The Harvest

by John David Krygelski

  These lonely, yearning souls, still attached to the one who had led them astray, found that they could again touch the world by unseating other souls of the living and newly born. As their count increased through the machinations of Lucifer, through this perverse reincarnation, the number of those who once again tasted life became legion, each fulfilling its learned destiny, each passing through to him that which it again experienced. The process became a feedback loop, a self-perpetuating cycle which grew in scope as would a black hole, sucking ever more into its maw.

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  Reese, having left the Watergate early to spend more time with Elohim, discovered that he was gone. By the time of Reese’s arrival at the State Department, a full-blown panic had set in, as the Capitol Police and FBI agents searched for their guest. Lines of nearly fifty people, waiting to enter the building, were delayed as all exits were locked down. Reese decided to try Margo’s number, assuming she would answer upon seeing his name on her caller ID. His phone chirped before he could press the first button. Reese saw Margo’s name displayed and punched the answer button.

  “Margo, what happened?”

  “I was calling you to see if you knew. We thought you might be with Him.”

  “No. I’m out front, standing in line. He’s not with me.”

  “I’ll send someone down to bring you in.”

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll stay out here. Maybe I can look for Him.”

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll just wander, I guess. It’ll be better than being cooped up in a room up there.”

  “All right.”

  “Margo, by the way, how did He get out?”

  “I have no clue. One minute He was….”

  Reese interrupted, “You know what, Margo, that was a stupid question. Never mind. I’ll call you if I find Him.”

  “Okay. Good luck. We’ll call you if He shows back up here.”

  They broke the connection, and Reese turned to trot down the steps, when he noticed a subtle difference in the demeanor of the people on the street, a change not noticed before. Reese had grown accustomed to a lifetime of indifference from others – a preoccupation and self-indulgence demonstrated by their public behavior. Whether they scurried along talking into their cell phones or simply walked with their eyes downcast, glancing at no one, the norm was a mild state of oblivion, a desire to avoid contact with strangers. It had never ceased to amaze Reese that he could traverse the length of a crowded street and not connect with another person – not a smile or an acknowledgment, not a nod or even a friendly glance from anyone. Sociologists theorized that this was a reaction to our ever more crowded environment, that mankind “cocooned” to maintain space, to create the illusion of privacy. For proof, they cited the rural areas of our country where all were greeted and everyone was engaged in conversation whenever in public.

  Reese did not agree. He feared that there was the presence of an underlying antisocial tendency in all. In small towns, to ignore the greetings and friendly solicitations to chat was to risk offense or ostracism, because everyone was known to everyone else. The anonymity of the larger culture had the same effect as the wearing of a mask at a costume ball; it seemed to give the wearer permission to offend. Recalling the first time he watched The Invisible Man as a child, Reese remembered the comments of his youthful friends, all boasting what they would do were they invisible. None of their proposed escapades were moral, legal, or ethical; yet, in their minds, all would be acceptable if they were invisible to others.

  At that young age, Reese discerned the importance of mutual recognizability as a force to keep most people in check. Enhance it, as in a small town, and people would be on their best behavior, at least while in the public’s eye. Reduce it, as on a crowded street, and people would indulge in acts, mostly minor, that they would not commit in the presence of a friend or an acquaintance. In his mind, Reese extended this theory to the behavioral changes which occurred as the day would end and the night begin. The cover of darkness, both consciously and subconsciously, masked the identity, enhanced the privacy, and reduced the inhibitions.

  Elohim’s arrival and the concomitant re-emergence of many articles of faith, Reese realized, had stripped away this illusion of anonymity, causing people to feel as if they were under a bright spotlight of scrutiny which, of course, they were and had always been. The manifestation of this awareness was the change before him. Strangers, as they walked before Reese, were no longer avoiding eye contact with others; they seemed to be seeking it out, glancing from face to face. And as the contact occurred, all smiled, many nodded, some spoke, wishing the other “Good morning.” The lack of experience on the part of these born-again civil citizens resulted in what should have been a casual event taking on a bit too much earnestness and intensity.

  Observing the transformation as it paraded past, Reese chuckled to himself, silently recollecting the Bill Cosby line, ‘These aren’t my parents…these are old people trying to get into Heaven!’

  He instantly felt harsh for judging the people uncharitably, concluding that for these strangers on the street this morning, all of the smiles and the nods and the friendly greetings would be too little too late. He also noticed, as he stood upon the steps watching, that this was by no means a universal change throughout the crowd passing by. For there were many who met each smile with a curled lip, each nod with indifference, and each greeting with an icy silence. The attempt to engage others revealed, within the population, a vast segment filled with vexation, loathing, and antipathy.

  Satisfied that he had gleaned all there was to be learned from this vantage, Reese walked down the steps, turned, and mingled within the throng, smiling and nodding as he progressed.

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  Mohammed Mahmoud nestled the stainless steel canisters on the molded foam rubber in the trunk of his car with exaggerated care, checking and re-tightening the valves on each of the four gleaming tanks for the seventh time this morning. Now was not the time, he thought, to have a slight leak. He strapped them down and stood back for a moment, examining the trunk before closing the lid. Even though it was early fall, the air was chilly and still. Looking upward, Mohammed again gave a lingering stare to the sky.

  “You cannot conceal your deeds from the eyes of Allah, blessed be His name, with mere clouds,” he said aloud, comfortable no one was within earshot.

  Returning his gaze to Earth, he backtracked to his motel room door, visually sweeping the room once again for any telltale evidence of his identity or intent. So cautious, so detail-oriented was he that he had even taken the bed linens to a nearby Laundromat and cleaned them early this morning. When he returned, Mohammed had unconsciously made up the bed before realizing the suspicion which would be aroused by so uncharacteristic a behavior from a motel guest. Pulling the cover to the foot of the bed, he tugged back the top sheet and rumpled it, also twisting and tossing the pillow. In the process, he noticed the difficulty of staging the appearance of something to look natural. Certain that there was a deep lesson to be learned from this revelation but unable to discern the meaning, he ceased his obsessive crumpling of the linens, concluding that the maid would be too much of a simpleton to notice the nuances of his work. Besides, he realized, it was time for the morning prayer. He had left his prayer rug on the floor, appropriately positioned, and used it once again before rolling it up and taking it to the car.

  Mohammed recalled that during his prayer, he had taken additional time to thank Allah for his new benefactor, without whom today’s mission of vengeance would not have been possible. Sadly, his cell was rich in passion yet poor in ordnance and other resources. The money and especially the contents of the shining canisters, all so suddenly available, were certainly gifts from God. Not to give thanks for such munificence would be ungrateful and unholy.

  As he pulled closed the door to the room, he felt a tingle of excitement and anticipation ripple through his stomach and instantly fought down the sensation. What he needed now, he knew, was
a steely coldness, not the flutterings of an over-exuberant schoolboy. For so long, he and the other faithful within his group had been forced to satisfy themselves with interminable plotting, never the act of implementing. The vigilance of the infidels, their ability to track or freeze the assets of the wealthy faithful, starved his cell and so many other cells of which Mohammed had no knowledge, and yet, he was certain must exist. Without the flow of money, there could be no bombs, no weapons, no vital ancillary items, such as this motel room, which were needed to bring their plans to fruition. He had felt many times that fulfilling the elusive goals of Allah was much akin to attempting to conquer one of the seemingly endless stream of infidel girls who only flirted and never came to your bed.

  Today, he knew, would be different. Today, he knew, the seduction was over, and he would consummate at last, although his act on this day would not be the realization of one of his own plots. For not only had the canisters been furnished by the new patron, so had the rental car, the motel reservation and, in fact, the entire plan. This was all fine with him. It was a good plan…actually, it was magnificent. Fishing the keys for the car from his pocket, Mohammed opened the door and climbed in, starting the engine. He carefully pulled out of the parking lot and onto the two-lane highway. As he drove, he pulled from his pocket the cell phone, also given to him by his new friend, pressing and holding down the numeral “1,” allowing the pre-entered speed dial to connect him.

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  One of the men who had sat with Kaval only a day before answered his phone. Receiving the report from Mahmoud, he broke the connection. The clipboard in front of him was filled with names. Finding Mahmoud’s on the list, he made a check mark. He slowly ran his finger down the list and carefully confirmed that every name on it was marked. After double-checking the list, he turned on a new cell phone and made a call.

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  Suri Kaval lifted the receiver from the phone on his desk, no longer concerned with NSA technicians tracing any of his calls. He was now in a part of the world which was not a lap dog to the United States and did not cooperate with them. The call was brief and to the point. Ending the conversation, Kaval slowly drew a line through another name on his list. He again counted the names, three already lined out and two remaining, and allowed himself a brief smile.

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  Ricki Darling strode briskly into the Director’s office, finding both Bill Burke and Margo Jackson huddled together over his desk. “Burke, Jackson, I’ve got something.”

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  Reese wandered aimlessly, having neither a clue nor a hunch to follow on the whereabouts of Elohim. He found himself standing in front of the statue of the Marines raising the flag over Iwo Jima. This symbol of the conflict between America and Japan, to Reese, somehow seemed an appropriate metaphor for describing the struggle in the world today. Although now transformed into a different people, the Japanese during World War II had descended into acts against their enemy which could only have been described as evil.

  Reese recalled reading firsthand accounts of survivors from both the Atlantic and the Pacific battles. The captains and crews of the dreaded German U-boats, with a few exceptions, were noted for surfacing after their torpedoes struck both military and shipping targets, providing food, rafts, water, and a compass to the survivors, sometimes risking their own safety by lingering to do these things as the calls for assistance were answered. The Japanese, whipped into a frenzy of contempt and hatred by their leaders, again with a few exceptions, treated survivors far differently, lacerating the bodies of American sailors with bayonets, tying ropes around them to keep them afloat, dangling them in the water until the sharks arrived, and then laughing as their captives screamed. The unspeakable horror expected by Americans when falling into the hands of the Japanese caused many, when capture was imminent, to kill themselves at the last moment.

  Prompted by his thoughts, Reese found a bench and sat, slipping his ever-present laptop, which he had been using to chronicle Elohim’s visit, from its case. After it booted, he opened the word processor and began to type:

  The capacity for surprise is determined by context. For one sitting alone in a living room, relaxing and reading a book, the innocuous pop of a heating duct, as it expands due to temperature change, is sufficient to startle. The same, sudden sound in a public restaurant would not be noticed.

  During our most recent days, although somewhat prepared by the snippets of information released about incredible healings and other miracles, humanity reacted intensely as Elohim’s mark abruptly appeared on the hands of a few; responded strongly as most of its members felt the power of His love course through the very fabric of the planet, touching each of them; were amazed by, yet accepted, the disposition of Lynn Sheffield by an angel, the resurrection of Elohim, and the healing of Bill Burke and my beloved wife, Claire. The news that this was to be Judgment Day, and that it was the third such day in Earth’s history, was assimilated with some equanimity. The attacks on the faithful, which at another time would have created outrage and a furor, although received with pain and sorrow, did not produce the expected outcry.

  It was this human tendency to adapt quickly and to accept a changing environment that allowed the living to mingle with those long dead on this final day. As was clearly Elohim’s plan, explained to me only days ago, the circumstances which have occurred and evolved in the time since His arrival have inured mankind, opening our minds and removing much of our fear. The traumas and the wonders not only have prepared the Chosen for our destiny, they have also prepared those who will remain. Prepared them for a world with new rules and a new reality. A world where the existence of angels, God, Heaven, and souls is no longer a belief but an undeniable fact. A fact which will alter the essence of politics, social interaction, education, business, science, and existence itself.

  The lesson hard-learned by the leaders of man in centuries past, long-ago forgotten or dismissed, was that no citizen, no subject of a crown, not even a slave would follow their commands if the edict was deemed to be contrary to the Word of God. Even those most lacking intelligence have always been capable of calculating the risk and reward inherent in willingly being led down an evil or unjust path. This has been the justification for some of the most heinous acts in our past. How could your God exist, they asked, and allow such unspeakable deeds to occur? They knew the populace could only be coerced into impure actions if their minds and hearts nurtured a wisp of doubt for God or the hereafter, willingly trading the remote possibility of infinity for the reality of temporary safety or gratification. For, so long as there is certainty within, a mere lifetime of imprisonment and torture will be chosen over losing an eternity of bliss.

  For many years, the self-proclaimed enlightened within our culture have professed to objectively examine this stubborn artifact called “faith.” Bewildered by its resistance to their reason, dumbfounded by its resilience against social pressure, ostracism, and edict, they have concluded that it exists as a symptom of an identifiable flaw within the brains of its victims, a genetic residue of our distant heritage, a mechanism once needed by an ignorant and simple Homo sapiens species and not yet discarded by a frustratingly slow evolution. In their most condescending fashion, they have conceded that there is a segment of the population who may benefit from clinging to these absurd superstitions. Yet they have argued among themselves as to what that benefit might be.

  With all of their intelligence, study, and research, they have continued to miss the point, a possibility they would never grant. People believe in God because He exists. Elohim’s visit has put that debate to rest. If, despite His presence these days, despite the miracles performed, despite the departure of the Chosen, the enlightened continue to ignore the blindingly brilliant light and resume their search for a logical, empirical, scientific reason for the belief in God, it is provided herein.

  A rock-solid certainty of God’s existence is the ultimate check-and-balance. No teacher, no parent, no mayor or governor, no president, dictator, or
king can ever go too far afield with an abuse of power, not without those below rising up and ending the reign. A failing grade, a six-week grounding, a citation or fine, a jail term or death – these things are all trumped by a knowledge that God is aware of what we do and His judgment is inevitable.

  The very nature of the existence of God dilutes the power of the power-hungry at all levels. If a child who is instructed by her parents to lie to Aunt Rose, and tell her they are not home, responds to them by saying, “God says it’s wrong to lie,” they feel the diminishment of their power. If laws are passed which officially mandate the maltreatment of a minority, and the public refuses, citing God’s Word as the reason, the lawmakers feel impotent. If a battlefield commander orders troops to commit atrocities against the enemy, and the troops refuse, citing God’s teachings as their authority, the officer feels powerless. If scientists convene a self-appointed panel and, after much deliberation, declare the absence of an ethical conflict in the process of harvesting fetal stem cells, and the public receives their opinion with an indifferent shrug, satisfied that they have already received the final word on the subject, the researchers feel devalued – their authority diminished.