The Righteous Way

Chapter 14

“It seems something spooked them,” said the priest as he climbed down from the wagon, “I thank you for your help,”

“You’re welcome,”

“What is your name sir?”

“I am Alex of the Tolbert family,”

“Tolbert ? I’m not familiar,”

“We are of Korryn,”

“Ah, I have never been to that kingdom, though its knights are boasted of in many places. Where are you headed?”

“To Doranth,”

“Ah, I as well, to deliver these tithes to the storehouses there,”

“Alex ! Are you mad!” James shouted as he and Scarlett ran to meet him while carrying his belongings,

“Are you alright!?” Scarlett asked,

“I’m well,”

“My how rude I am,” said the priest, “My name is Michael,”

“James ,” said James , “And this is Scarlett.”

“And what brings three travelers out this way?”

“We are a simple group looking for work in exchange for food and shelter,”

“Ah, you should have plenty of work in Doranth. The church is always looking for volunteers,”

“Then perhaps we shall see you there,” Alex said while he again strapped his shield to his back,

“Well perhaps I could convince you to ride along with me? I hear tales of bandits and highwaymen attacking my fellow brothers for the tithes they transport, a trio such of yourself might help discourage them.”

James looked at Alex , “I say we take it, get off our feet for a while.” Alex nodded.

James and Scarlett climbed in the back of the wagon with the large sacks of harvested grains and seed. Alex handed them his gear and then climbed up front. Michael followed and allowed Alex to take the reins. He motioned for the horses to move forward and they began to follow the road.

“I notice you call yourself Michael, not Father?”

“Though I am a priest I prefer people know me by name and not by title, I believe it promotes equality and lets the people know I am not above them,”

“You are a kind man Father Michael, but what does the rest of the clergy think about it?”

“They frown upon me, they tell me I am responsible for the souls under my reach and so am above them, but I don’t believe so. Every man is responsible for his own fate, my only responsibility is to do and say what the Lord would have me when it needs to be said or done, so long as I hold to that I have no guilt for the souls of lost or unhearing men,”

“The deaf have no place?” James asked slightly confused,

“Unhearing to the words of God,” Michael specified, “In other words those whose hearts are hardened against his word and refuse his grace which he openly gives,”

“Ah, I see,”

“You’ll have to forgive James ,” Scarlett said, “He’s one of those men,”

“I am not,” James said, “I do not dimiss your belief, I have too many questions,”

“Well by all means,” said Michael, “Ask away,”

“Why would God create us only to put us here to die?”

“Death is only the end of this mortality, we live and he tests us with temptations to see if we are worthy of his presence after death,”

“So mortality is his crucible for us? Just a big test?”

“It is,”

“But why not create us perfectly? If we are his children, then why aren’t we all perfect and live with him continually?”

“Because we would learn nothing, through experience is true knowledge gained, just as you can’t teach a man to swordfight with illustration alone; he learns nothing until it is applied by his own hand.”

“But why doesn’t he walk among us? Teach us while we live this life?”

“We must find faith, faith is the key to serving and loving our God,”

“But--”

“Are you really trying to argue with a holy man?” Scarlett asked,

“No, I simply wonder why everyone follows such teachings so blindly?”

“It’s not blindness that guides us, but our search for knowledge of his divine plan,” Michael continued to answer,

“You may believe what you believe priest, but I still cannot believe that which I cannot behold,”

“Even as you join us in thanksgiving each meal you doubt?” Scarlett asked,

“I do that out of respect for the two of you, I understand how important your beliefs are,”

“And just when I think you’re making progress,”

“What do you believe in James ?” Michael asked,

“I believe in mathematics, life is a bundle of equations that fit perfectly together and generate odds of eventuality, each equation is then added upon with every breath of wind, seed planted and footstep taken, thusly what would seem like a chance encounter is actually a string of equations that equaled that event,”

“That is a very educated theory, but who’s to say that the Lord isn’t the grand mathematician who designs those equations?”

“That could be said, but I then come back to why not make them perfect? Eliminating what would considered bad luck? Such as a bear chancing upon a young woman in a forest as she picks berries, or a stray arrow striking a child’s heart in a battle?”

“But wouldn’t tampering with such equations defeat the purpose of employing them initially?”

“Yet you say he tampers with them all the time, giving us miracles or seemingly impossible feats that defy the math,”

“His power is omnipotent and he will do as he will, whether it be for mercy sake or designs which we know not, however I do believe with our faith in him he will alter those equations for our benefit while keeping true to their divine purposes,”

James sat pondering over the words, but eventually shook his head. Scarlett gave a sigh and Alex smiled. Alex then halted the wagon as a mob blocked the road. “What is the meaning of this?” Michael asked,

“We’ve come for what is ours,” shouted one of the men,

“This wagon carries tithes of the Church, you have no ownership over these donations,”

“Donations?” scoffed another, “More like taxation, our seed stores are bare, destroyed or stolen by bandits yet the church denies us of its stores which are plentiful enough for all,”

“This grain must be handled by the authorities of the Church before it can be distributed, otherwise the donors shall go unheeded, but I’m sure if you ask for requisition--”

“We already have, the Church ignores our cries, the cries of our hungry children and elderly,”

“I’m sure you are not ignored, we receive many requisitions from the needy--”

“We will hear none of it priest. Give us the wagon, or we take it by force!”

“You would dare injure a man acting in the name of God!?” Alex stood and held out his hand for James to pass him his shield,

Michael then stood and put his hand on Alex ’s shoulder to calm him down, “Turn back and we shall plead your case in order to return back with sufficient seed for your fields,”

“We’ve heard enough of the Church’s lies. Take the wagon!”

Alex grabbed Michael pulling him down to the seat and whipped the reigns. The horses turned off the path and raced around the mob. They tossed rocks at the wagon and horses, but mostly missed as it sped forth.

When they arrived at Doranth it was dark and only the moon was illuminating the cobblestone path. Michael took them to the storehouse with him and they all began to unload the grain while it was recorded into the storehouses records.

“They do have a lot of grain here,” James said looking over the almost full storehouses,

“No James ,” Alex warned, “this is property of the Church and we will not touch it without explicit permissions,”

“Don’t worry,” Michael said, “I’ll make sure those people receive some charity, where do you plan to stay tonight?”

“We usually find an inn and work for our beds,”

“Well your work here has certainly earned you a couple of rooms,”

“We prefer three rooms, one for each,” Scarlett said,

“Oh, my apologies I thought you two were married,” he motioned at her and James ,

“What!?” James laughed, “Why would I marry a wench like her?”

“Better than I marrying a fool like you!”

Alex laughed, “Don’t mind them Michael, they may not be married, but even I would be misled amidst their bickering,”

“Well I’ll give you a voucher for three rooms at the local inn, the Church always has a few to give out,”

“Thank you, but we prefer the inn not lose its business for our sakes,”

“Not a problem, these vouchers are pre-bought and paid in full,”

“Then we thank you,”

“I should be thanking you, your services today have been very helpful in forwarding the work of divinity.”

Michael and Alex shook hands before parting. “See James ,” Scarlett said, “Not all men of the Church are corrupt, some are looking to serve for the sake of goodwill,”

“A few good apples among a batch of rotten ones doesn’t mean the batch was successful,”

“But one good apple taken from a bunch of rotten ones could still save a hungry life,” Alex countered,

“Let’s just get to bed, I’m tired of thinking on matters of religion.” The three handed their vouchers to the innkeeper, ate a quick meal and retired for the night.

When morning came, they were all up and ready for the day.

“Looking for work you say?” asked the local bishop as they entered his office.

“Yes sir, we would like to offer our services for some food,” Alex confirmed,

“Well you may go ahead and work in the fields, just follow the others and they’ll show you what to do,”

“Thank you.”

The three followed a line of workers who took them to the fields outside the city. The trio toiled all day tilling and preparing the soil for the future planting sweating against the bright sun. When they were done they were burnt and exhausted. They returned to the city. “We’ve come for our food,” Alex said as he stepped into the office.

“We do not give out food to volunteers,” scoffed the bishop, “you simply toiled our fields for the blessings of God,”

“No,” said James , “We made it clear that we work for payment, that payment being rations for our journeys,”

“And I made no indication that such payment would take place, I simply said you may work the fields if you wished,”

“Alex ?” Scarlett glanced at him,

“Who are we to argue with a man of God,” he said, but with a dark tone that made Scarlett and James shudder uncomfortably. “Then you are dismissed,” said the bishop.

“That cur!” James slammed his fist on a stone wall as they walked the streets. “I’ve blistered hands and sore feet for what!? So a smug old man can make a fool of us!”

“Alex , we should just take what is owed,” Scarlett suggested,

“No, we have no legal right to rob them of their stores,”

“Would you stop being so calm about this!?” James shouted at him, “Get angry! Punch something! All the day wasted for nothing!”

“Oh good!” Suddenly Michael was nearby running towards them, “I feared you had left,”

“Get away from us!” James turned and put up his fists, “I am in no mood!”

“I-- apologize, what have I done to offend you?”

James looked at Michael’s earnest face and took a deep breath lowering his hands, “I’m sorry, you don’t deserve my rebuking,”

“We’ve just been with the bishop, he has denied us the food we’d toiled for all day,” Scarlett informed,

“I’m sure,” Michael agreed, “I tried to plead the case of those farmers, but he wouldn’t have it, I asked why and he said we simply have no stores to spare,”

“But the stores are mostly full,” said James ,

“I know, I decided to do my own investigating and found that some of the clergy have been selling the surplus seed to fatten their own wallets,”

“Wallets they shouldn’t even have,” said Alex ,

“Will you now reconsider siphoning some food?” James asked,

“No,”

“Well if you would like to help me, I’ll give you nourishment,” Michael said,

“Doing what?”

“Repurposing some bags of grain for those farmers,”

“But won’t they notice they’re short? Then condemn the donors?”

“No, when their recorded there’s no way to tell which bags came from which farms once their tossed on the pile, we simply take a few bags from multiple stores and sneak them out,”

“I cannot have a hand in criminal activities, I have no authority to remove anything without the owner’s permission” Alex said,

“And I cannot stand by and proclaim to be a man of our Lord while allowing such corruption to starve honest families,”

“Alex ,” James said pulling his friend aside, “Who owns these stores?”

“The Church,”

“And who owns the Church?”

“No man owns the Church, but the clergy runs it,”

“No, who owns the Church if not the Lord?”

“But of course, He owns it,”

“Then who owns the stores if not the owner of the Church to which they belong?”

“Then obviously, He owns the stores,”

“And what does He teach?”

“That if we ask then we will recieve,” Michael answered, “For he giveth to all men liberally and with not upbraid us,”

James gave Michael a smirk, “And have those farmers not asked? Have their prayers been in vain in asking for their Lord to provide for them though they toil hard and give their tithes faithfully? If these are His stores, then why wouldn’t He give of them freely to those who have shown their faith in him and are in his care?”