Outside by the stables, morning

[ostro_goth]

Even before he begins work in the forge today (luckily, his current commission is for trinkets, not blades), Teja takes care of the horses -- his own Bramble, and Cheval, the young horse from Gotland that is in Javert's care. He's not going to take the horse back to his people just yet; none knows if and when Javert will return, and surely, for some weeks, the horse will be as well in Milliways, among the other horses he knows.

Half a year old, Cheval is young and boisterous, well cared for, and well accustomed to his stable mates; he shall be a joy to train, soon, and a joy to ride proudly among other Goths, to race against other horses -- he is fast, that much one can already see.

Teja is taking the horses to their pasture this morning, so they may spend the day grazing under the open sky, seeking shade under some trees when they need to, and race each other when their mood strikes them. They share their pasture with the mare Darjeeling, also in Javert's care, for her owner, some princess Teja has never met. But he does not mind taking her out, also, as she is Cheval's and Bramble's friend, and horses like each others company, being herd animals as they are.

He is leaning on the fence, watching them race each other around the pasture in the morning light, full of energy and equine cheer. Today, he must seek out those involved with Javert and his church, one way or another, and make sure that nothing fall fallow that should be taken care of, so all will be waiting for the man's return that he may wish to have again.

Comments

[witchfinder_general]

Father Harman is still staying at Milliways after he'd come in with that formidable headache a few days ago; this morning, though, he woke as early as usual and went looking for Javert, about whom he is worrying since his conversation with Valjean some days ago. The building site is abandoned, the man was not at any of the services Harman held lately, and now, at the stable, the Goth is seeing to the horses.

"Good morning, Teja son of Tagila," Harman says, as politely and cheerfully as he can muster in the face of the massive Gothic scowl that watches his approach. Father Harman is as tall as Teja; still, the smith-king somehow manages to look down at him with disdain, as if he was something coming crawling out from under a flat stone.

[ostro_goth]

"Greetings, Pearse Harman," Teja says.

In no way would he call the priest that silly title he goes by. 'Father' indeed! Is it not the principle of priest-hood that they are fathers to no-one?

"I would speak to you," he then adds. "What know you of the matters that drove Javert back into the river that he had come in from, and Valjean to rush after him? Something must have befallen him."

And might easily be some religious idea that the priest may have put into the man's ear, as those creatures ever have with the faithful.

[witchfinder_general]

The shock hits Father Harman like a fist. Javert went back into the Seine -- which, as per the book which Harman has looked up again since he met the man here, is impossible to survive at that precise place he jumped into.

But Valjean...?

"He went after him?" he echoes, taking a deep breath to calm himself and not show his complete dismay in front of the inimical, accusatory Ostrogoth. "Right into the Seine?"

Then they would both be lost, and the entire remainder of the book derailed. But hadn't Cosette come in from some later time with her papa alive and well?

[ostro_goth]

"He took a raft and ran," Teja says, "and kept running through his door, which did not spit him into the river, but to wherever he had come from; there is yet hope for him to reach Javert in time."

Pause.

"But what know you of what drove him there? What have you said to him about his friendship with Ganymede -- did you admonish him against sin, or one of those inane things that priests do?"

[witchfinder_general]

"Can you please stop spitting anticlerical venom for a moment? Thank you," Father Harman says.

As the cold wash of shock and worry runs through his limbs and up his neck, he can feel the headache from a few days ago returning, as everything tenses up inside him with that sense of horror and failure that will grip you when something or somebody you care about very much goes disastrously wrong.

"I see no point going on about sins of the flesh to Javert; his time was far too obsessed with that nonsense anyway," he then says, looking straight at the glaring Goth even though it hurts. "It's a good thing Ganymede is his friend; he needs them. In that vein, I suggest that you bury whatever hatchet you have against me at least for the moment so we can talk about what was wrong with Javert for him to suddenly return to the Seine, and what we can do now to help. What do you know about what that doctor said?"

[ostro_goth]

"What doctor?" Teja says. "I had thought Javert had confessed to you; now you say he saw a doctor? A doctor here? It can't have been Guppy; I spoke with him yesterday after Javert left, and he was as dismayed as I was."

At this new element in the sorry tale, Teja forgets, for a moment, to show the priest the disdain any such man deserves.

[witchfinder_general]

"One Dr. Hannibal Lecter," Father Harman says. "He apparently told Javert that he might have Asperger Syndrome -- what little Fry Sandhu has, apparently -- and that he should get tested, and according to Valjean, Javert took that very badly."

Pause.

"Which there is no reason for; there's no certainty, and even if there were, it wouldn't mean..."

[ostro_goth]

"I know what that is," Teja interrupts him. "I know and like Fry; Javert was truly harsh to him, some months back. So, if Dr. Lecter suggested that he might be the same, it would hit him very badly -- he is that which he despises! Or so the doctor would have him believe."

Pause.

"But there was a problem with Ganymede, also; Javert seemed to be newly dismayed with the sinfulness that he saw in Ganymede, even though before..."

His voice peters out. Some of his own words echo in Teja's head, together with that which he had seen, or be told of, in the past.

[witchfinder_general]

"Even though before that, they were friends?" Father Harman guesses. "I have no idea what would have made him doubt that. Or get him fixated on the sinfulness of Ganymede's lifestyle. Perhaps he saw something, which he might find worse than just theoretically knowing."

Might that be part of why Javert had been so despondent, and then wanted to confess so urgently? Something he saw so he felt tarred by the same brush, so to speak? Harman suspects he shouldn't even speculate about that.

[onceholyknight]

"Morning, Teja", Michael says, stepping up to lean against the fence beside him. "Beautiful day for them."

[ostro_goth]

Teja turns to look at him.

"Greetings, Michael Carpenter," he says. "Indeed, for them, it is. Cheval has done very well in Javert's care."

[onceholyknight]

"Cheval's the foal?" he guesses. "Yes, he looks very healthy."

[ostro_goth]

"He is," Teja says. "He came from Gotland, from my people; he was born out of season, and Javert raised him by hand, at first, until he learned to drink from a bucket. He is half a year old now."

[onceholyknight]

Michael nods. "And by now he must be off milk, and more independent."

[ostro_goth]

"Oh yes," Teja says. "Soon, he can start to be trained, playfully at first, like horse kindergarten?"

From his friends from the future, and Pyrrha, Teja has learned the term.

"But Javert was still taking care of him, until yesterday."

[onceholyknight]

He pauses and looks at Teja. "Until yesterday?"

[ostro_goth]

Teja briefly hides his face in his hair and hands, and sighs.

"Javert went back to his world, very suddenly, even though the way back is barred by deathly danger," he says. "Valjean followed right after, to help him. None know what has happened."

[is_the_motion]

Horses are not something Bonnie is terribly familiar with. Though they used them in constructing the railway, she was always rather more interested in the engine.

She's waiting in the forge, though, when he comes back in, fixing a window catch.

[ostro_goth]

"Greetings, Bonnie Murdock," Teja says as he comes in, carrying water. "We shall be by ourselves today."

[is_the_motion]

"Shall we?" Bonnie asks, looking up. The window slides nicely back into its place.

"Mr Javert and I managed a civil conversation the other day, so hope it ain't on my part."

[ostro_goth]

"He left, suddenly, yesterday," Teja says. "It has nothing to do with you."

[is_the_motion]

"Oh." Bonnie says. "Well he did say he was gonna let someone else take over his project. I said that were a shame."

[ostro_goth]

"Who did he say would take over?" Teja asks.

He would need to speak to that person.

[is_the_motion]

Bonnie thinks.

"I ain't sure, but not necessarily Mr Valjean. He said he was gonna leave because his redemption would be complete."

[ostro_goth]

"Jean Valjean has left as well, and went after him," Teja says.