Shedding the Demon Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Which will it be, son?”
    Damon paused only long enough to make sure it really was his
turn to speak. He already knew he couldn’t kill her in cold blood, “I'll take
the second. You’ll never even know she's here.”
    Andrea made an almost imperceptible huffing sound through
her nose, but it struck Damon through the heart.
    “You may go now,” Michael said, “Andrea and I have more to
discuss.”
    Damon turned and fled from the room. When he closed the door
behind him, he let out a huge sigh of relief.
    Kyndra's soaking tears! Now what am I supposed to do? He wondered as he realized that the good life as he had known it was now over.

Chapter Two
     
    Renard Trueblood sat in his large
ornate chair and listened as the last notes slowly faded from the giant,
archaic pipe organ. He marveled at its size, beauty, and musical quality as he
had so many times before. He always felt that it sounded much better than a
high-tech substitute. He looked down to the gathered congregation standing
below, awaiting his sermon.
    For the third time today he approached the pulpit to deliver
a message borrowed from another he had written decades prior. Crowd is even
smaller now than earlier today. His mouth involuntarily drew into a thin
line as he estimated a mere twenty to twenty-five thousand in attendance.
    “Our Mother watches over us . . .” he intoned the
ritual opening in a deep resonant voice he liked to think matched well with the
organ.
    “SHE IS KIND” the congregation replied.
    “She provides for our needs . . .” he continued.
    “SHE IS GENEROUS” they dutifully added.
    “She laughs with our happiness . . .”
    “SHE IS JOYFUL.”
    “. . . and She cries with our sorrows
. . .”
    “SHE IS CARING.”
    “She will always protect us . . .”
    “SHE IS VIGILANT.”
    “. . . and She will bring us to eternal happiness.”
    “SHE IS LOVE.”
    “You may be seated.” Renard waited for the rustling of
twenty thousand people to quiet as they took their seats. He rearranged the
sleeves on his robe and made a ritual display of opening the huge,
leather-bound and metal-strapped copy of The Chronicle. He didn't actually read
from the book, but he acted as if it gave him inspiration. He scanned his eyes
over the random page in front of him, giving the illusion of reading.
    “Bear with me good people, while I present a short history
lesson.” He paused meaningfully. “I promise, it will be short,” he added
conspiratorially with a smile.
    The congregation laughed politely.
    “Our Good Mother, Kyndra Dickson,” he made a ritual motion
of his right hand to his heart and bowing his head slightly, and the
congregation rustled again as they imitated the motion, “came to us in our time
of need over nine hundred years ago. She came to a budding society that was
just beginning its foray to new worlds. There were only The Five, then, and
they were in disarray. They squabbled amongst themselves and the new society
was on the brink of collapse before it had even begun.
    “Then Kyndra,” again he made the ritual motion, “descended
from heaven to lead the human race into their destiny and began the Consensus
as we know it. And today it encompasses thousands of star systems with its
order and benevolence,” he paused and change the timbre of his voice to convey
dread and danger.
    “However, many have forgotten these simple truths. They have
forgotten that we owe our prosperity and happiness to the Good Mother. They
have forgotten the tenets of good citizenship, they have forgotten how to care
for one another. Rather, they live to satisfy their own desires at the expense
of others. Today, Kyndra's tears soak the downtrodden where they are mired
in the neglect of the people who no longer remember their own history!”
    The sermon continued for twenty-three more minutes to end
the service promptly on time. Renard made blessing motions over the
congregation as they filed past him on their way out. This was the