Этюд в багровых тонах
John Ferrier talks with the Prophet.
ThemanwhoheldoutagainsttheChurchvanishedaway,andnoneknewwhitherhehadgoneorwhathadbefallenhim. Hiswifeandhischildrenawaitedhimathome,butnofathereverreturnedtotellthemhowhehadfaredatthehandsofhissecretjudges. Arashwordorahastyactwasfollowedbyannihilation,andyetnoneknewwhatthenaturemightbeofthisterriblepowerwhichwassuspendedoverthem. Nowonderthatmenwentaboutinfearandtrembling,andthatevenintheheartofthewildernesstheydarednotwhisperthedoubtswhichoppressedthem.
Atfirstthisvagueandterriblepowerwasexercisedonlyupontherecalcitrantswho,havingembracedtheMormonfaith,wishedafterwardstopervertortoabandonit. Soon,however,ittookawiderrange. Thesupplyofadultwomenwasrunningshort,andpolygamywithoutafemalepopulationonwhichtodrawwasabarrendoctrineindeed. Strangerumoursbegantobebandiedabout—rumoursofmurderedimmigrantsandrifledcampsinregionswhereIndianshadneverbeenseen. FreshwomenappearedintheharemsoftheElders—womenwhopinedandwept,andboreupontheirfacesthetracesofanunextinguishablehorror. Belatedwanderersuponthemountainsspokeofgangsofarmedmen,masked,stealthy,andnoiseless,whoflittedbytheminthedarkness. Thesetalesandrumourstooksubstanceandshape,andwerecorroboratedandre-corroborated,untiltheyresolvedthemselvesintoadefinitename.
