Left Behind: Chapter Fourteen

Details unwasted: At the U.N. press conference Carpathia calls on a Mr. Oreskovitch, "or I should say, 'Mr. Cameron Williams of Global Weekly." Carpathia, or, "St. Nick," details the history of the U.N. and talks nuclear weapons from "Japan in 1945" to when "the Soviet Union first detonated its own devices September 23, 1949."

Reagan as John the Baptist? "Reagan escalated the East-West controversies, and the U.N. seemed a thing of the past .... this organization was in trouble financially, with few members willing to pay their share." But but, wait: "However, your next president, Mr. Bush, recognized what he called the 'new world order,' which resonated deep within my young heart.

The Disappearances, addressed: "Dr. Rosenzweig believes that some confluence of electromagnetism in the atmosphere, combined with ... atomic ionization from the nuclear power and weaponry throughout the world, could have been ignited or triggered ... perhaps by an intelligent life-form ... and caused this instant action throughout the world."

Disappearances, domestic front: Ray and Chloe head home from the airport, in separate cars. Chloe is first to arrive, an event set up by a 1/2 page discussion of the relative fuel levels of the separate cars they take home. When she gets home the house has been burglarized. Several pages of panic, discussion of post-Rapture lawlessness, necessity of getting saved. Least likely stolen item: Pastor's Rapture tape. Fortunately, this enables Chloe to request another copy, of her own accord.

What does it all mean? Perhaps a global pacifist organization such as the U.N., almost but not quite done in by Ronald Reagan, can restrain the impulse toward nuclear destruction that brought about the global catastrophe of mass disappearance and usher in a new era of peace.

Or? Perhaps a charismatic Eastern European politician and his Israeli scientist henchman will use the impulse toward disarmament and global solidarity as a stalking horse to ensure global subjugation to the Powers of Darkness and usher in a seven year reign of Evil.

If there's a gun on the wall in the First Act: Kudos to LaHaye and Jenkins for carefully setting up the scenario wherein the Steele home is burglarized, and Buck Williams is addressed by his undercover identity.

But: doubtless a minor quibble, but this reader picked a nit over the omission of the attempted nuclear annihilation of Israel during the discussion of the world's history of nuclear weapons. Of course, Chekov was a notorious russkie and probable protocommie, anyway.