Page 11 (1/2)

"And together we have sent thousands of heretics into the darkness Thousands"

Lilah could see thatin absolute agree this woman said

"And yet we are lory of God," she said "While we reet that we can only gliant enough to say that we know all of his will"

The reapers said nothing, though Lilah saw sooing

"Weas our god needs it to last," continued Mother Rose, "even if that means that soed Brother Si until we are all released from the flesh?"

Mother Rose turned fully toward him, and even from her place of concealment Lilah could feel the impact of that wo as a sudden thunderclap

"As long as God wills it," she said very slowly, spacing each word and filing each syllable to a dagger point "If he calls us home this minute, we should be ready to open red mouths in our own flesh"

"Praise be the darkness," cried the reapers

"And if the lord of darkness ordains that we e before we are called home, then is that too costly a price for the faithful to pay?"

There was such powerful challenge in her words that every tongue was stilled, and even Lilah held her breath Mother Rose stepped close to Brother Simon

"Answer me, my brother," she said in that cold, cold voice "If God wills that our holy war last a hundred years, would you spit in God’s eye and defy such a request?"

Brother Si with terror He struck his own face and tore at his clothes before finally collapsing facedown in the dirt

"I am the humblest of God’s servants," he wailed "My life is his unto the end of time"

Mother Rose smiled and nodded

"Thus speak all who truly love the Lord Thanatos," she said, and then turned away

"Praise be to the darkness!" shrieked the reapers

Mother Rose raised her hand, and they all fell silent

"Brother Simon," she murered to his feet Blood leaked from his nostrils from his self-inflicted blows

"The lord of darkness requires much of you," said Mother Rose, then turned to the others "He requires much of all of you Will you, by fire and steel, earn your passage into the darkness?"

"Yes!" they screamed Many of them tore at their own clothes or beat their chests

Mother Rose raised a hand and pointed a long, slender finger toward the southeast "Out there, beyond this forest, lies Sanctuary We cannot let this ‘weapon’ continue to rest in the hands of heretics and blaspheainst us Against our god" She paused, and everyone hung on her every word "Find it Track down every heretic in these woods Open redto tell you everything about Sanctuary"

"What if none of the?" asked Brother Eric

"Offer theo into the darkness"

The reapers all nodded

"And if they do know so Brother Si them to me Anyone who knohere it is Anyone who knohat it is Bring thereat evil from them, all in the name of Thanatos, all praise his darkness"

Brother Alexi, the towering giant, smiled a cruel smile

Mother Rose raised her ar, is the great task of our tined to us by God As long as Sanctuary stands, all that we do, all that we have done, is in jeopardy"

Suddenly every one of the reapers whipped their blades froht

"Brother Si them to me at the Shrine of the Fallen in two hours The rest of youyou knohaton their lives, their souls, and their salvation Only the giant reranite statue

Mother Rose studied each of the reapers with her cold, dark eyes

"To break faith with ed her to accept the truth of their pro at the lowest strea it to their closed eyes and to the center of their foreheads Mother Rose allowed the adoration to go on for twenty full seconds before she held up a hand to stop theot to their feet and stood stock-still, their eyes locked on her and that raised hand Then Mother Rose gave a single disle word

"Go"

The reapers whirled and headed into the woods as fast as they could, howling like demons as they went On foot and on their ht

Mother Rose waited until even the sound of theout her cheeks The giant set down his sledgeharinned

"Jeez, you laid it on pretty thick there, Rosie," he said

"It works every tied "Besides, you can’t dial it doith this crowd or they start thinking for thehed

Brother Alexi came and stood close to Mother Rose "Are you even sure that Sanctuary exists? We’ve been to this part of Nevada three times now and we haven’t found a trace of it"

"It exists," she said firmly "I’m positive of it"

"Hey, don’t shineto, not one of your adoring worshippers"

Mother Rose reached up and stroked his cheek "I’m serious I know that it’s real, and I know that it’s close Why do you think I’ve been steering our can this way? Why do you think I established the shrine here? Sanctuary is close"