It seemed a bit heavy. I laid it on the bed and opened one end. There was a note stuffed into it. I took the note as I sat on the edge of the bed and read it.
“Dear Jack,
What I have sent you is something you will need tonight and in the coming months and years. It is quite old and very valuable. There are some rules, though. Never leave it lying around when you are in public. Keep it with you always and in your right hand, unless you intend on raising it above your head. Always use both hands if you choose to do so. Do not let any other man have it, borrow it, or touch it. Only men of God can touch or use it, so make sure if you decide to let another do so, you are sure of their allegiance. I am sure you will figure out where it came from and what is was used for in the past. However, this much I can tell you, it came from God.
In Christ, Gabriel.”
I stared at the box and then I knew what was in it. I was afraid to touch it. I just stared at the box. I was afraid to take it out. This was the staff of Moses, for only God would have had it. He had taken it from Moses when he was allowed to see the Promised Land, but not enter it. How did it get here?
Then my mind clouded and for some reason the room changed. It was as if I could see two men in front of the Pharaoh, the staffs turning into snakes, and one devouring the other. Then I saw a man strike a rock and water flowed from it. I shook my head, cleared my eyes by blinking, and I looked at the box again. I picked it up, opened the other end, than tilted the container so the object would fall out on the bed.
It was twisted like a serpent and was covered with carvings and ancient writing. One end was tapered and the top had a ball on it of some sort. I picked it up with my right hand and I could feel the vibrations in the stick. I closed my eyes and my hand tightened its grip as I felt something like a mild electrical current flowing through my body. I stood there for a few moments feeling the sensation, opened my eyes, and gently laid the staff on the bed. Then I heard a knock at the door.
Chapter 125
12:35 PM EST Day four of 1260 Camp David, Maryland - President Richard Stevenson’s Office
President Stevenson was finalizing the signing of some paperwork when the door opened slightly, “Mr. President?”
“Yes?” he said to the secret service agent. “We are going to have to leave early to Kansas City, sir. According to our advance team, the city is bursting and they want to make sure we have enough time to get you and your family there and settled in the hotel.”
“Why the change, agent?”
“They are seating you at around 6:15 instead of 7:15. It seems that they need everyone seated by that time in order to keep control of the situation. In addition, there is an hour long pre-show and no one other than Jack is allowed behind stage after everyone is settled. Therefore, we really need to go, sir. The Executive Helicopter is already on the lawn and Air Force One is already loaded with your wife, Jamal, and the Press Corp, at Andrews Air Force Base.”
“Alright, I will be right there. Richard signed the last two papers on his desk, grabbed his portfolio, and walked out the door.
Well, that was unusual, he thought to himself. Usually everyone waited for him; now he had to wait for Jack.
Chapter 126
11:45 AM Day four of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - City Center, Jack South’s Suite
After I heard the knock, I cracked the door and the security guard said, “Mr. South, Mr. Marks, uh, I mean, Reverend Marks is here to see you.”
I opened the door and said, “Come in, Thomas. Glad you made it.” I closed the door again while Thomas stood there. “Come over by the couch,” I said. Then he saw it.
“What’s that Jack?” he asked as he moved towards the bed.
“Stop, Thomas,” I said rather sternly. He stopped. I guess my voice was raised and he heard the panic. “Don’t touch it.”
He turned to me with a bewildered look on his face and said, “Is there something the matter?”
“No, Thomas,” I said as I guided him to the couch. “Sit down, I will explain.”
I got up and went over to the bed, picked up the note from Gabriel that I had left there, came back, sat down, then said, “Here, read this. It will explain it all.” He read the note, looked over at the bed, and then read it again. Glancing back to the bed, then to me he asked, “Is this the staff of Moses?”
“Yes,” I said. “It is the staff of Moses.” I told him what had happened before when I held it.
Thomas just sat there and stared at the staff. He finally said to me, “It’s powerful, isn’t it?”
“Yes it is Thomas, very powerful. It is more powerful than you could ever imagine. Look Thomas,” I said, “let’s order something to eat from room service and then we’ll talk.”
“Was the staff why you wanted to talk to me Jack?”
“No, it is something else. What would you like, a hamburger or something, coke?”
“Anything is fine.”
I picked up the phone and dialed 211 for room service. When they answered, I ordered burgers, fries, cokes, and a side crab salad.
Chapter 127
12:00 PM CST Day four of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - Liberty Memorial, Anchor Desk
John went through the checkpoint using the back door for the first time and followed the path between the barriers. He was checked twice more before he reached the stage area. He walked up to the sound booth where they were testing the sound system. From the stage, it sounded like a giant echo. They would have to put an earpiece in Jack’s ear or he would get too much feedback, John thought.
As he neared the anchor desk, he saw Don coming up to greet him.
“Hi John,” Don said, beaming with pride, “we made some improvements last night and put a clear screen behind you. That way we can superimpose the Memorial on it. Like it?”
“Looks great Don, and as always you pay attention to detail.”
“Yes, well that’s what you get when you get a MacKee. We have a family tradition of always doing our best.”
John smiled at him and said, “I just wanted to come over and see the layout before I have to do the news, then Jack’s Sermon.”
“No problem John. I will show you around. We already have the spots marked out for close-ups of the President and others.” He walked across the stage and said, “Here the President and his wife will sit. There is a Bishop from Northern Africa here, with the uh, oh yeah, Cardinal Richital, from the Vatican. They will also be in the front row, and the list goes on.” He pointed to the camera stands at all corners of the stage and the platform ones above them.
John walked to the edge of the stage. Looking down towards Union Station, he saw the incredible sight of a sea of people standing and milling around. There were thousands upon thousands, just waiting. They still had seven and a half hours to go to see and hear Jack. He hoped they would all be okay.
He turned back around and saw Don looking at him. “Quite amazing, isn’t it John? Just like the films you see of the pilgrimages to Mecca in the Middle East. It looks almost the same.”
“Yes it does Don, it most definitely does.”
Chapter 128
12:20 PM CST Day four of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - City Center, Jack South’s Suite
I tried to continue to get Thomas to calm down. While we were waiting for room service, I picked up the staff and brought it over to him, close enough for him to see it. I turned it over slowly and showed him the ball at the end of the staff and the markings, tracing them with my fingers. He asked me to turn it one way, then the next. He finally said I could put it down.
I went and placed it back on the bed then sat down with the binder of papers I had received from God. He was looking at me strangely and said, “You are going to look strange with a polo shirt, khakis, and that staff Jack.”
I thought about that for a minute, and said, “Well, I could wear the bath robe they give you here, would that work?” At least I was getting some humor back, I thought.
Thomas laughed and said,
“No, that will not do Jack. Maybe I could come up with something for you.”
“Thomas, I am not going out there in robes like the movie pictures of old prophets. It is just not me.”
“How about a choir robe? Alternatively, you wear a vestment, like some churches do, including mine. I will have one on.”
“Maybe that would work.” Then I thought, hey why not play the part? He was right. I would look strange with the polo shirt, khakis, and staff. I said, “We can discuss that later Thomas. Right now, I need you to pay attention. You went to theology school right?”
“Yes, I did; and got good grades too.”
“Okay. Now when you go to theology school you learn about things like what different meanings a scripture can have, right?”
“Yes, that is true. We learned and discussed a great deal about scripture that were either vague or misunderstood.”
“Okay, here is the question I want you to answer. Tell me the story of Adam, Eve, the serpent, and Cain and Abel. Not the one I read in the Bible, but the other ones. I need to hear what others think, other than just me and this paper here.”
“Well, God created man, then woman and they were in the garden; and they could do as they wanted and wanted for nothing. However, they could not eat of the tree of life. Eve did anyhow, because of the serpent.”
“Stop, Thomas. That is not the story I want from you. I want the real one.”
He hesitated, seeming stressed, then said, “Jack, we were told that the other story was conjecture. Granted, we were always able to make it work and it made sense, but we were told to tell the story I just related to you. People would not believe the other one and the children would not be getting a sterilized story.”
“Tell it to me Thomas. What did they teach you?”
After he was through, I looked up at him and said, “This is the same story I am holding in this folder. You just told me almost the exact same one.”
“Are you going to tell that story tonight Jack?”
“No, God has another agenda for tonight; but eventually, yes, I will. For in these pages is God’s command to me, to set the record straight. I need you to write out for me the scriptures that make this story real, instead of the sterilized form it has taken on for thousands of years. I don’t need it for today, but I need it very soon.”
“So what is your sermon tonight?”
I hesitated and wondered. Then I said, “I am not sure Thomas, I am not yet sure. I am still trying to decipher God’s instructions. But believe me, it will be effective and I will get the message across.”
“I will take your word for it Jack. In the meantime, I’ll try and round up something you will feel comfortable wearing and that will work with the staff.” As he stood up he said, “Jack, you are a man of God. I have no doubt. However if you’re going to use any of the things we talked about in your sermons, either now or in the future, you are really going to upset a lot of people.”
“I think a lot of them already are, Thomas.”
Chapter 129
4:55 PM CST Day four of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - City Center, President Richard Stevenson’s Suite
Air Force One had landed at 4:20 p.m. in Kansas City. The Presidential party had been put into two army Black Hawks, which made the fifteen-minute trip into the city. They arrived at the heliport atop City Center Plaza at around 5:15 p.m. with one copter landing and discharging its passengers, then the other. They escorted the President and the First Lady to the Presidential Suite. The Secret Service and the President then had a quick meeting about the seating arrangements and entry to Liberty Memorial Park.
The Service had said that the President would be one of the last seated, but that the early seating was due to the program starting early at 6:30. There was a preshow of choirs and other local talent, so they needed to immediately get to the staging area. He would be sitting with the Prime Minister of England, on his right, and his wife on his left. All other heads of state would also be seated in the first four rows of seating. Other dignitaries, except Aafre Waldger and the two priests, would be in the other rows along with some other clergy and corporate leaders.
The President asked where Aafre would be sitting and was told right behind him. The agent then said that they needed to be at the access door at 6:15 at the latest, which was about 45 minutes from now. The agent took leave of the President so that he and the First Lady could get ready.
Richard moved towards one of the bathrooms, and then as he was walking across the living area, he asked his wife, “Thelma, do you think I should go casual, which is my normal style, or put on a coat and tie?”
“I would go casual,” she said. “It is warm out and a tie would be somewhat overbearing in this weather. We will be outside for over two hours. I am wearing a light chiffon blouse, slacks, and some sandals. I would assume most would dress the same way. Besides, most people are very used to seeing you casual rather than stuffy,” as she laughed.
He heard the telephone in the suite ring and then the Secret Service Agent say, “Please wait,” that meant the call was for him.
“Mr. President, sir, I have a gentleman on the phone, a Mr. Aafre who would like to speak with you.”
“Thanks, Agent Simpson,” Richard said as he took the phone. He stepped away into another room and sat on the couch before speaking, “Hello Aafre. How are you today?”
“Fine, Mr. President, I was hoping we could have a few moments together before the Rally, but I guess we need to be seated by 6:30. I just wanted to say that I am pleased you are here. We will talk later, maybe after the fireworks display with Mr. South?”
“That will be fine, and I look forward to speaking with you.”
“Great, Richard. I will see you soon, on the stage.” The call disconnected.
As Richard replaced the receiver, he thought that today he was only going to be a bit player or window dressing. He wondered what Aafre meant about fireworks. No one said anything to him about fireworks. Maybe he should alert the Secret Service about what he had said. Aafre was not one to be to comical when it came to things like this. No, he thought, because then he would have to argue with them all over again about attending. That would not do.
He was thinking that Jack had people that were more famous and world leaders coming tonight to hear the Sermon, as he called it, than a State Funeral. Richard was also somewhat afraid, for even though he was a part of The Waldger Group, he felt that this man’s power far superseded anything Aafre and his Master could muster. He only hoped that in the end, he was on the right side.
Chapter 130
5:25 PM CST Day four of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - Liberty Memorial, Anchor Desk
John had to make sure that the evening news was over by 6:00 p.m. and that his co-anchors for the pre-show were at the anchor desk. He would do today as he had done most of the time and keep the news to about 21 minutes of reporting and nine minutes of commercials. At 6:00 p.m. CST, they would go live for the pre-show, then Jack South’s message at 7:30. There was more than enough to report on. Their people had also been filming all day in Kansas City. This in itself was a great story and he would be filling in details on celebrities and world leaders while the dignitaries were being seated. He had a list of those attending the rally and it read like the who’s who of the world. It was amazing that they were all here together for this. His thoughts were interrupted by the camera operator who asked, “John, you ready? We are down to thirty.”
John turned, faced the camera and said, “Let’s do it.”
He then heard, “Five, four, three, two, and one.”
The announcer began, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Bear News Live tonight with John Roddenburg, from Liberty Memorial Park in Kansas City, Missouri. Tonight is our three and a half hour special on the state of the world and the greatly anticipated sermon of Jack South, the self proclaimed Witness of God. Now, here is tonight’s host, John Roddenburg.”
“Good evening America and the world. Tonight, as you all kno
w, we are again providing live coverage on Jack South’s message starting at 6:00 p.m. CST, right after our evening newscast. However, let us get to the news updates from the world and here at home for this Thursday. First, let us go to Brian Wilcox who is standing by in Rosemead, California. Brian?”
“Thank you John. It is about 3:30 here in Rosemead, California, which is south of Pasadena. You can see behind me that, like Pasadena, this area also looks like a war zone. I am standing on San Gabriel Boulevard where, just a few hours ago, there was a shoot out between looters and the National Guard. Two guard members were wounded and three looters were killed. Two other looters were caught and are in custody. They are being held in a makeshift military stockade near the Pasadena command center. You will also see behind me, like yesterday, troop carriers being loaded with refugees or people with nowhere to go. Here in Rosemead, like the situation reported in Pasadena yesterday, they are being transported to a makeshift FEMA camp at Twenty-nine Palms. Our understanding from military authorities, is that over three-hundred thousand people are there and it has pretty well reached capacity, as of about an hour ago.”
“Have they said where they will start sending people to next?”
“No John. The military has not made any comment. Rumors are that if they can get clearance, they may go up to Bakersfield and use one or more of the migrant field worker camps there. However, that may be an issue since the I-5, known as the Grapevine, has sustained a lot of damage.”
“Are there any other reports of looting or other crimes, Brian?”
“Yes. Last night, according to military commanders, there were several robberies, muggings, and break-ins of partially held buildings, where the owners were trying to protect their property. The reality of it all is this is like a third world country during a civil war. It is hard to keep some semblance of order. The Commander down in this sector is saying that people need to get out of the area, for it is not safe. The gangs are going for as much as they can get. In addition, John, I overhead one guard member tell his friend to shoot and ask questions later. I don’t know if that was an order they had received or if it was just them talking.”
“Do you still feel like you are being censored, Brian?”
“Definitely John, as I affirmed last night, definitely.”