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fellowshippers2006-03-11 01:51 am
v-angelique.livejournal.com) wrote in fellowshippers2006-03-11 01:51 am
Brethren, Chapter Seven
Title: Bretheren
Author: Viktoria Angelique
Email: viktoria_angelique@hotmail.com
Pairing: DM/VM, perhaps others
Rating: up to NC-17, this part PG
Beta:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
saura_
Disclaimer: If this is real then I must be really confused.
Summary: Two meetings with Viggo.
AN: Again sorry for the two weeks between chapters, but this one needed a lot of reworking and such. Also, if you're wondering, the psalm Viggo reads in this part is Psalm 4, King James Version.
Previous Chapters
“Dominic. Please come in,” Viggo invited, not looking up from his work. He was shuffling through what looked like a stack of records on his little-used desk. Dominic trudged in the room quickly, hands in his pockets, not daring to look up as he lowered himself into a wooden chair facing the desk. “You know why I called you in here, do you not?” Viggo continued, keeping his own eyes lowered as he replaced the records in a wooden box with a rusted gold latch.
“Yes, sir. I… an apology is in order, I assume. I’m dreadfully sorry, sir, and it won’t happen again,” Dominic mumbled, his fingers fidgeting nervously in his lap. “I… I’ve enjoyed my time in the community thus far, and I wouldn’t deign to mar it with my inadequacies…” Dom paused for a moment when he heard Viggo clear his throat, and looked up cautiously, surprised to find the other man smiling at him from across the desk.
“Dominic. I didn’t know you were so well spoken,” Viggo teased, his smile genuine. Dominic couldn’t help but smile in return, despite his fears, and scratched the back of his head with a shrug.
“I… my mum taught me, you know. To stay out of trouble. High German and the Queen’s English, they come in handy sometimes.”
Viggo smiled and nodded, pushing the wooden box aside to lean forward, elbows on the desk and his chin in his hands in a very casual posture. “You needn’t use such speeches here, Dominic. There is no need to impress me, for you already have.”
Dominic started, and gave Viggo a questioning look. “Sir?”
“Your candour, Dominic,” Viggo began without dropping the amused smile, “and your ability to think on your feet, not to mention your respect for authority and clear desire to listen to and understand others’, has impressed me since you arrived here. You needn’t be frightened of me, for I imagine this little indiscretion has very little to do with you personally.” Viggo smiled warmly, and Dominic wondered how many times Elijah had committed such an offence.
“Oh, well… thank you, sir. Thank you very much.”
“Viggo.”
“Sir?”
“No, call me Viggo.”
“Oh, right. Viggo.” Viggo smiled and Dominic expected to be dismissed, but Viggo’s eyes were patient, as if waiting for Dominic to make the next move.
“Um… Viggo?”
“Yes?”
“Well I was just wondering. Billy, you’ve met him before?” Viggo sighed and sat back a bit, folding his hands in front of him and appearing to contemplate the dirty fingernails.
“I have. A number of times.”
“He… well he obviously doesn’t think much of the Indians, but you and Elijah…”
“Elijah and I have had personal experience with the natives here. Billy, regrettably, has not. Though he was mentioned in the formal proceedings as a party to the last offence Elijah was charged with, his cabin was little more than a convenient place in the woods behind which to hide. I’m afraid William Boyd could quite benefit from more one-on-one interaction with the people he lives in such close proximity to.”
“And this offence? I mean… what did Elijah do, exactly? With the Indian?” Dominic could have sworn he saw Viggo’s eyes sparkle a bit at the question, but his expression was quickly checked, his clasped hands tightening as he responded in a coldly formal tone.
“Elijah was charged with lewd and unseemly acts, Dominic. Sean dealt with the manner, and Elijah was duly punished. That is all you need know about your friend’s behaviour.”
There were a million more questions, but Dominic sensed the time for parlay was up, and he rose slowly from his seat. “Viggo?” he asked once more as he stood in the doorway again.
“Yes?”
“If I wanted to ride again, well… do you think you could find a way to teach me? You know, as an official thing? It might come in handy, my being able to ride horses? Maybe I could come on one of your missions?” Viggo smiled and nodded, for though the mission members were generally of the married choir, there were certain missions that he had in mind for Dominic, missions that would not meet the general approval of the community but that were nonetheless vital. Dominic, a new citizen of good behaviour who was essentially left entirely Viggo’s charge, could easily slip under the radar and be quite an asset.
“Yes, Dominic. I would be happy to give you another lesson, at more respectable hours. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“Okay, um… thanks, Viggo,” he replied, and with a little awkward wave, Dominic was off again, leaving Viggo to shake his head, smile, and return to his work.
Three days later, Viggo was again sitting in his office, going through a few of his favourite psalms in a worn leather-bound copy of the Bible that he kept often by his side, when another young man appeared sheepishly in his doorway.
“Um, hey. We have a session today, yeah?” Viggo looked up with a warm smile and nodded at Elijah, who looked much less confident in front of him than might be expected, shuffling from foot to foot with hands jammed inside woollen jacket pockets. Viggo had seen first hand how cocky and confident Elijah could be with Sean, a man whom most of the young men in the community feared and avoided, but Viggo had an inkling of what was going on there. The relationship between Elijah and Viggo was more one of mutual respect, and so Elijah had a reason to be embarrassed when he did something to compromise this respect.
“Come in, Elijah. Stay awhile,” he joked warmly, gesturing with one hand to the chair facing his desk, which Elijah carefully slung his jacket over the back of before taking a seat. Viggo marked the place in his bible with a short length of ribbon and sat the volume aside, leaning onto his elbows as he addressed the youth. “So, Elijah. How is your labour sentence going?”
Elijah shrugged, his eyes cast downward. “It’s all right, I guess. Just mucking out the stalls and serving meals.”
“You like the horses,” Viggo stated, his tone warm. Elijah nodded but didn’t look up. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Elijah. You know I’m happy to let you use a steed when you…”
“I know,” Elijah broke in, looking up suddenly and confronting Viggo’s gaze with one of startling blue. “I’m sorry, Viggo, I never meant to betray you…” Viggo held up a dirt-stained hand, brushing off the apology with a kind look, but Elijah had obviously been thinking about the incident and didn’t just let it slide. “Vig, I know you’re putting something at stake by allowing me this much independence. I’m not invested in this community, not really, but Dominic has potential, and…”
“Just because you aren’t invested now, it doesn’t mean I’ve given up on you, Elijah,” Viggo interrupted with a serious tone. “You’re an intelligent young man. You can’t be bullied or bribed into religion, but I believe that you will come to some spiritual understanding through your own free will and intelligence, as I myself did a long time ago. I know I may not seem like the banner-carrier for the religious ideals of this community, Elijah, and maybe I am something of an outcast, to be handled carefully,” he paused and smirked, thinking of the times he had gotten this reaction from his elders, ”but I do believe in God’s word. I think through instruction and study on your own, you too will come to that belief in your own way.”
Viggo’s speech was slow and careful, giving Elijah the time to connect with his words, and the younger man nodded, signalling understanding. “I want to try, it’s just that I’m a cynical person. It’s hard to understand, when I find… well, I guess I could be hung for saying this in some places, but to be honest with you I’ve never felt more at harmony with what you would call God than when Dancing Crow was inside me, Viggo.” Elijah paused, as if waiting for the impact of his statement to sink in, but Viggo just nodded, his face completely passive and non-judgemental, letting Elijah continue. “The natives would call it being at one with my own spirit, I guess, but that’s what you mean when you talk about the force of Christ, the Holy Ghost… that’s what Sean means,” he added with a significant look, and Viggo just nodded. “Do you see what I’m saying?”
“Sean is over forty years old, Elijah,” Viggo responded, folding his hands together on the desk and leaning back slightly. “He’s seen a lot in those years, and he has a lot to work out on his own, something that I, and certainly you, cannot help him with. At least not yet. You may have seen something of Sean’s personal struggles in your meetings with him, but it’s his choice to confide in you or not. And given your age and position, I imagine that even if you think you can help him to understand himself, he’s not going to accept your help.” Elijah fidgeted a bit, wanting to speak, but Viggo just shook his head. “I know you think you know the answers, Elijah. And you might. You and I think very similarly, and I don’t necessarily disagree with your concept of religion or spirituality, but Sean sees things differently. He is an ordained minister, and he’s used to looking at the world in a very structured, prescribed way. If he wants to change the rules that he has written for himself, then that is his to decide, and no one else’s. If he chooses your… companionship, only then can you give it to him. I think you know that, Elijah.”
“Maybe, but I’m a stubborn bastard,” Elijah admitted with a smile and a shrug. Viggo looked at Elijah for a moment, not speaking, and then threw his head back, letting out a roar of laughter as he raised his folded hands in the air and cracked his knuckles. When his outburst had finished, he leaned forward again, elbows on the table, and grinned as Elijah stared at him incredulously.
“Elijah, I think I know that as well as anybody,” Viggo pointed out, and Elijah smiled in acquiescence of the fact, picking at a loose thread on the hem of his shirt as he waited for Viggo to continue. “Seriously though, these things aside, Sean and your concerns with him aside, I want you to learn to embrace faith in a way that works for you. Honestly, I love my work, but do you really think I take everything in here at face value?” he asked, thumping on the Bible with his knuckles for emphasis. Elijah raised an eyebrow, but Viggo just smiled. “I’m not saying we can’t learn from Christ’s word, Elijah, but I’m also saying we take in God’s message in the way that best suits us. I find God in the psalms. I also find Him in the look in a woman’s eyes when I first hand her a newborn baby girl, and in the ‘miracle’ healings that come from rich soil and wildflowers. I find Him in the sweat that breaks out on my back and the connection I feel with the animal when I bring a horse up to a run, and yes, Elijah, I have felt Him in the act of making love, be that for better or worse.” He smiled indulgently as Elijah sputtered, his hands fidgeting nervously now as he tried to work out Viggo’s admission in his head.
“But Viggo, you’re not married, you…”
“Every man finds the way that is best for him, Elijah,” Viggo admitted simply, holding his hands out in a gesture of acceptance. “I cannot tell you what is right, but you know how you feel in your head, and more importantly, in your heart. God will lead you to whatever place you need to go, and though I may provide guidance, I cannot get you there on my own. Let me read you something, though. I think this may apply.” Viggo smiled and opened his Bible again, carefully thumbing through the thin pages until he found the passage he was looking for. Elijah gave him a sceptical look, but didn’t speak, allowing Viggo to read what he had chosen with a look of mild interest on his face.
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”
Viggo closed the book quietly when he had finished reading the psalm, and let the silence hang between them, testing its weight before he finally spoke, fixing Elijah with a kind look. “It’s one of my favourites,” he admitted. “O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?” Viggo repeated in a louder tone, as if beseeching Elijah himself. “Resonates, doesn’t it?”
Elijah gulped, catching Viggo’s knowing look, and nodded. “It does.” Too often had Elijah been made familiar with the concept of religion being used to shame him, rather than to uplift, and now he wondered how often Viggo had been on the receiving end of such punishments as well.
“Perhaps that can be your assignment for the next three days, Elijah. I want you to meditate on that psalm, and remember in your prayers to ask God to reveal himself to you in whatever way he prefers. The Lord works in mysterious ways, Elijah, and not everyone finds him on the pulpit or in the pews. But you will find him, none the less.” Viggo smiled, and Elijah returned the gesture nervously, slowly rising from his seat.
“Thank you,” Elijah replied quietly, turning to go.
“Of course. And Elijah?” The young man stopped in the doorway and turned, facing Viggo again. “Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still,” Viggo repeated, smiling once more in a reassuring fashion. “Let your prayers speak truthfully your heart’s desires, and then allow yourself rest. The psalm is about trust, and I fear that is trust—in the Lord, in yourself, and in others—which you most lack. Do not let your thoughts consume you, my friend.”
Elijah gave Viggo a questioning look, but answered the nod Viggo gave him with a sad smile, clearly understanding. Too many times had Elijah let himself naively trust and then been told that his way of thinking was wrong, his values skewed. It would take effort to trust again, to believe in a God that would protect him, in friends that would not shun him, and even in his own beliefs, which were challenged every day, but he was beginning to develop faith. Maybe Viggo was right, and he could come to his own way of understand religion, as Viggo himself had. And if he could do that, well… maybe he’d at least be halfway to helping Sean come around. Smiling to himself, Elijah raised his hand as if to tip an imaginary hat to his superior and then left, leaving Viggo to thumb again through his worn Bible and contemplate his own role in whatever was to come.
Author: Viktoria Angelique
Email: viktoria_angelique@hotmail.com
Pairing: DM/VM, perhaps others
Rating: up to NC-17, this part PG
Beta:
saura_Disclaimer: If this is real then I must be really confused.
Summary: Two meetings with Viggo.
AN: Again sorry for the two weeks between chapters, but this one needed a lot of reworking and such. Also, if you're wondering, the psalm Viggo reads in this part is Psalm 4, King James Version.
Previous Chapters
“Dominic. Please come in,” Viggo invited, not looking up from his work. He was shuffling through what looked like a stack of records on his little-used desk. Dominic trudged in the room quickly, hands in his pockets, not daring to look up as he lowered himself into a wooden chair facing the desk. “You know why I called you in here, do you not?” Viggo continued, keeping his own eyes lowered as he replaced the records in a wooden box with a rusted gold latch.
“Yes, sir. I… an apology is in order, I assume. I’m dreadfully sorry, sir, and it won’t happen again,” Dominic mumbled, his fingers fidgeting nervously in his lap. “I… I’ve enjoyed my time in the community thus far, and I wouldn’t deign to mar it with my inadequacies…” Dom paused for a moment when he heard Viggo clear his throat, and looked up cautiously, surprised to find the other man smiling at him from across the desk.
“Dominic. I didn’t know you were so well spoken,” Viggo teased, his smile genuine. Dominic couldn’t help but smile in return, despite his fears, and scratched the back of his head with a shrug.
“I… my mum taught me, you know. To stay out of trouble. High German and the Queen’s English, they come in handy sometimes.”
Viggo smiled and nodded, pushing the wooden box aside to lean forward, elbows on the desk and his chin in his hands in a very casual posture. “You needn’t use such speeches here, Dominic. There is no need to impress me, for you already have.”
Dominic started, and gave Viggo a questioning look. “Sir?”
“Your candour, Dominic,” Viggo began without dropping the amused smile, “and your ability to think on your feet, not to mention your respect for authority and clear desire to listen to and understand others’, has impressed me since you arrived here. You needn’t be frightened of me, for I imagine this little indiscretion has very little to do with you personally.” Viggo smiled warmly, and Dominic wondered how many times Elijah had committed such an offence.
“Oh, well… thank you, sir. Thank you very much.”
“Viggo.”
“Sir?”
“No, call me Viggo.”
“Oh, right. Viggo.” Viggo smiled and Dominic expected to be dismissed, but Viggo’s eyes were patient, as if waiting for Dominic to make the next move.
“Um… Viggo?”
“Yes?”
“Well I was just wondering. Billy, you’ve met him before?” Viggo sighed and sat back a bit, folding his hands in front of him and appearing to contemplate the dirty fingernails.
“I have. A number of times.”
“He… well he obviously doesn’t think much of the Indians, but you and Elijah…”
“Elijah and I have had personal experience with the natives here. Billy, regrettably, has not. Though he was mentioned in the formal proceedings as a party to the last offence Elijah was charged with, his cabin was little more than a convenient place in the woods behind which to hide. I’m afraid William Boyd could quite benefit from more one-on-one interaction with the people he lives in such close proximity to.”
“And this offence? I mean… what did Elijah do, exactly? With the Indian?” Dominic could have sworn he saw Viggo’s eyes sparkle a bit at the question, but his expression was quickly checked, his clasped hands tightening as he responded in a coldly formal tone.
“Elijah was charged with lewd and unseemly acts, Dominic. Sean dealt with the manner, and Elijah was duly punished. That is all you need know about your friend’s behaviour.”
There were a million more questions, but Dominic sensed the time for parlay was up, and he rose slowly from his seat. “Viggo?” he asked once more as he stood in the doorway again.
“Yes?”
“If I wanted to ride again, well… do you think you could find a way to teach me? You know, as an official thing? It might come in handy, my being able to ride horses? Maybe I could come on one of your missions?” Viggo smiled and nodded, for though the mission members were generally of the married choir, there were certain missions that he had in mind for Dominic, missions that would not meet the general approval of the community but that were nonetheless vital. Dominic, a new citizen of good behaviour who was essentially left entirely Viggo’s charge, could easily slip under the radar and be quite an asset.
“Yes, Dominic. I would be happy to give you another lesson, at more respectable hours. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“Okay, um… thanks, Viggo,” he replied, and with a little awkward wave, Dominic was off again, leaving Viggo to shake his head, smile, and return to his work.
Three days later, Viggo was again sitting in his office, going through a few of his favourite psalms in a worn leather-bound copy of the Bible that he kept often by his side, when another young man appeared sheepishly in his doorway.
“Um, hey. We have a session today, yeah?” Viggo looked up with a warm smile and nodded at Elijah, who looked much less confident in front of him than might be expected, shuffling from foot to foot with hands jammed inside woollen jacket pockets. Viggo had seen first hand how cocky and confident Elijah could be with Sean, a man whom most of the young men in the community feared and avoided, but Viggo had an inkling of what was going on there. The relationship between Elijah and Viggo was more one of mutual respect, and so Elijah had a reason to be embarrassed when he did something to compromise this respect.
“Come in, Elijah. Stay awhile,” he joked warmly, gesturing with one hand to the chair facing his desk, which Elijah carefully slung his jacket over the back of before taking a seat. Viggo marked the place in his bible with a short length of ribbon and sat the volume aside, leaning onto his elbows as he addressed the youth. “So, Elijah. How is your labour sentence going?”
Elijah shrugged, his eyes cast downward. “It’s all right, I guess. Just mucking out the stalls and serving meals.”
“You like the horses,” Viggo stated, his tone warm. Elijah nodded but didn’t look up. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Elijah. You know I’m happy to let you use a steed when you…”
“I know,” Elijah broke in, looking up suddenly and confronting Viggo’s gaze with one of startling blue. “I’m sorry, Viggo, I never meant to betray you…” Viggo held up a dirt-stained hand, brushing off the apology with a kind look, but Elijah had obviously been thinking about the incident and didn’t just let it slide. “Vig, I know you’re putting something at stake by allowing me this much independence. I’m not invested in this community, not really, but Dominic has potential, and…”
“Just because you aren’t invested now, it doesn’t mean I’ve given up on you, Elijah,” Viggo interrupted with a serious tone. “You’re an intelligent young man. You can’t be bullied or bribed into religion, but I believe that you will come to some spiritual understanding through your own free will and intelligence, as I myself did a long time ago. I know I may not seem like the banner-carrier for the religious ideals of this community, Elijah, and maybe I am something of an outcast, to be handled carefully,” he paused and smirked, thinking of the times he had gotten this reaction from his elders, ”but I do believe in God’s word. I think through instruction and study on your own, you too will come to that belief in your own way.”
Viggo’s speech was slow and careful, giving Elijah the time to connect with his words, and the younger man nodded, signalling understanding. “I want to try, it’s just that I’m a cynical person. It’s hard to understand, when I find… well, I guess I could be hung for saying this in some places, but to be honest with you I’ve never felt more at harmony with what you would call God than when Dancing Crow was inside me, Viggo.” Elijah paused, as if waiting for the impact of his statement to sink in, but Viggo just nodded, his face completely passive and non-judgemental, letting Elijah continue. “The natives would call it being at one with my own spirit, I guess, but that’s what you mean when you talk about the force of Christ, the Holy Ghost… that’s what Sean means,” he added with a significant look, and Viggo just nodded. “Do you see what I’m saying?”
“Sean is over forty years old, Elijah,” Viggo responded, folding his hands together on the desk and leaning back slightly. “He’s seen a lot in those years, and he has a lot to work out on his own, something that I, and certainly you, cannot help him with. At least not yet. You may have seen something of Sean’s personal struggles in your meetings with him, but it’s his choice to confide in you or not. And given your age and position, I imagine that even if you think you can help him to understand himself, he’s not going to accept your help.” Elijah fidgeted a bit, wanting to speak, but Viggo just shook his head. “I know you think you know the answers, Elijah. And you might. You and I think very similarly, and I don’t necessarily disagree with your concept of religion or spirituality, but Sean sees things differently. He is an ordained minister, and he’s used to looking at the world in a very structured, prescribed way. If he wants to change the rules that he has written for himself, then that is his to decide, and no one else’s. If he chooses your… companionship, only then can you give it to him. I think you know that, Elijah.”
“Maybe, but I’m a stubborn bastard,” Elijah admitted with a smile and a shrug. Viggo looked at Elijah for a moment, not speaking, and then threw his head back, letting out a roar of laughter as he raised his folded hands in the air and cracked his knuckles. When his outburst had finished, he leaned forward again, elbows on the table, and grinned as Elijah stared at him incredulously.
“Elijah, I think I know that as well as anybody,” Viggo pointed out, and Elijah smiled in acquiescence of the fact, picking at a loose thread on the hem of his shirt as he waited for Viggo to continue. “Seriously though, these things aside, Sean and your concerns with him aside, I want you to learn to embrace faith in a way that works for you. Honestly, I love my work, but do you really think I take everything in here at face value?” he asked, thumping on the Bible with his knuckles for emphasis. Elijah raised an eyebrow, but Viggo just smiled. “I’m not saying we can’t learn from Christ’s word, Elijah, but I’m also saying we take in God’s message in the way that best suits us. I find God in the psalms. I also find Him in the look in a woman’s eyes when I first hand her a newborn baby girl, and in the ‘miracle’ healings that come from rich soil and wildflowers. I find Him in the sweat that breaks out on my back and the connection I feel with the animal when I bring a horse up to a run, and yes, Elijah, I have felt Him in the act of making love, be that for better or worse.” He smiled indulgently as Elijah sputtered, his hands fidgeting nervously now as he tried to work out Viggo’s admission in his head.
“But Viggo, you’re not married, you…”
“Every man finds the way that is best for him, Elijah,” Viggo admitted simply, holding his hands out in a gesture of acceptance. “I cannot tell you what is right, but you know how you feel in your head, and more importantly, in your heart. God will lead you to whatever place you need to go, and though I may provide guidance, I cannot get you there on my own. Let me read you something, though. I think this may apply.” Viggo smiled and opened his Bible again, carefully thumbing through the thin pages until he found the passage he was looking for. Elijah gave him a sceptical look, but didn’t speak, allowing Viggo to read what he had chosen with a look of mild interest on his face.
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”
Viggo closed the book quietly when he had finished reading the psalm, and let the silence hang between them, testing its weight before he finally spoke, fixing Elijah with a kind look. “It’s one of my favourites,” he admitted. “O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?” Viggo repeated in a louder tone, as if beseeching Elijah himself. “Resonates, doesn’t it?”
Elijah gulped, catching Viggo’s knowing look, and nodded. “It does.” Too often had Elijah been made familiar with the concept of religion being used to shame him, rather than to uplift, and now he wondered how often Viggo had been on the receiving end of such punishments as well.
“Perhaps that can be your assignment for the next three days, Elijah. I want you to meditate on that psalm, and remember in your prayers to ask God to reveal himself to you in whatever way he prefers. The Lord works in mysterious ways, Elijah, and not everyone finds him on the pulpit or in the pews. But you will find him, none the less.” Viggo smiled, and Elijah returned the gesture nervously, slowly rising from his seat.
“Thank you,” Elijah replied quietly, turning to go.
“Of course. And Elijah?” The young man stopped in the doorway and turned, facing Viggo again. “Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still,” Viggo repeated, smiling once more in a reassuring fashion. “Let your prayers speak truthfully your heart’s desires, and then allow yourself rest. The psalm is about trust, and I fear that is trust—in the Lord, in yourself, and in others—which you most lack. Do not let your thoughts consume you, my friend.”
Elijah gave Viggo a questioning look, but answered the nod Viggo gave him with a sad smile, clearly understanding. Too many times had Elijah let himself naively trust and then been told that his way of thinking was wrong, his values skewed. It would take effort to trust again, to believe in a God that would protect him, in friends that would not shun him, and even in his own beliefs, which were challenged every day, but he was beginning to develop faith. Maybe Viggo was right, and he could come to his own way of understand religion, as Viggo himself had. And if he could do that, well… maybe he’d at least be halfway to helping Sean come around. Smiling to himself, Elijah raised his hand as if to tip an imaginary hat to his superior and then left, leaving Viggo to thumb again through his worn Bible and contemplate his own role in whatever was to come.
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