To add to the misery, volcanic ash was everywhere. Streets were filled with muddy goo. The air was polluted. Not only were streets filthy, offices were filthy, homes were filthy, furniture was filthy, people were filthy. And little by little, they were also beginning to feel the effects of the temperature inversion brought on by the clouds of smoke and ash in the air. No sooner had the agonizing heat broken than temperatures began to fall all over the country. They had gone from the blistering heat to an unrelenting chill in such a short period of time that even this change had become a sort of hell for many.

At one point John Edwards compared what was happening to the play about hell written by the French existentialist, Jean-Paul Sartre. The play was called No Exit, and no description could have been more apt for the world engulfed by demon hordes. There was no escape, no release, no death—no exit.

Those who knew their Bible realized that the torment was only going to last five months. But those who suffered believed it would never end. On television, on radio, in every type of printed literature, appeals were made to those who suffered. The message was simple: If you are tormented, surrender in faith to Jesus Christ, and the devil’s torment cannot touch you any longer.

The message was so straightforward. Yet, people writhing in agony chose to curse God and His messengers rather than accept the only way out of their misery. Incredible as it might seem, they deliberately chose to suffer demonic torment rather than humble themselves, turn from evil, and receive God’s pardon.

AS SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY under President Mark Beaulieu, James Wong redoubled his efforts to free up the stalled credit mechanisms of the United States. He knew that the overlapping functions of the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve created a murky situation, at best. But to avoid catastrophe, James Wong determined to encourage as close a relationship as possible between the two institutions.

When Tauriq Haddad took office, James Wong accomplished coordination of his efforts with the new chairman. He found this shadowy figure as enigmatic as his boss. Tauriq Haddad was at once urbane, charming, fascinating, and coldly calculating. He could be gracious and self-effacing, or aloof and totally lacking in basic human emotions. He is exactly like Mark Beaulieu, James Wong thought. There is something wrong with this fellow’s eyes. Somebody else is living there inside him.