— Get something on the plane here, just get me some ice, how my own mortal weakness had left me open for the wiles of the great deceiver Satan in doubting the Lord's purpose. For it was not little Wayne, the mortal boy, but the purity of his spirit that the Lord has chosen to lead us forward in his holy name. And as his will came down upon me, trembling, I suddenly heard the voice of the profit Isaiah, wherein The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. And as I pondered the meaning of these words from on high, what had been a day of mourning burst before me as a day of glory! For did not they ask, when Jesus came unto Nazareth, Is not this the carpenter's son? He who builded this great edifice of refuge for the weak, for the weary, for the seekers after his absolute truth in their days of adversity and persecution, as we are gathered here today before the onslaught of secular humanism, builded with his simple carpenter's tools from the humble materials closest to his hand his father's house, wherein are many mansions? And as the clouds of evening broke I saw before me, here where you all are standing right now on the banks of our beloved river, the buildings rise, the dormitories, the sunny classrooms, the green ballfields of the Wayne Fickert Bible College, sending forth to our missions even unto darkest Africa Full Gospel Christian men and women for this last chance the Lord has provided us for the harvest of souls in his name Liz? To make this miracle come true, can you hear me?
— I'm getting your ice.
— A little water in it, to sit down prayerfully with your pen and checkbook Liz? God damn glass has a chip on the rim get me another one, for the Lord's purpose cannot be accomplished without your loving support. Concluding his spirited call to action as the television cameras rolled closer, Reverend Ude pledged to send absolutely free, in return for donations for purchase of the land, a bottle of water from the Pee Dee, which he saw as one day taking its place beside the Galilee. Closing his appeal with words from Revelation, And he showed me a pure river of water of life, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely, Reverend Ude now turned to introduce the vivacious dark haired woman who had been seen weeping silently throughout the ceremony as Mrs Billye Fickert, the boy's mother. Clearly overcome by the proceedings, Mrs Fickert could only express her tearful gratitude that her son had been baptized and entered the waiting arms of the Lord in a state of grace. Drawing again upon Exodus, Reverend Ude quoted, The Lord is my strength and song and he is become my salvation, calling upon the deep baritone voice of war veteran Pearly Gates, who came forward in his wheelchair to lead the singing of Down By The River with new lyrics composed especially for the occasion by Reverend Ude himself. After the minute of silent prayer that followed, the faces of the throng gathered before him, many of them still aglow with the memory of tears in the brilliant sunshine, were raised by Reverend Ude's voice, now calm and serene, saying that he had sought for some sign of the Lord's blessing upon their endeavour. Pointing to a lone bluebon-net blowing bravely on the parched, barren bank of the river flowing brilliantly before them, That there, he said in a hushed tone, is for little Wayne. Liz you still out there? Just wanted some ice in it…
She came in to set the glass down before him. — I put in more whisky too, I thought…
— Good yes, almost done listen. Following the formal ceremonies, Reverend Ude ambled among the throng in the neighborly manner that has gained him so many devoted adherents, comparing the quantities of fried chicken being shared and enjoyed on all sides to the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Among the day's most active participants was Pearly Gates, his deep inspiring baritone voice well known to Reverend Ude's radio listeners everywhere, the Good Conduct medal gleaming on his broad chest as his motorized wheelchair, a recent gift of the Christian Recovery Bible Mission School, whisked him deftly among the assembled mourners with a cheerful word of faith and hope for young and old alike. Unable to attend the services was the boy's father, Earl Fickert, who currently resides in Mississippi where he is engaged in the automobile business, really gets the whole picture across doesn't she?
— Doesn't who…
— This writer Liz, right here. Doris Chin. Best they've got, ends up, listening? Elsewhere, in a sombre footnote to the day's activities, a light rain fell on an unmarked plot in the county cemetery where, in a silence marred only by the shovels of three inmates from the county jail, the remains of an elderly drifter, his name known only to his maker Liz what are you doing, wandering around the God damn room I'm trying to read something to you.
— Nothing… she turned from the window — I just thought, I mean if your car…
— All right you read it, here… He was up thrusting the page at her, — foot of the column right there at the end, want to see what it sounds like then you read it. He got by her to push open the door under the stairs, — go ahead I can hear you…
She sat down to it. — Three people were killed and fourteen injured here late this evening when a school bus went out of control and plunged into a ravine on route one eleven, according to state police. The passengers, all students at the nearby Christian Recovery Bible Mission School, owners of the bus, were among the last of a crowd estimated by authorities at over five hundred who had attended prayer services following the funeral of…
— What the hell is that! The toilet seat banged down behind him — here give me it, where is it…
— Here, right where you…
— Well Christ. He pulled up his belt, — didn't see it there, tucked it down in the corner where you don't even see it, look. Says he couldn't be reached for comment, preparing for a speaking engagement in Texas Reverend Ude was in seclusion seeking spiritual guidance, according to a spokesman… The paper went down in a heap, — see him get out of this one, just got their indoor plumbing paid for now he'll have the whole God damn state highway safety commission in there on these broken down school buses… He'd seized the empty glass and sat down, — all the pieces falling into place suddenly the whole God damn what are you doing!
— Just, I thought I'd get you another drink.
— Drink all you think s I want a drink! He wrenched the glass down hard on the coffee table. — Get something to, thought you're getting me something to eat I better get something to eat, food they give you on these God damn planes where you going…
— There's some chicken, some cold chicken if you want it with, I'll get it… She was already in the kitchen, — Paul? It's somebody calling about the flights from LaGuardia, it's the weather they canceled your flight, they… what? hello…? Paul? They want to know if you want a place on a helicopter from LaGuardia to Newark, Paul…? He was drumming his fingers on the chair arm. — Do you…
— I heard you!
— Do you want them to hold…
— I said no! his voice gone hoarse, hand suddenly gripping tight to the arm as though it were the chair itself lurching abruptly, dropping away from under him, the tendons standing out hard under the bursting course of the veins — can't, can't do that… sinking back, raising both hands in the air, looking up at them as the veins subsided, and they came down and he reached out to seize something, anything, Natural History magazine staring fixed at its cover. — Looks like my God damn crew chief. Liz…? He dropped it face down, reached for Town & Country — where'd these magazines come from? turning it about for the address label, — bring magazines home from the doctor's waiting room why the hell do you take Town & Country? why don't you bring home Time and Newsweek? Read about something real not a lot of, this the doctor you just saw? Kissinger?
— I can't hear you Paul, I'll be in in a minute.