It took over a year for me to actually go, partly because I needed to get up my courage. I can’t emphasise how much the church dins into you that you won’t be able to survive outside, that you’re bound to go crazy and kill yourself, because the materialist world is so corrupt and cruel. But the main thing holding me back was that I wanted Louise to come with me. There was something wrong with her joints. I hadn’t heard of arthritis before I left the church but I think it must be that. They were swollen and I know she was in pain a lot of the time. Of course, she was told this was a sign of spiritual impurity.
One day when she and I were assigned livestock duty together, I started telling her my doubts. She started literally shaking then told me I should go to temple and pray for forgiveness. Then she started chanting to block out what I was saying. Nothing I said got through to her. In the end she just ran away from me.
I was terrified she’d tell the Principals I was having doubts and knew I needed to leave immediately, so I crawled out through a fence in the early hours of the following morning, after stealing some cash from one of the charity boxes. I genuinely feared I’d drop dead once I was outside on the dark road, alone, that the Drowned Prophet would come for me, out of the trees.
I used to hope Louise would follow me out, that me going would wake her up, but it’s been nearly four years, and she’s still inside.
Sorry, this has been really long, but that’s the whole story – Kevin
The first email finished there. Strike picked up the second and, after fortifying himself with more beer, continued to read.
Dear Colin,
Thanks very much for your email. I don’t feel brave, but I really appreciate you saying it. But you might not think it any more, once you read this.
You asked about the prophets and the Manifestations. This is really hard for me to write about, but I’ll tell you as much as I can.
I was only 6 when Daiyu Wace drowned, so I haven’t got very clear memories of her. I know I didn’t like her. She was Mazu’s princess and always got special treatment and lot more leeway than the rest of the little kids.
One of the teenage girls living at the farm took Daiyu on the vegetable run early one morning (the church sold farm produce to local shops) and they stopped off at Cromer beach on the way back. They both went in for a swim, but Daiyu got into difficulties and drowned.
