A little after five in the morning Reverend Little was advised that God had punished the one who had dared meddle with His will. Feeling uplifted he got up and prepared his Sunday sermon to be delivered at the Bat Mountain Site. When he arrived the pilgrims seemed unsettled as there were rumors something important had happened but no one knew for sure what it was. The crowd hushed as he took the pulpit
“Good morning my friends and fellow children of God. Do you feel God’s power in the air this morning?”
“Yes,” someone yelled.
“Well, that’s because during the night our Father exacted justice from one who sought to thwart his will. Our Father is a just God but he will not tolerate those who stand with the Devil. Colonel Martin was asked over and over to stand aside and let God’s will be done, but he stubbornly refused and tried to deny us God’s Miracle in the Desert.
“So, because he thought he knew better than God what was right for His people, God opened the hole in Bat Mountain that descends to the gates of Hell and unleashed the Lone Pine Mountain Demons on the transgressor. Since he could not see what was before him his eyes were plucked out and since he would not obey the will of God his heart was eaten by the bats of hell!”
The crowd was silent, most being shocked at what they were hearing. Several men in suits standing at the back of the crowd began slowly making their way to the pulpit.
“The Lord God Almighty has given us a miracle, a cathedral of unfathomable grace and beauty to herald the Second Coming of Christ. He will not allow any mere mortal to interfere with His purpose. For a man is but a flea before an elephant and has no chance of altering the will of God.”
The men in suits arrived at the front of the crowd and one began to ascend the pulpit.
“It is unfortunate that Colonel Martin had eyes but did not see. Had he not stood against the will of God he wouldn’t be knocking today on the gates of Hell!”
The man walked out onto the pulpit and pulled his badge out of his pocket. “Reverend John Little? I’m Special Agent William Pierce of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Please come with me, sir. We have some questions we’d like to ask you in connection with the murder of Colonel Benjamin Martin.”
“Sure, I’ll come with you,” Reverend Little replied firmly. “I have nothing to hide. This wasn’t my doing but the will of God. But I will give to Caesar what is due Caesar, as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded.”
The three agents escorted Reverend Little to a waiting car and he was taken away still preaching to the pilgrims as the door closed behind him. An hour later he was taken into the FBI Field office in Las Vegas and put in an interview room. Agents William Pierce and Melanie Sanders interviewed him.
“Reverend Little,” Agent Pierce said. “What do you know about the death of Colonel Benjamin Martin?”
Reverend Little shrugged. “Nothing but rumor.”
“Rumor?”
“Your sermon seemed pretty detailed. How did you know he was killed by bats?”
“My assistant, Tom Keller, told me. He said he’d heard it from one of the soldiers working the perimeter of the site.”
“Where were you this morning between midnight and 3:00 a.m.?”
“In bed asleep. My housekeeper can vouch for that.”
“You were pretty upset with Colonel Martin’s refusal to allow your pilgrims back up on the ridge to watch the cathedral grow, weren’t you?”
“You know I was.”
“Did you decide to punish him for his refusal?”
“I am but a mortal. It is not up to me to punish others, only God can do that.”
“You said you were an instrument of God. Did God tell you to punish Colonel Martin?”
“No. The Lord doesn’t speak to me, unfortunately. He hasn’t spoken to anyone directly since he spoke to Jesus and the prophets. We know his will by his signs.”
“Like the Living Desert Cathedral?”
“Yes, a most magnificent sign.”
“Do you know who killed Colonel Martin?”
“The Mountain Devils who were unleashed by God upon him.”
“Do you know who helped God unleash the Mountain Devils?”
“God doesn’t need man to punish his enemies. He has to but think it and it is done.”
Agent Pierce sighed and then looked at Agent Sanders. “Okay, we’re going to take a break. Just relax. If you need anything, just yell. Someone will be monitoring you while we are gone.”
The two agents left the interview room and went into a conference room where an army officer, Lt. Herbert Miller and another special agent, Tommy Rodriguez were waiting.
“So, what do you think?” Agent Pierce asked.
“I think he’s lying,” Lt. Miller replied. “He knows exactly who killed the colonel because he ordered the murder.”
“Well, you’re probably right, but we have no proof of that, do we?”
Lt. Miller nodded dejectedly. “No, nobody seems to have seen anything and there wasn’t any evidence left in the tent.”
“Somebody must have brought those bats in there,” Agent Rodriguez said. “They certainly didn’t fly in there themselves. The flaps were closed when the body was discovered. They must have made some noise when they were let out in the tent. I don’t understand why nobody heard them.”
“And I don’t think the bats would have attacked the colonel. They just would have tried to escape.”
“Unless they felt threatened. Maybe he yelled or moved quickly and spooked them.”
“Has anybody talked to Tom Keller and the housekeeper?” Lt. Miller asked.
“Yes, they corroborate his story.”
“So, we have nothing?” Agent Rodriguez spat.
“That’s about the size of it,” Agent Sanders advised. “We have no choice but to cut him loose.”
Agent Rodriguez shook his head in disgust. “Do it, then. But we can’t let this go. We can’t let him get away with murder.”