x
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1trlGIcGOo
304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPOJRFW3is
The U.S. Marines come at night and two hundred troops smash their way into the temple but it is empty. The monks have fled. The commanding officer cannot even find a trace of personal effects in the building. Only the curious gleaming stone, the cubicles and instruction room, the great courtyard, and the gardens remain. Somehow the monks have been alerted and now they are gone.
"Naught?" he says to a lieutenant. "Verily naught?"
"Naw," the young Marine says. "I reckon I ain't got no clue how them folks got wind of it, but they surely have. We've scoured this here building from top to bottom, and there ain't a lick of life to be found."
"General will be mighty displeased," the captain says. "I am mighty displeased now."
The young lieutenant trembles. Behind him, the Marines, their search completed, are beginning to drift back into the courtyard. "I reckon I apologize," he says, "I apologize. Seems like someone done gone and double-crossed our plans to approach 'em, and now they done skedaddled."
The captain shakes his head. He looks at the temple. Seeing the color of the stone, and the outline of the dark sky against the courtyard, he feels a strange and mystifying terror. A minor sect, a cult really, monks who believe in the preservation of life and who worship crawly little bugs. That is all he knows of them. Yet one of them has killed an American. What does that have to do with the worship of all life? A little gust comes through the courtyard and it shudders through him. He feels a strange weakness down to his fingers which hold his saber.
The young lieutenant says as if he has said it before, "Wha' be our course o' action now, sir?"
He knows exactly what his course of action is. His orders are clear on this; with or without the monks he has one instruction from the temple. But his throat constricts. He has to clear it several times. The young lieutenant is staring at him now. In the background, the men are murmuring.
The captain spits into the courtyard and this finally clears his throat. "Reckon what's our course of action?" he says. "Torch it, I say."
The young lieutenant nods. "Set it ablaze," he says, "right away, sir."
"What are you lingering for?" the captain screams, "why aren't you heeding my command, soldier?"
"I reckon, I am!" the lieutenant says frantically, "I am, sir, I am abidin' by yer orders this very moment!" Before the captain can shout further, he turns and runs toward the men shouting, "Scorch it, scorch it! Lay waste to it all!" The captain stands there watching this. The chill is worse and he feels, somehow, as if he might fall over. Ridiculous. He will not. He will not fall over. His instructions are clear.
"Raze it to the ground!" he screams, then uncontrollably, "let not a trace remain!"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeq3flC6Pps
Gaping, he staggers to one of the walls and leans against it, sweat enveloping him in a second layer of clothing.
The fires begin.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi8DPyivua
