Free Tankbread 02 Immortal by Paul Mannering Page B

curtains held a cloying stink that made her nauseous. A tight sense of panic swelled up inside. She flailed against the heavy fabric, trying to find the opening to the corridor.
    The priest’s hand pressed against her back, his other hand heavy and smooth against the top of her head.
    “I absolve you of your sins. You who have given the sacrifice of your newborn child. You are free to enter the kingdom of Heaven.”
    “No,” Else declared. “I won’t let you feed my baby to those things.”
    “You have been chosen. The grace of the Lord is upon thee.” The priest’s hand felt cool on her skin. Not as chill as the dry flesh of the dead, but somehow soothing. Else turned away from the smothering curtain and slid down the wall to sit on the floor, gasping for air. “I just want my baby back,” she managed.
    He went down on one knee in front of her. “My name is Jonah. The Lord speaks through me. He tells me there may be a way to save your child. But you must trust in him.”
    “I can’t.”
    “You must. You must place your faith and trust in me, the Lord’s vessel upon this ark of his covenant. Listen to me and know the truth of his word. You are the innocent lamb, the uncorrupted sword of his merciful justice delivered by the waters unto us. You shall go among the unbelievers and find the corruption in their hearts. Listen for the heresy of their lies and help me deliver them into the Lord’s light.”
    Else tried to make sense of the strange words the man used. “You want me to go and find out who has lied to you?”
    “Yes, child. Go among the heathen engineers and the lost fishermen. They plot against our Lord God and seek to bring an end to our sanctuary. But if we leave this ark, the Lord God will cast us out into the desert and we shall wander like the tribes of Israel, forever lost to God’s light.”
    “You sound a little bit nuts, you know that?”
    Jonah stood up and pulled Else to her feet. “Go, child. You now do his will.”
    “Will you help me get my son back?”
    “Yes, if you uncover the viper’s nest that lurks in the bowels of this ship, then I shall beseech the Almighty Captain for his blessing and the return of your boy-child.”
    “If you are lying to me, I will nail you to that cross.”
    Jonah smiled. “Those who do his work are truly blessed.” The heavy curtain was drawn aside and Else stumbled out of the close, dark chapel. The tainted air of the narrow corridor seemed fresh by comparison.
    Hob looked up from where he sat waiting on the stairs. “You get some of the Lord’s grace in ya?” He smirked when he spoke.
    “Fuck you,” Else replied.
    “Well, darlin’, let me explain how things work around here. The believers, they’re the priest’s people. They think this here is an ark. The Ark. They are waiting for Jesus to come back and fly them all to heaven. The ones who do all work of keeping us alive, they’re the fishermen. They live on the deck and go out in the boats, bring in fish and seaweed and other supplies. They run us and the crew ashore when we need some fresh population too.”
    “Fresh population?”
    “Sure, folks get sick and die or they get killed. We need to keep making babies. So we go ashore, snatch up some kids. Too old for Them That Walk Above Us to get what they need. So we bring ’em down here, keep them alive and when they are old enough, we make babies with them. Keeps the gene pool fresh and makes a change from banging away at the same old twat.”
    “Why don’t their people come? Come and take them back?”
    “Aw hell, there’s fuck all left out there. Most of them are happy to find a safe place where they get fed and are safe from the walking dead.”
    “Sarah, she isn’t your daughter?”
    “Kinda. She’s mine to take care of until she’s old enough to take care of me. Then I get a return on my investment.”
    Else’s nose wrinkled. “I wouldn’t have sex with anyone I didn’t love.”
    “Oh, she loves me alright. I