Chapter 56

Sunday, 29 June, 2014,
Dining Room, Temporary Clarke Residence
Roanoke, Virginia

“It’s hard to believe that people would be attending church services this morning, just a year ago, in fact. Right before Doomsday, in fact. Even now, there’s still the UCLC, though that and other mainstream religions seem to be fading very fast. Thank God for that, among other things,” I commented while trying not to dwell on the absence of Eve.

Sure, I had sent her away, but I missed her already. Just because I had so many wives didn’t mean at all that I cared less about any of them, of course. All of my wives mattered to me, just as they mattered to my brother-husbands. We shared and loved them, though perhaps not to the same extent. I definitely had what some might call “new relationship energy” with Stephanie, of course, but I still cared about her sister-wives every bit as much as I used to do.

“Yeah, they won’t be missed, will they? There are still some Catholics, for instance, but Protestant Christianity is particularly weak these days. The UCLC is now down to just one location in Roanoke, and just fifty-two congregants. There are similar results elsewhere in our territory. Nor are they coming back to our enemy’s territory, of course.

“Eckart seems ready to stamp out Christianity, even more so, in fact. It goes without saying that Judaism and Islam are toast in that part of this state. While we don’t persecute them here, Islam in particular is in true decline,” Austin observed while tossing back some orange juice with his breakfast.

“Well, Schumacher Syndrome might have something to do with that,” Mindy winked at him ... and at me, of course, while her daughters snickered.

We had all been intimate with each other, at various points, by now, and often in group activities, mind you. The previous night, I had not only bedded Stephanie to consummate my marriage, I had slept with Mindy and her daughters, and I had even buggered Austin. He was very receptive, naturally, all of us being bisexual by now. Even now, he squirmed a little due to the soreness that I left in his butthole, but he grinned as I looked at him, clearly satisfied by the whole deal.

“Yeah, it really does make practicing those pre-apocalyptic faiths a lot tougher. Our churches don’t condemn promiscuity, of course. They encourage it. In fact, we really should merge them soon enough. Some kind of unified organization for the churches, just as we plan for the state. Full reunification in time, if you will. You get my point.

“You could establish a governing council or something, composed of the Prophets and other key leaders. Imagine how smoothly things could go in the future like that. I know that we’ve been consumed with this war, but we have to look and think beyond it, especially you,” I encouraged Austin, even as I thought about the latest news from the front.

In Waynesboro, Colonel Lassard’s garrison and quickly mobilized militia had held off the enemy assault so far, more than a day later. It wasn’t for lack of trying. The enemy wasn’t able to do much about the air-to-ground strikes by the A-10 Warthogs and Apache helicopters that I had unleashed against the foe to particularly damage his armor and artillery units. This, of course, neutralized Eckart’s main advantage, mobility, to a degree that no doubt frustrated him a bit.

The last report from Lassard confirmed for me that he would be able to hold out for at least a week, maybe longer than that, against even the still mobile adversary. It might be a bit nerve-wracking, of course, but it could and would be done. The town that formed part of the link between Roanoke and Charlottesville would not fall into enemy hands if I could help it, and time was ultimately on my side. Eckart just didn’t know it yet.

As for the Eastern, or Atlantic Front, it was apparent that the success of the counter-offensive hadn’t stopped yet at all. Newport News had been captured after heavy aerial, naval, and artillery bombardment, including several barrages with short-range rockets. The enemy had been overcome, unable to answer with nearly as effective air or ground power, let alone naval. Tomahawk cruise missiles from the VSS George Thomas, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, in particular, shook the ground, leveled many buildings, and terrified the less experienced troops of Eckart.

The Nazis were chased out of the city in just six hours of fighting, at which point the VNDS troops found a half-demolished ghost town. There wasn’t a soul on the streets that anyone could find. The ASF sympathizers, such as there were, must have evacuated the place in great haste, as they left many supplies behind, civilian as well as military in nature. Even so, the biggest prize was the city itself, which could be resettled in time, but for now would make an excellent staging point for further offensives.

The way to Williamsburg and Suffolk was wide open, of course. The ASF was officially on the defensive now. They would have a hard time keeping the VNDS out of those cities. Virginia Beach fell victim to the only use of scorched earth so far, ceasing to exist before it could serve as a base for either camp. The city fathers had evacuated the place themselves and demolished it before the ASF could ever occupy the town, mostly in response to Eckart’s refusal to accept them as an “open city.” Clearly, their residents had become refugees elsewhere, as it was wiped from the face of the Earth.

Yes, it was good news for all of us and very bad news for Eckart, but this was only part of the agenda for breakfast that morning. The ladies from Charlottesville and other places were already heading home, though it was a scary business with the Nazi assault upon Waynesboro. I was convinced that God and His angels would protect my pregnant former lovers from death before their time, just as he would with me. The situation would make me anxious, that was all.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Charity broke my analysis of the present circumstances with a very soft and loving kiss, even as Stephanie did the same.

“Damn, ladies, you spoil me! I was just thinking about the strategic situation, that was all. The damn war with these Nazi bastards. Things finally seem to be turning a corner, which is good, but I don’t know how much longer I have out here. I know that I am prophesied to leave before the final victory, even if I am to lay down the foundations for success. I am going to miss this place, all of it, both here and Charlottesville. Do you miss Maryland, Charity?” I asked my lovely and well-named wife.

“Sometimes, but not what became of it with those factional fights, I can tell you. I miss visiting Baltimore at times and getting fresh, hot crab cakes, you know. I miss community life in Frederick, how great it was to know people and work together to improve life for everyone. I miss helping my family and neighbors out in the soup kitchen and such. I don’t miss the insane dogma, but much of church life was nice otherwise,” Charity confessed, “you can guess where I got my name, of course.”

“Well, you’ve certainly been generous enough to me, to all of us, in fact,” I teased Charity while fondling her fine ass.

“What can I say? You’re not bad for a cracker,” Charity retorted with a hungry kiss, even as we ate together.

The eggs, bacon, grits, and toast were certainly an excellent breakfast, thanks to Diana and Stacy this time around. The former professional wrestler also waxed a little playful with her partner in this act, much to our voyeuristic pleasure. She slapped Diana’s bottom more than once and caressed it lovingly, making it evident that she enjoyed the lady’s ass, not that I could blame her for that. Then Diana sat on Stacy’s lap while we ate, the two of them apparently in a mood for some good, old-fashioned, lesbian fun.