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showing them what fools they really are.
Only the occasional call carried the tone of this one from a woman in Florida:
 Why didn't somebody tell me about this before? I've been reading Revelation
since the minute this magazine hit my doorstep, and I'm scared to death. What
am I supposed to do now?
Buck hoped she would read deep enough into the article to discover what a
converted Jew from Norway said was the only protection from the coming
earthquake:  No one should assume there will be shelter. If you believe, as I
do, that
Jesus Christ is the only hope for salvation, you should repent of your sins
and receive him before the threat of death visits you.
Buck's personal phone buzzed. It was Verna.
 Buck, I'm keeping your secret, so I hope you're keeping your end of the
bargain.
 I am. What's got you so agitated this morning?
 Your cover story, of course. I knew it was coming, but I didn't expect it to
be so overt. Do you think you've hidden behind your objectivity? Don't you
think this exposes you as a proponent?
 I don't know. I hope not. Even if Carpathia didn't own this magazine, I would
want to come across as objective.
 You're deluding yourself.
Buck scrambled mentally for an answer. In one way, he appreciated the warning.
In another, this was old news. Maybe Verna was just trying to find some point
of contact, some reason to start a dialogue again.  Verna, I urge you to keep
thinking about what you heard from Loretta, Chloe, and Amanda.
 And from you. Don't leave yourself out. Her tone was mocking and sarcastic.
 I mean it, Verna. If you ever want to talk about this stuff, you can come to
me.
 With what your religion says about homosexuals, are you kidding?
 My Bible doesn't differentiate between homosexuals and heterosexuals, Buck
said.  It may call practicing homosexuals sinners, but it also calls
heterosexual sex outside of marriage sinful.
 Semantics, Buck. Semantics.
 Just remember what I said, Verna. I don't want our personality conflict to
get in the way of what's real and true. You were right when you said the
outbreak of the war made our skirmishes petty. I'm willing to put those behind
us.
She was silent for a moment. Then she sounded almost impressed.  Well, thank
you, Buck. I'll keep that in mind.
By late morning Chicago time it was early evening in Iraq. Rayford and
McCullum were flying Carpathia, Fortunato, and Dr. Kline to Rome to pick up
One World
Faith supreme pontiff Peter Mathews. Rayford knew Carpathia wanted to pave the
way for the apostate union of religions to move to New Babylon, but he wasn't
sure how Dr. Kline fit into this meeting. By listening in on his bugging
device, he soon found out.
As was his usual custom, Rayford took off, quickly reached cruising altitude,
put the plane on autopilot, and turned over control to Mac McCullum.  I feel
like I've been on a plane all day, he said, leaning back in his seat, pulling
the bill of his cap down over his eyes, applying his headphones, and appearing
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to drift off to sleep. In the approximately two hours it took to fly from New
Babylon to Rome, Rayford would get a lesson in new-world-order international
diplomacy. But before they got down to business, Carpathia checked with
Fortunato on the flight plans of Hattie
Durham.
Fortunato told him,  She is on some kind of a multi-leg journey that has a
long layover in Milwaukee, then heads for Boston. She'll fly nonstop from
Boston to
Baghdad. She'll lose several hours coming this way, but I think we can expect
her tomorrow morning.
Carpathia sounded peeved.  How long before we get the international terminal
finished in New Babylon? I am tired of everything having to come through
Baghdad.
 They're telling us a couple of months now.
 And these are the same building engineers who tell us everything else in New
Babylon is state of the art?
 Yes, sir. Have you noticed problems?
 No, but it almost makes me wish this 'wrath of the Lamb' business was more
than a myth. I would like to put the true test to their earthquake-proof
claims.
 I saw that piece today, Dr. Kline said.  Interesting bit of fiction. That
Williams
can make an interesting story out of anything, can't he?
 Yes, Carpathia said solemnly.  I suspect he has made an interesting story of
his own background.
 I don't follow.
 I do not follow either, Carpathia said.  Our intelligence forces link him to
the disappearance of Rabbi Ben-Judah.
Rayford straightened and listened more closely. He didn't want McCullum to
realize he was listening on a different frequency, but neither did he want to
miss anything.
 We are learning more and more about our brilliant young journalist,
Carpathia said.  He has never been forthcoming about his ties to my own pilot,
but then neither has Captain Steele. I still do not mind having them around.
They may think they are in strategy proximity to me, but I am also able to
learn much about the opposition through them.
So there it is, Rayford thought. The gauntlet is down.
 Leon, what is the latest on those two crazy men in Jerusalem?
Fortunato sounded disgusted.  They've got the whole nation of Israel up in
arms again, he said.  You know it hasn't rained there since they began all
that preaching.
And that trick they pulled on the water supply turning it to blood during the
temple ceremonies, they're doing that again.
 What has set them off this time?
 I think you know.
 I have asked you not to be circumspect with me, Leon. When I ask you a
question, I expect 
 Forgive me, Potentate. They have been carrying on about the arrest and
torture of people associated with Dr. Ben-Judah. They are saying that until
those suspects have been released and the search has been called off, all
water supplies will be polluted by blood.
 How do they do that?
 No one knows, but it's very real, isn't it Dr. Kline?
 Oh yes, he said.  I have been sent samples. There is a high water content,
but it is mostly blood.
 Human blood?
 It has all the characteristics of human blood, although the type is difficult
to determine. It borders on some cross between human and animal blood.
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 How is morale in Israel? Carpathia asked.
 The people are angry with the two preachers. They want to kill them.
 That is not all bad, Carpathia said.  Can we not get that done?
 No one dares. The death count on those who've made attacks on them is over a
dozen by now. You learn your lesson after a while.
 We are going to find a way, Carpathia said.  Meanwhile, let the suspects go.
Ben-
Judah cannot get far. Anyway, without being able to show his face in public,
he cannot do us much harm. If those two rascals do not immediately purify the
water supply, we will see how they stand up to an atomic blast.
 You're not serious, are you? Dr. Kline said.
 Why would I not be?
 You would drop an atomic bomb on a sacred site in the Holy City? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]