The winds whistled and sighed around the ankles of the two young women.

As quickly as the winds came, they went. The candles came back to flame.

Xaviere and Janet both sighed a breath of relief.

TFC James Norris beat it back to the house when the lightning began licking at the earth. Smart-mouthed truck drivers, drunk motorists, and bad wrecks were something he could handle. Wind lightning in the middle of the day was another matter.

The younger kids at the clinic began crying as the brief storm lashed at the outside. With fifteen kids to one adult, those at the clinic had their hands full trying to calm the kids, keep them occupied, fix snacks, and keep the bathroom lines in order. All breathed a bit easier when the skies once more cleared.

"There it is!" Brother Cliff Lester hollered from the pulpit. "The sign, sign, Brothers and Sisters. Gird your loins and prepare to march, carrying the banner of freedom from filth!" The lightning and thunder faded. Brothers and Sisters. Gird your loins and prepare to march, carrying the banner of freedom from filth!" The lightning and thunder faded.

Elmer was a little bit confused. He knew how to march, but what was that bit about the loins?

He didn't have much time to think about it, for everybody in the church stood up and began marching and singing ... the marching in step; the singing in Tongues.

Then Elmer remembered he had forgotten to tell the other men to arm themselves. Oh, well, he mentally shrugged that off as the urge to babble struck him. It wouldn't much matter ... So he followed out the door.

Brother Lester raced to catch up and move to the front of the line. If they could pull this off, this could be the start of something big in Central Louisiana. TeeVee people might even come in and interview him. Hot d.a.m.n! he thought.

No one noticed the teenage girl who ran back to the church to use the bathroom. Or the two men who were hiding behind the church ... waiting.

Twice Trooper Norris had started his car to pull out, just get away from this crazy town. Twice he had shut it down. He looked toward the mansion. That Sam Balon was standing on the wide porch, his arms folded across his chest, looking at him.

With a sigh, Trooper James A. Norris lifted his mike and called into his troop. "Log me 10-7," he said.

"10-4," Dispatch replied. "Have fun, James."

"Yeah," Norris said, with about as much enthusiasm as someone getting ready for a double root ca.n.a.l. He slowly walked up the sidewalk to face Sam. "Why am I doing this?"

"Somebody far, far away, but yet very close, asked you to do it."

"G.o.d?" Norris whispered the word.

"No," Sam said with a smile. "Some call him G.o.d's mercenary."

"G.o.d has a mercenary?"

"He's a warrior. I've spoken with him several times."

Norris started to sweat again. He reached out his hand and gently touched Sam's arm, as if he expected his hand to go right through; as if Sam might not be of this world.

"I'm human," Sam a.s.sured him. "I like a good drink of bourbon, a cold beer, an occasional football game on TV and I really enjoy making love to my wife."

"I'm not married."

"Any special lady in your life?"

"Naw. n.o.body ever takes me seriously enough. I been a clown for so long, people never know when to take me seriously."

"Rita thinks you're cute."

"She's married." married."

"She threw her husband out. He's one of those who joined the other side."

That brought it all back into perspective. "Burt is? ..."

"Yeah."

"Sam? What's the plan?"

"I don't have one. The rules state that I can make no overt hostile move unless first provoked."

Norris stared at him. "The rules?"

"It's a game, Trooper," Javotte said, walking out onto the porch. "Not one that our G.o.d enjoys, but a game nonetheless."

"What are the odds?"

"About a hundred and fifty to one," Sam said. "Against us."

James sat down on the porch. "Why did I have to ask?" he muttered.

11.

The line of singing, shouting, arm-waving, and hip-shaking marchers reached a small convenience store located on the northern edge of Becancour's main business drag. The store sold beer and booze and bread and cold cuts and canned goods and gasoline-and girlie magazines. Not the X-rated type of magazines, but those that did "Show it all, man."

Brother Cliff Lester threw open the front door and stepped inside. Taking a deep breath, just knowing this would get him a slot on Donahue, he dramatically announced, "We are the Committee for the Removal of All p.o.r.nography."

The young man behind the counter, not a part of either side of the invisible struggle going on around him, just knowing that he felt weird, looked up at Brother Cliff Lester. "That spells c.r.a.p, man."

"I beg your pardon!" Lester roared.

"You know, that does spell c.r.a.p," Elmer said to Sister Sally.

"Hush your mouth, Elmer!" Sister Sally whispered. "We're doin' Lord's work here."

"I don't know," Elmer muttered. "But the fried chicken was good."

Sister Sally withered Elmer silent with a frosty look.

"Clear that rack of filth!" Lester yelled, pointing to the magazine rack.

"Carry your a.s.s on out of here, you redneck!" the young man told him.

"How dare you speak to me in that manner!" Brother Lester yelled. "Don't you know who I am?"

"I know you're a crazy nut!" the a.s.sistant manager said. "Get outta here."

Brother Lester looked heavenward. "Lord, give me patience before I strike this poor heathen hip and thigh."

The young man rose from his stool, walked around the counter, and busted Brother Lester on the snoot with a solid right.

Brother Lester's b.u.t.t hit the floor as the blood from his bent beak poured. There was a look of astonishment on his face. With both hands to his bleeding nose, he looked around at his flock. "'Eize 'em 'ilthy 'ooks!" he said, pointing to the rack.

Sister Sally, all two hundred and forty pounds of her. bulled her way through the crowd and began s.n.a.t.c.hing up the magazines, ripping them apart. Elmer grabbed one of the glossies.

"Look at them pictures," he breathed.

The young man grabbed up a spray can of Mace from behind the counter and gave Sister Sally a squirt.

Sister Sally hit the floor and went into convulsions.

Only those Brothers and Sisters standing in the door knew what really happened. Those outside saw only that Sister Sally hit the floor and began jerking.

"She's in the spirit!" one yelled.

"And so is Brother Elmer!" another one yelled.

Elmer was on his hands and knees, attempting to gather up as many of the torn pages as possible. He'd never seen anything like this in all his life. He'd never even seen his wife naked. Not that he'd wanted to in the last twenty years.

" 'All the 'olice!" Lester said, his voice rising about the bub of voices.

"Hey, you silly sanctimonious jerk!" the young man shouted at Lester. "If anybody calls the cops, it'll be me! me! You don't have the right to come in a man's business and start orderin' me around and then wreck the place. Ain't you got no sense at all?" You don't have the right to come in a man's business and start orderin' me around and then wreck the place. Ain't you got no sense at all?"

"Seller of filth!" a man yelled. "Debaser of morals!"

"Get lost and get out!" the young man yelled.

Elmer had crawled behind a soft drink machine and was busy looking. "Ain't that a sight?" he muttered. He turned another torn page and found an article on government. n.o.body ever told Elmer these magazines had words words in them. He began to read. Pretty d.a.m.ned interesting. in them. He began to read. Pretty d.a.m.ned interesting.

'Brother Elmer!" Sister Bertha squalled. "Where are you when we need your strength?"

Elmer scrunched up closer to the machine. If he had any luck at all, they'd forget about him. The young a.s.sistant manager jerked out a pistol. "Ya'll better carry your a.s.ses on outta here!" he hollered, " 'Fore a bust a cap!" He looked down at Sister Sally, "And drag that heifer outta here, too."

Brother Lester was on his feet, his shirt front b.l.o.o.d.y from his busted snoot. "Gather outside, Brothers and Sisters. We'll pray."

The store emptied and the young man began gathering the torn magazines. People like Cliff Lester and those that followed him irritated the s.h.i.t out of him. A1ways tryin' to tell somebody else what to do. Worse than the d.a.m.ned government.

He cut his eyes and found Elmer, sitting on the floor, his back to a soft drink machine. "Well, what in the h.e.l.l are you doing?"

Elmer looked up. "Uh ... you sell fried chicken?"

The teenage girl did not fully understand what had happened. She had gone back to the church to use the bathroom and something had exploded against the back of her head. She had dropped into unconsciousness. When she had awakened, she was bound, gagged, and blindfolded.

And naked.

Those that had seized her had put their hands all over her body, squeezing and fondling her flesh.

Then she had heard a female voice saying that the girl would do just fine. The Master would be pleased.

Sadie Wesson was scared. She was so scared she couldn't help herself. She wet on herself.

The unseen men around her thought that was very funny.

Colter stilled the ringing of the phone. She tensed as the familiar voice sprang into her ear.

"Hi, Granny!" Jackson said. "My, my, but wasn't grandfather a funny-looking sight last night?"

"Where are you, Jackson?"

"At my darling baby brother's house, Granny dear. Are you ready to die, Granny?"

Colter had motioned for Sam and Father Javotte to pick up the extensions.

"What do you want, Jackson?"

"Why, just some conversation, Granny. Don't you want to talk to your favorite grandson?"

"I would rather see you dead and buried, Jackson."

"Goodness, gracious, Granny!" Jackson laughed, "You have turned into a hard old broad, haven't you?"

She said nothing.

"Some are walking now, Granny," Jackson whispered, "But I think you know that."

"I know, Jackson."

"Why don't you call for outside help, Granny? The more the merrier, as they say."

"You know why we don't, Jackson."

Jackson's laugh was so evil it touched Colter's heart, chilling it. "Oh, I know, Granny. I know. Monday morning, Granny, the pretty little town of Becancour will be back to normal. Everything will be just dandy. Won't it, Granny?"

He's too confident, Sam thought. Much too sure of himself.

Sam caught Javotte's glance. The priest nodded his understanding and agreement.

"I'm going to kill you, Granny," Jackson said, "You ... are ... dead!" He hung up.

"Jackson?" Romy asked.