Messenger's Dawn

by Lior Akerman

  “What do you want?”, he asked them.

  They looked at each other and then Samael answered in a loud voice and a terrifying low tone:

  “A new world order. An order we will determine.” He was silent for a moment and then added: “Today we are taking control of the world. We are relieving you of your responsibility.”

  As they turned to leave, they set fire to the hall, burning the walls and turning all those present into a heap of ashes. The heat was unbearable, the sound of the flames destroying the walls terrible. Furniture mixed with burning human flesh mixed with the sounds of the security forces storming the room and loud shouts inside the building and outside.

  Samael and Charnbog left the compound openly, from two opposite sides. But before leaving, they changed into white clothes. The sight was filmed and sent to the entire world. No one had an explanation for why the figure in white had burned the world leaders in the White House. It took a long time for the firefighters to enter the burning room, finding the horror that remained. Many burnt bodies were pulled from the room and taken for identification that would continue for many days. The reports were clear, there were no survivors.

  The public was furious. Hundreds of thousands demonstrated on the streets against the messenger, demanding to locate and destroy him. Analysts in the media speculated as to the reasons that caused the messenger to act as he had. John O’hara, a CNN analyst, explained that in his opinion, the messenger began by carrying out acts of heroism, supposedly saving mankind, only to show his power.

  “Now he has unveiled his true face and his intention to take control of the world,” Ohara claimed.

  29.

  Rome, the Vatican, October 20th

  The announcement made on all the news broadcasts was extremely unusual, although it did not surprise anyone under the current circumstances.

  “The Pope, John Paul the 3rd, speaking before tens of thousands of worshippers that gathered in the Vatican, called for the messenger to come to the Vatican to meet with him. This is a special request by the Pope, wishing to convey a personal message to the messenger,” said the report.

  This special request by the Pope was not just a personal whim of curiosity. The call for the meeting was agreed upon by the heads of the church, meeting in the Pope’s meeting room the night before. They had many questions as they were unclear regarding the messenger’s goal and the reason he had appeared. In the end, it was Father John Domiciano, the Pope’s personal advisor, who decided it was the right thing for the Pope to do. He convinced the Pope and his other colleagues that the recent occurrences were not aligned with the Christian end of days prophecy and, therefore, this was not a divine or religious mission.

  This was the first time that any figure openly asked to meet with the messenger. He heard the pleading from the Pope but knew he could not expose himself. The autumn evening in late October was especially cold in Rome. The leaves were falling from the trees along the Tiber River, over the St. Angelo bridge and the Vatican. Pope John Paul, who had been elected two years earlier, was an educated 65-year-old man. The thin hair he had remaining was greying and the large, red head covering covered most of his head. He finished eating his dinner that was served to him in his apartment on the third floor of the Pope’s palace, over St. Peter’s Square. The dining room window and the kitchen faced a small and well-kept garden. The Pope’s apartment, or the “Appartamento Pontificio,” was located in the southern side of the complex. The apartment was spread out around an inner garden named after Pope Sixtus V, modestly furnished with fine Italian wood. After completing his meal, he crossed the corridor, passed the office of his secretary and entered his office. He entered the office that shared a wall with his bedroom, he closed the heavy wooden door behind him and sat down at his desk. The window, from which he would speak to the masses in St. Peter’s, was behind him and he heard noise coming from it. He continued to sit at his desk and go over the letters placed on it for him. The sound of the light wind outside calmed him and he assumed it was the wind that moved the curtains. Then he heard knocking on the window. It was impossible to reach the window of his room from outside without setting off the sensors and the alarms that would send in the Swiss guards in charge of his safety within seconds. He looked towards the window again, waited a bit and then got up and opened the curtain. He was amazed at what he saw. There in front of him on the small balcony, was the white figure he had been waiting for. The messenger had come to him. John Paul opened the window and let the messenger enter. They faced each other tensely for a while in silence, until the Pope offered his hand and said:

  “Nice to meet you. I am Pope John Paul the third. Welcome to my residence.”

  “Yes, I know,” the messenger smiled. “you are the one that invited me here.”

  The Pope lost his polite formality and said:

  “Oh, right, yes sir…”

  “You have been calling me “the messenger,” Sir, let’s leave it at that,” the figure in white answered in a steady and confident voice.

  The Pope was uncomfortable and silent. He suggested that they sit on the heavy leather couch by the western wall of the office.

  “Your surprising appearance in the world was accompanied by many quotations from the bible and the New Testament,” John Paul began. “I know you received the message of your mission from a rabbi and a priest that have disappeared. Priest John from New York notified the Vatican of this and the massive coverage by the media leaves no doubt.” John Paul was silent for a while. The messenger continued to look at the face of the holy figure, waiting for him to continue.

  “Despite all of this,” he continued. “In all of your appearances and missions, you did not convey any religious message, you did not turn to the public and you did not present yourself or the purpose of your mission here. You have done amazing things. You faced powerful forces and overcame them. You prevented terrible disaster from humanity and asked for nothing. We at the Church have lost our path. Where are we heading? Who is the messenger and who sent him? How is all of this aligned with what we have learned and believe?”

  There was a tense silence in the room. The messenger looked into his eyes, searching for the right answer. Finally, he answered:

  “Sir, I did not request this mission and I do not know who sent me or the figures that appeared before me. I did not receive and was not asked to convey any message to humanity. The only message I received, and that I have understood, is the one that I convey in my actions. That it is all in man’s hands. We have the power, we have the faith, the war of good against evil is ours alone.”

  The messenger spoke with determination, his voice was soft and clear.

  “This thing that has happened to me is as strange for me as it is for you and the entire world, sir. But I have discovered that I have the power to do anything I wish to do, if I believe in myself, and in my power and skills.”

  The messenger was confident now and continued:

  “I was not sent by a God or an angel and I was not asked to conduct miracles or recruit followers. The religious leaders that announced my mission to me stressed that it is not religious. I have learned that this is humanity’s time, the time to believe in ourselves, to rise above religious, racial and gender differences, and fight for our right to live and fight evil. That is what I believe in, sir, and that is exactly what I have been doing.” He completed his words assertively and even louder than before.

  The messenger appeared to be debating with himself whether to say more. He decided he would.

  “All of my life I was raised and educated to believe that everything was predetermined and set from the day we are born,” he said. “I have discovered that we are the only ones that determine our fate, affect our health, decide what our lives will be like and what world our children will grow up in. Those who have the will and are ready, rise up and act,”

  He stood up and paced through the roo
m until he reached the window facing the large square below. He stood there, looking down through the small opening in the thick red silk curtain. Then he added, without turning around:

  “In the last few months, I have heard many quotes from the Bible and the New Testament. I received different messages that I had trouble understanding but I am certain of one thing. When Rabbi Yochanan left me the letter in Kfar Kana, and when he spoke to me that night on the roof of my apartment building, together with Father Mathew, he was very clear. He stressed that this was not a divine mission but the act of man and a demonstration of its power facing the enemies of humanity. Religion and faith will no longer divide man. The strength will come from the belief in ourselves and in our power. That is exactly what is happening, sir.”

  There was silence in the room. The Pope stood up and slowly walked over to the messenger who turned towards him. He placed his hands on the messenger’s head and chanted silently in Latin, then he took his hands off his head, looked in his eyes and said:

  “I understand, son. You will have success. Go in peace.”

  After saying this, the Pope turned and left the room. He saw his personal aid, Father Carmelo Anthony, looking at him in wonder.

  “Who were you talking to, sir?” Father Carmelo asked.

  The Pope smiled at him, put his hand on his shoulder and answered quietly:

  “I had an epiphany and a discovery. Now things are much clearer to me. Soon you too will know.”

  He continued to walk slowly towards his bedroom. When the door closed behind him, the Vatican returned to the silence of the night. The messenger was no longer there.

  30.

  Jerusalem October 25th

  By this point, the messenger was no longer able to return to the U.S. and to his lover. All the security authorities were after Moshe-Mike Messenger. The Messenger had now become the enemy of the people. Everyone wanted revenge. He found temporary haven in his aunt’s deserted apartment in Jerusalem. His nights were sleepless, with questions of the meaning of this world and the recent events. Why had he gone through all of this, only to fail in his mission? How was it that from the world savior he became the prime enemy? He no longer found any point in his mission and fighting evil. He had been perfectly happy with his modest and anonymous life before all of this. Why did he get involved in all of this?

  The days passed, demonstrations died down but the anger remained. The messenger disappeared and new leaders were appointed in the countries whose leaders were killed in the disaster in the White House. The media reported that all the world leaders present during the fire had been identified. There were just two bodies that were supposed to be there that had not been identified yet, those of U.S. President Lindon and his bodyguard, Alan Jackson. Vice President Walter Chambers was appointed temporary President, operating from one of the rooms in the east wing. He was directed to this location so that the work on repairing the damage could take place and also for security reasons. It was unclear as to t extent of danger the VP was in and how to prevent the messenger from appearing again. There were no unnecessary reports of the location or identification of the President’s body.

  Mike did not answer his phone or attempt to contact anyone. The house remained dark and he spent his time sitting in his room, watching the television reports silently or looking out at the walls of the old city. The October evenings in Jerusalem brought the fresh, cold mountain air. His body was there in the east but his heart was in the northwest, in the room of the woman he loved and that he longed to return to. That, however, was impossible. Everyone was looking for him. He did not understand what had happened. He had only wanted to do good and now he was being punished for his actions. His old house in Jerusalem gave him a calm and warm feeling, even though he did not turn on lights or electric appliances. This house, which was registered in his aunt’s name, gave him a temporary haven but he knew he would not be able to stay there much longer. That night, he fell asleep on the sofa and dreamt of his parents and of Alice. He recalled that night, their last night together, the passion they shared, the outburst of urges and emotions, the depth of lust and love between them. He was frustrated that he did not get the chance to enjoy the wonderful moment that was brought to a premature end.

  Mike knew he had to return to her, to feel her, to be embraced by her and receive the support he was so desperate for. He knew exactly where he needed to be and what he was supposed to do but he did not know how and when this would be possible. His opportunity, however, was closer than he imagined.

  31.

  Washington, October 26th, 20:00

  Vice President Chambers was planned to address the nation and the world at 20:00. The White House press hall was packed with American and foreign correspondents. Cameras were already rolling as the press secretary was on the podium about to welcome the Vice President. The hall was surrounded by a thick circle of hundreds of secret service agents. Despite the tight security, the address was never broadcast.

  At exactly 20:00, the press secretary called the Vice President to the podium. Chambers did not appear. The doors leading to the corridor of offices opened slowly and out came two figures in black. Samael and Charnbog moved forward and got on the small podium and looked around them at the reporters. The hall was completely silent and the only sound came from the cameras and the lights. The ratings increased exponentially within seconds.. Millions of eyes were glued to the screens, waiting. After a while, Samael approached the microphone and began speaking slowly in a deep voice.

  “Citizens of the world, in this era in which evil controls the world and it is every man for himself, with strong forces threatening the future of the world, there is only one force that can face these threats. There is only one force that must control the world and overcome those that threaten us. In recent months you have witnessed the continuing struggle between us and the true enemy. You thought we were the enemies of humanity but you discovered that it was the man in white who killed the world leaders. You learned that it was all an act in order to prove to you that he came to save you from us but the truth is that he only wanted to gain control of the entire world and have all the citizens of this planet under his rule. We are here to protect you and save you from this danger. We are the only ones that can beat the evil power of the man you thought was the messenger but we need your support and power to do so. You need to transfer control of your forces and countries for us to be successful in this matter.”

  At this point, the shock and silence in the hall and across the world turned into surprise and doubt. Jessica Abelon, a Washington Post reporter stood up and asked:

  “Who are you? Why do you need us to transfer power to you? What will happen if we choose not to give you control?”

  Samael glared at her in a threatening gaze, his eyes turning red and she shrunk in her chair. He got off the podium and headed towards the first row of journalists where Jessica Abelon was sitting. She was shaking and her colleagues instinctively moved away from her. Samael continued to glare at her and then he raised his gaze to the cameras and the rest of the hall.

  “I am afraid that option no longer exists. The only way is to let us control what happens. We know that is what needs to happen and will happen. You have to understand that that is what should happen. We expect your leaders to be smart enough to surrender and willingly give us control in this difficult struggle. Refusing to do so may bring grave consequences to the entire world. In recent months, and especially the last few days, you have seen the magnitude of the danger that is threatening the world if we are not controlling it.”

  Samael turned around, got on the podium, bent towards the microphones and said:

  “We expect an answer from your leaders within 24 hours, by tomorrow at 20:00.”

  Samael and Charnbog left the dais, entered the corridor leading away from the hall, and closed the door behind them. The silence continued for a minute before those present got over their
shock and the sound of phones and reporting of the news filled the hall. The reports ended and now it was the time for analysis.

  32.

  New York, October 26th, 20:00

  Captain Jacobs was watching this broadcast from his office, his feet up, chair leaning back, hands behind his head. He was about to doze off when the reports of the occurrence in the White House awoke him. After hearing the message of the figure in black, he sat upright in his chair. It took him a few minutes to pull himself together and then he started to look through the business cards he had in a file on his desk. He skimmed through the numbers until he found what he wanted, the phone number of special detective Steve Porter of the New York FBI. He dialed the number and waited patiently for an answer.

  “Porter here,” came the answer in the thick voice of the veteran agent.

  Jacobs had worked with Porter several years earlier in a joint investigation. He recalled that despite his clumsy and greasy appearance, Porter was an excellent and determined detective. He was the special agent in charge of the Bureau’s activity in NY.

  “Hello Steve, this is Jacobs from NYPD. How are you doing?” he tried to smile without success.

  “Hi Jacobs, old man. I am doing fine. I was trying to sleep but it seems that is not going to happen tonight,” he said amused and added: “Where have you been all this time?”

  Porter seemed to be pleased with the friendly call, despite the odd hour.

  “I am here, drowning in paperwork and unexplainable events,” Jacobs answered tiredly. “The truth is that I need your help, Steve. I am investigating occurrences that took place here in which the messenger in white was involved. The figures in black were also present in them, the same figures that were just on television in the White House.”