Free This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti

stirrings in the enemy’s realm indicate something is in the making. The Spirit wants us here. We must confront whatever it is.”
    “And we are not to fight, we are not to resist!” Guilo exclaimed. “I will be most fascinated to hear your next order, Tal. We cannot fight?”
    “Not yet. We’re too few, and there’s very little prayer cover. There are to be no skirmishes, no confrontations. We’re not to show ourselves in any way as aggressors. As long as we stay out of their way, keep close to this place, and pose no threat to them, our presence here will seem like normal watchcare over a few, struggling saints.” Then he added with a very direct tone, “And it will be best if it not be spread that I am here.”
    Guilo now felt a little out of place still holding his sword, and sheathed it with an air of disgust.
    “And,” he prodded, “you do have a plan? We were not called here to watch the town fall?”
    The lawn mower roared by the windows, and Tal guided their attention to its operator.
    “It was Chimon’s task to bring him here,” he said, “to blind the eyes of his enemies and slip him through ahead of the adversary’s choice for the pastor of this flock. Chimon succeeded, Hank was voted in, to the surprise of many, and now he’s here in Ashton, praying every hour of every day. We were called here for his sake, for the saints of God and for the Lamb.”
    “For the saints of God and for the Lamb!” they all echoed.
    Tal looked at a tall, dark-haired warrior, the one who had taken him through the town the night of the Festival, and smiled. “And youhad him win by just one vote?”
    The warrior shrugged. “The Lord wanted him here. Chimon and I had to make sure he won, and not the other man who has no fear of God.”
    Tal introduced Guilo to this warrior. “Guilo, this is Krioni, watch-carer of our prayer warrior here and of the town of Ashton. Our call began with Hank, but Hank’s presence here began with Krioni.”
    Guilo and Krioni nodded silent greeting to each other.
    Tal watched Hank finishing up the lawn and praying out loud at the same time. “So now, as his enemies in the congregation regroup and try to find another way to oust him, he continues to pray for Ashton. He’s one of the last.”
    “If not the last!” lamented Krioni.
    “No,” cautioned Tal, “he’s not alone. There’s still a Remnant of saints somewhere in this town. There is always a Remnant.”
    “There is always a Remnant,” they all echoed.
    “Our conflict begins in this place. We’ll make this our location for now, hedge it in and work from here.” He spoke to a tall Oriental in the back of the room. “Signa, take as your charge this building, and choose two now to stand with you. This is our rest point. Make it secure. No demon is to approach it.”
    Signa immediately found two volunteers to work with him. They vanished to their posts.
    “Now, Triskal, I’ll hear news of Marshall Hogan.”
    “I followed him up to my encounter with Guilo. Though Krioni has reported a rather eventless situation up to the time of the Festival, ever since then Hogan has been hounded by a demon of complacency and despair.”
    Tal received that news with great interest. “Hm. Could be he’s beginning to stir. They’re covering him, trying to hold him in check.”
    Krioni added, “I never thought I’d see it happen. The Lord wanted him in charge of the Clarion , and we took care of that too, but I’ve never seen a more tired individual.”
    “Tired, yes, but that will only make him more usable in the Lord’s hands. And I perceive that he is indeed waking up, just as the Lord foreknew.”
    “Though he could awaken only to be destroyed,” said Triskal. “Theymust be watching him. They fear what he could do in his influential position.”
    “True,” replied Tal. “So while they bait our bear, we must be sure they stir him up and no more than that. It’s going to be a very critical business.”
    Now Tal was ready