Vexed To Nightmare by a Rocking Cradle by Dan Simmons

Author:Dan Simmons [Simmons, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-01-24T00:00:00+00:00

The room was very large, the walls were coated with soot from cooking fires, and the rotted carpets had been covered with rush mats. The seventeen members of the Red Bantam Clan gathered around the Holy Tube and the small aluminum Christmas tree near the hearth. Candles glowed. A child's paper star decorated the top of the tree. Brother looked at the small scattering of crudely wrapped presents under the tree and closed his eyes.

Old McCarty cleared her throat. The tiny bantam tattoo on her forehead glowed redly in the candlelight. "Beloved Clan," she said, "it is our custom to give thanks to God on this most sacred of nights, and then to open the presents that Santa has brought. But this year our Brother from the Dothan True Church has arrived..." She paused, swal-lowed as if tasting something bitter, and finished. "Who will now tell us of tomorrow's celebration and read from the Word of God."

Brother Jimmy-Joe Billy-Bob moved into the open area in front of the tree and set his HK 91 against the ta-ble, within easy reach. He took his worn CSN Bible from his pack and set it on top of the Holy Tube. "Brothers and Sisters in Christ," he said. "Tomorrow morning, when the sun rises and the Way is purified, the Holy Beamer will cast its light into darkness, and once again you will hear the Word and become part of the True Church of Jesus Christ Assuaged. My trip here has not been an easy one. The Enemy was active. Five of my Brothers in Christ died so that I might arrive here." Brother stopped and looked at the faces in front of him. Old McCarty was frowning, the men were staring with interest or indifference, and many of the women and children were looking at him with an awe bordering on reverence.

"The time of Tribulations has come upon us and been long and heavy," Brother said at last. "But from this cho-sen place, the True Word—as spoken by Our Savior through the Eight Evangelists—will be heard again and will spread throughout the land." He paused again and looked at the faces lit by candlelight. Some of the chil-dren's gazes were drifting to the presents.

"Listen to what is written," Brother said and opened the Bible. "Revelation 13: 16, 17—'And he causes all, small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a MARK in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save that he has the MARK, or the name of the beast, or the numbers of a man: and his number is six hundred, threescore and six.' "

There was a slight stirring in the crowd. Brother turned the page and read aloud again without once glancing down at the text. " 'Revelation 14:9-11,' " he said. " 'If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink the

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