The Broadcast

by Liam Fialkov

  “What are you looking at?” the woman angrily said. “Move away or give me some spare change.”

  “Let me see the phone,” Tanisha demanded.

  “You got nerve, young lady; now get the hell out of my sight!”

  “Give me the phone, now, or I’ll call the police,” Tanisha threatened and pulled out her phone.

  Looking hostile, the woman complied with the request and handed Tanisha the phone.

  “It is Lily’s phone,” Tanisha stated. She turned to the homeless woman, “where did you get it?” she demanded to know.

  “She lent it to me, your blondie.”

  “I’m sure,” Tanisha said. “Where was it? Tell me or tell the police.”

  “At the soup kitchen on Main Street; why are you barking at me?” the woman responded.

  “Come on,” Tanisha said to Michael, “I know where it is.”

  Michael hurried after Tanisha.

  “Hey, give me back the phone!” the homeless woman shouted, “I told you that she loaned it to me!” but they didn’t pay attention to her.

  At the entry to the soup kitchen, there was a long line of homeless and poor people, who came to get their lunch from the institute that was run by a Christian charity organization. Tanisha and Michael behind her pushed their way forward, through the protesting voices of those who were waiting. They entered a big hall where a large crowd had gathered, most of them wearing old, unmatched clothes that were probably donated by the charity organizations. Michael noticed the sharp difference between the rich university and the gloomy reality of the soup kitchen.

  They shoved their way to the head of the line and showed their pictures to one of the aid workers. “That’s Lily,” he said without hesitation, and examined them. “If you’re looking for her, go into the kitchen.”

  Michael stormed forward and rushed into the kitchen, Tanisha behind him, and they immediately saw Lily, all absorbed in stirring food in a large pot. “Lily!” he called her.

  “Michael!” She was amazed to see him. “What are you doing here?” she left the large cooking spoon and hugged him joyfully, and he noticed the tears in her eyes. “Tanisha, my sister,” Lily called when she saw Tanisha, standing patiently and looking at the two siblings. Lily left her brother and warmly hugged her good friend.

  “But how did you find me? Lily asked.

  “It’s a long story,” Tanisha replied. “And how come you didn’t tell me that you have such a cute brother?”

  Lily told them that she came to the soup kitchen to volunteer, because she felt the need to experience giving, instead of thinking about herself and her problems all the time. She was invited to sleep in an apartment used by the staff members, and only at night, did she realize that her phone was stolen. “Michael, Tanisha, I apologize for getting you all worried,” Lily said.

  “The main thing is that you are alive and well,” Tanisha responded. “And don’t you dare to do it again.”

  Chapter 46

  The Broadcast

  The pressure on The Broadcast, which seemed to subside for a few months, intensified again, and with greater fervor. But if in the past, the pressure came from people, like reporter Stewart McPherson, who doubted the credibility of the footage, now the protests arose from individuals and groups who believed in the film’s authenticity but were worried about their content.

  These were primarily voices sounded by different Christian community leaders, as well as isolated calls from the Muslim world.

  At the front of the new opposition to The Broadcast, were religious groups from the southeastern United States, an area called the Bible Belt. Large communities of the Evangelical Protestants live in that area, and they are characterized by conservatism and known for their political power and influence.

  Public statements by priests in Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, and North Carolina, warned of the program, which might show Jesus of Nazareth in a different light than he is portrayed in the Holy Bible. The known preacher, Nicolas Davis, from the city of Montgomery in Alabama, even called his followers to stop watching the program immediately. Similar manifestos were published in Italy, Holland, Australia, and Canada.

  In a program dedicated to the fifth century, The Broadcast hosted Professor Zoltan Bodrogi of the University of Budapest.

  “Good evening, Professor,” Susan Riley smiled at her guest. “Thank you for coming all the way from Hungary to be with us here this evening.”

  “Good evening to you and our viewers,” the Hungarian professor answered politely.

  “We are going to talk about the Huns,” the host said. “Professor Bodrogi, who were the Huns, and what was their importance?”

  “As far as we know,” the professor responded, “they were nomadic people from Central Asia and the Caucasus who founded an empire and invaded Europe. They were first seen in Europe in the fourth century, and the Romans described them as terrifying savages who ate raw meat, lived on their horses, and even slept on them.

  Their infamous leader, Attila, who came to power after he presumably murdered his older brother, is remembered in European history as an embodiment of evil and cruelty. The Huns turned toward the Eastern Roman Empire. They defeated the Byzantine army, conquered lands, and on their way they destroyed cities and showed unhindered cruelty toward their enemies. Then the Romans agreed to pay Attila an annual tribute of 2,100 pounds of gold, in return for withdrawal from Byzantine territories and ending the fighting.”

  “And what happened next?” the host asked.

  “Attila turned his attention toward the Western Roman Empire,” the guest continued. “He claimed that Honoria, the sister of the emperor, had promised to marry him, which is why he was claiming half the empire as a dowry.”

  In a film, viewers could see the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, next to the city of Orleans, in Gaul (today’s France). “It was a massive confrontation,” the professor said, “which is considered by historians as one of the most important battles in history. The Romans had the upper hand, but a year later, the Huns already recovered and made their way into Italy. On their way, they conquered cities, looted and completely demolished them.”

  “Professor Bodrogi,” the host intervened in her guest’s continuous talk. “Why did Attila stop his conquest of Italy, and avoid the sacking of Rome?”

  “The emperor sent envoys to negotiate with Attila,” the professor answered. “One of the envoys was Pope Leo I. Attila, who believed in superstitions and apparently was very impressed by the pope, accepted Leo’s plea, and promised that he would withdraw from Italy. There might be other reasons for his withdrawal, like illnesses and hunger in his army.”

  Susan Riley said that TXB did not manage to attain footage that documented the historic meeting between Attila and the Pope. Instead, a famous drawing of the painter Raphael was displayed.

  Walter Lindsey went over letters from viewers of his show. The massive amount of mail was filtered by the dedicated secretaries, who forwarded to him the letters they thought might interest him.

  One man wrote, “Dear Walter, I’m a regular viewer of your program, and I don’t miss any broadcast, even with the late hour. I take an issue with the way history is portrayed on your show. Watching The Broadcast, one might get the impression that the way of humanity is only of wars, battles, and bloodshed. Why don’t you also show our greatness? For instance: Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Beethoven, or Van Gogh?”

  Lindsey replied, “Dear Edward, I certainly agree with you that the human race is capable of impressive spiritual and cultural achievements and not only bloodshed. Unfortunately, with the technology that’s in our hands, we can’t enter houses, like Beethoven, while he composed the fifth symphony, or Leonardo Da Vinci, while he painted the Mona Lisa. Furthermore, we usually need precise dates and locations in order to direct our spotlight to the events we wish to see and show.”

  Another letter that the secretaries forwarded read, “Dear Mr. Lindsey, my name is Dean Wagner, and I’m with the St. Loui
s Police Department. I’m wondering if the technology demonstrated on your show, The Broadcast, could assist in solving a puzzling case. Here in St. Louis, we’re investigating the death of a retired priest, who was well-known, loved, and a pillar of his community. According to our findings, Father Buckner had no known enemies, and nothing could explain why his body was found floating in the Mississippi River. From talking to his wife, Mrs. Buckner, we were alerted to one unusual detail. On the morning of his disappearance and subsequent death, Father Buckner was visited by an unidentified woman who seemed to be about forty years old. We don’t know what transpired between the priest and the mysterious woman, and whether Father Buckner was subjected to blackmail. I am hoping that with the help of the technology that you possess, we would track down the woman’s car and discover where she came from, and thus, shed light on the investigation, which right now is going nowhere. Sincerely, Dean Wagner, St. Louis Police Department.”

  Walter Lindsey’s reply was short, “Dear Mr. Wagner, at the moment, our show and our technology are focused on the historical journey, and not on solving crime cases. Sincerely, Walter Lindsey.”

  On the evening of the weekly show, producer Walter Lindsey used to look out through the window of his ninth-floor’s room and observe the streets and building lights, as well as the traffic below.

  He often felt like one of the military commanders that his program showed, navigating his divisions and regiments on their unpaved road toward new territories.

  Muslim protests against the show were significantly less vocal than the Christian ones. The relatively small American Muslim minority kept a low profile; but since the representative of the community visited his office, uttering an implied threat, Walter Lindsey understood that he wouldn’t be able to ignore the religious aspect for long.

  While the American Muslim population kept quiet, articles were published from time to time in large and important Muslim countries, like Turkey, Pakistan, and Egypt. Writers of those articles told their readers about an American TV program called The Broadcast, a seeming entertainment show. The Broadcast harbored danger if it decided to broadcast films showing the Jewish temple, which the Muslim world denies it ever existed on the Temple Mountain. The articles urged readers to send letters to the editors of The Broadcast and gave its email address. And indeed, TXB’s mailbox was flooded with appeals that some of them were very polite, and some carrying threatening characteristics.

  TXB’s CEO, Colin Ingram, maintained the line he’d held ever since the program first aired. He made it clear to Walter Lindsey that he would support and back him up as long as the business was profitable. The moment advertisers got deterred or viewership went down, he would pull the plug.

  ***

  Michael was sitting in front of the computer screen in his office when the phone rang, and on the internal line was Walter Lindsey. “Would you like to join me for lunch?” the producer asked in a friendly manner. Michael was surprised, because Walter usually kept his personal relationship with him for after working hours, and mainly on weekends, when the musical meeting and the family meal took place.

  “Eric is also coming,” Lindsey added. Eric was the band’s bass player and a professor of history who taught at a local college.

  “I’ll be glad to come along,” Michael replied, and wondered if there was a special reason for the invitation. The three of them went in Walter’s SUV, and Michael continued to wonder at the cause of the unexpected invitation. Was Walter going to share the secret with him? Reveal the source of The broadcast’s films and include him in his inner circle of friends?

  They arrived at a small Chinese restaurant in the East Village. “It’s a really good place,” Walter said. “The food is excellent and not too expensive.”

  The three of them sat at a table, and the waitress brought them a pot of tea and small ceramic cups. They looked at the menu; Walter and Michael ordered a business meal that contained stir-fried shrimps and vegetables, and Eric ordered Kung Pau chicken.

  “Do you know Stewart McPherson?” Walter asked and looked at Michael with eyes that reflected inquisitive curiosity, as well as innocence. Eric also examined him.

  The question caught Michael off-guard. For a moment he was alarmed and felt like his heart skipped a beat. He quickly went through all the possibilities that could have brought about the unexpected question. More than anything, he regretted not being honest with Walter right from the start. Did Walter somehow find out that he was sent by McPherson to spy on him? It could have consequences he didn’t want to think about. He didn’t want to think about what could happen to his relationship with Melanie if there would be a falling out in his relationship with her father.

  “I don’t mean knowing him personally,” Walter continued, noticing that Michael was perplexed, but if you’re familiar with his work and the things he wrote about my show.”

  “I’ve read the article in the New York Times,” Michael breathed with relief and tried to get his thoughts in order, fast.

  “And what did you think about the article?” Walter was interested.

  “You see,” Michael looked for words, “I never miss an episode of The Broadcast and along with that”—he carefully considered his words and added—“I think that there is something to what he wrote.”

  Walter smiled. “I appreciate your honesty,” he said. “People think that I see McPherson as an adversary, but in fact, I truly appreciate the man for his work and his courage.”

  “So you are not angry or disappointed about what he wrote when he claimed that your show is based on deception?” Michael asked.

  “I regret the things that he said about my show,” Lindsey replied, “and I wish we wouldn’t be at odds with each other. Anyway, recently I find myself under even greater pressure, when religious factors demand that I cancel the show, or at least skip over events from the first century.”

  Michael felt that by exposing his difficulties, Lindsey was expressing trust toward him in a way he never had before. He looked at Walter affectionately. “How do they pressure you?” Michael asked.

  “Through email, as well as threatening phone calls,” Walter answered. “They also pressure the network and not just me personally.”

  “So what do you intend to do?” Michael questioned.

  “I will continue,” Walter responded. “I won’t give in. But of course, not everything is up to me. Our CEO is the one who is going to decide whether the show continues or goes off the air.”

  “I think,” Eric said, “that religious fanaticism stems from inner doubts. A man who is truly convinced of his faith does not feel insecure, and doesn’t need to impose his ideas on others.”

  “And the horrendous religious wars that took place over the centuries,” Michael asked, “They also originated from inner doubt?”

  “Many times,” Eric answered, “religious identification is not essentially different than national identification, and it stems from our need to be a part of a larger group and to know we’re not alone in the world. Our egos need the assurance that our path is the only right way.

  The three of them were immersed in their conversation and their meal, and didn’t pay attention to a man who sat at a nearby table, ate his lunch, and listened to their discussion. Had they noticed him, they would probably have observed a large, ugly scar on the left side of his face.

  Chapter 47

  Sarah and Jonathan

  After Sarah returned from her journey to St. Louis, where she confronted and even took revenge on the man who abused her when she was young, she felt that a heavy load that she had carried for many years was lifted from her shoulders.

  Joy returned to her heart, along with a fresh and optimistic attitude toward her life. At the age of forty, she still felt vital and energetic, and her body and face kept a youthful appearance.

  Sarah understood that she must accept the fact that she wouldn’t be a mother, and she must find activities and directions that attracted her and brought light to her world. A
long with that, she didn’t give up on the possibility of uniting with her son, who she kept calling Daniel, and she hoped and prayed that he would search for her and find her.

  The first task she took upon herself was to mend and improve the relationship with her husband. She deeply regretted hurting him during the years when she’d felt desperate and frustrated, and perhaps somewhere inside of her, she blamed him for her inability to get pregnant.

  Now she tried to compensate him for being patient with her, for not breaking off their marriage, and for not going in her despicable way, and go looking for other women. Maybe one good thing came about as a result of her infidelity, which is that Jonathan had found himself a good friend in Irene. Sarah knew that her husband hardly had friends, and really, in today’s world, it’s not easy to find a good friend who is caring and supportive, like she had in her sister. So what difference did it make if Irene was his biological sister or not?

  During weekdays, Sarah tried to come home from work at an early hour so she would have time to make dinner for both of them, and she did her best to cook the foods he liked, in the way that he preferred.

  Enjoyment and creativity returned to her food preparation, and both of them were pleased to find that she succeeded in making wholesome and delicious meals.

  Although Sarah became a vegetarian since her experiences with the spiritual teachers, she was not put off by preparing meat dishes for him.

  Jonathan was not indifferent to her efforts. He saw that she was trying to atone for “the bad years,” and he was grateful for her good will. He too, invested in their relationship; he spent more time at home, and during the evening he tried to be with her in the house and not close himself in the computer room.