Chapter Three: This Is It

"The rollout of the Final Revelation Act is now underway. Phase One involves the removal of all religious icons from public venues. This includes religious buildings that are open to the public."

"The private ones won't have long to enjoy the privilege; but for now; the FRA seems to be working. A lot of those icons were made of gold and encrusted with jewels. Melting down the gold crosses alone has been enough to cover the cost of the FEMA bailout."

~~/*\~~

Elizabeth checked her watch for the fourth time in as many minutes. Her shift at the Soup Kitchen had ended with the close of the 'lunch rush'. She had a ride coming to collect her. It was routine… until today.

Homer ran the kitchen, and he'd been giving her hard looks all day. Uncomfortable looks. The kind you had when you had to do some distasteful bloodletting. At the end of her shift, he finally worked up the nerve. "Lizzy, we need to talk."

Elizabeth let out a breath. "I know."

"You and your aunt are volunteers, so it's not like I pay you, but…" Homer looked very displeased, like the words were a foul taste in his mouth. "I hate to say it, but this place could lose its licence if we had… Well..."

"A dangerous criminal on staff?" Elizabeth supplied.

"It's not my business, but I have to ask: What does this mean for you?"

"I'm not going to sign." Elizabeth said seriously.

Homer bit his lip. "You know what I have to do now."

"I'll make it easy for you, boss." She held out an envelope. "My resignation is already written, and I already got Mira to cover my shift next week." She looked over her shoulder. "Do me a favor, don't tell anyone? I think it's best if we don't make a fuss about why I'm leaving."

"I agree." Homer looked sad. Also relieved.

Elizabeth headed back into the kitchens where the other volunteers were making sandwiches. "Hey, Mira? Thanks for covering for me next time."

"Don't mention it." The young woman said, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Would it interest you to know that Cyrus has been stupid in love with you for the last year?" Elizabeth said casually.

The breadknife clattered to the floor. For a moment, it was hard to tell who was more stunned. Mira, or Cyrus.

Elizabeth turned to Cyrus. "Cy, would you be surprised to learn that the feeling is mutual, and if you weren't both so clueless, you'd have noticed?"

"Really?" Cyrus was stunned, spinning to look at Mira, who had turned so red her face nearly glowed.

Elizabeth sniffed back tears. "Have a good night. Be safe. And be as happy as you can be, for as long as you can be."

~~/*\~~

Elizabeth pulled her coat tighter around her neck as she headed out to wait for her ride. Her aunt gave chase, having heard the whole thing. "Tell me you're not going where I think you're going!" The older woman barked.

Elizabeth shut her eyes hard. "I have to, Auntie. We've talked about-"

"No, you aren't going." Her aunt said dismissively. "This isn't something we talk about. It was one thing when you were studying with those idiots, but it's illegal now. I worked too hard to get you out of the old country. You want a paradise?! Look around. Running water. A roof without bomb damage. Food."

Elizabeth couldn't meet her gaze. She could hear the car horn out front of the kitchen and tried to push past her aunt.

The older woman grabbed her. "Food, Elizabeth!" She insisted. "How many meals did your mother and I have to scrounge for you? Now we're serving free food to the hungry. This place is the best it'll ever get, and you've-"

"I have to go." Elizabeth begged.

"-and you've decided you'd rather be a criminal?!" Her aunt's voice was getting frantic, shrill. If it was anger or fear, Elizabeth couldn't tell. "You don't do this! Your mother died for this! You don't spit on her memory!" She pointed back at the door. "And given what I saw in there, I'm betting you don't plan to come back."

Elizabeth couldn't answer, but she saw her ride coming, and waved at the car.

Her aunt went to the garbage bins and found things to throw at the car, as Elizabeth hurriedly got in and told Andrew to drive fast.

~~/*\~~

Biggs went with Kit to the Kingdom Hall. There was already a crowd gathering outside, ready to march on the Hall. The protests were held back by a few police cars, parked on either side of the driveway.

At the end of the block, watching the crowd, Kit was stunned. "I know these people. They're the ones that live around the Hall." She murmured to her brother. "I talked with some of them during the working bee's. They were impressed; because we were taking good care of the Hall by ourselves instead of hiring groundskeepers, or calling the council. They couldn't believe that we got such a turnout to pull weeds and wash windows, since… Well, since they never got anything like that at their churches."

Biggs wasn't surprised. "More than half the guys in prison with me? They weren't evil people. Most of them had a brain snap. They have a really bad day, they grab a blunt object; have to live with the consequences for the next twenty years. Take my word for it, sis. The line between a civilised person and a feral animal is paper thin. The announcement yesterday meant that people know they'll get away with it now. You give people a chance to be evil and get away with it? Most of them will do so gleefully."

"I don't buy that."

"No? Then what need is there for the System to End?" He pointed at the crowd. "We really can't do this from home? Rule number one when a riot starts brewing in Prison? Vanish. Fast."

Kit took his hand and started tugging him along patiently. "The police have it handled."

"Oh, the police are here. That makes me feel so much better." Biggs drawled.

"We can get meetings over the phone, but trust me on this, Bro. You want your brothers with you. Especially today." Except he doesn't know them yet...

They made it to the crowd, and Kit walked through them. There was plenty of jeering and insults; but nobody moved. The police kept a firm hand. One of them was Rankin, and his eyes focused on Biggs like a hawk. Biggs stared right back, waiting for the Detective to try something. They didn't say anything to each other as Biggs and his sister made it to the Hall.

~~/*\~~

"I was able to persuade the police to disperse the crowd." Benedict was saying to the Congregation before the meeting started. "The Final Revelation Act is being enforced in stages. Religious Icons are the first step; but we've never had any images in our worship. Closest thing we've got is the thumbnail off our website, so the first stage doesn't bother us at all."

Even with the crowd outside, The Hall was more full of people than Kit had ever seen. Biggs was with her, and he was quietly starting to panic. Crowds were not something he was comfortable with; and he'd met very few of these people. Andrew waved and moved to sit with her. She scanned automatically. He was here alone. His family were not Witnesses. She reached over and squeezed his hand.

The Meeting wasn't on the regular schedule. The Elders had contacted the Group Overseers, who had contacted the people in their charge. The meeting had been organized in less than three hours.

"Is it always this full?" Biggs whispered, nerves showing. He'd never been to a meeting or a convention before.

"No. This Hall is a meeting place for three different congregations; and all of them are here…" Kit looked around. "And to be totally honest, some of the people here haven't been to a meeting in a while. At least not regularly. Life, y'know."

"I know." The hall was full to bursting; standing room only; and Biggs was freaking out. The crowd was heating up the room; and the fear was making him sweat.

Kit was very aware of her brother's state of mind and pulled his face down closer to her, so that they could speak privately over the crowd. "Pray with me?"

He nodded awkwardly.

"Jehovah God; this is the most desperate time for the world, and I'm sure a great many prayers for help and hope are coming to you now." Kit said softly. "My brother may just possibly be the newest among your people; and I ask that you help him to remember everything Benedict said to him, just a few days ago… And before any of that, help him to remember that he's surrounded by family right now. Everyone in this room is on his side; and we all have the same feelings right now." Her hand tightened around him. "Including me. But I've got my brother here with me; and both of us in the safest place we can possibly be. The two of us being here together, and just in time; is the answer to every prayer I've said to you for the last year. Thank you again for that. Amen."

"Amen." Biggs said in response. "You're right, of course. The whole reason we're worried is because we know what's coming… And the fact that we know means we're safer than anyone outside." He shivered. "Even so, everything in me is screaming that this is not the smart place to be."

The crowd around them suddenly fell into a hush as Benedict stepped up on stage, and came to the microphone.

"Well, we're about to find out." Kit breathed.

They opened the meeting with a rousing song; the words put up on screens at the front of the Hall. Biggs made an effort to sing along, but he was a little blown away by it. He'd never been to a meeting before; or heard one of their songs; let alone sung one.

Everyone singing was passionate, as though their lives had been building to the chorus; but both the opening song of worship; and the prayer that followed seem to happen in a blur. Everyone in the Hall had come to hear what was to be said next; and those in charge of the meeting knew it; getting to the point quickly.

Benedict stepped up on stage. He looked perfectly calm. He was the only one in the hall that did. "I will now read our instructions from the FDS. A copy of this letter will be found on the noticeboard after the meeting."

The silence got louder.

~~/*\~~

"Our Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Imagine yourself, thousands of years ago, laughing with your friends about what a fool Noah is; spending so many years building a huge Ark. He insists that the world is coming to an end. It no doubt seemed as laughable then as it would to people today, and everyone you know has spent decades laughing at his folly. And then the rain begins to fall.

Imagine yourself in Egypt, after four centuries of slavery. And then you hear that Moses has returned with a message for Pharaoh, demanding your release. He was rejected out of hand, and your workload doubled, so it seems to defy common sense to be told that the Nile River; hundreds of miles long, would turn to blood, and that the most powerful nation in the world would soon submit to its own slaves.

Imagine yourself there, in First Century Jerusalem, when the armies pulled back. All your unbelieving relatives; and your honored, respectable neighbors tell you that it's foolish to preach an end to Jerusalem when the battle seems to be turning in your favor at last. You face ridicule, even danger when you make immediate preparations to flee the City. But still you go, secure in your certainty that what Jesus said will come to pass.

And imagine the courage it must have taken for Andrew to speak to his brother Peter and declare with such certainty: "We have found the Messiah."

It is with that same gravity; that same certainty, that we confirm to you now: This Is It.

And as in the days of Noah, Moses, The Apostles, and the Early Christians, provision has been made for those who walk by faith. What comes next will change everything for all of us, and ultimately lead to the defining moment of humanity. Given the sheer gravity of what is about to break loose on the world, it's only natural to feel a sense of alarm, or even fear. But nowhere in the Bible has Jehovah God ever told his people to be afraid of what was coming.

Indeed, the Bible tells us to 'not be afraid' over three hundred times. Jesus himself said: 'when these things come to pass, Look up, lift up your heads; for your Deliverance has drawn near.'

It has been decades since the modern day organization has taken the name 'Jehovah's Witnesses', but never has the name been more appropriate, as we bear witness to the upcoming actions of Jehovah God. At all points in history, from the day the Bible began, God's defining characteristic has been love for his people; and his ability to protect those that worship Him; and recognize His authority to rule the world.

You can be sure that His Love and His Protection will be with us as we begin the concluding phase of our Preaching Work; and our last act of bearing witness to His actions.

Look up, and lift up your heads; ready to be amazed at what Jehovah and His son; our reigning King, will do!

~~/*\~~

"Well." Kit said, heart hammering.

"Yeah." Her brother agreed.

At the back of the Hall, the attendants were already unpacking boxes. And in each box, a stack of pamphlets. Everyone in the audience received one. Bold text, and dynamic images on the front.

"How long have they had this ready?" Biggs whispered to her. "I mean, look at this. It's not dusty. It's brand new. How many have they got? Five boxes, across a hundred thousand congregations-"

"More than that." Kit whispered back.

"-in who knows how many languages." Biggs kept going. "They've had this 'campaign' ready for a lot longer than the last few days."

"They cut back on literature a long while ago. Put everything into translation. Between that and everything going digital at the meetings, I'm guessing they were saving their print runs for this." Kit licked her lips. "They would have known since 'Secure In Peace' began making headlines."

Biggs was reading the pamphlet. "It won't be a popular message. How do we even start?" He whispered to his sister. "Because I haven't ever-"

The screens at the head of the room lit up with a video. Kit recognized it instantly as a demonstration of a suggested presentation. It was paused at the opening scene. Benedict, on-stage, gestured at the screen, and at the pamphlets. "We're going to run this video a few times so everyone can study it. There are supporting scriptures for the kinds of responses we're likely to face. Your study conductors are all in the hall; they already have territory maps. You should also know that the usual rules regarding Do Not Calls are suspended for this Final Campaign."

Everyone started organizing quickly; the crowd moving towards the familiar faces.

"You mean… now?" Biggs blurted.

"Apparently." Kit admitted. "Stick with me, big brother. I'll show you how it's done."

"It has to be done now." Andrew said from Kit's left. "The Final Revelation Act is a staged elimination. Stage Three begins in four weeks; giving everyone on Earth less than a month to resign from any organized religion. That gives us a month to-"

"To what?" Kit returned. "You think we're going to stop when they tell us to?"

"I know we won't. But stage one is tearing practically every other church in the world apart; and doesn't affect us at all." Andrew admitted. "I remember Brother Benedict told me once about the Campaign to advertise JW.org. They got most of the territory covered in three weeks. At least in this Cong they did. Look around. We've got people who haven't been to two meetings in a row in years. You think any of these people are planning to leave the territory early for coffee?"

"He's right about that." Biggs nodded. "If the same is true of other countries, a month might be enough."

Kit blinked. "You think this could all be over that fast?"

Benedict, walking past at that point, overheard the question. "You heard all the examples given in that letter. How long did it take the Apostles to decide and begin following Jesus? How long did it take from Moses first appearing before Pharaoh to the tenth plague? For that matter, when it hit, how long did the Tenth Plague take?" He met Biggs' eyes. "Biggs, my brother. You're having a big week; huh?"

Biggs nodded weakly.

Benedict glanced at Kit, then back to Biggs. "Can I ask? How many times have you spoken in public? Or, for that matter, been in a room with more than three people?"

"Almost never." Biggs admitted.

Benedict nodded. "We should talk."

~~/*\~~

"I've never felt so obvious in my life."

"If the territory isn't covered before the grace period ends, we'll have to change tactics." His sister said. "You look good."

"I look like a lawyer." Biggs tugged at his necktie hatefully. "No offense to Benedict. I'm lucky his son and I were close enough in size, but… The only thing that the Prisoners, the Cops, and the Guards all agreed on was that we hated the Suits." He groused at his sister as they approached the door. "People who wear suits and ties? They took more from innocent people in a day than I ever could in a lifetime of B&E."

"You're not wrong." Kit agreed. "But that won't be an issue much longer either." She gestured. "Your first door. Good luck."

Biggs knocked, looking green. "My parole hearing was easier than this, and I went in knowing it was rigged."

Kit smiled. "Yeah, but it surprised you."

Biggs knocked again. There was no answer.

"Okay, that is what we in the knock-knock-trade refer to as a 'not at home'." Kit put her arm in his and they moved on to the next door, leaving the booklet in the mailbox. There were over a dozen pairs making their way around the block, door by door.

The second door opened; and the man inside saw them, looked worried; then saw their Bibles and looked furious. Biggs sized him up automatically. This guy knew how to handle himself. It'd be a tough fight if he wanted to start something. Automatically, Biggs began 'the pitch'. "Good mornin-"

"Get off my property!" The householder barked. "It was bad enough when you were peddling your cult just to be annoying! Now it's actually illegal! I'm calling the cops right now!"

Biggs felt a spike go through him as the door slammed shut. "Run." He said to Kit.

"We're not running." Kit said seriously. "Grace Period ends in twenty nine days. The Law says we're fine until then."

"Kit, I know cops!" Biggs hissed. "The Law is how they justify things after they've beaten you to death. They don't need a reason. They don't even need-"

"Biggs, we're not running." Kit said again. "Look around. This is what we're here for. This is the last message we'll ever give anyone. The Preaching Campaign is the defining part of being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The meetings, the translations, the literature, the conventions… Everything JW's do is a support mechanism for the preaching work. And now that work is ending. It's all ending."

Biggs bit his lip. "I've never done it, Kit. One door."

"One door, and the guy threatened to call the cops on you." Kit nodded. "Not ideal. In fact, it's made from your greatest fears." She gestured. "Look around, Biggs. You're surrounded by family. We're all scared. But we're sticking together. God recognizes how hard it is for you in particular. He won't forget that."

~~/*\~~

"-ratifying the Final Revelation Act across all member nations. We repeat: The United Nations have voted unanimously to accept the Final Revelation Act. For more on this, our political correspondent, Daniel O'Neil. Daniel?"

"It's incredible. Absolutely incredible. Even the Rogue Nation States have accepted the FRA. We were expecting a war to break out, and instead there's global cooperation. I'd call it a direct Act of God, but we actually achieved global unity by kicking God out!"

"It's not as simple as banning organized religion, Daniel. There's massive cultural, economic and political hatreds that have stood for over a century. Some of these nations wouldn't agree that the sky was blue if it meant agreeing with other member states. How did they all get on the same page so easily?"

"It's a miracle. There's no other word for it. The world is in agreement for the first time in thousands of years. Some of these nations have almost no difference between Religious and Political powers. And yet, even they have been eager to ratify the FRA. I think the world is going to be okay from here on out!"

"It's truly amazing. We might actually have… One moment… Okay, Daniel; we have to get back to you later. We go to breaking news out of the Middle East-"

~~/*\~~

The police did arrive, less than ten minutes later. Only one car. Biggs was ready to bolt, but for Kit's hand holding him still. Almost all of the Witnesses present gathered together, standing close.

Benedict came over to stand closest to Biggs and Kit. "Christopher will talk to them. The Law still protects us until the end of the Grace Period. They won't go anywhere, but they won't touch us. Intimidation tactics is something we're prepared for."

"There's been a black car parked near my place for days." Kit added. "I've never seen it before, and the windows are tinted so I can't see who's inside. I honestly don't know if it's a jealous husband spying on his wife, or someone watching me."

"Another thing we won't have to worry about for long." Benedict nodded. "Add it to the list."

"Isn't this… cruel?" Biggs asked suddenly. "I mean, I get going door to door to give Good News and offer eternal life, and all that good stuff. But right now we're trying to tell people time's up. I thought God was supposed to be compassionate."

Benedict nodded. "I wonder if Noah thought the same thing when he was telling people the flood was coming."

"If anyone he talked to had gotten in the boat, they would have lived." Biggs pointed out. "Noah wasn't asking people to come aboard once the door was shut."

"This is true." Benedict nodded. "But he spent a lot of time warning people, and none of them got on the boat, did they? Biggs, I'm sorry that your first taste of Witnessing is this particular message, but I assure you, this isn't coming out of a vacuum. When they started the 'Peace and Security' announcement, we made a 'last chance' campaign. Before that, we started scaling back on Return Visits; because we knew this was coming. Plenty of people were just taking the magazines to be polite, and had no interest in hearing more. Imagine meeting with someone every few weeks for years and years, even decades… only to show up one last time and say 'too late'."

"Andrew's having trouble with it. All of his calls were 'just being polite." Kit put in. "And Yana? You know her. She sees potential in everyone. We had to talk her down when they announced it was decision time. She was on the phone to everyone she knew until two in the morning."

Biggs shivered. "Put that way, maybe I'm lucky to be late to the party." He looked down. "I had people in prison that I tried to preach to. I got nowhere. I'm glad I'm not there for this."

Christopher had finished his conference with the policemen, and came over. "They say there's a Grace Period for a reason. They aren't fans, but when I told them it was our 'final' campaign, they agreed not to interfere. They figure it's our 'Goodbye Tour'."

"They're not wrong." Benedict nodded. "Biggs has raised the question that a message without hope is cruel."

Christopher grinned at Biggs. "I made the same comment weeks ago." He admitted. "Most people handle the question of God and what He wants by desperately and deliberately not thinking about it. For most of my life, I did the same; until I retired. My job was my hiding place; and then I had to think about things for once."

"And?" Biggs couldn't help but ask.

"How many times have you seen some politician saying that a hurricane or an earthquake was God's punishment for gay marriage, or something like that?"

"More than once." Biggs admitted.

"Everything God does directly, he's always given a warning first." Christopher said seriously. "That's how you know the difference between bad luck, a natural disaster; and a supernatural one. Everything, from what God really thought about things, to how his followers were meant to live, to the rise and fall of empires; right up to how the world would end? All of it was written down, years in advance."

"For all the things that were written beforehand were written for our instruction..." Kit added. "...so that through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope."

"Romans 15. An important scripture to remember." Benedict nodded, opening his Bible. "Scripture said that this work would happen, and that most people wouldn't listen."

"Which is why I asked." Biggs countered. "If it's too late to listen, does it matter if we tell people or not?"

"Alright, try it this way." Christopher offered. "When you become a Doctor, you study, you train, and you take an oath to do everything you can."

Biggs nodded, following that.

"Every religion has claimed to be closer to God than regular people. So every clergyman took the same oath we did: To preach on God's behalf, and take care of His faithful. The ones that never actually carried out that oath, are like Doctors who never tried to save a patient." Christopher explained. "All the hypocrisy, corruption and abuse in the churches? A year from now, only the sincere ones will be in Paradise forever. Proof positive of who have the Truth, once and for all."

"Literally, once and for all." Kit added.

"Biggs, a Doctor isn't being cruel when he tells you honestly how long you've got left; he's doing his job. A job he swore to do, in fact." Christopher finished. "And it could be argued that if a Doctor concealed the bad news, he would be violating his oath and being hypocritical towards his duty." The older man shrugged. "If nothing else, it's the last duty of the Witnesses to give this one final message."

"And we're already wasting some time." Benedict nodded. "Next door is a block of flats. With the police watching us, it should actually be fairly safe for now; and we're behind schedule with the whole field group having to move in a bunch. We'll split up for the apartments. Biggs, you want to work with me?"

"I'll stick with Kit." Biggs shook his head. "I know we're all peaceable and everything, but the last guy was ready to get violent; and… Well, I'd like to stick close to my sister."

"I understand."

Elizabeth hurried up to them. "You see this?" She was holding out her tablet, streaming the news.

~~/*\~~

"...almost to be expected, given the history. The Churches have been a major lobby group for centuries. Polls have been taken, votes cast; speeches made, candidates chosen; and all in one church or another. At one time, it was useful. Political opponents had to hold their manners when speaking in a church. Then it soured. Concessions were demanded in exchange for votes, funding…"

"Tell me about it. I've been a newsman for forty years, and I've heard one leader or another quote scripture to justify taking in refugees, and refusing them. To justify helping the homeless, and letting them starve. To justify starting wars and ending them, and escalating them alike. I don't know how they did it, but the Churches put God on everyone's side and demanded that all of them kiss the ring."

"Which would be fine if they actually took a moral stand somewhere. Look at the state of the world political scene over the last twenty years. Not one word of withdrawing support from the 'holier than thou'."

"Well, that's all changed now, but the question I'm asking is: Why would any politician hesitate to sign the Renouncement?"

"They have signed it. They're also still meeting with former Clergy in exchange for political muscle. The church may be dead as a religious institution, but the people are still there; and everyone involved is doing what they always do. Playing both sides, and hopping into bed with anyone that can give them an edge at the next election."

"Well, seems time is up for them too. For those that have just joined us, fourteen Congressmen and Senators have been taken into custody for refusing to disclose their ties to Illegal organizations, under the Final Revelation Act. Subject to Phase Two, they are to be accorded no due process…"

~~/*\~~

"Stage Two. Political involvement." Biggs commented. "Another level that doesn't concern us. The JW's have never had a lobby group. Not in any political capacity. We don't have any candidates or political representatives. We don't even vote."

"Yeah, but part of stage two means that 'Illegals' can't challenge legal rulings. Religions have no legal rights anymore." Elizabeth added. "JW's have a long history of human rights and religious freedom cases, right up to various Supreme Courts."

"Also doesn't matter. We don't expect to head any of this off with a legal showdown."

~~/*\~~

Biggs knocked, and the apartment door opened. A woman looked past the chain on her door, saw the Bibles in their hands, and let out a short, sharp, shriek of total panic, before slamming the door hard. "Get away!" She shouted through the door.

"Maybe it's my introduction." Biggs deadpanned, as they made their way to the next apartment.

"Let me try." Kit said with a wan smile, and knocked. The door opened, and Kit spoke quickly. "Before you slam the door; let me just say: This is the last time Jehovah's Witnesses will ever come knocking."

The man seemed tickled by that. "Well, in that case, how can I refuse?" Even so, he glanced around the hallway, looking for anyone watching. "Does this mean you're going to sign, then?"

"More than that." Kit said. "The events of the last few days do not come as a surprise to us. In fact, we've been expecting it." She held out the booklet. "In fact, for more than a hundred years-"

"Ken, get back in here!" A woman's voice shouted from inside. "They've started shooting!"

~~/*\~~

"...when it was discovered that they had not complied with the First Stage, nor did they have any intention of doing so. The cache of religious artifacts was uncovered when an anonymous tip led police to the warehouse; the ownership of which was traced to the Swiss Guard. Italian Authorities have begun enforcing the law, with Vatican City now under military control."

"Retaliatory strikes have also begun in the Middle East, where Holdouts have become more organized. The local leaders have called upon the military to enforce the FRA; and the military leadership has refused; citing religious obligations. As a result, the UN has directed other nations to make the strikes; and the bombardment is now underway."

"I will say this, they had expected a much more organized resistance in those nations, but having the order come from their own governments instead of the UN has taken a lot of the fire out of that."

"Plenty of fire to go. The death toll so far stands at nearly thirty, and it is expected to rise."

***

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