July 5, 2021 • 38 mins
Sasha comes to grips with the realities of life in the Heavenly Kingdom.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Chapter fifteen, Sasha. The man on the gurney was the
most comprehensively broken human Sasha had ever seen. His jaw
had been ripped completely out of its socket and shattered
in four places. His eyes had been gouged into horrible, smashed,
grape looking things. His hands and fingers were all broken,
as were his feet and shins. His ears appeared to
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have been bitten off. His tongue had been severed, and
the wound cauterized with something that had charred the flesh black.
Sasha hadn't known a person could take such punishment and survive.
The chart at the end of the bed identified him
as Sergeant Lufkin, a two year veteran martyr who had
been guarding a checkpoint outside of Dallas. He was conscious.
Every now and then he'd thrash about and let out
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a burbling moan, but the man didn't appear capable of
any sort of intelligible communication. Well these aren't combat injuries,
doctor Brand said. These men look almost like they've been
in a car wreck, only the damage is too precise
and too liberately targeted. I've never seen anything like it.
It was Sasha's duty to administer the men's pain killers
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just a tiny drop of morphine each. It wasn't enough
by any proper hospital standards. The soldiers were all in
clear agony, but the Heavenly Kingdom was short on pain killers,
and this was the most they could afford to spare
for invalids, as doctor Brandt had called them. This frustrated Sasha.
Her mother's hospital could have restored all four men to
full health and vigor with perhaps a month of treatment
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and physical therapy, but the Heavenly Kingdom forbade that grown
organs and limbs cloning contravened the Lord's will. Sasha agreed
with that in theory. She'd fled to the Heavenly Kingdom
partly because she believed juven treatments had robbed the ampt
of its humanity. But still it seemed so wrong that
these men would go the rest of their lives as
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twitching and sinceate lumps of flesh. The number of things
that felt wrong about this place grew every day. The
executions had been the first big shock to her system,
but she'd accepted Helen's justification. The Bible was filled with
decent men doing awful things in times of war. The
gallows weren't pretty, but they were hardly without biblical precedent.
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She'd been unable to justify Alexander's actions in the same way. Oh, yes,
she knew polygamy was condoned by the Word of God.
She'd read about Lammick and Abraham, and Solomon and David,
and of course Jacob, the patriarch of the Twelve Tribes
of Israel and a parent namesake for Alexander's order. She
still hated what he'd done to her. Sasha couldn't bring
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herself to believe that a man as truly good as
Pastor Mike would condone their actions. Polygamy is a biblically
sound strategy for a people on the edge of destruction,
He'd written in one of his Revelator columns. But it
is not the human ideal. In our Lord's eyes, the
most perfect union is one man, one woman, and as
many children as they can bear. Had he decided since
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that the Heavenly Kingdom was a people on the edge
of destruction. After the disastrous meet with Alexander, Sasha had
made her way back to the House of Miriam. Helen
was seated at her desk when Sasha barged in the
older woman looked tired, resigned, and almost depressed. It seemed
as if she'd been waiting for Sasha. Hello, dear, she said,
with a sad smile. I assume you just met Alexander. Yes,
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Sasha couldn't help but shout. What they're doing is vile, Helen.
He wanted me as his third wife. He lied to
convince me to come down here. He says. There's a
whole group of martyrs. They call themselves Jacobeans, and they're
just catfishing girls down here. We have to tell someone.
This isn't okay, this is so wrong. I just I can't.
Sasha started to sob. She'd been too angry to cry
in front of Alexander. But the House of Miriam was
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a safe place. Helen was a safe person. Sasha's grief
caught up with her anger, and she found herself doubled
over on the floor, racked by sobs. She lost herself
in sorrow for a few long heartbeats, and then Helen
was there beside her. She felt the older woman's strong
arms around her, felt a hand running through her hair.
There there, child, it's all right, it's going to be okay.
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We have to do something Sasha choked out, Pastor Mike
needs to know what's being done in his name. She
looked up into Helen's eyes. She saw pain and anger there, Sasha.
Helen said, this will be hard for you to understand,
but the pastor is well aware of what those men
are doing. I've spoken to him about it myself. Sasha stiffened.
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She pulled away from Helen, and Helen let her go.
They sat next to each other on the floor in
silence until Sasha spoke again. Authenticity is the strongest arrow
in our quiver. She quoted, When did that stop being true?
When did it become ok to lie in the name
of the Lord? Helen sighed and shook her head. It's
not OK, But so much about this world we live
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in is not OK. They still murder forty thousand babies
per year in the American Federation, hundred thousand in the
California Republic. Sodomi and cloning are rampant across the world.
We the faithful are surrounded on all sides. Sasha recognized
that last line. It was the opening sentence of Pastor
Mike's infamous Sinful Continent in the Hands of an Angry
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God column Sasha couldn't deny the truth of those words.
Everything Helen said was accurate. But but how are we
any better than them if we stooped to dishonesty to
fill the heavenly kingdom. Helen stiffened and straightened her back.
We are better than them, dear, because our goals are godly.
There was a hint of pride in her voice. We
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are fighting for the one singular truth. You must never
forget that the men and women fighting for that truth
are flawed. We are all falluable, we will all fall
short of God's standards. But we are also the only
ones trying to meet God's standards. And that makes what
Alexander did okay. Helen shook her head. Sasha saw tears
in the corner of the older woman's eyes. No, child,
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nothing makes it okay. You were wronged. That boy played
with your heart. He lied to you about his love,
and that's an un a givable thing. But you're here now,
aren't you, And that's what matters most. Helen held her
and talked with her for the next few hours. By
the time the other girls came back, she felt better.
Not good exactly, but better, stable enough to not burst
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into tears during dinner. She kept quiet at meal time
and was glad that the others seemed too exhausted from
their day of labor to say much either. After dinner,
they had another hour of personal time. Anne and Susannah
zeroed in on her with military precision. Sasha's vaunted poker
face hadn't been enough to hide her sorrow. Her new
friends had guided her to a corner of the room
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where they'd have relative privacy. What's wrong, Anne asked in
a low voice. She and Susannah both laid their hands
on Sasha's shoulders. Sasha reached up to grasp both their hands.
It happened automatically, as if by reflex, but it brought
her great comfort. She closed her eyes and stood quiet
for a moment as her mind and heart calmed down.
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I met Alexander today, she said. Anne looked confused. Susannah frowned,
then laughed and asked, what did have? Bad breath? Where
his eyes all? She blew out her cheeks and crossed
her eyes. Anne laughed, but Sasha stayed quiet. Susannah smile faded. Sash,
She said, in a quiet voice, what happened? Sasha looked
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from Susannah to Anne, she felt a surge of gratitude
and her new friends for being there at all. She
took a deep breath in and then told them what
had happened. She went quickly in the hope that her
clipped recitation of events would make it all seem less devastating. Oh, Sasha,
Anne said, I am so sorry. This has to be
some sort of mistake. Helen didn't seem to think so,
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Sasha said, I don't think Alexander lied about the sons
of Jacob being powerful here. It's chaos right now, Sash.
Susannah assured her. Maybe a few guys can get away
with acting like this now during the war, but once
it's over, Pastor Mike won't let them treat us like this.
Anne nodded. Kyle gets rotated back from the front tomorrow,
she said, I'll ask him about the sons of Jacob.
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Maybe he'll know something we can to. Sasha knew from
the look she'd seen in Helen's eyes that further protest
against the Jacobeans would be useless, and besides, she thought
the most painful thing was Alexander's dishonesty. He's already hurt
me as much as he can. She tried to convince
herself of that, just as she tried to enjoy the
company of her friends without dwelling on the face of
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the boy who betrayed her. She was less than successful.
Bedtime came, the girls washed up, said their good nights,
and snuggled up in their beds. As usual, Sasha's mind
stayed awake and active. She wasn't having second thoughts exactly,
of course, not never, but so much about today felt wrong.
Alexander and the sons of Jacob, of course, but also
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that the brave men she'd worked on that afternoon would
never walk or see your talk again. This is war,
she reminded herself. A great deal of it is going
to seem wrong. The next morning and afternoon went by
in a haze of industrious activity, breakfast in bay iandages
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and preparing medications for doctors and nurses. Sasha lost herself
in the work and for a few hours wasn't happy
or sad. Her shift at the hospital ended at five,
she took her nightly jeep ride back to the House
of Miriam, but rather than going right inside, she decided
to take a walk around the downtown strip. She had
a few ration scripts in her pocket, enough that she
could have bought coffee or even a meal in the
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one functioning restaurant still in town. But she wasn't hungry.
She just wanted to walk. This part of the Heavenly
Kingdom looked less like a war zone and more like
a functional polus with every passing day. Most of the
piles of rubble and spent shell casings were gone. Now
there was still quite a lot of damage to all
the buildings and very few intact windows to be found,
but that strange spoiled milk smell was gone. Some shops
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were open again, along with a small farmer's market about
ten minutes down from the House of Miriam. There were
people out too, Not many families yet, but she saw
a lot of sweaty, tired looking soldiers. They wandered in
small groups and clustered around the strips only functional calf bay.
There were refugees too, and new immigrants to the Kingdom.
Greeters in blue and white uniforms. The foot soldiers of
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the Kingdom's Immigration Department led columns of them down the
main Dragon into old government buildings that had been repurposed
into housing collectives. Sasha felt herself filled with a strange
pride at odds with all the doubt that still roiled
in her gut. From right here, the Heavenly Kingdom looked
exactly like what had been promised to her. It was
still rough, raw and unfinished, but it overflowed with the
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good intentions of godly men and women. Helen had been right.
Sasha could see that now, as ugly as Alexander's lies were,
as detestable as she found the whole idea of the Jacobeans,
the Heavenly Kingdom was still a thing of beauty. It
was still worth fighting for. She just had to accept
that it would never be perfect. And Hello, Sasha, she stopped.
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The hair prickled up on the back of her neck.
Sasha turned around to face Alexander. Sasha had been lost
in thoughts, so it was hard to say for how
long they've been following her. Three other men were with him.
They all wore clean, pressed, new uniforms and sidearms at
their waists. She didn't recognize the rank insickneas on their shoulders,
but she did notice that each of them wore a
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large gold badge in the shape of a lion's head
on their lapel. She'd seen a lot of uniformed martyrs
during her short time with the Heavenly Kingdom. She'd never
seen a badge like that before. Hello, Alexander. She tried
to keep her voice cool but respectful. Hello, brothers, Peace
be with you and also with you. The other young
men mumbled by habit, Are you walking alone right now? Medea,
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Alexander asked, his lips curled up into an unctuous smile.
That worries me. These streets still on as safe as
they should be. Let us walk with you a while.
Sasha stiffened. There was something dark in Alexander's eyes. She
wondered if it had always been there and she'd just
ignored it before. Her heart began to race. Sweat beat
it on the back of her neck. There were a
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lot of people around still, but she was away from
the most crowded part of the main drag. It wouldn't
be hard for three strong young men to move her
somewhere less visible. I'd prefer to walk alone, she tried
to keep her tone. Even Sasha felt like they must
still have heard the trembling in her voice. That's nonsense, Sasha,
Alexander said, No, woman wants to be alone when they
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can enjoy the company of their protect us. He stepped
towards her, reached a hand out and brushed the hair
away from her eyes. Alexander stroked her cheek. His hand
drifted down to her shoulder, where he applied firm pressure.
Sasha wanted to pull away, but Alexander was much stronger
than she was. He had a gun, and two friends
with guns, and apparently the personal support of Pastor Mike,
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so she stood still and tried to stop her heart
from beating quite so fast. Sasha, he said, in the gentle,
sweet voice that had helped to carry her here. You
deserve to be cared for. I know the full truth
was a shock to you, and I'm not angry at
your reaction, really, but you still hold it on to
fragments of the secular world. You need to drop that
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veil from your eyes and accept that God wants this.
He wants men like us, Alexander gestured to his friends,
men with superior talents, to breed and fill the world
with more holy warriors. Sasha closed her eyes. She took
a deep breath in and out, and then another. Just
go with it. A part of her said, he won't
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hurt you if you just tell him what he wants
to hear. She knew that wasn't right, though she hadn't
risked her life to cross into the heavenly kingdom just
to compromise her morals. Now, I am doing good and
valuable work here, she replied, in the calmest voice she
could muster. I don't want to be your third wife.
I know God has another purpose for me, and I
intend to seek it. At his hand clinched tight on
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her shoulder, Sasha's eyes widened in fear. There was something dull,
black and hungry in his eyes. The two men behind
him straighten their backs and started glancing around, scoping out
the area. Sasha, Alexander said, I brought you here. You
are my responsibility. I don't believe you're thinking clearly. We
should take a walk and find somewhere private to talk
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about all this. I've come indeed a home near by.
Come on, walk with me, he pushed at her. The
whole time he spoke and grew angrier with each passing word,
so that by the time he said walk with me,
his voice had grown tight and cold. Sasha steadied her
heart met his eyes with as steady a gaze as
she could manage, and said, I don't want to walk
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with you. Her heart was pounding so loud she was
sure Alexander and his friends could hear it. But Sasha
didn't move. She was sure at any minute now he
would grab her full on and force her forward. But
before he had the chance, a familiar voice called out
to her, Sasha, is that you? It was doctor Brandt,
and all her focus on Alexander and his posse, she
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hadn't even noticed the electric hum of the doctor's jeep
as it pulled up behind them on the main street. Yes, sir,
she cried, her voice a bit higher and more frantic
than she'd meant it to sound. What do you need
getting the back girl? You can flirt with soldiers later.
The Heavenly Kingdom needs your skills. We've got a bit
of an issue. Alexander's face went purple. The two men
behind him seemed confused. One put a hand on his gun,
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but Alexander waved him back. He shot Sasha a vicious
look and then turned to doctor Brandt suddenly composed any
idea how long you'll need her? What are you a lieutenant?
Doctor Brandt? Scoffed, She'll be gone as long as the
Kingdom needs her. I don't see a ring on either
of your fingers, so I'm fairly certain it's not your
place to care how long this takes Sasha. He beckoned
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to her with his index finger. Come on now, girl, gladly,
she said with a genuine smile. Sasha darted past Alexander
and his men and hopped up into the back seat
of the jeep. She tried to keep her head and
eyes down while the doctor's driver gunned the engine and
sped off down the main street. Once they were under way,
doctor Brandt turned back to her. Sasha. He asked, was
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anything going on with those young men? Anything untoward? I
ask because you seem positively elated. I've picked you up
to deal with a problem. Do I tell him the truth?
Sasha wondered, Do I admit I was lured to the
kingdom by a catfisher? He'll never take me seriously. Then,
this job was her favorite part of serving the Kingdom.
Sasha didn't want to do or say anything that might
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disrupt it. And besides, Doctor Brandt was a busy man.
Lives were in his hands every day. I can't distract
him with this. No, no, everything's fine. I'm fine. Doctor
Brandt gave her a stern look. Sasha smiled a tense
smile in response. He shrugged and turned his head back
to the road. All right, he said, And then there
was a problem with one of your patient's blood tests. Oh,
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Sasha frowned. I'm so sorry. What did I do wrong?
Nothing at all, doctor Branda shared her. But that vile woman, Marigold,
she's pregnant. Pregnant, Sasha was shocked. Most adult women in
the American Federation had aphrodity rings installed. Sasha had refused hers,
but the government offered them for free. They provided complete
control over reproduction and allowed women to select whether or
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not they wanted to be fertile. She'd assumed anyone with
as many bile modifications as mayor Gold would have a
ring as well. Maybe she just wants a baby for
some reason. Sasha hadn't initially considered that a possibility. It
was hard to imagine someone has fallen as Marigold choosing
to raise children, Yes, Sasha, doctor Brandt said, or at
least that first test indicated so false positives do still happen.
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That's why we're headed back. We need you to administer
another test so we can be certain. Well, shit, Marigold grunted.
I didn't expect to see you back this soon. You
need a friend, darling. The heathen woman looked the same
as she had on their last interaction. Her hair was
less greasy, so they must have let her wash, but
she wore the same slip dress and sat in the
same corner of the same cell. Sorry, no, Sasha said,
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I'm here to administer a pregnancy test. Mirrigold's eyes widened
for a few seconds. The woman was speechless, her mouth
opened and closed. She nodded and clutched her left knee
with her left hand. Okay, the captive said, right, where
do you want me to do it? Do? Sasha looked
down at the stick in her hand and then realized
how these things worked. I'm sure doctor Brandt doesn't expect
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me to watch her. Pea, you can go over to
your normal space. I'll just I'll turn around. She handed
Marigold the test and spun around on her heels so
the other woman wouldn't see how much she'd already started
to blush. Damn, girl, are you that squicked out by
the human body? What Sasha asked, without turning around. Your
face is as red as a damn beat. I'm sorry why,
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I don't know. Marigold laughed. You can turn around now,
I'm decent and done. Sasha turned around. Marigold smirked at her.
You know, she said, that instinct to apologize might actually
come in handy around here. I'm sure the sort of
men who jump in on this bullshit will appreciate it.
Sasha recovered her senses and felt a bit of anger
at Marigold's words. I don't appreciate you saying those things.
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She said. The men here are good and brave and uh.
Sasha's voice caught it broke just a little. Marigold saw
and heard her doubt. The other woman didn't laugh like
Sasha expected. In fact, her smile fellow a. Marigold looked
at her with something like pity. I know you don't
believe that, she said. Sasha closed her eyes and took
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a deep breath in. Then she replied, no men are perfect,
just as no women are perfect. But everyone here in
the Kingdom tries every day to abide by the Lord's will.
That's what elevates us above. Marigold interrupted, does your Lord say,
women don't get last names. We don't use last names
in the Kingdom because they distract us. We can't afford connect.
The men keep their surnames, don't they. That was true.
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Sasha hadn't thought about it much, what with everything else
that was going on. But doctor Brandt went by his
last name, didn't he? And Alexander had a surname too.
She's trying to weaken your faith in the kingdom. Don't
give into the doubts of the serpent. It doesn't matter,
Sasha said, and immediately regretted it. Any response would surely
just egg Marigold on and sure enough, Oh it doesn't.
Then why is that the rule? Well, it's obviously because
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we need some way to tell families apart from one another.
Marigold smirked. Now, And the only lineage that matter is
the man's, isn't it. Women are just appendages in your
belief system. I am not an appendage, Sasha shouted, surprised
at her own anger. She heard shuffling feet, and a
second later the guard had one hand on the door
and another on his rifle. Ever then, all raight, miss,
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he asked, yes, Sasha called back to him over her shoulder.
I'm fine, Sorry, she's just Sasha fixed Marigold with a
withering gaze. She's very frustrating. Marigold smirked at that, then
she held out the test. Sasha hesitated for just a
second before taking the strip from the other woman. Marigold
smiled at that too. You're pregnant, Sasha said, yep. Marigold nodded. Congratulations.
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Sasha tried to sound genuine. Marigold's eye roll didn't help that, cause,
oh yeah, the other woman said, this is a real
joyous moment for me. I hope your people let me
live long enough to know whether or not my kid
will deserve a last name. You know, Sasha said, in
growing anger. This place isn't perfect, but if you've got
to know the people here, you'd understand they are the
best people I've ever met. I wish you could have
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seen the welcome I received. I've never felt so loved.
Marigold asked, like, all you needed to do was show
up to earn their acceptance. Yes, Sasha admitted, suspicious. Did
they sort of swarm you but in a nice way?
Everyone hugging you and holding you and offering you, say
physical affection? Yes, Marigold nodded, as if she'd just gotten
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the answer to a longstanding question. They love bombed you what.
It's a tactic colts use, Marigold explained, you sort of
overwhelmed someone with love and acceptance and camaraderie and all
that It nurtures loyalty and dependence. She shrugged. It's a
smart way to manipulate young people in your position. You've
just fled your home and family for a strange and
dangerous land. You're scared and alone and isolated, and then,
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like magic, you've got a family in a support network.
You are so cynical. Sasha had the fight back, the
urge to say damned cynical. This woman was making her
forget herself. She opened her mouth as if to deliver
a tongue lashing, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she
just narrowed her eyes at Marigold and stared for a
few seconds. I'm leaving now, she said, I'm going to
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go enjoy the companionship of my new family. You enjoy
this cell. Then Sasha turned on her heels and walked out.
She returned late to the house of Miriam. The other
girls had already finished dinner, Helen had left out Sasha's plate,
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a ham sandwich, carrot sticks and apple and a small
block of cheese, and she took it into the common room,
where the other girls were talking and winding down from
their day. Look who finally showed up. May sneered when
she walked in. I guess you're too important to eat
with the rest of us now, I Sasha started to reply.
Then she saw Anne and Susannah huddled in the same
corner where they'd all sat last night. There were tears
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in Anne's face, and her eyes looked swollen in red.
She made no noise, but her back and shoulders shook
as she sat there, half shielded from view in Susanna's embrace.
Sasha gave maya withering glare, but turned and moved past
her towards her friends. She heard the other girl scoff
and say something to her coterie of friends. Sasha couldn't
hear what, though, and she didn't much care. She squatted
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down next to Anne and put a hand on the
back of her neck. Hey, she said, not sure of
what else to say. Susannah met Sasha's eyes and offered
up a sad smile. Anne continued to sob. For a
few minutes, they just held her. Sasha burned with morbid
curiosity over what exactly had happened. She knew it must
have something to do with Kyle, and had been set
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to meet with him today. Had he revealed himself to
be a son of Jacob too. He's dead, Anne whispered
in a cracked, broken voice. I went to meet him
at the Cafe Clement, and there were two martyrs there
waiting for me. They both she stifled a sob. They
both smiled when they told me he'd been killed. They
said I should thank God for the blessing of a
death and battle. I'm so sorry Anne, Sasha said, Susannah
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and I are here, though, we'll take care of you.
She hoped that might comfort Anne a little, but the
other girl lost herself in another fit of tears. Sasha's
heart broke for her. The pain over her own comparatively
minor tragedy flowed into the empathy she felt for Anne,
and soon Sasha was crying too. She was sure some
of the other girls were whispering about them. Egged on
by May, she didn't care. After a few more minutes
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of tears, Anne managed to clear her throat and speak again.
The man the martyrs I met told me the same thing.
She said. They told me I'd be taken care of,
that they'd find God's choice for me among the martyrs,
and tried to tell them, I don't want anyone else,
not now, I need to mourn, But they said, they said.
Anne's voice caught in her throat, and she fought to
throttle another sob before she continued. He said, the heavenly
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Kingdom might not be able to wait for my grief
to pass. What's that supposed to mean, Susannah asked. Sasha
didn't say anything, because the only answer that occurred to
her was surely unhelpful. She had a strong suspicion that
the sons of Jacob had turned their eyes on Anne.
Sasha stared into Marigold's vagina. She'd seen it befo for,
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of course, the first time they'd met, but it hadn't
been her focus then, and she'd tried very hard not
to look at it too much now, though the point
was to look. Doctor Brandt had picked her up halfway
through her shift at the hospital to conduct a pap
smere on the captured woman. She'd only had about an
hour to practice. It's a procedure I've done myself a
hundred times, doctor brand had told her, but that was
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back in the am Fed. It's a simvil thing for
a man to touch a woman other than his wife.
That's why the Israelites used midwives. That's why we used midwives.
And I think this kind of work might be why
God drew you here. His words made her proud. She
liked doctor Brandt for all his prickliness. She also liked
to learn it and feeling like she had a useful
skill that made her special. So she'd paid close attention
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as doctor Brandt had walked her through the procedure. It
had been fun, and the act of learning had distracted
her from her worries about Anne and her own grief
over Alexander. Marigold shuddered as Sasha slid the speculum in
past her labia. You could stand to be a little gentler,
and would it kill you to, I don't know, warm
it up first or something. Doctor Brandt didn't say to
do that. Sasha kept her voice firm. This is for
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the baby's good. I'm sorry if it's uncomfortable. This is
my first time. The woman snorted, Oh, well, in that case,
you're doing a great jow, maybe a little less hard,
and mine slopes down. You're going against the grain the grain.
Marigold rolled her eyes in disdain, but didn't dignify Sasha
with a response, you're pushing the wrong way. Sasha readjusted,
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and Marigold gave a sigh of relief. That sucks less
at least, thanks. Sasha busied herself with the swabbing and
rubbing that came next. She worked slow, methodical, with as
much care and gentleness as the instruction she'd received from
doctor Brandt would allow. She did her best to focus,
but the other woman kept talking, You don't look old
enough to have graduated high school. I'm gon A guess
(26:45):
they don't train teenagers to do pap smears in the
am fed Marigold added, do they, with surprising earnestness, No,
Sasha grunted, And a guest, doctor what's his name, taught
you then, because why he's too scared of my demon
snatch to come in here and do with the jab'm's self.
Sasha's face reddened. She did not like the words snatch
or Marigold's casual mention of demons, but She kept her
(27:07):
eyes straight and stared into the other woman's vagina. I
have one too. It's not that big a deal, she
told herself. It's impressive you were able to learn that.
I'm serious. Real props, lady, you're the only woman I've
seen do a damn thing around here. How do you
trick them into treating you sort of like a person?
Sasha's ire Rose and Rose Lord, Calm my heart, she prayed.
I know she's just trying to set me off. It's
(27:29):
just desperation, she told herself. How long do you think
they'll let you keep playing like you've got a real life.
I'm gonna guess it won't be too long before somebody
puts a baby in you. You know that'll be the
end of all this, right, like your life, using your
brain all that, you're going to be a broodmare before
to stop. Sasha didn't yell, but she used her firmest voice,
and she was quite loud about it, despite herself. She
(27:50):
looked up from her work and at Marigold's face. The
other woman didn't look surprised or chagrinned. One edge of
her lips curled up into a wry grin. Her eyes twinkled.
Sasha had never actually seen someone's eyes twinkle before. There
we go. I wondered where the edge was the edge
of what Sasha asked, without thinking, idiot, this is exactly
what she wants you to do, the edge of your patients,
(28:13):
the point where meekness ends. I was worried they've beating
it out of you. No one beat me, Sasha insisted,
And there's nothing wrong with being meek. The Lord asks
us to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness,
and patience. Maybe you wouldn't be in a cell if
you'd accepted that for yourself. I'm in a cell because
I came here to trade. We weren't waging any kind
of war. We weren't harming anyone. We wanted freaking cheetos
(28:36):
in exchange for our latest coffee crop. Your people killed
the old government and captured us. Sasha closed her eyes,
breathed in and out, and tried to calm herself. For
some reason, Marigold's words made her feel anxious and angry.
She wanted to say the anger was towards the other woman,
but that wasn't quite right. Marigold had been sarcastic and caddy,
but she had also been complimentary, thoughtful, and far from cruel.
(28:59):
I'm sure you'll be sent back to your people soon.
The heavenly Kingdom doesn't want any kind of fight with
with your city yet. Sasha finished her work. She withdrew
the speculum and started gathering up her kit. I do
hope you're not laboring under the impression that this war
will ever end, Marigold said, because it won't, not while
your kingdom exists. You're wrong. Will take Austin soon and
(29:21):
then there will be peace. And what about San Antonio?
Sasha shrugged, heathen nation, But they haven't launched any strikes
against us. If they'll let us be, will let them
be remain and expand? Marigold quoted one of the slogans
Pastor Mike had coined during the early days of the kingdom.
The other woman had a surprisingly deep understanding of their movement.
Marigold continued, The Kingdom of God will remain and expand
(29:45):
until it reunites this broken land from sea to shining sea.
That's your profit, right, You're mighty, Pastor sure, sounds like
a recipe for eternal war. Mexico, the Navajo, the California
Republic and the King of goddamn Albuquerque don't seem likely
to sign up for a theocracy, and those are just
the big powers in the Southwest. Pastor Mike would have
had an answer to that, of course. He'd said that
(30:06):
as the Heavenly Kingdom grew, it would draw in millions
from around the world and become a shining beacon to
the fallen peoples of the world. Fighting would be replaced
by peaceful annexation. She'd believed that once before she'd left
the American Federation. It had seemed sensible. With Alexander's romantic
words in her ear and the fiery prose from Revelator
in her mind, how could she not believe? But now
(30:28):
she'd spent time in the reality of the Heavenly Kingdom.
She'd met beautiful people and seeing wondrous things, but she'd
also helped treat a seemingly endless train of broken men
whose bodies had been shattered by war. She'd watched a
dozen people be executed by hanging. Sasha was anxious, and
Marigold must have picked up on it. The other woman's
eyes changed. There was something almost predatory in them. She
(30:50):
leaned forward I know I'm hitting nerves, Sasha. That's because
you're too smart for this ship. You got suckered into
a fucking nightmare. It's time to wake up. Sasha kept
Marigold's words in her mind. She headed back to the hospital.
A fresh wave of wounded men had been sent over
from the Lake Houston Front, and she wound up working
three hours later than normal just to help handle the load.
(31:12):
It was a whirlwind of bloody bandages, screaming martyrs, and
irate exhausted doctors trying to do too much with far
too little. By the time she got off shift, it
was dark outside and downtown was almost deserted. Her driver
dropped her off in a weird spot at the other
end of Main Street. It was a good two blocks
away from the normal location, but she chalked that up
to the fact that this wasn't her normal driver. She
(31:35):
didn't really mind the extra walk. In fact, after a
long day under the hospital's fluorescent lights, a dark walk
and some fresh air seemed relaxing, So she strolled, and
she tried to forget the faces of the men she'd
seen that day. For a few blissful minutes. Marigold's words
fled from her head, and she lost herself and the
peace that came at the end of a good day's labor.
The streets of the heavenly Kingdom felt safe. She'd done
(31:56):
meaningful work. The Lord must be hey, hey, no, please?
Is I really don't want to? Sasha heard a familiar
female voice cry out in distress. A man yelled something,
but she couldn't tell what. The woman let out a
brief scream that was muffled by something. Her voice sounded familiar,
Very familiar was that an Sasha rounded a corner and
saw them. It was Anne, all right. The girl had
(32:18):
a bag over her head, but Sasha clearly recognized her friend.
Two men in black uniforms held her by either arm
and forced her to walk forward with them. Two other
men walked beside them. They all wore red berets. The
man who seemed to be their leader locked eyes with her.
It was Alexander, Sasha, He said, in a clipped tone,
you're out late. She stopped, stared, and continued to thrash
(32:41):
between the men. Her cries were muffled by the bag,
but far from an audible She seemed terrified. You you
all need to let her go. Sasha insisted she belongs
at the house of Miriam. Alexander laughed, where do you
think we gotta from, silly girl. Two of the other
men laughed at that. They seemed nervous, though she see
both hunger and a strange sort of anxiety in their eyes.
(33:03):
Alexander was all hunger. Alexander, please, please, what he asked,
with a wry smirk, Deny this girl the bliss of
servant God? Why would you want that for her? Do
you even believe anymore? Sasha, his lips, the lips she
dreamed about for months, the lips she'd watched say such
lovely things to her. Curled up in disgust. Look at you.
(33:25):
You're wearing surgical scrubs. You look like a man. You've
lost your proper place in the world. It disgusts me
that they let you do that work. Have you forgotten
what God himself calls on you to be Titus two five, Sasha,
Our Lord wants you to be discreet, chaste, homemaker's good,
obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God
(33:45):
may not be blasphemed. Remember that, Sasha, none of you
are her husband. Alexander laughed, that's not true at all.
He put a hand on the shoulder of one of
the men restraining, and Tamashia married her. Today. We're just
helping the happy couple to their marital bed. Then why
is there a bag over her head? Why is she fighting?
(34:06):
Because it was a rather abrupt marriage, Alexander frowned, and
her mind is still polluted with ungodly ideas about how
a marriage should look. Thomas chose her. The spirit of
the Lord spoke to him when he saw her from afar.
It is right and good that they should be wed.
And he moves up to the front tomorrow Tonight will
be his first and maybe a last chance to help
(34:28):
the kingdom remain and expand. He held out a seal,
a golden badge in the shape of a shield with
a heavenly cross and blazoned on the front. This comes
from the pasta I have the authority to grant marriages
to any worthy men who wish them. He smiled again.
Sasha's heart fluttered. She felt nausea rise up inside her.
(34:48):
So back away. Let us pass, and I'd suggest you
dedicate some more time to thinking about why God brought
you here. When your time comes, I think You'd prefer
doing this without the bag, but I'm fine other way. Really,
it was past dinner and passed bedtime when she entered
the house of Miriam. Helen was seated at her desk.
(35:09):
She looked up as Sasha entered, and in an instant
Sasha knew there was no use in reporting what had
happened to Anne. Helen's eyes were bloodshot and puffy with tears.
She knew, Sasha, the older woman said, I have some
bad news. I saw them, Sasha said, is that what's
going to happen to all of us? Is this place
just a bolding area until we get married off? This
(35:31):
place is your home, Helen said, in a voice that
was almost pleading. It's here, and I'm here to shepherd
you to the next phase of your life. Don't you
believe I want the best for you? I do, Sasha said,
her voice softened. But Anne didn't want this, she told
me so. Didn't she deserve time to grieve? She did,
Helen said, But the Lord demands sacrifices from all of us,
(35:54):
sometimes more sacrifices than seemed fair. Anne is in a
dark place now, but the or it will send his
light to guide her Helen seemed to straighten up as
she spoke. Sasha saw resolve settle into the older woman's
flint gray eyes. So may it be, she said, May
the peace of the Lord be with you. Sasha started
to walk off. She didn't trust herself to stay and talk.
(36:17):
She was sure more of her anger would bleed out
into the conversation, and she wasn't sure what Helen would
do if she got the impression that Sasha's loyalty had
started to waver. Sasha dear, she said, and Sasha looked back.
You forgot your dinner. It's in a bag on the table.
Sasha took it and Aiden's silence as fast as decorum
would allow. Then she cleaned up for bed and headed
(36:38):
back into the dormitories. As soon as she saw the
light glinting off of Susanna's open eyes, she knew the
other girl was awake. Sasha knelt down at her bed
and the two shared a long look. Susannah held out
her hand and Sasha took it. What happened, she asked,
They let us out early and drop us off down town.
Susanna's eyes were wet with tears, and and I had
(37:00):
a coffee and we visited the market. It was nice, normal,
almost We headed for the House of Miriam once it
started to get dark, and she gulped. They were just
there waiting with Miss Helen. Susannah swallowed loudly and her
eyes grew watery, but she didn't cry. Sasha was proud
of her friend. That was them, wasn't it. Susannah asked.
(37:22):
Those men were the sons of Jacob. Sasha just nodded.
How long until they take me too? Hey, I'm Robert Evans.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope you enjoyed
the chapters to come. You can find the free e
pub of every chapter and eventually the whole book at
a t r book dot com, complete with illustrations. If
(37:44):
you want to support me in writing the sequel, you
can crowdfund me at After the Revolution the Sequel at
go fund me. Just type and go fund me after
the Revolution the Sequel Um. I'd like my books to
always be free, so I'm just going to try to
crowdfund the next one and see how that works. So
After Revolution the Sequel on go fund Me. You can
also find the community of fans of this book online
(38:06):
at our slash after the Revolution on Reddit, So after
the Revolution, the sequel on go fund me, and our
slash after the Revolution on Reddit. A t r book
dot Com for the whole book. Thanks
Chapter fifteen, Sasha. The man on the gurney was the
most comprehensively broken human Sasha had ever seen. His jaw
had been ripped completely out of its socket and shattered
in four places. His eyes had been gouged into horrible, smashed,
grape looking things. His hands and fingers were all broken,
as were his feet and shins. His ears appeared to
(00:24):
have been bitten off. His tongue had been severed, and
the wound cauterized with something that had charred the flesh black.
Sasha hadn't known a person could take such punishment and survive.
The chart at the end of the bed identified him
as Sergeant Lufkin, a two year veteran martyr who had
been guarding a checkpoint outside of Dallas. He was conscious.
Every now and then he'd thrash about and let out
(00:45):
a burbling moan, but the man didn't appear capable of
any sort of intelligible communication. Well these aren't combat injuries,
doctor Brand said. These men look almost like they've been
in a car wreck, only the damage is too precise
and too liberately targeted. I've never seen anything like it.
It was Sasha's duty to administer the men's pain killers
(01:06):
just a tiny drop of morphine each. It wasn't enough
by any proper hospital standards. The soldiers were all in
clear agony, but the Heavenly Kingdom was short on pain killers,
and this was the most they could afford to spare
for invalids, as doctor Brandt had called them. This frustrated Sasha.
Her mother's hospital could have restored all four men to
full health and vigor with perhaps a month of treatment
(01:28):
and physical therapy, but the Heavenly Kingdom forbade that grown
organs and limbs cloning contravened the Lord's will. Sasha agreed
with that in theory. She'd fled to the Heavenly Kingdom
partly because she believed juven treatments had robbed the ampt
of its humanity. But still it seemed so wrong that
these men would go the rest of their lives as
(01:49):
twitching and sinceate lumps of flesh. The number of things
that felt wrong about this place grew every day. The
executions had been the first big shock to her system,
but she'd accepted Helen's justification. The Bible was filled with
decent men doing awful things in times of war. The
gallows weren't pretty, but they were hardly without biblical precedent.
(02:11):
She'd been unable to justify Alexander's actions in the same way. Oh, yes,
she knew polygamy was condoned by the Word of God.
She'd read about Lammick and Abraham, and Solomon and David,
and of course Jacob, the patriarch of the Twelve Tribes
of Israel and a parent namesake for Alexander's order. She
still hated what he'd done to her. Sasha couldn't bring
(02:32):
herself to believe that a man as truly good as
Pastor Mike would condone their actions. Polygamy is a biblically
sound strategy for a people on the edge of destruction,
He'd written in one of his Revelator columns. But it
is not the human ideal. In our Lord's eyes, the
most perfect union is one man, one woman, and as
many children as they can bear. Had he decided since
(02:54):
that the Heavenly Kingdom was a people on the edge
of destruction. After the disastrous meet with Alexander, Sasha had
made her way back to the House of Miriam. Helen
was seated at her desk when Sasha barged in the
older woman looked tired, resigned, and almost depressed. It seemed
as if she'd been waiting for Sasha. Hello, dear, she said,
with a sad smile. I assume you just met Alexander. Yes,
(03:19):
Sasha couldn't help but shout. What they're doing is vile, Helen.
He wanted me as his third wife. He lied to
convince me to come down here. He says. There's a
whole group of martyrs. They call themselves Jacobeans, and they're
just catfishing girls down here. We have to tell someone.
This isn't okay, this is so wrong. I just I can't.
Sasha started to sob. She'd been too angry to cry
in front of Alexander. But the House of Miriam was
(03:41):
a safe place. Helen was a safe person. Sasha's grief
caught up with her anger, and she found herself doubled
over on the floor, racked by sobs. She lost herself
in sorrow for a few long heartbeats, and then Helen
was there beside her. She felt the older woman's strong
arms around her, felt a hand running through her hair.
There there, child, it's all right, it's going to be okay.
(04:04):
We have to do something Sasha choked out, Pastor Mike
needs to know what's being done in his name. She
looked up into Helen's eyes. She saw pain and anger there, Sasha.
Helen said, this will be hard for you to understand,
but the pastor is well aware of what those men
are doing. I've spoken to him about it myself. Sasha stiffened.
(04:26):
She pulled away from Helen, and Helen let her go.
They sat next to each other on the floor in
silence until Sasha spoke again. Authenticity is the strongest arrow
in our quiver. She quoted, When did that stop being true?
When did it become ok to lie in the name
of the Lord? Helen sighed and shook her head. It's
not OK, But so much about this world we live
(04:48):
in is not OK. They still murder forty thousand babies
per year in the American Federation, hundred thousand in the
California Republic. Sodomi and cloning are rampant across the world.
We the faithful are surrounded on all sides. Sasha recognized
that last line. It was the opening sentence of Pastor
Mike's infamous Sinful Continent in the Hands of an Angry
(05:09):
God column Sasha couldn't deny the truth of those words.
Everything Helen said was accurate. But but how are we
any better than them if we stooped to dishonesty to
fill the heavenly kingdom. Helen stiffened and straightened her back.
We are better than them, dear, because our goals are godly.
There was a hint of pride in her voice. We
(05:29):
are fighting for the one singular truth. You must never
forget that the men and women fighting for that truth
are flawed. We are all falluable, we will all fall
short of God's standards. But we are also the only
ones trying to meet God's standards. And that makes what
Alexander did okay. Helen shook her head. Sasha saw tears
in the corner of the older woman's eyes. No, child,
(05:52):
nothing makes it okay. You were wronged. That boy played
with your heart. He lied to you about his love,
and that's an un a givable thing. But you're here now,
aren't you, And that's what matters most. Helen held her
and talked with her for the next few hours. By
the time the other girls came back, she felt better.
Not good exactly, but better, stable enough to not burst
(06:14):
into tears during dinner. She kept quiet at meal time
and was glad that the others seemed too exhausted from
their day of labor to say much either. After dinner,
they had another hour of personal time. Anne and Susannah
zeroed in on her with military precision. Sasha's vaunted poker
face hadn't been enough to hide her sorrow. Her new
friends had guided her to a corner of the room
(06:34):
where they'd have relative privacy. What's wrong, Anne asked in
a low voice. She and Susannah both laid their hands
on Sasha's shoulders. Sasha reached up to grasp both their hands.
It happened automatically, as if by reflex, but it brought
her great comfort. She closed her eyes and stood quiet
for a moment as her mind and heart calmed down.
(06:55):
I met Alexander today, she said. Anne looked confused. Susannah frowned,
then laughed and asked, what did have? Bad breath? Where
his eyes all? She blew out her cheeks and crossed
her eyes. Anne laughed, but Sasha stayed quiet. Susannah smile faded. Sash,
She said, in a quiet voice, what happened? Sasha looked
(07:15):
from Susannah to Anne, she felt a surge of gratitude
and her new friends for being there at all. She
took a deep breath in and then told them what
had happened. She went quickly in the hope that her
clipped recitation of events would make it all seem less devastating. Oh, Sasha,
Anne said, I am so sorry. This has to be
some sort of mistake. Helen didn't seem to think so,
(07:36):
Sasha said, I don't think Alexander lied about the sons
of Jacob being powerful here. It's chaos right now, Sash.
Susannah assured her. Maybe a few guys can get away
with acting like this now during the war, but once
it's over, Pastor Mike won't let them treat us like this.
Anne nodded. Kyle gets rotated back from the front tomorrow,
she said, I'll ask him about the sons of Jacob.
(07:58):
Maybe he'll know something we can to. Sasha knew from
the look she'd seen in Helen's eyes that further protest
against the Jacobeans would be useless, and besides, she thought
the most painful thing was Alexander's dishonesty. He's already hurt
me as much as he can. She tried to convince
herself of that, just as she tried to enjoy the
company of her friends without dwelling on the face of
(08:19):
the boy who betrayed her. She was less than successful.
Bedtime came, the girls washed up, said their good nights,
and snuggled up in their beds. As usual, Sasha's mind
stayed awake and active. She wasn't having second thoughts exactly,
of course, not never, but so much about today felt wrong.
Alexander and the sons of Jacob, of course, but also
(08:39):
that the brave men she'd worked on that afternoon would
never walk or see your talk again. This is war,
she reminded herself. A great deal of it is going
to seem wrong. The next morning and afternoon went by
in a haze of industrious activity, breakfast in bay iandages
(09:00):
and preparing medications for doctors and nurses. Sasha lost herself
in the work and for a few hours wasn't happy
or sad. Her shift at the hospital ended at five,
she took her nightly jeep ride back to the House
of Miriam, but rather than going right inside, she decided
to take a walk around the downtown strip. She had
a few ration scripts in her pocket, enough that she
could have bought coffee or even a meal in the
(09:22):
one functioning restaurant still in town. But she wasn't hungry.
She just wanted to walk. This part of the Heavenly
Kingdom looked less like a war zone and more like
a functional polus with every passing day. Most of the
piles of rubble and spent shell casings were gone. Now
there was still quite a lot of damage to all
the buildings and very few intact windows to be found,
but that strange spoiled milk smell was gone. Some shops
(09:45):
were open again, along with a small farmer's market about
ten minutes down from the House of Miriam. There were
people out too, Not many families yet, but she saw
a lot of sweaty, tired looking soldiers. They wandered in
small groups and clustered around the strips only functional calf bay.
There were refugees too, and new immigrants to the Kingdom.
Greeters in blue and white uniforms. The foot soldiers of
(10:06):
the Kingdom's Immigration Department led columns of them down the
main Dragon into old government buildings that had been repurposed
into housing collectives. Sasha felt herself filled with a strange
pride at odds with all the doubt that still roiled
in her gut. From right here, the Heavenly Kingdom looked
exactly like what had been promised to her. It was
still rough, raw and unfinished, but it overflowed with the
(10:27):
good intentions of godly men and women. Helen had been right.
Sasha could see that now, as ugly as Alexander's lies were,
as detestable as she found the whole idea of the Jacobeans,
the Heavenly Kingdom was still a thing of beauty. It
was still worth fighting for. She just had to accept
that it would never be perfect. And Hello, Sasha, she stopped.
(10:47):
The hair prickled up on the back of her neck.
Sasha turned around to face Alexander. Sasha had been lost
in thoughts, so it was hard to say for how
long they've been following her. Three other men were with him.
They all wore clean, pressed, new uniforms and sidearms at
their waists. She didn't recognize the rank insickneas on their shoulders,
but she did notice that each of them wore a
(11:08):
large gold badge in the shape of a lion's head
on their lapel. She'd seen a lot of uniformed martyrs
during her short time with the Heavenly Kingdom. She'd never
seen a badge like that before. Hello, Alexander. She tried
to keep her voice cool but respectful. Hello, brothers, Peace
be with you and also with you. The other young
men mumbled by habit, Are you walking alone right now? Medea,
(11:31):
Alexander asked, his lips curled up into an unctuous smile.
That worries me. These streets still on as safe as
they should be. Let us walk with you a while.
Sasha stiffened. There was something dark in Alexander's eyes. She
wondered if it had always been there and she'd just
ignored it before. Her heart began to race. Sweat beat
it on the back of her neck. There were a
(11:53):
lot of people around still, but she was away from
the most crowded part of the main drag. It wouldn't
be hard for three strong young men to move her
somewhere less visible. I'd prefer to walk alone, she tried
to keep her tone. Even Sasha felt like they must
still have heard the trembling in her voice. That's nonsense, Sasha,
Alexander said, No, woman wants to be alone when they
(12:14):
can enjoy the company of their protect us. He stepped
towards her, reached a hand out and brushed the hair
away from her eyes. Alexander stroked her cheek. His hand
drifted down to her shoulder, where he applied firm pressure.
Sasha wanted to pull away, but Alexander was much stronger
than she was. He had a gun, and two friends
with guns, and apparently the personal support of Pastor Mike,
(12:36):
so she stood still and tried to stop her heart
from beating quite so fast. Sasha, he said, in the gentle,
sweet voice that had helped to carry her here. You
deserve to be cared for. I know the full truth
was a shock to you, and I'm not angry at
your reaction, really, but you still hold it on to
fragments of the secular world. You need to drop that
(12:57):
veil from your eyes and accept that God wants this.
He wants men like us, Alexander gestured to his friends,
men with superior talents, to breed and fill the world
with more holy warriors. Sasha closed her eyes. She took
a deep breath in and out, and then another. Just
go with it. A part of her said, he won't
(13:17):
hurt you if you just tell him what he wants
to hear. She knew that wasn't right, though she hadn't
risked her life to cross into the heavenly kingdom just
to compromise her morals. Now, I am doing good and
valuable work here, she replied, in the calmest voice she
could muster. I don't want to be your third wife.
I know God has another purpose for me, and I
intend to seek it. At his hand clinched tight on
(13:39):
her shoulder, Sasha's eyes widened in fear. There was something dull,
black and hungry in his eyes. The two men behind
him straighten their backs and started glancing around, scoping out
the area. Sasha, Alexander said, I brought you here. You
are my responsibility. I don't believe you're thinking clearly. We
should take a walk and find somewhere private to talk
(14:02):
about all this. I've come indeed a home near by.
Come on, walk with me, he pushed at her. The
whole time he spoke and grew angrier with each passing word,
so that by the time he said walk with me,
his voice had grown tight and cold. Sasha steadied her
heart met his eyes with as steady a gaze as
she could manage, and said, I don't want to walk
(14:25):
with you. Her heart was pounding so loud she was
sure Alexander and his friends could hear it. But Sasha
didn't move. She was sure at any minute now he
would grab her full on and force her forward. But
before he had the chance, a familiar voice called out
to her, Sasha, is that you? It was doctor Brandt,
and all her focus on Alexander and his posse, she
(14:45):
hadn't even noticed the electric hum of the doctor's jeep
as it pulled up behind them on the main street. Yes, sir,
she cried, her voice a bit higher and more frantic
than she'd meant it to sound. What do you need
getting the back girl? You can flirt with soldiers later.
The Heavenly Kingdom needs your skills. We've got a bit
of an issue. Alexander's face went purple. The two men
behind him seemed confused. One put a hand on his gun,
(15:07):
but Alexander waved him back. He shot Sasha a vicious
look and then turned to doctor Brandt suddenly composed any
idea how long you'll need her? What are you a lieutenant?
Doctor Brandt? Scoffed, She'll be gone as long as the
Kingdom needs her. I don't see a ring on either
of your fingers, so I'm fairly certain it's not your
place to care how long this takes Sasha. He beckoned
(15:29):
to her with his index finger. Come on now, girl, gladly,
she said with a genuine smile. Sasha darted past Alexander
and his men and hopped up into the back seat
of the jeep. She tried to keep her head and
eyes down while the doctor's driver gunned the engine and
sped off down the main street. Once they were under way,
doctor Brandt turned back to her. Sasha. He asked, was
(15:49):
anything going on with those young men? Anything untoward? I
ask because you seem positively elated. I've picked you up
to deal with a problem. Do I tell him the truth?
Sasha wondered, Do I admit I was lured to the
kingdom by a catfisher? He'll never take me seriously. Then,
this job was her favorite part of serving the Kingdom.
Sasha didn't want to do or say anything that might
(16:10):
disrupt it. And besides, Doctor Brandt was a busy man.
Lives were in his hands every day. I can't distract
him with this. No, no, everything's fine. I'm fine. Doctor
Brandt gave her a stern look. Sasha smiled a tense
smile in response. He shrugged and turned his head back
to the road. All right, he said, And then there
was a problem with one of your patient's blood tests. Oh,
(16:33):
Sasha frowned. I'm so sorry. What did I do wrong?
Nothing at all, doctor Branda shared her. But that vile woman, Marigold,
she's pregnant. Pregnant, Sasha was shocked. Most adult women in
the American Federation had aphrodity rings installed. Sasha had refused hers,
but the government offered them for free. They provided complete
control over reproduction and allowed women to select whether or
(16:55):
not they wanted to be fertile. She'd assumed anyone with
as many bile modifications as mayor Gold would have a
ring as well. Maybe she just wants a baby for
some reason. Sasha hadn't initially considered that a possibility. It
was hard to imagine someone has fallen as Marigold choosing
to raise children, Yes, Sasha, doctor Brandt said, or at
least that first test indicated so false positives do still happen.
(17:17):
That's why we're headed back. We need you to administer
another test so we can be certain. Well, shit, Marigold grunted.
I didn't expect to see you back this soon. You
need a friend, darling. The heathen woman looked the same
as she had on their last interaction. Her hair was
less greasy, so they must have let her wash, but
she wore the same slip dress and sat in the
same corner of the same cell. Sorry, no, Sasha said,
(17:40):
I'm here to administer a pregnancy test. Mirrigold's eyes widened
for a few seconds. The woman was speechless, her mouth
opened and closed. She nodded and clutched her left knee
with her left hand. Okay, the captive said, right, where
do you want me to do it? Do? Sasha looked
down at the stick in her hand and then realized
how these things worked. I'm sure doctor Brandt doesn't expect
(18:01):
me to watch her. Pea, you can go over to
your normal space. I'll just I'll turn around. She handed
Marigold the test and spun around on her heels so
the other woman wouldn't see how much she'd already started
to blush. Damn, girl, are you that squicked out by
the human body? What Sasha asked, without turning around. Your
face is as red as a damn beat. I'm sorry why,
(18:24):
I don't know. Marigold laughed. You can turn around now,
I'm decent and done. Sasha turned around. Marigold smirked at her.
You know, she said, that instinct to apologize might actually
come in handy around here. I'm sure the sort of
men who jump in on this bullshit will appreciate it.
Sasha recovered her senses and felt a bit of anger
at Marigold's words. I don't appreciate you saying those things.
(18:47):
She said. The men here are good and brave and uh.
Sasha's voice caught it broke just a little. Marigold saw
and heard her doubt. The other woman didn't laugh like
Sasha expected. In fact, her smile fellow a. Marigold looked
at her with something like pity. I know you don't
believe that, she said. Sasha closed her eyes and took
(19:08):
a deep breath in. Then she replied, no men are perfect,
just as no women are perfect. But everyone here in
the Kingdom tries every day to abide by the Lord's will.
That's what elevates us above. Marigold interrupted, does your Lord say,
women don't get last names. We don't use last names
in the Kingdom because they distract us. We can't afford connect.
The men keep their surnames, don't they. That was true.
(19:31):
Sasha hadn't thought about it much, what with everything else
that was going on. But doctor Brandt went by his
last name, didn't he? And Alexander had a surname too.
She's trying to weaken your faith in the kingdom. Don't
give into the doubts of the serpent. It doesn't matter,
Sasha said, and immediately regretted it. Any response would surely
just egg Marigold on and sure enough, Oh it doesn't.
Then why is that the rule? Well, it's obviously because
(19:54):
we need some way to tell families apart from one another.
Marigold smirked. Now, And the only lineage that matter is
the man's, isn't it. Women are just appendages in your
belief system. I am not an appendage, Sasha shouted, surprised
at her own anger. She heard shuffling feet, and a
second later the guard had one hand on the door
and another on his rifle. Ever then, all raight, miss,
(20:15):
he asked, yes, Sasha called back to him over her shoulder.
I'm fine, Sorry, she's just Sasha fixed Marigold with a
withering gaze. She's very frustrating. Marigold smirked at that, then
she held out the test. Sasha hesitated for just a
second before taking the strip from the other woman. Marigold
smiled at that too. You're pregnant, Sasha said, yep. Marigold nodded. Congratulations.
(20:40):
Sasha tried to sound genuine. Marigold's eye roll didn't help that, cause,
oh yeah, the other woman said, this is a real
joyous moment for me. I hope your people let me
live long enough to know whether or not my kid
will deserve a last name. You know, Sasha said, in
growing anger. This place isn't perfect, but if you've got
to know the people here, you'd understand they are the
best people I've ever met. I wish you could have
(21:02):
seen the welcome I received. I've never felt so loved.
Marigold asked, like, all you needed to do was show
up to earn their acceptance. Yes, Sasha admitted, suspicious. Did
they sort of swarm you but in a nice way?
Everyone hugging you and holding you and offering you, say
physical affection? Yes, Marigold nodded, as if she'd just gotten
(21:23):
the answer to a longstanding question. They love bombed you what.
It's a tactic colts use, Marigold explained, you sort of
overwhelmed someone with love and acceptance and camaraderie and all
that It nurtures loyalty and dependence. She shrugged. It's a
smart way to manipulate young people in your position. You've
just fled your home and family for a strange and
dangerous land. You're scared and alone and isolated, and then,
(21:46):
like magic, you've got a family in a support network.
You are so cynical. Sasha had the fight back, the
urge to say damned cynical. This woman was making her
forget herself. She opened her mouth as if to deliver
a tongue lashing, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she
just narrowed her eyes at Marigold and stared for a
few seconds. I'm leaving now, she said, I'm going to
(22:06):
go enjoy the companionship of my new family. You enjoy
this cell. Then Sasha turned on her heels and walked out.
She returned late to the house of Miriam. The other
girls had already finished dinner, Helen had left out Sasha's plate,
(22:27):
a ham sandwich, carrot sticks and apple and a small
block of cheese, and she took it into the common room,
where the other girls were talking and winding down from
their day. Look who finally showed up. May sneered when
she walked in. I guess you're too important to eat
with the rest of us now, I Sasha started to reply.
Then she saw Anne and Susannah huddled in the same
corner where they'd all sat last night. There were tears
(22:48):
in Anne's face, and her eyes looked swollen in red.
She made no noise, but her back and shoulders shook
as she sat there, half shielded from view in Susanna's embrace.
Sasha gave maya withering glare, but turned and moved past
her towards her friends. She heard the other girl scoff
and say something to her coterie of friends. Sasha couldn't
hear what, though, and she didn't much care. She squatted
(23:09):
down next to Anne and put a hand on the
back of her neck. Hey, she said, not sure of
what else to say. Susannah met Sasha's eyes and offered
up a sad smile. Anne continued to sob. For a
few minutes, they just held her. Sasha burned with morbid
curiosity over what exactly had happened. She knew it must
have something to do with Kyle, and had been set
(23:29):
to meet with him today. Had he revealed himself to
be a son of Jacob too. He's dead, Anne whispered
in a cracked, broken voice. I went to meet him
at the Cafe Clement, and there were two martyrs there
waiting for me. They both she stifled a sob. They
both smiled when they told me he'd been killed. They
said I should thank God for the blessing of a
death and battle. I'm so sorry Anne, Sasha said, Susannah
(23:53):
and I are here, though, we'll take care of you.
She hoped that might comfort Anne a little, but the
other girl lost herself in another fit of tears. Sasha's
heart broke for her. The pain over her own comparatively
minor tragedy flowed into the empathy she felt for Anne,
and soon Sasha was crying too. She was sure some
of the other girls were whispering about them. Egged on
by May, she didn't care. After a few more minutes
(24:16):
of tears, Anne managed to clear her throat and speak again.
The man the martyrs I met told me the same thing.
She said. They told me I'd be taken care of,
that they'd find God's choice for me among the martyrs,
and tried to tell them, I don't want anyone else,
not now, I need to mourn, But they said, they said.
Anne's voice caught in her throat, and she fought to
throttle another sob before she continued. He said, the heavenly
(24:39):
Kingdom might not be able to wait for my grief
to pass. What's that supposed to mean, Susannah asked. Sasha
didn't say anything, because the only answer that occurred to
her was surely unhelpful. She had a strong suspicion that
the sons of Jacob had turned their eyes on Anne.
Sasha stared into Marigold's vagina. She'd seen it befo for,
(25:00):
of course, the first time they'd met, but it hadn't
been her focus then, and she'd tried very hard not
to look at it too much now, though the point
was to look. Doctor Brandt had picked her up halfway
through her shift at the hospital to conduct a pap
smere on the captured woman. She'd only had about an
hour to practice. It's a procedure I've done myself a
hundred times, doctor brand had told her, but that was
(25:21):
back in the am Fed. It's a simvil thing for
a man to touch a woman other than his wife.
That's why the Israelites used midwives. That's why we used midwives.
And I think this kind of work might be why
God drew you here. His words made her proud. She
liked doctor Brandt for all his prickliness. She also liked
to learn it and feeling like she had a useful
skill that made her special. So she'd paid close attention
(25:42):
as doctor Brandt had walked her through the procedure. It
had been fun, and the act of learning had distracted
her from her worries about Anne and her own grief
over Alexander. Marigold shuddered as Sasha slid the speculum in
past her labia. You could stand to be a little gentler,
and would it kill you to, I don't know, warm
it up first or something. Doctor Brandt didn't say to
do that. Sasha kept her voice firm. This is for
(26:04):
the baby's good. I'm sorry if it's uncomfortable. This is
my first time. The woman snorted, Oh, well, in that case,
you're doing a great jow, maybe a little less hard,
and mine slopes down. You're going against the grain the grain.
Marigold rolled her eyes in disdain, but didn't dignify Sasha
with a response, you're pushing the wrong way. Sasha readjusted,
(26:25):
and Marigold gave a sigh of relief. That sucks less
at least, thanks. Sasha busied herself with the swabbing and
rubbing that came next. She worked slow, methodical, with as
much care and gentleness as the instruction she'd received from
doctor Brandt would allow. She did her best to focus,
but the other woman kept talking, You don't look old
enough to have graduated high school. I'm gon A guess
(26:45):
they don't train teenagers to do pap smears in the
am fed Marigold added, do they, with surprising earnestness, No,
Sasha grunted, And a guest, doctor what's his name, taught
you then, because why he's too scared of my demon
snatch to come in here and do with the jab'm's self.
Sasha's face reddened. She did not like the words snatch
or Marigold's casual mention of demons, but She kept her
(27:07):
eyes straight and stared into the other woman's vagina. I
have one too. It's not that big a deal, she
told herself. It's impressive you were able to learn that.
I'm serious. Real props, lady, you're the only woman I've
seen do a damn thing around here. How do you
trick them into treating you sort of like a person?
Sasha's ire Rose and Rose Lord, Calm my heart, she prayed.
I know she's just trying to set me off. It's
(27:29):
just desperation, she told herself. How long do you think
they'll let you keep playing like you've got a real life.
I'm gonna guess it won't be too long before somebody
puts a baby in you. You know that'll be the
end of all this, right, like your life, using your
brain all that, you're going to be a broodmare before
to stop. Sasha didn't yell, but she used her firmest voice,
and she was quite loud about it, despite herself. She
(27:50):
looked up from her work and at Marigold's face. The
other woman didn't look surprised or chagrinned. One edge of
her lips curled up into a wry grin. Her eyes twinkled.
Sasha had never actually seen someone's eyes twinkle before. There
we go. I wondered where the edge was the edge
of what Sasha asked, without thinking, idiot, this is exactly
what she wants you to do, the edge of your patients,
(28:13):
the point where meekness ends. I was worried they've beating
it out of you. No one beat me, Sasha insisted,
And there's nothing wrong with being meek. The Lord asks
us to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness,
and patience. Maybe you wouldn't be in a cell if
you'd accepted that for yourself. I'm in a cell because
I came here to trade. We weren't waging any kind
of war. We weren't harming anyone. We wanted freaking cheetos
(28:36):
in exchange for our latest coffee crop. Your people killed
the old government and captured us. Sasha closed her eyes,
breathed in and out, and tried to calm herself. For
some reason, Marigold's words made her feel anxious and angry.
She wanted to say the anger was towards the other woman,
but that wasn't quite right. Marigold had been sarcastic and caddy,
but she had also been complimentary, thoughtful, and far from cruel.
(28:59):
I'm sure you'll be sent back to your people soon.
The heavenly Kingdom doesn't want any kind of fight with
with your city yet. Sasha finished her work. She withdrew
the speculum and started gathering up her kit. I do
hope you're not laboring under the impression that this war
will ever end, Marigold said, because it won't, not while
your kingdom exists. You're wrong. Will take Austin soon and
(29:21):
then there will be peace. And what about San Antonio?
Sasha shrugged, heathen nation, But they haven't launched any strikes
against us. If they'll let us be, will let them
be remain and expand? Marigold quoted one of the slogans
Pastor Mike had coined during the early days of the kingdom.
The other woman had a surprisingly deep understanding of their movement.
Marigold continued, The Kingdom of God will remain and expand
(29:45):
until it reunites this broken land from sea to shining sea.
That's your profit, right, You're mighty, Pastor sure, sounds like
a recipe for eternal war. Mexico, the Navajo, the California
Republic and the King of goddamn Albuquerque don't seem likely
to sign up for a theocracy, and those are just
the big powers in the Southwest. Pastor Mike would have
had an answer to that, of course. He'd said that
(30:06):
as the Heavenly Kingdom grew, it would draw in millions
from around the world and become a shining beacon to
the fallen peoples of the world. Fighting would be replaced
by peaceful annexation. She'd believed that once before she'd left
the American Federation. It had seemed sensible. With Alexander's romantic
words in her ear and the fiery prose from Revelator
in her mind, how could she not believe? But now
(30:28):
she'd spent time in the reality of the Heavenly Kingdom.
She'd met beautiful people and seeing wondrous things, but she'd
also helped treat a seemingly endless train of broken men
whose bodies had been shattered by war. She'd watched a
dozen people be executed by hanging. Sasha was anxious, and
Marigold must have picked up on it. The other woman's
eyes changed. There was something almost predatory in them. She
(30:50):
leaned forward I know I'm hitting nerves, Sasha. That's because
you're too smart for this ship. You got suckered into
a fucking nightmare. It's time to wake up. Sasha kept
Marigold's words in her mind. She headed back to the hospital.
A fresh wave of wounded men had been sent over
from the Lake Houston Front, and she wound up working
three hours later than normal just to help handle the load.
(31:12):
It was a whirlwind of bloody bandages, screaming martyrs, and
irate exhausted doctors trying to do too much with far
too little. By the time she got off shift, it
was dark outside and downtown was almost deserted. Her driver
dropped her off in a weird spot at the other
end of Main Street. It was a good two blocks
away from the normal location, but she chalked that up
to the fact that this wasn't her normal driver. She
(31:35):
didn't really mind the extra walk. In fact, after a
long day under the hospital's fluorescent lights, a dark walk
and some fresh air seemed relaxing, So she strolled, and
she tried to forget the faces of the men she'd
seen that day. For a few blissful minutes. Marigold's words
fled from her head, and she lost herself and the
peace that came at the end of a good day's labor.
The streets of the heavenly Kingdom felt safe. She'd done
(31:56):
meaningful work. The Lord must be hey, hey, no, please?
Is I really don't want to? Sasha heard a familiar
female voice cry out in distress. A man yelled something,
but she couldn't tell what. The woman let out a
brief scream that was muffled by something. Her voice sounded familiar,
Very familiar was that an Sasha rounded a corner and
saw them. It was Anne, all right. The girl had
(32:18):
a bag over her head, but Sasha clearly recognized her friend.
Two men in black uniforms held her by either arm
and forced her to walk forward with them. Two other
men walked beside them. They all wore red berets. The
man who seemed to be their leader locked eyes with her.
It was Alexander, Sasha, He said, in a clipped tone,
you're out late. She stopped, stared, and continued to thrash
(32:41):
between the men. Her cries were muffled by the bag,
but far from an audible She seemed terrified. You you
all need to let her go. Sasha insisted she belongs
at the house of Miriam. Alexander laughed, where do you
think we gotta from, silly girl. Two of the other
men laughed at that. They seemed nervous, though she see
both hunger and a strange sort of anxiety in their eyes.
(33:03):
Alexander was all hunger. Alexander, please, please, what he asked,
with a wry smirk, Deny this girl the bliss of
servant God? Why would you want that for her? Do
you even believe anymore? Sasha, his lips, the lips she
dreamed about for months, the lips she'd watched say such
lovely things to her. Curled up in disgust. Look at you.
(33:25):
You're wearing surgical scrubs. You look like a man. You've
lost your proper place in the world. It disgusts me
that they let you do that work. Have you forgotten
what God himself calls on you to be Titus two five, Sasha,
Our Lord wants you to be discreet, chaste, homemaker's good,
obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God
(33:45):
may not be blasphemed. Remember that, Sasha, none of you
are her husband. Alexander laughed, that's not true at all.
He put a hand on the shoulder of one of
the men restraining, and Tamashia married her. Today. We're just
helping the happy couple to their marital bed. Then why
is there a bag over her head? Why is she fighting?
(34:06):
Because it was a rather abrupt marriage, Alexander frowned, and
her mind is still polluted with ungodly ideas about how
a marriage should look. Thomas chose her. The spirit of
the Lord spoke to him when he saw her from afar.
It is right and good that they should be wed.
And he moves up to the front tomorrow Tonight will
be his first and maybe a last chance to help
(34:28):
the kingdom remain and expand. He held out a seal,
a golden badge in the shape of a shield with
a heavenly cross and blazoned on the front. This comes
from the pasta I have the authority to grant marriages
to any worthy men who wish them. He smiled again.
Sasha's heart fluttered. She felt nausea rise up inside her.
(34:48):
So back away. Let us pass, and I'd suggest you
dedicate some more time to thinking about why God brought
you here. When your time comes, I think You'd prefer
doing this without the bag, but I'm fine other way. Really,
it was past dinner and passed bedtime when she entered
the house of Miriam. Helen was seated at her desk.
(35:09):
She looked up as Sasha entered, and in an instant
Sasha knew there was no use in reporting what had
happened to Anne. Helen's eyes were bloodshot and puffy with tears.
She knew, Sasha, the older woman said, I have some
bad news. I saw them, Sasha said, is that what's
going to happen to all of us? Is this place
just a bolding area until we get married off? This
(35:31):
place is your home, Helen said, in a voice that
was almost pleading. It's here, and I'm here to shepherd
you to the next phase of your life. Don't you
believe I want the best for you? I do, Sasha said,
her voice softened. But Anne didn't want this, she told
me so. Didn't she deserve time to grieve? She did,
Helen said, But the Lord demands sacrifices from all of us,
(35:54):
sometimes more sacrifices than seemed fair. Anne is in a
dark place now, but the or it will send his
light to guide her Helen seemed to straighten up as
she spoke. Sasha saw resolve settle into the older woman's
flint gray eyes. So may it be, she said, May
the peace of the Lord be with you. Sasha started
to walk off. She didn't trust herself to stay and talk.
(36:17):
She was sure more of her anger would bleed out
into the conversation, and she wasn't sure what Helen would
do if she got the impression that Sasha's loyalty had
started to waver. Sasha dear, she said, and Sasha looked back.
You forgot your dinner. It's in a bag on the table.
Sasha took it and Aiden's silence as fast as decorum
would allow. Then she cleaned up for bed and headed
(36:38):
back into the dormitories. As soon as she saw the
light glinting off of Susanna's open eyes, she knew the
other girl was awake. Sasha knelt down at her bed
and the two shared a long look. Susannah held out
her hand and Sasha took it. What happened, she asked,
They let us out early and drop us off down town.
Susanna's eyes were wet with tears, and and I had
(37:00):
a coffee and we visited the market. It was nice, normal,
almost We headed for the House of Miriam once it
started to get dark, and she gulped. They were just
there waiting with Miss Helen. Susannah swallowed loudly and her
eyes grew watery, but she didn't cry. Sasha was proud
of her friend. That was them, wasn't it. Susannah asked.
(37:22):
Those men were the sons of Jacob. Sasha just nodded.
How long until they take me too? Hey, I'm Robert Evans.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope you enjoyed
the chapters to come. You can find the free e
pub of every chapter and eventually the whole book at
a t r book dot com, complete with illustrations. If
(37:44):
you want to support me in writing the sequel, you
can crowdfund me at After the Revolution the Sequel at
go fund me. Just type and go fund me after
the Revolution the Sequel Um. I'd like my books to
always be free, so I'm just going to try to
crowdfund the next one and see how that works. So
After Revolution the Sequel on go fund Me. You can
also find the community of fans of this book online
(38:06):
at our slash after the Revolution on Reddit, So after
the Revolution, the sequel on go fund me, and our
slash after the Revolution on Reddit. A t r book
dot Com for the whole book. Thanks
Host
Robert Evans
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