at the mention of his presence the man in the seat across from her lowers his book and fixes the padre with an appraising stare, “I’ve heard such stories, about lost spirits, mutants and even the walking dead.” The girl plunges on ignoring the disapproving look, “I am so glad we have you here, Father, a holy man such as yourself must have experience of such things?” She turns to him hopefully, biting her lip slightly in anticipation of being told something bizarre or shocking.
“Indeed, miss, indeed,” the preacher answers widening the gap between the two of them on the seat, until her chaperone seems satisfied and returns to his book.
“I am relatively new to my post but already I have seen many disturbing things in my work, ministering to those poor souls who must live on the fringes of the desert.”
“I am sure that they are too upsetting to be related in Christian company.” The girl barely conceals her hope that the preacher will take the hint and strain the bounds of propriety.
The preacher, for his own part, spares one more look for the older man reading on the seat opposite and then elects to draw a veil over his exploits, partially because they might be considered too upsetting for a young lady but mostly because they might seem far less extensive if examined closer.
“Indeed, I would not burden you with such things but rest assured that you need not worry so, no harm can come to one who has not invited it through impure deed. An innocent such as yourself need fear no harm from such things, particularly while travelling on the train; none of Satan’s creatures would dare to venture so close to the Western line, nor lay hands on anyone free of sin.”
“And is any one of us free of sin, padre?” The silver haired man in the corner, who up until that point has been the quietest person in the compartment asks.
“Why whatever do you mean, my son? Surely you are not saying you think this fine lady…”
“Caroline.” The girl supplies her eyes twinkling at the thought of some sort of altercation between the clean-cut preacher and the dusty desert man. The very look of him in his long jacket with his bleached hair and sun-hardened features makes her think of all sorts of legends and terrible stories. Bobby had said she would see little excitement on her first journey out of Silver Springs. The great lake there made the land around it almost as green as the territories and farms that ran the length of the Blue Snake; Bobby had said that she’d never stand the heat of the real desert and that, even if she could, it was nothing like the stories. The man on the other side of the carriage looked like he had stepped out of one of those stories, she wouldn’t even be surprised to find out that he had ignored the injunction on weapons aboard the train and smuggled a gun beneath his oversized coat, past the arms lockers.
“You are not implying that my Lady Caroline, is not innocent? That she is somehow sullied and touched by sin?” The preacher asks, outraged.
“I repeat, which of us is not?” The white haired man answers calmly.
Caroline tenses, she liked the young preacher a lot and might even have been tempted to take him up on his suggestion that they pray together before turning in for the night, but if the wild man killed him in front of her, that would really be an adventure to tell Bobby about.
“I have ministered to enough sinners to know an innocent when I encounter one, sir and they should not have to fear Satan’s minions as we sinners should. God defends the righteous.”
“If you believe you see clearly, as only God may, then your foremost sin is pride.”
“How dare you? First you insult this girl not once but twice, now you think to chastise me! Is your own pride so overweening that you think you can preach to an ordained Minister of the Lord?”
“No, I only wished disabuse you of the idea that you will be made safe by a pure heart. Even if such a thing
“Indeed, miss, indeed,” the preacher answers widening the gap between the two of them on the seat, until her chaperone seems satisfied and returns to his book.
“I am relatively new to my post but already I have seen many disturbing things in my work, ministering to those poor souls who must live on the fringes of the desert.”
“I am sure that they are too upsetting to be related in Christian company.” The girl barely conceals her hope that the preacher will take the hint and strain the bounds of propriety.
The preacher, for his own part, spares one more look for the older man reading on the seat opposite and then elects to draw a veil over his exploits, partially because they might be considered too upsetting for a young lady but mostly because they might seem far less extensive if examined closer.
“Indeed, I would not burden you with such things but rest assured that you need not worry so, no harm can come to one who has not invited it through impure deed. An innocent such as yourself need fear no harm from such things, particularly while travelling on the train; none of Satan’s creatures would dare to venture so close to the Western line, nor lay hands on anyone free of sin.”
“And is any one of us free of sin, padre?” The silver haired man in the corner, who up until that point has been the quietest person in the compartment asks.
“Why whatever do you mean, my son? Surely you are not saying you think this fine lady…”
“Caroline.” The girl supplies her eyes twinkling at the thought of some sort of altercation between the clean-cut preacher and the dusty desert man. The very look of him in his long jacket with his bleached hair and sun-hardened features makes her think of all sorts of legends and terrible stories. Bobby had said she would see little excitement on her first journey out of Silver Springs. The great lake there made the land around it almost as green as the territories and farms that ran the length of the Blue Snake; Bobby had said that she’d never stand the heat of the real desert and that, even if she could, it was nothing like the stories. The man on the other side of the carriage looked like he had stepped out of one of those stories, she wouldn’t even be surprised to find out that he had ignored the injunction on weapons aboard the train and smuggled a gun beneath his oversized coat, past the arms lockers.
“You are not implying that my Lady Caroline, is not innocent? That she is somehow sullied and touched by sin?” The preacher asks, outraged.
“I repeat, which of us is not?” The white haired man answers calmly.
Caroline tenses, she liked the young preacher a lot and might even have been tempted to take him up on his suggestion that they pray together before turning in for the night, but if the wild man killed him in front of her, that would really be an adventure to tell Bobby about.
“I have ministered to enough sinners to know an innocent when I encounter one, sir and they should not have to fear Satan’s minions as we sinners should. God defends the righteous.”
“If you believe you see clearly, as only God may, then your foremost sin is pride.”
“How dare you? First you insult this girl not once but twice, now you think to chastise me! Is your own pride so overweening that you think you can preach to an ordained Minister of the Lord?”
“No, I only wished disabuse you of the idea that you will be made safe by a pure heart. Even if such a thing
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