Nirvana Effect by Craig Gehring Read Free Book Online Page B

man sighed as he stood up .  “First, there is a challenge we must face.  Can you sit?”
    “I don’t know.”  Edward hated the idea, but there was urgency in Mahanta’s voice.
    “Let’s try, ” said Mahanta.   He helped Edward up into a sitting position. The motion was all Edward could bear.
    “Quiet!” whispered Mahanta. Edward realized he had screamed .  “Hurts?” Mahanta asked.
    “Yes. I can’t take it.  I need to lie down.”
    “Can you stand?” asked Mahanta
    “Oh, God, no,” said Edward. 
    The crowd outside kept shouting.  They were getting loud enough for Edward to make out some of the words.  Manassa.  White man.
    “Your ‘no’ is not a sufficient answer today,” said Mahanta.
    “What is this crowd?”
    “They want to kill you.”
    Oh, God.
    “You do not recognize their living god.  This is a holy house, this hut, consecrated to me and those I command.  It should be safe for you so long as I deem it, but unholy men m ight creep in the dark of night and kill you despite my commandments.  Such is the force of our traditions. ”  This he said quickly, in the rolling poetry of traditional Onge.  The older tongue was easier for Edward to follow, being closer to its Indo-European roots.
    “What must we do?” asked Edward.
    “I have a question for you, Jesuit.”  A question that you obviously don’t want to ask .  There was pain in Mahanta’s eyes.
    “Yes?”
    “Would your lord Jesus desire you to spit on his face if it eased your suffering?”
    Edward thought it over.  There was an awful hole in his stomach as he started to see where this was going.  “Yes.”
    “Today you must spit and ease your suffering.”  Mahanta waited for Edward to prompt him further, but the priest said nothing.
    “If you desire to live today, you must renounce your God and bow to me, proclaiming me the only living god on Earth, with the power to change the destiny of nations.  It must be said this way.”  Again he said this in traditional Onge, flatly.  The prospect didn’t excite Mahanta one bit - in fact, it seemed to disgust him.  Edward was feeling nauseated, himself. 
    Mahanta continued matter-of-factly.  “I will announce that I have healed you with my powers, that you have come to see the light and that you are now my servant, higher than all Onge for you are the only mortal who may sleep in my house.  I have calculated this in trance.  This is the only path I see in which you may survive.  Nockwe has grown ill and can no longer help protect you .  Dook gains power by the day .  It will only be a matter of time before tradition kills you .   Perhaps today. ”  This was no argument.  Just the facts.
    Edward turned his head to vomit beside the bed.  His body spasmed in pain as he retched.  This didn’t faze Mahanta at all ; rather, it was as though he’d expected it.
    “Of course, your God will still live and be your God.  I am no god at all, merely a…scientist.”  He said this last word measuredly, in English.  There was no Onge word for it.  “ This is all just a matter of survival.  I know this is happening fast, but we have no other options at this point.  I’m glad you finally woke up when you did .  Are you ready?”
    Edward knew he had no choice but to be ready.   Whether Mahanta’s logic was correct or not was inconsequential.  Whether or not his intentions were pure did not matter.  If Mahanta told him to eat manure Edward would have to comply.  Edward was too weak physically to defy his only protector.  He did not want to die.  He didn’t feel that God wanted him to die, either.
    Edward heard one man’s voice ring out clearly over the wild hubbub outside .  “Give us the white man!”  He was followed by an approving roar.
    God, please forgive me .  Edward had prayed more in one week than he had in a year.  “Yes, I’m ready.”
    Mahanta nodded.  “It is important, Edward, that during your brief demonstration to the tribe,