Gather Darkness by Fritz Leiber

Author:Fritz Leiber [Leiber, Fritz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0-7592-0020-3
Publisher: ereads.com

| Go to Table of Contents |

Chapter 12

It had been market day in Megatheopolis, and usually on market day the Great Square did not empty until almost curfew. But now the commoners were packing up and hurrying home before sunset. Business had gone halfheartedly. Thought of the coming night had taken the zest out of trading.

There had been an invisible merchant moving among them, who gave away his wares free. His name was Terror.

Who dared go home by twilight and risk meeting one of those great, gray, red-eyed beasts which last night had prowled and snuffed through all the alleyways? Or chance having his way home cut off by such a creeping darkness as had driven a patrol of deacons to seek refuge in the dwelling of a commoner? Umder Chohn the Smith, at whose home it had happened, said the deacons had been more frightened than himself.

Everyone had some horror or wonder to tell and whispers had passed more swiftly than trade goods. Several swore they had seen angels—"great winged ones with glowing faces"—indicating that the Great God was at last taking some interest in the trials and tribulations of his creatures. But this reassurance was more than counterbalanced by a set of ugly and disturbing rumors which hinted that the priests themselves were not immune to the general terror.

These latter rumors penetrated everywhere, though whispered with sidewise glances to make sure no priest or deacon was in earshot. How a priest had fled screaming from a service in one of the lesser chapels because something invisible had clutched his throat as he preached. How a group of commoners, returning at night from their work in the fields, had been deserted by the priest who was supposed to escort them and protect them from the forces of evil. How a child had died of the Choking Sickness before dawn, because no Third Circle priest would come from the Sanctuary.

There were other indications that the Hierarchy itself was afraid. For two days now bands of rural priests had been trickling into Megatheopolis. Some said they were come for a religious festival. But others maintained in guarded whispers that they were seeking the protection afforded by the Grand Sanctuary. This was confirmed by the farmers who came to market. The farmers asserted—they were a little more outspoken than townsfolk—that many of the rural sanctuaries were deserted and that work in the fields was coming to a standstill.

Traders come by muleback or cart from the nearer cities said that the minions of Sathanas were at work in those cities, too. They were not a little disconcerted to find Megatheopolis similarly besieged.

Sathanas laughed. Earth shook. And the Great God took no heed.

So it came that an argument circulated with the tales of priestly cowardice.

It ran this way: "Why don't the priests protect us? We have confessed our sins twice over. We have reformed. We have been good. Then why don't they protect us from further terror? They tell us it's a test, but surely the test has lasted long enough.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.