Solomon's Porch (35 page)

“Just nuts,” the President added caustically.

“I didn’t say that, sir. There is no doubt that you’ve been through a … ”

“Oh, please. I don’t need a watch to tell me what time it is. The President of the United States has had a prophetic vision and furthermore he fully intends to act upon it.” As he said this the President looked directly at Peter and nodded. “You professionals think that’s crazy, that I’ve had a psychological breakdown or something. Well, you know what, like Grandma used to say, ‘That’s just hard cheese.’”

“Hard cheese, sir?” the physician repeated.

“Tough luck, too bad, or let me put this as indelicately as I can, I don’t really care what you think.”

“Mr. President, I strongly advise you to … ” The doctor was not given the opportunity to finish his sentence.

“Leave me. Your presence here is no longer desired or required.”

“But sir, I … ”

“What part of get out didn’t I make clear? I’m tired of being poked at and fussed over. You work for me, remember? Don’t let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya, and take your friends with you.”

The doctor and his attending staff did as they were told, gathered up their instruments and bags and left. As they did so, the President’s two most senior advisors exchanged worried and disdainful expressions with the Vice President.

“Peter,” the President said. “I need to discuss my vision. As horrible as it was I’m convinced, no, check that, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt God was speaking to me.”

“Yes, Mr. President, He was,” Peter confirmed. “That you realize it and are willing to act upon your belief only confirms my suspicion.”

“Your suspicion, Peter?”

“Yes. My suspicion is that God chose well when he allowed you to become President.”

“Can you believe this s*** ?” the second senior advisor whispered to the Vice President. “This is dangerous, nearly out-of-control. We must do something. Think of the nation. Remember your duty.”

As is common in men who hold the office of Vice President of the United States, the current occupant was a personal and political lightweight. He was easily manipulated, and while he had a degree of loyalty to the President, his fear was far greater than his love or faith. For the master of all demons and his two willing and able servants, the Vice President was the right man in the right place at the right time.

“Peter, I saw civilization destroyed. Armageddon. Nuclear war and its aftermath, it had to be. But it wasn’t just the bombs, Peter, it’s what came after. The disease, the violence. People degenerated quickly into a savage, primitive state. It was as if … ”

“It was as if all of the hard fought victories of the past two thousand years, the progress of mankind since the coming of Christ had been erased … ”

“Yes, Peter, that’s it. We fell back to being animals again. Worse than ever before, nasty, base creatures with no love, no grace … ”

“And no God.”

“Are you reading my mind, Peter?” the President asked in a most respectful manner.

“No sir. God showed me the same vision last July. It’s beyond terrifying, I know. And if what happened to me happened to you … ”

“I could feel their flesh rotting off of my bones,” the President said, grimacing. “Their pain was my pain. And somehow I knew … ”

“You knew that you had been given by God the charge to stop this from happening, to deny Satan his victory, to put an end to this foolish madness once and for all.”

“My God,” the President said, expressing his sense of wonder. Peter was finishing his thoughts, confirming his conclusions.

“Oh, yes sir, my God indeed. I share your burden, Mr. President. We are both messengers of His word, but you are much more. You are the instrument of his plan, the one put in place with the earthly power to overcome the evil.”

“How much longer, Peter, before God ends the restriction?” the President asked.

“About sixty hours, sir,” Peter replied.

“Then we have some time. I need to address the nation, meet with my cabinet, and the Congressional leadership. I have to make them understand, then go to work on the rest of the world.”

“What do you have in mind, Mr. President?” the first senior advisor asked.

“Haven’t you been paying attention? Unbelievable, do I have to hit you on the head with a bat?”

“Mr. President?”

“Do you wish to witness the destruction of the planet?”

“What? You cannot be serious, sir,” the second senior advisor said.

“Never been more serious in my life. Life. That word has a new meaning now, doesn’t it? Our lives, human survival is on the line here.”

“Mr. President,” the first senior advisor said sternly, as he stood and took up a position in front of the Vice President. “Do you intend to change the policies of this government based on your religious vision or on Mr. Carson’s assertions of divine guidance and intervention?”

“I intend to do much more than that. I intend to use the power of the Presidency to tell the world that our God, our Creator, has a message for us, a warning, a revelation. Not only will I act swiftly and decisively to change the policies of this government, I will also use my office and personal influence to advance God’s interests as Mr. Carson suggests I do so.”

“Mr. President, that is a reckless course of action, one taken both in haste and against the advice of those closest to you.” The style of the first senior advisor was grave, threatening.

“You don’t even know what I’m specifically proposing to do and yet you’re calling me reckless?”

“Yes, sir. You have elevated this man here, Mr. Carson, who may I remind you, Mr. President, is a convicted con artist and a federal inmate, to the status of some sort of prophet or sage or something. What did you just get through saying, sir? You’re going to ‘advance God’s interests as Mr. Carson suggests?’ Who elected Mr. Carson to public office?”

Unlike his running mate, the President was anything but a personal or political lightweight. He was being challenged on his own turf, called to account like some schoolboy who had botched his homework by those in his inner circle. Under normal circumstances, basically anything other than the situation he now found himself in, such a chastisement would serve as a reality check, a wake up call telling him that he might be dangerously off course.

However, in light of the events of the past twelve hours, all this tongue wagging did now was bring out the President’s famous Irish temper.

“I see,” the President said, as he walked over and faced his two most senior aides. “You both agree that I’ve lost it, gone off the deep end. Is that what I’m hearing?”

“Sir, with the utmost respect, the events of last night and this morning have taken their toll on all of us. It’s more than understandable that your reaction to them might be a bit irrational.” The first senior advisor quickly shifted gears from confrontation to condescension, hoping to exploit both the President and the situation.

“Maybe you’re right,” the President said, playing along. “What’s going on is certainly well beyond bizarre, I’ll grant you that.”

“Yes, sir, I agree. Let’s all take a little time and … ”

“Or perhaps you and your evil twin,” the President said, pointing at the second senior advisor. “Did you know that’s what we call you two when you’re not around, the evil twins? Probably not. Perhaps you and your evil twin are simply feeling threatened by all of this in general, and by Mr. Carson in particular. Perhaps you fear losing your personal power more than you truly wish to serve your country. Perhaps … ” The President paused. He was struggling with the rest of what he wanted to say.

“Come on, Mr. President, speak what’s on your mind, and mine,” Peter whispered to Alex.

“Perhaps you two are nothing but worthless servants of hell, a couple of no good sons of bitches I should have given the boot to long ago.”

“Mr. President! I must object to your comments. These gentlemen aren’t your enemies, they’re your allies. I believe we need to get a doctor back in here, maybe get you back in bed and after … ”

“Patrick.” The President had never before addressed the Vice President by his first name unless they were together alone. “Stop right there. Let me ask you something. Right now, at this very moment, I want nothing more than to pick up one of these scrawny scheming bastards by his ears and beat the living hell out of him. Part of the reason I want to do this should be obvious to you, they are directly challenging the authority placed in me by the American people. But the other part of my reason is less rational, intuitive perhaps, and most certainly brand new. Somehow I know that these two vermin are vicious, repugnant liars intent on doing me and our country great harm. They cannot deceive me any longer.”

“Mr. President! Slow down, for God’s sakes sir … ”

“Let me finish, Pat. As much as I want to, I cannot strike either one of them. I’m trying right now, visualizing my boot going right up one of their skinny little a***s, but I can’t do anything. Do you understand, Pat? Please tell me the significance of this is not lost on you.”

“Mr. President, yes, I do understand that some power has us all in its grip. But what are we really dealing with? God? Extraterrestrials? Mass hypnosis or psychosis? It is extremely unwise. No, let me rephrase. It is not a rational act to base decisions affecting billions of lives on a dream and the word of a con man.”

“Why Patrick, you impress me. I’ve never seen this side of you before. It’s almost like you’ve got some balls. And all this time I figured you for a coward.” The President was feeling it now, his verbal wrath and his keen mind were both fully engaged.

“Mr. President, that was uncalled for. I mean really, such a comment is unlike and beneath you, further confirming our hypothesis … ”

“That’s more like it, Pat. Go back to the weak suck-up mode, it suits you better. But do it somewhere else. And take my two former advisors with you.”

“You do not have the power to fire me, sir. I was elected along with yourself to the office I hold.”

“Sure enough, but hold your office somewhere else. I’ve got work to do in here right now. Part of what I’ll be doing today, Patrick, is drafting your letter of resignation. I’ll bet you’ll be signing it damn quick once I get through destroying you in the press. Now, listen to me carefully. Get out.”

Sensing the value of an orderly retreat, the Vice President and the two suddenly former most senior aides on the President’s staff decided to walk away without further comment. They also had work to do.

“Peter, I need you to assist me today. General Vargas and Agent Austin, I need both of you here as well. Miss McCorkle, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Graham and Mr. Coleman, you are all welcome to stay or leave as you, and Peter, please.”

“I’m welcome to go, sir?” Malik asked. The President had said it so casually, so matter of fact. More so than for any of his brothers, freedom for Malik Graham had been a distant dream, a hope perhaps too unlikely to pursue under any circumstances.

“Mr. Graham, I doubt anyone could stop you if they tried, but they’d be breaking the law if they did.”

“Sir?” Malik’s heart leapt with joy.

“First thing this morning I issued full Presidential pardons to all of you. You are a free man, Mr. Graham. No one will ever put you in a cell or shackle you again.”

“Glory to God! Lord have mercy! I’m free! Don’t have no record? Jesus be praised! Jesus be praised!” Malik hugged and kissed everybody in the room in turn, including the President.

The only being in the oval office not sharing in the revelry was the devil. He felt weaker, diminished after the President’s charitable act of mercy and redemption. Such outpourings of love sickened him, decreased his powers and inflamed his eternal hatred of humanity.

Satan decided to vent his frustration on Saul.

Twenty

“Saul.”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Saul, you must fight the beast. He is a coward and a liar, but he is not without powers. He will use your fear against you, Saul.”

“Where are you? I can’t see anything.” Saul’s mind was projecting only blackness.

“I’m fighting for you, Saul. I’m right here.”

“Gabriel?” Saul could see the angel now, but he was far off and small, almost inconsequential given the depth of the void in Saul’s mind.

How long have I been in this dark place?
Saul asked himself in his thoughts. Time for him had become an elusive concept. What seemed like five minutes could well be five years for all Saul knew. He had been taken against his will, made a pawn in a battle that has raged since the most ancient of days.

It was Saul’s gift that frightened and enraged the beast. Satan works best as an invisible mastermind, using the weaknesses of the flesh against his mortal prey. The devil is pure hatred, as opposed to God who is pure love. Unless it is cleverly disguised, human beings will always flee hatred and embrace love. Saul Cohen was dangerous because he exposed the devil for what he truly was, the very essence of all that is vile, destructive, dishonest, and diseased.

The contest for human souls, the arena in which Light and darkness engage in their perpetual warfare, had reached a critical juncture. Satan did not accept God’s claim that the victory was His. The devil thought himself equal to God and believed he could defeat Him. Satan wanted Saul Cohen out of the way, and by accomplishing this, he hoped, he would also destroy Saul’s gift, thereby denying it to God’s faithful.