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Sol walked into John Paul's apartment at the top of the tower and sat down on the floor. "You still refuse to sit on the chairs?" John Paul asked.

"Yes."

"Are you telling me that you don't believe me about the chosen one and your role in helping him?"

"I don't know what I believe JP. I just can't accept that I'm supposed to do God's work."

"What if it weren't God's work, but the Unspeakable's work?"

"I can believe that I'm here, that I exist, to do Satan's work," Sol said.

"Then why is it so hard to believe you are here to do God's work?"

"Because we are vampires. We are the spawn of hell. We do vile, evil things. Unjustifiable things. How could God condone what we do?"

"I am from the four. I have seen the rise and fall of civilizations. I have met the men and women who's names are written in these books," John Paul said, picking up a stack of religious texts. "Are you so foolish as to believe the glorified descriptions these tombs contain?

"These books, The Old Testament, The New Testament, The Koran, all of them, they are glorified recounts of events. Some real, some imagined, some just made up.

"Do you believe humans lived to be hundreds of years old? They don't do that now, even with their medical advances.

"How about Moses? He was nothing like what this book says. He was nothing like what people think today. Does that diminish what he did? He saved a nation, a people, from slavery and brought them to a new land. Do you think that was achieved with a few magic tricks?

"No. Do you think David really killed Goliath with a pebble? Sure, the seed of truth is there, but hyperbole has made this story, all of these stories, fantastic.

"No one is perfect. We are all flawed in our own way. That doesn't mean we can't be destined for greatness. It doesn't mean that God doesn't have a purpose for us. God loves all of us and there is a role for all of us.

"It is the lucky few who actually know what that role is."

"You sound like another friend of mine," Sol said, thinking of the conversation he had with Susan.

"Then this friend is very knowledgeable and you should pay more attention to him."

"Her, and I'm starting to think she may know more than I first believed.

"Even if I believe what you say,” Sol continued, “I still don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"The father said you were to pave the way for the chosen one so that we could face judgement. Only you can determine your destiny, but I believe you should preach the word."

"What word?" Sol asked.

"The words I have spoken to you, the words spoken to me by the Father."

"JP, I just, I just can't believe. I've seen too much suffering and killed too many people to believe God exists."

"And yet you still won't sit on chairs made by Jesus’ hands? I think you are not ready to believe.

"It's O.K. Sol, there is plenty of time. God will let you know when you have to take up your calling."

"Yes, I suppose he will, but for now I have someone else I need to meet before it is too late. I don’t want to cut this mass short," Sol said with a joking smile, “but if I don’t leave now, I may not make it to my next destination.”

“I’m sure I’ll have another chance to convert you,” John Paul said with a hearty laugh. He stood and offered a hand to Sol. Once both were up, John Paul escorted Sol to the church floor, where two guards were waiting for him.


[Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005, 2006. All rights reserved.]
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