The Bergamese Sect (52 page)

Matt placed his cup down on the bamboo floor and put his head in his hands. The woman’s words should have driven him to fury, but he felt empty. ‘Why me?’ he said.

‘
Simple. You were perfect for the job. You have no attachments to anyone other than yourself. You have no family to speak of, no friends who’d miss you if you didn’t call. Nothing.’

Matt looked up again. ‘Thanks. You’re really making me feel good about myself.’

‘
It’s not your fault, Matt,’ the woman said tenderly. ‘We have no control over the things that make us who we are. It’s a shame your parents were taken like that, just when you needed them most. But no one is to blame for it, and certainly not you. It’s a part of you. Yes, a part that’s missing, but a part of you nevertheless.’

‘
I don’t even know you,’ Matt said, unsure what he meant by the words.

‘
And then there was poor old Duncan. It really wasn’t your fault you know.’

‘
Stop it! How do you know so much about me?’

She took another sip of tea, savoured it for a moment then swallowed it down. To Matt, the sound of the liquid in her mouth seemed strangely amplified and sharp. He shook his head to dislodge the feeling.

‘
I’ve been watching you for a long time,’ the woman said. ‘Every now and then I’d find another little something, add another brushstroke to my portrait. You see, studying people, finding out about them, was once my profession. It’s what I’m good at.’

‘
Some people call it spying. I guess all governments do it.’

‘
Governments?’

‘
Yes. Your fellow conspirators.’

‘
Oh, I see. Your colleagues have educated you well. But I’m afraid they’re mistaken, Matt. In fact, they
all
are. I’ve never been part of any government. Not even unwittingly.’

‘
But you’re trying to expose them.’

‘
I’m trying to reveal the truth, yes. But it’s got nothing to do with any government. Really. This deception involves an institution far more powerful than any government, believe me.’

‘
But I thought…’ Matt’s voice trailed off. He was feeling confused again. ‘The abductions?’ he said at last. ‘Are they real?’

The woman smiled. ‘Would that scare you, Matt?’ she asked.

‘
Scare me? I don’t know.’ He picked up his tea, took another swig.

‘
Fear is healthy,’ the woman said. ‘It’s fear that nourishes the world.’

‘
What do you mean?’

She took a deep breath. ‘As long as there are fears, areas of doubt, we will always cling to the ideals that nurture the world,’ she said.

Matt didn’t react to the words. He didn’t understand them. He watched the woman calmly sipping her tea. His vision was blurring, the woman’s form seemed small, remote.

‘
Do you believe in evil, Matt?’ she continued. ‘Evil as a force for change in the universe?’

The woman was speaking in riddles. Matt was lost.

‘
Do you?’ she repeated.

Matt shrugged. ‘A glance at any newspaper is enough to convince me of that. Enough to convince anyone.’

‘
Sure. In that case, you must also believe in the power of good.’

Matt shrugged again. ‘I guess so. Though it seems rare these days.’

She nodded. ‘True, but in fact they pervade the universe in equal measures; good and evil. There may be local fluctuations in the balance. Areas where one vastly outweighs the other. But there can’t be one without the other. Good and evil aren’t governed by any strict law of conservation. Unlike matter and energy, you do not destroy one by creating the other.’

Matt was frowning. He altered his position to alleviate the strain on his throbbing arm and stared perplexed at the woman. His mind felt numb. ‘What are you talking about?’ he said.

She took another breath, this time letting a silent sigh escape. ‘Good and evil are complementary forces, Matt. But it’s a mistake to believe that creating evil will destroy good. Quite the opposite is true.’

‘
I haven’t a clue what you’re on about. What’s this got to do with aliens?’

‘
You aren’t a religious man, Matt, are you?’

Matt shook his head.

‘
Then it may be difficult for you to understand. But try and suppress your logic for a moment, and tell me, what do you think is the greatest threat to religion?’

‘
I don’t know. Other religions?’

‘
Good. That is a trait of religions. If you accept a system of belief, you must defend it against contrary ideals. Otherwise, you are no believer at all. However, history has taught us another lesson, Matt. The disparity of other faiths isn’t the real threat to religion. In fact, the plethora of alternative beliefs ensures they will all survive. As long as there are conflicts, there are always believers. It’s quite a beautiful law of governance.’

The woman’s words seemed to pass right through him, with no place to stick in his confused mind. Perhaps she was trying to divert him from the truth, confuse him with irrelevant theology. He struggled for words, not knowing which direction the conversation should take.

He took another sip of the warming tea.

The woman fingered her bottom lip. ‘The greatest threat to religion is the development of rational thought,’ she said.

‘
I don’t know what you mean.’

‘
The Christian religion, for example, is based on simple faith, Matt. To a Christian this is an essential part of their belief. This is why the mysterious, the miraculous, can exist in a world where rational description and empirical logic are the norm. Any system of belief which attempts to rationalise the mysterious, to explain the miraculous, is therefore a threat to Christianity.’

‘
You mean science?’

‘
That’s one such system.’

Matt leant forward. ‘Many people find no contradiction between science and religion,’ he said.

‘
They are wrong. Science has and always will be a contradiction to religion. It’s a scourge that erodes the mind into thinking there’s no divine will in the universe. Science is an enemy of religion; however you look at it, however tolerant you like to call yourself.’

Matt exhaled in disbelief. ‘So you believe the universe is driven by divine force rather than the theories of science? I suppose you also think the fossil record was put there by God himself; that radiocarbon dating is wrong; that the universe was created in 4004 BC?’

The woman was unmoved. ‘Matt, you’ve missed the point entirely. It doesn’t matter whether science is right or wrong. It’s a viable system after all – a convenient description. What matters is that it cannot coexist in a society that is pious and devout. Humans are a simple species, Matt, simpler than we’d care to admit. We can’t expect the proletarian masses to cope with complex dichotomies such as this.’

‘
Are you saying science should be outlawed?’

‘
That could never happen,’ the woman said. ‘But, there is a solution.’

‘
And what’s that?’

‘
The doubt we were talking about. Fear and doubt, Matt; extremely powerful tools. If you create the fantastic, the miraculous, you also create distrust of rational science. That distrust is what ensures your faith continues. You see, it’s quite a beautiful principle; to defend a faith you must attack it. You must create everything it despises. Otherwise, what is there to justify its existence?’

‘
And those fears should be manufactured?’

‘
Very good, Matt, you are learning quickly. The Christian Church once tried to ensure the faith of the masses by persecuting those unfortunate souls it saw as sinners. It was a form of blackmail; you will worship, you will follow our morals, our rules, otherwise you will face the fury of the Inquisitor. Otherwise, you will be denied salvation. But this method was creating the wrong kind of fear, Matt. It was creating a fear of fellow man, not creating good, God-fearing people. It was a terrible mistake.’

She brushed her hair over her forehead and took a noisy swig of tea.

A strange feeling began to bubble through Matt’s veins. It felt like exhaustion, or exposure. His eyelids seemed heavy.

‘
Are you scared of ghosts, Matt? Of demons, devils, witchcraft?’ the woman said suddenly.

‘
No, of course not. They are inventions of the mind.’

‘
Many people are convinced of their existence; have experienced them.’

‘
There’s usually a reasonable explanation for them.’

The woman laughed softly. ‘You see, Matt,’ she said, ‘you are using science to dispel your fears. It’s easier for you to accept a system of empirical thought that fails to explain the unknown than to admit to the possibility that these things are real and to be feared. But those people believe in these things because they have experienced them. They have tasted that primal fear for themselves. It’s difficult to ignore something that speaks directly to the soul. And where do they turn, to ease those fears? Not to science, which would call them crazy, or mistaken? But to religion, Matt, which embraces the mysterious, the miraculous, and quells those fears with the promise of redemption, protection, salvation.’

‘
But you can’t create devils or ghosts,’ Matt said.

‘
Can’t you?’ She tapped a finger on her head. ‘The human mind has evolved with the capacity to accept the incredible, even the impossible. In our modern world, we tend to forget that. But, put the most rational of men in an environment that contradicts their logic and you will find them returning to their animalistic instincts. It requires very little to push someone into doubt, Matt, believe me.’

Matt suddenly realised what the woman was saying. ‘The abductions! You’ve been giving people false fears in order to turn them to religion?’

The woman’s face remained blank.

‘
I can’t see how that could work,’ Matt continued. ‘I wouldn’t turn to religion if I experienced something I didn’t understand.’

The woman shook her head. ‘That’s irrelevant. Think of the collective whole, Matt, the macro-populus, if you like. Few people have seen a ghost, but how many people believe in them? A society that allows these things will always choose a path toward a belief in a divine force. The process works beautifully. The history of our race demonstrates it.’

‘
You have no right to trick people into following a doctrine that’s not theirs.’

‘
But it is theirs, Matt,’ she said sharply. ‘It is the God-given word, the infallible.’

‘
Men have died searching for the truth.’

‘
Yes, that is unfortunate. But religion doesn’t require external authority for acts of violence. It permits any action that protects the faith, the territory, the autonomy. Did the inquisitor ever question the legality of torturing people for their confessions, for burning them at the stake for their sins? Did the crusaders ever question the slaying of infidels at the gates of the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre? Today, what religious terrorist questions their actions? Did the fanatics of 9/11 doubt the morality of what they did? Do Irish republicans feel remorse at the murder of protestant agitators? Does the Knesset hold back from slaughtering Palestinian terrorists? Do Sudanese or Nigerian Islamists follow a code of ethics? Men must die to protect the faith. That’s how it’s always been, Matt. That’s how it will always be. It’s a law of nature.’

Matt’s dizziness was becoming stronger. The light of the lamp seemed to be dancing wildly within its glass. The edges of the flame were unusually bright and vivid. Matt looked around the room. Everything seemed to be shimmering, the contrast between light and dark strangely enhanced.

‘
More tea, Matt?’ the woman asked, her voice sounding deep and warbling.

He shook his head, but the movement made him feel even more light-headed. He blinked several times.

The woman stood, filled the kettle with water from a metal jug and lit the stove again. She put the kettle on to heat and threw in another handful of leaves.

‘
Do you miss them, Matt?’ she said, staring at him with a blank expression. ‘You shouldn’t use it as an excuse not to love, you know. You have to grab every opportunity while you’re on this Earth. Face up to your vulnerabilities. Embrace them.’

‘
Stop it!’ Matt shouted, his own words sounding thunderous within his head. He rubbed his eyes. A strange energy was running through him, but it made him feel trapped and naked.

‘
You need to find a purpose in life,’ the woman continued. ‘It isn’t good enough just to dupe people all the time. You’re just lying to yourself.’

‘
Shut up! I didn’t come here to be psychoanalysed,’ Matt screamed.

‘
No, I don’t suppose you did. Still, you’ve learnt a lot on this journey, Matt. About yourself, I mean.’

The constant drumming on the roof was changing into an indistinct swish, like the sound of ocean breakers heard from a distance. The sound seemed to engulf Matt, seeping into his brain, drowning out everything. He closed his eyes and gave in to the noise.

Chapter 30

A Russian-built Mi-17 helicopter hurtled two-hundred feet above the forest canopy. It looked strangely newt-like, the tail seeming longer than necessary, the slope of its nose shallow. It raced at maximum speed, sucking the wet air through two enormous engine cowlings above the cockpit. The pilot peered out, struggling for visibility through the driving rain that lashed noisily across his windscreen. The wipers swished back and forth surprisingly quickly, but failed to keep the glass free of water for more than a fraction of a second.