"You can make love to me if you wish. "

"Love? " said Artimus. "I 'm going to fuck your brains out! "

Mary Magdalene looked down at her hands. Artimus appeared to be no different than the others she shared her bed with. But he was different. He could help her in a way that she desperately needed.

"The only payment I ask, " she meekly told him, "is for you to help save the life of the Nazarene. He must not die. "

Artimus looked at her and laughed. "You don 't ask for much, do you? "

"Do you accept or not? " she asked.

"Sure, sure, " he said, pulling off his clothes. "I 'll do what I can. "

Mary knew it was the best she could get. She doubted that he could do anything to save the life of Jesus Christ, but she had to try.

"Get those clothes off, " said Artimus. "I don 't have all night. "

Mary did as she was instructed. She disrobed and then climbed into her filthy bed. As Artimus climbed aboard her, grunting like a wild animal, she comforted herself with the time that she had washed the feet of Jesus Christ.

"Oh yeah, you bitch, " breathed Artimus. "You 're as loose as a goat 's asshole following a major shit. "

Mary laid there and took it. She had no choice. She was a whore. And this is what she did.

She would have to be a good fuck to save the life of Jesus Christ.

Swamp Thing had traveled forward in time to this era of the Nazarene. Behind him, he had left the cavemen who so adored him. But it had been his time to leave. He needed to be free. The voices in his head were getting louder-and-louder.

He had come from this time travel to the Garden of Gethsemane. He had been drawn to its beauty and tranquility. Not to mention its pure quality of atmosphere. It was covered with gorgeous fauna and foliage and he merged with it. He grew himself into a tree and relaxed. It felt good to be alone and one with nature.

And that 's when he saw the man walking through the garden.

Swamp Thing knew at once who he was: Jesus Christ.

He felt His being generating love and peace. Swamp Thing reached out to it. It was what he needed as the voices raged inside his head.

RETURN TO THE GREEN, the voices shouted. RETURN TO YOUR DUTIES AS AN ELEMENTAL!

But Swamp Thing would do no such thing. He was happy in this new found garden. And the love pouring from Jesus Christ was too exquisite to ignore.

However, he knew the fate of the Nazarene. The mount of Golgotha awaited him. It was a pity that someone so attractive must be sentenced to such a grueling death.

Swamp Thing felt a tear course down his verdant cheek. There was nothing he could do to help Him.

He could not alter history.

The Nazarene must die.

Artimus stumbled out of Mary 's home drunk.

He 'd been drinking heavily before he got there, and had continued doing so throughout his time with her.

"One has to be drunk to fuck you, " he 'd muttered to her.

Now, he was out stumbling about in the streets. His belly was lurching from the cheap wine that Mary had had to offer. He silently cursed under his rancid breath.

Walking along the deserted street, he spied a dark alleyway up ahead. He didn 't want anyone to see a gladiator puking out his guts, so he ducked into it. Almost instantly, he began to vomit.

He didn 't notice the crimson vaporous cloud that began to appear behind him. It snaked up from the ground, winding its way around his ankles. It coursed up over his crotch and belly, and began to swirl about his shoulders.

"What? " said Artimus. "Where is this coming from? "

In his drunken state, he fell back against the alleyway wall. He lost his footing and fell down on his rear. He swatted aimlessly at the haze.

Perpetua appeared before him.

"Do not struggle, gladiator, " the demon told him. "You have been chosen for a mighty act. " Perpetua snorted. Snot flew from his nostrils, slapping Artimus in the face. Weakly, he tried to clean it off. "Your will is my power. "

"Who are you? " Artimus weakly asked.

"Your savior, " said Perpetua. And he filtered himself through Artimus 's open mouth. The demon swirled about, dragging his trail of fumes with him.

Artimus swallowed, and then puked again.

He felt the thing in his belly expand. And then he slammed his head back against the wall as he felt it overcome his brain. His eyes bubbled, and the irises became the color of egg-yolk. He felt his tongue sizzle. Great boils began to cover his flesh.

Artimus pushed himself back up the wall. He stood on both feet, throwing out his arms.

"I 've never felt so alive! " he told the bible black night. He then strode out of the alleyway and back down the road.

"Nazarene, " he mumbled to himself, "I can smell your sweaty ass. " He laughed. "There 's no hiding from me. "

Tefe was burning alive.

In her dreams, she could imagine the flames licking at her gentle skin, roasting it. She was trapped in a typhoon of fire. Her lungs were burning, threatening to burst as the flames licked higher.

Suddenly, she jerked awake. She found herself on the couch. Across the way, still sitting at the picnic table, was Perv. He sheepishly smiled at her.

"You were tired, " he told her. "So I let you sleep. "

"Thanks, " she said, rubbing her eyes. "I really needed it. "

On the radio sitting on Perv 's kitchen counter, a voice suddenly crackled to life.

"There 's a fire raging out of control, " came the voice. "We should be able to contain it, but it 's going to do a lot of damage. "

"What 's that? " asked Tefe.

"It 's air control, " replied Perv. "There 's a fire somewhere in the woods. " He cautioned for her to be quiet.

"It 's in Sector M, " the voice on the radio continued. "Get choppers out here quick. "

Perv shot her a nervous look.

"Let me guess, " said Tefe. "We 're Sector M. "

"I don 't suppose you 'd want a kewpie doll for being correct, huh? "

Tefe climbed onto her feet. A worried look spread out across her features. "Is there anyway to find out where this fire is? "

Perv shrugged. "I suppose we could go out looking for it. But that 's only looking for trouble, Tefe. We should stay put and let the firefighters do their job. "

"I have to try and save the trees, " she told him. "I can 't let my brothers and sisters die. "

"You 'd rather save trees than people? "

"To me, " said Tefe, "trees are people. "

She ran out of Perv 's cabin and into the woods. Overhead, she could see the oily black smoke from the forest fire. Helicopters were swirling about. She could hear the crisp crackle-and-pop as the flames decimated the forest.

Perv was hot on her heels.

"This way, " he said. He pointed in the direction of the fire.

Tefe followed after him.

As they ran, Tefe could hear the screams of people in the distance. For a second, she tried to imagine what it would be like to be caught in a fire: The smoke filling your lungs, and the heat blistering your flesh before it totally consumed you and turned you into a living candle, your skin the hot wax.

In the distance, the helicopters were dropping water and dirt onto the fire.

They reached the fire. Surrounded on all sides by the blaze were a man and woman. They were attempting to climb to safety, vainly trying to follow the spots where the helicopters were putting out the fire.

"Come on, Tefe, " said Perv. "Let 's go get them. "

But Tefe had stopped by a mighty oak that was in the way of the fire. She looked at it; her head cocked like a dog 's hearing a silent noise. Gingerly, she approached it.

"I 've been waiting for you, " said the oak, "ever since I felt your presence in the forest. "

Tefe looked at the tree. She reached out and touched it. Its texture was rough and worn beneath her fingertips.

"Are you the Tree of Knowledge? " she asked it.

"Oh no, " replied the oak. "I 'm Grimlock, master of this Green. "

"What do you want from me? " Tefe asked.

"Are you going to help save those people? "

Tefe turned around and looked. She could no longer see Perv as the flames danced high into the air.

"Would you prefer I save you? "

"That is your decision to make, " said Grimlock. "But there really isn 't much you can do. I 've been in this forest for 500 years, and it appears my time has come. "

"I don 't want you to die, " said Tefe.

Grimlock laughed.

"You 're one of the nicest I 've met from the Green, " Tefe told him. "It 'd be a crime to see you die. "

The flames were dancing dangerously closer.

Tefe turned. She could now see Perv. He was on his hands-and-knees, coughing up black smoke. Around him were the man and woman he 'd help save. They were lying on their backs.

"Do what thou wilt, " said Grimlock.

Tefe hesitated for a moment, looking from Perv to the mighty oak. Then she took off running.

"Perv, " she said, "are you alright? "

He looked up at her, a smile cracking open his disfigured face. He nodded as a nasty cough made his body shudder.

Overhead, she saw that the helicopters had nearly put out the fire. Behind her, though, she heard the awful scream as the flames overtook Grimlock 's body. She didn 't turn around. She did not want to see the demise of something from The Green.

Suddenly, one of the helicopters began to spin out of control. Both Tefe and Perv looked up as it wobbled around in the air. Then it quickly fell to the ground. It was followed by an explosion that rocked the earth.

"Oh my God, " said Tefe. "Will this nightmare ever end? "

Perv climbed to his feet. He ran to the wreckage, but there was no way he could help those trapped inside. The flames were simply too overbearing. From inside, he could hear the screams of the men as they burned to death.

He returned to where Tefe was standing over the two survivors. There were tears in his eyes.

"That was Cochran 's chopper, " he said. "We 've been friends for years. "

"I 'm sorry, " said Tefe. She knew that it sounded weak, coming from amidst the destruction which had destroyed such a large portion of the woods, but it was the best she could muster.

Perv shaded his eyes with a hand and glanced towards the sky.

"At least they seem to have everything under control, " he said. "It 's a slight testament to his death. "

On the ground, the man began to move. He put a hand over the woman 's back, whispering something into her ear. And then he regained his footing.

"Thanks for saving us, " he said to Perv. "I don 't know what the wife and I would have done without you. "

"Don 't mention it, " said Perv. He forced a laugh. "It was the most I could do. "

"I never thought it would start such a blaze, " the man said.

"What are you talking about? " asked Tefe.

"I dropped a cigar butt, " the man said. "And, before I knew it, the whole woods were afire. "

"Are you saying that you started this? " asked Perv.

"Unfortunately, " replied the man, "yes. "

Suddenly, without warning, Tefe lashed out. She turned her arms into verdant vines. They reached out, grabbing the man around the throat. She lifted him into the air, and then slammed his back against a tree. He fell down, unconscious.

"What are you doing? " cried his wife. "Leave him alone! "

And that 's when Tefe reached the vines around the woman 's mid-section. She lifted her up, swirling her about in the oily air.

"Don 't do it, " said Perv. "Let her down. "

"These people killed our friends, " said Tefe. "I 'm not about to let them go. "

"Let her down, " repeated Perv. "They didn 't know any better. "

Against her better judgment, Tefe did as he asked. She sat the woman down beside her husband. Quickly, she reached out to him.

"You 've killed him! " she cried.

"No, " said Tefe, "I didn 't. But I should have. "

Behind them, the lone helicopter had finished putting out the fire. It dropped its last cargo of dirt. It fell on the final spot which was burning and extinguished it.

Tefe turned around. She walked back to the smoking husk that had been Grimlock. She reached out a hand and placed it against the charred wood, ignoring the heat that threatened to blister her palm.

Perv walked up to her. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, Tefe, " he said. "Let 's go. "

For a moment, she ignored him. Then she turned around. She looked into his eyes and started to cry.

Perv put his arm around her shoulders and began to lead her away.

The corpse of Grimlock, burnt to the tender wood beneath, watched as they left.