The Power(61)

‘There are ways to arrange that. We’ve seen photographs of them working on it themselves.’

Ah, says the voice, she’s talking about that exiled King of Saudi Arabia.

‘Awadi-Atif,’ says Allie.

‘He’s just using our country as a trial, you know.’ Tatiana swallows down another gulp of wine. ‘They’re sending in some of their men in rubber suits with their stupid battery packs on their backs. He wants to show that the change means nothing. He still holds to his old religion and he thinks he’s getting his country back.’

Tatiana makes a long arc between her left palm and her right, spools it out idly, winds it back and breaks it with a snap. ‘The hairdresser,’ she says with a smile, ‘didn’t know what she was starting.’ She looks directly at Allie, a sudden, intense stare. ‘Awadi-Atif thinks he’s been sent on a holy war. And I think he’s right. I was chosen by God for this.’

She wants you to tell her she was, says the voice. Tell her.

‘You were,’ says Allie, ‘God has a special mission for you.’

‘I have always believed there was something greater than me, something better. And when I saw you. The force in the way you speak to the people. I see that you are Her messenger, and you and I have met at this time for this reason. To bring this message to the world.’

The voice says: Didn’t I tell you I had some things in store for you?

Allie says, ‘So when you say you want a fast victory … you mean that when Awadi-Atif sends down his electric troops, you want to destroy them utterly.’

Tatiana waves a hand. ‘I have chemical weapons. Left over from Cold War. If I wanted to “destroy them utterly” I could do it. No’ – she leans forward – ‘I want to humiliate them. Show that this … mechanical power cannot compare with what we have in our bodies.’

The voice says: Do you see it?

And Allie does see it suddenly and all at once. Awadi-Atif of Saudi Arabia has armed the troops in North Moldova. They plan to retake Bessapara, the republic of the women; for them, this would show that this change is merely a minor deviation from the norm, that the right way will reassert itself. And if they lose, and lose utterly …

Allie begins to smile. ‘The Holy Mother’s way will spread across the world, from person to person, from country to country. The thing will be over before it’s begun.’

Tatiana raises her glass for a toast. ‘I knew you would see it. When we invited you here … I hoped you would understand what I mean. The world is watching this war.’

She wants you to bless her war, says the voice. Tricky.

Tricky if she loses, says Allie in her heart.

I thought you wanted to be safe, says the voice.

You told me I couldn’t be safe unless I owned the place, says Allie in her heart.

And I told you that you couldn’t get there from here, says the voice.

Whose side are you on, anyway? says Allie.

Mother Eve speaks slowly and carefully. Mother Eve measures her words. Nothing that Mother Eve says is without consequence. She looks directly into the camera and waits for the red light to flash on.

‘We don’t have to ask ourselves what the Saudi Royal Family will do if they win this war,’ she says. ‘We’ve already seen it. We know what happened in Saudi Arabia for decades, and we know that God turned Her face from it in horror and disgust. We don’t have to ask ourselves who is on the side of justice when we meet the brave fighters of Bessapara – many of whom were trafficked women, shackled women, women who would have died alone in the dark if God had not sent Her light to guide them.

‘This country,’ she says, ‘is God’s country, and this war is God’s war. With Her help, we shall have a mighty victory. With Her help, everything will be overturned.’

The red light blinks off. The message goes out across the world. Mother Eve and her millions of loyal followers on YouTube and Instagram, on Facebook and Twitter, her donors and her friends, are with Bessapara and the republic of the women. They’ve made their choice.





Margot



‘I’m not saying you have to break up with him.’

‘Mom, that is what you’re saying.’

‘I’m just saying read the reports, see for yourself.’

‘If you’re giving them to me, I already know what’s in them.’

‘Just read them.’

Margot gestures to the pile of papers on the coffee table. Bobby did not want to have this conversation. Maddy’s out at tae kwon do practice. So it’s up to her, of course. Bobby’s exact words had been, ‘It’s your political career you’re worried about. So you handle it.’

‘Whatever those papers say, Mom, Ryan’s a good person. He’s a kind person. He’s good to me.’

‘He’s been on extremist sites, Jos. He posts under a false name on sites that talk about organizing terror attacks. That have links with some of those groups.’

Jocelyn is crying now. Frustrated, angry tears. ‘He’d never do that. He probably just wanted to see what they were saying. Mom, we met online, we both go to some crazy sites.’

Margot picks up one of the pages at random, reads out the highlighted section. ‘“Buckyou – nice name he’s picked there – says, “Things have gotten out of hand. Those NorthStar camps for one thing – if people knew what they were learning there, we’d put a bullet in every girl in the place.”’ She pauses, looks at Jocelyn.