James Marlon - John Crow's Devil

It took the Apostle’s holy thunder and a couple verses from the Book of Daniel to mix the crowd’s fear and rage into a mob. They moved as one beast. From above they looked like a dragon who spat fire. Tonight, tonight was when the Devil would be defeated. The Apostle began the procession, raising praising songs along the way. Midway he fell back and let the crowd, now on their own mad momentum, pass him. The Rum Preacher watched as they marched past his window.

The cow had trapped her horn in a fence that separated pasture from river. Massa Fergie pried the horn loose, but the cow refused to move. The man cussed and pushed. He bracketed the cow’s backside with his hands and pushed with his feet. The cow moved, but only slightly. Massa Fergie pushed again, but dew had made the cow’s hide slippery. He slipped and grabbed the cow’s tail to break his fall.

“See him deh!”

“Me did tell you say it was him.”

I went back into the enemy’s camp

“Watch the man a do nastiness with the cow!”

And took back what he stole from me

“Obeah!”

“Nasty man! Watch how him was feeling up the cow! You see him? You see him?”

“Nastiness!”

I said I took back what he stole from me

“Lawd, him a work guzum pon the cow!”

He’s under my feet, he’s under my feet

Massa Fergie fled but was run down. A circle of flames surrounded him with hisses, shouts, and curses. The fires created shadows and he could see no faces. These were the demons from Hell that had come for the cow. He’s under my feet, he’s under my feet. From the fire and black came a stick that struck him in the face. He fell, horrified, as the mass of fire and darkness jumped him. He’s under my feet, he’s under my feet. The mass hollered and screamed and stomped and shouted and spat. He’s under my feet, he’s under my feet. He did not feel his left leg break nor his ribs crack one after the other, nor his nose crush, nor his temple echoing the force of several blows; the strike to the back of his head drowned the others out. He’s under my feet, he’s under my feet. The crowd hit, stomped, and burnt. He’s under my feet, he’s under my feet. Massa Fergie screamed twice, then no more. But when one of the mob released his hand and it fell to the ground, the thud had the shock of thunder. They pulled back. The mob broke apart into individuals separated by what they had done. While rage could be communal, guilt was always personal. The people ran away with their torches. From above it looked like a clump of fire had exploded into tiny, scattering embers. The Apostle stepped over the body and went his way. Massa Fergie lay in the dirt, his skull crushed and ribs bashed in as if trampled by a bull.

Thank you, Choir. Church, you may be seated.”

“Ahh. Uhum.”

“Hmph.”

“My God.”

“My good God.”

“Church, I used to think I was a man of many words, but you people, you’ve … you’ve … I’m at a loss. It’s a good thing that the Lord our God is an understanding God. A merciful God. It’s a good thing that He looks beyond that face and sees all hearts, because if God were like me He would think that the Devil took charge of praise and worship. This couldn’t be a full gospel church. I see more praise going on at a funeral! At a Catholic church!

“But God. It’s a good thing the Lord knows your burden. Church, I too know your burden because I am God’s voice. Your heart is heavy; the lowest of the low, I know, my heart is heavy too. I was there on Thursday too, you know. I was there when the Lord spoke His justice.

“We’re afraid.

“We’re upset.

“We’re distraught. Even more of us are confused and just about everybody is ashamed. Be truthful before the Lord, you, we are all ashamed. I know what you’re thinking. Thou shalt not kill, I know. That night is playing over and over in your head like that Devil music they keep sending over from foreign. But, beloved, I’m only going to say this once.

“WAKE UP! What do you think this is? Pin the tail on the donkey, church? This is war!

“High time some of you in here get off your blessed assurance. God didn’t come here to heal the sick, He came with a sword! We’re tearing down the kingdom of Satan! We launching D-Day on the shores of Hell. We’re going into the enemy’s and taking back what he stole. Oh Abba babba a maka desh — I wish I had a God-fearing church. The Devil is not your boyfriend. Satan is not some naked red boy with a tail and a pitchfork! The Bible says he comes to steal, kill, and destroy! Is either him or us! So what’s it going to be, Gibbeah, him or us? The Devil or the saved? But the Lord says, thou shalt not kill.

“Well, church, what if I tell you that was no man that you killed? You believe me when I talk to you, Lucinda? Listen to me. God made man in His own image, but He made the Devil in His own image too. And His demons. You babes in Christ, don’t you see what’s happening? I know what the problem is, your hearts are too hard! If your hearts weren’t so hard, God wouldn’t have to put so much pressure on you. Don’t you see? Church?

“God is opening your eyes, so that you see sin the way He sees it. What does Leviticus Twenty, verse fifteen say? I read, And if a man lies with a beast he shall SURELY be put to death. And after cows, my brother and sisters, what’s next, boys? Is that where you want that pervert’s penis to end up?

“Turn with me to Exodus, Chapter Thirty-two, and verses twenty-six to twenty-nine:

Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side, let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

And he saith unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man and his brother, and every man his companion, and every man and his neighbor.

And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

“Follow me. What did Moses do to the Israelites who were worshipping the Golden Calf? He butchered every single one. Three thousand. And yet look at us, crying over one. God is God. And He will kill your own mother if she is serving the kingdom of darkness. Had the Israelites refused to obey the Lord, do you think they would have made it to the promised land? And if you don’t kill the sin that so easily entangles, how will you ever come into the true promise of God?

“Christianity is not a romping business. Men of God, this is war! And the Devil don’t fight fair. Look at what that Massa Fergie was doing. Cut it out! Cut it out! Cut it out! If people come here with the smell of Satan, send them right back out. Anything that is of the Devil needs to be driven right back to Hell.

“And the quickest way to send something back to Hell is to kill it.”

The Apostle saw him first. The second he passed Mrs. Fracas, the Rum Preacher sparked a disquiet in her that took over the church. The congregation was silent, but standing. Bligh was in his white suit, all clean and sparkling except for the right shoulder that bore the weight of a filthy burlap sack. The Five came from five directions on the Apostle’s orders, but to the shock of all, Bligh raised his hand high and pointed two fingers. All five stopped. Bligh marched slowly to the altar and stopped directly in front of Apostle York.

“You’re like a boil on my arse, Bligh. I squeeze you out, you grow back. I drive you away, you keep coming back. Maybe I should just whip you? You think I should? Maybe I should—”