They drove up to the white plastered church. The little parking lot was already full. They were late. They took a pew together with the Tellers in the back. Except for Sean's jacket with the holster underneath, they were both dressed exactly as she had seen their bullet riddled bodies.
After a hymn and the Lord's Prayer, the minister got up. "As I have talked about many times, every other Wednesday the clergy of Mercy try to get together for a meeting. This last time we included Professor Rashid from the Mercy Mosque, who is their acting Imam. All the clergy members have had similar questions, and as it's the beginning of Operation Flood we wrote this sermon together. It's been delivered or will be delivered in every house of prayer in town.
"The subject is the morality of improvement. We live in fear of our own government during these days of trial. People have died being improved. There are recorded cases of improved people killing each other to further the cause. We know of the probability of a horrid death for those who do not improve. In these confusing times, what is the moral thing to do?
"We tried to find an equivalent in the scriptures, but then that led … nowhere. But we realized there is an equivalent in common law, immunization. Parents will take their child to the doctor to give them a mild case of a dreaded disease, knowing there is a chance that they will get very sick and possibly even die. Doctors who are sworn to first do no harm will administer immunizations knowing that they can do terrible harm. The children scream that they don't want the shot, yet the doctors and the parents insist, and now even the State insists on many immunizations. The difference is we know anyone who does not receive the immunization will be dead within five years. So we do have the moral precedent, even though there is a risk.
"The scriptures and the law both recognize the right of self defense. In the State of Arizona, you can legally use deadly force when someone forcibly invades your home or vehicle to prevent an imminent threat of death or other serious crimes such as rape, sexual assault on a minor or kidnapping. You may also use deadly force to protect someone else from such threats, even outside the home. If you are driving home and see someone about to rape a woman, you may use force and if needed even deadly force to defend her. The one person the law doesn't allow you to defend against is an illegal law enforcement officer. But is this Threshold terrorist cell even law enforcement? They don't fall under any official government department. We know the same cell members have claimed to be in many legitimate agencies, but that means they aren't legally in any of them. No, self defense is self defense. If they invade our homes and our communities, we must stand ready to defend one another and if they try to use force on us the Lord will understand if we defend ourselves with appropriate force.
"The next question was whether or not we are living God's law by opposing our government's law. Then we realized is that we are not opposing any laws or statutes by improving. The government has not debated, signed and put onto the published books a law against us. Instead they illegally move in secret, holding the residents of an entire town in secret detention when their only crime is eating more than the national average. American citizens, residents of this country, men, women and children, all spirited off to a secret underground prison. They were not even charged with a crime. This is against the most solemn code of laws in this land, the constitution of the United States.
"No, being improved does not make you a criminal. Nor does it make you a patriot. We still must remain individually morally accountable for our actions. The most disturbing thing we learned of is how the first magic tomatoes were made. Improved people improved others for the sole purpose of draining their blood and using it to make the necessary enzymes. This must not be, for to improve means to not only improve in body but in spirit. We must leave behind the old man and remember above all that in the increasingly difficult days ahead we have to be one people. We may not agree with each other in all things, but what family does? We communicate, we meet, we talk, we calmly decide or agree to disagree and we act according to the moral laws in the scriptures.
"The last question was asked disturbingly often, including by some in this congregation. What do we do about the criminals in our government? They pointed to war crimes trials. We pointed to the scriptures. Saul persecuted Jews who had been improved by the Gospel. Yet after he was improved by the Lord on the road to Damascus he became Saint Paul and was the Lord's greatest worker in improving the Gentiles. Professor Rashid sang a verse from the Koran. He said that it meant that it would be far better to die than to take the life of one who was a true believer for the murderer will be in Hell forever. Remember that as the world is improved many of those who formerly kicked against the pricks will be truly converted. We must accept them as one born again of the spirit.
"Let me add something to the points we wrote out Wednesday night. I do not know everything that is happening. I don't know what Operation Flood is. I too have lost from improvement. You all know my own beloved Cindy rejected and died, right before my eyes. I have sacrificed just as you have. I gave my savings as so many of you did. Why? I had faith. Faith that what our leaders have told us is true. Faith that what we do right now is important and will help save the world. Faith to keep on doing what is right in the difficult and dark days ahead. Saint Paul wrote in the first epistle to the Corinthians 'But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.' The name of this town is Mercy. It was founded on the principle that we should have mercy unto each other. I implore you all now to have faith in the words of our leaders and mercy to all who have been improved in God's eternal plan. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen."
Molly felt guilty. She almost stood up and announced that she was the one who had sent those people from Allenville to their unknown fate. She looked at Sean. His eyes stared hard back at her and held her hand down, as if he knew what she was thinking and wouldn't let her do it.