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“I hate to say it, Inspector, but millions of Americans — like, forty percent — think the world is about to end Al of Christ and the end of the world will happen by the year 2050”

He held up a finger “Ah, but this preacher — he says he knows exacteht hiave hi to sound fringy “Two years ago, he tells everyone, ‘The Rapture happens in six months’ So his followers quit their jobs to help him warn everyone When the Rapture does not happen, does he say, ‘Sorry, I rong, I aave ive me more money’” He spat out a strawberry cap “Morceau de merde”

It was the saton, the black-market art dealer

“That isn’t all He wants the world to end Look, I’ll show you” He pulled several folded pages from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed me the top one It was a printout fro serns of the End Tie was filled by an illustration in vivid color The illustration was captioned by a quotation fros? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thron…and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be fas of sorrows…For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not fro of the creation which God created unto this ti cross rising fro ruins of shattered skyscrapers In the sates of Heaven, welco upward froround, naked bodies writhed a tortured, and others were engaged in sexual acts that were graphic, degrading, and grotesque

I handed the page back “I don’t knohich is erness for the world to end, or his fascination with pain and perversion”

“He isn’t just waiting for the Apocalypse He’s trying to speed it up”

“Speed it up? How?”

Descartes took a sip of coffee “For one thing, by creating red cows for Israel”

I paused, my own cup halfway to my lips “Red cows for Israel?”

“Oui, exactement Red cows For Israel”

“I don’t understand, Inspector What on earth do red cows have to do with the end of time?”

“I don’t understand it, either,” he said “It’s very complicated But some of these end-of-the-world people — not just this preacher, but also soe Jews, Messianic Jews — believe that Jesus, or the Messiah, will coain after the temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt”

“Rebuilt by red cows?”

“Oui, special cows, trained in architecture and construction” He laughed “Non, of course not Here is how the red cow fits in Soo — Moses or Solomon or God, whoever — said that the best way to clean up sins is to sacrifice a red cow Pure red, with not one hair of any other color — no brown, no black, no white — anywhere on its body Also, not just a cow, but a génisse I don’t know the word in English, but it in cow, you know?”

“Ah The English word is ‘heifer’ Yes, a sacrificial virgin Feins always seem to take the sacrificial bullet for the tea a red heifer have to do with the end of the world?”

“Pfffttt” Descartes blew out a puff of air, a versatile French expression of irritation or i you, it sounds crazy to me But These people ant the Apocalypse, they think that when the perfect red cow is sacrificed, the Jeill be purified and inspired They will unite to drive the infidels from Jerusalem and rebuild their holy teain”

“So the eager preacher in Charlotte,” I mused, “joins forces with the militant rabbi in Jerusalem in the quest for the perfect cow”

“Oui But not just looking for the cow Creating the cow The preacher is paying farht they had her, the perfect génisse, a few years ago There was much excitement in Jerusalem and Charlotte, but then poof! — she sprouted some white hairs in her tail There was ”