Sullivan Saga 2: Sullivan's Wrath by Michael K. Rose Read Free Book Online

throat. He took a sip of water from his glass. Why was he stalling? Why was he reluctant to share his experience with Brother Mark?
    “About a week ago,” he said after taking another sip and wiping his mouth, “I woke up during the night. I turned over onto my side, and against the wall of my room I saw a vision of Christ being crucified.”
    Mark nodded. “Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?”
    “Yes. I had already been awake for a few minutes.” Peter paused. He decided not to tell Mark about his erotic dreams. “I had been actively praying during that time,” he said. “I was certainly awake.”
    Peter waited to see if Mark would respond. When he didn’t, Peter continued. “And now, every night since then, I see the same scene when I close my eyes, as though it’s etched on the back of my eyelids. As long as my eyes are closed, it never fades, never goes away. It takes a great deal of concentration for me to ignore it and try to fall asleep. And I’m afraid I haven’t been sleeping too well because of it.”
    Mark put his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand. “I’m sorry to say I don’t have much experience with that sort of thing. Have you told Father Curtis?”
    “No, not yet.”
    “Why not?”
    Peter picked up another chess piece and turned it around in his hands. “To be honest? I’m afraid to.”
    “Why?”
    “I’m afraid that… that I’m not supposed to see those sorts of things.”
    “Brother Peter, I’m new here. I don’t know what the official Cenobian position is on visions. But if you believe that it is genuine—if you’re certain that it’s not your mind playing tricks on you—I don’t see how Father Curtis or anyone else could deny that you are having a religious experience. He certainly can’t prove that you aren’t , and I don’t think he would take that tack anyway. As far as I know, you’ve never... caused any trouble, so to speak. I think that Father Curtis will take your visions seriously.”
    Peter smiled. “So you don’t think I’m just letting my imagination run rampant?”
    “No. If you’re sure that you are having a genuine experience, I believe you.”
    Peter set down the chess piece and looked back at the board. “Thank you, Brother Mark,” he said without looking up.
    “Not at all.” Mark tapped the board. “Now I believe you have a bishop to deal with.”
     

10
     
    FRANK ALLEN TURNED the corner and glanced up the street. Now that he was out of the city center, the effects of the war were more pronounced. The cleanup had been focused on the residential areas. The industrial sections of the city, like the neighborhood he was entering, were still littered with rubble, and some of the buildings were taped off and marked as unsafe due to the damage they’d received from aerial bombardment.
    Allen had a basic idea of the layout of Agrona, Edaline’s capital, but he didn’t need it. He was being told exactly where to go.
    “Keep going down this road until I tell you to turn,” said the voice, Liz’s voice. Allen nodded and kept walking. He’d been assured by her that no one else could hear it. Still, every time she spoke, he looked around to see if anyone else had reacted to it.
    Allen studied each building that he passed. From what he’d seen of the city so far, life on Edaline was still rough. The war had left the planet essentially without a government for several months. The rebellion’s leaders had arrived from Faris as soon as they could, but it wasn’t soon enough to prevent a loss of stability. The predictable economic collapse that followed was still in effect. All across the city were empty offices and closed-up storefronts. Traffic was light. There was a strong military presence in the city, but Agrona still had a sinister, threatening feel to it.
    “Cross the street at this corner,” Liz said.
    Allen checked for traffic then jogged across the road. He passed a homeless man sitting on the corner.
    “Do you have