Late morning, outside

[witchfinder_general]

After the Sunday service (in which he preached about Jesus turning water into wine), Father Harman takes a walk outside, wandering into the forest in order to have a look at Javert's building site, and perhaps pray there a little for all the wandering souls converging on this place.

There is quite a list of them by them, he ponders as he walks among the trees. To say nothing of the werewolf literacy thing, the repercussions of which might reach through several universes. In many universes, werewolves are the arch-enemies of vampires, and not susceptible to their blood-borne wiles -- so while bringing education to yet another people is a good thing in and of itself to any Jesuit, getting werewolves of any kind on his side (werewolves that boast of having hunted Dracula in their legends, even) is a good thing. If there are vampires in his world, why not weres?

So he walks, thinking; but he'll be glad to interrupt himself to pay attention to an actual other person at any time. Non-persons aren't around at this time, in any case.-

Comments

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

Some, but not much, of the usual spring is gone from Bossuet's step as he makes his usual stroll around the grounds. It could be due to melancholy, or it could be due to hangover. Either way, he's neither whistling nor particularly looking where he's going, and it's quite a sudden realization that he's come wandering up to a church and a priest.

He touches the brim of his hat politely. "Heavens, is it a Sunday?"

[witchfinder_general]

"Yes, it is, by the calendar the bar follows," the priest says, smiling at him.

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

"The days come and go so quickly here. We've met, I think--I'm Lègle, and I believe I was being unfortunately opinionated about the Church--but it was two years ago for me and to my shame I've forgotten your name."

[witchfinder_general]

"I'm Father Pearse Harman," the priest says, "of the Jesuit order."

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

"Enchanté." He takes off his hat and flips it around idly in his hands, squinting up at the tops of the trees. "--Do you find you have a considerable flock here, Father Harman?"

[witchfinder_general]

"Not really," Father Harman says. "But it doesn't matter. I'd do Sunday service for one medieval monk and one somewhat agnostic shop teacher, if I have to. If I'm of use to just one person that justifies all the effort."

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

"Oh, yes, the monk! How has he been faring?"

He's faintly surprised there aren't more takers for Sunday service. It seems like the sort of place where people might suddenly decide they need to find God. Literally or figuratively.

[witchfinder_general]

"He came in drunk last night," Father Harman says. "The Vikings had been filling him up with beer, probably for their own amusement. But he seems to get on well with them."

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

"The Vikings…?" He has been missing a few things lately, hasn't he. "I had no idea there were Vikings involved. When I met him he was comfortably ensconced in--Lindisfarne, I think."

[fry_sandhu]

Fry isn't allowed to go to the chapel without a Safe Person, so he's been hanging around on the edge of the forest, as far as he's allowed to go on his own.

When he sees the priest, he waits for him to be in the place he's allowed to walk in.

[witchfinder_general]

"Hello, Fry," the priest says. "Would you like to come to the chapel? Javert has felled a tree the other day."

[fry_sandhu]

"Wait a minute and a half please."

Fry runs back to the bar, and comes back a few moments later with one of the infirmary waitrats sitting on his shoulder.

"Now I can come."

Pearse is not on the list, but there's no reason for him not to be a responsible adult, so he can come with Backup.

[witchfinder_general]

"Who is your friend?" Father Harman asks.

[fry_sandhu]

"This is Backup." Fry says. "Because you're not on my safe person list but you're not on my suspicious list."

Beat.

"Can I ask you a question about God?"

[witchfinder_general]

"Of course you can," Father Harman says. "You're safe as you've brought backup."

[fry_sandhu]

"I'm joining the Beaver Scouts and the promise says we have to love God." Fry says. "But I haven't decided what religion I am yet. If I promise that and I don't follow a religion later will God be cross?"

[witchfinder_general]

"No," Father Harman says. "God made people not in order to worship him, but so that people can be good to each other. It's much more important that you're good to other people than to formally follow a religion. Follow a religion if you have the need to think about God more or to feel a connection to all creation. No because anybody tells you to."

[equal_of_any_man]

Olivier approaches him, a basket of herbs hung from his arm. He was absent from service this morning, the first time in some time. "Father, forgive me my intrusion. May I speak with you?"

[witchfinder_general]

"Of course," Father Harman says, stopping on the path. "It's not intrusion, Olivier. Never that."

[equal_of_any_man]

"I hope you will forgive me missing service this morning. I didn't want to leave Brother Athelstan. He was... unwell."

[witchfinder_general]

"I saw," Father Harman says. "I talked to him last night. His Vikings got him drunk far beyond his capacity."

[equal_of_any_man]

"Indeed, and is this morning feeling the aftermath of such drink for the first time." He ducks his head, remembering his own history with strong wine. "He is deeply troubled that things tricked out of him in his cups might be used to hurt others. I hoped that you might talk to him, perhaps help him to understand that the fault is not his."

[witchfinder_general]

"He was tricked," Father Harman nods. "Yes, I will find him when I can. He needs our support -- I'm glad he has both you and me here. He actually told me he was going to find you, last night."

[equal_of_any_man]

"As I am. I believe he fears losing his way, lost in a foreign land away from his own people."

He ducks his head in a nod. "We share lodgings in the roof of the bar, my workshop. He is a good friend and I am glad of his company. I made sure he drank plenty of water and we prayed together till he slept."

[witchfinder_general]

"He needs to learn their culture, I suspect," Father Harman says. "Which often will involve culture shock at some point. Mine is a missionary order, so we're prepared for it, but it still hits us all. We will both do our best to help him through it with our experience. In the end, the Vikings will convert, as you know as well as I; and it's got to start somewhere."