Read The Celestial Instructi0n for Free Online

looks if that were the last money he had in the world. It would not do to
pull out a stack of successive serially numbered crisp Franklins.
    At the Target near highway 84 Joex purchased a
deep-blue gym bag, a toothbrush, comb, razor, shaving cream, and deodorant.
Then went in the bag with the underwear and socks, along with a couple of
button down shirts and khaki trousers with a woven belt. The cheapest leather
wallet. A store-branded windbreaker. His bag was getting full, but he needed
one more thing. He wandered over to the electronics section and purchased the
cheapest netbook he could. He added an external Wi-Fi adapter that would give
double the range of the built-in wireless antenna. He paid for his purchases
with several of his crumpled bills. This amount was pushing it, Joex thought. Most
people pay with cards now. However, that would pop me up on the radar.
    Outside the store, Joex assembled his bag and
hoisted it over his shoulder. He walked down toward Mt. Tabor and stopped for a
coffee in a shop that had outside seating, despite the chilly overcast of the
afternoon. His new netbook was partially charged and Joex searched for hostels
in Portland. Most of them were not too scrupulous about requiring
identification, especially if he paid for a bunk in advance. He found a hostel
just a few blocks south of his café, put away his netbook, paid for his coffee
and walked down to it.
    There were two young women in the front office;
from their demeanor and random outfits they looked as if they were putting in
the work to pay for their own lodging.
    The shorter of the two who was quite attractive
under her rainbow-color streaked hair and extra weight was chattering gaily
with her companion, saw Joex and reluctantly shifted into manager mode: “May I
help you, sir?”
    Evidently, she was not used to superannuated
lodgers past the age of 30.
    “Yes, please. I would like a bed for the week. I
can pay in advance if you have a place.” Joex calculated what would be the
correct length of stay, too long ahead would attract as much suspicion as too
little. “Chi square,” he blurted out to himself as the woman helping him was
consulting a crosshatched calendar that lay on the counter in front of her.
    “What? Ki? You do chee?” Not looking up. Then after
a moment, she said, “Yeah we have a four bed dormitory and a two bed room. But
you’ll have to pay the full price for the room if you don’t have a roomie.”
    “That’s ok. The room will be fine. How much?”
    He paid the week in advance. He asked about the Wi-Fi.
    “Cross the street.”
    Joex looked through the windows almost opaque with
road grime. “The Chinese restaurant?”
    “Yep. That’s where everyone goes.”
     
    Joex took the key and his bag and looked for the
stairs. He heard the women cachinnate. He felt a pang of desire. But he had
other work to do before he could resume his unremarkable life.

Chapter 14
     
    Michael Voide silently pointed to the chairs that
he directed his security Throne Kingston and Principality attorney Geedam.
Despite the silence, the heavy curtains in Michael’s clerestory seem to muffle further
all sounds the men made; Geedam sat down first and crossed his legs, Kingston
sat moving his chair slightly to be able to see both the other men.
    Voide steepled his hands and then extended all his
fingers in fans and pointed them at the men. “Baroco is alive?”
    “Yes, Celestial,” Kingston said.
    “Where is he?”
    Kingston and Geedam said nothing, frozen in their
seats.
    “Throne, how many Orders are there in the Church?” Voide
asked.
    “Twelve, Celestial,” Kingston answered.
    “How many Orders are above you?”
    “Five, Celestial.”
    “Do you value your corporeal life, Kingston?” Voide
looked obliquely at Geedam as he asked.
    “Only as it may give service to the Church,
Celestial.”
    “Two billion dollars and all of Africa” Michael
said, “Our first meager task to transmit a fallen to the end of his life.