“Mr. Ruppert, Pastor John will see you now,” the woman at the desk said. She stood, checked her face in three angled mirrors mounted on her desk, then whipped her head to toss a heap of blond locks behind her shoulder.
She finally looked up at him. “You’re the guy from the news?”
“I am.”
She escorted him towards a recessed panel in the wall, which slid aside to reveal a long, narrow, mirror-lined hallway. They approached the double doors at the far end.
“What’s it like to be on GlobeNet?” she asked.
“Making the show is pretty much the same as watching it.”
“I’ve always wanted to be big onscreen.”
“Maybe you can have my job.”
She frowned at this. They reached the double doors, which folded inward to reveal Pastor John’s enormous office. The walls were all screens, depicting a lush rainforest.
The young woman stepped immediately to one side and curtsied towards Pastor John, who occupied a broad, hand-carved desk that looked as if it had been lifted from a medieval cathedral, dark wood engraved with hard-faced angels and leering gargoyles.
“Mr. Ruppert to see you, sir,” the woman said.
“Thank you, Alexa. Bring us a pot of tea and you can go home for the night.” Pastor John rose from his chair and shook Ruppert’s hand. “Good evening, Daniel. I hope you don’t mind sparing me a few minutes this evening.”
“Not at all, sir.” Ruppert was trembling. He’d never been so close to the man before, had really only seen him as a small figure in the distance and a gigantic face overhead. In person, Pastor John moved like an electric eel, fluid and effortless, the whole room thrumming with his energy. He did not make a sound as he returned to his high-backed chair.
“You may sit,” Pastor John said, and Ruppert took one of the row of hard wooden chairs facing the desk.
“Now,” Pastor John said. “I understand that you’re facing some difficulties.”
“I don’t think I’m any worse than anyone else, sir. Liam O’Shea is ambitious. He just wants to prove himself.”
“We are not going to bother discussing this Liam character’s concerns.” Pastor John’s halogen-blue eyes were magnetic, commanding Ruppert’s attention. “He’s been a member of this church for some time, and he is an employee in my Social Services division. I know as much as I require about him. What we are discussing today is your situation with Terror. Thank you, Alexa.”
The attractive receptionist leaned close to Pastor John, letting her breast brush his shoulder as she poured two cups of strong green tea. She set one in front of Ruppert, but he did not feel inclined to drink.
Pastor John remained silent until the receptionist had left and the door closed behind her. He took a painfully long time to lift his tea, wave the cup under his nose, sample a taste, nod his head, set it back on the desk. Then he looked at Ruppert, letting his eyes bore into Ruppert’s skull, as if perfectly aware of the unsettling effect he was inflicting.
“Now,” the Pastor said. “You have been chosen for a valuable assignment. You will serve your country and Our King in Heaven by carrying this out.”
“I’ll do my best, sir.”
“I am certain that you will.” Pastor John stared at him for another long moment. “However, in times of tribulation, it is often the case that we are tempted. The devil is everywhere, Daniel Ruppert, and he wears a multitude of forms. He can tempt you, he can lure you, he can whisper poison in your ears as you sleep. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want to talk to you about the devil within, Daniel.” Pastor John tapped the side of his own head. “The devil that whispers. This devil can deceive you. He can draw great illusions over your eyes. Do you know how he deceives you?”
“With…temptation?”
“No, Daniel. That is a lesser devil, the devil of the belly and the loin. That devil is for simple men. You are not a simple man, Daniel. The devil in your mind, Daniel, deceives you with questions.” Pastor John leaned back from him. “That’s all. That is his most powerful instrument. He pours questions into your mind day by day, asking questions about your God, your faith, your beliefs. He makes faith itself seem weak. He tells you that the truth is a lie, that lies are the truth. When you walk in righteousness, he whispers that perhaps you are deceived, perhaps even this very church works deception against you. In reality, of course, he is the deceiver, and this church is the truth.
“I do not try to deceive anyone, Daniel. I lead them to walk in the only real truth, the only truth that matters, and that is the truth of Our King, for whose coming we must subdue and ready the world. I have tried to keep you on this path, Daniel. I have tried to keep you in the way that leads to salvation. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I pray that your faith is strong enough to guide you through all temptation. You will soon embark into a world of darkness, of lost souls and damnation. You must keep your faith strong within you during this time. You must pray, even if it is not safe to say your prayers aloud. And you must do as you have been told. You must not succumb to the devil within, but stand tall and act for your King. You must not falter. You must not stop to question. You must do the righteous thing.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You are on a road, Daniel. The road will lead you to life. But if you stumble, if you turn, if you walk the opposite way-that road, I promise, leads only to destruction. If you choose the road of destruction, even I cannot help you. Do you understand?”
“I understand, sir.”
“If you have any doubts, now is the time to share them with me. I’m here to counsel you through this and bring you to life everlasting.”
Ruppert thought it over. Of course he didn’t believe a word Pastor John said, and he wasn’t entirely clear how the church was so intertwined with the Department of Terror. He knew he would be of little use to Terror after he carried out their orders, but there were others in his life to think about.
“I’m worried what will happen to Madeline.”
“Madeline?”
“My wife. Once I do what you want, I won’t survive long. I understand that.”
“Nonsense.” A beaming smile broke out on Pastor John’s face. “You will be protected by Our King.”
“Okay,” Ruppert said. “But as you said, I’m going among dark forces, and I could physically suffer or die for it. Of course Terror would never hurt a patriotic citizen like me, but the enemies of the state that I contact might. I accept that. But I have an obligation to take care of Madeline-as the church teaches-and I won’t be able to provide for her if I’m gone.”
“Do you not have a life insurance policy?”
“If the insurance company can declare I died in questionable legal circumstances, they can deny the claim. I want to make sure. Madeline’s never done anything wrong. She lived by your rules. I’ve watched her break herself to pieces to fit into your rules. She hates me, but she’s my responsibility. I need assurance of her security. It will help me do my part.”
Pastor John reached across and squeezed Ruppert’s arm just above the elbow. “You have my promise as the pastor of this church and servant of Our King.”
“I’m going to need something more concrete than that.”
“You want money, then.” Pastor John pulled back, sighing. “That’s what this is about. You feel you should be paid for carrying out your duty to the King.”
“It’s only for my wife’s sake. I don’t think I’ll survive to enjoy it.”
Pastor John regarded him with cold eyes, his fingers steepled in front of his mouth. “How much?” he finally asked.
“Enough to pay off the mortgage and keep her comfortable.”
Pastor John remained silent for another long moment. “It troubles me that you would be so concerned with material issues when performing an act of a spiritual nature.”