Chapter Six
“Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”
–Father Abraham, “The Holy Word”. 14 Months After.
* * *
Their world was getting uncomfortably larger.
Life was simpler back at the bayou. They had a bountiful, fertile land, plenty of space to accommodate their congregation, and ample protection, from sinners and heretics alike – Praise be for His blessings. With the patrols that the Inquisitors had formed over the years, not even the Devil himself could have marched into their Beholder camp without a fight.
This land was different. Steep, cold, and littered with the ruins of God’s judgment. The very air tasted of a bile that had long since been forgotten as if to obscure the words of the Lord above. This whole pilgrimage was complicated from the start and only became more so by the day. Why was the Father so insistent that this trek be done?
Brother Ezekiel preferred simple. As he crossed back into camp with his Inquisitors in tow, he wished for nothing other than to turn around and go back home.
The defenses held firm, at least. They had been on the move for months and learned how best to balance speed with protection. Palisades could be erected and dismantled at a moment’s notice, tents packed, and horses shepherded onward. What had once taken more than a day could now be performed in mere hours after so much practice, and every Beholder knew their roles by heart. The Lord truly shined on them.
Ezekiel passed by the cattle farm. Their limbs were becoming lean after so much time moving about, and he could see the subtle rise and fall of their chests with each passing breath. The air was alive with their scent, a sweet mix of sweat and manure that was all too familiar. His mouth watered as his eyes wandered…
But Ezekiel was quick to bury the thought. Hunger was born from Sin like every other mortal fault, and he would never survive the Beholding and join the Lord above should he succumb to such temptation.
Just need to wait for Communion, Ezekiel reminded himself. Once embraced again by the love of the Lord with his Brothers and Sisters, this vile Hunger would be easier to combat. Their Holy Communion served this function to great effect. They all drank from milk blessed by the Friars, and their spirits grew stronger because of it.
He traced the camp to keep his mind busy. Tents popped up around the valley they had chosen as refuge, their fabric composed of a plain white cotton where they weren’t held together by lacquered wooden shoots. Temporary workshops had been built in a similar fashion, though they lacked the uniformity of what they’d constructed in the bayou. By uprooting themselves from their farming duties, many Brothers and Sisters had taken new jobs.
The other congregants dispersed wherever the Inquisitors drew near. Some murmured from a distance, doing their best to avoid locking eyes with Ezekiel as he walked by. He would have to observe the camp with fresh eyes once his meeting concluded. Too long on their own would make many drift into Sin enough to warrant a proper Inquisition.
That will have to wait for now, Ezekiel considered as he reached the tabernacle, a great tent that spanned enough space to hold their entire congregation at a time, with sconces burning bright along the edges. This was the most divine vestige of their camp. The Lord was able to follow them through this place, wherever they went. His Holy Word was kept and maintained here, and it was here where their leader would be waiting. In the back, beyond the veil where others keep watch, and into the Holiest of places.
Not even the prophets of old had built such glory under God.
Father Abraham spoke with Brother Aaron and the other Friars upon Ezekiel’s entrance, the rest of his Inquisitors waiting behind. The air tasted of incense and jasmine as he drew near.
“Ah,” Father Abraham said with a smile, “it would appear that you were correct, Brother Aaron. The Lord has hastened the return of your Brothers, after all.”
Brother Ezekiel fell to one knee. “Praise be, Father.”
“Come here, my son.”
Like the rest of the Beholders, Abraham did not appear as much more than an ordinary man, at first glance. His clothes were black and plain below his white collar, his stature was on the shorter side, and his thinned brown hair was combed over otherwise gaunt cheeks. Many looked upon his form and considered him to be no more than another able-bodied worker around camp.
But then they would look into his eyes as Ezekiel did now and see the full power of God. He had blessed upon Father Abraham a strength against Sin that no one could match, and his bright, violet eyes were a testament to this fact. A lilac devotion that had no greater or equal in this world. Such was the strength of the Lord, and Father Abraham was His messenger.
He smiled wide, warm and inviting. “I see that you have returned to us in good health, Ezekiel, but you appear to be short a few Brothers.”
“And they lack the unsullied man God tasked them to find,” Brother Aaron pointed out.
Ezekiel grimaced. This was going to hurt. “We lost Brothers Amos, Hiram, Caleb, and Russell when he led them into the Chosen One’s home. There was some kind of contraption in place with mechanical turrets that we did not foresee. We also lost Brother Lucas to an explosion they placed, and then Brothers Samuel and Cain fell soon after. Their bodies were too damaged from the blast, so they succumbed to Sin before we could return.” He frowned. “I put them down myself.”
“So much loss,” Father Abraham said, his eyes revealing nothing. “But what is this ‘they’ that you speak of? Was Liam Fenix not alone as prophesied?”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself…” He went on from there, describing the bunker they had entered, and the technology that still functioned, and the traps that had been laid, and the life that was being lived, all buried beneath a sea of sinners that would have put the trials of antiquity to shame. Ezekiel had followed the Holy Word and pushed through each obstacle, but it was what lay at the end that troubled his heart so strongly.
Or rather, who else was there.
“An unsullied woman, you say?” Brother Aaron asked, astonished.
“Not just a woman,” Ezekiel continued, keeping his eyes locked on Father Abraham. “There was a child too. A baby girl, untouched by Sin. By the Holy Word, I saw her for myself.”
“That cannot be possible,” Aaron hissed. “The text is clear. He will return to us, and Him alone!”
“I know what I saw.”
“Perhaps your time away has made you forget whom you’re beholden to, Brother Ezekiel. Perhaps the Devil has thrown a veil that has obscured your sight. That would explain why you failed in your task.”
Ezekiel grit his teeth. The two were supposed to be equals under God. Brother Aaron led the Friars and interpreted the Holy Word for the masses, but Ezekiel was tasked with leading Inquisitions whenever anyone went astray. Both were needed to ensure that Sin did not flourish in their camp, but too often, Aaron behaved as though he were the superior, with his beating red eyes and nose that he always pointed up so as to look down on whomever he spoke to. This audacity had grown with the size of their congregation, even bordering heresy at times…
“Enough,” Abraham said with a wave of his hand. “Let us not question the testimony of Brother Ezekiel, nor his faith in our cause.” He tilted his head. “Perhaps he speaks true, and it was your hubris that formed an incorrect interpretation, Brother Aaron.”
Aaron’s eyes widened at the implication. A smirk broke Ezekiel’s lips before he could bury it, but it disappeared the moment he looked back to Father Abraham.
His face remained blank. “As for you, Brother Ezekiel, there is no denying the failure of your mission. You did not acquire Liam Fenix as you were told, you lost Brothers along the way, and even with this greater discovery of a woman and child, you let them all get away. This was not just our defeat but one for God as well.”
He bowed deeper. “You are correct, Father, but I promise that they are not lost forever. We investigated the bunker thoroughly and discovered tire tracks where their footprints ended. First, going north and eventually cutting west. With enough time, I could determine the exact route.”
“Do not forget the Word, Brother Ezekiel. ‘For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you.’ We will deliberate your words with His and determine the next suitable action. You, on the other hand, should have your own deliberation.”
“Whatever task God requires, I will perform.”
A smile again formed across his thin lips. “Then look to the color of your cloak and know the answer He has provided.”
Ezekiel knew at once. Repentance. Where the majority of Beholders wore white to symbolize the purity they hoped to gain in heaven, and the Friars wore brown for the downtrodden they wished to share the Holy Word with, the Inquisitors were clad in all black. Such was the color of repentance, for it was their duty, above all else, to force God’s divine repentance whenever Sin was found.
“I understand,” Brother Ezekiel said before making his leave.
No one was above God’s judgment. No one.
* * *
Whack. Whack. Whack.
Brother Ezekiel thrust the barbed whip into his naked back. Again, and again, and again. With each strike, more of his corrupted flesh ripped free. The slickness ran down his torso before long, and the scent of blood filled the air. His muscles began to slacken as the exercise dragged.
But still, Ezekiel did not relent. His body was a mere shell that Sin had claimed when the Beholding began. The Mark of the Beast defiled his fragile coil. It did not matter what happened to this chassis next. Only his soul remained free. That was God’s gift to him. Where the Devil had captured so many others, God had chosen Ezekiel to enact His will. In these final hours of revelations, so many precious few were still able to do so.
And yet, he had failed in his duty. Under His orders. Could that really go without punishment?
Whack. Whack. Whack.
Finally, Ezekiel went to raise the whip, only to realize that he could no longer. The nerves in his back had become torn after so much repentance. He would not be able to leave this spot without assistance now.
That suited him just fine. While many of his Brothers and Sisters meditated in the light of the Lord together, Ezekiel always chose to rediscover his humility in solitude. This act was as personal as it was spiritual, and the conversations occurring here were between him and God and no one else.
Ezekiel leaned back, allowing the light of the sun to pass through his exposed flesh. Why had He given them such a difficult trial? To have faced the countermeasures in the bunker was expected on its own. From what Brother Russell explained, the heretics before them had fallen against those traps, so Ezekiel performed his due diligence to approach each device with a measured resolve. The Lord had guided his hand throughout, and in the end, only a few Inquisitors were lost.
But no one had foreseen the baby. As Brother Aaron pointed out, the text was clear, and the Word came from Father Abraham himself. God would return when His untainted vessel was found again on this earth, and He would destroy all the sinners and heretics by pouring His seven bowls of judgment. He, not She. How would He bring them salvation as a her?
Speak to me, my Lord. There had to be something they were missing. That Father Abraham himself had not seen. As difficult as it was to fathom, there could be no other way. Ezekiel closed his eyes and embraced the light with all his fiber, hoping beyond hope that He would clear his mind and guide the path forward.
It was all for naught. Ezekiel was an Inquisitor. His duty was to do as the Lord commanded, not to understand His wisdom. That role belonged to Father Abraham alone, with the Friars acting as His extension.
Brother Ezekiel needed to remember his place. His mind was one not built for interpretation. It was his body that remained strong. Even when weakened by repentance, it would be blessed back to restoration within the day, so long as he trusted in God’s power.
Ezekiel’s heart grew to ease as the light continued to pass through him. He need not question the path forward.
He need only follow it.
* * *
“Brothers and Sisters,” Father Abraham began, his voice thin and melancholy behind the lectern. “you all know the cost our pilgrimage has imposed. Just as the Israelites during their exodus, so too has our faith been tested by God on this journey, and though new members have been baptized in the name of the Lord along the way, let us not forget those who have been lost…” He began to list the names off, one after the next.
Their entire congregation had shown up to the tabernacle for this sermon, with the majority huddled inside while others clung near the edge where the sconces burned bright. Brother Ezekiel leaned against a pillar from the rear, his head easily towering over the others, even as he struggled to stay standing. His body still recovered from repentance, but he wished to watch the crowd anyway. Sin often manifested strongest in those who deviated during these sermons, so he would habitually study the crowd when able. It never hurt to be prepared for an Inquisition.
Today was a blessed day, however. A sheet of uniform white bodies remained fixed throughout the tabernacle, their heads bowed and hands clasped in prayer as they listened to every word spoken to them. It warmed Ezekiel’s heart.
When those blessed sacrificed were honored, Father Abraham pivoted to the Holy Word and the lessons it provided. He spoke of Job and his trials when his faith was tested. He spoke of David and the torment he suffered at the hands of King Saul. He spoke of Moses and the travels his people underwent. He spoke of his own namesake, Abraham, and the covenant the Lord had formed with him. Father Abraham’s voice flowed through the crowd like honey, warm and sweet, as he demonstrated the benevolence of God.
Then his tone turned darker, and he spoke of those who had been punished for turning from His light. He spoke of Adam and Eve and their fall from grace. He spoke of Lot’s wife and the fate she suffered for disobeying the Lord. He spoke of Herod and how his hubris led to his demise. Finally, he spoke of the Beholding itself and how God destroyed the world of man for their many sins. It was not long before the congregation quaked in fear. Ezekiel grimaced as the weight of Abraham’s words settled into his mind. How easy it was to forget the blessings bestowed upon them in these dark times.
Dusk began to settle when Father Abraham reached this apex, the shadows stretching wide along his face.
“…So it is that we find ourselves tested yet again,” he continued. “As some of you have no doubt heard, the Chosen One – a man by the name of Liam Fenix – was not alone.” He laughed. “Indeed, to put to rest the rumors that have no doubt spread, he indeed has both a wife and daughter. This contradicts the Word itself, as we were promised that God would come alone at the end of revelations. After the seven trumpets of pestilence forced us into our current forms, the Lord shall descend from the heavens and pour the seven bowls of judgment into the earth. He was to do this Himself.
“Clearly, this is not true as perceived, and I have led your beliefs astray. For this, I must humbly apologize to you all.”
The crowd began to murmur, and Ezekiel stiffened in place. Abraham’s faith might have been beyond question, but he often forgot that his Brothers and Sisters were more fallible. When was the last time that he admitted to wrongness?
“But,” he said with a tone as sharp as a needle. “Upon further investigation, I have come to recognize that there was more truth than first imagined. Let us look at this man again, Liam Fenix. As I have said before, ‘Liam’ was derived from the name ‘Adam,’ the first man, formed in God’s image. What we have since learned is that his woman is named ‘Evelyn.’” He grinned wide. “I need not remind you all where her name came from.”
The words took hold, dropping the jaws of the congregants in waves. The air caught in Ezekiel’s throat as the revelation formed in his own mind. He had reported this fact himself, yet he had been blind to this truth!
Father Abraham beamed, his zeal rising. “So you see, Brothers and Sisters, God speaks to us even more powerfully than before! I was a fool for assuming the Lord would ever be so simple in His path.” He laughed. “Why, He even sent His very own Adam and Eve to act as His caregiver. Isn’t that just amazing? I have since amended the Holy Word to accommodate this truth, now that the Lord has lifted the fog clouding my eyes.”
The crowd gawked, his words ringing out.
“Behold, my children!” Abraham roared, pounding the lectern. “Don’t you see His brilliance? Behold! Just as the Chosen One once formed in the womb of Mary through an immaculate conception, so too has He come to us again under those same terms. Behold! It is not the man we must seek, and it never was. Behold! It is the child. Only through Her will we find salvation! Behold!”
An energy swept through the tabernacle, the Lord’s power flowing through the crowd. Some shouted praise for the wisdom the Father shared, while others merely ululated without words. That Abraham had made his first amendment to the Holy Word in years mattered little. God would not have forced this change were it not true!
“Behold!” Abraham shouted, with the congregation echoing in answer. “Behold! Behold! Behold!”
This was the true reason for why they were here. Just as Satan claimed the souls of the endless sinners of man and Marked them as such, the Beholders had been saved to witness His divine strength. But that alone could not be enough. Such was the era of the Beholding – the final battle between the Lord and Satan – and Ezekiel, along with the rest of their congregation, had been anointed to not merely observe this fight but to engage with it themselves. That was the true, righteous path.
They would find Leah Fenix, just as God willed!
LISN
This is an interesting and clever turn of events.