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The senator only raised his eyebrows before he walked down the steps. Ed saw the short blonde with dimples lean over in the adjacent bathroom to draw him a bath. The tall brunette, who reminded Ed of one of Charlie’s Angels, handed him a change of clothing and a towel. “Is there anything else we can get you tonight? Are you hungry?”
“No thanks. I’m all set.” As soon as they left the bathroom, Ed drained the tub, took a quick shower and hopped into bed. He smiled when he noticed the scrapes on his legs had disappeared.
As he fell asleep, he dreamed of finding himself alone in front of the altar in an old stone church. His own mother and father appeared before him, both wearing black. “We’ll always love you,” said Ed’s father.
“You’re not a murderer,” said his mother, trying to hug him. “You were acting under duress and there was little you could do to save a crazy woman from her delusions. You tried to help her until the end.”
Ed pushed his mom away. “Don’t lie for me. I’m a changed person. I don’t need pity. Get out of my sight. You’re not my family anymore.”
When Ed said this, his parents vanished, and April’s rotting cadaver appeared in their place.
He backed away. “I don’t believe in love anymore. You’re dead, and you can’t control me with guilt. Your body’s an empty shell; your soul is nonexistent. If someone else hadn’t killed you, I might have.”
The rotting flesh on her corpse burst, showering his skin with putrid green puss. “This is what you’ll become one day, too,” said April’s voice.
He awoke in a panic and glanced around the unfamiliar bedroom. The blonde peered through the door. “Is everything okay? Do you need something to help you sleep?”
“No. I’ll be fine on my own.”
The blonde left the room, and he decided he would no longer care what his former friends and family might think.
He blamed himself for placing his trust in anyone, especially the “jealous” God of Abraham, who condoned slavery, commanded genocide, ruined Job’s life over a bet and permitted tyrants to believe their injustices were part of his will. More than 5000 years of talking about abstract theology had brought mankind no closer to the truth. Ed decided he would find the answers in himself and provide them to the world.
Chapter 13: The Pact
The next morning, the blonde opened the creaky bedroom door to wake Ed, and he followed her downstairs to an enormous dining-room table. He sat next to Senator Walker, who said he wished Ed’s “rest had been more peaceful last night.”
Ed sipped black coffee and leaned toward the senator. A woman with black hair, pale skin and crystal-blue eyes placed two plates before them on the table. She reminded him of the angel he dreamed of during his near-death experience, but he dismissed the thought for more practical matters.“Have you heard my name on the news?”
“Do not be afraid,” said the senator. “You’re safe. I’ve already taken care of it.”
Ed knew someone would find his name on Helen’s lease. As he looked at the senator’s long fingernails, he doubted this man had the power to keep him out of jail.
“Thank you for your help, but what do you want from me?”
The senator chuckled again.“I need you to listen and carry on the revolution when I’m gone.”
Ed cut into his egg yolk and the liquid ran across his plate. He suspected the senator meant a formal revolution against God, but he found the notion someone absurd.
“In my own youth, I felt so ashamed, fearing God monitored everything I thought, felt, said and did,” said the senator with a grin that seemed out of place. “I wondered why he left me so impulsive and indecisive, despite my prayers for grace.”
Ed took a sip of orange juice, doubting he should trust this stranger.
“The Creator decided to plant evil in every human heart. We’re predisposed for war because He planned it this way. You’ll never be able to will yourself perfect knowledge or virtue in this life because of limits He imposed on us.”
Ed thought it strange that a U.S. senator would speak like this, but he considered this bizarre rant mild compared to Congressman Miller’s recent actions.
Senator Walker folded his hands. “If the Creator were a software programmer, we’d fire him for incompetence; instead, his followers blame the users for the flaws He intentionally designed in the system. He created the probability and possibility of genocide, torture, and weapons of mass destruction. He makes a hostile planet where creatures devour each other to survive then makes us feel ashamed of our aggressive instincts. We must overthrow Him and reclaim our divinity.”
To Ed, it still seemed impossible to hold Yahweh accountable, so what was the point in protesting? As the Senator continued, Ed sipped coffee, recalling Stephen’s frequent arguments against placing ultimatums on God.
The senator wiped his face and put his napkin on his plate. “Our Creator made it impossible to find true happiness in this world. We’re born wanting and expecting more. Your problem is that you doubt we can defeat Him. What do you have to lose? You’re already doomed to eternal torture for your insolence. There’s no turning back, but there is a way to take Him down.”
Ed closed his eyes. He regretted it was too late to run away and return to his parents in Louisiana.
“You have a duty to show humanity the depths of Yahweh’s evil nature.” Senator Walker pointed at Ed. “You will usher in the final judgment. Each of us is a god in his or her own right.”
Ed pushed himself away from the table and stretched out his legs. He hoped to resist these delusions of grandeur, but the thought of his special role replacing God now thrilled him. “How?”
