Tucker’s Grove Read Online Free PDF

not stop his prayer. Eyes half shut, he pulled out his knife, touched the razor-edged t i p to his thumb, then sliced. The blood looked like black molasses as it welled up.
    Mollie stood behind him, bowing her head, not interrupting the sacred ceremony. Jerome extended his thumb and pressed the warm wetness to the cross symbol that stood out in sharp relief among the other designs. The ancient jar seemed to draw the blood and drink it greedily.
    “ God will protect us from demons,” Jerome muttered. “ God will contain them inside here.”
    It wasn ’ t exactly a recitation from the Scriptures, but the d e mo ns could hear him. Trapped in their jar, they would be afraid.
    The Scripture had a long tradition of blood sacrifice: Just as Abraham had been willing to make a blood sacrifice of his son Isaac, just as Moses marked the lintels of the Jews with lambs ’ blo od so that the Angel of Death would pass over their homes, just as God had demanded the blood of his own son Jesus to save humanity. So Jerome was willing to give up a small amount of his blood to strengthen the demon jar, to keep the evil things i n side.
    H e regained his feet, turned to his wife. “ Every demon I ’ ve removed and imprisoned is one less soldier that Satan has for the Final Battle. Not only am I making my new town a pure and holy place, I am aiding the whole world.”
    Mollie, though, was concerned. “ All the times in the Bible where a godly man casts out demons, he never tries to collect them. He never keeps them like old coins in a purse. And what happens when the vessel is full? Do you know how much evil it can contain? I ’ m worried about what that j ar really does.”
    “ Why, it imprisons demons, Mollie.” Jerome leaned closer in the deep shadows of the unfinished church. “ And when we bless this new house of worship, when my congregation comes from miles around, they will join together and make a similar s acrifice. We ’ ll purge this area of all sins and evil thoughts. This land, this town of Tucker ’ s Grove, will become a new Eden.” His eyes were shining in the moonlight. “ Yes, I ’ m sure, Mollie. I ’ m sure of our future, I ’ m sure of this place, and I ’ m sure of my mission. Not a shred of doubt.”
    “ That ’ s all I wanted to know,” Mollie said with a smile, “ b e cause I have news for you as well, joyous news.” She took his hand and a smear of blood went down the front of her palm. “ I ’ m pregnant, Jerome. I ’ ll have our fir st child in your new town.”
     
    When the church was finished — when all the siding had been painted white, the black shingles laid down, the bell installed in the steeple that perched like a triumphant hand raised toward Heaven — it was time for a great celebrati on. The three men who had delivered the stained-glass window from Chicago stayed for the festivities; Jerome hoped they would remain permanently, since the town needed glaziers.
    Jerome felt that he had lived his entire life for this day. His clothes were f reshly laundered, his hair combed, his beard trimmed. Mollie had sewn herself a fine new dress from a bolt of pink fabric she ’ d purchased at the general store in Bartonville. She left the waistline loose, because now the curve of her belly was becoming no t iceable. Jerome thought she looked radiant.
    The bell pealed out a shrill, melodic tone as two young farm boys took turns yanking the rope to set up a clangor that rang from horizon to horizon. The people streamed in: more men, women, and families than Jero me had thought lived in the area. They came to dedicate the church they ’ d helped to build. Though Jerome had not yet secured a piano to lead the music, they would sing familiar hymns in unison. That was all a church really needed.
    Jerome spoke up when ever yone had squeezed into the pews. “ This place of worship stands on holy ground, for I have made it so. All of your crops will be blessed, and all of your children will be