Bloodstone

'You take the drinks then,' said Wallace. 'My hands ain't too steady today. Lord, who would have believed that an Apostle would come to our town?'

Nestor pulled on his shirt and tucked it into his black trousers. For a minute or so he fumbled with the necktie, then he moved to the mirror to see if the knot was in place. 'You think he'll perform any miracles?' asked Wallace.

'Like what?'

'Well, I guess he could try to raise the Preacher from the dead.' The red-head laughed.

That ain't funny, Wallace. The Preacher was a good man.'

'That's not so, Nes. He spoke out against the Deacon during one of his sermons. Can you believe that?

Right there in a church. It's a wonder God didn't strike him dead there and then.'

'As I recall hearing it, he just said he thought it weren't necessary to have Oath Takers. That's all.'

'Are you saying the Apostle Saul ain't necessary?' asked Wallace.

Nestor was about to make a light-hearted remark, but then he saw the shining glint in Wallace's eyes.

'Of course I'm not. Wallace. He's a great man,' he said carefully. 'Now come on, we'd better get to work.'

* * *

The evening was long, and Nestor found his back aching as he stood against the wall holding the brass tray in his hands. Few were drinking now, and the Apostle Saul was sitting by the fire with Captain Leon Evans and Daniel Cade. The old prophet had been late arriving; most of the welcoming party had long since gone to their homes before the old man made his entrance. The Apostle had welcomed him warmly, but it seemed to Nestor that Daniel Cade was ill at ease.

'It is a privilege to meet you at last,' said Saul. 'Obviously I have read of your exploits against the Hellborn in the First War. Vile times, calling for men of iron — much as now. I am sorry to see that you have such difficulty with your movements. You should come to Unity; our Hospital is performing miracles daily, thanks to the discoveries of our medical teams.'

The Daniel Stones, you mean,' said Cade.

'You are well informed, sir. Yes, the fragments have been most helpful. We are still seeking larger Stones.'

'Blood and death is all they'll bring,' Cade said. 'Just like before.'

'In the hands of the Godly all things are pure,' said Saul.

Excited as he had been earlier in the evening Nestor was now tired, and becoming bored. He was due at the lumber site soon after dawn to collate the orders for timber, and issue working instructions to the men at the sawmill. Uncle Joseph was not an easy man to serve, and one yawn from Nestor would earn an hour's lecture at the end of the day.

'You knew the Jersualem Man, I understand,' remarked Saul to Cade. Instantly Nestor's weariness was forgotten.

'I knew him,' grunted the old man. 'And I never heard him say a word of prophecy. I don't reckon he'd be pleased to read what's said of him now.'

'He was a holy man,' said Saul, showing no sign of irritation, 'and the words he spoke have been carefully gathered from sources all over the land. Men who knew him. Men who heard him. I regard it as a personal tragedy that I never met him.'

Cade nodded solemnly. 'Well, I did, Saul. He was a lonely man, heartsick and bitter, seeking a city he knew could not exist. As to his prophesying… as I said, I never heard it. But it's true to say that he brought you and the Deacon into this world, when he sent the Sword of God thundering through the Gates of Time. We all know that's true.'

'The ways of the Lord are sometimes mystifying,' said Saul, with a tight smile. 'The world we left was a cesspool, owned by the Devil. The world we found had the potential for Eden — if only men would return to God. And by His grace we have conquered. Tell me, sir, why you have refused all invitations to travel to Unity, and be honoured for your work in the Lord's name?'

'I don't need honours,' Cade told him. ‘I lived most of my life, after the Hellborn War, in Rivervale. Had me a good woman and raised two tall sons. Both died in your Wars. Lisa was buried last Autumn and I came here to wait for death. Honours? What are they worth?'

Saul shrugged. 'A worthy point, from a worthy man, Mr Cade. Now tell me, do you think Pilgrim's Valley is a Godfearing community?'

There are good people here, Saul. Some better than others. I don't think you can judge a man merely because three of his friends say he's a believer. We got farmers on the outskirts, newcomers who wouldn't be able to raise three men who know them that well. It doesn't make 'em pagans.'

'You also had a church that welcomed Wolvers,' Saul pointed out, 'And a preacher who offered them the word of God. That was an obscenity, Mr Cade. And it took outsiders to put an end to it. That does not reflect well on the community.'

'What have you got against Wolvers?' Cade asked.

Saul's eyes narrowed. They are not true creations, Mr Cade. In the world I came from, animals were being genetically engineered to resemble people. This was done for medical reasons; it was possible then for a man with a diseased heart, or lungs, to have them removed and replaced. That was an abomination, Mr Cade. Animals have no souls, not in the strictest sense of eternal life. These mutated creatures are like plague germs, reminding us all of the dangers and disasters of the past. We must not repeat the errors that led God to destroy the old world. Not ever. We are on the verge of a new Eden, Mr Cade. Nothing must be allowed to halt our progress.'

'And we're going to find this new Eden by hounding people from their homes, by killing Wolvers and anyone who doesn't agree with us?'

'Not the Deacon, nor any of his Apostles take any joy in killing, Mr Cade. But you know your Bible. The Lord God does not tolerate evil in the midst of his people.'

Cade reached for his sticks and slowly, painfully, pushed himself to his feet. 'And the next war, Saul?

Who is that going to be with?'

The ungodly wherever we find them,' answered Saul.

'It's late, and I'm tired,' said Cade. ‘I’ll bid you good night.'

'May God be with you,' said Saul, rising.

Cade did not reply as, leaning heavily on his sticks, he made his way to the door. Nestor stifled a yawn and was about to ask if he could be excused from his duties when Saul spoke to Captain Evans.

'A dangerous man, Captain. I fear we may have to deal with him.'

Nestor blinked in surprise. At that moment Leon Evans looked up and saw him and the captain grinned.

'Go on home, Nestor,' he said, 'otherwise you're going to keel over like a felled tree.'

Nestor thanked him, bowed to the Apostle and walked out into the night where the old prophet was leaning against his buggy, unable to mount the steps. Nestor moved alongside him and took his arm. With an effort, he half-lifted Cade to the seat. 'Thank you, boy,' grunted Cade, his face red from the exertion.

'It was a pleasure, sir.'

'Beware the words of brass and iron, boy,' whispered the prophet. He flicked the reins and Nestor watched as the buggy trundled off into the night.

* * *

Alone now, Shannow waited among the rocks, his horse tethered some fifty paces to the north in a small stand of trees. Glancing to the east, he could make out the last of the wagons as they travelled further into the mountains. The sky was lightening. Dawn was close.

Shannow settled down with his back against a rock and stared to the west. Maybe he had been wrong.

Maybe the white-haired Oath Taker had decided against a punitive raid. He hoped so. The night was cool and he breathed deeply of the crisp mountain air. Glad to be alone, he let his mind wander.

Twenty years had passed since his name was feared among the ungodly. Twenty years! Where have I been, he wondered. How did I live? Idly he began to review what he remembered of his life, the gunfights and the battles, the towns and settlements.