The Caravan was about to get moving again, and Isobel dared take five minutes away from the others to pray. She knew she wouldn't get an answer until after the Test was over, but she didn't want one, exactly. She just had to pour it out. She wasn't sure if it was guilt, or fear at how easily she'd been caught off guard by the most fleeting of thoughts; but either way, she wanted to make it right, with her friends… and with her Lord.
Isobel hadn't gone far, but came back to see the Caravan's wagons were unhitched. Startled, she hurried back to her own wagon. The horses were still hitched up. She hurried to her mother's wagon, and caught Moira saddling up one of the huge workhorses. "Mom?"
Moira shushed her, eyes flicking to the storage wagon. "Hugh's story has… disturbed the Caravan. You've heard what's going on in the world, and… well, after this long without dispute-"
"You're leaving them here?" Isobel couldn't believe it. "Temptation and Sin aren't like a disease you catch from someone, mom. You know that."
"I do know that. I also know that everyone's scared; and we're going to-"
"-to do what you've always done. Look to your own people." Isobel felt the anger growing in her, and pushed it down. She'd been caught off guard by her emotions once already today, and she wasn't eager to fall into another trap so soon. "I can't help but notice the rest of the Caravan is unhitching their horses and sneaking away… and nobody came to tell me." She gave her mother a look. "I was part of that mess myself. And you were already 'comfortable' without me here. Am I diseased now, too?"
"I wouldn't have left you here, Izzy. You're my daughter!" Moira protested desperately. "If it was up to me, I wouldn't even leave Hugh and Kas. But it's not up to me. Everyone's kind of-"
"It is up to you." Isobel snapped back. "At least, what you do is. Even if a hundred people say to go left, you can still go right."
"I can't go without the Caravan." Moria exclaimed, as though Isobel had just suggested the sun could refuse to rise.
Isobel set her jaw. "You're taking the boat, aren't you?" She scowled. "You're taking the boat and leaving them here. You weren't even going to tell them you were leaving. Who's idea was that?"
Moira paused. "Actually, I'm not sure. Someone said something, and then someone else said something…"
"And you don't really know who decided first." Isobel squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "You're being played, mom!" She outright snarled. "Just like I was an hour ago. The reason Hugh's story unsettled everyone is because we're all feeling it! That's what the Final Test is!"
Moira grew noticeably harder. "Isobel, the Final Test is about character. It's about trust. It's about showing that your faith is more than just what's been put in front of you. If Hugh and Kasumi had stayed in Sanctuary, the matter would never have been so much as questioned. This is on them. If they are still equal to the Test that's been put upon us all, then they will make it, and this will be an exciting story to tell their great, great, great grandkids. If they can still make it, they will."
Isobel went even harder. "Then why leave? Either you're right, and God will see that they don't drag us down, or they're still in the family too, and you're abandoning them!"
Moira winced. "You think I like any of this? The world's gone insane; and I'm trying to keep my family together. They won't ride with the Alman's anymore, so I have to do this!" She was backing away from Isobel, one hand still extended to her, asking her to follow. "I have to stay with our family…"
Isobel stared after her, tears forming in her eyes… Before she turned and ran to the Alman's wagon. "Hugh! Kasumi!"
The sound of hoofbeats sounded behind her, as the rest of the Caravan took off without her.
Isobel pounded her fist on the Wagon, until Hugh stuck his head out, blinking heavily with fatigue and emotion. "What's wrong?"
"Well, let me put it this way." Isobel said darkly. "The choice about which Sanctuary to head for is made; because I doubt the boat is going to wait for us."
The Almans scrambled to join Isobel, and discovered that she was right. Moira had turned to hurry after her Caravan, not even looking back. Isobel stared after them, numb. "I wonder…" She said, largely to herself. "Does leaving us here count as 'against Jehovah'? Or just against the three of us?"
And that left Isobel alone. With Hugh and Kasumi.
Isobel bit her lip hard enough she tasted blood. "Kas?" She said meekly. "Back when I was first Returned, you had me talk to Hugh because you felt that someone from his 'faction' in the Old Days might get a better response from me, given what I was dealing with when I came back. And you were right." She gestured at the horses. "My 'Faction' held together through much of paradise, and our 'clique' created devastating results. I truly hate that I might be a reason why there's division; and I almost hate them for panicking enough to leave us all behind. I promise, I will make it right. If you don't want me to, I won't. You'll need the horses; and you can take them, with my apologies-"
Kasumi gave her husband a look, and went to hug her tightly. "Izzy, I've taken some ridiculous chances with the salvation of myself and my husband. Ones I didn't need to. You think, after all of this, I'm going to let anything break one of my oldest and dearest friendships?" She pulled back, tearing up. "I was the first person you met in Paradise, Isobel. Hugh was the second. We're going to finish this race together."
~~/*\~~
Grant landed his craft in the same space Hugh had left his plane. He, Alec, Biggs, Megan, Rika, and Atxi; all started their quick walk into Sanctuary. There was a huge crowd beyond them, camped out in an unbroken circle; and the Gates still open before them.
"I don't get it. What are they waiting for?" Rika asked.
Atxi hurried in ahead of them. Grant waited for the rest of the extended family. Biggs recognized his pose at once. It was a bodyguard position. Grant was protecting his family as much as he was. It was still incredible.
"Incoming." Grant said.
Biggs looked, and there was indeed someone running up towards them from the crowd, rushing to intercept them. It was a smallish woman who looked like she hadn't slept in two days. At any time during the last thousand years, it would have been cause to stop, greet her kindly; and offer whatever assistance was needed. Right now, it seemed like an attack. Biggs clamped down on the instinct. Instinct couldn't be trusted since the countdown clock hit zero.
Grant hurried them past the doorway. One step inside Sanctuary. Grant got his charges over that line and spun smoothly on his heel to face the newcomer. "Hi there, how can we help?" He said in his friendliest voice.
"We're desperate for news." The woman said. "We still can't get in touch with anyone, and some of us have been waiting for days. Have you heard from a man called Robert Ayers?"
They all stared at her. "There are twenty three billion people in the world…"
"I know." The woman looked miserable. "I can't go in without my grandson. I can't… I can't save myself and just leave him to face-"
"Unless you know where he is, there's no point waiting." Megan pointed out.
The woman looked at the doorway, inches ahead of her… and shook her head. "I have to be sure!" She declared, helpless; and she turned away from Sanctuary, heading back to the crowd behind her.
Megan stared after her, feeling bad. "Part of me just wants to help them all." She admitted. "I mean, we took a crazy risk too, and for the same reason."
Rika squeezed her hand. "You remember you once told me about money in OS? You said that your money had the words 'In God We Trust' written on the side. This test is all about Trusting that the light is there, even when we can't see it all the time. We're here, mom. We made it into Sanctuary. We had temptations and wrong turns along the way; but we made it." She gestured out at the crowd. "Whatever they're waiting for, it's on them to do the same."
"This is true." Grant said darkly. "But not everyone in that crowd is staying there because they're worried for loved ones. Some have a whole other motive."
They all went inside. Past the doorway was a foyer, where people could head off into various facilities…
And a crowd of people waiting, applauding them brightly as they came in; like they'd just been baptized again. The extended family was greeted by their brothers and sisters, embraced and welcomed warmly; by people they didn't know. After the worries of the past few days, it was like coming out of a storm.
Jehovah God, Megan prayed. I hope everyone I love is here.
Megan went with Rika to find a room for the family. Grant was looking around for his mother; but he noticed Biggs giving him a look. It was the same one that Grant had seen between him and other Tribulation Survivors. And I guess that's what we are now.
Grant wasn't one for deep personal conversations, but suddenly he was volunteering his thinking. "The Conventions for the last century, they were all about what forms God's leadership took." He said suddenly. "When I first came here, I was shown a scripture out of the First Volume of the Bible, which said that the 'whole world was lying in the power of the wicked one'. Back in OS, every facet of the world reflected the Devilish Source in some way. A world obsessed with superficial beauty, inherent greed; fear of being conquered, raw hatred of a God that most of the world denied existed; and a total disregard of the consequences to others. These are the qualities of the Devil."
Biggs nodded.
"When I found out about the Final Test, and the Final Covenant? Suddenly arriving last made perfect sense. God's whole government was cleaning up the messes. Humans were never meant to rule humans."
Biggs finally understood. "And the whole point of God's entire hierarchy… The Kings, the Judges; the Elders; even the New Covenant… All of it was setting up for the day human rule could be abolished."
"God made those Promises for the same reason I turned to crime: Because The System humans lived in was a joke, and the people in charge didn't care about anything but themselves." Grant said intensely. "And now, at the end of a Thousand Years of cleanup and recovery, there's no need for any of us to be in charge at all." Grant laughed. "My mother thought I'd come back last to find her easily. My superior in the Service Work thought I'd come back last so that I couldn't start another black market. Your wife thought it was because the way to survive all this was to think like the Mafia. And the rest of your family thought it was because I would be leading one of the factions. Truth is, Rika got it right the first time I asked her. I was brought back in the time and place that gave me my best shot at eternal life. If I had come back hundreds of years ago; I may never have gotten past my suspicion of authority figures. Knowing, right from the start, that the Final Test was close, and that after it, there was nothing but me and God? What other authority I could respect?"
Biggs couldn't help but laugh. It was a chuckle that just would not stop. Grant started chuckling along with him. It was the kind of laugh that came with something that wasn't really funny; but the sudden understanding was clear and strong.
"One final revelation." Biggs giggled out, and the irony made him laugh a little more.
"Grant!" Melody shouted, and she emerged from the crowd to hug him tightly.
Kit was right behind her, looking over Biggs with a wry smirk. "Well, it took you long enough." His sister scorned with a smile, knuckling his shoulder hard.
~~/*\~~
"Leave the wagons!" Isobel declared firmly. "We'd never be able to take them in once we got to Sanctuary anyway."
Hugh agreed and started cutting the last of the horses loose. Kasumi climbed up on the first with Hugh, while Isobel took the second. "Giddap!" She yelled, and the huge horse brayed, taking off at a gallop. The Alman's horse gave chase, knowing to follow; and Hugh and Kasumi just held on for the ride.
The horses were the result of a thousand years of breeding huge, strong workhorses. While they weren't meant for racing, their size was matched only by their endurance; the huge hooves setting off small earthquakes as they galloped over the hills.
The horses could run all day, which was longer than Hugh and Kasumi could ride; having gone years without spending any serious time on horseback. But they were past the point of stopping to rest now. Every turn had dealt them a reversal; and it was hard to be optimistic about how long they had left.
Kasumi had seen Megan riding a horse at full gallop before. She had believed that the horses were at their happiest when running. It was almost what they were made for. But even so, for this last ride; Kasumi got the impression that even the horses were feeling the pressure. If they were responding to the growing unease of their riders, or if the horses were being pushed along by a higher force; she couldn't say, but the long stride ate the distance quickly.
They galloped along until they came to a fork in the road. Hugh and Isobel looked up, scanning the sky. It was too light to navigate by the stars; but the sun gave them a direction. "I think, at this point, it might be faster to go cross-country." Isobel called.
"Agreed." Hugh called back, and they took off at a gallop again.
~~/*\~~
Benedict was given a hero's welcome when he arrived back at the Foundation; everyone who remained was overjoyed to see him. James brought the ship into dock, and Benedict felt reassured. Yes! This was the right choice! I look at these people, and I am moved with pity, for they need a shepherd.
The thought came to him suddenly. "And who better to do it?"
"How are they all still here?" Dexter asked in disbelief.
"Faith." James said simply. "Look around. Almost all these people are less than two centuries old. I was brought back around the three hundred year mark. Benedict is a Trib survivor. Holy Spirit kept the world running for the first hundred years; then it was good management plus miracles… The last three hundred years, the system's been set perfectly. For most of these people, the magical stuff came out of their own work. These people are here because they want someone to save them."
Dexter looked around. "A century old, and they still want to find the 'grown up' in the room." He turned back to James. "How about you?"
James looked to Benedict. "Time to find out."
Lewis and Belle were among the first people to meet Benedict on the dock. Belle was fiercely ordering everyone back; not letting them crowd their host with questions; promising that answers would come.
Lewis quickly briefed Benedict on developments as they hurried off the dock, towards the Tower. "We've been able to get more news in here than pretty much anywhere else in the world." He explained. "But what we're hearing makes no sense."
Benedict hurried, making a point to project confidence and serenity to those watching, even as Belle kept them out of his way. "How so?"
"There are insane rumors floating around. Some say that the former holy lands are starting a war; there are reports that there are casualties mounting; and other reports that it's stopping just short of killing people. There are rumors that the Foundation Leadership was hoarding an immortality formula that could give people eternal life independent of God; and that the Chariot was destroyed so that the people who wanted to use it couldn't 'escape'."
"Outrageous." Benedict said plainly.
"There are reports of Angel sightings; and we know that's not supposed to happen; but a lot of the people say they recognized the faces personally, so we don't know what to think…" Lewis bit his lip. "Here's the thing, though: The Angelic presence is telling people to flee Sanctuary."
Benedict met his gaze. "Are you sure they're Angelic encounters, or something else?"
Lewis shrugged. "Nobody's comfortable saying yes or no about that. We've all read the passage in Revelation. It mentions the Dragon, but nobody said anything about his servants."
"The Third and Fourth Testaments do." Benedict reminded him.
(Author's Note: The Bible does not explicitly say what happens to the demons during the Thousand Years. The 11/15 2004 Watchtower pp. 30-31 goes into this point more deeply, but says: "Satan and his demons have been confined to the vicinity of the earth [since being cast out of heaven]. We can logically assume that when Jesus Christ further restricts Satan's activity in order to free the earth of his wicked influence, He will do the same with the demons.")
Lewis looked awkwardly around at the crowd. "Yeah, well. About that… Of all the rumors; the only one that's coming from all sides is that Sanctuary isn't going to work out. They're in the wrong place; and they've never been built to the right size… And most important of all, they were built by the Organization, which is now obsolete. So nobody's quite certain if they'd really put in an effort to finish themselves off-"
"So… what? You're saying the last Thousand Years of instruction aren't being trusted anymore?" Benedict barked a laugh. "And before you answer; remember that I was part of it for most of that time."
"I'm saying that the most persistent rumor around, even when we can barely stay in contact, is that Sanctuary isn't working. Half of them seem to be filling up every available spot; there's still a huge percentage that aren't in range; and we're getting reports that a lot of people just aren't going inside…"
"Why are you still here, Lewis?" Benedict challenged.
The young man bit his lip. "I wanna be sure." He said finally, sounding like a little kid. "There are a lot of things happening right now that are 'out of character' for the world. Something wrong with Sanctuary wouldn't even be in the top ten things I've seen. And to be honest, I can't trust any of the rumors, since we're only picking up bits and pieces of news."
"This is true." Benedict agreed, and turned to those gathered around him. "Remember: Almost nobody, even now; is acting out of any kind of greed of deliberate malice. It's all faith, combined with fear."
"Even so, there's Malice in it somewhere." Lewis offered. "Or else why did the Database shut down completely?"
James very carefully did not look in Benedict's direction; but it was clear the older man had stilled at the reminder. "Well…" Benedict said finally as he marched for the door. "We can take care of the Database right now."
Those outside had been able to hear that last part; and his words set off a ripple of excitement; even awe. The Foundation hadn't been silent since it was built. It had gone quiet during the most dangerous time in memory. The smartest, most useful people on the globe had all gathered; and been left in the dark. Those that hadn't fled to Sanctuary on foot, still trying to make it all work out, were fractured and falling into argument.
And now the man they'd had as their spiritual mentor for many years was about to perform a miracle for them.
The crowd followed Benedict to the System Core, where the Database was still shut down. He turned to face the crowd at the door. "Once the Database is online, we'll be able to verify the truth; and we'll be able to get everyone to safety. That's all this is. And when we manage to achieve these things; I want you all to remember that salvation didn't come from technology, or human wisdom. It came from us."
"From me."
"And from me." Benedict repeated; unsure of who had spoken. He couldn't tell where the voice had come from, but it was only half true, so he walked it back quickly. "It's been my privilege to be your spiritual guide for the last thousand years. The Scriptures foretold that as the Thousand Years ended, there would be no need for mediators between God and Man. It's truly… heartening to know that you'd still put your trust in me; at this most difficult time. I promise that trust will prove true."
Everyone cheered. It was what they'd been praying for.
Benedict went in alone with James, while everyone waited outside.
~~/*\~~
Surrounded by the huge supercomputers, all of them oppressively silent; James scoffed. "Great speech. It's almost as though you didn't turn the thing off yourself."
"A mistake." Benedict admitted. "But I will make it right." He tapped at the terminal quickly. "And I was morally right. Even if I did the wrong thing; I promise, it was for the right reason. I meant it when I said that technology is not the deciding factor in any of this. It would make transport convenient, but this is a time of Testing. Convenience has nothing to do with it. God will keep the way to safety open for all His faithful servants."
"I agree." James noted. Inwardly, he followed the thought to the natural question, not willing to ask it out loud. Then why are you so happy to take the credit for turning the lights back on?
Benedict gave him a look. "Are you planning to spread that around? Because the world is fracturing. We don't need that kind of 'disloyalty' right now."
"You have nothing to fear from me." James said immediately.
~~/*\~~
Safe in Sanctuary, Beckah looked up from her prayers to see Alec; and nearly fell out of her chair. An instant later she was sprinting across the room and collided with her husband hard enough to knock them both over.
"I'm so sorry I scared you." He said, over and over. "I'm so sorry."
Beckah shushed him. "You're here. That's all that matters. We're safe now." She pulled back. "The kids are safe too. They're not all here, but I know for a fact that Sydney was at the Sanctuary in Bombay. I think his sister is with him."
"Good. That's good." Alec let out a breath like he'd been holding it for a hundred years. "I dread to think…" He looked over at Megan and Biggs, coming in themselves. "Megan went back for her kid. It was closer than they'd like, too. With the Database offline, do they know I'm here? I'd hate to think someone we know is out scouring the seas looking for me."
Beckah shivered. "None of our kids are anywhere nearby. With the Database offline, they couldn't even try looking for you anyway." She bit her lip. "Hugh and Kasumi aren't here."
Alec twitched. "I was told they arrived early."
"They did. I saw their plane arrive. But they aren't here." Beckah whispered. "I've been looking for them for over a day."
Alec winced. "Ohno, don't tell me they went looking for me?!"
"No, don't do that. No more thoughts like that ever again! You were attacked, love. You were under attack, and you made it through the battle." She held his face in her hands like she was trying to convince herself he wasn't a dream. "Thank you, God. Thank you, thank you, Jehovah God."
~~/*\~~
Outside Jerusalem, Zann was 'holding court' over his people. He had not been surprised to find he wasn't the only one to have the hesitation over foreigners; and the last few days had made it all too obvious who they were. Many of them were taking violent action, forcibly removing such ones from the promised lands. Reports on casualties were conflicted; but that wasn't a surprise with the Database down.
(Author's Note: There is very little information on violence during the Final Test. On one hand, in my series I have written a paradise where violence is physically impossible under Angelic guard. On the other is the 'conditions' of the Final Test, where God has removed some of that protection to allow things to play out. I wasn't sure where that left things; as my whole 'Test' was purely to be 'inside' at the right time. If an innocent is murdered and can't make that choice, what happens to them then? As a result, I have been somewhat vague on this point. Since the purpose of the book is to face the choice; it's not a major factor. The fear of violence, however, is very much a factor.)
Jadu was worried. "Some of our people will be concerned about the ethics of using the broadcast."
Zann's solution was simple. "Don't tell them." He said. "We're not inciting anyone to do anything violent or immoral; and if we can't get them to leave well enough alone peaceably while they still have the chance… Well, then whatever happens is on them. We really are trying to do the right thing."
Zann's people had met some of the like minded, but still more militant groups. They were less organized, acting more on instinct than any real philosophy; and they had been glad to hear Zann telling his people the same sort of thing they'd been feeling. As a result, Zann's faction was growing larger by leaps and bounds.
"Our scouts tell us that the last wave of people are approaching Sanctuaries very quickly. After days of having little transport to go around, those who waited to make their choice… or for that matter, made their choice early; and were reduced to making the trip on foot, are finally getting into range." Zann declared, pointing at the shining city. "We have one chance to get those people out of our City, short of marching in there and driving them out with whips."
"The Database is Back Online!" Someone shouted, as if to answer him. "Everything's coming back!"
"Zann was right."
"Zann was right!" Someone else shouted, so quickly that nobody could tell who had thought it first. "He asked, and it happened!"
Zann knew he hadn't actually 'asked', but the cry was quickly taken up; and Zann beamed at Jadu, vindicated by the world working out in his favor so obviously. "Run the Broadcast. Now we know for sure that we're right about this."
Ingaret Godlefe was projected via Holo, an image large enough to be seen by the crowd. With a little persuasion from Zann's people, it was an image repeated on all the Screens and Devices around and inside Jerusalem.
"My name is Ingaret Godlefe; and I am a Gold Letter, proudly serving on the Teaching Committee for many years." The projection declared. "We have made no secret of the fact that this is the last moment when the Organization has been needed. I'm sorry to say, that right at the finish line; we miscalculated. It was through no fault of the people involved; we merely didn't consider the current situation properly. Nobody could have anticipated the events of the last few days. As a result, Sanctuary is now full. There's no longer any room for newcomers."
Zann could hear the roar coming from within Sanctuary, and let himself feel a moment of relief. Yes, this will work.
"So, the organization is amending its instructions. Your best option now is to find the people you trust and join them. Hold onto those people tightly, because these relationships have seen you through centuries; and will see you through eternity." Ingaret's image repeated. "Once again, this is nobody's fault. Many of those involved in construction reported that they felt there wouldn't be enough room for everyone. I counsel you now to find your families; and keep them safe."
~~/*\~~
"I didn't say any of that!" Ingaret insisted in a panic. She'd been saying it over and over for almost an hour. She wasn't in the Jerusalem Sanctuary, but the broadcast had gone global with the spread of the Database returning. Everyone had seen it.
"We know you didn't. Rachel is already doing her thing; trying to get it taken down." Nick said soothingly. "Ingaret, it's not as bad as you think."
"It's not your face being used!" Ingaret shouted. "I have to go out there! I have to tell them the truth! I have to…"
Nick put himself in the way. "You're not going out there." He said seriously. "You're in Sanctuary. You don't leave under any circumstances."
"There's a crowd outside; and they're seeing it right now! I have to go out there!" Ingaret was nearly babbling, trying to push past him to get to the door, nearly crazed. "I have to tell the truth! I have to set the record straight! I have to!"
Nick put himself in her way again. "Sister, this is your test!" He shouted over her. "You made it into Sanctuary, and they found something that could lure you out!"
Ingaret froze. "I know." She confessed miserably. There was a moment of silence as she sank into herself. "You never met my husband, did you?"
Nick shook his head. "I heard it took a long while for you to reconcile."
"Less than you'd think. It was harder for him to forgive himself, than it was for me to forgive him once we saw each other again." Ingaret whispered. "I died in the Inquisitions. Long after the Apostles, long before the modern day; Jehovah God decided I was a Gold Letter. I was burned at the stake for owning a few handwritten pages of the Bible." She pointed hatefully at her Screen. "My husband was tortured until he renounced me. He spoke in front of the town and told lies about my 'heresy' until they lit the fires under my feet."
Nick sighed. "And now someone got you to cry 'heretic' without your consent. I'm sorry, Ingaret."
Rachel arrived. "I have good news, and bad news." She told them, hugging Ingaret tightly right away. "The bad news is that it's not coming from the Foundation, or the Expo; or anywhere else I have access to, so I can't take it down. It's already spread anyway." She made her friend look at her. "The good news is, it doesn't seem to be fooling anyone into leaving Sanctuary."
"What about the ones who aren't inside yet?" She demanded.
"If they're staying on the doorstep this long; it's not because of that 'false image' they mocked up." Rachel said seriously. "Something I've noticed about sin? The Devil doesn't trick you into doing it, he tricks you into giving yourself permission."
"She's right, Ingaret." Nick said seriously. "Anyone who changes their direction over that smokescreen? It's because they'd already made up their mind."
Ingaret didn't look convinced, and shied away from them.
Rachel sighed hard. "Her husband. He's in a different Sanctuary. They were planning to meet up early; but he heard about a friend of his, and promised to meet her here. The Crash meant he had to scramble, just like the rest of us." She pointed after her friend. "That girl did everything right."
"I know." Nick sighed. "If we hadn't caught the airship, we would have made it in time to be safe; but maybe not in time to stop her from running outside."
~~/*\~~
The horses had come over a rise like a charging cavalry, but skidded to a halt; like they had found some invisible boundary. Isobel urged her horse on again, but the huge stallion just refused to move. "What's wrong with them?" She asked, spooked.
"I don't know, but it happened to all three of them at once." Kasumi's head tilted. "What's that sound? It sounds like… an ocean? Except that's absurd, isn't it?" She checked the sky again, making sure of their direction.
"Doesn't matter." Hugh declared, in too much of a hurry to worry about the horses for long. "We're close enough that we can walk it from here. In fact, I think we should run."
"What's wrong?" Isobel asked Hugh. He was normally fearless at any speed, but now the old pilot was starting to panic.
"The streets are empty." Hugh said, and the tone of his voice gave Isobel a chill. "This whole time, there have been groups or individuals trying to get to wherever they're going. When we were airborne, we even saw crowds walking en masse, like something out of the Exodus. But ever since we ditched the wagons, I haven't seen a single other person. If nobody's on the move, it means that everyone is getting where they want to be. There was no fixed time or date announced, but it must be getting close."
Isobel let out a breath. "'Jehovah knows how to rescue people of godly devotion out of trial'." She said it again like a mantra that would protect her from evil spirits.
"I know." Hugh breathed. But he didn't say what he was thinking. We were at Sanctuary, and we left; because we forgot that verse applied to Megan too.
The three of them made their way up over the rise; tall enough that they had to scramble up. When they reached the top of the rise, and saw the local Sanctuary, Isobel's jaw dropped. "Ohno."
Sanctuary was lit up by the sun; the huge gates were still open.
And gathered around it in an unbroken circle, there was a crowd of people. The crowd was huge. Deep enough that Hugh couldn't hope to get a count of them. It was an area that filled everything they could see from their vantage point. The ocean sound Kasumi had heard was the people.
The three of them looked at each other awkwardly. "Only way in is through all those people." Isobel trailed off. "I don't get it. Why aren't they going inside?"
A horrible thought came to Hugh. "I've heard that on A-Day, when brothers had to gather in some parts of the world? There were some people who couldn't get through the door to go after them. It was a prelude to…"
"But that's not how it is this time." Kasumi said quickly. "We were told that. Anyone in Sanctuary. Why aren't they inside?"
"Why aren't we?" Isobel said practically. "Look, we're agreed that there's nowhere else to go, right? At least, not one that we can get to in time?"
"Time. Whenever that is." Hugh and Kasumi traded a look. "Let me think." Hugh murmured. "Those people aren't going in, clearly. So if we go through them, are they going to stop us? If they're against going into Sanctuary, does that mean they're blocking people? Isn't that one of the things we're worried about?"
Isobel started walking, towards the crowd. Hugh and Kasumi didn't follow her. After a moment she realized they weren't there and turned back. "What?"
"Izzy, the world is capable of violence again. For the first time in a thousand years, it's too dangerous to..." Hugh pointed at the endless crowd. "Well, to do that."
Isobel looked at the crowd, and at the city beyond, the gates still open. "Look, straight up." She said plainly. "I'm more scared to be on this side of those walls than I am of anything that crowd might do. Look at them. They're pretty worked up, but it's clearly not a riot, or they'd be tearing into each other."
"They'll never let you through."
"That's kind of the problem, isn't it?" Hugh exclaimed. "Look at that crowd! It's an unbroken chain around the whole place. It's not even a chain. It's an ocean!"
"We can find another way!" Kasumi agreed. "We've already risked enough this week!"
"There are so many of them!"
He reached out to try and pull Isobel back. "I mean that literally, Izzy. I did a recon flight over a floodplain once. As far as you could see, it was water, where there used to be a town, or a field, or roads. This is…" He waved a hand. "It'll take you half an hour just to push through that crowd!"
"If you're lucky!" Kasumi added, wringing her hands crazily. "And that's assuming that any person in that crowd doesn't realize that you're trying to push through to the Gates and take offense. We know the world isn't suddenly full of monsters, Izzy. But if there's even one guy in that crowd who's willing to be a lot more militant about nobody going in… That mob might just kill you dead."
Isobel looked at the crowd, then back at her friends, then back at the 'Ark', with the Gates still open. Her shoulders squared and her chin rose defiantly. "I've been dead before." She declared; and she began to march straight into the crowd.
"Izzy!" Kasumi called after her, starting to panic. "Isobel! Come Back!" She started to chase after her friend on uncertain steps, before she lost her nerve.
~~/*\~~
In the Foundation, there had been a cheer as the lights came back on. Everyone went right to work; getting information; testing their equipment.
Benedict came out of the System Core a moment later, and the crowd cheered. They didn't know what had gone wrong, but they knew Rachel and Nick were the smartest people they had; and neither of them could fix it. He wasn't a master technician, so he must have had something else. Somehow, Benedict had performed the miracle for them. They were chanting his name very quickly; rushing to show how impressed they were.
James had not followed Benedict out to his adoring masses. As soon as everything came back on, James immediately went to the Printers and tapped at the console. A few moments later he had a Device, connected to the Database. He immediately tried to contact his people. Most of them were in Sanctuary. The ones that weren't didn't want to tell him where they were. The ones that were in Sanctuary were horrified to hear from him; given his current status. The broadcast of Ingaret had reached them very quickly; and apparently it was spreading to all the different Sanctuaries around the globe; only adding to the confusion.
But in time, he got the latest information. Benedict had returned to the room; looking for him. "You're still in here?" Benedict seemed surprised. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to."
Wondering if I was telling people how he turned everything back on. James held up his new Device and reported to Benedict. "I've called everyone I know. Some of them are in Sanctuaries now, some of them aren't. Word is the same all over: The Doors are still open, but the rate of people heading in has dropped off; even with the crowds approaching. Everyone inside is still holding out hope for more; but it looks like the people who want to be there have arrived." James reported. "Which is good, because some of the people gathered outside are getting restless."
"Are there people gathered outside?" Benedict asked.
"Outside every single Sanctuary, apparently." James gestured at his Device again. "The announcement by Ingaret Godlefe has galvanized people who weren't sure if..."
"If the Sanctuaries were on the level?" Benedict nodded, and led the way back outside, James following him to the crowd. "That's our first priority."
~~/*\~~
The crowd had broken up. With the Database back on, everyone had something to do. Those that remained in Benedict's shadow were far more interested in hearing what he had to say. Belle and Lewis were among them, and Benedict walked them through the conclusions he'd reached. "It's not just people. Even with the Database back up again, it'll take a while to restore all the equipment and items that have, quite literally, fallen apart. That includes food supplies. It's the wrong time of year for a harvest, and all the equipment we had to create food went into decay from the shutdown. Everything else has been looted, or stockpiled."
"All the stockpiles are in Sanctuary." James added, eyes on Benedict.
"Thieves." Someone said.
Benedict found he agreed. "They made no effort to make provision for people outside their hiding places. And why would they? They told us everyone outside deserved to die." He shook his head sadly. "Until Ingaret's broadcast, I wasn't sure why. Seeing first blood go to our own people was jarring, but I really thought it was about individualism now. After a thousand years of shining utopia… Suddenly the people in charge became the problem."
"There are no sides anymore."
"And there are no sides anymore." Lewis offered, not knowing where that thought came from. "For a Thousand Years, the 'right' authority has been obvious. But now, with the Covenants concluded, there is no 'right' side to be on. We're all making our own judgments now."
"It's happened before."
"There's precedent." Lewis added as his studies of the Bible came to mind. "A good king gets turned bad after ruling unchecked for long enough, listening to his own courts instead of the prophets."
"And now it's happened again." Benedict agreed. "I know the people who are here, Lewis. They aren't in Sanctuary. But they're good people. Godly people. If they weren't, they'd not have lived this long."
"Listen to the Bible. Isn't that what you've been doing for a thousand years?"
Benedict nodded, the thought suddenly occurring to him. "1 Kings 8 does say 'But will God really dwell on the earth? Look! The heavens, yes, the heaven of the heavens, cannot contain you'. If it applies to temples, it sure has to apply to Sanctuary."
"You are an evangelist, aren't you?"
Benedict turned to the window. "The first priority is helping the people who are looking to cause violence. None of us should judge them. It's coming from a place of uncertainty. They need someone to reassure them that they're still doing the right thing. That is the task before us now."
"That, and building a Sanctuary of our own!" Someone called. "The one rumor that's going all around the world is that the Sanctuaries are filling up too fast for the people still making the trip."
Belle jumped up. "We've been saying it for years! The Sanctuaries weren't being managed right! If we'd built them using our regular methods; we could have built a thousand more. Enough for everybody!"
"And then they would have come apart when the Preserver-Tech went offline with the Database." Dexter shouted over the agreement of the room; and everyone swiveled to look at him. He'd been listening so quietly that they'd almost forgotten he was there. "You're making arguments for why there should be no judgment. But we already know there will be. The verse that first described the Final Test was written two thousand years before this world began. That's been a certainty, this whole time. It was always going to be people who lived in Paradise that made the final attack. Who else is there?!"
Benedict gave him a look. "Mister…. I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. But the Database is back online, if you want to summon a vehicle and go; you are free to do so. That's all this is. People making a personal choice about how best to serve God."
Dexter nearly dove on the nearest Terminal, summoning an Auto. He gave James the barest look and hurried out.
James hesitated, and turned back to Benedict. "What about the fact that the Sanctuaries are intact? I delivered lumber and steel to those construction sites. None of it was Preserver-Restored. I got an earful from almost every client along the way. None of them thought it made sense that they needed such outdated construction; but it proved to be lifesaving for them… They couldn't have known the Database would fail, could they?"
The question was a warning, a reminder of what James knew that the rest of the crowd did not. Benedict covered smoothly; pleased that he'd seen such a challenge coming and prepared an answer. "No. But that means nothing." Benedict promised. "The Sanctuaries are the newest buildings made. They'd not have needed Preserver-Tech yet. And Jehovah told us that he'd have to withdraw some of his blessings for the Final Test. Like I said, you see how loyal someone really is when they're hungry and isolated. This is part of that."
"Brother Benedict?" Belle spoke without being called on first. She seemed nervous, hopeful that she'd say the right thing. "We've gone through every home garden, every marketplace. There's not much food to go around. Not without the aerofarms. They timed it so that the entire harvest was sent to Sanctuary."
Benedict shook his head. "A thousand years of everything going right, and they made no provision for anyone but themselves." He looked terribly sad about it. "Well, a few days without fresh greens won't kill us. I'm just sorry that so many people were deceived. We keep telling people to study for themselves, see for themselves…"
"They've got everything, and we've got nothing."
"And they just left half the planet outside, keeping all the stocks away from us?" Benedict added. "It isn't right!"
"And they must have known the Database would go offline!" Belle added. "The Sanctuaries were the only ones ready for that! They must have known it was coming!"
James looked to Benedict… who said nothing to that.
"Yup." James nodded. "Excuse me a moment."
James casually left the room. The second he was out of sight, he ran for all he was worth.
~~/*\~~
Outside, Dexter was getting into an Auto. Here and there were several others doing the same; all of them too far away to talk to. They all had the same look on their faces. Fear at having waited, relief that they were finally moving.
They were afraid of the journey. Dexter realized. They knew they couldn't stay, but they were hearing the rumors, and they were afraid to go on foot.
"Wait! For! Me!" Shouted a voice, punctuated by the footfalls of a long stride. James had come running. Dexter had a ghost of a smile as James all but dove into the Auto. "Go very fast!"
Dexter keyed the controls; and the Auto lifted off the ground. "What changed your mind?"
"I've heard that kind of talk before." James said tersely. "Back in OS, I was a Pirate. I've seen people believe their own speeches; I've seen people cover their own sins with pretty words. I've heard the Bible quoted to support everything from freeing slaves and keeping slaves; to going to war, and ending a war; to having money and taking money away. Those kids still waiting for the Foundation to save them? The ones that never saw OS? They think the Sanctuaries must be pulling a long con. Like they knew the Database would go offline, and the old methods of Construction would stay intact because they planned it that way." James shook his head. "And the guy who actually turned the Database off? The guy who was supposed to tell them that the Sanctuaries endure because God could see the future? He agreed with the people throwing roses at his feet."
Dexter shook his head. "We're cutting this way too close; but we made the right choice."
James drew a knife from his boot, reached across him to the controls; and started prying up the panel. "Speaking of cutting it too close, time to take a shortcut."
"What are you doing?" Dexter demanded nervously.
"Auto's can go a lot faster." James told him. "They limit themselves to certain flightpaths for safety; and because there's usually half a billion more Auto's taking to the skies, more or less along the same routes." James was doing something with the wires that Dexter couldn't guess at. "After this long, we won't run into traffic. Everyone who was going to do the right thing went on foot as soon as the lights went out."
"Unlike us." Dexter let out a breath, and tightened his safety harness. "This is not going to be pretty, is it?"
"No." James agreed, teeth bared in what was almost a grin. "I've had to escape death by the skin of my teeth before. I cut it this fine when I first Returned. My last words saved me from Aging Out." He actually laughed. "I was wondering if I still had a close shave left in me."
~~/*\~~
Benedict had been making the rounds, reassuring his people as best he could, sometimes with speeches, sometimes one on one. "We can make our own Sanctuaries now! With the Database back on, construction is easy again. We're converting this Tower into a proper Sanctuary; as only the smartest people in the world can make one!"
"It's all thanks to you, chief!" Someone shouted from behind; and everyone cheered.
"So, now that the Database is back on, we had best make use of it!" Benedict declared. "Send word to everyone we can that even if the Sanctuaries are full; there's room here for everyone who wants to join us."
"That might be more people than you think." Lewis called, waving his Device. "It looks like people are entering Sanctuary in waves. The first wave were the people camped out on their front doorstep for days in advance; the second wave is people who found transport… The third wave is everyone on foot; and they'll just be arriving now, to find Ingaret's warning when they get there." Lewis bit his lip. "I should tell you: I've known Ingaret for years, and if she's saying…"
"I know." Benedict assured him. "I think we're all feeling that."
"What do you believe, sir?" Someone asked.
"I've known this woman for almost all of Paradise. She was a Gold Letter, in fact. One of a very few who found her way to faith without any support from anyone. If we have nothing but her word; I believe it can be trusted-"
"Waitwaitwait!" A young voice chirped quickly, as Belle came running. "Sir, I need to talk to you about Ingaret's message!"
Her words set off a quick rumble from those in earshot. Benedict gestured for Belle to follow him off to speak privately.
~~/*\~~
"What have you got?" Benedict asked her once they were alone in his private office.
Belle took a deep breath. Benedict was the hope of everyone still present; and she was alone with him now for the first time. It was exciting. "Well, I worked with the Audio/Visual department for a while, before I got into biomimicry." She reported. "Every fifty years or so, we develop a new method of media. Film, digital, Holo… Once a century, we have to update our movies to work. Sometimes that involves reshoots."
He nodded. "What does any of this have to do with Ingaret Godlefe?"
"Well, once all the Gold Letters came back…" Belle hurried to get there. "Back in OS, there were dozens of films and TV Series about Moses and the Ten Plagues. So when we got the actual Moses back…"
"He didn't want to become an actor, I remember." Benedict nodded, and then it hit him. "Ah! Of course. You faked it."
"That sort of Computer Generation was available in OS too." Belle nodded. "We were able to recreate Bible scenes with the people involved, once we got pictures of what they actually looked like. Every century we had to redo them shot for shot to keep up with the technology." Belle nodded. "The part that isn't generally known is that we didn't just use it for those movies. There were some moments, some of the interviews, some of the lessons. A lot of what was broadcast was Dopple-Footage."
"What?" Benedict laughed. "How did I not know about this?"
"Well, a lot of the people involved weren't comfortable on camera. Most of them predated cameras by centuries." She explained. "Some of them would write out their talks, and have me make it into a talk for them. Some people couldn't get their schedules to line up, or wanted to correct a mistake they had made. So when that happened, they'd get me to replace them in the footage, so that it said what they wanted it to say; just in case they weren't as good when they were 'on' as they wanted to be."
"How could they have that problem in paradise?"
"I never had that problem." He demurred, secretly thrilled to know it.
"Nosir, you were always a natural public speaker." Belle said loyally. "But the ability to create such a convincing fake is there." She turned her newly printed Device to show him. "Now that you've given us the Database back, I've been able to get a shot from the crowd outside Jerusalem Sanctuary. See that man with Zann?"
Benedict looked. "He does look familiar."
Belle nodded, thrilled to have worked it out all by herself. "Jadu was the one that worked up the videos. Back in OS, he was a propaganda man for one of the less-reputable governments of the modern world."
Benedict beamed, as though seeing it all come together. "Well. The world outside is indeed collapsing into factions." He smiled warmly at Belle. "Dear girl, you are to be commended. You almost certainly saved some lives."
Belle felt a thrill that she'd never felt during her life in Paradise. "T-thank you." She cleared her throat, and found herself stepping a little closer to hug him tightly. "You have no idea, sir. We were so scared until you got here."
Benedict chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest against her ear as he returned the hug, stroking her hair. "There's nothing to fear, Belle. Nothing to worry about."
Belle didn't pull away. "Not even for you? I know that… Well, it's not my business."
"No, you can say it." He murmured. "It's been on my mind too, I admit."
"I just don't understand how your wife could go without you, after so long." Belle whispered into his chest, looking up at him. "I couldn't go without you if my life depended on it."
"Belle, you're almost nine hundred years younger than me, you know." Benedict said kindly.
"I know." Belle said quietly. "I don't care." "Surely he doesn't care either". Belle didn't know where the thought came from, but it made sense to her. "I mean… she's clearly not worried about you. Don't you deserve better?" She broke the hug but stayed close, big blue eyes looking up at him hopefully. "After everything you've done for us?"
And just for a second, he was clearly thinking about it. The moment thrilled her, but it passed as he remembered himself. "A conversation worth having, dear; but obviously one we can't have until this is over. There's still a major crisis to handle first."
Belle flushed warmly and stepped back. "Yessir. I'm with you." She promised crisply.
Benedict smiled. "I know you are. Go tell the others to get every vehicle that can carry us. We've got to get to Sanctuary, and put the truth to these lies. The lies about Ingaret, the lies about our brothers and sisters, and about Sanctuary itself!"
Belle chewed her lip a bit. "But what if they are full up?" She said quietly. "I helped run logistics for the construction work. I know what the capacity is; and if we convince the crowds gathered outside-"
"We aren't going into those places ourselves; Belle." Benedict said simply. "The reason why Ingaret's broadcast was so easy to believe was because every word was true. The Sanctuaries were never based in the right places for everyone, nor were they large enough. As a direct result, Sanctuary is being surrounded by a mob. We're going there to expose the lies; and calm down the crowd. As you say, this whole thing has been mismanaged from the very beginning. By the time we're done exonerating our sister Ingaret; we'll have converted this tower into a proper Sanctuary space; and with the Auto's working, there'll be a way to bring everyone back here in time."
Belle nodded, still a little starstruck. "It's all thanks to you." She beamed. "They should have put you in charge of the Sanctuary Project from the beginning."
"That's what I told them." Benedict demurred. "They'll have to listen now."
~~/*\~~
The Auto ate the distance. After days of travel by sea, it was almost laughable how fast they were moving. It felt like seconds later they came up on Jerusalem. It was about as far away from California as they could get; but Jerusalem was still the only Sanctuary still open to the sky.
The city was untouched, almost unchanged by the events unfolding around her upgraded walls. There was an open space of a few hundred meters around the outside, as though the city stood apart from the world.
And around it was a huge crowd, in an unbroken circle. Bigger than any crowd gathered around any other Sanctuary. It was almost a blur to them as they flew in.
~~/*\~~
In a different part of the world, Isobel had been quickly swallowed by the crowd, out of sight. Hugh and Kasumi, still a little further up the hill, were rooted to the spot, watching for her. Half hoping she'd come back; half hoping she'd make it through directly.
"If she makes it, so can we." Kasumi murmured like a prayer. "If she makes it, so can we."
"Look!" Hugh pointed. They couldn't see past the crowd, but the huge 'drawbridge' gave Isobel an elevated spot as she entered Sanctuary. Within its walls, she turned to face the crowd behind her, looking for Hugh and Kasumi… Who had not followed.
"She walked straight through the crowd." Kasumi breathed; and turned to Hugh. "Come on. We have to, now."
Hugh was rooted to the spot; seeing nothing but the horde of frustrated people.
~~/*\~~
"HANG ON!" James roared; and Dexter was amazed to realize the ex-Pirate was enjoying himself.
The adrenaline was making him bounce off the walls of his Auto, as James put them into a steep dive. They weren't going to land outside and run in. James was going to fly them in at full speed. The adrenaline gave way to outright fear and Dexter felt a scream rising from somewhere in his belly, before it reached his throat.
The Auto was moving fast enough to blur the world outside as they were hurled over the city walls…
And just for a second, just for a tiny instant that James never would have seen if his eyes hadn't been so perfect now; it looked like the doors were starting to move.
~~/*\~~
"I've never seen a crowd this… angry." Kasumi said quietly, shrinking back into herself. "How did this happen so fast, Hugh? We've been around for centuries and centuries. How could all of this happen so fast?!"
Hugh kept a tight grip on her hand, hugging her close to his body as they worked their way forwards. "Keep praying." He told her.
They had almost made it to the outer edge of the crowd. They'd have to push through; and up close like this, it was suddenly a lot scarier and more claustrophobic. It was like the crowd was a huge living organism. It was moving to its own beat. It had a pulse, an energy; something powerful and seething below the surface...
"She can do it, we can do it." Kasumi said to herself quietly. "She can do it, we can do it."
Something changed and the crowd roared again. There was a different kind of tone to it now. Like they'd just discovered a way to win a war. Like a hated enemy was finally about to be defeated.
Hugh looked down and realized he wasn't walking forward anymore. At the edge of the mob, he'd suddenly been caught off guard by the change; trying to understand what he was seeing. What has happened to you people this week to make you this angry at Sanctuary? What have you faced, that at least a century of Paradise is put out of your minds? Were you scared for loved ones, as I was? Were you deceived, as we were? Was it something unresolved, or a raw nerve long forgotten, like Isobel? Were you just certain you were doing the right thing, like Zann? Is it something else?
"We have to." Kasumi said quietly, pulling on his hand, trying to tug him forward.
"You'll never make it."
"We'll never make it through." Hugh told her. "We have to try and find somewhere else…"
Someone from the crowd noticed them finally. "Forget about it, brother." He said seriously. "Haven't you heard? Sanctuary is a trap! The people in charge knew their time was ending, and they tried to change the rules on us!"
"What are you talking about?!" Hugh exclaimed. "You heard Him, didn't you? At the Final Convention?"
The man they were facing hesitated, and shook his head, blowing right past that. "Everything He says can have more than one meaning. There were wars fought over what He meant."
And then something changed.
The doors to Sanctuary closed. The huge drawbridge doors had no chain, barely a hinge. It would have been impossible for anyone to lift the immense wooden structure off the ground, let alone lever it upright to shut against the wall. And yet, lifted by an invisible hand, the 'drawbridge' rose. Hugh caught a glimpse of Isobel, framed in the doorway, looking horrified out at the crowd, searching for her friends. It was just the tiniest glimpse, as the door shut between them.
The resonant sound of the huge doors closing echoed out over the crowd with a disturbing sense of finality. It actually sent the mob silent for a long moment.
And then the screaming started.
"This…" Kasumi shivered hard. "This isn't right. We're obedient. We believe." She looked helplessly at Hugh. "Don't we?"
"I do, and I know you do." Hugh stammered out. "We should be in there. We have every right to be in there. Just because we-" "You left willingly, days ago." Hugh pushed that thought away. "Just because we…" "Lost your nerve and stood outside the crowd for half an hour, even as Isobel walked straight through them and made it inside." Hugh swallowed that too. Emotion was making his voice rise. "We Belong In There!"
"We all do!" Someone close enough to overhear that shouted. "How Dare They Try To Keep Us Out?!" He was yelling, panicked, outraged. "DOVREMMO ESSERE LÌ DENTRO!"
The emotion was so strong, and the shouting so keyed up that it took Hugh a long moment to realize. He couldn't understand the man who was shouting. He was speaking another language.
Kasumi looked at her husband, shattered. She couldn't understand him either.
Language was one of the miraculous provisions of Paradise. It had been Jehovah that scattered people's languages. Paradise had always had the language barrier removed. Nobody had to learn a new language upon Returning, because they just 'understood'.
But now the doors were closed, and they couldn't understand each other.
Hugh felt the world fall out from under his feet. "Look around, Kas. Everyone in this mob thinks they should be in there."
Kasumi answered him in Japanese. A language that he hadn't spoken; beyond the few words a soldier would know in a long forgotten war. One word was familiar; in between all the panic.
It was the old word for 'finished'.
"Jehovah God, I don't understand!" Hugh said aloud, honestly not knowing if it mattered whether or not anyone was listening, or if anyone could communicate at all. "I know my problem, it was Prejudice. My main problem that I had to overcome. And I did! Did you keep us from going through? Did you stop us somehow? I overcame my prejudices, didn't I?"
And an answer came, and the source of it clearly didn't matter anymore. "Hugh, you young fool." The voice said with a sigh. "What is prejudice but a fear of what other people might do?"
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