Botanicaust

scrambled to open the paper notebook. “ He had these with him when he arrived. The Entertainment Division would be interested in his work. They ’ re always looking for new ideas. Once he ’ s converted, he ’ ll earn back the cost of CFTR therapy in no time. ”
    Arnica hesitated, her nose scrunched in disgust before she accepted the book with a silver ringed thumb and index finger and dropped it to the desk in front of her, the page open to the goat. She didn ’ t move to turn the pages. “ Dr. Macoby — ”
    “ Look. He has a lot of drawings. ” Tula boldly stepped around the desk and flipped the page. The woman in many of the drawings stared down into the face of a baby. On the next page, a group of laughing men sat in a circle on four legged chairs. As she turned pages, the councilwoman leaned closer. Tula reached the end of the notebook and faltered. “ Don ’ t you see any value to such talent? ”
    Arnica once again leaned back in her chair. “ Have you learned anything about where he came from? ”
    “ He speaks a different dialect than I ’ ve encountered. Maybe a pre-Botanicaust language. But he ’ s learning quickly. Given more time, he ’ ll fit into the Protectorate. ”
    “ These drawings indicate a sizable community. People who are still possibly living a primitive life as farmers. The Conversion Department may be interested in making contact with them. I ’ m going to issue a temporary holding order on the euthanization. Find out all you can about his tribe. ”
    Tula nodded furiously. More converts like Levi would be a wonderful addition to the Protectorate.
    The Councilwoman held up a palm. “ You ’ ll have to convince Vitus to put in for a CFTR waiver and therapy request. I ’ ll do what I can. Then the Committee will decide how to proceed. Let ’ s say I give you … two weeks? ” Arnica tapped some information into her data screen.
    “ Thank you, Councilwoman. I ’ ll work non-stop. ” Tula gathered the gamma pad and notebook. The way things were going with Levi, two weeks should be enough time to get Verification of Consent. The real problem would be gaining approval for the genetic waiver from Vitus.
    She wondered if her supervisor might like some more jewelry.

    Bruises covered Levi ’ s knees from the cement floor. His prayers remained unanswered, and he battled despair. Samuel ’ s admonitions circled his mind like vultures over a fresh kill. Was his desire to survive another selfish excuse to do as he wished? He should ’ ve refused the food. Water even. If he had, he ’ d be reunited with God, right now.
    But he wasn ’ t ready to die. Something inside him yearned to live.
    “ Forgive me, Lord, for my impure thoughts. For my sinful desire for an abomination. ” Levi ’ s heart wrenched. Tula seemed less and less like an abomination every day. Was this the devil ’ s work, pulling him closer to irreconcilable sin? Again an image of Tula came to his mind, not her curves, but the irregular pink patch on her arm.
    He gasped with enlightenment. “ She was once human. A Child of God. Is her sin forgivable? ”
    She was Blattvolk, every inch of her skin marked — except the right arm. Could someone be only partially Marked ? Could a soul like that find salvation?
    Repressing a groan, he rose from his position on the floor. “ No. ” Evangelizing her wasn ’ t an option. The idea was against everything he ’ d been taught. “ These people are damned. They ’ ve turned their backs on God. ”
    Did Tula know about God? He couldn ’ t even talk to her. The concept of God was too big to summarize in a few days. Maybe you will be here more than a few days.
    “ I have to save Josef! ” The cry echoed off the cement ceiling, as if trapped in this room along with him.
    These people altered the very foundation of God ’ s creation. People like them had brought the Botanicaust upon the world like the people in Noah ’ s time had brought the flood.
    Would God offer them salvation now?
    I don ’ t have time, God.
    And yet, all he had right now was time.

    At his desk, Vitus scrolled through the extension order and snarled. That convert weed had gone over his head. And Councilwoman Arnica might as well be a convert herself, always bending the rules to bring more weeds into the Protectorate. As the Haldanians expanded their boundaries, she ’ d insisted they negotiate new trade agreements with those repulsive Fosselites up north. Almost as disgusting as