The Last Day

At first, Feldman thought Cissy was returning to her old, joking self again. But a closer look revealed that she was entirely serious.

Hunter continued the banter. “Maybe the Messiah would like to join Feldman's fan club!”

This was a sore subject with Feldman. Much to Hunter's amusement, Feldman had begun to collect a sizable following. Each day there were loyal groupies- teenage girls, mostly-who hung out at the gates of WNN headquarters, waiting to catch a glimpse of their furtive hero. And whenever Feldman was out on interviews, a gathering of fans was sure to ensue. Of late, he'd taken to wearing a hat and dark sunglasses.

Apart from the sideshow, however, there was an aspect to many of these alleged messianic appearances that had been piquing Feldman's curiosity. In addition to a handful of amateur photographs of the Messiah, which were blurred and suspect for the most part, there were other, more telling indications from purported witnesses that something was going on. Always it was in their portrayal of the Messiah's intense, sapphirine eyes. Or, more precisely, her “look.” A riveting, penetrating, emotionally unsettling gaze that transfixed the recipient. Feldman knew that look firsthand, which for him at least lent a certain amount of authenticity to the strange tales he was hearing.

38

National Ministry of the Universal Kingdom, Dallas, Texas 9:30 A.M., Friday, January 14, 2000

As his secretary brought him the morning mail, the Right Reverend Solomon T. Brady looked like a man about to have a stroke. His normally red face was more flushed than usual, and puffy. In just the last week, he'd gained back the twelve pounds he was so proud to have lost, and the cameras of his televangelical ministry made him look even heavier.

The Reverend stared at the bundle for a while and then absentmindedly flipped through the stack. This last week had been devastating, not just in the fact that contributions had slowed and he was having to cut back his TV ministries from eight hours to two per month. But also because, for the first time in the twenty-two-year history of his Church of the Universal Kingdom, he'd lost his way. He simply hadn't a clue about how to counter this vexing millenarian infection.

The Reverend was momentarily distracted from his depression by the insignia of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appearing on an envelope. It was addressed to his attention from the Mormon Temple of Salt Lake City, Utah. Inside he found a form letter reading:

Dear Religious Leader:

As a duly authorized official of a nationally recognized religious organization, your presence is respectfully requested at the First Convocation of Interdenominational Religious Faiths of the Third Millennium, to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Mormon Tabernacle Convention Center, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 4, 5 and 6, in the year of our Lord 2000.

The important purpose of this assembly is to convene both national and worldwide religious leadership to address the controversial issues raised by recent occurrences in the Holy Land; events that hold significance for, and directly affect, virtually every religious establishment.

Issues which will be explored include:

an evaluation of the authenticity of a new messianic presence

biblical correlations and prophetic fulfillment

the impact of new religious dogma on congregational unity

new potentials for interdenominational collaboration and associations.

Each attendee is invited to submit, on the forms provided herewith, additional topics for discussion, which will be included on the agenda in the order received.

The letter went on to provide details for registration, accommodations and attendant charges, which struck Reverend Brady as inordinately high at $2,000 per head. Nevertheless, this was the first ray of hope, and perhaps the last opportunity he would have, to find desperately needed answers.

The ability to network with other religious organizations that were likely experiencing similar problems, was alone worth the price of admission. The Reverend sent in his application, overnight delivery. The topic he submitted for the agenda: “What a nonmillennialist sect can do in today's unstable religious environment to sustain congregational interest and contributions.”

39

Nordau Towers, Tel Aviv, Israel 5:50 P.M., Saturday, January 15, 2000

It had to happen eventually. Another network chanced to be in the right place at the right time.

Taking the day off, Feldman had been lying on the couch with Anke cradled in his arms, dozing, the television on, when he was jolted awake by a competing station's news bulletin.

“Captured on videotape a short while ago by a UBN news crew, an actual appearance by the reclusive New Messiah. We bring you this report now, live from the United Broadcasting Network's exclusive Messiah News Center!”

Feldman clicked to full alert.

The UBN news crew had managed to catch on tape the final few minutes of what appeared to be a spontaneous visit by the Messiah to an Arab-section, lower-school playground in Jerusalem. The video opened showing the Messiah sitting on a low stone wall, next to an elderly schoolmarm in a chador. This time there was no question of authenticity. This was the Messiah, and she looked absolutely radiant in the afternoon sunlight.

Gathered about her, laughing and climbing in her lap, was a small group of young children, with others of like age sitting about singing and talking with her. A crowd was beginning to collect and the newsmen were shouting questions to her, but she was ignoring them. The camera zoomed in, angling for close-ups, getting jostled in the process by excited onlookers.

The Messiah, apparently disturbed by the encroachment, finally turned her attention to the cameraman, and in a clear voice intoned in perfect English: “Why do you pursue me?” She extended a graceful hand toward the aged woman next to her: “Here is a story better told-that of our vulnerable elders,” and she gestured to the children around her, “and our helpless little ones.

“For I say to you: whosoever defiles the innocence of the young, whosoever preys upon the weakness of the elderly, so shall they be banished to the eternal abysses. Go, and send forth this word!”

Her dark eyes flashed, her eyebrows arched in stem warning. But a child pulled at a fold of her robe to get her attention, and glancing down, she became distracted and melted into a warm glow. There was a murmur of approval from the crowd in response to her words, but the Messiah did not linger. She slid her legs over the opposite side of the wall, displacing from her lap the clinging children who protested vigorously. As she did so, the crowd behind the wall separated in front of her like the parting of a sea, and closed protectively behind her as she disappeared into it.

Feldman smiled. Perhaps time would prove this curious episode to be nothing more than the self-righteous, abstruse ravings of another delusional zealot. But for now at least, the resolute little prophetess was only adding more luster to her image.