“And Paul.” she added. “I know. Everyone is out there talking about how we’re lovers. Luckily, they know nothing about your involvement with me, Temperance. Perhaps you’d better consider if you want the kind of trouble that could come of knowing me.”
“I would never abandon you.” Temperance told her. “We’re together. Forever.”
The two women kissed each other tenderly.
Paul interrupted, “Well, that’s very nice, but we’re in trouble here, Rachel. We have met a few times outside of work, and the three of us have worked together on Kingdom projects in our spare time. We sit together in Assembly. We’re linked. I don’t know why I thought they would never think you and I were involved. Of course, they’d think that. Now we must consider the possibility it could spread, and with Christian behind it, it could reach destructive proportions.”
“Is there any way to diffuse the rumors?” Temperance asked.
“There’s more to consider.” Rachel said glumly. She pulled the dirty bonnet out of her pocket and revealed it to them. “Someone left this anonymously at my doorstep this morning. Someone knows I murdered the Toil Master.”
Paul turned away, deep in thought and on the verge of panic.
Temperance began weeping as though Rachel were already executed.
“I’m doomed, I think.” Rachel remarked.
“Nonsense.” Paul answered. “We have several options. We could try to start the revolution early.”
“Revolution?” Temperance questioned. “What is he talking about, Rachel?”
Rachel ignored the question and replied to Paul, “No. It would fail. We’re too weak in these Gates.”
“I could marry you. In name only, of course.” Paul said. “It would resolve everything.”
“It would resolve the gossip and problem with Mr. Christian. Not the murder of the Toil Master.” she pointed out. “What is that for?” Rachel asked, pointing to the bag.
“Option three.” Paul responded. “Running away.”
They were quiet a minute. Finally, Temperance asked, “Where would we go to?”
Rachel said, “The Humanist Outpost in The Leaf. It’s up north, almost due north from here. I did an article edit on it a while ago.”
“How do we even know that’s real, Rachel?” Temperance objected. “I mean, running away? I have my mother, sister, sister’s kids here. That’s a permanent separation from my family.”
“And I won’t ask it of you.” Rachel told her. “Just as you won’t ask me to stay when it’s my head about to be on the block.”
Temperance looked from Rachel to Paul, then back again. “I won’t be separated from you either. Oh, this is so unfair!”
“You must decide if you’re coming with us. We don’t have much time.” Paul informed her. “It won’t be too long they’ll be looking for us for interrogation. If the killing of the Toil Master comes out, Rachel will be executed; or at best, imprisoned for many years. Even if it doesn’t come out now, it may come out later. Every other option only buys time before our heresies are uncovered.”
“When are you leaving?” Temperance asked.
Paul glanced down at his bag. “Once we’re done talking about it.”
“I see.” Temperance stated, annoyed. “You were planning on leaving, and putting us in a position where we’d have to join you or face worse here on our own.”
“No,” Paul replied, “I was hoping to talk you both into coming with me, but if you don’t want to come, I won’t force you. It seems you’re the one trying to manipulate me into staying. You’d like nothing better than for me to marry Rachel, so you could continue your fling with her.”
“Fling?” Temperance said, angry. “This is more than just a ‘fling’ as you call it.”
“Paul. Temperance.” Rachel called to them. “Stop bickering. We should stick together on this. We must work together. I’m curious to see what’s out there, beyond Purgatory. In Limbo. And Paul’s right. We would eventually get caught, and I believe that’s the case even if Paul and I were to marry in name only. I lean towards running away.”
“But...” Temperance began, “things outside the world we live in are horrible. How will we survive?”
“I packed warm clothing and rations for a few days. A tool kit. Knives. Basics. We can make it.” Paul told her.
Rachel reached out her hand to Paul, who clasped it. Despite her trembling with fear of what may lay beyond Purgatory, Temperance clasped both their hands in her own. “I’m in.”
X.
She focused on the desperate breathing of the trio, now in rhythm as they raced down the cobblestone street in Purgatory, past the posters of the Profit. Using that focus enabled Rachel to keep running though she wanted to collapse, her heart beating so fast she thought it would explode.
All around them they heard the voice announcing repeatedly, “There are terrorists inside Purgatory. Stay inside. Get off the streets. Failure to comply may result in unintended consequences for which you will be held responsible and your family billed for any resulting costs.”
They had released terrifying, three legged mechanical beasts, standing twelve feet high. Their golden, round heads had three eyes on the front and three eyes on the back. Their chest and arms were of silver, their middle sections were of bronze, and their legs were made of iron. Their feet were made of iron and clay. The beasts made a crunching sound as they stepped, their heads full of eyes looking all around, nothing escaping their gaze.
The Convicted scurried hurriedly for shelter, helping others when they could. Rachel realized in horror they had no place in Purgatory to hide. The beasts would find them soon enough.
“Here!” Temperance called in an urgent hushed tone.
They piled inside a dumpster together and held their noses at the stench. Curious, Rachel peeked outside to see what was happening. In the main street at the end of the alley, a boy of twelve was crawling away from one of the beasts. Another beast spotted the boy and made a try for him, angering the other beast. The new beast on the scene balled up silver fists and crushed the clay feet of the first beast. The first beast, unable to stand, fell into a heap on the ground. From out of its belly rolled a crystallized cocoon. Meanwhile, the second beast spat out a slimy yellow webbing at the crawling boy, covering him in it. It grew quickly around him, forming a crystal cocoon, putting an end to his objections. The beast tenderly placed the cocoon inside its belly through a hatch underneath.
The cocoon that ejected from the first beast split open, revealing a young woman and her small son. They opened their eyes and, dazed, looked around. She stood, taking the child in her arms, and began to run. The beast, having finished with its first prey, wouldn’t let her and her son get away so easily. It chased them a few paces, then spat its webbing at them with expert precision, cocooning them once again. Its long mechanical tail whipped around and picked them up, placing them inside its belly.
Rachel’s knuckles had turned white from the intensity with which she gripped the lid of the dumpster. She wanted desperately to help these people, who were suffering in their escape attempt. But she knew to try to help was futile. The beasts were too numerous. And though their feet were made of clay, she lacked the needed strength to affect them.
“How are we going to get out of here?” Temperance asked, on the verge of panic.
“Stay calm.” Rachel assured her. “We will find a way.”
Looking out once more, the beasts seemed to have been distracted further away by more prey in the street. Rachel urged Paul and Temperance to silently abscond from the dumpster and make their way out of the alley onto the street behind them. The street seemed quiet at first. But within a minute, a beast had turned the corner and discovered them. They tried to enter a dwelling, only to have the door shut in their faces.
“Psst!” Came a noise across the street. “Over here.”
A middle aged brunette woman hovered in a doorway in a building across the street. She motioned them to come inside with
her. Paul clasped Rachel’s hand and charged across the road full speed ahead, Temperance grabbing at Rachel’s arm and following along. Temperance looked sideways at the approaching beast, its encroaching, crushing footsteps nearly deafening. She sucked in a deep breath and held it, astonished at the sight of the monstrosity barreling down upon them. Its golden face moved in a fluid like motion, giving it an almost human expression. Jagged golden fangs erupted from its mouth as it hissed at Temperance.
“RACHEL!!” she screamed in terror. “It’s coming for us!”
Rearing back its awful head, the fangs shot out towards her, hitting the edge of the wooden door as they dragged Temperance inside with them. They yanked the door shut, breaking off the fang darts. A liquid oozed from the darts and slid down the door’s edge, making a low hissing sound, then ceasing. She leaned against the other side of the door, trembling, afraid to move. Rachel’s arms went about her immediately, rocking her and stroking her hair.
“There, there, sweetheart.” Rachel reassured her. “We’re inside. We’re safe now. It’s alright.”
It was quiet and still in the street for the time being. Rachel could have sworn she heard the beast breathing just outside the door. But she knew that had to be her imagination. Whatever else the mechanical monsters were, they weren’t alive. Just as Temperance became relatively calm, the beast growled, having acquired a fresh target, and clamored its way in its direction. Temperance whimpered and covered her mouth with her hand. There were a few more screams in the distance, then silence.
“It’s alright, dear.” Rachel told her, only half believing it herself. She helped Temperance to her feet.
The room was lit by soft hues of candle light, and the flame burning in the fireplace. The apartment was a simple one bedroom affair, with cream colored walls and old wooden floors. The furniture was sparse and old, but functional.
“Be careful where you walk.” Their savior told them. “I covered the holes in the boards of the floor with old rugs. It makes it look better.”
She had kind, gentle brown eyes and smile lines around her mouth. Her children were playing in the bedroom. One of them came in the main room to see what was happening. Rachel recognized him as the boy from the Coffee Shop. She smiled at him immediately.
“Well, hello there!” Rachel greeted him.
“Hello!” he grinned at her. “Mama, this is the angel I told you about.”
“Oh, I’m no angel...” Rachel replied.
“Oh, but you are!” the kind woman responded, tears welling up in her eyes. “At first, when Bartholomew was put on the Toilback, we thought it was punishment for his having spoken too familiar like with you. And we thought we might never survive. But I prayed to the King, in the name of the Profit. And sure enough, my prayers were answered. And I owe you so much more than I can ever repay.”
“Madame, what’s your name?” Paul inquired.
“I’m Rahav.” she answered. “And this is Andrew.”
“Rahav,” Rachel said, “please tell me, where is Bartholomew now? Is he here?”
“Oh, no,” she responded happily, “he was adopted by one of the Elect couples inside the Gates. Now he will be raised in a better home than I could manage to give him. He will have amazing opportunities I can never grant him. And he is assured of a place at the King’s Table in heaven. We will miss him, but we owe it all to you, our Guardian Angel.”
Rahav beamed with pride and joy over her son’s promotion to the Elect, and with gratitude to Rachel, who she presumed helped place him there. Rachel decided not to tell her that she had nothing to do with it. Most likely, he had been placed so they could gather information from him about the Toil Master’s murder. But, it was known that some men decided not to set aside their barren wives, but instead to select a son from among the Convicted to raise as their own. Rachel hoped his adoption was a coincidence, had nothing to do with her or the Toil Master, and would be a blessing to him. But she wondered about those who adopted such children. They claimed they did so because the children needed rescuing from their abject poverty. The children were innocent, and so couldn’t be held responsible for the sins of their parents. They could be raised better, reared to be among the Elect in heart and status. However, if they believed in alleviating their poverty, why did they not simply provide for the family unit, so they might remain together? Alas, the adoptions were mainly for the benefit of the Elect, rather than the original family unit. At least the original family could take some comfort in knowing their child would have an easier life.
Temperance, having finally stopped shaking, pointed towards the door and demanded, “What the hell were those things out there?!”
Rahav expressed surprise. “You don’t know? Well, those are the beasts, as we call them, or Search Drones. Anytime there is a suspected terrorist in the area, they are released. They capture anyone unfortunate enough to be out in the street at the time.”
“What happens to those they capture?” Paul asked.
“Most of them return within a few hours, with tales of the beauty of the Gates.” she answered, shrugging. “But a few never come back. We don’t get told what happened to them. Just that they’re in a better place.” She paused, then continued, “Of course, sometimes they let people go, for reasons unexplained. Rumor has it the beasts can see into your soul. They can see who is a Heretic, and who is not. Now, my children- all of them- have been raised in the faith of the King. None of them would ever err in their hearts. They’re good boys, my boys.”
“Yes, they are very sweet children. They have excellent manners, too. You’ve done a wonderful job with them. “Rachel answered, trying not to wince.
Couldn’t Rahav see that the faith she was clinging to so strongly was perpetuating her situation? No, it wasn’t her faith that was the problem. It was her faith in the Profit’s interpretation that was the root of her oppression. Yet, Rahav could see none of this. She was satisfied with things the way they were, because she believed she deserved to suffer toil and poverty to promote some cause greater than herself or her own children. And the zeal in Rahav’s eyes informed Rachel that Rahav would rather die than abandon her beliefs, suffer any indignity for them, perhaps even kill to retain the view of the world she clung to so fervently and desperately. But Rahav was not being asked to kill or die, merely to raise her children in poverty under the thumb of the Profit, with little hope of escaping their grim fate. She did so willingly, with a cheerfulness and acceptance that bordered on creepy. And her children would continue in the same pattern, rearing their children in the same manner, continuing a never-ending cycle of self-sustained oppression begotten by religion mired in the self-serving political filth of the state. Rachel wanted to scream. Someone needed to stop the next turn of this bitter wheel, and set these people free.
“You remind me of someone.” Rahav remarked to Rachel, stroking her chin thoughtfully. “Who could it be...”
Paul cleared his throat, then asked, “Rahav, how can we get to Limbo from here?”
Her jaw dropped. “Limbo?” She repeated in disbelief. Rahav sat down on a chair, then asked, “Why on earth would you holy folks want to go there? Why, there’s nothing but demons and devils there, waiting to tempt you into Hell itself.” She shook her head negatively over and over. “You godly folks need to stay away from that place.”
“We have a holy mission to attend to that requires us to enter Limbo.” Paul lied. “Can you help us get there?”
“Yes, I see now!” she said, standing. “The King arranged we should meet, so I could repay you for helping my Bartholomew, and help you do your holy mission! This was pre-destined as part of my family’s redemption! Of course, I’ll help you.”
“Now,” Paul said, “how do we get to Limbo?”
“Okay.” she told him. “You leave my place, go north.” She pointed in the direction of north. “Take a left, then a right, then a left. That road will take you into the fog and out of Purgatory into Limbo.”
“Thank you, Rahav
.” he said. “You are indeed a good, kind person. Is there a wall to get past? A gate, perhaps?”
She grabbed his arm with both hands. “Please, tell me, you’re going to Limbo to redeem sinners, aren’t you? The rapture and the judgment are about to begin? He is coming to start his reign?”
Rachel saw such hope in her eyes. Only when the King’s reign began would her family be freed from their wrenching poverty, either through salvation or damnation. But at least it would be something different than their current state.
Paul said, “We cannot know when he will return. Or where the King may be hiding at any given moment. We cannot know. Now please, the wall...”
“There ain’t no wall.” she replied. “No gates, neither. You can just walk out into the fog.”
It was their turn to stand with jaws agape. “You mean you can walk out of Purgatory at any time?” Temperance asked. Without waiting for the response, she laughed. “The cruelest of all things.”
“I don’t understand.” Rahav remarked, confused by Temperance’s reaction.
Rachel sighed. “It’s nothing. My friend simply has a strange sense of humor. Thank you for all you have done for us, Rahav. I may never be able to repay your kindness. But you will always have my gratitude.” Rachel extended her hand to Rahav, who seemed uncomfortable touching an Elect. She remembered the aluminum foil over her wrist and retracted her hand.
“Oh, you’ve done enough for me and mine.” Rahav told her sheepishly. She leaned in close to Rachel and whispered, “Be careful of the girl. I think she may be, you know, a heretic.”
Rachel didn’t repeat or acknowledge the last words Rahav spoke to her, but thanked her once more as the three of them quietly and carefully departed the tiny home. The streets were clear now, the beasts in retreat with their bundles of joy in cargo. Rachel suspected something even more sinister might be released soon, and hurried them along the path. Leaving the city was very easy. As Rahav said, there were no gates or walls keeping anyone in. Only their unshakable belief that demons lay outside the boundaries. The border was a ring of amorphous flowing fog that permeated the area. As they made their way through it, they came to the other side. The fog revealed a machine that dispensed the mist, and trees and hills beyond the machine.
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