"David Gemmel - Sipstrassi Tales 03 - Bloodstone" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

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There are those among us,' said the Apostle Saul, the sunlight glinting on his long, golden hair, 'who shed
tears for the thousands who fell fighting against us in the Great War. And I tell you, brothers, I am one of
those. For those misguided souls gave their very lives in the cause of Darkness, while believing they were
fighting for the Light.
'But as the good Lord told us, narrow is the path and few who will find it. But that Great War is over, my
brothers. It was won for the Glory of God and his son, Jesus Christ. And it was won by you, and by me,
and by the multitudes of believers who stood firm against the Satanic deeds of our enemies, both pagan
and Hellborn.'
A great cheer went up, and Nestor Garrity found himself wishing he could have been one of those
soldiers of Christ in the Great Wars. But he was only a child then, attending the lower school and living in
fear of the formidable Beth McAdam. All around him the men and women of Pilgrim's Valley had flocked
to the Long Meadow to hear the words of the Apostle. Some of the other people present could still
remember the sleek white and silver flying machine that had passed over Pilgrim's Valley twenty years
before, bringing the Deacon and his Apostles to the people. Nestor wished he could have seen it in the
air. His father had taken him to Unity eight years ago, to the great Cathedral at the city centre. There,
raised on a plinth of shining steel, was the flying machine. Nestor would never forget that moment.
'It may be over, my friends, but another battle awaits us,' said the Apostle, his words jerking Nestor
back to the present. The forces of Satan are overthrown - but still there is peril in the land. For, as it is
written, the Devil is the Great Deceiver, the son of the Morning Star. Do not be misled, my brothers and
sisters. The Devil is not an ugly beast. He is handsome, and charming, and his words drip like honey.
And many will be deceived by him. He is the voice of discontent whispering in your ears at night. He is
the man - or woman - who speaks against the word of our Deacon, and his holy quest to bring this
tortured world back to the Lord.
'For was it not written, by their works shall ye judge them? Then I ask you this, brethren: who brought
the truth to this benighted world? Tell me!' Raising his arms, he stared down from the podium at the
crowd.
The Deacon!' they yelled.
'And who descended from the Heavens with the word of God?'
THE DEACON!' Caught up in the hypnotic thrill of the moment, Nestor stood, his right fist punching the
air with each answer. The voices of the crowd rolled like thunder and Nestor found it hard to see the
Apostle through the sea of waving arms. But he could hear him.
'And who did God send through the vaults of Time?'
THE DEACON!'
The Apostle Saul waited until the roar died down, then spread his hands for silence. 'My friends, by his
work have you judged him. He has built hospitals and schools and great cities, and once more the
knowledge of our ancestors is being used by the children of God. We have machines that will plough the
land, and sail the seas, and fly through the air. We have medicines and trained doctors and nurses. And
this tortured land is growing again, at one with the Lord. And He is with us, through His Servant in Unity.
'But everywhere sin waits to strike us down. That is why the Oath Takers move through the land. They
are the gardeners of this new Eden, seeking out the weeds and the plants that do not bloom. No
God-fearing family should fear the Oath Takers. Only those seduced by Satan should know the terror of
discovery. Just as only brigands and lawbreakers should fear our new Crusaders - our fine young
soldiers, like your own Captain Leon Evans.'
Nestor cheered at the top of his voice, but it was lost within an ocean of sound.
As it died down the Apostle Saul raised his voice one last time. 'My friends, Pilgrim's Valley was the first
settlement over which we flew when the Lord brought us from the sky. And for that reason the Oath
Taker's role shall be a special one. The Deacon has asked me to fulfil that role, and I shall do so, with
your blessing. Now let us pray
As the prayers were concluded, and the last hymn sung, Nestor made his way back to the main street of