Away From the Dark (The Light #2)(54)

“Children can be so disrespectful,” Father Gabriel said, looking at me.

Child? Richards had said uncle. They were related?

I wanted to ask what all of this meant, for me, for Sara, but of course I couldn’t.

“Brother,” he said, laying his hand on my shoulder. “I see you have questions and admire your restraint. I always have admired that about you. The thing is that I have questions too.” He patted my shoulder. “The difference is that I can ask mine. Before I return to the Northern Light, we will talk.”

What the f*ck does that mean?

“Yes, Father.”

As he walked past me and the other man, he casually asked, “How is Fairbanks this time of year?”

Thoughts bombarded my mind. “Fairbanks? It’s fine. Whitefish was out of some of our supplies. I called Brother Daniel—”

He waved his hand. “Never mind that right now. Do you have my envelope from Brother Reuben?”

Envelope. What envelope? I had a faint recollection of Brother Reuben’s handing me something at the Western Light. I couldn’t recall anything after that.

“I do. It’s at the Northern Light.” I hoped it was. Was this the test?

He nodded. “I see.” Walking away, he said, “Come, it’s time for service.”

I followed him down the hall and down the stairs. The other man followed closely behind, as if he needed to be sure I wouldn’t make a run for it. There was no way I’d do that, not with Sara in the congregation.

As I sat, Brother Elijah nodded.

Had he been doing Father Gabriel’s work or Richards’s by telling me to go to the offices? Did Richards possess the power to direct Assemblymen? With each minute, the questions multiplied.

Looking out to the congregation, I found Sara and exhaled—she was all right. When her eyes met mine, I tried to relay calm, to let her know that it would be OK. At least I knew Dylan Richards wouldn’t be surprising her here during service.

I responded correctly as Father Gabriel preached. I stood and sat, and even recited. However, what I didn’t do was listen. My mind was too aghast at the turn of events. I tried to remember what I’d even done with the envelope from Brother Reuben. I’d taken it right before all hell broke loose. At the time I hadn’t thought it was important. I also tried to decipher Richards’s connection to The Light. Whoever he was, he had the most casual relationship with Father Gabriel that I’d ever seen.

My thoughts continued to swirl from subject to subject with no answer in sight, until Father Gabriel’s words cut through my confusion.

“Therefore, do you not agree with our Lord, that we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home in The Light?”

Away? Was this the Kool-Aid?

“Yes, Father,” came the congregation’s response.

“Are you certain, my children?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Remember the Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful. People in the dark lie, but you are in The Light. You’ve taken off your old self and become new. Who among you would like to go back to the dark?”

No one replied, and heads shook.

“It is taught that outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Is that where you want to be?”

“No, Father.”

“Where do you want to be?”

“In The Light.”

“But can everyone stay in The Light?”

“No, Father.”

“What have we been told to do with our eye if it causes us to stumble?” He didn’t wait for the response as his voice rose in volume. “We’ve been taught to gouge it out. For it is better to go through life with one eye than to have two and be thrown into the dark!”

“Yes, Father.”

“Brother Abel, you and Sister Salome may come to the front of the congregation. Brother Uriel, please also come forward.”

I sat in awe and horror. My gaze searched for Sara’s, but she wasn’t looking at me. She was looking down, as were many of the women. No doubt they all suspected what was about to happen. I’d heard of services with banishments, but I’d never witnessed one. At the Northern Light the only banishments I’d known about had been done privately. When they were made public, it was more of a production for the other followers than for the ones who were to be banished—their fate was set.

A solemn hush fell over the temple as a young couple, probably in their late teens or early twenties, made their way to the front. She was crying and holding on to his arm. Apparently they’d needed encouragement to come forward, because the man who’d been behind me in the upstairs hallway was walking behind them. Brother Uriel stood from the row of Commissioners and moved to the center of the stage.

“Followers of The Light,” Brother Uriel said. “Do you trust your lives and souls to Father Gabriel?”

“Yes, Brother,” was said by all. The volume was considerably lower than it had been, the sense of impending correction falling like a damp blanket.

“What have we learned about disobedience?”

“It deserves correction.”

“Brother Abel, tell us what happened in production distribution.”