Chapter 52: A New Order

Time: July 5, 8244 11:59 AM

I calmed myself by gazing outward through the auditorium's northern windows. They presented a fine prospect of one of my favorite inner courtyards, the one named The Stone Fields of Falling Waters. Stone is a very modest word for the splendor. The crystal mosaics are stunning in their beauty, perhaps especially the amethyst falls. Smiling at the beauty, I realized with a start that after a year of being the 85th Cunif Califar, the palace complex at Bandar Arenas was finally beginning to feel like home.

Previously at 11 AM, the holographic link to Babylon had come alive and revealed that a major Judgment would be delivered at solar noon. That would occur today at 12:05 PM, when the sun was due north and about fourteen degrees above the horizon. There was a enormous functional stone sundial built into the plaza at the center of the northern courtyard below us, and I was idly tracking the time with it. Just a few minutes more...

"Think Bel'dar will go after us this time?" whispered Jibran at my side.

I shrugged. "Possible. We'll just have to wait and see. The Guards certainly appear ready for anything." We were politely surrounded by some of the corps' best sharpshooters. They didn't appear though to be expecting a repeat of yesterday. Or was that just my wishful imagination? Royal Guards are trained to reveal nothing through facial or body expressions.

"This really is unprecedented Abdul Hadi," continued Jibran. "In all of history, The Code has never attacked its own base of power." He paused for a moment. "Don't you have a wife who's good with history?"

"Yes, Abigail. You're right. Last night I commanded her to do some research for me. There's nothing in history of The Code ever condemning the monks."

"Until now," replied Jibran smiling.

"Yes, until now. Look, the Sacred symbol to standby. I think it's about to start."

The women of Australia put on quite a show. The Code spent over an hour wailing against the corruptness of the Priesthood and how it had lost its way. It was vintage Bel'dar. I felt I was listening to undiscovered parts of his Second Tower, and phrasing and melodic poetry were so perfectly matched to his ancient scriptures. I reminded myself that the Second Tower eventually became the core of many of the Prayers in the Hours of Counted Failings and Uncounted Failings.

It was vintage Bel'dar all right, but it was also more than just poetic oratory. Embedded within the lamentations were clues on how the coming Judgments should be implemented. The clues were mildly subtle, but far too numerous to miss. I sat back and relaxed and enjoyed the show, absorbing the ersatz Sacred Preaching with what I hoped to be an obedient expression.

At 1:23 PM The Code finished its poetic laments and unleashed its Dark Judgments against both the Priesthood and the fabric of society.

1. Until further notice, no child or adult was to enter into any of the child monasteries. The edict was worldwide, and there were absolutely no exceptions. No supplies of any kind were allowed to enter either, no food, no power, absolutely nothing. Communication was allowed only to the extent of delivering the scope of today's edicts.

2. Until further notice, the Nikahaldi were forbidden to perform any marriage ceremony.

3. Until further notice, no child or adult was to enter either of the world's two adult monasteries, the one at Babylon and the other at Tobruk, whose monastery also functioned as the world's Nikahaldi Academy. The restrictions on supplies and communications also applied to them.

4. The Code condemned mankind for its sinful lust, and declared that henceforth in any act of defilement, the defiled girl would be forever banned from marriage, and the defiling man must be executed.

The Code finished by granting us a brief trial period to abandon our sinfulness and return to Bel'dar's true path. The Code proclaimed that further Dark Judgments would be forthcoming in eight days if our progress was not worthy. We were warned we were in grave danger of losing our redemption, and then The Code finished by signing the Sacred Seal of Bel'dar's Judgment. The transmission ended.

The room was stone silent for a moment. I turned to one of the senior Guards. "Has all this been recorded?"

The man blinked at me. "Of course Abdul Hadi."

"Re-transmit the Judgment immediately, worldwide coverage. Holocast the edicts first. I want full and immediate implementation. Move!"

The Guard saluted and ran to comply.

I sat back and took a moment to collect myself. We had only managed to save a tiny fraction of the girls at this year's marriage gate, 383 of the most accomplished women at the threshold of their adulthood. We had moved just in time to save the 258 0.6's. Their marriage ceremonies were imminent, some scheduled for as early as tomorrow.

I looked at my Council. They appeared to be in a state of shock. Jibran turned to me with glassy eyes. "The child monasteries!" he whispered. "How long..."

I nodded. Jibran saw the core dilemma facing our society. In a population of twenty-five million, there are over nine million children, and almost seven million of them were girls. The children represented 36% of the human population, and their care and training consumed a huge portion of the world's resources. How long could they last without supplies? And if we evacuated the child monasteries, where would they go?

"I don't know Jibran." I sighed. "I think Bel'dar left us clues though in how he wants us to act."

"Oh yes, I caught dozens. The theologians will find fertile ground here I think..."

I chatted briefly with my other Council members, and then suggested we keep our overdue appointment with the monks at Babylon.

CL-5 Imad-al-Din was furious at us for being put off until 1 PM, and then was further insulted by being left waiting for almost an additional hour. He started off with a list of demands, including a mobile surgical hospital for his wounded, when I cut him off and recited Bel'dar's edicts. He stared at me in shock and then tried to repeat his demands, but I just reiterated the only communications between us while he was still at the monastery would be the proclamations of the edicts. He tried to repeat his demands a third time and I severed the connection.

Jibran leaned back in his chair and stretched. "Well, that was pleasant! I wish all my communications with monks were so satisfying! How long do you think, Abdul Hadi?"

I was just finishing keying in some commands to the local Commanders at Babylon. "Well, we did our duty to inform them. Their outside power is now cut, and their fusion generator at their admin building is destroyed."

"Do you think they'll come out then? Abandon their monastery?"

I thought for a moment. "No. I'm guessing Imad-al-Din will abandon his wounded first. On the campus his word is Sacred Law. I think that kind of power is more important to him than Watts. He'd rather rule a ruined monastery in darkness."