The Andre Miller Saga

Andre Miller 66 The Protest

"Andre, you need to get down here to the store, we have a problem." Said Tilly over the phone.

"What's going on?" he said as he grabbed his keys and made his way to his van.

"Protestors, a lot of them. I counted at least 50." She said Andre could hear indistinct chanting over the phone line.

"I'm on my way. Call the police and have them push them back across the street. They can protest, but not on our property, and I doubt our neighbors want them on their lots as well."

15 minutes later Andre pulled into Hubert's Market and spotted the crowd from two blocks away.

"Summoning is the work of the Devil!" shouted a man with a bullhorn. Police were setting up barricade tape marking them off on the opposite side of the road. The man with the bullhorn saw Andre pull up and get out of the truck. "There he is, Satan's Hand in Birmingham! Andre Miller! We call you out in the name of God and rebuke you!"

"Oh goodie," Andre said under his breath, "fundamentalists." He walked into the shop as an empty soda can bounced against the window next to him.

"Morning ladies. I see we're off to a brisk day of business." he said with a smile, "So who do we have outside?"

"The Righteous Brothers and Sisters of the First Church of the Reformation, that's who their leader said they were. He tried to push his way in here with his horn and followers. I had to shield and push them out. Once I got off the phone with you, I called the cops like you said and they pushed them across the street." Said Tilly.

"Well, call Hudson Hubert, his number is in the business phone. He's the owner of the Market. He can have them pushed out to the edge of the Market. This was just a matter of time. I'm not familiar with the First Church. Are they local?" Andre asked.

"No, they're out of Jackson, Mississippi, they brought a busload of their flock of maniacs to protest our godless heathen ways." Said Janice, "They are probably trying to rally some of the local churches too, but I haven't seen any locals out there yet."

"Let me guess, we're Satanists, we worship the devil, we do the devil's work, blah blah blah, or something to that effect?" asked Andre.

"Pretty much. There have been some choice expletives, Janice and I are whores of Satan." Tilly spoke.

Andre pulled out his phone and called Caleb, "Want to help me freak out a bunch of fundamentalists?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" laughed Caleb.

"Get a hold of Hoziha and about 6 other celestials and have them come do a flyover of the market, visibly, and put on a display of holy might. Hell, he can even introduce himself if he wants to." Andre said.

"OK, but you have to tape their reactions when 7 warriors of the heavens come down to have lunch with you, Mr. Badman," Caleb said happily as he broke the line.

"This should be good." Said Janice.

20 minutes later trumpets sounded over the market and a flight of celestials flew past and then circled back and landed in front of the mob.

"I am Hoziha of the 3rd host of the heavens! In the name of all that is good and holy, I order you to disburse! You shame your God's name by acting in such a manner!" boomed Hosiha.

The crowd shrunk back and cowered in the presence of Hoziha and his brothers. The leader with the bullhorn stood forward after half a minute, "I rebuke you false angels! Begone in the name of God!" and then he threw a can of something at Hoziha.

Hoziha batted it aside with a flick of his wrist, "You would dare attack a warrior of the heavens? I know your type, you so-called preacher! You lead from a pulpit of hate and pain, you speak the truth of your God out of one face and then speak violence and disrespect the truth out of another! Serpent amongst the faithful!" Hoziha took a single step forward towards the crowd and they all shrunk back, several started running.