guests.”
Once the sun was up, Nate searched outside the valley for sign of the Pawnees. He found none, but that only meant Kuruk was being clever. The Pawnees were around somewhere, watching and waiting for the right moment to strike.
By the time Nate returned, the Shakers were once again bustling like bees, human bees that hummed and sang and smiled. The men chopped trees, hewed logs, and worked on the third building. The women washed clothes in the stream or skinned potatoes for the cooking pot or worked on quilts.
Despite the incident with the bear and Nate’s warning about the war party, no sentries were posted.
Nate needed to talk to Lexington but couldn’t find him. He spied Sister Amelia by the corral and asked to see him.
“Elder Lexington is in the men’s quarters,” Amelia said, with a bob of her double chin at the log dwelling.
“Will you take me to him?”
Amelia’s eyebrows rose. “Haven’t you been paying attention, Brother King? In our society men and women never mingle except when they must. I am no more permitted to go into their living quarters than they are to enter our living quarters.”
“Do you like it that way?”
“What a silly question,” Amelia said. “I wouldn’t be a Shaker if I didn’t.” She glanced over at the men sweating and toiling, and sniffed. “To be honest, I have never felt comfortable around men. You are peculiar creatures, every one of you.”
“Some ladies like us.”
“Don’t be flippant. Ideally, God would never have separated us to begin with unless it was meant to be.”
“Care to explain?”
“Men and women, Brother King.” Sister Amelia gestured at her brethren. “The Shakers believe that the male and female principle are both present in our Maker. In other words, God is both man
“If God is both, why do you split them up?”
“Because He did. Clearly it’s a sign. We are not meant to live together. Nor, might I add, to sleep together.”
Nate was compelled to point out a flaw in her reasoning. “If everybody did as you do, no babies would be born. The human race would die out in a few generations.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” Sister Amelia smiled. “Besides, we don’t have that long left. Elder Lexington expects the Second Coming before the decade is out. There is no need for more babies.”
Nate excused himself and walked to the male quarters. He knocked, but no one came. Figuring most of the men were busy elsewhere, he tried the latch. A musty, dark hall led past room after room. Each contained a bed and some a chair and a few a chest of drawers. At the far end a lamp glowed. Nate came up quietly and stopped in the doorway.
Arthur Lexington was on his knees, his eyes closed, his hands clasped to his chest. His lips moved in silent prayer.
Nate waited. At length Lexington lowered his hands and said aloud, “Amen.” Nate coughed to get his attention.
“Brother King!” Lexington exclaimed, rising. “How long have you been standing there? What can I do for you?”
“I came to beat your head against the wall.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Nate entered and straddled a chair. “I wasn’t fooling about the Pawnees being out for blood.”
“I never thought you were,” Lexington responded.
“Then why haven’t you taken my advice and posted lookouts? If you won’t arm yourselves, at least do that much.”
“Oh, Brother King,” Lexington said in a tone that implied Nate was being silly. “Love thy neighbor, remember? Were we to post sentries it would betray our beliefs. We must trust in God and He will deliver us.” He went to a table and picked up his Bible. “In any event, by your own admission the Pawnees aren’t after us. They are after
“That didn’t stop them from killing the farmer I told you about, and that wrangler,” Nate noted.
“I have faith, Brother King. I am firmly convinced that if we leave them alone, they will leave us alone.”
A premonition came over Nate, a feeling that if he couldn’t make Lexington understand, terrible things would happen. He tried to shrug it off as of no consequence, but he couldn’t. “I could lend you my pistols. You could have two men keep watch down at the bend with orders to give the alarm if they so much as glimpse a painted face.”
“You are persistent, Brother King. I will give you that. But we are talking in circles.” Lexington moved to the window and parted the curtains, admitting sparkling shafts of sunlight. The window had no glass. “God is not to be trifled with. Either you believe or you don’t. Either you abide by His will or you don’t. We do. To us His will is everything. For me to post guards or to take arms is the same as saying we don’t believe. We can’t do that, Brother King. Not now. Not ever.”
Nate stood. “I’ll keep watch myself, then, until the freighters get here.” He turned to go.
“Don’t be mad.”
“I don’t want any of you dead because of me.”
“It wouldn’t be your fault. Each of us does what he has to. If it will make you feel better, I’ll send someone with you. He won’t use a gun and he won’t resist if the savages attack, but he can keep you company.”
“Forget it.” Nate stalked out, simmering. He kept trying but it was like talking to a tree stump. Once outside, he stopped and stared at the gaping black maws of the cave and the bubbling springs and the steam rising into the air. His premonition worsened.
Something awful was going to happen.
It was only a matter of time.
The religious ceremony was like nothing Nate ever saw. It was like nothing he ever imagined.
It started normally enough. The Shakers gathered between the log buildings, the women on one side, the men on the other, in rows. Arthur Lexington read from Scripture and expounded on what he read. The thrust of his message was that they must stand firm in their faith. They must remember that Adam tainted all mankind when he had relations with Eve.
“Sexual impurity is the root of all evil. Sexual impurity is the great sin. It was the reason for the Fall. But we have redeemed ourselves by refusing to succumb. We deny our carnal urges. We cast them aside and live as the Lord always meant for men and women to live, as equals, as brothers and sisters, with none of the taint of Adam’s legacy.
“We must be strong. We must stay pure. We must resist temptation each and every moment. Always remember our eternal reward for staying true to our Lord’s command to be perfect.
“Here, in our new home, we will build a reflection of that reward. We will have a heaven on earth, a place where we may live in peace, a place where the Lord reminds us of his love daily by the shaking of the ground under our feet.”
Nate glanced at Jeremiah Blunt, who was seated cross-legged on his right. The freighters were gathered behind them. They had been permitted to watch but were not to interrupt or interfere in any way. Lexington was quite insistent, and Blunt had said he and his men would honor the request. “What does the shaking of the ground have to do with anything?” Nate quietly wondered.
