18370409 11:43:06

18370409 11:43:06

(Note: Date and previous header of "18370410 12:06:19" has been revised to "18370409 11:18:19")

The amount of force that he put into his steps as he paced back and forth in the room was great enough to cause the floor to visibly bend. This spectacle combined with the audible yet indecipherable mumbling that came from the Reverend's mouth was enough to make his wife hesitate to speak up, despite her growing increasingly concerned for her husband's well being. After several minutes of watching the man pace from one wall to the other, she couldn't help herself to stay quiet any longer and felt forced to interject.

"Love, what was so terrible about what had happened there? Didn't they-"

"What was so terrible?" Reverend Tarro spun on his heels and leaned his body in to shout the counter question with such force that it caused her to reflexively raise her arms upward in defense. "What! How about everything! Everything was terrible about that! They made a damned fool out of me there, did you not see that? Did you not hear that? Those infernal men, they think they're so righteous and enlightened, those fools, those damned hell bound fools! Damn them! May the Lord damn them and strike them down!"

"A- Alan! Alan! Please, must you be so emotional?"

"Darling, they, th-" He stammered in place and pointed a finger behind him, towards the door to the shack, straining to find the right words to convey his anger without merely screaming out. He finally managed to compose himself and lower his voice before speaking again. "They made a fool out of me out there. That's the main thing that they did. Both of them, and I bet Daron too, I bet you he was in on it. I bet he could have even suggested that display to them! That would make sense, yes, that would explain it all. All of them being snakes like that, yes, yes, I could see it now. Making arrangements out of sight to put me down. But did you hear that man, that Doctor Garr? How he said that to me - about how someone who is a leader should make a choice about that dirt sample or whatever pageantry he did there? Did you hear that? Did you see the look in his face as he asked me that? Oh that snake, that dog, that blasted snake - that smug grin on his face. Did you hear that come from him?"

"No, not like that." In truth, though, she did, but she knew that in times like this it was better to remain as tacit and pliant as she possibly could be and let him roll all the steam and bluster out of him as he can. The high intensity anger seemed to be subsiding, which meant that the brooding and scheming would come from him next.

"Well, one thing's for sure," He paused mid-sentence to turn to her side and let himself fall into the loveseat next to her. He puffed out a long breath as he stretched his feet out over the floor. "I will not ever try to act in confidence with that Daron anymore, absolutely not! Now I know that man cannot be trusted. Never, never. As for those other men, though. Those scientists there. I don't what I can do to deflate them some."

"All you can do is preach the Lord's love and forgiveness, and his will to judge the wicked."

The Reverend nodded silently in initial response, though the nodding motion was undertaken by his entire torso, which effectively made him rock back and forth in his seat. "Well, y'know what darling, you are right about that one too, yes. Here we are on the Sabbath and they made a demonstration about work. That's as clear cut of a violation of God's law as there ever has been. That is it. And everyone witnessed it too. No hearsay there. No room for misinterpretation. Hopefully, all I need to do is point that out to get people to see it the right way."

"Just keep it level, love."

"Keep it- of course! What do you take me for! Pah!" He turned his head away with a wave of his hand. "I'll do it the right way, just you watch. Just remind them that for all their brains, for all their sacred enlightenment, that it wast he Lord who inspired them to begin with. All things through Him. All things. They just need to be gently reminded, in case they got swept up and forgot."

"You'll right their course, love." She turned to kiss him on the forehead with a smile, then promptly sat up to exit to the kitchen and let him brood. She was happy to make the escape.