The Relic Keeper Read Free Page B

sibling was to be tossed aside by the Disciples. He decided to speak to Caroline about both of these problems with Aaron. Of course that would have to be later on tonight. For now he had to try to follow the over-complicated lineage of Travis and Michelle Sargent. The watcher screen on Unit’s large, clumsy and archaic viewer flickered for a second and was quickly restored with a sharp blow to its left hand side, which as usual jogged it back four stages. He wished they had an ICP or even ethervision, rather than this ancient screen system. Deon cursed the machine quietly and wished he could use one of the better, more precise, newer pieces of equipment that he had in his old life.
    Deon was troubled further that night as he lay in his cot amidst the quiet chatter of the dorm. At 17.58 exactly he had entered the antechamber that connected Hall # 8 to the Divine Caroline’s workroom. He had applied for an appointment and as usual his application had been granted. His work meant that he was able to seek personal consultations with her, something not awarded to many other of the Disciples, who would receive any requests through personally hand-written notes. How marvellous it was, he thought, that Caroline could always find time for her followers. The red light above the door told him not to risk entering, or even pressing the connection button, so he waited patiently in the bleak cold room. It was 18.36 before the light was disabled and the door slid quietly open. Some machinery here always worked, he thought absently as he entered. The room was small but adequate. A cluttered desk filled the space and books and pictures appeared to have been randomly placed about the office. Caroline was studying a c-pac screen filled, he noticed, with quotes from the Psalms. Her hair was tied back out of her eyes and her gown flowed freely from her shoulders, clinging to her breasts. Deon forced his eyes away from them and fixed them on an invisible point behind her head. In these situations he always felt most comfortable avoiding eye contact completely.
    “How is the Sargent case, Brother Deon?” she asked. Her manner as usual fell just short of approachable, encouraging most people to state their business and leave any extra talking to her. He raised his worries about Aaron while talking about the case he was working on, which he still required more time to resolve. Caroline listened to his fears and agreed that Sark was a far distance from Unit at such short notice. “But”, she assured him, “I am not in the habit of risking the souls of my disciples, and nor is the Lord. This is a test of faith, Brother Deon, and the Lord will not see us fail or our work come to nothing.” And although everything that Caroline said seemed to make sense as she said it, retrospectively she seemed to have said nothing at all. With everything seeming to change so quickly his mind was becoming over-stretched. He laid his head back on the hard pillow and waited for sleep to engulf him. All would be fine, and in three days’ time he would have a sharper understanding of the universe. That was what he needed to concentrate on. He just had to concentrate on his own work, he thought, as he drifted towards sleep.
    The following two days were largely spent on the case of the Sargents and their relatives. He made as much progress as possible and resigned himself to the fact that no more investigation would aid the cause. His last day was spent, therefore, not in front of a watcher, tracking people through an outdated method, but with the other members of the community preparing for the divine onslaught. Talk was rife with speculation. Some said that the Lord would appear with a heavenly host of angels and lead them to Paradise. Others seemed to think that a great battle was to be fought, and the Whore of Babylon would appear to them as Revelations had foretold.
    “These are metaphors,” said Redmond from kitchens, peering at the younger zealots arguing