Bertie Has to Go

"It's not safe here anymore. It's not safe anywhere."

"What do you suggest?"

"Well, there's the bucket."

"That would be one sad little puppy."

"Holly, I'm not kidding."

"My God! Of the three of us you're the one with supposed maternal instincts. I can't believe you're actually saying..."

"You could go with him."

"Luci what could you mean?"

"I thought of it last night."

"How?" She grabbed her stomach, "Why?"

"Well, I think you might be pregnant, too?"

"Holy Christ! What's wrong with you?"

Luci tried to pull her close. "I love you sister and you're in danger. And the sleeping child in the next room is in danger, also..." She ran her hand over her full round belly, "I can't hide it any longer. Burton will have to know. He's sent for me."

"What? No!" Holly's grey eyes filled with tears. "You can't."

They both knew it was coming. This had been the plan all along and with the General searching for Holly, it was clear that he figured it out. He was suspicious from the start. He let it go, Luci knew, because he wanted her to finish the glass city, The New Jerusalem. And it was complete, in all it's glory. Nothing could stop The Redeemed from realizing their faith now. It was ironic, that it was on the backs of The Unforgiven, but there it was. The saved of the States would file themselves onto the transport and fly into the heavens to enter the Pearly Gates. Just like Noah, President Burton would never look back. Except for, The Great Whore, who would carry the antithesis to his great victory into the caves, where the detonation could never reach the child.

"Why not just head to Hades?"

"I have to be there at the capitol for the announcement."

"Why? Why do you have to be there?" Her voice cracked.

"Shhh! Do you want to wake that poor little darling Bertie and tell him that today is the terrible day? Or, would you rather take him to the lab, put him in the pod and take a chance. A chance that you might save us, that your child will save us, or Bertie. Without God, we have no way of divining through this. We need to hedge our bets."

"Hedge our bets? You don't even know if it works!" Holly's pale skin lit up, she was crying.

"You see, don't you?" Luci laid her red hair against her sister's quivering shoulder.

"Oh, my God? It must be true?" She wailed sarcastically, "I'm upset because I'm about to take this poor child, no, two children according to your observation, into the past, which was far worse, by the way..." Holly pushed her away, "You think I should go back?"

Holly stared somberly back at her, "Yes. Do it now. I leave in ten minutes." "Now!" she screamed.

Luci let her mind move to the plan. She knew she was right. The sanctimony of the religious world would never allow the inoculated to exist, to have eternal life...without God. They would press the button on their way out to fend off the unrepentant living souls who were too much of a burden on the faltering planet. And they would leave The Immortals behind in a burning Hell as punishment.

But, if Burton knew his own flesh and blood was there, he would never let it stand. She hoped he would stop the genocide, that he would simply leave and live in the beautiful place she made for him. That he would care, since he said he loved her and surely, he would never kill his own child.

Just in case, Holly needed to be as far away from him as possible. Still, Bertie was the biggest threat of all. When they brought back stoning for rebellious children and the sisters saved that innocent face for all to see, he became their undoing. He could prove them wrong, begin the conversation again and ruin their conscience.