Walls of Gray

Chapter 3: Sermon

Oppressive silence dominated the cathedral. The pews were filled with rows upon rows of civilians clad in gray, but none of them dared to speak a word. The high vault of the ceiling was completely obscured by darkness, the statue at the altar raising its arms in a gesture of perpetual exaltation. The furnace which lay at its feet burned a vibrant red fading into orange; it was one of the brightest colors Clancy had seen during his time in Dema, barring the golden-yellow pitchfork he'd seen that night in the hallway of his building.

The pitchfork. Try as he might he couldn't shake the image from his mind even as he tried to sleep and, as time went on, he'd realized it looked eerily similar to a symbol he'd seen on a map of the city during one of his trips to the Cartographers' workshops. But why anyone would flip the marker denoting east on its side was still a mystery to him.

Along the sides of the cathedral Clancy could see the Deacons standing equidistant from each other, hands clasped behind their backs, eight of them on one side, nine on the other. As the only people in Dema allowed to wear red besides the Bishops, they were some of the only splashes of color in the building. Nico's Deacons, Tress and Angus, stood closest to the altar, their presence just as frightening as their Bishop. The sight of Sterdon and Othera nearby was a comfort to Clancy, but only a small one at that.

Finally, the doors swung open. They descended like vultures to a carcass — nine men, their robes redder than blood, started down the walkway to the altar. The person next to Clancy flinched at the sight of them. These were the Bishops, the nine leaders of Dema, the ones responsible for running the daily lives of everyone in the city. Just their presence alone was enough to make Clancy shudder, and he could feel the air around him chilling as they reached the altar.

Nico was at the forefront of the procession, turning to face the crowd as soon as he arrived at the foot of the altar. His fellow Bishops stood at its center, surrounding the unfinished Monument that lay atop the pedestal. The unlit Monument almost seemed like an empty vessel, nothing more than an odd rhombus without the neon that set it alight. Or, at least, it would be a rhombus if not for the single bar of glass that went through its center widthwise.

"From the time we are born we are given two paths upon which to walk: the path of light and the path of darkness," Nico started, his voice like a stretch of parched earth as it reverberated across the cathedral walls. "The path of light promises peace, claims to give us eternal happiness and sanctuary against those who would destroy us. But this is a lie."

Clancy's eyes narrowed. Is it really? he thought.

Nico raised his arms in the air, almost heavenward like a bird spreading its wings. "The darkness, on the other hand, always comes for us, and when it finally does the light makes no attempt to keep us safe. They say light will always shine in the dark, but the light always cowers. Each and every time. It does not have our best interests in mind. It does not protect us when we need it most. So what must we do in this situation?"

The cathedral remained silent. Clancy knew the First Bishop was encouraging the crowd to respond, but their lips remained sealed. No one dared to speak out of turn in front of the Bishops.

"The answer is simple," Nico continued. "Embrace the darkness. Let it into your bodies, let it intertwine with your soul in a permanent bond. If you cannot destroy darkness, what good will it do you to keep fighting it? The light will always flee, but the darkness will stay forever by your side. This is the true path to glory."

The First Bishop started up the altar, joining the rest of the Bishops in the circle atop the raised pedestal. One of the men in red broke from the crowd, fetching a metal rod beside the furnace. Clancy could tell straight away that it was Listo — the tiny Bishop shuffled along the stone floor, his footsteps light like wingbeats as he walked over to the furnace. The flames enveloped the rod as it twisted in the opening; when the rod was finally pulled from the furnace Clancy saw a long glass tube at the end of the rod. Listo walked back to the circle of Bishops, passing the glass tube to the Bishop next to him. The Bishop lowered the tube to the top of the Monument and the adjacent rods connected to the new one as if by magic. The person next to Clancy stifled a gasp as the Monument flickered to life, white neon pulsing throughout the tubes.