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probably be to do the dusting. You can't stand to leave anything for us that's why you burn us! You've
perverted love, and you've polluted Mother Earth, and you've killed everything gentle and kind in the
human heart, and when anybody especially a woman has the guts to use the powers of the earth to
relieve pain, you burn them! Burn at the stake! Burn in Hell! Burn, burn, burn, burn..."
Rory walked toward her, but she moved away from him and picked up a knife from the draining rack.
"Get out of my house!" she cried, tears running down her cheeks, knife pointed. "You're no comfort
you're just another slap in the face I don't need tonight! Take your bloody cross and your bloody Bible
and your fire, and get out!"
"Jesus loves you, Leslie."
She told him what he could do with his Jesus.
"I'll pray for you."
"Do I have to call a cop?"
Rory went out.
He walked down the driveway, hands in his jacket pockets, shaking his head, praying as he'd promised.
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The explosion's force knocked him on his face.
When he opened his eyes he could see his own shadow on the gravel, etched sharp as broken glass.
He rolled to look back. The little house was a torch, its flames clawing at heaven. The nearest trees
flared like tissue paper.
"Leslie!" Rory ran back. He couldn't get within a hundred feet.
He ran to Thumb's car.
"We've got to get to a phone!" he said, jumping in.
"Right," said Thumb, and he started the motor. "We can't let a thing like this spread."
They raced to the next farm where Rory roused the farmer and his wife, and the call was made.
Then they drove back toward town.
Rory sat silent for a while. After a few minutes he said, "You blew up the house, didn't you?"
"It's possible."
"What does that mean? You admit it?"
"I don't admit a thing, Rory. There's all kinds of ways God accomplishes His will. Fire from Heaven has
fallen before. Maybe that's what happened tonight."
"But more likely your friends planted some kind of charge maybe even while I was in there talking."
"Could be. Would it make that much difference?"
"Of course it makes a difference!"
"Think about it, Rory. God sent down fire on Sodom and Gomorrah. Women and children died. God
didn't send fire to destroy the Canaanites. He told His people to do the job. He said to kill them all
men, women and children. Equally just. Not pretty. Not nice. But it had to be done."
Rory listened in horror.This guy is crazy. I'm in a car with a psychopath.
So how come he doesn't sound crazy?
"Because what was growing up in Canaan had to be killed," Thumb was saying. "Canaan the land
that became Israel it's the place where religions are born. Jews, Christians, Moslems, we all look to
the God of the Hebrews.
"But suppose the Canaanites had won. Suppose their gods had been the ones three great religions
worship?
"They sacrificed their children, Rory!They were killing their kids long before the Hebrews did. Can
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you imagine if Mohammed had believed in gods like that? You think the world's in a mess now?
"Stopping it was a brutal business. It hasn't gotten any nicer. And it isn't right that the Lords' church
should be mixed up in it.
"So we the Hands of God we carry out the garbage. Prayerfully, humbly, we do the smelly work.
That's our calling. We protect the world, and we protect the church.
"So before you make any decisions, Rory, and before you judge us, I want you to think. Because there's
a place for you in the Hands of God if you feel the call."
Rory looked at him. "Why me?"
"Let's say the Lord led us to you."
Rory looked out the window. He'd lost his hat back at the farm he supposed. He wanted to be out of
the car, out of the state the old instincts that had sent him running from Chicago and Los Angeles were
still there.The man was making sense. But he couldn't be right! Say something nutty, Thumb
make this easier!
"I liked her," Rory said. "We didn't have much in common, but I liked her. I think we could have talked;
maybe I could have answered some of her questions.
"You practically admit you... killed her. And you expect me to join you?"
Thumb said, "You think Moses liked it, when they killed the Canaanites? You think Joshua was having a
good time? I think it turned their guts.
"But the Lord commanded it. That's the only excuse in the world for doing it. You know the Lord
doesn't command it lightly."
"How do you know He commanded it at all?"
"You're not ready for that knowledge, Rory. You've got to have faith enough to join us before you can
understand it.
"We've saved lives tonight. You've got to believe that. And she felt no pain. It was over before she knew
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