Incident at Jupiter Lighthouse Part 3

Well, the rain kept coming and you think that would cool things down a bit. But the truth was, Ral was hopping mad. He brushed by me and headed toward the man known as the Prophet. “You got a mighty big nerve, mister…” said Ral.

Undaunted, the man stepped from out of the bushes and pointed. “My word is the authority. I have seen the heavens streaked with fire, and the sun turned to sackcloth.”

I waved my hand. “Any one of us has seen a meteor shower and an eclipse, my good man.”

The man held his two upraised hands toward the sky. “But ah, have you brought life to parched earth, such as I have?”

Ral hesitated.

The man nodded. “No, you wouldn’t be so foolish as to touch one who has been anointed.” He turned and pointed to Anna. “Hear it from me! Lest you turn from this island, yea and this town as well, then you will surely face death. Hesitate not! If you should delay one moment after this sunset, the spirits will surely snatch the breath from your body!”

Pa came around the corner, wrapping a towel around his hand. He looked up at the group. “The bleedin’s stopped. Say, what’re you doin’ standing in this rain, girl? And who are y-.” He glanced at the pale man.

“Why are you here on my property?” demanded Pa. “Take your spirits away.”

The man shook his head. Ral looked perplexed. “You know this fellow, Pa? He’s the one they call the Prophet?”

“That is true, son,” said Pa. “He’s done some incredible things, I hear.”

“I go where I wish,” said the man simply.

Pa glanced at Anna and pointed at me. “You know, Burl. Tell them.”

I nodded. “He was over in Coastville on that flat piece of dry land at the edge of town, where nobody could grow a stubble of anything. No rain for two months, mind you, when he came into town. He stayed out there at night, raising and waving his hands in prayer, people watching him bless the land.” He looked directly into Ral’s eyes. “Within a few days grass and some flowers grows up there, as sure as I’m standing here.”
Ral nodded. “I remember. Word was all over the town. And he’s been here at the edge of Jupiter on that small hill at the far lip of the town property, doin’ the same thing for the last two days. People been watchin’ him, say he’s got some Great Northern mysticism in him.”

The man closed his eyes and raised his hands. “I have the authority of the heavens. And I’m saying that this girl’s habitation is wrong! Both she and her mother are an intrusion upon the peace of this city! Would you have an outside come in an upset the spirits who wander the streets of Jupiter?”

The rain was letting up. Pa glanced over at the shoreline. “Company comin’. Someone’s rowin’ this way. They must have seen this prophet fellow from across the water.” The rain had slowed down to a drizzle.

“Leave, I repeat,” said the Prophet. “You face certain doom if you don’t leave.”

“But why?” sobbed Anna. “Why me?”

“You are not a native of the land, “ said the man, “nor do you have the rightful household. Think of it! A household with no man to oversee the ways of the home! Disgraceful. It’s not the way of the land.”

Ral shook his head. “The girl’s pa died during the war. Surely you can’t blame her for that.”

The man tapped his head. “I see and know things you cannot imagine.” He turned and faced Anna. “Hear me! That homestead is tainted by the likes of this fatherless child and her transient mother! Away with them before the nomadic spirits take offense and create a terror to the town!”

“Listen! Listen!” shouted a voice from across the waters.

It was Ned, the constable, waving his hands. His neighbor Gorline was rowing toward them with all his might.

“What is it, Ned?” shouted Ral’s father.

“The townspeople ran up and told me as we were pulling for shore! Everyone’s been talking about it!”

“Talkin’ about what, man? Speak up,” demanded Pa.

Ned stood up in the boat and waved his arms impatiently. “They’ve all seen it. The dry hill where the Prophet’s been praying. The one where nothing’s grown in over three years! Well, it’s changed. It’s covered with grass! And there are flowers!”

Everyone turned and looked at the man. He narrowed his eyes and pointed at Anna. “I have displayed my spiritual power, girl. Now get your body off this land before the sun sets, or you’ll be another grave occupant in Sutter’s Cemetery.”

“No!” Anna screamed and stomped her foot in the sand. “No! You can’t play God and command people here and there, even if you can do strange things. There is an Absolute Authority in this universe and He’s who I’ll answer to, not some mystic who makes incantations! We’re staying here.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “Hasn’t my mother suffered enough? Don’t you have any kindness in your heart?” She looked around. “Don’t any of you?”

Ral stepped forward. “Anna, you won’t need to worry. I’ll make sure that nobody bothers your house…”

Pa nodded. “My son and me will protect you…”

Ned stepped forward. “Ah, no you won’t, Bannister. As constable, I’ve been sent over here by the people of the town to find out about you attacking some innocent men earlier today.”

Raleigh blinked. “Why those men weren’t innocent. One of ‘em attacked..”

Ned raised his hand. “Could be nothing, Ral, but my job is to see that the laws of the town are upheld. We just need you to come to the town jail and have a few things to say to the judge.” He set his jaw. “It’s not like you haven’t had run-ins with the law before, Bannister.”

Pa shrugged. “True enough. And now my sins are visited upon my son.” He nodded. “Okay, Ned, we’ll come along.” He looked at Anna. “We’ll see if we can be released soon, my girl. That Prophet means some scary business.”

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Night had come. The full moon shone on the main street of the little town. Anna sat on the wooden bench next to the jail window and handed Ral a cup of tea through the bars.

“Thanks much. Fightin’ can work up a powerful thirst in me,” Ral said, gulping the tea. He stopped, realizing what he said. “Say, uh, Anna, I’m really sorry about the fight that you had to see…and, well, I’m really sorry about getting’ smart-mouth with you… and throwing the eggs…”

But Anna wasn’t listening. Her eyes were fixed far off in the distance. “Raleigh,” she said quietly. “What would you do if you knew you had one more day to live on this earth?”

He grinned. “Fill up on bread pudding, first of all…” He then became thoughtful. “Well, now, I believe I’d get my affairs in order.”

“What affairs?”

Ral shook his head. “Don’t know. I just heard someone use that phrase once and I thought it sounded good.” He drained the last drop of tea and handed her the cup. “And what would you do?”

Anna closed her eyes. “I’d be getting my hello’s and good-bye’s lined up.”

“What do you mean?”

Anna shifted and put the cup next to the teapot. “I would stop by everyone I know and give them a sincere good-bye and let them know – good or bad – what influence they had on my life while I was here on Earth.” She looked up at Ral. “And I would be preparing my first hello in heaven. I’ll be saying it to Jesus.” She looked away. “I want to have the right words to say, so I need to think it out.”

Ral leaned his elbows on the jail’s window sill. “And you think this day is your last on earth because of what the Prophet said?”

Anna stared at the lighthouse for a moment then shook her head. “No.” She turned to Raleigh. “No. This is where my talking faith becomes a walking faith.”

Ral’s eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?”

Anna saw Mr. Bannister come to the window and put a hand of Ral’s shoulder. “Come on, son, the constable says we might get free as long as we promise not to go pounding on any more people. But we’re a-going to have to convince the judge, who wants to see us right now. There’s three prisoners aheasd of us, but we gotta get in line.” He looked out at Anna. “Sorry, miss, but we won’t be outta here till way past midnight.”

Anna smiled. “That’s all right. I’ll be okay.”

“Your mother is out of town, so why don;’t you just stay at your aunt’s house tonight and we’ll sort this Prophet mess out in the morning?” asked Ral.

“No,” said Anna. “If there are spirits or demons that want to challenge the faith I have in Jesus, then now’s the time for them to make their play.” She stood up. “I’m staying in that house tonight. I’m not leaving that house. It’s our home.”

Before Ral could answer, Anna walked off into the darkness.

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