statements are true, would have been to let events proceed unchecked. Both nature and human nature have provided America with ample opportunities to allow entire countries to fail and to die with no prompting from America, yet your government has stepped in repeatedly to restore peace, rebuilding infrastructures and providing security until they were once again viable. Those are hardly the actions of the country that Suri Kaval describes.”

  “It’s ironic that so many of the nations we’ve helped in the past hate us now.”

  “It is not ironic, but natural. Whether it is an entire country or a single child, none want to be reminded of their own frailties. The leaders of those countries have the task, in the aftermath, of rebuilding not only their physical resources, but also their nation’s pride, spirit, and ego. Acknowledging the need for your help is only an acknowledgment of their own weakness. To take the position that the United States came in for reasons other than altruistic is implying that the help was never needed…that they could have managed on their own. It is a much easier view of reality to embrace.”

  א

  Dick Beaman stood off-camera, listening to the 250-person choir build to a dramatic crescendo as his announcer’s deep voice thundered from the massive speakers and sub-woofers through the hall. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, your very favorite child of God, the man who is always there in your time of need, DICK BEAMAAAAAAN!”

  Applause, shouting, and screaming burst from the audience, who had been worked into a frenzy prior to show time. Beaman allowed the orchestra to continue its intense version of Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light” for a full minute before cuing the choir to join in the song. The audience immediately began to accompany the choir, all standing, clapping, and stomping their feet as they sung at the top of their lungs. When the total cacophonous effect was nearly deafening and the energy level within the cavernous hall felt to him like an earthquake, Beaman ran out from behind the curtain, holding his arms straight out from his sides, his hands clenched in fists. The moment he came into view, the audience intensified their clapping and screaming, augmented by a twenty-five percent increase in volume from the PA systems. More than fifty spotlights whirled wildly over Beaman, the stage, and the audience. A single, intense beam expertly stayed upon him as he ran to the front row of the audience, allowing them to grab him and hug him. The entire spectacle was captured on three stadium-sized screens mounted high on the walls, so the entire audience of nearly 20,000 could see a close-up of Beaman’s face.

  With the help of four security guards, Beaman extricated himself from the adoring crush of his followers and ran to the center of a raised platform on the stage. Behind him a four-story-tall crucifix seemed to float in mid
air, supported directly from behind by steel rods projecting out from the wall ten feet behind. The crucifix, made of crystal, was backlit and emanated a shimmering, sparkling, multifaceted brilliance that cast colored, fragmented pinpoints of light in all directions. Beaman stood directly in front of the magnificent icon, his arms again outstretched and fists clenched, mimicking its image, as the choir and the music slowly came down in volume. The audience reluctantly followed suit until, a full three minutes after his entrance, the room finally fell silent.

  Beaman continued to stand motionlessly in the silence, his chin dropped almost to his chest, his eyes closed. He continued to extend his arms for another thirty seconds before slowly lowering them to his sides as his followers waited in enthralled anticipation. The raised platform had no fixtures or furniture. He did not use a podium or pulpit. The mouthpiece of his microphone was clear, tubular plastic and nearly invisible. As he first spoke with a gentle voice, the $4.5million sound system faithfully carried the tone and timbre to every ear in his cathedral.

  “Today is a day of tremendous sorrow and yet also tremendous joy. We all saw the abominable attack upon the children of God yesterday morning in New York City. We all saw it. And we all felt the emptiness created by the departure of these souls. We still do because we are all God’s children, and we are all connected…woven into the fabric of His robe. And when you rip out a small piece, each and every one of us, all of us feel the tear. That is why when each of you in my flock cries, I shed a tear. When each of you feels pain, that pain burns within me, also. This is true because we are all connected together.”

  Three remote-controlled cameras on hydraulic booms quietly shifted and swooped above the heads of the audience. Yet, they were oblivious to the distraction as Beaman continued, “Today is a day of tremendous joy because our Father, our Lord, our Creator walks among us on this Earth. And we all have felt His presence, His love, His grace. But He will not be here for long. As it has been prophesied, He has come among us on this Earth to judge us, to select a few to take home to Heaven.

  “Out of the billions of people on Earth, He has chosen only a handful. He has chosen those who have risen above their daily trials and tribulations, their urges to succumb to the evil temptations of life, and have spent each day, each hour, each moment in the light of His everlasting love. Those who are the Chosen are the elite…they are the cream of the crop, and their absence will be felt by all when they depart. If we are all a part of the same robe, then the vast majority of the people on Earth, those who will not be departing, are the fabric. And, although the cloth is a rich and beautiful weave, full of colors and textures…and although the cloth makes the robe what it is and keeps us warm and sheltered from the storm…the Chosen are the stitches that hold it together. When they are removed, the robe will simply come apart, falling to a heap on the floor.”

  Beaman’s voice built in intensity. “We need the Chosen. We need them to remain here to guide us, to light the way, to hold our very fabric together. Yet, they have earned their reward. Not only did God make a covenant with all of us, the Chosen made a covenant with God. That is obvious! You can tell by the way they lived their lives. And now, for them, the covenant is fulfilled, and they must take their rightful place in Heaven, living eternally next to God. And we have no right to ask them to remain.

  “Since Elohim…” – Beaman paused and smiled serenely – “don’t you just love the wonderful sound of that name?” There was an immediate murmur of agreement from the audience. Beaman resumed when it ebbed. “Since Elohim arrived here on our Earth, He has seen it necessary to visit with a distinguished leader of the Jewish faith. He has also traveled around the world to spend some time with the leader of the Catholics.” He paused, gazing out over the eager faces of his audience. Flashing his broad smile, he asked, “Did’ja notice that He hasn’t come here? He hasn’t taken me aside and had a little chat! Do ya wonder why? I don’t know, but I guess that He thinks we’re on the right path!”

  The congregation erupted with laughter. As the cathedral quieted, Beaman began once more. “Three days from today, when Elohim and His Chosen have returned to the glorious realm of Heaven, there will be much work to do. It will be up you – each and every one of you – to pick up the fragments of the robe, to seize the needle and, making yourself the new thread, stitch it back together. And when you do this, you will have a choice. The new robe can be either weak and shabby, or more beautiful and stronger than it has ever been.

  “And Elohim tells us that you will have to do this work while under siege. The demons, the minions of the devil, showed us yesterday that they, too, have been awaiting this day. They have waited with great anticipation for the arrival of our Lord, not to reap the benefits of His wisdom, not to bask in His love, not to share in the wonder of His grace; they have waited for this day so they could wipe you from the face of the Earth. For once you are gone, there will be no restraints placed upon them. They will be free to pursue a life of hedonism and sin without the interference of the godly. Without you, without your righteous presence to dampen their ardor, woman will sleep with woman, man with man, both with children, and the bodies of the aborted, murdered babies shall form a mountain so high it will bury them all!” The congregation again erupted, this time with cries of anger and fear, waving their arms and pumping their fists in the air. The raw emotion electrified the room. It was contagious and self-amplifying, causing each person there to be gripped with a frenzy. Dick Beaman did not exhort them to continue. He simply stood before them silently with arms again outstretched, fists clenched, and head drooped. It took minutes for the sudden adrenaline rush within the crowd to subside. When the last of the shouts ceased and silence again filled the room, Beaman opened his eyes and dropped his arms back to his side.

  “You are about to enter the greatest battle that mankind has ever fought! You will face the devil himself as well as every demon under his spell! You will confront the multitude of sinners who, in their minds, have waited far too long to rise up against you and smite you! They now believe their time has come, and they are preparing! The unholy massacre in New York City yesterday is but an hors d’oeuvre for their insatiable appetite!” Pausing for a long moment, he added, “Because YOU are the main course!”

  Once again, already primed by the last outburst, the entire audience released their fury. If Beaman’s words were not enough, on cue at the beginning of this outpouring from the congregation, the sound technician fed a powerful tone through the sub-woofers built within and scattered throughout the floor of the chamber. Below a human’s ability to hear it, this additional low-frequency vibration aided the hysteria by causing the audience members’ pulses to race, their blood pressures to rise, and their bodies to be flooded with even more adrenaline. The pews barely contained them in their thrashing frenzy, and the overall sound was overwhelming and did not diminish for several minutes, as Beaman reassumed his pose in front of them.

  When silence eventually returned, Beaman continued, “Since our beloved Lord spoke to us all just three days ago and placed his mark upon the Chosen, I have struggled with my own agonizing personal choice.” There was a sudden gasp from the congregation.

  “I stand before all of you today to share my decision. With the monumental struggle upon which you are about to engage, because of my love for each and every one of you here in this wondrous cathedral as well as the millions who are watching from their homes, I have chosen not to abandon you.” The room instantly filled with dramatic sighs of relief and shouts of “Hallelujah!” from the faithful.

  Beaman again raised his arms out from his side and, opening his fist to expose his palm, shouted, “FOR I HAVE THE MARK! YET I WILL STAY!” As prearranged, one of the overhead cameras boomed into position in front of Beaman. As he opened his fist, the camera zoomed in so that his right palm would immediately be seen on the mammoth screens within the cathedral as well as transmitted to all of the homes of the faithful. Beaman’s practiced and masterful ability to manipula
te the emotions of his followers, leading them as a conductor would lead an orchestra and creating an intensified level of excitement, anxiety, and anger within all of them, backfired as the people in the audience saw clearly on his palm, not the instantly recognizable mark of Elohim, but instead, another instantly recognizable mark – a mark that many throughout the years had attributed to a force diametrically opposite of God. Emblazoned on his palm, quite different from the mark recently tattooed by Turbo the night of Elohim’s announcement, was “666.”

  The reaction was instantaneous and brutal. The congregation became a mob, flooding out of their rows, down the aisles, and over the seats, until they reached an astonished and bewildered Dick Beaman who did not make a move to protect himself. Person after person, body after body, piled upon him, punching, breaking, and tearing him as he screamed. The television director, for the first time having no script to follow, froze, leaving the most recent shot on the live feed as millions watched one of the leading evangelical preachers in America torn to pieces.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Claire filled her cup with coffee and took another bite from the cheese Danish. It was a pleasant morning in Washington, D.C., and she had decided to have her breakfast on the balcony. Reese, Matthew, and Melissa were still asleep, although it was nearly nine o’clock. Not a particularly late time for the kids to sleep, she thought, but Reese was usually up by six. She and Reese had stayed up until past midnight, watching television and talking. The main topic had been the televangelist, Dick Beaman.