The Temple (22 page)

The camera showed the president
walking to a set of microphones.

“My fellow citizens. We are all
in shock at the horrible events of today. My thoughts and prayers
at this time are with the kidnapped children and their families. I
would like to assure you that the police are doing everything they
can to free the children. I want to appeal to everyone, if you have
any information that might be relevant, do contact the police. My
government is offering a reward of one million for any information
leading to the liberation of the kidnapped children.

At the same time I want to
appeal to the kidnappers not to harm anyone. We can talk about
everything, though I must stress that this government will not give
in to blackmail.

We as a nation should also
consider whether the blame for this terrible crime lies solely with
the kidnappers or if there are other factors. For some time now
there have been those, who under the guise of anonymity have
continuously provoked and angered the Dryvellist community. While
this in no way can serve as an excuse for violence or possibly
murder we should understand that people who are provoked and
insulted may at times do rash things they would not otherwise have
done. We as a government will therefore have to examine whether
religious groups and communities should be protected from hate
speech and offensive behaviour. This country once had powerful
blasphemy laws. It is high time we considered re-instating
them.”

Angered Cato turned the TV
off.

“Well isn’t that just bloody
typical,” he said to Joan. “Those gangsters kidnap kids and
threaten to murder them and we get the blame because we dare
demonstrate against fraud, lies and bombs on buses. Whatever next?
Maybe rapists, robbers and murderers will get special protection
from hate speech against them and anyone who criticizes their
crimes will be locked up or executed? Fuck! That man is just such a
wanker. How did he ever become president?”

“What about the children, Cato?
We can’t go on demonstrating now.”

“No,” he sighed, “I suppose we
can’t. Let’s keep quiet until things are sorted out, but God help
that swine Jeremiah if any of the kids are harmed. I’ll strangle
him myself.”

The Truth Hurts

The greatest enemy of all

is considered he

who tells the truth.

Plato, The Republic

While everyone was preoccupied
with the rapidly deteriorating situation there was one person who
was trying to work out if there was a way how he could personally
profit. In the evening Judas was sitting on his dingy old sofa in
the living room. When he saw the news report about the kidnapped
children he was sure that Jeremiah had to be behind it. And the
more he thought about Jeremiah the more determined he was to find a
way to get something out of the whole affair for himself. “And if I
manage to help those kids as well,” he murmured, “all the
better.”

The morning after the kidnapping
Judas got up early, earlier than he had in years, and went to the
temple. He was wearing a wide rimmed grey hat and dark sunglasses,
a grey T-shirt and black trousers, and he carried a rucksack
containing a baseball cap and some other clothes. When he got near
the temple he concealed himself behind a tree on the far side of
the road from where he could watch the entrance to the temple.

Several hours later, it was
almost noon, Jeremiah parked his car in a side street and then
entered the temple. He came out again a few minutes later and Judas
carefully followed him at a distance. Jeremiah led him straight to
the park where he hid another scroll in the statue’s bottom, all of
which Judas saw from behind some bushes. When Jeremiah had gone,
Judas quickly inspected the statue and peered up the dark hole
where he spotted the paper scroll.

“Now isn’t that interesting,” he
said. “Jeremiah’s posting a letter up some bloke’s butt.”

He took the paper out and
unrolled it, but was unable to understand the coded message. He
quickly rolled it up and put it back again. Then he hid himself
behind some bushes and settled down for a lengthy wait.

“The good thing about not
slaving away in some regular job is that you’ve got plenty of
time,” he said and smiled.

In the event he didn’t have to
wait long. Less than half an hour later Richard appeared and went
straight to the statue without even bothering to see if anyone else
was around. He took the secret message and walked back to his flat.
Had he made the effort to turn round to see if he was being
followed he might have spotted Judas some way behind him, but he
was so sure of Jeremiah’s ingenuity and the protective hand the
Lord was holding over them that it never even occurred to him he
was under observation.

Judas spent all day opposite the
building where the four brothers were staying without seeing one of
them. He waited for some time after all the lights in the windows
went out and then decided that there was no point in waiting any
longer. His feet were killing him and he was more than happy to go
home and lie down.

But the thought of getting rich
quickly at Jeremiah’s expense made sure that he woke up early the
next day again. Worried that he might be too late he hurried back
to the spot where he had stood all afternoon the day before. This
time he was in luck. After a few minutes Richard and another man,
it was Tancred, came out and walked to a bus stop. Judas got on the
bus with them and followed them across town until he saw them enter
the metro’s service shaft.

“Well, well, well,” he said
quietly. “What have we got here? Don’t tell me Jeremiah’s pals work
for the metro. I’ll bet those swine have got the kids hidden down
there somewhere.”

He jotted down the address and
went to a café for breakfast and to think things over.

After some fresh croissants and
a cup of invigorating coffee he made up his mind to pay Jeremiah a
visit at his home.

“Let’s see if I can’t spoil his
morning.” On the way he came upon a toyshop where he bought a real
looking toy gun. Then he caught a bus to the area where Jeremiah
lived.

When he rang the bell he hid the
toy gun behind his back. As Judas was wearing the hat and
sunglasses Jeremiah didn’t recognize him and opened the door. As
soon as he opened the door Judas pushed the gun in his face and
forced him back into the house. He slammed the door shut with one
foot.

“What, what do you want?”
Jeremiah stammered.

“What I really want is to blow
your fucking brains out,” Judas said aggressively. “But failing
that I’ll settle for second best, which means five million in hard
currency.”

Jeremiah swallowed hard. “I
haven’t got that. In fact I…”

Judas hit him in the face with
the pistol.

“Don’t give me that bullshit,”
he yelled. “I don’t care if you have it or not, but you can get it.
I know where your pals are hiding and where they’re keeping the
kids.”

“I don’t know what you’re
talking about.”

Judas told him both
addresses.

“If you know what’s good for
you,” Judas said threateningly, “you’ll get those idiot kidnappers
of yours to drop their religious demands and ask for money
instead.”

“But that’s impossible.”

“And why’s that? It’s quite
simple really even you should understand it. They ask for money and
release the kids. You pay me and I won’t bother you again, and you
can easily claim that the kidnappers weren’t Dryvellers. They just
used their religious demands to put the police on a false trail.
When all the dust is settled you can go back to cheating people out
of their money as you’ve been doing till now.”

The plan was breathtaking, even
for Jeremiah.

“I, I can’t do that.”

“If you don’t I’ll rat you out
to the cops. There’s a nice reward for info on those kids. If you
want me to keep my trap shut you’ll have to cough up a lot more
than that measly million the cops are offering.”

Jeremiah understood when he was
beaten.

“All right, I’ll try, but I
can’t promise they’ll pay…”

“Oh, they will pay, don’t you
worry about that. They’ll deny it in public, of course, but they’ll
find the dosh. That president has no guts and the last thing he
wants is dead kids on the evening news. He’s like you, really.
He’ll do anything to get himself out of trouble. You’ll be hearing
from me, but don’t be long. I’m not patient and I’ll be watching
you, so don’t try anything stupid. Now close your eyes and turn
round.”

As soon as Jeremiah turned his
back to him, Judas quickly left.

The sudden violent intrusion
into his home left Jeremiah in a panic. Disregarding all caution he
got into his car and drove directly to the building where the four
brethren were hiding. He parked opposite the building and rushed
upstairs. Bohemon opened the door.

“Master Jeremiah!” he called in
surprise.

“Quiet, you fool,” Jeremiah said
pushing his way into the flat and slamming the door shut.

“What are you shouting my name
for? Do you want the whole building to know I’m here?”

“I’m sorry, Master Jeremiah, but
I thought we agreed you’d never come here again. It’s too
dangerous.”

“Will you be quiet! I do the
thinking, not you. Where are the others?” he asked seeing Herman
come from another room.

“They went to see the children
earlier this morning. I don’t know when they’ll be back, maybe at
noon, maybe later.”

Jeremiah paced up and down the
room impatiently.

“Why is no one ever there when
you need them,” he cursed.

Herman looked at Bohemon
questioningly, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

“What is wrong?” Herman asked.
“Maybe we can help.”

“What is wrong?” Jeremiah said
annoyed. “Everything is wrong. Call the others. I need them here
now.”

Bohemon and Herman looked at
each other.

“But Master Jeremiah,” Herman
said, “we haven’t got mobile phones. We agreed before our mission
that it was too risky. And we thought you’d only communicate via
the dead letter box because…”

“Yes, yes, because,” Jeremiah
exploded. “I know why. Don’t give me any ‘buts’ and ‘because’.”

Jeremiah breathed in deeply,
about to say more, when they heard the sound of a key turning in
the lock and moments later Tancred and Richard came in.

“Brethren!” Jeremiah exclaimed
before they had time to say anything. “A most terrible thing has
befallen us.” And he told them about the visit he had from Judas
and what his demands were.

Tancred frowned. “We can’t give
in to that. We’d betray everything we’re fighting for, everything
that’s sacred.”

“So what do you suggest?”
Jeremiah said acidly.

“I like radical solutions,”
Tancred said. “Let’s set him a trap and kill him.”

“And what if he doesn’t fall for
the trap or he’s told someone else?” Richard asked. “How can you
know it’s only one man? Maybe there’re others working with
him.”

“Pox and pestilence,” Jeremiah
cursed. “Maybe this and maybe that. If I needed idle chatter I’d go
to market and ask a bunch of market hags. What I need is a
solution. The matter is very simple. For the time being we have to
give in to the demands. We’ll negotiate the release of the kids and
get money. We’ll get enough money to satisfy that swine and for our
own needs. As to our real demands to the government we can just
come back to those later. They are merely postponed, not cancelled.
If we’re able to set a trap for that bastard and keep all the cash
for ourselves, all the better. As soon as we get the cash you’ll
move to a different place and we’ll have to change our way of
communicating. It’s all very simple really. Are we all agreed?”

Jeremiah looked up from the
floor he’d been staring at. Tancred, Bohemon and Richard nodded
their assent.

“Now where the devil’s Herman?
Does he think I’m just talking for fun or what’s wrong with
him?”

“I think I heard the front door
a minute ago,” Richard said.

Jeremiah quickly checked the
flat.

“By the great sacred top hat,
what’s got into that man?” Jeremiah cursed.

“I don’t think he’s happy about
changing our demands to money,” Richard said. “Herman is very
devout.”

“Not happy?” Jeremiah said
incredulously. “How dare he. Has he already forgotten the Laws of
the Lord?” Jeremiah looked at them strictly. “Does anyone here
remember the second law?”

“Obey the Lord as made manifest
through the Master of the Temple,” they said in unison.

“Precisely,” Jeremiah exclaimed.
A devout Dryveller obeys the Lord, and a devout Dryveller always
knows what the Lord wants by heeding the words of the Master of the
Temple. That’s where true happiness lies, in obedience to me.”

Shocked by Jeremiah’s sudden
demand that they blackmail the government for money rather than
religious concessions Herman left the flat on impulse. He ran
downstairs and then walked away from the building without paying
attention to where he was going. “Master Jeremiah just wants
money!” was the constant thought on his mind. The reasons Jeremiah
had given for the change of plans had failed to register with the
devout Herman, whose only thoughts were how to further Dryvellism
and the Glory of the Lord. Herman walked along the streets, shaking
his head and muttering. Sometimes he drew strange glances from the
people in the streets, but for the most part no one paid attention
to him. At first he could only think about how Master Jeremiah, the
man he had trusted and believed in with all his heart, could betray
Dryvellism. But the more he thought about it the surer he was of
his conviction that it was a betrayal. Several hours later he
stopped in his tracks and said “Master Jeremiah is a traitor.
Master Jeremiah is a traitor,” he shouted. People stared at him. He
was red in the face and he felt the mounting anger in his heart.
“What to do? What to do?” was his next thought. It was out of the
question that he should help Jeremiah in any way. Even doing
nothing wasn’t good enough, it only meant that he allowed Jeremiah
to continue his evil scheme. No, he would have to take decisive
action. He looked around and suddenly realized that his feet had
carried him into the vicinity of the temple without noticing
it.