For twenty-four hours the Maranatha sent down a stream of programmes. These consisted of histories of the Krsh before coming to Earth, films of the Terrestrials of 50 AD, the taking of the captives from Earth, the preachings of Matthias and their effect upon the captives and the Krsh, the conversions, the first appearance of Jesus, and many sections dealing both with Martian life and Jesus's place in this. Also transmitted, in case they had been suppressed the first time, were the programmes in which the Marsnauts had participated.
The various governments protested angrily and many made veiled threats. But no atomic-bomb-tipped missiles were sent up against the ships.
In the final programme, an hour and a half long, Jesus himself proclaimed that the Martians could cure any disease and prevent any recurrence. All disease would be wiped out forever. These included mental diseases of a genetic or metabolic origin, and old age.
Also, if the governments would permit, two hundred small machines would be landed at various spots. From these would flow 'manna'. This would be a soft white substance which contained all the elements needed for healthy nutrition and was quite tasty. The manna would flow from each machine at the rate of one hundred cubic feet per hour. It could be transported to the hungry of Earth, of whom there were many, and be given at no cost - at this time - to the recipients.
Orme was shocked when he heard this. Until Jesus had spoken of it, he'd had no inkling that there was such a thing. When he'd recovered somewhat from his emotional upset, he was able to see the implications of this. If the governments refused to transport the food, they would have serious riots on their hands. In any event, the slaughter during suppression would be enormous.
'Do not make excuses about lack of transportation or the expense involved!' Jesus said. 'And do not try to make a profit from the manna or withhold it from those in disfavour with your governments! Woe to the man or woman who is responsible for this wickedness and to the one who carries out the orders of the person above him! Woe to all who do this! They shall suffer!'
More protests about interfering with the rights of the sovereign states. No reply to the protests.
Jesus then announced what seemed to his audience to be the ultimate, the climax. That was that physical immortality could be and would be theirs. The only requisite for receiving this was that the recipient must be a believer in the true religion and in himself as the Messiah.
'But I promise woe to the hypocrites who say they believe only to gain this gift of life! They will be found out, and they will be cast into the outer darkness!'
When he threatened, he lost the expression of kindness and in his wrath the light of promised hell shone from his eyes. 'I say, woe to you, you vipers! You cannot hope to deceive me long! You will be found out!
'The Father has given you all the good things of life, and you have made them bad! The Father gives, but He does not give for nothing! Nothing is free! You must give to get!'
Orme, sitting in his cabin and watching the TV, could imagine what the effect of promised physical immortality would have on the viewers. Of course, many had heard this before, since some governments had allowed this to be known when the previous programmes were transmitted to them. But the majority belonged to states which had suppressed this news.
At this point, the viewer on Earth might have expected that this would be the end of the programme. What else could be offered? It was then that Jesus told them of the hopes for the resurrection of all the dead. He did not promise that this could be achieved within a hundred years or two. But it was a certainty.
That does it, Orme thought. Everybody will be rushing to sign up. They'll do anything to get immortality. Most of them, anyway. The New World, the Kingdom of Heaven, the reign of the Messiah, has begun. It may take some time before it's established, but it's started, and nothing can stop it.
Can't they see that the devil would make the same promises? Only... this man can deliver. But the devil could probably deliver also. And the devil would think of himself as a good man. Who that is evil believes that he is? All think of themselves as good. No doubt Hitler and Stalin and Mao, Napoleon and Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, Attila the Hun and Nebuchadnezzar, all thought of themselves as being on the side of good.
The only difference between them and Jesus is that Jesus can do good. But it's an insidious good that will lead directly but subtly to subtle evil.
Nothing could stop him. Unless... but how could he, one man, do anything?
The next day, the Zara performed a deed that, in the minds of most, could only be a good one. All over Earth, all the missiles and cannons with atomic warheads and all cannons with atomic shells were melted. Again, the radio and TV stations were overridden, and the news was sent from the Maranatha.
'Surely,' Jesus said, 'this will cause great rejoicing among all but those who hate men and love war. I would have done an evil thing if I had melted only the missiles of some nations and not of others. But I am impartial, and I do not choose sides, saying this one is evil and that good. Vipers, spawn of wicked generations, you are all guilty! Repent, therefore, and praise the Lord with all your hearts because He has seen fit to guard you against yourselves!'
There were protests, of course, but these got no reply.
Again, Jesus requested permission to land outside Jerusalem. Again, this was refused. The Knesset could not make up its mind, and the state of Israel had proclaimed a curfew. The police and soldiers were patrolling the streets to enforce the regulation. Nor was it the only nation in a state of martial emergency.
The fourth day, the morning sky over the near East became blood-red. Then the sun grew dim and almost entirely black for several hours. And the moon turned as red as blood.
Bronski, watching this on TV, said, 'The Zara is doing that, of course. Can you imagine the power that takes or the means to control and direct that power? Surely, the Lord of our fathers is with us!'
Orme said nothing. He was beginning to wonder if he was wrong. And then he thought of the glowing figure by his bedside, and he became stronger.
The fifth day, Jesus again asked for permission to land.
'Oh, you men of little mind and even less faith! Why must you harden your hearts? What must I do to convince you that I am indeed the Anointed of Heaven?
'Whoever believes in me does not believe in me but in Him who sent me. And he who sees me sees Him who has sent me. I have come as a light to the world that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. You Children of Darkness, you can become Sons and Daughters of Light. But you must unstiffen your necks and soften your hearts!'
All of his talks had been in English, delivered with no trace of Krsh or Hebrew pronunciation. The accent was Orme's Toronto Canadian, undoubtedly learned from recordings of his speech while he was on Mars. Millions of non- English speakers would be able to understand him, but for those who wouldn't subtitles or verbal translations were provided in the languages which Bronski and Shirazi knew: Hebrew, Arabic, Hindustani, Mandarin Chinese, Swahili, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Farsi, Russian, Polish, Greek and Portuguese.
Even in the remote villages, at least one person would be able to translate the English for his fellows.
English was still the world lingua Franca, but Orme knew that it was an interim tool. In time, Krsh would be the international language. And in time, after the inevitable period of bloody troubles, the Krsh and the Martian humans, as elder brothers, would lead Israel, the elder brother of the nations of Earth, to instruct, to change, to modify, to form. In time, the whole planet would be much like Mars, except that , .there would be ethnic and national racial differences. Though Russia would still be Russia and North America still North America and China still China, there would be no national boundaries with their customs houses, import tariffs, and armed guards. A woman would be able to walk through dark streets without fear of being robbed, beaten, or raped. Children would not be afraid to speak to strangers. The cannons and the machine-guns would be melted and made into ploughs. The oceans and the rivers and the brooks would be cleansed. And in time the Kingdom of Heaven would be established, although there still would be contrariness and evil-wishing 'human nature' in some people. But, though Earth wouldn't be Utopia, it would be as close to it as human nature allowed.