Free I, Judas the 5th Gospel by Bob Mayer Page B

story—a novel almost—with Genesis. Great hook for a novel, wouldn’t you agree? I mean, creating everything . And really, has it occurred to you there is no back-story to the Old Testament? Every other book has back-story, expository material to explain what was going on before the start of the story, but in the case of the Bible there was nothing before the start, right?”
    Judas paused, and then leaned forward. “But there was, wasn’t there? God existed before the start, didn’t he? So the Bible is not really God’s story, but the story of God and man.” He spread his arms wide toward the sky. “There’s a big universe out there. Don’t you think there are other feats that God was responsible for? Or is it simply man’s ego that brings God down to his own level and be his special province?”
    “Our world came into being when the universe came into being,” DiSalvo argued.
    “Oh, come now,” Judas chided. “Are you a creationist?” He paused once more, holding up a hand to forestall a response. “We’ll get to that and I think you will find it most interesting, because neither the creationists nor the evolutionists are right. It’s like most things. The truth lies in between, or it lies completely outside the realm of what has been considered. Let’s get back to the book. The Bible as most of you people call it. It opens—” He paused and cocked his head. He placed a finger against his lip as one of the natives ran up and whispered something in his ear.
    Judas stood and issued a few short commands in the native tongue, and within twenty seconds the table and all the natives had disappeared underneath the nearby trees. “If you would join me for a second.” It was a command, not a question.
    The three walked behind him into the shade of the trees where they stood. Judas whistled, very low, and DiSalvo’s brow furrowed as he tried to recognize the tune.
    “An opera,” Judas said. “I heard it long ago.” He cocked his head. “It’s safe to go back.”
    The bench and table were brought back out.
    “What was that about?” DiSalvo demanded, but Gates had already guessed.
    “A high altitude reconnaissance flight just passed overhead,” Gates said.
    Judas nodded. “It appears someone else is getting curious about what is going on here. I think your friends in the Illuminati have been casting their eyes this way. We might have other company soon. Things could get testy.”
    “We already had company,” DiSalvo said. “The Illuminati sent mercenaries to attempt to ambush us.”
    “I know,” Judas said. “They are certainly persistent.”
    Angelique looked up, then back at Judas. “But how could you know a plane was approaching overhead?”
    “I have a long reach.” Judas smiled. “Where was I? Ah, yes. The beginning of the Bible. It opens with Genesis and then the story rockets from Genesis to Second Kings. But there it stops being a story about God and becomes a series of testimonies as various people come to the fore to talk about God. It’s rather amazing.” Judas was caught up in the excitement of finally talking to someone about this. “Do you know that in the Hebrew Bible, God sort of disappears? I mean, read it. God’s last words in that version of the Bible are the ones he thunders at Job. He never speaks again, at least according to the book. In fact, in the Book of Esther he’s never even mentioned.
    “The Bible changes. God also changes if you read it objectively and carefully. Look how much he intervened early on. He unleashed plagues on Egypt to free his people. He helped Moses part the Red Sea. Not much of that in the last two thousand years or so unless I’ve missed something. Could have used a hand during the Holocaust, eh?”
    “That will change soon,” DiSalvo interrupted, pointing up at the incoming orb.
    “We shall see,” Judas said. “Do you know how many authors contributed to the Bible? And I mean writers, not translators, because if we look at the