Ming stalled and maneuvered in such a way that she was the last one out, trailing the main group. It was clear that Christopher, Nahum, and Caleb were talking with and praying with the six stragglers. Christopher told Tung, "These will come when it is their time." And to Ming's astonishment, the GC leader beckoned the last two guards, and they left.

Ming had been so moved, she realized she had not noticed whether the three strangers had the mark of the believer on their foreheads. They had to, didn't they? She wanted to know, but she did not expect to see them again. As the petrified group of Muslims was led through the streets to the loyalty mark application site, Ming allowed herself to hang back far enough that, despite her small stature, she could see past them for several blocks.

Huge klieg lights lit up the center, but no one in the area knew of the raid, and few spectators were there only the GC who had first rousted the four Muslim guards. But unless her eyes deceived her, Ming believed she saw three more strangers in robes with short hair and beards and no turbans. They could have been a matched set with the other trio!

But as the GC and the Muslims drew closer, they all began to point and talk among themselves. It was the same three! They stood at the head of the line, ignoring the vociferous GC clerical workers who told them to move aside.

As the Muslims were herded into line, Ming got a closer look at the three. They did not have the mark of the believer on their foreheads! She didn't know what to make of it. Were they underground rebels, charlatans, what?

Tung rushed them, brandishing his rifle. "Where are the others?

We will hunt them down, and you will be responsible "

"They will come when it is their time," Christopher said again.

And somehow that shut Tung up.

The Muslims were instructed on how to be processed. When Tung asked how many would be taking the mark of loyalty to Carpathia, about half raised their hands. The others groaned and argued with them. Tung laughed. "It makes no difference! Don't you see? You waited too long. You were discovered this very morning, months past the deadline for taking the mark. You will die at dawn with the rest."

He turned to the others. "And how many of you are choosing the guillotine, as if there was a choice?"

The rest of the Muslims raised their hands, and yet Ming noticed that none of them had the mark of the believer either.

Christopher addressed them. "Resist the temptation to choose the guillotine without choosing Christ the Messiah. You will die in vain."

"We will die for Allah!" one shouted, and the others raised fists of defiance.

"You will die all the same," Tung said.

His attention was diverted to the street, and everyone turned to see the last six Muslims striding purposefully toward the site.

Ming could tell Tung had not expected to see them again. When they arrived, they seemed to a.s.sess the layout, then headed directly for the area that led to the guillotines.

"I am glad you are so decisive," Tung said. "But we are closed until daybreak. Then you will be television stars, and a live audience will enjoy the show as well."

Christopher and Nahum and Caleb sat before the undecideds, each talking to a small group, pleading, explaining, urging them to receive Christ before it was too late. Finally Tung had had it.

"Enough!" he shrieked. "You are finished here! These people made their choices long ago, and punishment will be meted out in the morning. Now, begone!" The three ignored him. But he would not be put off.

"In five seconds I will open fire on you and instruct my people to do the same."

Ming panicked. She would not fire on these men of G.o.d! Could she pretend, hide, somehow go unnoticed?

Tung waited a few beats and raised his weapon. He was six feet from Christopher's head when he released the safety and squeezed the trigger, calling out, "Peacekeepers, open fire!"

Ming moved into position and made a show of readying her grenade launcher. Surely Tung did not expect her to deposit an explosive in the middle of everyone, Muslims, GC, and all. But she quickly realized she was the only one moving. Everyone else appeared frozen. Tung's face was set in the grimace of a man about to blow another's head off.

Ming tried to stop moving but was off balance and tripped on the foot of the man next to her, having to catch herself on yet another on her other side. She feared she had been exposed now, the only one not under the spell of the holy men.

But Christopher addressed her directly. "Do not fear, dear sister. "

So she had been given away! Now all would know she was not even a man!

"G.o.d is with you," Christopher said. "None of these can hear us, and none will remember what happened here, except that their offensive against the spokesmen of the Lord was futile. Be encouraged. Be of good cheer. Your Father in heaven looks upon you with pleasure, and you will not see death before his Son returns again. "

Ming felt a glow as if she were flushed from head to toe. A warmth rode through her that enlivened her, gave her strength and courage. She was curious. If Christopher knew the mind of G.o.d, could he tell her more? Ming could not open her mouth, yet she had so many questions.

Christopher answered even the unasked. "Neither will your mother see death before the glorious appearing of the King of kings. But you will be separated soon. You will return to your friends, not all of whom will remain on this earth to the end."

Ming wanted to ask who, but still she could not make herself speak. Her limbs, warm and liquid, felt heavy and immobile. All she could do was stare at Christopher. She felt as if she were smiling, in fact as if her entire body was.

Christopher stood, and Nahum and Caleb joined him. As she watched, they seemed to grow larger until they towered over the area. Christopher reached out an open hand to her, but she could not move to take it and feared anyway that her body would be enveloped by it.

"And now," he said, "may the G.o.d of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever." The three were gone, and suddenly it was morning. The sun was bright and warm. Tung and his people acted as if they knew they were on the air, serious looks plastered on their faces. They strode about through the crowd of onlookers and Muslims.

All the victims of the raid were in line for the blade, and to Ming's surprise and great joy, at least twenty-five of them bore not only the mark of the believer, but also a look of a.s.surance and deep peace that said they would have the grace to accept the consequences of their decision.

It was nearly half a year later before Chang began to feel the pressure had lightened, if only a bit, at the palace compound. He tried a little something new every day, tapping in here and there, checking the memory disk David Ha.s.sid had buried deep within the system. It was all there, everything that had gone on in the place since Chang began to lie low. He had not listened in to anything live, but he could check his calendar for specific events and go back to hear what had gone on behind closed doors on those days.

His sister had finally escaped China, their mother insisting that Ming go back to the United North American States "with your young man. I will be fine here." Ming told Chang she had not told their mother of Christopher's promise that neither of them would see death before the Glorious Appearing, but that "Mother seems to get along as if that is her intention anyway to make it to the end."

Ming rhapsodized to Chang about how wonderful it had felt to finally get on board with Ree, to fly all day, to get past easier checkpoints and wind up in San Diego, finally able to get rid of her male GC Peacekeeper's uniform and let her hair grow out . . .

to be a woman again.

"For Ree?" Chang had asked via secure phone.

"For me!" she said. "Well, maybe a little for him."

"How's that going?"

"None of your business."

"Of course it is."

"It's safe to say we're an item," she said, "but it's awfully hard to concentrate on that with him gone almost all the time.

The people here tease me about it, even Captain Steele. But Ree and I are not really romantic yet."

"He hasn't kissed you?"

"I didn't say that."

"That sounds romantic."

"It was a kiss good bye before his last run and a kiss of greeting when he returned. It was in front of people, so no, romantic it was not."

Chang was curious about how Rayford was getting along, relocating once again.

"It's been hard for him, Chang. He's thrilled to be back with his family, of course, and you should see him with that grandson! But he still feels isolated from much of the Tribulation Force, even though Sebastian has had a techie in here giving him all of us whatever we need to carry on as before. Living literally beneath the ground can get depressing. And I know he misses many of the advantages he had at Petra."

To Chang's mind, the one who had benefited most at Petra was Abdullah Smith. He was flying again, making regular runs in and out of the place, many of them with his old friends Mac and Albie. But he had chosen, and they had agreed, that he should continue to live in Petra. He had become expert on the computer and frequently regaled the rest of the Trib Force with his latest escapades, many of which happened right there at Petra. He had just filed a long account with Rayford and copied everyone else.

He wrote in English for everyone's benefit, and was still learning. It read:

Late yesterday after the noon we had a very special time here as Dr. Ben Judah instructed us on living in the Spirit. That is the Holy Spirit, which I knew some about from his previous teachings, but not nearly enough.

Captain Steele, you will recall that just before you left, there had been some trouble here. Nothing too major, but people getting on each other's nervousness and complaining to the elders about this and that. Well, do you know who straightened all that out and got people to get along better? No, not Dr. Ben Judah, but Chaim. Yes, it's true. He has become quite a wise leader and very beloved by everyone here. My spell checker is making belovered blink madly, but that is what he is, most certainly. Anyway, today Dr. Ben Judah talked about Chaim, who many here still like to call Micah. His Bible pa.s.sage was Ephesi.ans : , which talks about being filled with the Spirit, having a song in your heart (I liked that especially), having an att.i.tude of thankfulness, and submitting to one another. He said those were characteristics of Chaim, and from the reaction of the people, I would have to say they agreed enthusiastically.