Chapter fifteen
Sheriff's station
Carthage, IL
Rossi
Rossi decided to take the ideologue. Rebekah was angry where her sister was sweet, confident where she was confused. But Rossi wrote the book on dealing with cults and cult members. Literally. "I know what you're doing." She spat out as soon as he sat down.
"Oh?"
"You're taking our children to turn them into Socialists and Atheists. Probably introduce them to Homosexuality too. Well the Lord won't let you; you can't stop me from praying."
"I don't intend to."
"And I'll be asking Pastor Goodwin to fight for them in the courts."
"You have every right to do so. Now, I just have a few questions. When did you first find out that Henry was coming to live with you?"
"His name is Joshua. I didn't find out we were getting one of the Lost Boys until Father and Michael brought him home."
"So you knew about the Lost Boys beforehand?"
Pastor Goodwin said that the reason why the Plan wasn't working was because the Enemy was diverting souls into single mothers and neglectful families, so our sons would be raised in the Socialistic government system instead of becoming warriors for Christ. He said that the Lord had given him a vision of those boys and how they were to be returned to their proper families." She smiled a little. "I'm just grateful to the Lord that we were one of them."
"Did Joshua tell you that he was taken from his parents?"
"He was lying. What do you expect, he had already been indoctrinated. But Father trained him out of that right quick."
"You never thought of calling the Police?"
"I would never contravene the will of my Father. I'm not a rebellious Jezebel like Susanna." She huffed. "I never thought we were sheltering a snake like that."
"What would happen if you did contravene your Father's will?"
"I'd be chastised and then sent off to the Ranch for further correction." She shuddered at that. "I've heard it's awful."
"Even at your age?"
"Of course, a girl is under her Father's protection until she's given over to her husband. Then it's up to her husband to chastise and correct her. Women are the weaker vessels, we tend to forget."
"Was Henry…excuse me, Joshua…chastised?"
"A few times. When he first arrived, for lying about who his real parents are and what his real name is, and then later when he started playing with my sister's toy kitchen."
"That's worthy of chastising?"
"Of course! It's a sin for a man to do woman's work, as it's a sin for a woman to do a man's." She scowled at the female officer in the corner. "It's not normative."
"You mean normal"
"Normative." She insisted.
"Have any other families you know of had Lost Boys returned to them?"
She gave him a smart, knowing smile. "Why, so you can take their children as well?"
"Withholding evidence is a Federal crime."
"Fine, make me a martyr."
"I'll give you to the end of the interview to change your mind. Do you know how Pastor Goodwin found these boys?"
"I have no idea."
"According to the medical reports we have all of the children are underweight. Why weren't your parents feeding you?"
"To keep us from becoming women before we had to. Shedding…blood like that makes you unclean, it makes you want to sin. Since the law won't let us marry and start bearing children before sixteen it's best to put off starting that until as late as possible so you won't accumulate the desire to sin. That's the sin of Eve."
"So why aren't you married then? According to the family bible you're twenty-four, you've been eligible for, what, eight years?"
"The Lord hasn't sent Pastor Goodwin the name of my husband."
"Pastor Goodwin arranges marriages?"
"Along with the church fathers. My Father would have the final approval, of course."
"Is that part of the Plan you were talking about earlier?"
Rebekah nodded. "It's part of the 200 year plan. Every Father must draw one up, and the church as a whole has one as well."
"And what is this plan for?"
"For taking over the world and making it Christian so Christ will return."
"Ah. So Pastor Goodwin preaches a Postmillennialist eschatology?"
She smiled, "Yes, exactly."
"Do the Black Knights have anything to do with that?"
"Of course; they're the first strike force in the Army of the Lord."
"Do you know who the other members are?"
"I always wanted to be a martyr." She replied.
"Well, here's your chance. Officer, please arrest this young lady, charges of obstruction of justice. We'll see how you feel about it in the morning."