s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

publishable shape. That was made easier by Buck's getting it to Tsion on disk.
Frequently Tsion uploaded portions and in essence broadcast them to certain
members of the Tribulation Force. He was especially impressed with what Bruce
had to say about Chloe and Amanda. In his personal journal Bruce frequently
mentioned his dream that they work together, researching, writing, and
teaching cell groups and house churches. Eventually it was agreed that Amanda
would not return to New Babylon until after Rayford got back from his flight
to Rome. That would give her a few more days with Chloe to plan a ministry
similar to what Bruce had outlined. They didn't know where it would take them
or what the opportunities would be, but they enjoyed working together and
seemed to learn more that way.
Buck was glad Verna Zee was keeping her distance. Much of the staff of the
Chicago office was deployed to various bombed-out cities to report on the
resultant chaos. There was no doubt in Buck's mind that the black horse of
plagues and famine and the pale horse of death had come galloping in on the
heels of the red horse of war.
On Wednesday evening, Amanda drove Rayford to Milwaukee for his flight to
Iraq.
 Why couldn't Mathews fly on his own plane to see Carpathia? she said.
 You know Carpathia. He likes to take the upper hand by being the most
deferential and kind. He not only sends a plane for you, he also comes along
and accompanies you back.
 What does he want from Mathews?
 Who knows? It could be anything. The increase in converts we're seeing has to
be
very troubling for Mathews. We are one faction that doesn't buy into the
one-world faith routine.
At six Thursday morning, Loretta's household was awakened by the phone. Chloe
grabbed it. She put her hand over the mouthpiece and told Buck,  Loretta's got
it.
It's Hattie.
Buck leaned close to listen with her.  Yes, Loretta was saying,  you woke me,
darlin', but it's all right. Captain Steele said you might call.
 Well, I'm flying through Milwaukee on my way back to New Babylon, and I
purposely scheduled a six-hour layover. Tell anybody there who cares that I'll
be at
Mitchell Field if they want to talk to me. They shouldn't feel obligated, and
I won't be offended if they don't come.
 Oh, they'll come, hon. Don't you worry about that.
That same hour was three o'clock in the afternoon in Baghdad when Rayford's
commercial flight landed. He had planned to stay onboard to wait for the short
flight on to New Babylon a little over an hour later, but his cell phone
vibrated in his pocket. He wondered if this would be the call from Buck, or
from Carpathia about
Buck, that would end the speculation and suspicion of the Tribulation Force.
They all knew it couldn't be long before Buck's position was jeopardized past
the point of safety. Rayford also had a fleeting thought that this might be a
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call from Hattie
Durham. He had waited as long as he could before heading back, hoping to
connect with her before her return. Like Carpathia and Fortunato, he had no
luck trying to reach her by phone in Denver.
But the call was from his copilot, Mac McCullum.  Get off that plane, Steele,
and stretch your legs. Your taxi is here.
 Hey, Mac! What's that mean?
 It means the big boss doesn't want to wait. Meet me at the helipad on the
other side of the terminal. I'm coptering you back to headquarters.
Rayford had wanted to put off his return to New Babylon as long as possible,
but at least a helicopter ride was a diversion. He envied McCullum's ability
to easily switch back and forth between copiloting jumbo jets and flying
whirlybirds.
Rayford hadn't piloted a helicopter since his military days more than twenty
years before.
Global Community Weekly was released to the public every Thursday, with the
following Monday's date on the cover. Buck tingled with excitement merely
anticipating that day's issue.
At the safe house it was decided that Amanda and Chloe would drive up to
Milwaukee to pick up Hattie. Loretta would come home from the church office in
time to host a small luncheon for her. Buck would go to the office to see the
first copies of the magazine and head for Loretta's house when he got the call
from
Chloe that she and Amanda and Hattie were home.
Buck had gone out on a limb with his cover story.
Purporting, as usual, to take a neutral, objective, journalistic viewpoint,
Buck started with much of the material Bruce would have preached the Sunday
morning of his own funeral. Buck did the writing, but he assigned reporters
from every
Global Community Weekly office still standing in several countries to
interview local and regional clergymen about the prophecies in the book of
Revelation.
For some reason, his reporters most of them skeptics went at this task with
glee.
Buck was faxed, modemed, phoned, couriered, and mailed dispatches from all
over the world. His cover story title, and the specific question he wanted his
reporters to ask religious leaders, was  Will we suffer the 'wrath of the
Lamb'?
Buck had enjoyed this self-assigned task more than all the other cover stories
he had ever done. That included his Man of the Year stories, even the one on
Chaim
Rosenzweig. He had spent nearly three days and nights, hardly sleeping,
collating, contrasting, and comparing the various reports.
He, of course, could detect fellow believers in some of the comments. Despite
the skepticism and cynicism of most of the reporters, tribulation-saint
pastors and a few converted Jews were quoted that the  wrath of the Lamb
predicted in Revelation 6
was literal and imminent. The vast majority of the quotes were from clergy
formerly representing various and sundry religions and denominations, but now
serving
Enigma Babylon One World Faith. Almost to a person, these men and women  faith
guides (no one was called a reverend or a pastor or a priest anymore) took
their lead from Pontifex Maximus Peter Mathews. Buck himself had talked to
Mathews.
His view, echoed dozens of times, was that the book of Revelation was
 wonderful, archaic, beautiful literature, to be taken symbolically,
figuratively, metaphorically.
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This earthquake, Mathews had told Buck by phone, a smile in his voice,  could
refer to anything. It may have happened already. It may refer to something
someone imagined going on in heaven. Who knows? It may be some story related
to the old theory of an eternal man in the sky who created the world. I don't
know about you, but I have not seen any apocalyptic horsemen. I haven't seen
anyone die for their religion. I haven't seen anyone 'slain for the word of
God,' as the previous verses say. I haven't seen anyone in a white robe. And I
don't expect to endure any earthquake. Regardless of your view on the person
or concept of God, or a god, hardly anyone today would imagine a supreme
spirit being full of goodness and light subjecting the entire earth already [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]