Part 14 (1/2)
”That's true,” Aaron said, ”but just because you're here doesn't mean you're safe. Marina and I also have the authorization and ability to kill you. We can decide at any moment you're not worth the trouble. You were called to fight for the Lord, same as us. If you don't like it, take it up with Him. We don't care.”
Smythe clenched his jaw and glared.
Aaron nodded. ”That's the smartest thing you've said tonight.”
The crowd parted, and three tall men entered the room. They wore black silk robes that covered their bodies from head to toe. Even their faces were hidden in shadows. The red ”sunset” symbol of the Order of Eternal Night was st.i.tched on their backs. They carried two boxes shrouded in black cloth.
The men climbed onto the stage and took up positions. One stood at the table, and his two a.s.sociates flanked him on the left and right.
”Welcome!” the man in the middle said in a deep, powerful voice. ”All of you were invited here for one reason. The Order of Eternal Night believes you might be suitable for our cause. Tonight I will explain our beliefs. If you become horrified or disgusted, go away and never come back. At the end we will pa.s.s out a sheet where you can write down your contact information. Make sure to provide your legal name, address, and phone number. We'll call you in a few days.”
Aaron crossed his arms and settled on his heels. This could take a while.
”First, our manifesto,” the leader said. ”This is the full version, the one we share only among friends.
”For billions of years, Earth was lifeless. Inevitably, the Earth will return to that pristine state, and it will remain so for the rest of time. The existence of life is a temporary departure from the natural order. Death is simply the universe eliminating that which is aberrant and unsustainable. We must celebrate death and advance its cause whenever possible. We must create a world where people do not fear its loving, gentle embrace; a world where the eternal night is more revered than the fleeting day.”
Very interesting, Aaron thought. He touched Marina's shoulder, and she nodded back to him.
The mysterious boxes were placed on the table and the shrouds were removed. One box was made of dark wood with bra.s.s hinges. The leader of the Eternals took several items out: a butcher's knife, a gla.s.s funnel, a crystal flask, and three wine gla.s.ses.
The other box was actually a cage containing a large rabbit. Without hesitation he reached into the cage and grabbed the rabbit by the hind legs. Then he chopped off its head with one, smooth motion. Even though Aaron was disgusted, he had to admire the man's expert technique.
The leader held the body of the rabbit over the flask and used the funnel to collect the blood. When the flow slowed, he gave the rabbit a hard squeeze to force the last dribbles out. He served the blood to himself and his two friends using the wine gla.s.ses.
Aaron glanced at Smythe to see how he was reacting. Smythe's face was tight and his skin had lost a shade of color.
”Cheers!” The leader drank down his blood and put the empty gla.s.s on the table. ”Delicious and refres.h.i.+ng. I suggest all of you try the warm red wine whenever you have a chance. The flavor is unique. Of course you want to drink it when it's perfectly fresh. It sours quickly.”
Several members of the audience hurried out of the room.
The leader continued, ”Death is always around us. At this moment countless cells inside your body are expiring. Some will be replaced but some will not. Every tick of the clock brings us closer to eternity. Most of you are very young and the end of your life seems distant, but it is not. On the scale of stars and planets, your lifespan is just a brief flash in the darkness.
”But this is a blessing. The journey to our final rest is quick, which means we don't have to endure the pointless activity called 'life' for long. We come from dust and return to dust. One day, the Earth itself will be a ma.s.s grave, and all the works of man will lie in ruins. Then the aging sun will incinerate the ruins. Even the sun will not last forever. It will shrivel until it is just a cold cinder. The ultimate destiny of the universe is to become an infinite expanse of frigid darkness. Absolute zero, absolute peace. These are scientific facts, not opinions.”
The audience was silent and attentive. It seemed this was the kind of nonsense they wanted to hear.
Aaron whispered in Marina's ear, ”I have a strong feeling about these guys.”
”Me, too,” she replied.
The presentation continued for another half-hour, but the theme remained the same. The Eternals were obsessed with death. Their leader never outright condoned murder but he came shockingly close. His speech sometimes sounded like a lawyer had written it, with language just vague enough that it would be defensible in a court of law.
After the speech ended, a large number of young people came forward to write their contact information on a clipboard. Aaron, Marina, and Smythe waited patiently until the rest of the audience had dispersed.
Marina went forward. ”That was amazing!” she said. ”I love you guys.”
The men in the black robes still had not revealed their names or faces. It was hard to tell if they were even looking at her. The erotic sway of her hips captured Aaron's attention, and he wondered if it had the same effect on these men.
”It's strange,” the leader said. ”I don't remember inviting you three to this meeting. We usually recruit much younger talent.”
”My son told me about you,” she said. ”You might say an interest in death runs in the family.”
”Where is he?”
”I wanted to check you out first. I'm very impressed and I'll certainly bring him next time. My name is Cataclysma, and I'm a Wiccan paladin. These two men are my slaves.”
Smythe s.h.i.+fted his feet but remained quiet.
”Interesting,” the leader said in a tone that indicated no actual interest.
”I have something to show you.”
Marina reached into her purse and took out a large, ceremonial knife. Nancy had prepared it earlier that day and had done a great job. The blade curved to form an S shape with a blood groove along its length. The hilt was made of forged copper with a beautiful green patina. The guard looked like a crown with many sharp points, and each point had a ruby. There was also a diamond at the tip of the blade.
”Nice,” the leader said with more interest now.
”This is what I use to collect blood and manna,” Marina said. ”It has served me very well.”
”Are those gems real?”
”Of course. I keep the blood in a special refrigerator in my bas.e.m.e.nt. It took some experimentation to find the right temperature, until I settled on exactly forty degrees. That seemed to keep it the freshest without freezing.”
Even though Aaron knew she was creating a cover story, the easy delivery of her lines disturbed him. He wondered how much experience she actually had with fresh blood.
”We use a slightly warmer temperature,” the leader said. ”Forty-five degrees. We drink the blood quickly enough that it doesn't have to keep long.”
Marina nodded. ”Would you like to borrow my athame?” She offered the knife.
”Really?”
”It would give me great pleasure to know that men of your stature were using it.”
He took the knife. ”I don't know when I'll be able to give it back.”
”I have others. I can live without this one for a while. I'll leave my name and number with you.” She took the clipboard and wrote a few lines of text on it.
Aaron studied the Eternals closely. Even though he couldn't see their faces, he could read their body language. They stood at attention and didn't scratch their noses or look around, which meant they had military discipline.
Patterns were sewn into their robes, but very dark red thread made the shapes faint against the black background. He picked out many half-circles and radiating lines, which echoed the sunset symbol. There were so many intersecting lines that they reminded Aaron of a spider web.
”I'll see you later,” Marina said. ”Thank you. This has been an inspirational evening.”
She walked out of the room, and Aaron and Smythe followed. They left the noisy club and emerged into the much quieter, colder night air.
Chapter Ten.