Chapter 44

“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,” - Gandalf, LOTR, the Fellowship of the Ring

1605 hours, local time
Thursday, 26 February, 2015
City Hall
Rapid City, South Dakota

“Welcome to Rapid City, South Dakota, Prophet Charles Tremaine and company. I am Mayor Jacob Hutter and this is the City Council. Councilmen are Oldrich Maus, Jens Faustus, Bill Stanford, George Rickey, Deborah Moore, Karen Macduff, Paul Wilhelm, Sandra Babbitt, Josie Roland, and Peter McNabb. We have quite the mix, as you can see. We have chosen to roll out the red carpet for you, because we have heard of how much power and might you possess. It is clear that the rumors did not exaggerate.

“Things are pretty dangerous and constantly in flux, and they have been ever since the Fireballs destroyed the old world order, the old Union, the old civilization. There are cities like this, outposts of law and order and sanity and normalcy, but we have had to fight off crazy gangs, militias, zealots, bandits, etc. There have been so many heavily armed bands and factions warring in this state, and they have only gotten worse. If you could help us maintain some kind of law and order in this place, that would be very much appreciated.

“In return, we are more than ready to listen to your message and teachings. After all, you have helped create little pockets of social order wherever you’ve gone, and that fact hasn’t been lost on us. You seem to be a man with a mission, and your tribe is on board with that agenda. Your leadership, vision, and discipline haven’t been ignored here or anywhere else. We await your guidance, sir. Hence why we chose to gather this throng of the local citizenry to listen to your great teachings and doctrines now,” the mayor introduced himself and the other city fathers to the Prophet Charles Tremaine.

By now, Hutter and his fellow local luminaries were desperate for some kind of answer to the dangers of the present chaotic state of South Dakota. He had heard all kinds of reports that Tremaine was a Prophet, that he had magical powers (something that he would have never believed in the past, having rejected his own strict upbringing), and that he had helped to organize and galvanize local communities all over the Midwest. Tremaine was said to have helped the Masons defeat the Anti-Masonic forces in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as well as destroying some dangerous elements in Indiana and Illinois, among other feats. He was either going to be a benefactor or disruptor, and which one could depend on their actions.

“You will find that you made a very wise choice. We are here to help you out and bring you closer to enlightenment. We will also help you reorganize your community’s self-defense. You will need to be better prepared for threats than you have been. You also need a much stronger executive to help secure this situation. Strong community institutions and shared values will also aid your cause. The first step is to lead by example and convert to Havenism yourselves. That means baptism by immersion as Havenites in the nearest available body of water, as publicly as possible.

“You must also contract Schumacher Syndrome as soon as possible, as it will give you a rather significant advantage in terms of your fertility and health. Sexual contact with people who already have Schumacher Syndrome will help you with that. Your new social conventions will include large amounts of sexual promiscuity, as well as hyper-fertility, immunity, omnisexuality, etc. Outdated notions, such as monogamy, must be spurned and rejected. Polygamous marriages will be encouraged among you. These include both polygyny and polyandry at once, frequently between the same people.

“For instance, Mayor Hutter is married to his wife, Nadine Hutter, nee Rickey, and has been for the past sixteen years. Her brother, George Rickey, sits on the City Council. Nadine shall now marry her own brother, George, whose wife Kaitlyn must also marry Mayor Hutter. Nadine and Kaitlyn must also marry each other. Thus, George and Mayor Hutter will each have two wives as a start, while Nadine and Kaitlyn will each have two husbands and one wife. That’s a good place to start and thus lead by example, wouldn’t you say?