Revelations(10)

“Mary, come into the water!” someone cries, and then someone else, and we all start begging her to join us. Someone else brings out the open bottle of wine, and now it’s being passed around, and Mary takes her turn, bringing the bottle up to her lips as we chant, “Go, go, go, go…” She chugs the last little bit, handing it off, and we watch as she slips out of those high black shoes, the ones that makes her legs look like they go on forever. She kicks them aside, and begins to throw her dress off.

All I can say is wow o wow o wow o…



I’m distracted from her for a moment, my attention drawn to Jesus and Judas.

It’s obvious Judas is angry, and the Master is trying to calm him down, but he won’t have any of it. Judas is trying to walk away, Jesus is attempting to stop him, one hand upon his arm, leaning into him. I’m not close enough to hear them, though, and I’m not even sure I want to, except I can definitely see the anger in the betrayer’s eyes, and for a moment I worry he might try something foolish. But then Mary comes up behind me, and she slides her arms around me so for the moment I lose track of everything but her as she nibbles on my ear—oh, that feels so good—

only to be pulled away again by a couple of the others. Now where was I? Oh yes.

I look toward them again. Judas has headed off in one direction, Jesus in another, and neither one seems happy. They’re both moving away from us.

I’m confused. What just happened? I look at Mother Mary, and she’s smiling at me. “Do not worry, all will be well,” she reassures me. So on that note, I look around for Mary M. I find her making her way toward the pond, her beautiful hips swaying just so, and I trail after her eagerly. It’s not my problem…

Hey, watch out, here comes the cannonball!





Chapter Four: Thomas


I can’t tell you why I like Judas, I just do. Even though I’m the only one of us that does. Well, not counting Jesus, of course. Jesus likes him, Jesus likes everyone

—it’s in his nature to do so. But I honestly like Judas. Of course I do, or I wouldn’t let him do the things he does when we’re together. Not that it happens all the time.

Basically it’s when he’s in the mood, I guess, and when he decides he wants my company. Or my sex. I don’t push it, and it’s not like I’m in love with him or anything, or he with me. Everyone knows it’s the Master that Judas loves, that’s no secret. But still, I like being with him, in bed or out, and I don’t mind doing what he wants, such as giving out the pamphlets before I go on stage to sing.

I love to sing. I have to say this is one of the best incarnations ever, like nothing that came before. It feels different, too, in a way I can’t explain. Maybe part of it’s that people of this time are more open and understanding of homosexuals. Some of them are, anyway. You’d think that would please Judas, but for some reason it doesn’t. Maybe because of the gay marriage thing. They aren’t enlightened enough, most of them, particularly in the United States, to allow it.

Judas says they throw gays a bone by “allowing” them civil union  s, like that’s supposed to pacify them. Here you go, he says, and he pretends like he’s throwing out imaginary dog bones, you can have this little sop to keep you going, even though we won’t allow you the rights that all human beings should have cause you’re not really human, are you, you’re gay? Quickest way to see Judas get mad is to bring up gay marriage. Well, second quickest. The fastest way is to tease him about the Master. Yes, they do it all the time, I admit it. But I don’t join in. I owe him that much loyalty, I think. But it’s not like they need me to encourage them.

Mary M eggs them on when she’s around. I like her, but I sometimes wish she wouldn’t rock the boat so much. All she does is piss him off, and then he’s impossible to talk to. So I generally leave him alone at those times. Whatever works, huh?

Like right now, for instance. Mary M just showed up unexpectedly. You’d think everyone would be happy, but I can see that Judas isn’t. Not that I’m surprised at that, either. She likes to aggravate him, and the others go along with her too much. I consider going to his side, at least stand there for support, but I don’t think he wants it. Not from me, anyway.

He and Jesus are fighting or something, I’m not close enough to really hear.

But suddenly they take off in different directions. I glance back at the pond.

Everyone’s going to go skinny-dipping with Mary M, and I’d like to, but I feel bad for Judas. I don’t know. Should I follow him, or stay here?