“Bella!”
The friends hugged, but not before the man with the weird name took the scroll away. “You won’t need this.”
Zion grabbed Bella’s hand. “Come on. Don’t worry about that. It’s just a piece of paper.”
“But why does that man want it? Why is that paper so important?”
Zion led Bella back out to the walkway. The sun seemed dimmer. Not as many people were trudging along in either direction. Heavy clouds, darkening from their watery burdens, filled the ancient sky.
“It was just a motto the leaders wrote on parchment and passed out to whoever would take it.” Zion talked as he made his way up the tower path, kicking rocks as he went.
“Why did that man get so upset?” Bella picked up her pace and caught up with Zion. “It was like I was robbing him of some prized possession.”
“Abimah is an old friend of our family. He was one of Gol’s first helpers on this tower. He was the one who thought up the motto. Gol accepted his motto as a personal thank-you for his willingness to serve.”
Bella didn’t get why the guy would be so edgy about the paper, but then she was reminded of how edgy she got every time she checked her social media accounts. If she read a positive comment or got a new “like,” the world was a great place to be. If no one subscribed or liked her online presence, then the world was gray and sad.
They kept climbing up the tower walkway, Bella still amazed at how people without modern machines could create something so epic.
After a while, the number of people dwindled to only a fraction of what it had been. Just a few men and women passed in either direction. None of them made eye contact with Bella. They went on their way without even offering a wave or a head nod. The people’s personalities seemed to change the higher up Bella went.
As she rounded the edge of the tower, Bella counted five big men standing on the path, acting as human roadblocks. In front of each man stood a wolf. The animals’ tongues were hanging out, like they had been running and were now trying to cool off and catch their breath.
“Gol’s men. Come on.” Zion pulled Bella off the path and directed her to another opening in the tower. Just inside the shadowy entryway, Bella saw another pot like the one Zion had pulled the rope belt out of earlier.
She watched him reach into the ceramic pot and pull out a silver T-shirt. “Put this on.”
Nothing was normal in this place, but Bella remembered how awesome it felt to experience God’s word after putting the belt on. She quickly slid the silver shirt on and waited for something magical to happen.
Nothing.
“Hey, Zion. What’s going on?”
Zion looked back out at the men guarding the path. “Every once in a while, Gol has men blocking the path. There’ve been people who try to stop the tower from being built. They don’t think it’s right. Some even say it goes against what God commanded.”
Bella couldn’t agree more. Those people were exactly right. “God told Noah and his family to multiply and fill the earth. Putting all of this time and energy into building a tower keeps them from obeying God.”
“How do you know these things?” Zion asked.
“I read my Bible.”
Zion frowned at her. “I don’t know anything about that, but maybe you need to go out there and tell the guards what you just told me.”
“I’m just a kid, but I’ve got God on my side!”
Zion shook his head. “That’s right, Bella. I don’t care if you’re two or two hundred. You’re here. You believe God has a reason for you being here. And if that reason is to confront Gol and have him stop building, then we need to get by the guards.”
Still nothing crazy happened with the silver shirt. No vibrations. No glowing lights or Bible verses that came to life.
One of the men blocking the way made eye contact with Bella. Despite his intimidating build, Bella used this as a chance to connect with him.
“Are you going to let us pass?” she asked.
“No,” the man said gruffly. “You and your little friend here need to go back down to whatever hole you live in.”
Now the shirt moved. Just a bit, but Bella felt it. Like a flag rippling in a soft breeze.
“God’s got this!”
The man looked at her like she was wearing a clown suit. “What?”
Bella felt the rope belt now. It vibrated like before.
“I said, God’s got this.”
The man laughed. “His name is Gol, with an L. Seriously, go home.”
Zion started to say something, but Bella cut him off.
“I need to see Gol. I need to tell him that building this tower is a mistake.”
Another laugh and smirk. “If you think a little girl is going to be the reason this tower doesn’t get finished, you’re out of your mind.”
The disrespectful brute hadn’t finished his sentence before an imposing figure who wore a heavy dark cloak walked up to the line of men and wolves. A hood covered its face. Both guards and wolves backed up and bowed. They stayed in that position until the figure passed, then reformed their line.
“Sir, this girl believes she has something important to say to you.”
“Is. That. So?” The voice was deep and mechanical, like Darth Vader. Each word was spoken like it was a complete thought.
“Yes, sir.” The guard’s words irritated Bella, but she maintained her composure. “She claims that you should stop building the tower.”
All the guards laughed. The wolves started howling as if they thought it was funny too.
But the newcomer didn’t make a sound. A gaunt hand came from the folds of the robe and pulled back the hood. A man who looked more wraithlike than human stared at Bella with eyes the color of coal.
Who has black eyes?
A tremor of energy ruffled across her new shirt. Bella knew that, given the situation and the thing that was standing across from her, she should be on the verge of full-blown terror. But the silver shirt Zion had her put on seemed to help her stay strong.
“Child, is this true?”
Another flow of power coursed over Bella. Her brain finally brought her up to speed. The man-thing in front of her had to be Gol.
“Yes.” You’ve got this, Bella Rhodes. You’ve got this!
She sometimes found “self-talk” to be rather helpful in situations like the one she was currently in.
“May I ask,” Gol said slowly, “who says I should stop?”
This is your chance to stand up for God. Not that He needs you to, but what an honor…
“God says.”
“God?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Bella could tell the guards were still snickering. The wolves had stopped howling, although each one kept their eyes glued to her.
“Yes, God.”
Gol considered her answer. “You and God are friends?”
“Yes. And I’m here to tell you that He told Noah to fill the earth. This tower…this city…all the people are in one place. You aren’t doing what He said.”
Gol nodded. He didn’t say anything more.
Instead, he turned and motioned to one of the guards. The darkly wrapped figure pointed at Bella and then up at the sky.
The guard who had been talking to her patted the wolf in front of him. The wild animal stood and started to move in Bella’s direction.
Her new shirt pulsed.
She stood her ground.
The wolf leaped.