The Eye of Madness (43 page)

When discussion started about how to return home, of course the method they used to cross the Chesapeake Bay came up first, but was not popular with any of them. The argument continued until something happened by chance. Young Chester Henry was playing with a couple of other children when he jumped over a log. He kept going after he jumped, floating along like a soap bubble in the wind. Impals couldn't fly, but their mass had changed. They could pass over any surface without sinking, including water. The Atlantic Ocean was nothing more than an enormous puddle of water to them.

They huddled together on the beach with Lincoln, Danny, Tesla, and the president in the lead. One by one, they pushed off and began to glide over the churning surf. They resembled a large glowing fog bank heading west.

CHAPTER 46

CIVILIZATION

“We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.”

~Will Rogers

The world moved slow and deliberate over the next few weeks. In almost every country, the respective militaries maintained order. It was difficult to bring the Earth to at least some small measure of what it had been before the storm. The task seemed overwhelming, but turned out not to be the case. The population of the world was cut by a third during the eye's presence. The optimist tried to frame it as two thirds of the population had survived. Yet, when one considered that one third of the population is about 2.4 billion people, it was hard to embrace optimism. Besides restoring order, the most important task was disposing of the bodies. Disease was now running rampant in several countries. Sickness added more corpses and more Impals every day.

The most sanitary and efficient means of disposal was fire. For weeks, the constant cremation pyres burned. Most of the atmosphere filled with dingy smoke. The lavender sky a deep purple bruise from the haze and the yellow clouds appeared greenish-gray. The Impals were the perfect candidates to help carry out this task. They were immune to disease and to the adverse effect of smoke, yet this idea was not as simple as first believed. The Impals were temporarily relocated to different clean up zones away from their homes. This was done so they should not have to dispose of their own body or the bodies of friends and family. However, this logistical issue was not the main problem; the Impals were different since the eye passed. Physically they were the same, but it was as if their light had dimmed a little. It was hard to see since there were so many new ones now than before. The Impals also now possessed the ability to fly, or perhaps more accurately ‘glide'. They were no longer encumbered by gravity. Their fainter luminescence seemed to coincide with a fainter density.

Some might believe these to be desirable traits for the Impals, however it presented one major problem. They were unable to interact and influence their physical environment as easily. It took far more concentration to accomplish a physical task, and in some cases, it was not enough. Moving bodies was not easy for most of them and impossible for others. Only the sheer volume of the additional 2.4 billion Impals made the task possible.

The Impals were still wary of fleshers, but it soon changed after the world summit meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas. The United Nations building in New York had been destroyed during the eye of the storm. Most of its members died in an enormous explosion and fire which razed the building. It was still unclear what happened, but there was little doubt it was a result of the darkness. A few world leaders were exposed as a dark soul and jailed as their backgrounds were investigated. Surviving and recently appointed world leaders attended the conference. There were three of these leaders in the United States, not counting Cecil.

Many suggested that Impal leaders should attend. However, the idea was shot down. It was decided for the ‘integrity' of the process, the fleshers be the only ones making decisions. Cecil considered this an outrageous prejudice. He considered boycotting the talks, yet he knew it would not do the United States, the world, or the Impals any good. He was selected by his military peers to lead the US delegation and he considered this his solemn duty. Thanks to the former General Garrison, the United States had few politicians left. The Constitution would require some improvising for a while and Cecil was a good choice. Despite his nefarious heritage, Cecil had demonstrated incredible character by standing up to his father. He sacrificed so much for the good of his country. The world needed men with integrity now.

Cecil settled his family back into their suburban Virginia home before he left. Both of his daughters were now Impals, but it didn't seem to make things any more difficult, at least for them. Barbara found it very lonely since now she would dine by herself.

Lincoln returned, along with the others on the island. He was given special consideration to live in the White House, as well as the most recent president, and Nikola Tesla. Albert Einstein showed up a few days later and he also received a special invite. Three of the most intelligent and influential men in history now resided in the most famous house in the world. It would prove to be a blessing to have these men together.

Carmella moved back to her small Georgetown apartment. Her mother moved in with her. They had years of catching up to do and Cecil saw to it that she was given as much time off her job as she needed. Of course, she and Steff also stayed in touch.

Thomas and Seth Pendleton accompanied Cecil to the summit in Little Rock. Arkansas's capital city was only about twenty-five miles from Conway. Both of them felt a strong desire to return to their home.

“Of all the places in the world, why did they choose Little Rock?” Thomas asked after they crossed the state line separating Virginia and Tennessee.

They travelled in a twenty vehicle military convoy with Cecil in the center car. It was suggested he fly for security reasons, but most air traffic had been grounded since the eye arrived. It would be another disaster if the darkness returned with planes in the air. Thousands of the dead were on planes when the eye arrived. In any case, Cecil insisted they drive. He wanted to see the devastation first hand.

“Because its central location and it doesn't have a lot of history on the world stage, good or bad,” Burt said. “Most major cities around the world are all but destroyed. Little Rock suffered the least damage.” He scratched the bandage on his head and frowned. His wounds were healing well, but they itched. The doctor, now Impal doctor, who saved Burt's life, recommended he take at least another week to rest. There was no way he was not going to be by Cecil's side in this important and historic moment. “Besides, there are two military bases nearby, the Little Rock Air Force Base and Camp Robinson.”

Thomas nodded and wrapped his arm around Seth. Cecil glanced at Thomas, and then smiled at Seth. “Are my girls all right?” he asked.

Thomas rubbed Seth's head and said, “I know it is hard to understand unless you have experienced it,” he said, then shook his head. “Don't take this the wrong way, Major Garrison, but they have never been better in their lives.”

Cecil did have a small understanding of what Thomas was telling him. He wondered on more than one occasion what it would be like to be an Impal. He still felt a prejudice about death, based on his own mortal existence. It was still a horror in his mind, a definitive ending to the only existence he had ever known. Despite the truth surrounding him for so long now, he still found it difficult to cope. The Impals were not enough to quell his natural instinct to fear the death of his body. A part of him considered his daughters gone. This ate at him every day as he mourned their physical absence. He felt selfish because he always believed that mourning the dead is a selfish act. They are in a better place. What we truly mourn is their tangible absence from our life. This was how he dealt with death ever since his mother died.

Cecil smiled. It was the only response he could muster at the moment. He decided to change the subject and asked another question. “Are you a religious man, Thomas?”

Thomas regarded him for a moment and said, “Not as much as I should have been, but yes I am.”

“Why do you think this storm happened?” Cecil asked.

He hoped to gain some special insight about what God's plan was in all this, but to his disappointment, Thomas shrugged.

“I don't know. I never saw anything outside of the dark souls that would give me a clue one way or the other. We were invisible to the world, watching a horror show unfold around us. It was a helpless feeling.”

“I'll tell you what I think,” Burt chimed in. “I am a religious man, a Christian, but I never have been as good as I should be.”

“Didn't Hitler think you were Jewish?” Cecil said with a wry smile. Burt did not find it amusing.

“I would rather not talk about it,” Burt said. “I believe what I have to say is important.”

Cecil felt about three inches tall for his insensitive remark. He was open about his experience in the darkness, but Burt was not so willing to discuss it. He couldn't imagine it to be worse, but perhaps it was. “Please continue,” he said.

“I've been thinking about this a lot and I think it is a reminder,” Burt said.

“A reminder?” Thomas asked.

“Yes,” Burt said. “A reminder from God that death is not the end, and we are eternal.”

“You think God sent the storm?” Thomas asked.

“What do you think?” Burt asked, “you've seen more than any of the rest of us.”

Thomas shook his head. “All I have seen is a world in which I was invisible. I have seen the horrors mankind is capable of. I saw no evidence of God.”

“What about the doors Seth said he saw?” Cecil asked. “What is beyond those doors?”

Seth glanced up at the mention of his name. He gave his dad a sad smile, then ducked his head.

“His mother went through one,” Thomas said. “He didn't follow so he doesn't know. The doors, if they are doors, are gone now.”

There were several moments of uncomfortable silence as they sped down the interstate. Cecil gazed out the window, searching for something, anything, to change the subject.

“Has anyone noticed it is almost Thanksgiving and the trees have not changed?” he asked as they passed through a forested area. He first noticed this when trapped at the cabin in the woods.

“You know … that's true,” Burt said, pointing out the window. “All these trees should be bare this time of year. They still look like we are in May or June. The grass is still green too.”

“We've had some pretty chilly nights,” Cecil added. “The weather is normal, in a meteorological sense.”

“I don't know,” Thomas said. “The weather doesn't seem as noticeable to me as it used to.”

“I wish Dr. Winder had come with us,” Burt said. “I kinda liked the little nerd. He was a plethora of knowledge.”

Dr. Winder's Impal, along with Charlotte and Derek's, showed up about a week after the eye passed. Cecil gave them all a warm welcome and a prestigious residence in Washington, but only Dr. Winder agreed to stay at the White House. For him, it wasn't so much the prestige of the house. It was the access to Einstein and Tesla, not to mention his old friend, the most recent president.

Cecil did something unprecedented and controversial before leaving Washington. He insisted that the latest president, who was now an Impal, resume control of the Executive Branch.

“What if the Impals disappear again?” a general asked him.

It was a difficult question for Cecil. Especially since there were so many higher ranking officers looking to him. He realized this was a subject way beyond a simple meeting and agreement. It would take a change in attitude and perhaps beliefs by many world leaders. Of course, the unpredictable nature of the storm might make any political inclusion impossible. Cecil thought it would be appropriate for the United States to get its house in order first. However, there was too much pressure from the rest of the world to put a global policy in place as soon as possible.

They watched out the windows as crowds of Impals and fleshers lined the sides of the road to show their support as they passed. They all seemed supportive, although Cecil could have sworn he saw one sign reading, “Death to the Pythonians!”

Cecil shut his eyes and leaned back on the seat with his head cocked to one side. He closed his eyes as dozens of images flooded his mind. His thoughts began to mesh into one distorted image as he saw a serpent with many heads slithering about in his mind's eye. The heads of the snake consisted of his father's accomplices on each side of the slimy body. His father's head protruded in the dead center. He leered with a condescending smirk. As the abomination lunged, he shook himself awake and sat up. Was it a dream, or did the eye return?

He blinked into the bright sunlight.

Burt face was a mixture of sympathy and disgust. Before Cecil could say anything, Burt said, “I know … I know.”

CHAPTER 47

THE PASSING

“Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there's a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see.”

~Helen Keller

Rebekah and Malakhi's home was gone now, burned to the ground the day the eye arrived. Of course, the fire had been their salvation, enabling them to escape the darkness. For the past several weeks, they shared a small tent on the base with Nehemya and Gestas. Eliezra located her daughter a few days after the eye passed and went to live with her. Nehemya and Gestas did not need sleep anymore. They spent most of their nights walking the camp, visiting the guards, and playing an occasional game of Yaniv at the mess hall. It took several nights to teach Gestas the basics since cards were not around in his time. They even included Malakhi in some of their games when Rebekah was not around.