IF I WERE YOU. (Editing)

TWENTY FIVE_

Simon led Pa Deji out of the narrow tunnel under the church building. They'd been walking for hours and Pa Deji didn't think he could take it anymore.

            "How much longer?" He asked, wiping the perspiration on his head.

           "Another five minutes walk." Philip held the old mans hand as the walked through the dark tunnel.

The men gazed at the tiny roughly written inscriptions on the claustrophobic walls.
Philip tried to squeeze himself together with pa Deji but the walls were getting narrower that it could only take one person. Extra five men walked behind them, carrying touch lights.
Simon looked at the map and nodded. "It's here." He patted the well built wall. And with one push, it creaked, opening up to them.

            "We are here." He announced, yanking off the cobwebs that laced the entrance.

        Waft of strong incense hit their noses. They walked into a hallway that led them into a huge open space. People sat in circles and men with tiny caps on their heads sat on an exalted stage.
Another walled basin of water sat at the center. Pa Deji knelt beside it and washed his face. His team washed their faces as well.
The remaining of his group stayed back in Bishop Maitama's church to distract from what was going on beneath them.

         The twenty four Bishops in attendance rose as the interim bishop Alexander entered the room. "Welcome Deji."

Pa Deji simply nodded, easing himself into the chair designated for him.

       "So far, you have done a great job dismantling the Maitamas and also helping turn the media away from us." He pointed at the old pastor.

         "But as you know, more work needs to be done until Glamourous Grace falls into our hands." He paused, glancing at the river of heads. "This is a massive church which will even grow larger by our forecast. All we want, is our own man to preside over it and over the souls that worship in it." He waited as though he read from a pamphlet.    
His voice rang through the crowd again. "And through our aggressive recruitment of massive church leaders, we are making head way to make sure that our doctrines are practiced everywhere all over this country."

The men present  nodded. Pa Deji glanced at their relaxed faces and nodded as well.
         "Right now," Bishop Alexander continued. "We have our men in the government working to nail Bishop Maitama as an accessory to murder. Once he's out of the way, Pa Deji will take over the church and the presidency of the Bishop's League."

Hands slapped against each other in quick claps. Pa Deji clapped nervously.

            "Now let us pray before we go into other things planned for the night."

Pa Deji expected people to be blasting in tongues and praying loudly.
But, the men simply walked to the base of the stage and placed their right hand in a bowl, and printed a dot on their foreheads.
Once they were done, they walked back to their seats, muttering something inaudible.

        "Deji, it's your turn to pay allegiance to the deity." Bishop Alexander encouraged, waving him over with his left hand. A big white dot sat on his for head.
Pa Deji glanced at his men who looked confused and frightened. He walked slowly to a bowl of white substance.

Stealing a glimpse at it, he looked up at the man on the stage. "What is this?"

Bishop Alexander was quick to answer. "It's the identification powder. Whenever we come here, we must always renew our allegiance to the deity."

          "Hmmm, ....Pa Deji's head shook in disagreement. "Show me."

Bishop Alexander looked at him in confusion. "Show you what?"