Bluebeard!
– Noooo… This time everything is real, – whispered the girl. – The butterflies are tearing up my stomach. The blood is overflowing with hormones. And my heart – knock, knock. It made me want to write a poem.
– No way! About love? Read it.
– Listen. – Ruta looked up and began, «When the waters of Angara crack and the stars drink the gold from the sun. When the molten metal from the holster through the ribs of my heart touches…
– We have dozens of armed fanatics inside,“ Eira interrupted sharply, „the lead-titanium alloy and the power of prayer will hardly allow us to get inside. They will starve to death and become martyrs. And they’ll broadcast their deaths on their video feeds. And you know exactly where that will lead. So let’s stop talking. Let’s try cutting through the metal of the doors. Somebody get the torch from the bus.
A few minutes later, a laser cutter was rolled up to the bunker door. The team engineer removed the remote control from its mount, pressed a few buttons, and set the device in motion. A wide beam erupted from the nozzle, which immediately focused into a narrow beam. The jet of poisonous blue light immediately left a trace on the surface of the doors. The operator pushed the joystick with her finger, and the beam slowly slid down the metal, leaving a deep furrow that, to everyone’s amazement, immediately healed. The engineer glanced questioningly at Eira. The commander, silently, took the remote from the girl and increased the intensity of the radiation to maximum. The furrow grew a few centimeters deeper, but it tightened again.
– I’m wondering,“ Tamura whispered, „is it the alloy components doing tricks or the power of the fanatics’ prayers?
– Are there any other options? – The High Witch asked angrily.
– Is there video surveillance in the hall? – Tamura turned to the guard.
– No, they haven’t installed it yet,» Batu answered guiltily. – The school has no money.
– The bunker must have a warning system,“ Ruta said, „and it must not be switched off. Requirements for military facilities of the Third World. Am I right?
– There is one,» the boy confirmed. – There’s a microphone on the guard.
– What’s it going to do for us? – Tamura asked. – Shall we play Satanic music for them?
– I can try «whisper,» the white witch said.
– «Whispers? There are fifty religious fanatics, united by blind faith, willing to die as martyrs and completely devoid of fear. What are you going to whisper to them? Sim salabim ahalay mahalay?
– I’ll find the tone, the chilling rhymes, the stagnum, the right words, I’ll go whisper. I’m gonna write them a poem. I’ll start with the Far rune, play with the tonality. I’ll try to open the door from the inside. Out of 60, at least one weak one will be found. In the meantime, think of other options. Please do not engage without me. Stall for time and wait for me.
– She’s right,“ the commander said, „if she can open the door, turn off the lights. Let’s hope they don’t have thermal imaging. – Come on, witch, give the place a scare.
Chapter 2
– "…Do not be afraid of anything you have to endure. The devil will cast you from Wednesday into prison to tempt you, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful to me unto death, and I will give you the crown of Life…» – quoted Revelation from a gray-haired old man. He looked around at the people present, trying to look into everyone’s eyes. The children, surprisingly, seemed much calmer than many of their parents. The women’s eyes filled with tears. Many were hesitant, worried. We had to reassure everyone. – Outside, the devils of hell are waiting for us, armed to the teeth,» he continued. – They call themselves witches. And there is nothing alive in them for a long time. Their only purpose is to serve the devil. Do you know what the witches want to do to us? Most of the Companions will stay here, dying for their faith. The strongest will be tortured physically and mentally to make us renounce our faith. To show that our God is weak. That our God does not exist! That the crucifixion killed our God! That there was no crucifixion at all! – the priest tried to pause, emphasizing the deep sacredness of his sermon, as if it were the last one. – But these creatures will get nothing. The witches themselves will stand side by side with us at the judgment of God. And we will fight no more. We will wait ten days, as the revelation says. Ten days to strengthen our faith. Ten days so that none of us will have a drop of doubt in our faith. I know what constrains you. The devil’s most powerful tool, Satan’s staff, the third facet of Lucifer is fear of death. Fear of disappearing into the void, into nothingness. But did not Christ, our Lord, show us that there is no death? There is no death! – he whispered. – I will quote Paul, who was the enemy of Christians from the beginning: «But if He has not risen, your faith is vain: you are still in your sins. Therefore those who died in Christ are lost. And if we hope in Christ alone in this life, we are more miserable than all men.» Now Paul is the most honored of the apostles because he believed in spite of, not because of. And we will believe the same way. We will believe not in spite of the fear of judgment day, which is at hand. We will believe in spite of the fear of death. Because the Lord is with us! For ten days we will fast and pray. And the power of our faith will keep the walls around us from breaking down. What about the witches? – you may ask. Witches are powerless against this power. They can do nothing. Nothing! And when we ourselves open the doors and let the demons into our abode, we will open the gates of eternal life for us and Gehenna of fire for them! I will personally press the detonator button and give you the promised crown of life, the ticket to the Kingdom of God. We will all die for faith, and in faith we will live on! – The shepherd licked his parched lips. A sip of water would be good now. But the shepherd did not want to show weakness. – The Messiah is coming. He is already born and near. He is already stronger than all of us put together. And if Jesus Christ was born as the son of God and the earthly Virgin Mary by the Immaculate Conception, the new Messiah is a human being, just like each of us. In our image and likeness. And, this man is able to fulfill the prophecy of Revelation. Capable of becoming one with God and leading us to the long awaited Apocalypse. Then anyone and everyone, living and dead, will stand before the Creator. The righteous will receive according to their faith and become angels in Heaven, and sinners, demons and the devil himself will be defeated forever. Do you want to be part of God’s plan? – The old man closed his eyes, so that he could hear with satisfaction the agreement of all.
– We do! – The congregation replied in a near whisper.
– Do you want to stand with Jesus Christ?
The shouts of approval grew stronger.
– Do you want to touch God himself? – For convincing, he turned his eyes to the crowd and raised his hands to the icon of the Creator surrounded by seraphim.
The crowd erupted in a general cheer. An elderly, stocky man standing closest to the shepherd turned to the crowd and raised his palm upward. The people fell silent.
– What should we do, Lord? – he asked.
– Do not be afraid! – The shepherd paused again for a long time. – Do you know what is the special value of Revelation? God Himself speaks to us there! He speaks to us about our last days before judgment. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and
