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  • So Much for a Tolerant Society

    All of us have probably felt at some time that we were unfairly punished by a callous teacher, or picked on and teased by boorish and uncaring bullies…Unfortunately, this is part of what teenagers endure in becoming adults… (the law) is simply too crude and imprecise an instrument to satisfactorily soothe deeply hurt feelings…

    Such was the ruling of a California judge in a case of a student who sued the school which punished her for using a phrase disliked by homosexuals.

    This is doubtless correct, but it destroys the whole concept that a "tolerant society" is being enforced.  It adds credibility to the idea that the only thing being accomplished by political correctness is to move the goalposts to suit their own purposes, not to create a better world for us and for those who come after.

  • The Death of Jerry Falwell and the Crusade of Necessity

    The death of Jerry Falwell is doubtless bringing dancing and celebration in the bath houses and bars that liberals hang out in (to say nothing of the left-wing blogs.)  For our part, we extend our condolences to his family, Liberty University and the Thomas Road Baptist Church.

    There is no question that Falwell’s move into politics with the Moral Majority was a bold one, one that helped to change the course of American history and paved the way for the Reagan era.  There’s also no question he made mistakes; he was only human.  But, in spite of his own rhetoric and those of his opponents, his movement of evangelical Christianity into politics was one of necessity more than one of desire.

    Almost twenty years ago in my piece Public Education: A Christian Perspective, I noted the following:

    To buttress their belief in the inevitable course of society, activists on the left spend quite a lot of time discussing the Scopes trial. Instead of breaking Christian people on a wide scale, the reality of the aftermath of this event and others like it in the 1920’s is that many fundamental Christians, encouraged by their pretribulational theology, went into retreat from public life, sticking to evangelistic and educational work to propagate the faith. This was largely true through the 1970’s, an era when dropping out of all kinds was popular in this country.

    The impetus to change all of this, and the emergence of such groups as the Moral Majority and its approach to Christians in public life, came mostly from the secular realm. The Supreme Court decisions of the 1960’s and 1970’s concerning such issues as school prayer and abortion created a world where the legal system promoted values hostile to fundamental Christianity. Moreover, the ever expanding role of government made it possible for this legal and philosophical climate to be forcefully projected into Christian institutions through such vehicles as anti-discrimination statutes, education regulations, and just the sheer indoctrination of people in schools and other avenues of governmental dissemination.

    The entry of large segments of fundamental Christianity into the public arena to challenge these trends was delayed by the basic reluctance of Christians to get involved in this way. Most of these churches had been successful — and many still are — in supporting the idea that Christians have no business getting involved in the dirty business of politics, that the separation of church and state — and thus the purity of the former — was somehow guaranteed by the non-involvement of Christians in the political process.

    This is not to say the Christians were totally inactive. In education, for instance, many Christian schools were set up, in reaction to the eradication of the public affirmation of faith, the breakdown of basic discipline, and the mediocre academic quality in our public schools. This took a large segment of fundamental Christians out of the public schools.

    This was not enough for some; during the Carter administration, regulations for these schools were proposed at the federal level. All the while, the situation for those Christians left in public schools became even more unfavourable. Trapped between expensive private school tuitions and taxes being spent to propagate thinking and policies diametrically opposed to theirs, in the early 1980’s Christians finally began to move towards a more activist response through such organizations as the Moral Majority. This has continued to the present time.

    Falwell’s "crusade" was a necessity forced on a reluctant group of people.  Real Christianity was faced with either getting involved in a democratic process or being squeezed out of its legal status on a practical level.  Many evangelicals at the time objected to Falwell’s strategy, in strange concert with liberals.  From a political standpoint, the Moral Majority was a good example of the maxim that "the best defence is a good offence."

    The need to stay in the game is, if anything, greater than it was when Falwell started out on this journey.  It’s never been a pleasant business, but it is, as it was, a crusade of necessity.  As long as we have liberals whose goal is to finish the job, political activity will have to continue.

  • Mitt Romney’s Mormonism: Some Things to Consider

    Back in March I did a short piece on this subject where I made the statement that "the Book of Mormon does not teach Mormonism!"  I also said that  "…expect to see considerable discussion about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and its beliefs."  That has certainly been the case.  It’s time to elaborate on some of those complicated issues.

    As noted earlier, "Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and those who came after them "progressively defined" the religion as they went."  Mormon missionaries still go about distributing the Book of Mormon, but the truth is that Mormonism is a religion defined by whatever the LDS church says that it is.  The best way to illustrate this is with the matter of polygamy.  The Book of Mormon refers to polygamy as an "abomination," but that was before Joseph Smith developed the whole idea of polygamy as a means for men to have many "spirit children."  It was thus became a central Mormon practice and was one of the things that forced the LDS church, led by Brigham Young after Smith’s death, to actually exit U.S. territory and settle in then-Mexican Utah so they could continue with their way of life.

    As was the case with the Confederacy, the U.S. Army marched on, and the Mormons found themselves back in U.S. territory after the Mexican War.  Remarkably, Young was able to hold things together in his community, aided by geographical isolation and the pre-occupation back east with slavery.  But the polygamy issue resurfaced as Utah sought to transition from territory to state; the rest of the country would not permit one state to have such a different definition of marriage as the rest.  (Some things never change…)  So the LDS church simply reversed its position on the subject, much to the displeasure of many who have constituted "renegade" bands since.  (They, however, are in many ways closer to Young’s idea than the current LDS church is.)

    Although Romney has come out against polygamy, his own views on abortion are equally curious.  Even without polygamy, the Mormon ideal is for their men to reproduce many "spirit children," which explains a) their high birthrate and b) their view of the role of women.  How the product of such as system could support abortion–and then retract that position–is the most disturbing mystery about Mitt Romney there is.  There are two possibilities:

    1. He doesn’t take his Mormonism seriously; he is what would be best described as a "cultural Mormon."  His high position in the LDS church–he was a stake president–belies that, but it can be hard to know.
    2. He is doing what the LDS church has always done–take positions of convenience that are subject to change.

    Both of these display an opportunist at work, and in that respect Romney is in good company in our political system.

    As far as supporting or voting for Romney, our message to him is that of Oliver Hardy: "This is a fine mess you’ve gotten us into…"

    Let’s start with this: there’s nothing "intolerant" or "bigoted" about evangelicals considering Mormonism non-Christian.  Mormons themselves believe that they are the "Restoration" church, and the others are corrupt.

    Having established that difference, it should be remembered that the stink over Romney’s religion is far greater than when his father ran forty years ago.  (George Romney, it’s interesting to note, was born in Mexico because his grandparents fled the country over the polygamy issue.)  The "why" of this issue the bad part of living in the West today.

    Evangelicals are in a more difficult position with Mitt Romney than they realise.  Supporting him gives tacit approval to what he believes.  Opposing him because of his religion effectively makes evangelicals carry secularism’s water, because it’s an article of faith amongst secularists that no one who has any kind of religious belief is fit to lead anything in our society.  (It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened; evangelicals did and still do this over the subject of the miraculous.)   Some evangelical leaders (such as Pat Robertson) are tacitly suggesting that a deal be cut, but we’re not a deal cutting society these days.

    Evangelicals have preached for years that religion is more than a private matter, and now they wake up to the secularists who a) agree with them and b) use that against them and anyone else with religious belief.  Having been untied from our mooring buoy of shared values, we are adrift in a sea of competing dogmas.  A democracy cannot be maintained under this condition.  What we will end up with is a minority becoming the arbiter of a divided society, and the contest today is simply who that minority will be.  The best known example of this was Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, where the Sunni minority ruled supreme over the Shi’ites and Kurds that outnumbered them.  (The Alawis and the Assads are in the same position in Syria.)

    Based as much on the opportunist thing as anything, I’m not sold on Mitt Romney.  But the same comment I applied to Rudy Giuliani also applies here as well:

    …the time has come for Christians to look at what they are doing in the political arena, set some realistic and worthwhile objectives, work more diligently to strengthen our own churches, and realise that the state has definite limits in what it can and should do.  To miss the last point–which too many Christians are doing these days–only validates our statist opponents, and that’s the last thing we need to do.

  • Travolta and Scientology vs. the BBC: Revenge of the Bologna Club

    There needs to be little surprise at John Travolta spearheading Scientology’s counterattack against John Sweeney’s BBC documentary on the subject.

    No organisation uses the legal system to grind down its opponents the way that the Church of Scientology does.  In the past they have ruined opponents, institutional and individual, using the legal system that is supposed to be protecting our "rights."  The BBC should have expected no mercy from these people and probably didn’t.

    We said our peace about these people in connection with their founder, Lafayette Ron Hubbard, and his start as an aviation correspondent in Washington in the early 1930’s.  Scientology is a creation of modernity, and part of that creative process is fantasy.  It’s too bad that it has taken such deep root in the upper reaches of our society, which is what makes Scientology so dangerous.  Like the Episcopal Church, its demographics give it influence well out of proportion to its numbers.

    But that doesn’t change the fact that Scientology is the worthy successor to the "Bologna Club," itself a creation of the aviation scene in Washington in Hubbard’s day.  It was documented by an aviation correspondent far better than Ron Hubbard (Ernie Pyle.)  And it’s good to know that the Chairmanship of this club passed out of family hands.

  • At the Inlet: October, Part 1 (More surprises at the Bishop’s Palace)

    Table of Contents and Overview for At the Inlet | Information and ordering instructions for all of our fiction

    Note: this part of At the Inlet is dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth C. “Betty” Montgomery, long time dance teacher in Palm Beach, for reasons that will be obvious.

    The first Sunday of the month usually meant Holy Communion at the Cathedral; however, the Bishop was with his Alemaran counterpart in Drago for a special event. Since he preferred to celebrate Communion himself and then go out on his visitations the rest of the month, Desmond celebrated Morning Prayer.  When Terry first came to Serelia, she sat behind the royal section, but as her relationship with the Queen progressed, she found herself sitting in the royal box, usually next to Darlene.  This Sunday, Darlene insisted that Terry share her prayer book and read along with it diligently.  Terry didn’t understand why but went along.

    As they went through all of the petitions, the pages that included the General Thanksgiving unfolded.  On top of this was a handwritten note: “Terry: Will you marry me?  Love, Julian.”  It was another time for Terry to skip a breath or two, which Darlene couldn’t help but pick up on.”

    “Well, silly, are you going to say yes or aren’t you?” Darlene whispered.

    “Yes, I will,” Terry barely got out.  “But I can’t tell him now.”

    “Leave that up to us,” Darlene answered.  She discreetly gave the high sign to the King, who turned to his lackey.  The lackey went up to Desmond just as he was finishing up the Prayer of St. John Chrysostom and handed him a note.  Opening the note, Desmond looked at the King with a suppressed horror; the King nodded yes back to him.

    “Before we conclude,” Desmond began, “I have just been handed a note from His Majesty. I publish the Banns of Marriage between the Very Reverend Julian Stephen Lewis of Serelia and Miss Theresa Anne Marlowe of the same. If any of you know cause, or just impediment, why these two persons should not be joined together in holy Matrimony, ye are to declare it. This is the first time of asking.”  He then concluded the service with the customary bidding: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.”

    Julian launched into the recessional.  By that time Terry had slipped out from her pew and went through the hallway behind the organ and was tearfully at Julian’s side.  Julian’s sense of duty got him through the recessional but after that it was purely romantic at the organ until they both got up and went down to greet the royal family, along with Terry’s relatives.  Terry had to put off their invitation to lunch; she wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.

    They hugged everyone; Desmond had recessed to the narthex but made his escape as soon as most of the congregation was gone.  The royal family lingered at their section.

    “I would like the honour of directing your wedding,” the Queen announced to the two of them.  “We will also bear its expense—we were underwhelmed with the Foreign Ministry’s rental rate on your property, to be frank.”

    “Thank you very much,” the newly engaged said.  “It would be our honour,” Julian added.

    “We’ll also work with you on the ring,” George whispered to Julian.

    “The Bishop is away today,” the King said.  Would you two join us for lunch?”

    “We would be honoured,” Julian said.  The King and Queen started out first, but Darlene pulled Terry aside.

    “Do you realise what’s going on here?”

    “I know—I’m engaged,” Terry replied.

    “Not that—the Queen’s request.  The only weddings that Kings and Queens direct—to say nothing of finance—are those for their princes and princesses.  Terry, she’s treating you like her own child.”

    It took a second for the significance of this to sink in to Terry.  “She never had any daughters, did she?” Terry asked.

    “Yes, she did,” Darlene answered, “both of them before Prince Arthur was born.  The first was a miscarriage and the second was stillborn.  Their little graves are in the palace cemetery by the lake.  Before you came, she would go out there and cry at least once a week.  I don’t think she’s been out there this month.”

    “You never know what impact you have on people, do you?” Terry asked.

    “Do you wish you mother could come and see all this?” Darlene queried Terry.

    “Sometimes I do,” Terry responded remotely, “and sometimes I don’t.”  She turned to Darlene with a pained look on her face.  “It’s my father I miss the most.  But at least I have his mother and family now.”

    Darlene thought for a second.  She turned back to Terry and said, “I guess you’ll want Princess Catherine to be your matron of honour, since you grew up together.”

    “Not really,” Terry replied.  “I wanted you to be my matron of honour, if you think it’s appropriate.”

    “Looking like this?” Darlene shot back, noting by gestures her pregnancy.

    “You’re my friend,” Terry said.  “None of this would have happened if not for you.”

    Darlene looked away blankly then re-established eye contact with Terry.  “Terry, I’ve never been anyone’s maid of honour, let alone matron.”

    Now the shock was lobbed back to Terry.  “Not even Theresa’s?”

    “I was considered too young—she got our cousin Marguerite van Bokhoven to do it.  Same problem with Allison and Edward’s wife Melissa—they wanted their relatives and friends anyway.  No one else has asked me.  Some of the help wanted me, and I’d have done it but my father wouldn’t permit it…you don’t know what this means.”

    “His Highness informs me that we’re to dine at the palace,” Julian interrupted.  “Are we ready to go there?”

    “Very,” Terry confidently answered.  With that Julian took Terry right hand.  Darlene wrapped her right arm around Terry’s left and together they made their way down the aisle and out of the Cathedral.

    Early the next day Julian and Terry were called to the Bishop’s Palace.  They were ushered directly into his office.

    “I understand, dear Julian, that you finally got the nerve up to ask for her hand in marriage, albeit in a highly irregular way,” the Bishop began.

    “I had some assistance from the royal family and others,” Julian admitted.

    “Yes, I understand that,” the Bishop said.  “In any event, congratulations are in order.  Do you have a date in mind?”

    “We would like to be wed on All Saints’ Day,” Terry answered.  “It expresses our desires for each other better than anything else.”

    “That’s rather unusual,” the Bishop commented, “but then again nothing else about this affair has been normal.  I assume that you are making some preparations for this, Miss Marlowe?”

    “Her Majesty is handling the arrangements,” Julian informed the Bishop, who raised his eyebrows at this.

    “That’s delightful,” the Bishop said unenthusiastically.  “However, there is one item that needs to be established from the beginning.  It is the inviolable custom of the Cathedral that only virgin brides wear white.  Since you are obviously not—and not principally because of your previous marriage—you must choose another colour for your wedding gown.  Moreover I must insist that there be no veil—there’s nothing much to conceal after all that.  I have no intention of negotiating these matters.”

    “But—“ Julian said.

    “The Queen has anticipated these things, and we will comply with your request fully,” Terry said.

    “Thank you,” the Bishop replied.  Neither he nor Julian were fully prepared for her ready capitulation on this issue.  “I would like to discuss this matter further, but the King and Prince have an urgent matter to take up with Desmond and myself.”

    “Thank you very much,” Julian said, and they left his office.  The two were hand in hand, almost skipping as they walked into the narthex and then the nave of the Cathedral.  They stopped in nearly the centre of the nave.

    “I’m sorry the Bishop has imposed this requirement about your gown,” Julian said.

    “You don’t have to apologise for the Bishop,” Terry replied.  “Besides, before this is over with, he may be the sorriest one of all about this.”  She closed in one of those intense embraces that Julian found both thrilling and dreadful.  “I love you so much,” she told Julian.

    “I love you too, but may I ask a question?”

    “Yes, dearest Julian, what is it?”

    “Why is it that you always seem to be at your most—your most—sensuous while in God’s Cathedral?”

    Terry had to think about that.  Then she looked at Julian and said, “This is a very sensuous place.”  Julian was ambushed by that remark.  “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

    “Well…”

    “I’ll show you.”  She took Julian by her left hand and with a sweeping motion of her right pointed to all the stained glass windows that surrounded them.  “All of these people—with one exception—came into this world, and then to Christ’s service, because two people loved each other very, very much.  The one exception”—she pointed to a window with Jesus fishing hapless Peter out of the drink—“came because God loved us all very, very much, and wanted us to spend eternity with Him if we would respond to that love.”

    She then walked briskly up towards the altar, almost dragging Julian behind.  They stopped right in front of the communion rail, where they had exchanged their first kiss and just about in the same relative positions.  “When we stand here in less than a month and exchange our vows to be man and wife for life, we’ll do it not just before the Bishop, or the King, or everyone else, but before God Himself.  But all the while God will honour our union by using it as an illustration of another wedding that will come at an altar far more beautiful than this, a wedding that the Father Himself will preside at, just as he did for Adam and Eve.  This time however, you—and I and everyone else who bears the death of Jesus in his or her body—will be standing where I am, and Jesus Christ Himself will be standing where you are, and Christ and His Church will be united forever, and God will be all in all.”  She paused for a second.  “My greatest desire for our life together is that I’ll get to the point where I won’t know where my love of you stops and my love of God starts.”

    “With God’s help, I’ll do everything I can to make that a reality for both of us,” Julian replied.

    “That’s all I ask,” she replied.  They stood staring at each other for a moment.

    “We do have one immediate problem we need to address, Terry.  It’s about our wedding reception,” Julian said.

    “You mean the wine?  We solved that yesterday—we’ll bring in the non-alcoholic kind for us.  I’m still not comfortable about drinking alcohol—other than communion, and I’m not real thrilled about that—and Darlene isn’t drinking while she’s pregnant.”

    “No, not that.  It’s about the dancing.  Every wedding reception of note in this country has dancing.”

    “I can go along with that—you’re thinking about ballroom dancing, aren’t you?”

    “Well, yes, but I’ve not danced since my last engagement was broken,” Julian noted.  “Every reception, the bride and groom must get up and dance in front of everyone—the King, Queen, Prince, Princess, diplomatic corps, Chancellor, ministers, everyone.  Do you know how?”

    “I took ballroom dancing in my early teens, but I haven’t danced in about as long as you have,” Terry replied.  The gravity of the situation was finally sinking in.

    “We must practice,” Julian declared.

    “But where?” They looked at the chancel, but feared it wasn’t wide enough or they would fall off of the stairs.  “The courtyard!” Terry finally exclaimed.  Without thinking about the ramifications, they tore out of the cathedral and went to the very centre of the courtyard.

    They had no music, but Julian’s sure sense of timing as a musician served them well as he set the rhythm.  Their first steps were clumsy, with big feet mauling each other, but soon their memories and their coordination were sufficiently activated that in no time they were gracefully waltzing around the courtyard.

    When they stopped they heard applause and cheering around them; they turned and saw the children and teachers from the Cathedral school clapping for their performance.  They took their bow together and then exited to the colonnade.

    They were stopped dead by the sight of Desmond emerging from the Bishop’s palace and heading around the side of the Cathedral towards his residence.  He was in the company of two Serelian policemen and Kyle.  Their countenance turned from joy to horror as they watched this little parade.

    “I think you’d better go and tell your brother goodbye now,” Terry told him.  “You may not have another chance.”  Julian took off towards his brother, leaving Terry standing in the colonnade.

    While she was trying to figure out what to do next, the Bishop’s lackey came up to her and said, “The Bishop would like to see you in his office immediately.”  With that they departed.

    It was less than five minutes from the time Julian and Terry had left the Bishop’s office to the time that the King, Prince and Ruel Collingswood arrived.  Just behind them Desmond came in.  He was surprised when he saw the party assembled before him.

    “To what do I owe the honour of this assemblage,” Desmond asked.

    “This,” Ruel answered, handing him a piece of paper.  He also handed an identical copy to the Bishop.  Both Bishop and Canon were horrified when they has perused the contents.

    “This is impossible,” Desmond said.  “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

    “I don’t think we’ve missed this time,” the King informed Desmond gravely.

    “This is a sample of the sort of thing you’ve been shipping to the Verecundans all of this time,” Ruel said, again handing both Desmond and the Bishop about ten pages of military information stamped with various degrees of classification.  “Moreover, we have the sexton’s confession—we arrested him last night.”

    Desmond turned to George.  “Can’t you do anything about this?”

    “At this point, I’ve lost any desire to,” George replied.  “You’ve betrayed me, and not only that you’ve made me look like an idiot in front of my own family and country.”

    “I want a trial!  Even in this place, people have some rights,” Desmond declared.

    “Maybe you do and maybe you don’t,” the King said.  “As I see it, you have two choices.  You can have your trial; if you lose, you realise that espionage—to say nothing of treason—is a capital offence.  Or, if you go ahead and confess”—he handed him a confession—“you can go into exile.  The choice is yours.”

    Desmond stared at the floor for a second.  “Verecunda was our ally until you let that wench from Barlin get to you,” he said, looking at George.

    “Don’t blame her,” George replied.  “And it doesn’t matter if they were our ally or not—this information wasn’t their business.  That’s why we have a classification system.  That’s our prerogative.”

    “This Island would be a better place if we’d drag it into the modern world, like the Verecundans tried,” Desmond set forth.

    “At this point, I wouldn’t worry about this Island as much as I would worry about those nearest to you,” George responded.  “Seems to me that you should take your dear wife and lovely children and leave—there are all kinds of people in our Communion that think like you.”

    “Sad to say, that’s true,” the Bishop agreed, finally getting into the conversation.  “I should inform you, though, that if you sign the confession, under our canon law, you are automatically defrocked, as this is triggered by conviction or confession of any major criminal offence.”

    Desmond once again stared at the floor, then out the window in thought.  He finally said, “All right, you win.  I’ll sign your confession.”  He slammed it down on the Bishop’s desk and signed it; they made him sign another original to boot.  He turned to the King and said, “Someday, it will be you who will be hauled into the dock for what you’ve done—this world is changing.”

    “Show him the door, Ruel,” the Bishop ordered his brother.  Ruel complied, escorting him out.

    Adam turned to the Bishop.  “I’m sorry it ended up in this way.”

    “So am I,” George said.  “I suppose you can go ahead and have Algernon to be Dean.”

    “Thank you, Your Highness,” the Bishop said. “I really take no joy in your sadness.  I know you thought highly of him.”

    “Too highly, it seems,” George replied.

    “We have one more matter that needs to be settled here today,” Adam said, handing the Bishop yet another envelope.  The Bishop opened it; reading it produced a look of shock almost comparable to Desmond’s just a few minutes earlier.

    “This is impossible,” the Bishop declared, looking at Adam.

    “No, it’s not, and you know it,” Adam calmly replied.

    “We don’t ordain women in this church—it’s against the laws of God.  Besides, we would have to change our canon law at our Convention.”

    “I’m not asking for a change in canon law, if you would read the document carefully,” Adam replied. “I’m issuing a waiver so that Terry can fully be the chaplain to the Crown Prince and Princess.  It is well within my rights as head of this Church to issue such a waiver, which includes skipping making her a deacon, to save you a ceremony.”

    “A diaconate would have been a far better solution to the problem,” the Bishop noted.

    “That’s what you get for opposing a permanent diaconate,” George said.  “I should also note that this is only the second time in my father’s reign that he has issued a canon law waiver—his father was much more active in this field, if you remember.”

    “I certainly do,” the Bishop reminisced.  “But I would hope that you would extend the courtesy of allowing me to consult with at least the rectors of our church, to say nothing of all of those who come to Convention.”

    “Consult all you want,” Adam replied.  “I want this done.  I don’t care what they say.  This is a very sensitive position.  We can’t afford to have another minister who rots like Desmond did.”

    “The way I see it,” George added, “if the daughter and sister of two active members of the Verecundan Committee of Personal Liberty won’t give in to them, she won’t give in to anyone else.”  George turned to his father.  “Darlene wants Terry to be ordained so badly she can taste it.”

    “So does your mother,” Adam added.

    “Darlene also tells that the first woman to be ordained a minister in the Anglican Communion was Chinese,” George added.  “Maybe it’s in the blood.”

    “You mean like Darlene for war?” Adam asked his son.

    “Kind of like that,” George responded.

    “I don’t find this very comforting.  When do you want this done?” the Bishop asked, almost afraid of their answer.

    “Before they’re married, of course!” George merrily exclaimed.  The Bishop buried his head in his hands at this.

    “I think you’d best get started on a this, so we will take our leave,” Adam said, and with that they left the office.

    Once alone again the Bishop asked his secretary to summon Terry.  His lackey brought her in shortly.

    “Did you have any prior notice of this?” he asked her, handing him the waiver declaration.  She started to read it.  The contagious shock now spread to her.

    “No, I didn’t,” she said.  “Not at all.”

    “I would ask you if you were accepting this, but our sovereign isn’t in the mood to take no for an answer these days.”

    “I do accept this.  With God’s help, I’ll try to be the best Anglican minister I can, just as I was a Pentecostal one for the last fifteen years.  I’ll try to make this as easy for you as possible.  There’s just one thing I want to say.”

    “And that is?” the Bishop asked, almost afraid for her answer.

    “Jesus told Nicodemus that ‘the wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes, or where it goes; it is the same with every one that owes his birth to the Spirit.’  I always believed that ‘everything be done in a proper and orderly manner.’  And I know that your order is different from what I have been accustomed to.  But where the Spirit of God blows, there I will follow.”

    “I think we are all in for a unique experience,” the Bishop observed.  “I have many things to take care of now.  I will be in touch with you about this.  We don’t have much time to prepare.”

    “What do you mean?” Terry asked.

    “His Highness wants this done before you’re married.”

    “Let it be done,” Terry replied, almost in a daze.  She then bowed to the Bishop and took her leave.

    Late morning at the beach was fine, but Julian was agitated as he ran up from his apartment.  He had been looking for Terry since he departed from Desmond, who was busy packing in the midst of the tears of his wife and children.  One of the staff thought they saw her on the beach; Julian arrived at the usual spot to find her beach towel, robe and sandals but not her.  He looked out into the water and spotted her.  Coming closer to the water, he cried, “Terry! Terry!”  She turned around and spotted him.  Standing up, she came up out of the water and up to him.

    “I had to be alone somehow,” Terry said to him.

    “Oh, I’m sorry,” Julian replied.

    “I need to be here for you—I’m the one who should be apologising,” she answered.  “Let’s talk.”  They went to the beach towel and sat down.  She could see the pain in his face.  “I am very sad for you about Desmond.”  So was he; Julian broke down and cried like a baby in her arms.  He finally looked up at her.

    “Did you know what was going on?” he asked her.

    “I’m not going to start our life together in a lie,” she answered.  “I knew something was wrong when the Woolseys came into town.  I shared this with Darlene and Annette.  I told them I thought he ought to be investigated.  I also was the one that found out that Thor was a Druid and used to be in the Inland Police.  After that they didn’t discuss it with me until Desmond’s arrest.”  Julian started to look away.  “Look at me, Julian.  If you think I’ve betrayed you in any way, that you can no longer trust me, let’s just end it now, and go our separate ways.”

    Julian’s first emotion was anger, but then he began to think.  His first thought was to Norman Cameron’s statement about his duty to the King.  His mind then turned to all of the little snide remarks his brother made about him, Terry and her beliefs, especially recently.  Finally he thought of George and Darlene’s account of Terry’s brother being shot in front of her during the trip, how she became grief stricken and hysterical that her own brother, who hunted her like a wild animal, was dead.

    “Before you say anything,” Terry said, interrupting Julian’s train of thought, “I know where you’re at.  You know about my own brother.  The problem with people like that is that, if they triumph, people like us will experience unbearable pain, and I’ve experienced enough of that.”

    Julian looked once again at his fiancée’s deep black eyes.  “I’m with you, Terry,” he replied.  “I don’t have anywhere else to go.  I don’t want to go anywhere else either.”

    “Neither do I,” she replied.  “Did they tell you about me?”

    “What do you mean?” Julian asked.

    “I’m to be ordained a minister in the Church of Serelia before we wed,” Terry answered.  “I’ll take Desmond’s place as George and Darlene’s chaplain.”

    “Our canon law doesn’t permit this,” Julian said.

    “It’s not a change in canon law,” she explained.  “It’s a waiver by royal decree.  So how do you feel about becoming the first husband of a Church of Serelia minister?”

    Julian thought for a second.  “It will take a lot of getting used to,” he sighed.  “I know we talked about this at length relative to your last church, but I had no idea we would do it ourselves.”

    “Neither did I,” Terry agreed.

    “I’m glad you two are happy after all this,” they heard a voice say from the Sea Garden.  They turned around and saw it was George.  “Come and join me—we have a lot to discuss.”  Terry put on her robe and sandals and the two walked up into the Sea Garden.  They sat down at one of the tables that directly faced the ocean.

    “I’m sorry about Desmond,” George said to Julian.

    “I am too,” Julian replied.  “I know he meant a lot to you.”

    “Well, I guess we have a new chaplain,” George said, turning to Terry.  “It seems that, everywhere you go, things are never the same again.”

    “I’d like to think it’s always for the best,” Terry said.  “I am honoured that you and Darlene want me for your chaplain.”

    “I can’t think of any one else I would want,” George replied.  “And of course you have a great companion too.”  He turned to Julian.  “You’ve been dumped on long enough around here.”

    “Since I am to be your chaplain,” Terry said, interrupting, “there’s something right up front we need to discuss.”

    “Oh?  What’s that?” George asked, a little puzzled.

    “Do you like your new wife, George?” Terry asked.

    “New wife…oh, yes, I’ve known her all her life, but she has changed since the trip.”

    “Don’t you think that the premier heiress to Beran deserves a new husband?”

    George looked at her intently.  “I think I know what you’re about to tell me.”

    He turned out to be right about that.

  • Turning Murdoch Out: The Church Can’t Win

    The call by the Christian Research Network for Rick Warren to "turn out" (to use the old expression) Rupert Murdoch from Saddleback Church is a great idea.  In theory.  The basic problem is that churches in the U.S. have become adverse to expelling anyone from the membership, and not entirely for reasons of their own making.

    In the old days–especially in Pentecostal and Holiness churches–people were turned out for all kinds of reasons, such as makeup, jewellery, hair not the right length, and a wide variety of other infractions.  (Those of you who are following At the Inlet have a fictionalised example of this.)  But this became viewed as "judgemental," so churches quit doing this, even though the central reason churches turn out people is to insure that the rest of the membership does not become compromised themselves.  But now it’s even hard to turn people out for living together unmarried, and heaven help the church that tries to turn out a homosexual.

    If the CRN and others want to facilitate churches cleansing their membership of pornographers and others with really serious moral problems, they can start by bucking the cultural and legal trend of legislating "tolerance" and against "hate crimes".  Then churches will be free to exercise the tough love of turning out without whining and lawsuits.

  • Who Shall Spread the Good News: The Lord Is My True Shepherd (Psalm 23)

    We continue our podcast series of this album with their rendition of the beloved Psalm 23, The Lord Is My True Shepherd.

    Click here for more information.

  • Democracy in the Middle East?

    Those who oppose the war in Iraq endless talk generally talk about things such as the WMD’s, the “lies,” etc.  They’re trying to make a moral case out of it.

    For us, the matter is simpler: because of the nature of Middle Eastern society, democracy is presently impossible.  Thus the whole premise of bringing democracy to the Middle East was a chimera to start with and remains so today.

    To buttress our case, one only needs to consider the following said on Memri by the Syrian poet Ali Ahmad Sa’id (“Adonis”):

    First of all, I oppose any external intervention in Arab affairs. If the Arabs are so inept that they cannot be democratic by themselves, they can never be democratic through the intervention of others. (emphasis ours)

    If we want to be democratic, we must be so by ourselves. But the preconditions for democracy do not exist in Arab society, and cannot exist unless religion is reexamined in a new and accurate way, and unless religion becomes a personal and spiritual experience, which must be respected.

    Personal religion is, of course, what this site is ultimately about.

  • Protecting the Master Race

    There has been a lot of consternation–well deserved–about the passage of H.R. 1592, the so-called "hate crimes" bill.  We would have commented on this sooner except that it was a foregone conclusion to pass in the House.  From a political standpoint, it is a sop to a powerful support group in the Democrat Party.   Given the nature of House rules, the Republicans had a nearly impossible fight against it.  Things in the Senate look better, although it remains to be seen whether either a) the Senate Republicans will filibuster it or b) the President will veto it.  Those of you who oppose this need to get moving.

    In the meanwhile, a little review is in order.

    • Hate crimes legislation’s primary intended beneficiaries are the homosexuals.  This is not a secret, even if by their own admission they are not the most common victims.
    • It is very selective in the kinds of "hate" that it means to weigh against.  The selectivity is narrowed by the kinds of "hate" that will be prosecuted.  You can bet that killing an Evangelical would not merit a hate crime prosecution.  (The time may come when killing an Evangelical won’t merit any kind of prosecution, bringing us in line with the jihadis.  "… indeed the time is coming when any one who kills you will think that he is making an offering to God.” (John 16:2))
    • It is hard to understand why certain kinds of violence deserve more prosecution than others beyond the extent of the violence.
    • It is even harder to understand why a economically privileged group deserves special treatment like this in a society that worships money and wealth the way ours does.  Our stretched police and prosecutorial forces would be better deployed protecting those in our inner cities who face far more horrific life conditions than many of the rest of us–gay and straight alike–do.

    But this drum has been beat on this blog before,  even in the context of our ongoing commentary on the Anglican/Episcopal mess.  This isn’t about tolerance; it’s about freedom vs. control.  It’s also about shifting the definition of "normal" from one group to another so you can trash the other.

    We’re past simple human rights.  We’ve come to the point where we are working on designating the GLBT community as a "master race," economically well heeled and protected by draconian legislation against attack and criticism.  If you thought that the concept of "master race" was just for the last century, perhaps you should think again.  Quickly.

  • At the Inlet: September, Part 3 (Plotting on both sides)

    Table of Contents and Overview for At the Inlet | Information and ordering instructions for all of our fiction

    At 0900 the next morning Annette and Darlene met with Norman and a still groggy Kyle at the palace.

    “I thought those girls would talk until the sun came up,” Kyle said, fighting another yawn.

    “Gimme a break—you’re both married.  You gave them too good of an opportunity to pass up,” Darlene replied.

    “So where do we stand with this?” Annette asked, getting to the point.  Norman went over both what Terry had found out from Cathy and their own research.  They confirmed the business about Seamus Gallen and the Druids.  The fact that Thor was an IP was news to them, though.  They were deeply disturbed by that fact.

    “So what’s your thinking about this?” Darlene asked Norman.  Norman paused in thought.

    “I’m thinking that this has been going on for a long time.”

    “What’s been going on for a long time?” Annette asked, disturbed.

    “Desmond’s been passing information to James Woolsey, who in turn was giving it to the Inland Police.”

    “We have information that Desmond’s correspondence and contact with Woolsey has been regular, particularly since the cease-fire,” Kyle added.  “Since he used ecclesiastical envelopes, no one’s been really checking it out.”

    “Besides, the Verecundans used to be our allies, until Your Highnesses and Terry changed everything,” Norman added.

    “Blame it on us,” Darlene said.

    “It doesn’t matter whether they were or weren’t,” Annette added.  “No one has any business doing espionage here.  But what kind of information was he collecting?  And how was he getting it?  I can’t see Desmond being privy to much.”

    “Maybe that worthless sexton of his was helping him,” Darlene guessed.

    “That’s what we’re thinking,” Norman said.  “During the war he served in logistics from time to time.  What we’d like to do is a complete investigation of this matter, including surveillance of both of them and some covert searches as well.”

    “Do you think Julian’s involved?” Darlene asked, fearing the worst.

    “No,” Norman said.  “And that’s not just because he’s my friend, either.”

    “One of the things that keeps coming up in talking with people about the Canon is how little Desmond thinks of his brother,” Kyle added.  “I don’t think that Julian would do it and I don’t think Desmond would trust him either.”

    Annette and Darlene looked at each other, then Annette turned to the men and said, “Go ahead.”

    “Will you tell the King?” Norman asked.

    “I’ll discuss it with the King—proceed unless you hear otherwise.”

    “What about my husband?” Darlene asked.

    “Let his father handle it,” Annette said.  “I know it will be difficult, but it must be done this way.”

    Desmond and the Woolseys gathered in his office and closed the door after a very sumptuous breakfast.  They spent the first part of their conversation on the status of the Anglican Diocese of Verecunda, trying to come up with a strategy that would move the Bishop on this matter.  After that their talk turned to other matters.

    “I hear that your brother is romantically involved with Terry Marlowe,” James said.

    “To the extent that my brother can be romantically involved with anyone, he certainly is,” Desmond replied.

    “Evidently quite a bit, considering their trysts at the palace beach,” Thor merrily said.

    “Obviously dearly departed Richard Marlowe underestimated his sister,” James chimed in.  “Our intelligence files were right about her after all.”

    “Don’t discount the knowledge of a sibling,” Desmond asserted.

    “It really doesn’t matter,” James said, “whatever they’ve done was enough to get her defrocked by her own church, and that’s destroyed her credibility.”

    “Which is all we needed,” Thor stated.

    “Dear Desmond’s brother here has done a great service for us,” James said, “whether he intended to or not.  But, as I understand it from Canon Lewis here, she still has many friends at the palace.”

    “George was my closest friend before she arrived,” Desmond declared, “and he will be long after she’s gone.”

    “So what about Darlene?” James asked.

    “We have plans to change her mind,” Thor responded.  “She is Beran’s first daughter these days.  By the time we get through to Her Highness and others, Terry’s last trip to the shore will be with nails through her wrists and feet, just as her fellow fools of yore on Avinet’s Beach.”

    “And if Darlene doesn’t?” Desmond asked.

    “Then they’ll make that last trip together,” Thor confidently replied.

    Terry went ahead with her Bible study and prayer time with the staff early in the morning.  She thought of going to the Cathedral; however, the Cathedral school had started up again and Julian had duties there; with the children there, their privacy was limited also.  Additionally Terry was afraid that she would “blow her cover” with Julian.  So she left the palace gate and purposed to do some follow-up visitation that she and Julian had managed to squeeze in with everything else.

    She was passing the Foreign Ministry when one of the secretaries came running out of the building, saying, “Miss Marlowe, His Excellency Mr. Serlin wants to see you now.”  Terry followed the secretary in and was ushered directly into Foreign Minister Paul Serlin’s office.

    “Sorry for the short notice,” Paul said, “I was planning to send for you at Princess Darlene’s, but you came by here first.”

    “They have a private matter to attend to,” Terry replied.  “I was just passing by.”

    “We have an important matter to discuss with you.”

    “And what might that be?”

    “Our ambassador in Point Collina was meeting with your friend, Andy Dell, who was just elected President of the Republic of Collina in a full election last week.”

    “Extend him my congratulations.”

    “President Dell mentioned that there was a piece of property that your father left to you in trust—I have photographs of it, it’s a small three-storey condo on the ocean beach.”  He showed her the photos.

    “Like everything else, all they touched turned to rubbish,” Terry observed.  “I remember this. It’s gone downhill.  It was some of his rental property. I had forgotten about this.”

    “So had a lot of other people,” Paul said.  “Under the terms of the trust, you were supposed to get it when you were twenty-five.  You left five years before that.  Your mother tried to have the trust broken, but before that the bank that was acting as trustee was nationalised and the property was seized for real estate taxes and other fees that they had conveniently left unpaid.”

    “An all too common occurrence in those days.”

    “Normally speaking, the Collinans demand payment of all of the back property taxes before restoring ownership of a piece of property, but President Dell had the provisional government make a resolution that exempted you from that requirement as an appreciation for all of your help in their return to the family of nations.  So, basically, if you want it, it’s yours.  We will be glad to facilitate the paperwork.”

    “My only problem,” Terry responded, “is that, owing to my duties here, I cannot properly take possession of the property or manage it.”

    “We have a solution for that, too,” Paul suggested.  “We have no embassy building in Collina, and we really need to close the one in Verecunda for security reasons.  Our proposal is to enter into a triple-net lease with you for the building.  We will make renovations to use it as an embassy.  We will leave the top floor apartment available for your use, and I would think the royal family would enjoy it during state visits.”

    Terry thought for a minute.  “I’m interested.  Draw me up an agreement with a rental rate and let’s discuss this further.”

    “We hope we can come to an agreement in a reasonable time,” Paul said, “because we would like to see you enjoy this for a special occasion.”

    “Such as?”

    “Your honeymoon.”  Terry looked at Paul in near shock.  “Right after the hurricane,” Paul resumed, “the Serlins on both sides of the border had another reunion.  We’re trying to be one family again.  Everyone knows about your relationship with Reverend Julian Lewis.  And everyone—including Max’s father and mother, brothers and sisters—wants you to be happy again.  You’ve suffered enough—we’ve all suffered enough.  It’s time for us to live with the ones we love rather than dying at the hands of those we hate.”

    Terry looked out the window in near disbelief.  “You will never know what that means to me,” she said.  “People keep reminding me that I am a Gerland heiress, yet this is the first time I have ever obtained property from either of my parents.  And your family is more than kind.”  Terry and Paul discussed many items of foreign policy, but Terry finally left the Foreign Ministry with the feeling that another piece of her life was hers once more.

    The monthly meeting of the Royal Port Commission took place a couple of days later.  Adam was an ex officio member of just about every commission and board in the country.  He was always faithful about making as many meetings as possible, but since the trip this intensified as he brought George with him as often as he could.  Since the main port facility for the country had moved to West Serelia, the Port Commission met there, and both of them were over there for it.

    The meeting was routine and finished on schedule.  Adam asked George if they could come to the waterfront and spend a couple of minutes on an important matter.  They walked down past the slip and stopped at the seawall.

    From where they were standing they could see the inlet across the lake, flanked by the palace and Serelia town on the right and the undeveloped country of a royal estate on the left.  Craft of all kinds were going in and out of the inlet, either heading to the port where they were standing or heading to various docks in town.  The lake odour wasn’t too bad that day, although the sewage treatment redevelopment contract had only been finalised for less than a month and mobilisation for construction was only now under way.

    “How come we’re all the way out here just to talk?” George asked his father.

    “It’s about the Canon,” Adam said gravely to his son.  “I think you should know he’s under investigation.”

    “Investigation?  For what?”

    “Espionage.”

    “Desmond?”

    “Look,” Adam said, “I know you’re very fond of him, and want him to be your next bishop…”

    “But he’s a spy?  For whom?  Why?”

    “The Verecundans.  Why, I’m not sure—probably related to his ambitions here.”

    “But they’re no longer a threat,” George observed.

    “Maybe—maybe not.  Some elements of their government are still loose of this Island—some in Verecunda, some elsewhere.”

    “I’ve heard rumours about Seamus Gallen being in Vidamera,” George admitted.

    “Thor is one of Gallen’s men,” Adam said.  “He was in the Inland Police.”  George turned a shade paler at that statement—he remembered all too well seeing the Inland Police in action during the trip.

    “Desmond and Thor met at the University of Verecunda, before Desmond went off to seminary in the U.K. and Thor—for a short time—in the States.  When we were allies, Desmond went down there about twice a year—the Bishop never liked it, but I saw nothing wrong with it.  They probably got together then.  I think they were closer friends than most people—me included—realised.”

    They stood there for a minute.  “I tried to tell you about Desmond…” Adam said.

    “Don’t rub it in, please,” George snapped.

    “All right, son,” Adam replied.  “But we must do our duty now.  You’ve got to keep this under your hat until the Intelligence Service is finished.”

    “That shouldn’t be too hard.  Have you looked at our schedule for the next week or two?  I’ll hardly see my bride, let alone Desmond.”

    “For once, that should work in everyone’s favour.”

    “Does Darlene know?”

    “Darlene and your mother have been working on this before they ever bothered to tell me.”

    “I can’t believe that Darlene didn’t tell me,” George said, a little despondent.

    “Don’t blame her,” Adam said.  “Your mother decided—probably for the best—that it was my duty to break the news to you, not hers.”

    “That’s unbelievable,” George said.  “Just a few months ago, they didn’t get along well enough to even have a civil dinner conversation.  Now they’re in the spy business together.”

    “But since we’re on weighty matters, we’ve got another one to attend to,” Adam interjected.

    “What’s that?” George asked.

    “Julian and Terry need to be married as soon as possible.”

    “Why?”

    “We’ve got Advent and Christmas and Winter Court coming up.  Julian’s got to have time to prepare for that.  They have to have time for a honeymoon.  That means that they need to be married by the end of next month at the very latest.”

    “I was hoping Desmond would help us.”

    “Son, we’re going to have to get this done without him.”

    George thought for a minute.  “I’ll make you a deal, Father.  You and the intelligence service handle the Canon.  I’ll work something out for Julian and Terry.”

    “That’s fair,” Adam replied.  “I must say I’m surprised that you haven’t asked if Julian’s involved in this.  Everyone else is.”

    “Desmond tends to look down on Julian, especially since he went to seminary.  I probably know that better than anyone.  Also, Desmond’s been more defensive about Terry since she’s been here and seeing Julian.  In March, she was a curiosity for him; since she came, and since the trip, she’s become a threat, I guess.  He’s been trying to hide that but I’ve known him too long.”

    “I’m sorry this is turning out in this way,” Adam said.  “I know it hurts you.”

    “Do you know if Terry’s Chinese relatives serve crow at their restaurant?”  Both of them got a laugh out of that.  But George resumed.  “If this is true about Desmond, do Darlene and I get another personal spiritual advisor to take his place?”

    “That’s something else we need to discuss—your mother’s got an idea about that.”

    The next week saw an almost unnatural routine about it.  Julian and Terry found time to do some visitation, which included visiting the Serelian Veterans’ Home.

    George was out at a ceremony in Serelia Beach when he ran into Norman Cameron.  He took Norman aside.

    “My father has decided that Julian and Terry need to be married by the end of October,” George informed Norman.  “We must find a way to get Julian to propose, and soon.”

    “I think they’re both ready for this,” Norman replied.  “The problem is Julian—I think he’s afraid of popping the question.”

    “Because he thinks she’ll say yes or because he thinks she’ll say no?” George asked.

    “Both,” Norman answered.

    George thought a second.  “I think I’ve got a idea—even Desmond can help us here.”

    “You’ve got to be kidding,” Norman answered.

    Darlene and Terry were just about to the end of their backlog, and they had even heard most of their appeals as well.  One Tuesday afternoon, Terry was rather unenergetic.

    “Is there something wrong?” Darlene asked her friend.

    “No,” Terry answered.

    “You didn’t each lunch today,” Darlene observed.  “For that matter, you didn’t eat it yesterday.”  They looked at each other in silence.  “Are you fasting, Terry?

    Terry nodded yes.

    “Is it about Julian?”

    Terry nodded yes again.

    “It’s serious now, isn’t it?”  Darlene knew what the royal family had decided, but hadn’t told Terry about it.

    “Yes it is, Darlene.  I want Julian to propose.  But more than that I want God’s will for it.”

    “Let’s break for the day—this is more important.”  They had a time of prayer about it, but Terry slipped out to be alone with God.

    The next morning, Julian came into the Cathedral early.  Near the lectern was a small chapel with the baptistery on it; it was quite ornate.  Julian passed by when she saw Terry sprawled out on the floor of the chapel with her Bible next to her.  He gasped, then shook her to awake her.  She roused herself and he helped her up.

    “What were you doing here?”

    “I came last night to pray,” Terry replied.  “I must have fallen asleep.  I guess I’m ready to join the disciples at Gethsemane.”

    “Would you like some breakfast?  They’re still serving it to the Cathedral staff?”

    She looked at him, thought a minute, and said, “Only if you join me, Julian.”

    “It would be my pleasure,” Julian said as they left the chapel together.

    Two weeks after Adam and George met by the lake, the royal family assembled at the palace.  Joining them were Norman and Ruel Collingswood, the Bishop’s brother and the chief of both the Intelligence Service and the Constabulary.  They started by going over all of the evidence, both that which they knew going into the investigation and that which the Intelligence Service had found out since their last meeting.

    “There’s no question in our mind that the Canon has been passing secrets—not only palace tittle-tattle, but military secrets as well—since at least the start of the Drahlan rebellion.  He’s used the Cathedral’s sexton as his ‘investigator,’ if you please.  He gave the Verecundans some of this information during his regular trips there; the rest, as you know, was sent under ecclesiastical cover.”

    “I’m surprised that he didn’t tip them off about my suspicions about the Verecundans,” George remarked.

    “He suppressed that in his reports,” Ruel came back.  “You were the key to his long term future here—he felt he couldn’t afford to let the Verecundans know about that.”

    “So why did he do it?” Darlene asked.  “Money?  The Lodge?  Something else?”

    “They did pay him some money—he has an account on the mainland.  But the sums they sent him were surprisingly small.  It’s remarkable how much information they actually got from him for as little money they paid for it.  We’re still not completely clear about his relationship with Thor Woolsey, but we think that’s involved as well.  We think that Desmond’s goals were primarily ecclesiastical—he wanted to remould the Church of Serelia.  He concluded the easiest way to get that done was to increase Verecundan influence here, and they convinced him that the best way for him to help was to pass state secrets.  I’m amazed how naïve he was in so many ways.”

    “Well, that’s all a matter of speculation,” Adam said. “I think we know what has to be done.  We’ll call him into the Bishop’s on Monday and get this done.”

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