Armageddon's Slaves Chapter Three

“Hey Ski, you wanted to see me?” Samuel stood in the shop manager’s door nervously. He thought he knew what the conversation was going to be about, but didn’t expect to see Mr. Rommers, the owner sitting in the big chair next to Benjamin Warshinsky’s desk.

“Come on in, sit down.”

Samuel took the free chair, wondering what was up. The two men exchanged a knowing look and Rommers started speaking.

“I came down here because I understand you’re a bit hesitant about taking this job Ski has been dangling in front of you. Believe me, I understand the importance of family, and I respect it. I also understand you have some other personal matters that you want to consider.”

He smiled warmly for a moment before continuing.

“So here’s the deal. We want to create an entirely new position. Call it an efficiency expert, although I hate that because most of the people running around calling themselves efficiency experts have never done whatever it is they’re trying to make more efficient. You’re making this shop run well, and everybody in the company knows it. We now have seven shops around the Pacific Northwest, I can send you out there, and people will listen to you. I can’t hire somebody else that can do that.”

Samuel nodded, wondering where this was going.

“I want you to take as much time as you need to decide what you want to do, what works for you. Frankly, I think I’m offering you a very good deal, we’ll make every effort to accommodate your needs at home.”

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.” Samuel struggled for words, blast it, he WANTED the job, was that selfish materialism?

“I’m going to go on my way now and let you think.”

After a minute or two of casual conversation, Rommers left.

“Samuel,” Warshinsky said, “really think about this. You know my neighbor, Mark Whitworth, is a member of your church,” he held up a hand, “I know you don’t call it a church. He’s a good guy and through him, and you, I know something about your beliefs. I just want to say that I believe the Lord’s coming back someday, but meanwhile we live here and now. You’re too smart to let life pass you by while you’re waiting.”

“Funny, my son said that to me yesterday. Okay, I’ll think it over.”

“Thank you, I’ll warn you, I’m going to keep bugging you.”

Samuel left the office more confused than when he’d gone in. The Word considered non-Disciples 

“Outsiders” not worthy of The Lord Almighty’s reward in Paradise. But these two men seemed genuinely concerned for his happiness and well-being. Why would God kill them when Armageddon cleansed the Earth to make way for Paradise?

  **

Luke Collins, Samuel’s brother-in-law, and The Word of God Foundation’s Area Servant for Eastern Washington, called Samuel Monday night to tell him there would be a special Servant’s meeting on Saturday afternoon to discuss confidential instructions from New Jerusalem. Servant committees from many Gatherings in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho would conference in by phone.

He refused to discuss the matter in greater detail, saying only that attendance was mandatory. Samuel said he would be there. No point in speculating about it, he’d find out at the meeting. Unless Sophia told Judith, no that was unfair. Luke kept his mouth shut about information from New Jerusalem, probably out of fear of losing his position as Area Servant.

The Word took pride in claiming that it had no paid clergy. This was true of local Servants, although Area Servants received a “living allowance” from New Jerusalem, always described as “small,” but no one knew the real number.

“And there I go again,” Samuel thought, “more negative thinking about The Word.  I have to stop this.”

Later, as Judith lay next to him sleeping he stared at shadows on the ceiling. The tree in the yard partially blocked a streetlight, its bare branches painted an abstract design as they moved. Samuel could not sleep, one random thought after another kept him from relaxing. Questions he could not answer demanded his attention. One in particular kept resurfacing, “Am I a bad Disciple, is this how 

Good Disciples become Forsakers, abandoning what they knew to be the true religion?” 

The thought that he was becoming a Forsaker terrified him. It meant abandoning The Word forever, without possibility of return. He would have no life in Paradise, no everlasting relationship with The Lord Almighty and fellow Disciples. He’d never see Charlene again. Of course, the Bible said that a Forsaker sinned against the Holy Spirit, erasing in chance of repenting.  

He got up, moving quietly to avoid waking Judith. He walked to his den, noting a light under the door to David’s room. He decided not to say anything. He’d been a night owl at that age, too. He sat down in the chair at his desk and tried to pray. He needed answers. 

He opened his eyes at a soft tap on the door. David stood in the door frame, looking concerned.

“I heard you up, thought I’d see if you’re Okay.”

“I’m fine, just thinking about a lot of stuff, makes it hard to sleep.”

A shadow crossed the boy’s face, not a frown, something else. Concern? Samuel realized he needed to think of his son as a young man.

“You want to talk a minute? Have a seat.”

David sat in the extra chair, available.  “Dad, is my wanting to go to college one of your worries?”

“Yes, but maybe not in the way you think. At least not now. I think that if you want to go college, I won’t stand in the way. They’ll probably remove me from the Servant Committee. I’m not sure I care anymore.”

The sudden expression of his true feelings to another person startled Samuel no less than his son. 

“I’m tired of it all.” He added simply.

He asked where he wanted to go to school, what he would study? More importantly, how would he pay for it? A minute later, he had to admit David had done his homework. He planned to pursue a degree in medical technology. He had good grades, and applied to every grant and scholarship he could find. Student loans were available. With a jolt, Samuel realized that taking the promotion at work would provide extra money to put toward his son’s future.

“What about the Word?”

“What about it, Dad?”

He pointed out the Apostle’s teachings on education, but added that he understood the conflict. He struggled with the same issue regarding his promotion.

“You should take it,” David answered, “You’re too smart to just work in the shop, one reason I want to go to school is because I don’t plan to spending my life waiting for the end of the world.”

Samuel laughed, “that’s the third time in two days I’ve heard that, two of them from you.”

David laughed and pointed out that maybe it was true, “Dad, I was young but I can sort of remember that Grand Gathering where everybody thought the world was going to end in 2008. You and Mom have spent the time since then just waiting for Armageddon. All my friends see their parents living the same way. We don’t want to live like that. Well some of the guys want to be hot shot Servants and a few of the girls want to marry them. I want something more than sitting and waiting.”

“Is this about your sister?”

“Some. I think. At least that’s what sparked my interest in a medical field.”

The room grew quiet for a moment.

“We should get to bed.”

“Okay.  Is Mom going to freak out?”

“Probably, but I’ll handle it.”

**

Caleb Larson’s money, and his attitude about it around the House, had always bothered Samuel. In public, he preached the official teaching from the Apostles, the pursuit of wealth was a distraction from spiritual matters. His was one of the loudest voices railing against higher education. He claimed that his job in real estate sales left him plenty of time for his duties as Senior Servant and Disciple-making, so HIS money wasn’t a problem. He made it sound like The Lord Almighty dropped dollars into his bank account as reward for good behavior.

Samuel did not look forward to more idiocy.  Dinner proved to be a heaping plateful of it. It started when Luke opened the door; he, his sisters, and Caleb were always an unpleasant combination.

The presence of “Uncle Harry” served only to bring attention to all the things he was starting to see wrong with Disciple culture. Harry, now in his eighties, had spent his entire adult life as a Disciple. 

He went to work at New Jerusalem in his late teens, working in the printing plant that churned out millions of books and magazines.

He spent his life there, until technology and changing reading habits reduced the demand for printed pages.  After a lifetime of service at the Seattle headquarters, he “retired” to live with his family in Spokane. He called a cramped apartment over the Larson’s garage home, ate most of his meals with them, and rode to Gatherings in their car. Samuel knew all this because he wrote a check to Caleb every month to help cover the cost of Harry’s care. Having opted out of all the government programs, and no money to buy insurance of any sort, he had no social security, or other benefits.

Invited to say the prayer before dinner, the thanked The Lord for the many blessings he gave his people, including the knowledge that they would soon all live in Paradise. He specifically thanked God for providing for his needs. Samuel clinched his teeth at that, The Lord had taken a lifetime of Harry’s service and left his care to the rest of the family. Couldn’t they see that? The chorus of 

“Amens” around the table seemed a clearly negative answer.    

Shortly after that, the fight started.

Armageddon’s Slaves © Jeffrey Thomas  All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All events and characters are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.