Even as she saw her friend, she knew that he would not survive intact, that the men involved in this dark enterprise would find a way to destroy him utterly. The vicious and sometimes lascivious handling she received from the Prime meant nothing to her. She’d given her consent for worse in the past. To accept it now on behalf of love was simple. But poor Able was fragile despite his strength-he was not so acquainted with sin.
Felon had killed Sister Karen Cawood. He’d taken her old life that day on the doorstep, the one she was destroying and now she was being reborn in this. Holy Mother guide me. She had scourged herself of the woman she was, had washed her away in sin.
Now with the end of the world coming, not even the Mother of God could save her. Had all her belief, all her years of denial and doubt come to nothing. Was it so simple? The power of God was subjective to His will, and efforts contrary to that would be met or rejected according to some Divine principle that stood far and beyond mere human understanding. Who was she to judge God’s plan? She had to submit.
Karen corrected herself. Not submission, but love was what she needed now. She could not give in to despair or abject obedience. She was a vessel for God’s love. She had to be open so that it might flow through her. That had to be enough.
The Prime dragged her along a corridor and to the waiting elevators.
“It won’t be so bad.” The Prime spun her around, snarling.
“God loves you…” she started but a big angry fist sent her sprawling. Stars sparkled across her vision. When her eyes first set on the Prime, she had been horrified by his aura. It was like Felon’s, in its potential for violence, but lacked the orderly, logical overtones of the assassin. The Prime’s energies were flailing about him like tentacles-a horrible chaos that struck with blind ferocity. He flared hatred and envy at any he gazed upon. He was past reason.
Did the beasts reason? Did they not listen to Daniel? With greatest love, I offer myself to You and pray that You will accept my sacrifice of greatest love. I give myself to You and unite in Your gift of Yourself to me. Come and possess my soul.
“ His time is finished!” The Prime loomed over her. He stabbed the button beside the elevator. The doors slid apart. “We’ll make up a nice prayer to me.” He launched an angry kick at her. She avoided the main strength of it by rolling into the open elevator. The Prime stalked after her, glared and jabbed one of the buttons just inside. Immediately the doors closed and the elevator descended. “Do not provoke me, Sister.”
Karen watched the Prime pull at his trousers. Something snakelike writhed beneath the loose material.
“God loves you, and I love you! Do not hate!” she rasped, and then flung a hand over her head as the Prime struck at her, pulled her to her feet and tore at her clothing. She struggled, and they fell against the wall by the door. Help me to love God more deeply in this act of my greatest love.
“You love me? Good GOD!” he snarled, pulling her shirt open. “I own this City! I own Westprime! They think they can take it away from me. Fuck them. It’s mine to the end.” The Prime fell silent. The big man’s hands pulled her skirt up, pawed at her undergarments. “But you are beautiful.”
She did not try to cover her nudity. Her breasts burned with scratches. But she could see the Prime was lost. His evil was not entirely his own. Part of her wanted to scream, but she prayed instead. “God loves you in his mercy! I love you in your torment.” To Thee we look for strength and aid.
“You’re a dirty girl.” The Prime’s eyes burned like black fire as they roved over her naked chest and belly. His fat lips opened with desire, a gray tongue flicked out. “Fuck it. I’m going to know you now ! ” He pressed against her breasts-pushed her onto the floor while he opened his belt with the free hand. Karen screamed when she saw his pants fall away, when she first glimpsed the double set of organs, one purple and human, the other enormous, scabrous and black. “So you’re God’s wife?” The Prime grabbed her underwear, ripped them off. “I guess you know a few tricks, then.” Karen turned away as he loomed.
The elevator, jerked to a stop. The Prime’s head popped up. A hunted look crossed his features.
“Fuck!” He struck her in the face with the back of his hand, and then pushed himself to his feet. The Prime glared at the elevator buttons. He pulled his pants up, shoved his monstrous genitalia away. The leader of Westprime shook his head and slicked his hand over his hair. “Too early for this.” He nodded. “ He said we’re supposed to do it in front of him.” He pointed a finger at Karen as a shudder ran through his fat frame. “And you think I’m a sicko.” He turned toward the doors as they slid open, his fists raised. “We’re not supposed to stop here.” He glowered at her. “Unless you hit the button when we…”
And a little girl of eight or nine pre-Change years walked onto the elevator. She wore a white satin dress that reminded Karen of countless communions. There were white stockings on her thin legs and white patent leather shoes on her feet. A heavy veil hung over her pale face.
The Prime smiled, madness glimmered in his eyes. “ First-mother? ” He clapped his hands and looked wickedly at Karen. “She didn’t get away?” He reached out and slid a hand over the girl’s lacey shoulder, as if to see if she was real.
“Oh,” the Prime said shuddering. He looked back at Karen. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” He looked back at the girl. The doors slid closed behind her, and the elevator started to descend. “Of course, the prophecy has to come true. That’s the way prophecy works. I get the God-wife and the First-mother.” He chortled. “I’m thinking three-way.”
Karen had pulled her clothing around her as the door opened. She levered herself to her feet. The nun studied the girl. The willowy little thing was swaying on her feet, as though silent music played for her. Karen studied her aura, a distinctive orange.
“Soon,” the Prime said, reaching into his pants to adjust himself. “I’m going to know you both black and blue.”
“You heap evil on yourself to justify self-hatred,” Karen said, as the girl swayed. “More sin will not change God’s judgment.” The aura that burned from the Prime was hideous, and searing. How she wished her love could smother it. “Neither will your hate affect God’s love.”
“Save it for Sunday.” He smiled grimly, glancing at his watch. “There’s a new god in town, and you’re looking at him.”
“God will win! By the Holy Virgin I swear He will win…” Karen held her arms open to the man. “Accept His love now.” The man’s aura was whirling chaos. Evil faces leering from red fire appeared around him.
“I’ll make you eat those words,” the Prime said as the elevator stopped. The doors slid open. He pulled her out by the collar. “After a bit of floor-play!”
The forever girl breezed out of the elevator after them. The Prime saw her too and chuckled lustily.
A short hall led to a doorway. Past it was a gray-tiled floor. On the far side of that was a big blue door.
The Prime halted when the little girl stopped some five feet outside the elevator. Her head was tilted forward, the veil a cloud of white over her pale face. She had both hands behind her back and was rising up and down on her toes.
“What’s with you?” the Prime grumbled. He threw Karen onto the floor then stalked over to the girl like a black mountain about to fall on her.
The girl looked away sheepishly.
“What?” the Prime asked, bending over and squinting through the veil. “You smell nice. Let’s see your pretty face.” He reached out and snatched the veil up. Long black hair hung around a white harlequin’s mask.
“Peek-a-boo?” the Prime chuckled and looked over at Karen. “Kinky!” He put a fingernail under the mask and flipped it up. The face beneath had only one eye. There was a lower jaw, with teeth lined up in a little white row. The rest of the face was a purple-black mass of scar tissue.