"Steward Asher may be a bumbler, but there aint no ill intent with him." Jacob walks over and picks up the book, then turns back to Sister Sharon. "Now as for you, I'm still not sure. But the gossip in this town keeps leadin' back to you. You seem to be fixin' to out the Steward, and now it seems you've been associatin' with demons. It doesn't look too good fer you, miss. But I'm gonna hear you out. Why don't you start with where you found those 'men', and how you got all them marks up on ya?"
"I-..." Sister Sharon looks to Peter Anderson, who looks equally worried. "I jus' been helpin' out, is all. I know a woman ain't 'sposed to be doin' a man's work, but we need help around this here Branch! I can do the work of a man!"
And Peter Anderson winces.
"Them fellahs... they just said they'd help. Hardly even noticed 'em, really. I swear, none of us knew!"
A woman from the crowd speaks up. "But they helped! They helped us! They can't be bad - they agreed that Steward Asher ain't no good, an' that Sister Sharon here'd be a great leader!"
Sharon Burns throws her a glare. "I think you mean Brother Peter'd be a great leader. We jus' playin' council, here, Sister Patience."
Jacob takes a seat.
"I think what y'all don't realize is that Steward Asher is a man. He is a man who is doin' more than one man can do on his own. Was it truly his fault that things have gone this bad? Or was it your own selves that you have failed? You let yourselves blame him. Hate him. Resent him. And in so doin', you became blinded to demons in your midst.
Did any of you even think to try and help him rather than attempt to wrestle away the responsibility?
He stares grimly at Sharon.
"If you want power Sister Sharon, I'd suggest looking for it in God. Not work."
Jacob silently looks down at the book of life he picked up, and opens it.
Caleb glances between William Lemon, and Major Jeffries, then nods his agreement as Steward Asher speaks up.
"Our Brother is wounded, we need to find out how badly," he tells Lemon calmly. His eyes rest on Jeffries' gun, though as Lemon seems to be keeping the Major in check, he turns back to the Steward. "Anyone that can help, call 'em forward, Steward. Let's pr'pare a place to clean his wounds." Caleb then raises his left hand - bitten by Tom Blue - and nods towards it. "An' then when Brother Eleazer's fixed up, we can take a look at mine." Those teeth marks aren't from any human, and he makes sure his hand is where both Lemon and Jeffries can see it.
Conviently, Lemon and Jeffries hush up, and the Major casts a cold glare before heading back to his bed.
Lemon folds his arms, inspecting the wounded mountain man before him. "He will receive treatment, and you will all leave by the end of the week. Our fort can stand no more punishment than what the harsh weather already permits." A deep breath, and he continues: "Please make this easy on both of us. I do not wish to fight, but I have superior numbers on my side and we will place you under arrest if need be. Please, Watchdogs. Tend to your business and leave."
Steward Asher comes forth from the crowd, shivering and wide-eyed. The crowd behind him yells out, "Don't let 'im touch the Dog! Lord knows what trouble he'll bring!" And also, "Someone get a REAL sawbones and fast!"
Asher ignores them and gingerly touches the mountain man's wound. "I'm thinkin' it's just taken the wind out of 'im. Tough as nails, y'all are. I say let 'im rest, preach to 'im-" he cuts his eyes to the traitorous crowd in frustration, then looks back, "Water 'n broth. An' rest, see if he don't feel a might more sprightly." He coughs, and wipes his eyes. "Ain't no doctor, mind you, but I treated my fair share o' hurtin's."
From the crowd, a woman slips past and into the schoolhouse.
- - -
Peter Anderson gets to ranting and raving: "He's a menace! He ain't fit to be a leader, Brother Jacob! Every damn thing he touches turns to dirt 'n hellfire! An' 'scuse me for cussin'!" Going red in the face, he looks to Sister Sharon. "She done did more help than you'll know!"
The door swings open, wide, and there stands Peter's wife, Tamar. Her eyes are bloodshot, her face wet.
"Peter. Come home."
He looks at her, slumped against the doorframe.
"Tamar! Not now! You know what a problem that Steward is, and this... this... man here says we should help him bring us to ruin!"
Sister Sharon takes a step forward, and the rest of her group rise up.
"We are over half the Branch," she says. "We know what is right. We welcome your help, but we will not tolerate ignorance. Steward Asher will be the death of this Branch. I, the healing rain."
From the crowd: "Praise be!"
"I act as advisor to Brother Anderson. He tends to the Stewardship proper. I am just and fair, I break no divine laws, and want only to heal that which has been wronged. Will you honestly stand before me - before us? - and say to watch as our Branch fades to ash?"
Tamar: "Peter..."
"Brother Jacob, you are blinded! Please, please! See what we see!" She is pleading with him, and rests a hand on his, the same hand flipping through the Book of Life. "Follow your heart, and go with what's right!"
"Hmph. You and Steward Asher are more alike than ya might think. Both tryin' to do the right thing. And both going about it in the wrong way."
Jacob closes the book and stands up.
"Asher is a Steward; he is sanctioned. You ma'am, are not. It's my prerogative as a Dog to decide whether or not he needs to step down, not yours.
If you insist on continuin' down this path, I can assure you one thing. It will not be sanctioned by myself, the Church, or God."
Posts
"I-..." Sister Sharon looks to Peter Anderson, who looks equally worried. "I jus' been helpin' out, is all. I know a woman ain't 'sposed to be doin' a man's work, but we need help around this here Branch! I can do the work of a man!"
And Peter Anderson winces.
"Them fellahs... they just said they'd help. Hardly even noticed 'em, really. I swear, none of us knew!"
A woman from the crowd speaks up. "But they helped! They helped us! They can't be bad - they agreed that Steward Asher ain't no good, an' that Sister Sharon here'd be a great leader!"
Sharon Burns throws her a glare. "I think you mean Brother Peter'd be a great leader. We jus' playin' council, here, Sister Patience."
"I think what y'all don't realize is that Steward Asher is a man. He is a man who is doin' more than one man can do on his own. Was it truly his fault that things have gone this bad? Or was it your own selves that you have failed? You let yourselves blame him. Hate him. Resent him. And in so doin', you became blinded to demons in your midst.
Did any of you even think to try and help him rather than attempt to wrestle away the responsibility?
He stares grimly at Sharon.
"If you want power Sister Sharon, I'd suggest looking for it in God. Not work."
Jacob silently looks down at the book of life he picked up, and opens it.
"Our Brother is wounded, we need to find out how badly," he tells Lemon calmly. His eyes rest on Jeffries' gun, though as Lemon seems to be keeping the Major in check, he turns back to the Steward. "Anyone that can help, call 'em forward, Steward. Let's pr'pare a place to clean his wounds." Caleb then raises his left hand - bitten by Tom Blue - and nods towards it. "An' then when Brother Eleazer's fixed up, we can take a look at mine." Those teeth marks aren't from any human, and he makes sure his hand is where both Lemon and Jeffries can see it.
Lemon folds his arms, inspecting the wounded mountain man before him. "He will receive treatment, and you will all leave by the end of the week. Our fort can stand no more punishment than what the harsh weather already permits." A deep breath, and he continues: "Please make this easy on both of us. I do not wish to fight, but I have superior numbers on my side and we will place you under arrest if need be. Please, Watchdogs. Tend to your business and leave."
Steward Asher comes forth from the crowd, shivering and wide-eyed. The crowd behind him yells out, "Don't let 'im touch the Dog! Lord knows what trouble he'll bring!" And also, "Someone get a REAL sawbones and fast!"
Asher ignores them and gingerly touches the mountain man's wound. "I'm thinkin' it's just taken the wind out of 'im. Tough as nails, y'all are. I say let 'im rest, preach to 'im-" he cuts his eyes to the traitorous crowd in frustration, then looks back, "Water 'n broth. An' rest, see if he don't feel a might more sprightly." He coughs, and wipes his eyes. "Ain't no doctor, mind you, but I treated my fair share o' hurtin's."
From the crowd, a woman slips past and into the schoolhouse.
Peter Anderson gets to ranting and raving: "He's a menace! He ain't fit to be a leader, Brother Jacob! Every damn thing he touches turns to dirt 'n hellfire! An' 'scuse me for cussin'!" Going red in the face, he looks to Sister Sharon. "She done did more help than you'll know!"
The door swings open, wide, and there stands Peter's wife, Tamar. Her eyes are bloodshot, her face wet.
"Peter. Come home."
He looks at her, slumped against the doorframe.
"Tamar! Not now! You know what a problem that Steward is, and this... this... man here says we should help him bring us to ruin!"
Sister Sharon takes a step forward, and the rest of her group rise up.
"We are over half the Branch," she says. "We know what is right. We welcome your help, but we will not tolerate ignorance. Steward Asher will be the death of this Branch. I, the healing rain."
From the crowd: "Praise be!"
"I act as advisor to Brother Anderson. He tends to the Stewardship proper. I am just and fair, I break no divine laws, and want only to heal that which has been wronged. Will you honestly stand before me - before us? - and say to watch as our Branch fades to ash?"
Tamar: "Peter..."
"Brother Jacob, you are blinded! Please, please! See what we see!" She is pleading with him, and rests a hand on his, the same hand flipping through the Book of Life. "Follow your heart, and go with what's right!"
Peter applauds, turning his back to Tamar.
Jacob closes the book and stands up.
"Asher is a Steward; he is sanctioned. You ma'am, are not. It's my prerogative as a Dog to decide whether or not he needs to step down, not yours.
If you insist on continuin' down this path, I can assure you one thing. It will not be sanctioned by myself, the Church, or God."