you?’
Miriam’s smile returned as if a switch had been flipped. ‘He’s going to lead us to the new Jerusalem! God’s dwelling place will come down out of heaven to the earth, and He will live amongst us and wipe away all the tears from our eyes.’
‘And there’ll be no more pain or sorrow, right?’ Nina recognised her words as part of Revelation, which she had read several times the previous night.
‘That’s right!’
‘And how exactly is he going to do this?’
‘I don’t know. But I trust him,’ she quickly added. ‘Everything the Prophet says makes sense. Revelation will come to pass, and God’s kingdom on earth will begin.’
‘So you think your Prophet’s a good man?’
‘Of course he is!’
Nina’s expression hardened. ‘Good men don’t kidnap pregnant women, Miriam. And they don’t torture people to force them to cooperate.’
She shook her head. ‘He wouldn’t do that.’
‘He has done that! He made me watch my husband being electrocuted with a cattle prod!’ Seeing the other woman’s dismay, she pressed on: ‘He’s no prophet; he’s an ex-CIA agent who went nuts. Whatever Cross really wants, it’s not peace on earth and everyone singing “Kumbaya”. You’ve got to help me!’
Miriam scowled. Nina realised she’d pushed too hard and put her on the defensive. ‘He’s not nuts,’ she protested. ‘You’ll see. When the angels are all released and the seventh trumpet blows, you’ll see!’
‘What will I see?’
‘The truth,’ said a new voice. They had almost reached the church, and Nina looked up to see Cross at the top of the steps. ‘God’s truth will be revealed.’ His eyes flicked towards the papers Nina was holding. ‘Soon, I hope. Very soon.’
Miriam curtseyed. ‘Prophet, I’ve brought her, like you asked.’
‘Thank you, Miriam. You can go back to your studies now.’
She nodded, giving the archaeologist an uncertain look before departing. Nina glowered at her host. ‘Hope you’re not expecting me to curtsey.’
‘Come inside, Dr Wilde,’ he said. ‘I hope we’ve got a lot to talk about.’
Nina followed Cross into the church. With him was a large young man she didn’t recognise, hard-faced and with a distinctly military-style moustache. ‘Replacement bodyguard?’ she asked. ‘What happened to the charmers who brought me here?’
‘The Witnesses are preparing for a mission,’ Cross replied. ‘They flew out last night; I want them ready to move as soon as you find the location of the first angel.’
‘They’re the two witnesses?’ Nina asked, picking up on another Revelation reference.
‘Yes.’
‘That explains the outfits, then.’
Cross nodded. ‘Chapter eleven, verse three – “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”’
‘Must be itchy for them. Especially in this heat.’ Even early in the day, the temperature was already well over seventy degrees Fahrenheit.
‘They can endure it. They’ll endure anything to get the job done.’
They went through to the control room. It had acquired a table and chairs since her previous visit. Cross’s imposing high-tech throne was at its head; he took his seat and gestured for Nina to join him. She sat at the opposite end, making a point of sliding her chair as far away from him as possible. The other man took up a somewhat intimidating position close behind her. ‘Now,’ said Cross, ‘the Synagogue of Satan, the Throne of Satan and the Place in the Wilderness. Do you know where they are?’
‘Not yet,’ she lied. ‘I might have some ideas – but I’m not doing anything until I see that Eddie’s okay.’
The cult leader let out an irritated breath. ‘All right. You can see him.’ His hand went to one of the touch screens.
‘And talk to him.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘Don’t push me, Dr Wilde. My patience isn’t infinite.’
‘Mine’s hanging by a frickin’
Miriam’s smile returned as if a switch had been flipped. ‘He’s going to lead us to the new Jerusalem! God’s dwelling place will come down out of heaven to the earth, and He will live amongst us and wipe away all the tears from our eyes.’
‘And there’ll be no more pain or sorrow, right?’ Nina recognised her words as part of Revelation, which she had read several times the previous night.
‘That’s right!’
‘And how exactly is he going to do this?’
‘I don’t know. But I trust him,’ she quickly added. ‘Everything the Prophet says makes sense. Revelation will come to pass, and God’s kingdom on earth will begin.’
‘So you think your Prophet’s a good man?’
‘Of course he is!’
Nina’s expression hardened. ‘Good men don’t kidnap pregnant women, Miriam. And they don’t torture people to force them to cooperate.’
She shook her head. ‘He wouldn’t do that.’
‘He has done that! He made me watch my husband being electrocuted with a cattle prod!’ Seeing the other woman’s dismay, she pressed on: ‘He’s no prophet; he’s an ex-CIA agent who went nuts. Whatever Cross really wants, it’s not peace on earth and everyone singing “Kumbaya”. You’ve got to help me!’
Miriam scowled. Nina realised she’d pushed too hard and put her on the defensive. ‘He’s not nuts,’ she protested. ‘You’ll see. When the angels are all released and the seventh trumpet blows, you’ll see!’
‘What will I see?’
‘The truth,’ said a new voice. They had almost reached the church, and Nina looked up to see Cross at the top of the steps. ‘God’s truth will be revealed.’ His eyes flicked towards the papers Nina was holding. ‘Soon, I hope. Very soon.’
Miriam curtseyed. ‘Prophet, I’ve brought her, like you asked.’
‘Thank you, Miriam. You can go back to your studies now.’
She nodded, giving the archaeologist an uncertain look before departing. Nina glowered at her host. ‘Hope you’re not expecting me to curtsey.’
‘Come inside, Dr Wilde,’ he said. ‘I hope we’ve got a lot to talk about.’
Nina followed Cross into the church. With him was a large young man she didn’t recognise, hard-faced and with a distinctly military-style moustache. ‘Replacement bodyguard?’ she asked. ‘What happened to the charmers who brought me here?’
‘The Witnesses are preparing for a mission,’ Cross replied. ‘They flew out last night; I want them ready to move as soon as you find the location of the first angel.’
‘They’re the two witnesses?’ Nina asked, picking up on another Revelation reference.
‘Yes.’
‘That explains the outfits, then.’
Cross nodded. ‘Chapter eleven, verse three – “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”’
‘Must be itchy for them. Especially in this heat.’ Even early in the day, the temperature was already well over seventy degrees Fahrenheit.
‘They can endure it. They’ll endure anything to get the job done.’
They went through to the control room. It had acquired a table and chairs since her previous visit. Cross’s imposing high-tech throne was at its head; he took his seat and gestured for Nina to join him. She sat at the opposite end, making a point of sliding her chair as far away from him as possible. The other man took up a somewhat intimidating position close behind her. ‘Now,’ said Cross, ‘the Synagogue of Satan, the Throne of Satan and the Place in the Wilderness. Do you know where they are?’
‘Not yet,’ she lied. ‘I might have some ideas – but I’m not doing anything until I see that Eddie’s okay.’
The cult leader let out an irritated breath. ‘All right. You can see him.’ His hand went to one of the touch screens.
‘And talk to him.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘Don’t push me, Dr Wilde. My patience isn’t infinite.’
‘Mine’s hanging by a frickin’
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