Shrouded Destiny

by Richard William Bates

  With that, all seven of them attacked simultaneously. Seven beams of evil energy erupted from them and engulfed Susan. She had been taken off-guard and was thrown violently backward, slamming hard against the wall. She attempted to lift her hands to counter the beams. The combined force of all of them was too much for her. Her body did not respond to her wishes. Her arms hung limply at her sides as her nerves were scorched by the agonizing forces of evil.

  The seven intensified their energy in unison. Jesus laughed maniacally as Susan screamed in pain. Darkness permeated the chamber, accompanied by crashing thunder-like explosions. Through a haze of cloudy awareness, Susan saw a dim glow. She knew this glow. As her body continued to be wracked with agony, she struggled to concentrate on the diminishing glow in the near distance until it came into focus. It was the flower of her dream! With comprehending horror she knew this flower was the life force of the child within her.

  Mother! A small weak voice called out to her, barely audible over the crashing tumult surrounding her. Help me!

  Susan could not even answer internally. The blinding pain was rendering her totally incapable of initiating her own will. The darkness enveloping her intensified. The flower dimmed. Her mind held only terror. No! her inner self cried out, to the dimming flower. No!

  Mother!

  I have no strength, my darling. I am powerless to help you. Desperate fear engulfed her, as the demonic laughter of Jesus reverberated at the fringes of her awareness. Her body felt as if it were being ripped apart. The pain was more than she could have ever comprehended.

  Mother. The voice grew weaker, the flower grew dimmer.

  My child! Tears flowed down her cheeks as she struggled against the forces that were ripping her apart from inside. The more she struggled against the energies, the more she was confined by their vice-like grip.

  Mother, you know what you must do.

  What? What is it I must do?

  Mother, you know. You know the answer. Please save me.

  Angelino, please help me, she cried out silently through her agony. There was no response.

  Mother. The voice was barely a whisper. The flower was all but extinguished. Nothing Angelino had taught her, nothing that Raji had shared with her had prepared her for this. It no longer mattered to her if she lived, but she could not bear the thought of the Christ child being destroyed. How deeply she loved that child! The flower flickered brighter for a brief moment. Her heart raced with hope, but the hope was immediately dashed as the flower dimmed once again. Why had it grown brighter for that split-second?

  Mother, I love you, the tiny voice called out.

  I love you, too, my precious child, her heart cried out. Again, the brief intensifying of the dim flower. Please forgive me, my child. I was not worthy.

  I love you, Mother! Susan's heart wrenched with helplessness. She felt a boundless love fill her soul. As the love filled her, the flower grew brighter and her pain lessened, barely noticeably. Of course! How could she have been so blind?! She had just moments ago told de Charny he was dealing with powers he could not comprehend, and yet she herself had not availed herself of the greatest power of life—love!

  Yes, Mother! That's it!

  She ceased her struggle against the energy being directed at her by the seven, allowing herself to only feel love, letting the energies of Jesus and the others pass through her without resistance. Suddenly, the agonizing pain vanished, although the electric beams of evil generated energy still surrounded her. The flower began to grow bright once again, as she opened her heart and let a pure and omnipresent love flow into her being. As her head cleared, everything around her seemed to glow with luminescence. Then she realized it was that very essence itself ... the luminescence ... which was flowing through her soul. All things were love and love was all things. How clear it was to her now! Nothing could overcome the power of love. The love flowed within her and a positive feedback loop was put in motion, the love intensifying and then the intensified love attracting yet more love. Her being was being charged by some cosmic dynamo as she felt the essence of love ... the very power of God Himself permeate her entire being. She began to glow with a light of brilliant white. As the aura around her expanded, the crashing thunder silenced and the darkness vanished.

  Jesus watched with alarm as Susan slowly got up. He and the others threw the entire force of their will into the beams of energy. Susan did not react. Instead, her eyes flashed a glow of pure love and kindness. The aura around her continued to expand. As it did so, the beams emanating from Jesus and the Council were gradually pushed back, as the aura acted as an impenetrable shield.

  Susan stood motionless, facing Jesus. His face contorted into a mask of evil. His true demonic form towered above her. He roared with rage as they collectively pushed their death energy at her with all their strength.

  Mathias watched from the same spot he had been thrown to earlier. He was filled with horror as the anti-Christ's evil was fully revealed.

  Susan held her ground, allowing the love of creation to channel through her. She emptied her thoughts of all anger, all hostility, all hatred, all fear, and directed her entire focus purely on love. She gradually became aware of another consciousness joining her in this acceptance of the inflowing of love.

  I knew you could do it, Mother!

  Susan smiled, much to the ire of Jesus and the others, who had totally surrendered to their rage. As their rage grew more intense, their power weakened in opposition to the love which permeated Susan's being. Finally, the radius of her aura exploded outward in a flash of blinding white light, enveloping Jesus and the others.

  Jesus let out a howl of raging agony as the purity of love reacted with his malevolent essence like sulfuric acid on exposed skin. The other Council members were thrown backward involuntarily as the blinding aura hit them like psychic shrapnel. Jesus screamed out with a voice more animal than man and fell to the floor writhing in a mixture of pain and terror.

  Susan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The bright aura contracted back so it was no longer in contact with Jesus and the others. Jesus was seated on the floor, head bowed, breathing heavily. He had once again returned to his human form. His long hair covered his face. Susan watched him with compassion in her heart. She remembered what Angelino had once told her. When you can love even the devil himself, then are you truly in Heaven. Her boundless love even had a place for the anti-Christ within its bosom.

  Jesus finally raised his head to meet her gaze. His eyes had not softened, but contained their cold, black glare. “Do not consider this a victory,” he panted, out of breath. “You could not destroy me."

  "I have no wish to destroy you. I want to redeem you."

  Jesus chuckled scornfully. “You still do not understand who and what I am. But that doesn't matter. Until you can find the will to destroy me, I still retain my hold on mankind. You have won only a battle, and an inconsequential battle at that."

  "No, Jesus, it was not inconsequential.” Mathias had risen from the floor and was standing behind the long conference table.

  "What are you talking about, Armand? Nothing has changed."

  "Everything has changed, Jesus. I see you for what you are now. And,” he bowed his head with shame, “I also see myself for what I have been ... and what I have become."

  Jesus rose to his feet, straightened out his robe and pushed his hair back off of his face. “What are you talking about, Armand? You are still the same ambitious, power-hungry dilettante you have always been.” His voice grew louder as he said, “I made you, Armand. You worshipped me for what you thought I was, and I rewarded you with more power and glory than you ever imagined possible."

  "No, Jesus,” he replied softly. “My own sins made me. You were just the vehicle which allowed me to amplify my own darkness. But then, that is how you work, isn't it? You give people exactly what they want. I mistook that for giving people what they need. They are seldom the same thing. I watched you destroy everything ... no ... I help
ed you destroy everything, simply because it allowed me to achieve power. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? How many times did I quote that to others when it was me who most needed to heed that lesson?"

  Gerard de Charny meanwhile, moved slowly over to the pointed flagstaff. Susan and Mathias were too involved to notice. Jesus noticed and allowed an imperceptible knowing smile to cross his lips for an instant.

  Mathias continued. “Susan, I owe you a debt which I will never be able to fully repay."

  "No, Armand. You owe me nothing. Whatever you may be been led to see here today was granted you by One greater than I."

  Mathias bowed his head in acknowledgment. Then, with eyes filled with despair, he said, “What do I do now, Susan?"

  Susan smiled kindly and answered, “Be a real preacher, Armand. You know the truth. Now tell others."

  "They'll never believe me, Susan. It will be my word against that of Jesus."

  "Maybe not, Armand, but what else is there to do? You can't live the lie any longer, you might as well give living the truth a shot for a while."

  De Charny had slowly removed the flagstaff from its stand and quietly removed the flag, leaving a long, spear-like weapon in his hand. Neither Armand nor Susan noticed. De Charny's eyes met Jesus', who nodded back at him imperceptibly. De Charny took a position about ten feet directly behind Susan.

  What happened next came quickly.

  De Charny hurled the long staff directly at Susan's back.

  Step aside, Mother! the small voice commanded.

  Susan obeyed automatically, as if the voice had come from herself. The spear sailed through the space where she had been standing and found an unintended target. Warrenger's face bore an expression of total shock as the long, thick spear ran through him, its bloody point protruding from his back. Susan whirled behind her to see a stunned Gerard de Charny, who was not able to comprehend how he could have missed her from such a close distance. Only then did he realize David Warrenger, Number One of the Council of Most Highs and Overlord of America, had toppled onto the table with a crash ... dead.

  Jesus raised his head to the sky and let out a loud cry of anguish, which reverberated through the chamber. His scream carried on for a long time, eventually evolving into a cry of pure animal rage. He glared at Susan with intense hatred. “You will pay for this, not with your life, but with your very soul,” he hissed violently. “You cannot remain on your guard forever. Sooner or later, you will relax your vigilance, and when you do, I will be there to claim my vengeance."

  He spun on his heels and stormed out of the chamber. The remaining Council members trailed after him silently, leaving the corpse of Warrenger behind.

  Mathias met Susan's gaze hesitantly. Then, he collapsed into a chair. He put his head in his hands and directed his gaze down at the table in front of him. He sat in that pose for a few minutes, and then started at the gentle touch of Susan's hand on his shoulder.

  "Armand, it will be all right. Would you like to come with me for a little while and join us at Serenity?"

  He shook his head. “No, Susan. I can't really face anyone else right now. I'll be okay. I just need some time to sort all of this out."

  Susan nodded. “If you need anything, just speak it. I will know and I will be there for you."

  "Thank you. I have never known a truly holy person in my entire life. I thought I did, but I was clearly wrong. But you, Susan, are truly a saint."

  Susan chuckled. “I'm no saint, Armand, but I am blessed. To know you have awakened is itself a great blessing."

  "I don't deserve your kindness, Susan. I have been a vile and despicable sonofabitch."

  "Yes you have,” she laughed, “but knowing you've been a vile and despicable sonofabitch is a good first step toward redemption."

  Mathias smiled at that weakly, in spite of himself. Then he took Susan's hand in his and said, “Thank you, Susan. I owe you."

  "No, you don't owe me. Just make an honest man out of yourself, Armand. That will be sufficient repayment."

  "I'll do my best."

  "That's all that can ever be expected of any of us,” she said. “I must go now. Take care, Armand Mathias, man of God.” She disappeared in a flash of light.

  * * * *

  THE FIRST SESSION of the global World Coalition Congress, oblivious to the events that had transpired earlier in the day in the UN conference room, was assembling. The session was to be kicked off by an opening address by Jesus himself, followed by the first true legislative session of the Congress, all of it to be broadcast live over the first post-holocaust global television linkup.

  The Congress was assembled and the members were murmuring among themselves. The time for Jesus’ appointed opening remarks came and went, without any sign of him. The assembly began to grow a bit restive, and the murmuring grew a bit more intense. Then they became concerned. What had happened to Jesus?

  He appeared in a blaze of light twenty minutes past his scheduled start time. Once he appeared, his tardiness was forgotten. The delegation stood in unison and gave him a rousing ovation that went on for nearly seven minutes. Jesus stood at the lectern, standing tall and proud, never betraying any sense of his defeat at the hands of Susan just hours earlier. He raised his hands to his side and nodded his greeting from side to side, making sure each section was equally acknowledged.

  Finally, he raised his hand to silence the Congress. Obediently, they settled down and the members sat attentively, ready to hang on his every word. The house lights dimmed and Jesus stood in a single overhead white light.

  "I welcome you all to this first session of the World Coalition Congress. Each of you has been selected by your Overlord to serve in this body because of your loyalty to the New Order. Those of you who serve this body are the elite of your respective regions. On behalf of the World Coalition Government, I welcome you."

  Applause filled the room.

  "I am afraid I must begin our proceedings with sad news. David Warrenger, the Overlord of America, was savagely murdered earlier today by the renegade, Susan Morgan. I and the Central Committee of Overlords witnessed this first-hand."

  A stunned silence fell over the assembly, followed by shouts of outrage.

  "I hereby proclaim Susan Morgan an enemy of the state, wanted for subversion and murder. I have arranged for a reward of one million dollars to be paid for her capture,” then he added, with a voice dripping with menace, “...dead or alive. I encourage every member of this body to join our efforts to form an international manhunt for the sole purpose of bringing her to justice.” Jesus filled his voice with the proper dramatic tone of indignation.

  Susan appeared in a flash of white light, immediately to the right of Jesus. “You will not have to search far. I am here,” she announced loud enough to be heard by all.

  The Congress fell into stunned silence. How could she have the audacity to appear so brazenly? It was an act of unforgivable defiance. Gradually, voices began to be raised in outrage. Jesus glared harshly at her.

  "So,” he said, “you have returned to the scene of your crime. You know we cannot allow you to leave. You are an enemy of the state now, Susan, with a price on your head.” He gestured at the assembly. “Surely, you do not think you can fight them all."

  Susan gave Jesus an are-you-kidding-me look. She spoke softly so she would not be heard over the microphone. “Who is going to stop me? You?” She smiled sweetly at him.

  Jesus’ fists clenched at his sides, out of view of the television cameras. He kept an even expression on his face, mindful the eyes of the world were cast upon him.

  Susan boldly walked over to the microphone and looked directly into the camera. “My name is Susan Morgan and I have something to say to you today,” she began. “Before I begin, allow me to inform you no attempts to interrupt this broadcast will be possible. I will not trouble you with why that is so, but if you do not believe me,” she t
urned to Jesus, “please feel free to test that claim."

  Jesus looked toward the network technicians, who were looking at him for a sign to abort the signal. Standing right behind the technician, but unseen by him, was the glowing form of Angelino. Jesus eyes widened. Angelino smiled and waved at him mischievously. Jesus shook his head at the technicians, indicating they should not make an attempt to disconnect Susan.

  The Congress was not in an equally tolerant frame of mind. Cries of protest erupted throughout the chamber, many calling for her arrest on the spot. The more intolerant among them simply did not want to have her heard at all and were quite willing to shout her down. Susan stood patiently and allowed this to continue for several minutes. Jesus smiled with satisfaction at her side. He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders with mock resignation.

  Finally, Susan bellowed, “Silence!"

  As if cut off by a knife, the hoots and cries of derision ceased. Even Jesus himself seemed stunned at the sheer power of the command.

  "There, that's better.” Susan smiled into the camera. “I come to you here today to attempt to expose a lie. I say ‘attempt’ because I know how appealing that lie is to all of you, and how much you want to believe in it. The lie is a subtle one, because it is cloaked in the garment of compassion. In nature, there is a butterfly known as the Viceroy butterfly. Its outer form mimics that of the Monarch butterfly. Nature has done this for a reason. To birds, the Monarch butterfly is bitter and they will not eat it. Nature protects the Viceroy by tricking the birds into thinking that it, too, bears the same bitter taste, hence it survives simply by its resemblance to that which the birds avoid.

  "This lie I wish to reveal to you works in the opposite way. It is poison masquerading as nourishment, it is death in the guise of the promise of life. The lie of which I speak is the one that tells you that you will gain freedom by surrendering your individuality.

  "It seems like such a reasonable proposition, doesn't it? After all, don't we all benefit as a community when we surrender a little of our own ‘selfishness’ in exchange for the public good? Isn't it in everyone's best interest if each of us gives in to the will of the masses?