Slowly, a tall form emerged from the shadows.
"I am Yuri Andreyovic Popovich,” a deep voice answered. “Who is it that asks?” Popovich was an imposing figure, standing well over six feet tall. He had the build of an athlete, broad shouldered and muscular. Only Billy Red Deer was larger.
"I am Angelino."
Popovich moved closer. His face lit up with recognition.
"Forgive me, Father Angelino. I did not recognize you in this dim light.” He gave Angelino a bear hug that almost took Angelino's breath away. “I am glad you are here at last."
Angelino looked over the run-down church, and said with a smile, “Is your handyman on strike?"
"I know. My church is in shambles. Things have not been good here since the fall of the Soviet Union. Many people are out of work and many have left our city. A few have emigrated. I barely have a congregation any more."
"I guess it is safe to say there is nothing keeping you from joining us then?"
Yuri Popovich laughed heartily. “That would indeed be an understatement. The others ... they are with you?"
"All but one, Nicole Chambleau. She remained behind with Susan Morgan. She required further training with Raji."
"Of course. The young lady from the Council."
Angelino smiled. “I see you manage to keep yourself well informed."
"What else have I to do?” the big man shrugged.
"Well, let's go then. I'll introduce you to the others."
* * * *
"WELL, IT'S FOR real now,” Crowley said with resignation. “The Syrians responded with a troop buildup on the Israeli border, Israel sent real troops in now, and Lebanon responded by amassing its troops along the Israeli frontier. It looks like you will have your war. How long can we keep a lid on this thing, Jesus?” He looked up from the stack of the latest satellite photos.
"We will keep a lid on it as long as I require. No more and no less,” Jesus said. “I understand this emergency has interrupted Senator Bennett's filibuster in the Senate. That is a happy circumstance. He is a most persuasive individual."
"Jesus, is that what this is all about? To stop Bennett?"
Jesus shook his head and smiled. “No, Gene. That is just a side benefit. I already told you what must happen. We must release the pressure in that region. But first, we must make sure we sell the United Nations on the justice of what we do."
"What we do?” Crowley asked. “What is it we are going to do?"
"All in good time, Mr. President. All in good time."
The buzzer on Crowley's intercom sounded.
"Yes, Marge?"
"David Warrenger is here, Mr. President."
Jesus smiled with satisfaction. Right on time.
"Show him in, Marge,” Crowley ordered.
The Oval Office door opened and Warrenger entered, a newspaper folded and tucked under his arm.
"It is good to see you again, Number One,” Jesus said, extending his hand to him.
"I serve you as always,” he said with just the hint of a bow.
"Please take a seat, David,” Crowley invited, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.
"I guess you know why we called you here,” Jesus said, getting right to the point.
"It's about the Middle East situation, right?” Warrenger said, matter-of-factly.
"Yes. We need you to put the Council machinery in motion. Israel is an aggressor nation, its true intention revealed at last—to wipe out its Arab neighbors. That is the story the world must come to believe."
"I'm way ahead of you Jesus,” he smiled. He opened the newspaper he had carried in and dropped it on Crowley's desk. “ISRAELI PLOT UNCOVERED” The sub headline read: “Secret documents dating back to pre-war years found.” Crowley picked up the paper. It was the daily edition of the London Times. He scanned the article. It went on to reveal how a cache of documents had been found among the papers of David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, in which he had outlined a long-term master plan to take over the entire Mideast. The plan allegedly called for the eventual occupation of the area occupied by Israel, spilling over the Syrian and Jordanian borders, extending further to Iraq and Iran and south into Egypt. The article even contained photostats of official documents supporting this plan. It was all a lie, of course, but only the most stubborn would be able to resist the compelling “evidence” contained in the article. Crowley knew how the Council operated. This was just the first salvo. It would be followed up with more and more evidence, calculated to pound at the public like an incessant drumbeat. The big lie technique was infallible when used on this scale.
Crowley's jaw dropped incredulously.
"You got this done this fast, David?” he asked.
"It was child's play,” Warrenger said, waving his hand disdainfully. “We have had this plan in place for decades. All we were waiting for was the go-ahead to put it in motion."
"Decades?” Crowley's eyes widened.
Jesus spoke up. “Why do you continue to underestimate us, Mr. President?” Crowley noticed the use of the inclusive “us.” Jesus continued. “Has there been a war in this century which has occurred without the Council's, shall we say, ‘assistance?’ Has there been a war in the whole of western history in the past two thousand years which we have not orchestrated?"
"Yes, of course,” Crowley said, still somewhat stunned at the efficiency the Council was revealing to him. “But usually there has been a long build up preceding hostilities. You have managed to manipulate this with extraordinary dispatch. I salute you."
"Let us not forget, Mr. President,” Warrenger offered, “the Mideast has been percolating for a long time. This is not as sudden as it might seem. It has taken the barest of nudges to create all of the activity in the region. We have spent a long time creating the atmosphere in which this series of events could unfold with credibility."
Crowley could only smile. He was in the company of true genius. Evil genius, to be sure, but genius was genius and it had to be admired.
"So,” he finally said, “what's next?"
"We allow the story to develop under our control for the next few days and then we take our case to the United Nations,” Jesus said. “Of course, by then, Israel will have been provoked into shooting across its borders and we will merely be formalizing world opinion to do what must be done. Take out Israel."
Crowley blinked blankly. Did I hear Jesus correctly? Take out Israel? Why? Did Jesus mean take out the geographic territory of Israel ... or did he mean ... the thought was almost too horrific to contemplate ... the entire Israeli nation? Did Jesus intend to complete the mission begun by Adolph Hitler over fifty years earlier?
Crowley slowly rose from his chair, trying to control the trembling that had taken over his hands. He walked over to a cabinet and produced the bottle of Jim Beam he kept for visiting dignitaries, poured a glass and gulped it down.
"Mr. President, are you all right?” Jesus said, studying him severely. “This plan will be implemented. Are you with us?"
Crowley nodded as he poured a second glass. “What will history write about me?” he said morosely.
Jesus laughed loudly, surprising Crowley. He stopped in the midst of raising the glass to his mouth. His expression became confused and quizzical.
"What will history write?” Jesus said through his laughter. “President Crowley, history will be what we say it is. You may write it any way you see fit.” Jesus threw his head back and continued to laugh as Crowley gulped down the whiskey.
The alcohol steadied him somewhat. Well, power was what he had asked for and power was what he was being given. As he watched Jesus still laughing demonically, he understood one thing with crystal clarity—however much power Crowley enjoyed, it paled in comparison to the true power, which could take away his own with the mere wave of a hand.
Chapter 26
ARMAND MATHIAS HAD, as so often happens with political appointees, become the forgotten man since his appointment as Secretary of Labor. Much to his own
surprise, he didn't mind being in the background. His work was every bit as important as his television ministry, which he still maintained, albeit in a relatively scaled-down form. Donations still poured in, of course, but he was letting his assistants take center stage more and more in order to lessen the apparent church/state conflict his cabinet position might create in the minds of the public. He needn't have worried about that. Whatever constitutional prohibitions there might have been concerning his dual role, the public was more than willing to overlook them. And when the public overlooked an issue, it was certain their representatives in government breathed sighs of relief. After all, this was the man who walked beside Jesus. In fact, with the rebirth of Jesus, most people saw the issue of religion as having been definitively settled. No conflict was possible when the secular and the spiritual were one and the same.
He was working, in cooperation with state educational officials, to standardize the texts and curricula of all grades, K through 12. It was all a part of Jesus’ initiative for the children. The future would be shaped by the minds he was shaping. That made Mathias one of the most influential men in the world, although his influence would not fully be realized for another generation or so. But he was very aware of a truism: He who shapes the mind of the children molds the destiny of the people. Thus it was with great enthusiasm he approached his work of molding the future—a future that he would undoubtedly live to see.
Mathias realized that the Council had slowly moved its agents into the educational field before. The result had been a nearly universal indoctrination of the people into not merely the acceptance, but the expectation, that government existed to solve all problems. Through the centuries, events had been manipulated which made government intervention appear to be the only solution that could save the day ... the Great Depression ... two world wars ... increasing poverty brought about by the subtle manipulation of money by central banks and a coordinated propaganda campaign against money backed by gold or silver. In addition, the Council had been effective in its ability to create scapegoats to hate. Entrepreneurs—the so-called ‘robber barons'—who had been neither robbers nor barons, corporations, the free market ‘profiteers', the Blacks, the Jews, scientists, ‘heretics’ ... each in turn had been made the centerpiece of popular hatred, always fueled by events manipulated by the Council.
Mathias was merely continuing a legacy that had existed for centuries. In another time, his work would have been strongly opposed by most Americans. At the core of his curriculum was devotion to Jesus, the Savior of Mankind, who had returned to lead them all into a world of prosperity and comfort. Now that Jesus was known to exist, few could object to such devotion being taught to their children. It was apparent to all but the most stubborn—fools like Senator Bennett—that a true Golden Age was dawning. It would be a time that the history books of the future would herald, just as modern history heralded the age of the Roman Empire. He would be remembered for his part in shaping this Golden Age, of that he could be certain. Yes, history would be kind to Armand Mathias, liberator of young minds.
A sudden flash in the room startled him, until he realized it was Jesus. He smiled to himself. You'd think by now he would have grown used to Jesus’ peculiar way of coming and going.
"Armand, it is good to see you again,” Jesus embraced his good friend. “How have you been?"
"I've been well, Jesus. This job keeps me busy."
"Yes, it seems it does. You are doing me a great service with your educational programs.” He pointed to the stack of papers Mathias had been poring over when he appeared. “Is that your latest standardized curriculum?"
"Yes, it is,” Mathias beamed, clearly proud of his work. “Would you like to look at it?” He handed the stack to Jesus without waiting for his answer.
Jesus skimmed through the papers and looked pleased. “This is very good, Armand. ‘All children will be taught from the earliest grades the concept of nation states is antiquated and leads to war and large-scale poverty among disadvantaged nations.’ That's excellent.” He read further, “'Children will be encouraged to understand that some people having more money than others is unfair and conducive to unhappiness in a society.’ Armand, is the entire document like this?” Jesus smiled broadly.
"Yes it is, Jesus. The entire core of the new curriculum of the Golden Age is social justice. We will change the world by molding the minds of the children to understand fairness and equality in a way it has never been understood before."
Jesus read another passage. “'The idea children are owned by their parents is to be discouraged. All children shall be taught their first service is to Jesus and to society at large. Parenthood only exists to the extent which it serves that end.'” Jesus smiled his approval.
Jesus dropped the document on Mathias’ desk and placed his hands affectionately on the televangelist's shoulders. He said, almost with fatherly pride, “Excellent work, Armand.” Then his face grew grave.
"I have something to tell you. The London Times will be running the story in its next edition and I wanted you to hear it from me first."
Mathias noticed Jesus’ serious expression and grew concerned.
"What is it, Jesus? What's wrong?"
"My friend, Israel is amassing troops along the Jordanian and Lebanese borders. They seem to be preparing for an unprovoked war."
Mathias did not seem to grasp the significance of the news. He said simply, “The Jews and their neighbors are always on the brink of war. This is nothing new."
"The fact they have always lived under the threat of hostilities is a given, Armand. What makes this situation different is Israel is the one making the first move. In the past, Israel has always been the target. Even in the Six Day War, as soundly as they defeated their foes, they were the attacked, not the attacker. Israel appears to be looking to expand into Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. From there, undoubtedly she will exercise designs on Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and eventually Egypt."
"My God, Jesus,” Mathias gasped, finally getting it. “Why would they do this?"
"It's really quite simple when you stop to think about it, Armand. Oil. The world runs on the lifeblood of petroleum, and if Israel can control the most oil-rich region on earth they can expand their economy and along with it, their military."
"But they hardly have the military power for such an ambitious enterprise."
"They have enough military power to heap a great deal of damage on their neighbors, Armand,” Jesus said sadly. “They do not need to take all their enemies at one time. Once they conquer Jordan and Lebanon, they can bide their time, regroup, and only when they are sufficiently prepared, move into the next territory. One by one they can topple their neighbors, until we wake up one day and Israel is in control of the entire Middle Eastern region. From there, they can look to Africa or even Europe and Asia."
"But Jesus, Israel has never been an expansionist state, and has always been our ally. The American people will never support action against Israel. In fact, a large percentage of our population would welcome such an initiative by the Israelis. A lot of Crowley's generals would probably rather have a US-friendly Israel in control of the oil than those soulless Arabs."
Jesus studied Mathias for a moment. It was time to play on his friend's fears and prejudices.
"But Armand, you are not thinking it through far enough. Israel—the Jews—have never accepted me as the Messiah. What will happen to all of our plans if Israel expands her influence on a global scale? Do not forget, Israel is not just defined by the borders of a region of land. It never has been. Israel is the entire totality of the Jewish people. They are widely spread throughout the world. If Israel chooses to wage war, she will have agents everywhere, including the United States. And a lot of those agents will have deep pockets."
"Even if you are right, Jesus, the American people will never support action against Israel,” Mathias repeated.
Jesus paced thoughtfully. “Yes, you're right.” He continued to pace slowly back and forth, a
pparently deep in thought.
Mathias had a thought. “Unless...."
Jesus looked at his friend with interest. “Unless what, Armand?"
"Unless the people turn against Israel for some reason."
"We have taken care of that. The London Times will be reporting a decades-long conspiracy, dating back to the days of the first Israeli Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion. This conspiracy calls for the eventual destruction and occupation of the entire Arab population. It won't be long before world opinion turns on her. My people will have sealed their own fate."
Mathias tended to forget Jesus was a Jew by ethnicity, despite the passage of time. It was in his DNA as surely as anything else which identified him as the unique person he was. He had always had a hard time categorizing Jesus. He was, after all, a Jew, but also the founder of Christianity. Did that make him a Jew or a Christian? It was easy to disregard his Hebrew ancestry in light of the works he did, even though they were the fulfillment of Hebrew prophecy.
Mathias brought his thoughts back to the issue at hand.
"Why have you come to me with all of this, Jesus?” Mathias was struggling to wrap his mind around what Jesus had just postulated. Could it all be true? It was certainly plausible. Israel had been quiet for so long. Perhaps she had been gathering her strength, building up her armies for a long offensive into the neighboring regions. The money realized from controlling the vast oil reservoirs in the Middle East would help Israel build an enormous war chest for further expansion, all justifiable to many who held a natural hatred for the Arabs.
"I want you to accompany me to my meeting with the President and the Joint Chiefs, Armand. I am going to ask the President to expand the meeting into a full cabinet meeting so you can attend."
Mathias did not disguise his surprise. “Me? Why? I'm just the Secretary of Education, why should they listen to anything I have to say about a war with Israel?"
"I just want you there to listen, Armand. I'd like your impressions of the situation."
Mathias did not hesitate. “Of course, Jesus, if that is your wish."
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