It was time for yearly meeting once again, and this was to be the last yearly meeting of The Religious Society of Friends in Australia... ever.
In future, they, like all other religions on earth, would become a part of Xu Dangchao's new all -embracing world religion. Already many Friends had left the Society in protest, and joined the 'Tribulation Saints'. Some had already lost their lives, and their deaths had been a powerful reminder of the suffering that early Quakers had endured for their faith.
But, sadly, the majority found the message of the Twelve Tribes more distasteful than that of Dangchao. He continued to tolerate worship of Gaia and other gods and godesses of the various world religions apart from Christianity, so there were many Friends who convinced themselves that there was still room for improvement if they just went with him for now. Of course they were required to recognise Dangchao himself as the God of gods (because of his supposed power over death), but that was just a cultural thing that these people believed could be worked around. Love and patience would achieve more than the intransigence of the Twelve Tribes people.
The debate on how the Society was to finish up was a bitter one, which was ironic considering that the end result was a foregone conclusion. As an organisaton, they had no choice but to become corporately linked to Dangchao's superchurch; but they did have the individual right (if it could be called a right), to go it alone. Of course anyone joining the superchurch was morally obliged to report those who chose to worship outside of Dangchao's prescribed boundaries.
As good law-abiding citizens, a surprising number of Friends felt it their civic duty to report those who spoke out against the merger with Dangchao. They saw such co-operation with Dangchao as being consistent with the Quaker testimony of 'honesty'.
Reports of Quakers being executed by Dangchao's forces saddened many Friends, because these were people they had known and loved for years.
Nevertheless, there was also talk of how these martyrs could have avoided execution if they had not been so open in defying Dangchao's orders. Friends believed in speaking truth to power, but some felt there were better ways to do it than announcing that one had joined the Twelve Tribes, as some Friends had foolishly done. Some members of the Society were further offended that people becoming Tribulation Saints were taking the high moral ground over those who did not feel 'led' to choose a similar path.
The whole world, and all of its religions had been forced to take a side --
Dangchao or the Tribulation Saints -- and neither side fit neatly into anyone's previous ideas about religion, ethics, or spirituality. Gone were the days when one could pick and choose their own bits of theology to create a god and a religion that was comfortable and yet smugly superior to lesser gods and lesser religions. Friends could believe whatever they liked inwardly, but outwardly, they had to choose between two strongly authoritarian religions. The Authority demanding their allegiance in one on these religions was invisible, while the other authority represented 'the laws of the land' and had a powerful army with which to enforce his decrees.
The session on dissolution of the Society ended with many Friends shocked at the serious differences that had been revealed as a result of the choice they were each being forced to make. It reminded many of the time, more than a century earlier, when Friends had parted ways with each other in the United States, after throwing chairs and throwing insults which were entirely inconsistent with their reputation for peace. Those choosing to join the Tribulation Saints left the conference quickly and quietly, realising that their decision ended forever any further contact with those who had joined Dangchao.
It was also a decision which was going to ultimately cost most, if not all, of them their lives.
By this time, Chaim himself had severed all contact with Friends, and so he was not there to witness the debate.
Chaim's skill at creating disguises had improved since the time he did the "Hitler speech" with the faulty moustache. He was planning his movements more careful y these days, too, to avoid discovery. The general public had been warned to be on the lookout for vagrants. Because of this, Chaim took to wearing a business suit and timing his comings and goings to minimise detection by neighbours.
He and Rayford together had made several appeals to the rest of the world, with each one attracting a huge website audience. Through the Internet they had been able to carry on their ministry fairly anonymously. But Chaim felt that he needed to put his life on the line in order to make a special plea to Australians.
Molly had a contact who was a truck driver, and she arranged for Chaim to get a lift to Melbourne for a day, before catching a ride back to Sydney with the same driver the following day. Chaim announced to the media that he would be addressing the nation live on the banks of the Yarra in Melbourne's Alexandra Gardens, not far from Flinders Street Railway Station. He knew this would attract more than the media, but he also knew that he had to face his fears. By scheduling it in Melbourne, he would be directing authorities away from Sydney in their search for him.
A crowd of media personnel was on hand well before the appointed hour.
A few bystanders were hanging around, and almost a hundred soldiers, sent there by the U.N., were positioned around the area. Without a stage or microphone, people had no idea where to look for Chaim to appear.
Near the river-bank, not far from a heavy-set Muslim woman in a burqa, someone jumped back in shock as they spotted a snake slithering across the closely cropped grass. Then someone else, twenty metres away, let out a yelp as they too saw a snake moving near them. Other serpents began to converge on the area near the Muslim woman. Out of the river dozens of them moved in from behind her. At first people were so busy reacting to the snakes, that they did not take note of the woman. But it wasn't long before it became clear that this woman, though totally surrounded by snakes, was neither fearful of them, nor under threat by them.
A soldier who had been positioned closest to where the woman was standing advanced toward her, with the intention of establishing her identity. But he was struck in the calf by a huge brown snake approaching him from behind.
He screamed in pain, and that drew attention away from the woman for a while longer.
Everyone had formed into a tight congregation, all facing toward a writhing stage, where a fat Muslim was now removing her burqa. What came out of the garment was a man, dressed only in a T-shirt and shorts.
One soldier, convinced that this was, indeed, the man he had been sent to arrest, decided to shoot Chaim instead. He lifted his rifle and took aim. Just then, Chaim pointed in his direction and said, quite loudly, "NO!"
A flame appeared to shoot directly from his mouth to the soldier's chest, igniting into a fireball . In response to the soldier's scream, several other soldiers lifted their rifles, but just as quickly, Chaim pointed at each and gave the same one word command: "NO!" for each of them. Like rapid fire from a machine gun, six deadly accurate flames shot out in quick succession and hit each of them.
There were now seven soldiers screaming in pain as spectators sought to put out the flames. By this time the others thought better of lifting their rifles… with one exception. A loan marksman had managed to sneak to a position around behind Chaim, with the intention of taking him out from the rear. Without even turning, Chaim lifted his finger, wagged it in front of him, as though addressing a small child, and said "No" once more, much more quietly this time. The flame shot out from his mouth, turning to circle around behind him, and enveloped the would-be sniper.
Ambulances were being called, and the victims, who were all still alive, were being consoled. Several soldiers had radioed their predicament to their superiors as well. Chaim waited quietly until people had settled down sufficiently, and then started to speak. The media cautiously moved closer to the snakes, which all seemed to be in position now, forming a neat semi-circle in front of him.
Microphones were extended in the hope of picking up some of what Chaim had to say. A hush settled over the area, including those who had been injured earlier.
"I am sorry for the suffering that has happened here today," Chaim began.
His voice was remarkably clear and remarkably calm. "I am afraid that there will be more, if the people of Australia, and, indeed, the whole world, do not begin to show more respect for God.
"These snakes," he said, pointing to a sea of perfectly still serpents in front of him, "have a message for each of you. Look at them. They are at peace now.
Snakes do not naturally seek harm. They are quick to avoid a confrontation. But if you antagonise them, you will create your own torment.
"There is a lesson here," he said, lifting his eyes to the cameras and to the faces of some deeply worried soldiers who were still standing.
"For the next week, there will be a plague of snakes all over Australia.
They will come into the cities and into your homes. They will not hurt you if you do not try to hurt them. They are there under instructions from God. Not me, mind you. I'm just a mouthpiece. They are being controlled by God.
"Now if any of you," and he emphasised the word any as his eyes narrowed and his forehead wrinkled, "If any of you reports even one person to the authorities as a believer, or lifts your hand to hurt even one believer, you will be bitten by the snake or snakes nearest you. Do you understand?"
And with that, Chaim turned around and walked into the Yarra, where he swam to the opposite bank. Two soldiers raised their guns, but without missing a stroke, and without looking over his shoulder, Chaim merely raised one hand out of the water and shook one finger, as though saying "No" yet again. The result was the same as it had been earlier, except that these two were also set upon by the snakes, receiving numerous bites before they died.
Chaim, wearing only shorts and a T-shirt, pulled himself up on the city side of the river, and walked into the CBD shopping crowd. Reinforcements had not yet arrived, and those present did not have the courage to chase him, especially when they saw the number of snakes in the river, with many more of them coming up onto the banks on both sides of the river now.
Chaim had planted yet another disguise behind a dumpster in an alleyway in the city, and so he col ected it, unnoticed, and completed his costume change in a department store toilet. He came out dressed as a priest, for his journey back to Sydney and the walk to his room.