They
regularly played golf together. Pastor Hendrix had never been anything but kind
to Kim when their paths crossed, but she’d long heard the rumors of his
ferocious temper. And it only took one look at the meek woman he called his
wife to know that temper mostly showed itself in their home. The gossip around
town was particularly vicious when Mrs. Hendrix wore her sunglasses in the
middle of winter or a scarf in the middle of summer.
Now, as he stood red-faced in front of Kim’s desk, she
felt the anger radiating off him in waves, and pitied his wife dearly.
“Are you aware, Ms. James, that those damn gypsies are
planning to open a damn brothel in
our town?” he hissed, barely keeping his rage in check as his hands closed into
fists on the countertop. Kim swallowed hard but managed to maintain eye
contact.
“Pastor Hendrix,” she said as calmly as she could. “We
are aware that a business proposal for a gentleman’s club has been submitted by
our new residents. But it won’t be a brothel, and it won’t actually be in town
limits. If you want to take issue, there will be a discussion at the next town
meeting, and you can propose to deny the application…”
He slammed his fist hard against the counter. Hard
enough to spill the cup of pens and pencils onto Kim’s desk below.
“This is absurd! How can anyone even entertain the notion
that such an establishment belongs in Kingdom? Why, those criminals should be exiled! They will do nothing but bring crime,
and immoral activity! They’re thieves and con artists…and murderers!”
His eyes narrowed as he spat out the last word. Kim
sighed and wished Mayor Gunderson would pick this moment to return from his
lunch break. She was the only one in the office, and Hendrix was starting to
look more like a rabid animal than a man of God. By the way the vein on his
forehead throbbed, he looked like he was either going to jump across the desk
and throttle her or have a heart attack. Secretly, Kim wished for the latter.
“They’re not murderers,” she said quietly, knowing
that wasn’t the most tactful way of handling the situation but feeling oddly
protective all the same. Pastor Hendrix’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as
his jaw worked in small circles.
“You know nothing,” he said, his voice low and
shiver-inducing. “Violence begets violence. Thirty years ago, one of them killed one of us. ‘ Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old
he will not depart from it.’ Proverbs!”
“’The righteousness of the righteous will be upon
himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.’ Ezekial.”
The voice surprised both Kim and Pastor Hendrix, who
whipped around to take on the new challenger. To Kim’s delight, it was Ed
Kerry. Ed had no small beef with Pastor Hendrix, who made it clear what he
thought of Ed’s “lifestyle choices.”
“Surprised one of us residents of Sodom can quote the
bible? They teach the scripture in Catholic Church too, you know,” Ed said,
shouldering his way past the Pastor to the counter. Pastor Hendrix looked like
he wanted to throw holy water on him.
“Not enough of it, apparently,” Pastor Hendrix hissed.
“Leave it to a sinner to defend sinners.”
“Blow it out your ass, Jimi,” Ed sneered, using his
favorite taunt. The Pastor was sensitive to the counterculture icon that shared
his last name; he considered it some sort of modern-day cross to bear. Kim bit
back a laugh as his eyes widened further, but when he turned back to her, her
blood ran cold. Pure, unadulterated violence lingered behind those eyes.
“They’ll get what’s coming to them. You all will. All
you who defend them,” he said. “Just like she did. She lay with one of them,
out of wedlock, and look at her fate.
Any of you who support their immoral, criminal activity will meet a similar
end, one way or another.”
Kim’s
regularly played golf together. Pastor Hendrix had never been anything but kind
to Kim when their paths crossed, but she’d long heard the rumors of his
ferocious temper. And it only took one look at the meek woman he called his
wife to know that temper mostly showed itself in their home. The gossip around
town was particularly vicious when Mrs. Hendrix wore her sunglasses in the
middle of winter or a scarf in the middle of summer.
Now, as he stood red-faced in front of Kim’s desk, she
felt the anger radiating off him in waves, and pitied his wife dearly.
“Are you aware, Ms. James, that those damn gypsies are
planning to open a damn brothel in
our town?” he hissed, barely keeping his rage in check as his hands closed into
fists on the countertop. Kim swallowed hard but managed to maintain eye
contact.
“Pastor Hendrix,” she said as calmly as she could. “We
are aware that a business proposal for a gentleman’s club has been submitted by
our new residents. But it won’t be a brothel, and it won’t actually be in town
limits. If you want to take issue, there will be a discussion at the next town
meeting, and you can propose to deny the application…”
He slammed his fist hard against the counter. Hard
enough to spill the cup of pens and pencils onto Kim’s desk below.
“This is absurd! How can anyone even entertain the notion
that such an establishment belongs in Kingdom? Why, those criminals should be exiled! They will do nothing but bring crime,
and immoral activity! They’re thieves and con artists…and murderers!”
His eyes narrowed as he spat out the last word. Kim
sighed and wished Mayor Gunderson would pick this moment to return from his
lunch break. She was the only one in the office, and Hendrix was starting to
look more like a rabid animal than a man of God. By the way the vein on his
forehead throbbed, he looked like he was either going to jump across the desk
and throttle her or have a heart attack. Secretly, Kim wished for the latter.
“They’re not murderers,” she said quietly, knowing
that wasn’t the most tactful way of handling the situation but feeling oddly
protective all the same. Pastor Hendrix’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as
his jaw worked in small circles.
“You know nothing,” he said, his voice low and
shiver-inducing. “Violence begets violence. Thirty years ago, one of them killed one of us. ‘ Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old
he will not depart from it.’ Proverbs!”
“’The righteousness of the righteous will be upon
himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.’ Ezekial.”
The voice surprised both Kim and Pastor Hendrix, who
whipped around to take on the new challenger. To Kim’s delight, it was Ed
Kerry. Ed had no small beef with Pastor Hendrix, who made it clear what he
thought of Ed’s “lifestyle choices.”
“Surprised one of us residents of Sodom can quote the
bible? They teach the scripture in Catholic Church too, you know,” Ed said,
shouldering his way past the Pastor to the counter. Pastor Hendrix looked like
he wanted to throw holy water on him.
“Not enough of it, apparently,” Pastor Hendrix hissed.
“Leave it to a sinner to defend sinners.”
“Blow it out your ass, Jimi,” Ed sneered, using his
favorite taunt. The Pastor was sensitive to the counterculture icon that shared
his last name; he considered it some sort of modern-day cross to bear. Kim bit
back a laugh as his eyes widened further, but when he turned back to her, her
blood ran cold. Pure, unadulterated violence lingered behind those eyes.
“They’ll get what’s coming to them. You all will. All
you who defend them,” he said. “Just like she did. She lay with one of them,
out of wedlock, and look at her fate.
Any of you who support their immoral, criminal activity will meet a similar
end, one way or another.”
Kim’s
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