The Unifier by Richard Shekari (best book club books for discussion TXT) 📕

earth you didn’t pay attention to, and won’t be able to even if given a thousand years to read.” He said, “You’re to lose your own life on the day of your awakening, which might be today. I am not sure. The deceiver himself will take charge of your body and continue to rule the people.”
Jessy was quiet.
“And once you go against her, he’d come because she’ll send a distress signal.” Palm added.
“How do we stop her?” He asked.
“We can’t, no one can!” Palm replied.
Jessy turned his back on Palm and walked towards the bar.
“So, if we kill her…he’ll come?” Jessy asked.
“I think that’s what might happen.” He responded, “If we make an attempt to kill her, he’d come down, take over your body and rule the worlds with his queen by his side.”
“I don’t get it.” He said.
“This is not about killing her or stopping the reign of the dark one in our realm in flesh.” Palm said, “There’s no stopping what is to come, it’s only a matter of time.”
“I cannot stop anything.” Jessy said, “I can’t stop them, the dark one can’t be killed?”
“Not by any of us,” he said. “That’s Jehovah’s work, not ours!”
Jessy sighed and placed his hands on his head.
“He will not forgive me, God?” He said, “I’ve deceived His children.”
“Even some of the elect!” Palm said.
“I just want to see Mariah, again.” He said, “I want to go and see my Mariah. I thought that woman was her, I was happy because I thought I’ve finally made Mariah happy too. She came from a poor background just like me, you know. Will the Lord ever let me see his face once again?”
“You will see the Lord on the day of judgment,” Palm said, “Where every knee shall bow before Him in praise. That day, even those who reject Him shall see Him in His glory and shall experience the pure love and peace in His sight. Then He shall separate His own from the rest. The gates of mercy hall be shut against those who refused to accept His son, Jesus.”
“What about you, Palm?” He asked.
“I’ll lead the people here on earth, those who refused to bow to the wicked one.” He said, “For the dark one and his entire army shall torment the souls of men, as they prepare for the last battle with the angels and sons of God.”
“You’ll lead the resistance.” He said.
“Something like that.” Palm remarked.
“Your affliction prepared you for leadership,” he said as he sighed. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go ask the whore to send the telegram. I’ve had enough of this flesh…” he looked at his hands as though they do not belong to him, “It feels heavy, this body…It’s like my soul can’t wait to fly out of it. I went about pretending to be happy all along, but all the while it’s like the weight of the entire world is placed upon my shoulders. Now I understand why.”  He turned to Palm, “I’m ready, when you are.”
Palm walked behind his friend, Jessy, as they stepped out of the precinct. The chief of Rel-Pol arrived in time to meet them.
“Your majesty, I didn’t know you’d come this early.” Said the chief, “Forgive me, I was…”
“His nephew was the one who shot Tamara,” Jessy interjected, “I ordered him be sent on exile.”
Palm stared at the chief then turned to Jessy.
“Pardon him.” Palm said, “Let him go.”
“You never change, do you?” Jessy responded, “See, this is why I never wanted to be like you.”
Palm smiled.
“Your nephew is pardoned.” Jessy said to the chief, “What do you have to say?”
The chief ran and knelt before Palm and kissed his feet. Palm moved back and told the man not to repeat such a thing.
Jessy and Palm entered the limousine and zoomed off.
“You didn’t have to make him do that.” Palm said.
“You have no idea how it feels like to command men!” Jessy said, “It feels good to order them around and have the whole world kissing your ass.” He giggled, “I can’t lie, I like it. I don’t expect you to understand.”
“I’m not judging.” Palm said.
“Yeah, I know.” He responded.
Jessy ordered the limousine driver to take them to the beach.
“You can’t put the statue down, Jessy.” Palm said, “It’s being held by a legion!”
“I’m not trying to,” he said. “Today’s my birthday, our Mariah would want to throw a surprise party in my name, and I love the big entrance. I am a big man, friend. I should go down in a big way! I want to watch the sun go down for the last time.”
The driver took them to the beach. Jessy pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Palm’s heart became heavy, tears rolled down from his eyes again. He cried for his friend, because Jessy didn’t seem to be bothered about his fate.

Chapter Five: The Shadow cometh.

As the sun set, Jessy puffed his last cigarette. He and Palm watched the sun go down, they never said a word to each other.
“Let’s do this,” Jessy said as he flung the filter. He ordered the limousine driver to go home. Jessy got into the driver’s seat and Palm took the passenger’s side.
“I know you’re wondering; why does he act like he doesn’t care?” Jessy said, “I do care, but when it dawned on you that you really, really messed up?” He sighed, “You’d just want the shit be over! You have been a good friend, but as you can see, I have a mind of my own, buddy, and I so love to use it. Pride goeth before destruction, they say.”
“What’s driving you to do this, is it fear?”  Palm asked out of curiosity, “Or is it what you’ve found out about her?”
“I don’t know.”  He said, “I was thinking you’d tell me.”  He turned and looked at Palm, “Maybe it’s because…I don’t know.”
Palm Carlos never said anything.
“Have you ever felt cheated…by yourself, Palm?”  Jessy asked, “Was this predestined or I just messed up?”
“A great friend once told me that we all make choices; some appear right, some appear wrong.”  Palm said, “The only thing that’s always right is when we own up and face the consequences of our own actions.”
Jessy giggled.
As they maneuvered through the city, they could see the giant statue as it glittered from afar.
On reaching his estate, Jessy pulled upfront and got out talking to himself. He opened the big golden doors to his mansion. With Palm carefully walking behind him.
“Surprise!!!” A crowd shouted.
The lights came on and Mariah made her way to hug him, “Happy birthday, my…” She paused as she sighted the man standing behind him. “Palm Carlos?”
“Uh huh!” Jessy responded, “They say if you want the job done right do it yourself, darling. So, I got out, searched, and guess who I’ve found? My one and only buddy, Palm!”
Mariah stared at Jessy.
“He should be put to dead!” She said.
“No, I think we should celebrate!” He responded.
Mariah made a scene as she began to rant, Jessy ignored her and walked to a table with many champagne flutes filled with red wine. He picked one glass and walked towards Palm.
“I am not sure about this…” Jessy said as he stared at Mariah. “But I am just tired of sleeping with a whore…you know” He handed the glass to Palm.
The people who came to celebrate with them were shocked by his statement. They began to murmur and grumble.
Palm placed his hand on top of the glass and whispered a prayer, the red wine turned colourless. On seeing what he did, Mariah then squealed and jumped into the air like a demon and flew to his direction, Palm quickly poured the liquid at her and she fell to the floor screaming.
“You descendant of mongrel!” She yelled, “I’ll get you! I’ll kill you all!” She cursed as she rolled on the floor.
They watched as she shape-shifted into a green fearsome creature; she had teeth so long they curved backward, with cloven hooves and large green hooded eyes, a snout, and an exposed arteries trailing along her tail. She flicked her tongue out and two tines of fork dispersed. She then squealed and raised her hand, the entire furniture left the floor and crash-landed as she oozed mucus out of pores along her body and repeatedly projectile a hot phlegm at them as she discharged a foul-smelling, poisonous substance from glands beneath her ears.
“You’ll pay for this!” She spoke in many tongues.
Jessy, who couldn’t stand the stench that saluted his nostril puked on the spot.
The hideous monster repeatedly stamped her hoof on the floor, like an earthquake, the entire house began to shake and chandeliers fell and smashed as they hit the floor. The people were terrified by the sight of her. She crossed her arms on her chest and began to chant as though talking backwards. A powerful force like the wind came out of her and swept Jessy and Palm off of their feet, and the entire people who came to celebrate the birthday were pinned to the wall. The wind was so powerful it crushed the skulls and bones of all the people pinned to the wall. She knelt down and hit the floor hard one more time.
“I beseeched thee, oh master!” She commanded, “Come forth! It is time to take your place!”
The entire roof of the mansion and all the rooms above the ground floor ripped off of the building and was soaked into a portal that appeared above the mansion. Palm and Jessy were still lying on the floor.
“Ha-Ha-ha!” She laughed, “You’ve rendered your service, and you have rendered it well, Ethnocal Jessy Thuck!”
Terrified by the size of the portal, Jessy and Palm looked up as many demons fell from the portal, and scattered away and into the city.
A heavy shower of blood fell upon them. The monster knelt down and began to lick the blood.
A dragon descended from the portal, majestically flapping its wings, drenched in blood like a new born from its mother’s womb. Jessy ran to one side and Palm ran to the other under the heavy pour of blood. The dragon landed and walked to her and she bowed in reverence. The dragon then turned to Jessy and Palm.
“Bow before me!” The mighty dragon said to them.
The terror in its eyes sent a shiver down their spine.
“Bow! And I shall spare thee!” It commanded as it stared down upon them.
The heavy downpour of blood from the portal ceased.
“Not to you!” Palm said, “I do not fear you!”
The dragon took a step towards him, it lifted its arm and delivered a blow, but a force field blocked its effort. A shield like a transparent dome appeared and covered Palm from its strike.
The wicked dragon tried to force itself through but it scales got burnt, it let a cry out and moved back. The dragon then turned to Jessy.
“Jessy!” The dragon hissed, “My boy…Job well-done! I’ll be more than glad to take it from here. You cannot trick the trickster, boy!”
The dragon lifted its right arm and a force like a whip came out and tied Jessy, and suspended him in the air. Jessy let a