The God-Man

Excerpt from Chapter Twelve
“The world has been driven nearly to anarchy by an act of terror perpetrated by radical elements of one of the world’s great religions,” Romiti began. “More than one hundred thousand innocent American lives were taken in this cowardly, despicable act of violence. I refer, of course, to the nuclear attack in Long Beach.
“The madness escalated when Russia’s insatiable greed and lust for power trumped reason, leading to the catastrophic consequences with which we are all so familiar. Its reckless leaders ignored weather satellites that warned of a massive storm front bearing down on Palestine, and two or three hundred thousand unsuspecting troops died. The military failed to anticipate the medical needs of the troops, and thousands more died from a bacterial virus to which the populations of Palestine are apparently immune. As their just punishment, it would seem, the nation was severely damaged by a meteor shower, one of the most violent and destructive natural disasters in modern history.”
Most of the General Assembly members were glued to their seats, mesmerized by the passionate orator. To a very small minority, it seemed that Romiti was rewriting history. Where weeks before God had been credited worldwide with Israel’s miraculous deliverance, now Russia’s demise was the result of poor planning, a bacterial virus, and an untimely natural disaster.
“I believe the world is at a critical juncture, a momentous crossroads. For too long, segments of the global community have been bullied by stronger nations and divided by superstitious notions of good and evil, gods and devils. For the first time since our earliest ancestors crawled out of their primordial swamp, we have the opportunity to come together as a single people, united in our common desire for tolerance toward all and peace and prosperity for all. I implore you to place the good of humanity before nationalistic pride. I urge you to support the temporary subordination of your nation’s sovereignty to a single worldwide governing body, one that will act on behalf of all humanity without prejudice toward the disadvantaged populations of earth. Accept that whatever is in the best interests of humanity is also in the best interests of your nation. My friends and colleagues, I urge you to change your world by casting your vote in favor of this historic resolution.”
Romiti ended his speech to thunderous applause.
For the second time in his life, Romiti observed a dark cloud, this time filling the General Assembly Hall. Once again he heard the voice whisper, “In you I am well pleased.” Laroque, Lucifer’s varlet and Romiti’s helpmate, had managed to secure a pass to the proceedings. Sitting in the upper public gallery to Romiti’s left, Laroque’s thin smile betrayed his satisfaction with the way their plans were proceeding. He caught Romiti’s glance and quickly returned a thumbs-up, leaving the hall as the dark cloud vanished before him.
For almost the entire speech, the audience had seemed hypnotized by the Italian representative’s powerful voice and commanding message. After observing the assembly’s reaction to the speech, the minority in opposition simply lost heart. They did not have the will to fight the eloquent and imposing figure who had so powerfully captured the hearts and imaginations of the assembly.
The General Assembly was euphoric as its members anticipated the historic vote that was about to be taken. When the final votes were tallied, the motion to implement a worldwide governing body to which all nations would surrender their sovereignty and individual freedoms was carried with fifty-eight opposing votes, all but one of which were cast by representatives of the Islamic states. China was the only non-Islamic state to oppose the motion.