I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit
Beneath it, around the edges of the room, were stacked an assortment of chairs that would presumably be set out for the congregation at service time. At the far end of the room a small wooden stage had been constructed in front of a broad altar decked with candles.
To her right, flicking on the last of the light switches, was a hunched, tracksuited figure. He was shorter than she was, and several decades older, his pallid skin mottled like that of a trout. Even the simple act of flicking a switch seemed to require great concentration as he fought against a Parkinsonian trembling in his arm. Finally accomplishing it, he let out another long, hissing sigh and turned to face Carla.
“Well, Doctor Edwards. I am Reverend Esgrith.”
His eyes were so cloudy with cataracts that Carla wondered if he could see anything at all. Between his nylon tracksuit and bulky white trainers she could see rather grimy compression stockings on his feet. Circulatory problems then, or a clotting disorder maybe. She forced her eyes back to meet his rheumy stare.
“Reverend. A reverend of the Evangelical Order of David?”
Esgrith tilted his head in acknowledgement. “We are a small church here, but with many fellows… elsewhere. Throughout the world.”
“It seems slightly odd that an ‘evangelical order’ would have a verse from Ezekiel displayed so prominently in church.” She waved a hand at the stencil on the wall behind her.
Esgrith gave a sickly, leering smile, the tip of his tongue protruding momentarily between his teeth. “God’s threats towards mighty Babylon. I see you know your scripture, Doctor Edwards. ‘I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again’. The wrath of our Lord to those who will not serve Him is infinite. I would have my congregation heed this, in expectation of the imminence of His return. But I am sure you did not come here to discuss Bible verses, Doctor Edwards. Perhaps we should go to my office.”
He moved painfully slowly, his feet barely leaving the ground as he shuffled towards a flight of wooden stairs that led up to the old warehouse foreman’s office. It took even longer for him to lever his body up them, relying heavily on the handrail and wheezing with every step. Carla forced herself to be patient. Was Esgrith another victim of the syndrome she was trying to characterise? The hunched back and visual problems, she had seen in some other individuals around town. Were circulatory problems and spasms another feature of the disease?
The office was undecorated, with one cheap desk, a telephone and a couple of chairs. There was no sign of a heater, so Carla kept her coat on. Esgrith bade her sit down and lowered himself slowly into the chair opposite.
“So, doctor” he began, “what interest can the Centers for Disease Control possibly have in our quiet little part of Massachusetts? “
Carla had prepared for this moment. “Well, Reverend, I’m hoping you can help me actually.” – bright voice, engaging smile – “I’m investigating the deaths of four youths from this area – Wayne and Ramone Ramsgate, Shaznay Parker, Kara Ellis – maybe you knew them.”
Esgrith squinted, regarding her suspiciously through creamy pupils. “Yes, I knew them. They died in a car accident, Doctor Edwards.”
“Absolutely. However the autopsies turned up some unusual findings. Findings that seem to indicate a degenerative process that pre-dates their deaths.”
“I see.”
“I’ve also seen similar symptoms in the Taub family, whom I believe you also know.”
“Karen and Saul, and young Gary. Indeed I do.”
“That is what I am investigating.”
“I see. And have you been successful, doctor?”
Esgrith produced a crumpled packet of cigarettes from his desk drawer and reached for a lighter. It took him the use of both hands to guide the quivering flame to his mouth.
“Somewhat, yes. Reverend, it seems to be possible that your church is significant. Epidemiologically speaking.”
“What?” Esgrith spat the word around his cigarette.
Carla was damned if she was going to start speculating about the priest’s congregation, their potential for consanguinity or their lifestyles to his face. It was enough that he know she had to search the church. He didn’t need the details of her investigation.
“It’s one of the places that all four of the children were exposed to regularly, somewhere they could have acquired their condition. With your permission, I’d like to search the premises for possible vectors or contamina—”
“The hell you do!” Esgrith rose from his chair, the cigarette falling from his fingers. “This is a place of worship!”
“I know that, Reverend, but—”
“D’you even know what you’re searching for?”
“Not precisely, but—”
“Then you can get the hell out! Now!”
Carla cursed inwardly. She’d been expecting indignation and obstruction, but hoping to be surprised. She tried a new tack.
“Look, if need be I can come back with an entire team of investigators and the State police. Probably the media as well. Wouldn’t you prefer to handle this quietly between the two of us?”
“The hell I would!” sneered Esgrith. “You think you can threaten me, Doctor? There’s such a thing as freedom of religion in this country!”
“Oh, give it up. I’m not threatening your religion Mr Esgrith.” Carla was beginning to lose her patience. “Perhaps a little more concern for the well-being of your flock would be in order.”
Esgrith leveled an accusing finger at her. “You leave my flock to me! D’ya hear? It just so happens that Senator Dalton is mighty supportive of the churches in this state – and he don’t like the federal government overmuch either! Just you wait ‘til I phone him!”
“Please, Reverend, would you let me—”
“Go!” His pointing finger swung to the door. “Get the hell out of our temple! Get the hell out of our town, you nigger bitch!”
The word hit her like a bucket of iced water, driving the rest of her argument from her mind. Esgrith sat back down, smirking. Waiting to see if she would react in kind, give him some new complaint to take to the mighty Senator Dalton. Bitterly, Carla fought her rising indignation and got to her feet.
“Well, if that’s the way you’re going to behave you leave me no choice. I’ll be back, of course, with a team of technicians. And the police. Oh, and be in no doubt” – she leaned down until her face was inches from his – “we will take this place to fucking pieces until we find what we’re looking for.”
Carla swept from the room and began down the rickety steps. Esgrith hobbled to the door of his office and shouted after her.
“That’s harassment, right there! You’ll be sorry, you black bitch! No-one messes with the children of Dagon, ya hear me? No-one! Oh, you’ll be sorry alright!”
Carla ignored him and crossed to the door. Before leaving, she turned back to the irate Reverend, standing at the top of the stairs wreathed in cigarette smoke. “See you soon” she promised, and stepped out into the daylight.
She was furious all the way back to the hotel. With Esgrith, obviously, and with herself for letting him push her buttons so easily. There was no way Terry Whitehead was going to let her put together a team and turn over a church. Esgrith had called it a temple. Well, church or temple, she knew her boss, and without an exciting and headline-grabbing disease agent she was going to be on her own. Heck, one phonecall from Senator Dalton to Atlanta and she’d be on the next plane out of there.