Chương 2: Chapter 2
Ah, si, Todo es muy bueno. The chime of her doorbell interrupted her dance as well as her thoughts. Who could be coming to see me at nine-thirty on a Thursday morning?
* * * *
Darren Hathcock and Darryl Winstead had yet to get used to their new freedom. At last, they were on their first mission to “the fallen” in the outside world, their first chance to live away from home. In spite of all the elders had told them of the wicked outside, the real world almost overawed them.
Home schooled in a remote commune deep in the rugged southwestern New Mexico mountains, they had led an extremely sheltered and restricted life for their first twenty-one years. In a way, they were surprised when their stepfather directed them to go forth into the dangerous, sin-fraught world beyond the narrow confines of their home. However, they knew the adult male’s role was to spread The Word and lead the ignorant to the bliss of True Belief and the Zhan-d’ Holistic Way.
They had at hand the Holy Writ of Grandfather Hathcock and the added interpretations their father, the group’s current leader, had prepared. They could recite from memory any chapter, verse or text upon command. Now that they’d come of age, the Leader deemed them ready to go seek converts among the heathen. For one thing, the gene pool in the isolated community was becoming dangerously narrow. Their specific guidance included an order to seek out healthy, strong young women and convert them in order to bring them back to Nirvaden where they would produce the next generation of followers for Zhan-d’Holi. Of course, they were not to have carnal knowledge of such women, although, in time, one or more of them might become their wives. That decision was in the Leader’s hands.
Jedediah Hathcock was legally their father since he’d taken as his wives both of their mothers shortly after Mary Folsum Hathcock’s first husband had died leaving her pregnant with Darren, and Kayla Winsted came to the commune with her infant son. Yet neither called him Father, much less Dad or Pa since nothing less formal than Leader suited the austere man. Both Darren and Darryl feared his harsh manner and apparently omniscient eyes. He seemed to know every minor transgression either of them ever made.
So far, their recruiting efforts in Tanque Verde had not proved fruitful. Most of the young women they encountered either laughed at them or showed them disdainful backs when they learned the two young men had very little money, no sophistication, and totally lacked knowledge about the frivolous pursuits popular among the youth of the cities. Most of them were downright rude and used sickeningly crude language in dismissing the two young missionaries’ earnest exhortations.
Today they were exploring a new part of town, an area of older but nicely repaired and remodeled homes, not large but neat and well-kept, yards with grass and flowers and most with a car or two in the drive. Darren and Darryl were on foot, of course. They had acquired one bicycle to share for running errands, but since they could not both ride it at the same time, they used it rarely.
Although they were not blood kin, the two were often mistaken for twins. They had actually been born mere minutes apart, though in places miles distant, and both were slim blonds with bright blue eyes. They had grown up together as brothers, although they knew they really were not. Since they had come to Tanque Verde, they had made most decisions together and shared in the housekeeping and other tasks.
As they approached the third house, after failing to rouse anyone at the first and being harshly turned away from the second, Darren sighed. They had been here two weeks now and had made not one convert. He had expected people to listen much more attentively when they expounded on the rewards to be won by adherence to Zhan-d’Holi, forgoing earthly pleasures for those to be gained in the next realm. Some people gave them money, but most gave them nothing but a curt send-off.
Still, there was something very pleasant and inviting about the little house they now approached. A faint sound of music drifted out through a partly open window, a pleasant melody instead of the booming bass notes and almost incomprehensible words many of the people their age seemed to favor here. Some intuition told Darren this might be their first success. He hoped so and murmured a quick prayer that would be the case.
Today Darryl took the lead on the even numbered homes, while Darren had the odd numbers. Since this was the third house in the block, he stepped up onto the small porch and knocked firmly on the door. For a moment, there was no response. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw the curtain twitch in the large window beside the door. A moment later, the inside door opened. With but a screen door between them, he found himself face to face with the most bewitching, beautiful creature he had ever seen.
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