Chapter Three: Denial

 ~/*\~ Nomi ~/*\~

Nomi was walking with Kainan, mostly to keep her mother happy. She had felt eyes on her every second. Everyone was watching the company she was keeping, wondering what it meant for them… or for her.

Their walk ended at the Hunting Lodge. The only structure in town as large as the Chieftain's Lodge, Nomi had rarely been inside before. The Hunting Parties all came here to prepare for their hunts, or to feast after a successful day on the game trails.

Kainan pointed out the trophies that lined the Hall. The bears, and bucks, even a few big cats. They were strung up on lines, the hides stuffed with sand and woodchips to hold their position. There were women dusting the trophies, polishing the floors.

The Lodge had tables, long enough for the entire community to gather, and firepits for cooking that were already being stocked with firewood.

"I got that one myself." Kainan beamed, eager to demonstrate his prowess. The bear he pointed to was almost as big as he was. Nomi went over to the trophy, running her fingers through the coarse fur, imagining what it must have been like to fight. "These claws…" She murmured. Each paw was easily the size of her head. "Were you scared?"

"I'm a Godson." Kainan rumbled, as though that answered everything. "Holy blood." He drew a black stone blade, the handle wrapped in leathers. It was polished clean, but she could see the mark in the Bear where he'd struck the blow. It matched his blade exactly. He fought this beast with a knife. Not even the lance, or spear.

Nomi shivered. Seeing the Bear in contrast, knowing he'd killed it almost hand to hand… The power of him was never more apparent.

"Cold?" He asked, and drew one of the furs down to sweep around her shoulders.

"I felt a shudder for a moment." Nomi admitted. The furs were soft, luxuriant. And just for a second, she wondered what it must be like, to wear furs every day, to live like he must surely live. "I think it must be-"

"Kainan!" At that moment, one of the Hunting parties came rushing into the Lodge. Three men, carrying farming tools; and Zerah in the lead. "Kainan! Where's the Chief? We need to show him this, right now!"

Kainan went over, and despite herself, Nomi was curious enough to come closer. The two tools they put on the table were shaped like the same things their own farmers used. Except they were made of some kind of material she had never seen before. It was smooth, and hard, and seemed to shine in the light. A shovel and a plough, the kind that was lashed to horses.

"Farming tools?" Kainan was surprised, rubbing the surface of the shovel gently. "What is this?"

"Metal." A voice graveled.

Nomi turned, and bowed automatically as the Chieftain came in. He barely registered her, eyes locked on the tools. "It's called 'copper'." He said darkly. "Metalworking is not part of our lives here, as we have no ore in our region." He looked up at the Hunting Party. "Where did these come from, Zerah?"

Zerah told their story quickly. "We were searching for new Game Trails further East. We've never pushed past the grasslands, but… well, we decided to explore a bit, see if there was any sign of new animals there. We came across another group. Chief, they weren't like us. They weren't our kin." He gestured at the tools. "Apparently, they were doing some exploring themselves."

"They brought farming tools?" The Chieftain was surprised.

"We think they were testing the grasslands for farming." Zerah said. "We took it upon ourselves to defend our territory."

"Since when are the grasslands part of our territory? We haven't bothered with them in years." The Chieftain wasn't impressed. "Who were they?"

Silence.

"Was anyone hurt?" Kainan demanded. "Did you fools actually kill a bunch of strangers over farm tools? Without even knowing who they are?"

"We had the numbers." Zerah defended. "They saw us coming and ran. Nobody was killed."

"They're from Cain's line in the Land of Exiles." The Chieftain said firmly.

Everyone looked at him, including Kainan. The fathers of Godsons often showed such… prescience.

"Everyone knows the best metalworkers are from the family of Tubal-Cain." The Chieftain added. "But I hadn't thought they were so close to our community here."

"Everyone knows?" His son murmured.

Zerah was still staring at the tools. "It went through the ground like nothing I've ever seen before. It just… peeled back the ground, uprooted every plant… Our farmers, with their hand-tools, would take a whole day to dig a trench like that. This thing did it so quickly."

"If they can make farming tools out of this, then imagine what they could do with weapons." Kainan murmured. "And if they got away, they know our people have these already."

Cold silence.

"Nomi, it's nice to see you again." The Chieftain said without taking his eyes off Zerah. "Go home."

"Yes sir." Nomi turned on her heel and was leaving quickly.

~/*\~

It was an unusual feeling, to be the one who knew something. Her mother would have heard the rumors, of course. The hunting party had carried their prize through the whole community at a run to get to the Hunters Lodge. Everyone knew something had happened, but only Nomi was in the Lodge when they talked about it.

When she got home, Nuria was hovering over their food stores. The herbs were bundled and hanging from the walls, their flour and grains were sealed in earthenware jars; some flatbreads were stacked by the fire to warm; other vegetables in bowls and baskets. "We need meat." Nuria said to Nomi by way of greeting.

Nomi frowned. "We've never needed it before." She reasoned, coming over. "It looks like there's plenty for us."

"Not for us." Nuria shook her head. "If we're to return Kainan's invitation, we have to serve something of quality. He eats at the Chieftain's Table every day. Vegetables and flatbreads won't be good enough for him." She nodded, having made up her mind. "We'll need poultry and salted venison, at the very least."

Nomi was frustrated. She was looking forward to telling her mother something she didn't know, sharing some interesting gossip. But her mother hadn't asked. She didn't even consider the possibility that Nomi would be worth talking to.

"You've never even cooked meat before." Nomi objected. "Father told us not to eat the animals. He said they were beautiful and part of the Creation."

(Author's Note: There is remarkably little information about day-to-day life before the flood. I have inferred what I could, and done my best to speculate on the rest. In the matter of hunting, and diet; the Bible says that Noah and his family were given permission to use animals for food after the Flood was over. There is no direct word on whether or not the 'wicked' were eating meat before the Flood, or before God gave permission. However, the Bible does describe mankind then as having 'thoughts of his heart only bad all the time'. So while I don't wish to make this overly graphic or frightening for anyone, it's clear that the general population of the time weren't held back by any moral limits. There is nothing in the Bible to confirm it, but nothing to refute it, either.)

"Animals are brainless, and delicious." Nuria said crisply. "And don't pretend your problem is with the food I'm serving. You're nervous about having Kainan over for a meal."

"As it happens, I just spent half the day with him." Nomi shot back. "I had to leave when the Hunters returned with their prize."

Nuria froze, eyebrows raising up to her hairline. "You were there? You saw what it was about?"

"I did." Nomi nodded, pleased. "But we'll talk about that later."

"I want to talk about it now-"

"But I have to get supplies. Some poultry and salted venison, I believe." Nomi said, pleased to have the upper hand for once. She headed out towards the marketplace, with her mother giving chase.

~/*\~

Meat was one of the most expensive things to trade for. Nuria kept pace with her, asking for advice on how to prepare such ingredients from the stall-keepers. They were all at the superior position in the Marketplace, closest to the Chieftain's Lodge, or the Hunters. After all, people with Nomi and Nuria's means could rarely afford such goods, and the Hunter's Lodge was the supply for fresh meat. Snaring smaller game was relatively low-risk, and some stall-keepers would set their own traps for rabbits during the night.

Nuria stroked the rabbit furs longingly. They were too thin to be worth much as clothing, but they were soft and lovely. Nomi could see the hunger in her, craving better than what they'd had their whole lives.

Nomi was pleading her case for more meat, when they heard the horns blow. Something was approaching town. Nomi felt her heart give a solid thump. Danger? Her thoughts always assumed danger.

A group of six men strode into town, walking through the Market like they owned it. Six men, led by a Godson. He was the largest man Nomi had ever seen, wearing a cloak of bearskin, colored so black her gaze seemed to fall into him. He wore a headpiece of shining metal, the same material that the farming tools were made of.

Nomi saw his gaze sweep over everyone, and they all looked at the ground instinctively, unwilling to meet his gaze. Nomi felt a word filter into her mind. 'Warlord'. Where she had heard that word, she had no idea. She'd heard of battles being fought before she was born. Violence was nothing new to the world. But this particular being exuded it. He was made to conquer, made to rule.

She suddenly realized how gentle Kainan could be in comparison.

The warlord gazed over the town, his eyes lingering here and there on some of the women, liking what he saw. Nomi felt her breath catch.

There was a nudge from her mother, and Nomi dared to raise her eyes enough to look. Kainan and his father had entered the Marketplace, coming out to meet the Warlord. Kainan was studying him. The Warlord wasn't even carrying a weapon. It was clear he didn't need one, but he opened his hands, spreading them out a bit to show deference. "Good day." The Warlord rumbled, and his voice sent a thrill of horror through everyone that heard it. "I bring you greetings from your brothers in the City of Enoch."

Their own Chieftain bowed respectfully. "The company of friends is always welcome. Come, allow my family to show you the hospitality of our people. We have much to discuss."

The Warlord smiled grandly, and gestured for his people to follow, as they all swaggered into the Chieftain's Lodge. Attendants hurried about, gathering supplies for a feast.

Nomi let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and looked instinctively to her mother. Nuria was watching after the strangers, eyes calculating already. "Well." She said finally. "Something new has been added."

Trading was surprisingly easy after that. The salted meats were usually some of the most expensive foods to trade for, but Nomi let slip that her mother was inviting Kainan to dinner. The stall-keepers were still watching the Chieftain's Lodge with barely restrained curiosity; and Nomi took full advantage, building up some stores.

When the same thing happened with Natu, she understood. They're spreading their stores out as quickly as they can. Because if there's about to be an attack, having too much on hand would just make them a target.

It made her a little sad. We see something new, and immediately think of it as dangerous and evil. And I'm not so sure we're wrong to do so.

"The Warlord scares me." She murmured to her mother.

"Everything scares you." Nuria scoffed. "But in this case-"

A horn blew again. Not from the watchtower. This horn blew from the upper balcony of the Chieftain's Lodge. It was the signal to gather for an announcement.

"My people!" The Chieftain declared grandly once they assembled. "It is a great day for our community. Our brothers to the East have been eager to open trade with us. It's been years since our community has met men from elsewhere, but I assure you, there are great things ahead. There is much we can learn from each other; and they know what we do: That we are always better when we share what we have. To that end, they have agreed to share their knowledge of metalworking with us; and have extended an invitation for some of our people to go with them to the City of Enoch."

Beside him on the balcony, Kainan held up the farming plough. Nomi could hear the farmers reacting in disbelief. The farmers worked day and night to make the soil give up a harvest every year. A farm tool that could slice through roots and thistles easily was worth more to them than anything their Chieftain could offer.

And the farmers make up most of the town. She thought to herself. They'd trade people for that plough alone.

The Chieftain went on, extolling the virtues of living in the City of Enoch, the opportunities that came with having relatives in other communities, and Nomi could tell the deal would go through. One or two fathers were already pushing their daughters forward.

"He's lying." Nomi said softly to her mother. "The Chieftain is lying. I was in the Lodge when Zerah brought in those copper tools. His hunting party took them off some strangers that were working the grassy plains, looking for farmlands. If the City of Enoch is a few days away, then how could their own Chief send us a message before sunset?"

Nuria frowned. "It means something's happened that neither side wanted, so they're pretending it was all 'part of their plan'."

"The people encroaching our territory were never meant to get caught. And they're concealing it by trading our people for their farming tools." Nomi nodded.

Nuria looked around subtly. "Disappear." She told her daughter. "Don't come back until tonight, at least. Don't let anyone see you go."

~/*\~

Getting away from the crowd was relatively simple, with everyone looking up. After that, it was a matter of waiting for the watchmen to be looking in the other direction. Visitors to their community were rare enough that even the watchmen were focused inwards.

The town was built close to the forest, since it provided most of their needs. Nomi reached the treeline without being stopped. After that, it was a question of where to go. The river was a popular spot, but Nomi never went there alone if she could avoid it. That left the Forest itself. Nomi hadn't been there in some years, since her father had died.

Nomi decided to walk until she found a good spot to settle. After an hour following the streams, she heard birds singing. The birds were audible everywhere there were trees, but these birds were different. She'd never heard this warbling song before, and since she had nothing else to do, she followed it. A new breed of bird?

The unique birdsong had echoed through the trees enough that Nomi was walking for a while, when she heard another tune begin. Another bird that she had never heard before. The birds all sang according to their kind, and Nomi was now hearing the song of new birds. One that had never, ever, sung within earshot of her town before. Two new kinds?

She kept following, until she found the nests. The trees were filled with nests of birds, both familiar and unique. All different sizes, all different colors; and each one singing their own tune over each other. Nomi stared up in disbelief at them, wondering how the Town hadn't found these nests before. Some of the larger birds were stuffed and mounted in the Hunter's Lodge. Those that hadn't hunted the huge dangerous animals were proud of the birds. Hitting a bird in flight took impressive skill.

"Impressive, aren't they?"

"YAAH!" Nomi leaped like a startled cat, spinning around to find Shem was right there, with a basket of tubers under one arm, and a water jug under the other. Nomi covered her mouth with her hand, horrified at how distracted she'd been by the birds. She'd come to the forest to hide out for a while. "What are you doing here?!"

"I live here." Shem was surprised by the question. "What are you doing here?"

"You live here?" Nomi was surprised. "In the forest?"

Shem studied her for a long moment, like he was trying to understand what he was looking at, before he finally spoke. "Well, if you don't already know, I suppose you haven't come looking for us." He moved past her, and she followed automatically.

The light through the trees changed, getting brighter, and Nomi could see the clearing… Which went on so much further than she expected. In the middle of the forest, there was an area the size of her town, with the forest making an unbroken circle around it.

And in the middle of this clearing, was the largest structure Nomi had ever seen. It was many times her height, and more than three times as long. Nomi felt her jaw drop, looking at it.

"Welcome to the Ark." Shem said, letting her gaze at it.

~/*\~

The rest of the family were working at the other end of the Ark, so Nomi and Shem were not crowded by them. Even so, Nomi knew they were watching. She could feel Noah's gaze on her, even at that distance. "I get the feeling that they don't trust me."

"We've had people come by to hurl abuse at us before." Shem said plainly. "They're trying to decide if you're curious, or if you're here to make trouble. You're not the first person to act interested just for an invitation. One or two of the younger men came in to see if they could set a torch to our oil lanterns; and burn the whole thing down."

"Why?" Nomi blinked.

"Because it was something they could destroy." Shem said, as though it was obvious. Nomi didn't need to ask for more. She knew it was reason enough.

"I'm frankly amazed anyone would bother to scheme." Nomi offered. "It's an easy place to find. It's not like the thing can move."

Shem gave her an unreadable look. "Not yet, anyway."

Coming closer, she got a proper look at it. The size had been impressive enough that she hadn't looked for details, or even the features of the Ark. The workspace was quite a bit larger than Nomi had anticipated. The Ark was easily more than ten times the length of even the Chieftain's Lodge, where he hosted meetings with the townsfolk, and the thing was still unfinished. Nomi had never seen so many trees felled. There was more material here, ready for use in construction, than the entire community had prepared.

"We could build another dozen flour mills with what you've got on hand right here." She pointed out. "We could build silos, and save harvests. We could build so much more…"

"Nothing that would make a difference."

"Huge food stores? I have to run the gauntlet every day in the markets. With this much material, our community could improve our means quite a bit." She carefully made sure there was little judgment in her voice. Shem was a gentle man, but so was everyone else, until someone annoyed them.

Shem shook his head. "Nothing that would make a difference." He said again. "You see, the point of dispute between my father and the community is not our material stockpiles. That makes people angry, but the division started before that."

Nomi was intrigued. "How?"

"Some years ago, Jehovah God spoke to my father." Shem explained solemnly. "Jehovah declared the world was in ruins, and had to be swept clean."

Nomi felt her heart give a solid beat. "Mother told me that God left us to rule ourselves."

"And apparently, our rule has risked the whole." Shem gestured for her to sit, and she did so. "My great-grandfather, Enoch? He gave a similar prophecy; about punishment for the ungodly."

"I vaguely remember hearing stories about that." Nomi admitted. "Enoch was gone long before I was born, but my father apparently took it to heart. He was scared that the warnings would come true. Just between us, I suspect he only wanted to frighten me into behaving myself."

"If only that's all it took for the world." Shem sighed.

"But why build this Ark? Surely if armies of Angels were coming over, the Chieftain's Lodge would be as solidly built as this structure is? And if it's about saving people, then why do you need something this size? Surely we could build dozens of smaller, hardier buildings, and fit everyone into them."

"The Ark isn't to save the world. It's to survive the end of it." Shem explained. "You see, when my father was given the warning that this world was to be brought to an end, God promised that He would also give protection from it. The animals are innocent; and my father was directed to protect them… From the Flood."

Nomi blinked. "I don't know that word."

Shem took a deep breath and began to explain. "The Story of Creation says that God created an 'expanse of waters' above the Earth. A division, between the waters on the earth, and the waters above. It is from this expanse that the ground and crops and grasses are given water. Jehovah has decreed that the Floodgates of Heaven are to be opened and the waters of the Expanse will fall on the Earth. Enough to cover all the surface of the world. Enough water to drown all living things." He pointed back at the Ark. "The Ark isn't a building. It's a vessel, meant to float on the water, and carry us through until God makes the waters recede again."

(Author's Note: Scriptural evidence suggests that rainfall may not have been a part of the ecosystem before the Flood. Genesis 2:5, 6 says: "No bush of the field was yet on the earth and no vegetation of the field had begun sprouting, because Jehovah God had not made it rain on the earth and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist would go up from the earth, and it watered the entire surface of the ground."

There is some debate on whether or not this 'mist going up' referred only to the creative 'week' of Genesis chapter one (while the ecosystem was being prepared), or if it extended all the way to the Flood of Noah's Day. If the latter, then a warning of rain falling from the sky wouldn't just be unpopular, but ridiculous. That said, the first actual mention of rain in the Bible was the start of the Flood.

I have elected to continue the 'dew instead of rain' from Eden to the Flood for my story, for reasons that will be explored more closely, later on in the book.)

"After drowning the whole world." Nomi blinked slowly. "That… doesn't make sense."

"I admit, it's not a popular idea. Those that have heard my father say it have done everything from laugh to threaten his life-"

"No, I mean… That Ark is big, but it couldn't hold everyone." Nomi offered.

"It's more than enough to hold everyone who's agreed to come." He sighed, and she could hear the regret in his voice.

She looked at him sideways. "You want more people to come aboard."

"I want more people to decide to come aboard." Shem said simply. "When it happens, I could go to town, pick a dozen people, throw a bag over their heads and drag them into the Ark against their will. But that's not what the Ark is for."

And oddly enough, that made Nomi feel better about being here. If one of the Godsons were building an Ark to repopulate the Earth with, they'd drag a hundred women along and skip half the animals entirely. She thought. Noah and his sons would leave the choice up to me?

~/*\~

The entrance to the Ark was taller than the Hunter's Lodge. The ramp leading up was a long, gentle climb, and Nomi realized suddenly that it wasn't a ramp, but the door, laid down like a drawbridge.

Inside the Ark, just inside the entrance, was a foyer large enough for the biggest animals, and more ramps, these ones temporary; to give passage up to the other two levels. "Wouldn't ladders be easier?"

Shem shook his head. "The ramps aren't for us. Animals can't use ladders."

The timbers that held up the frame of the Ark were large enough that Nomi wouldn't be able to wrap her arms all the way around them, the size of ancient trees dragged inward. Did Noah even cut the support beams down, or just build the Ark around the trees? "How did your father even get these supports in here?"

"It took time." Shem admitted. "But so did everything else."

Nomi walked through the lower level for a while, taking everything in. There was a full forest-worth of trees used in the lowest level alone. Most of the level was divided into compartments by walls that came up to Nomi's shoulder, and were as large as her home. "What are these for?"

"For the animals. The largest will go on this level." Shem explained. "We felt it was best to have them together for the journey."

Being in the space changed Nomi's perspective on the work they were doing. There were oil lamps hanging from the rafters, and walkways hanging alongside them from strong ropes, letting people walk to and fro above the animals without disturbing them. There were frames built to hold large earthenware jugs of oil, huge storage bins for food; most of them only a quarter full.

Nomi felt a wave of pity, looking around.

"You can say it." Shem said easily.

"These aren't cages. They're stables. They'll work fine as long as every animal in the place is sitting down quietly for however long they're in here." Nomi said simply. "Zerah's stable in town? He had four horses in there, and they kicked the doors down when a snake happened to settle in their hay when it was cold. Four horses, and the stable was demolished before they knew what was happening." She gestured at the stables. "Those pens won't hold a determined kitten for more than a minute. I don't know what animal needs a stable that size, but I do know you haven't made a cage door that can hold them." She shrugged. "What you're trying to do here… I only understand what I've been told, but I know enough to be sure it'll never work. Not like this."

"I shared the same thoughts with my father once, back when this whole thing began." Shem admitted. "But the thing you have to remember, Nomi: None of this is Noah's plan. He didn't design the Ark. He didn't pick the animals, and he isn't the one who set the date for the Flood to begin. And the animals? We don't even know where to find most of them; let alone get them aboard, let alone keep them calm until the waters recede. We don't know where the water will go when the Flood is over, or how long that will take. What we're doing is a very small part of what God is making happen, no matter how it'll change the world. But it's our part, and we were trusted to do it, out of all the people in the world. And that means we have to do it right."

~/*\~

The Ark was unfinished. The two levels were more or less in shape, but Nomi was sure there was more to do. The top level was framed, but not filled in yet. Huge sections were still open to the air, waiting to have the walls built in around it.

Nomi looked around, and tried to picture the 'flood'. So much water that this enormous structure, full to bursting with cargo and passengers, would be lifted off the ground. She looked out through the view granted by the unfinished walls, and imagined how much water would be needed so that people couldn't just move to higher ground. The elevation of the Ark gave her a decent view of the surrounding area. She could see the smoke rising from the bonfires lit in town. The world spread out beneath her gaze. There wasn't a whole lot of 'higher ground' beyond the plains; but the hypothetical 'flood' would have to be taller than the highest treetops...

(Author's Note: Genesis 17: 19, 20 says that "The waters overwhelmed the earth so greatly that all the tall mountains that were under the whole heavens came to be covered. Up to fifteen cubits (or 6.7 meters) the waters overwhelmed them and the mountains became covered."

But the 'Survival Into A New Earth Book' (Published by Jehovah's Witnesses in 1984) makes this interesting point in chapter 6: "It should be realized that the Bible does not say that any mountains in Noah's day were as tall as Mount Everest. Scientists have said that in the past many of the mountains were much lower than at present and that some have even been pushed up from under the seas. Furthermore, it is believed that there was a time when the oceans themselves were smaller and the continents were larger than they are now, as testified to by river channels extending far out under the oceans."

That paragraph also quotes the January 1945 National Geographic magazine which says: "There is ten times as much water by volume in the ocean as there is land above sea level. Dump all this land evenly into the sea, and water would cover the entire earth, one and one-half miles deep."

Most Bible scholars agree that the water of the Flood is likely still here, simply sunk into a much deeper ocean, while the mountains were pushed higher by the weight of the water on the Earth's crust.)

Nomi imagined the water covering everything, and felt her heart harden up. "Shem." She said in a quiet, hard voice. "My father drowned. In the river."

Shem winced. "Oh. I didn't know that."

"You're building this… this enormous, impressive, wonder of the world, because you think God will do the same to every living thing in the region?"

"In the world." Shem admitted quietly. "There's no running from what's coming."

Nomi felt the words hit her like a spike. He's saying I am going to drown, like my father, unless I listen to his father; and climb into this Ark that couldn't possibly float, and live among animals that couldn't possibly be contained. "I… should go now."

~/*\~

Nomi came back to the village after dark. There was no sign of anyone near her home. Nobody seemed to be waiting for her. She crept to the entrance, listening for anyone inside. If someone had decided to make a fuss about trading her specifically to another town, there might be someone waiting for her to return.

Her mother had sharp ears. "Safe." She called, before Nomi even got close.

Nomi came in with a sigh. "So?"

"Two women, three men. The women would make good mothers, the men; good workers, until they learn enough metalworking to come back." Nuria reported. "Of course, the City of Enoch may feel differently about letting them leave; but that's tomorrow's problem."

Nomi shivered. "Nobody came looking for me?"

"Natu suggested you." Nuria nodded. "I took care of it."

Nomi paused, unsettled. "How?"

Nuria's eyes flashed. "I told him you were spoken for, by the Chieftain's eldest son." She set her jaw at Nomi's glare. "Kainan helped you when Natu tried to cheat you on a trade. He believed it."

Shem doesn't care about his standing with the world. Nomi thought bitterly. Mother cares about our standing to the exclusion of all else. There has to be somewhere in between where I can be happy, doesn't there?

Thinking about the Ark made her sad for some reason. I wonder what that family does at night with only themselves for company?

~/*\~ Eleanor ~/*\~

"So why so long?" Eleanor asked. "It's been thousands of years since Eden."

"It has." Martine agreed. "And I think we've finally gotten to the point where people have worked it out: We can't do it."

Eleanor kept her voice low. They were having their studies in a cafe. Martine ordered coffee, Eleanor ordered a sandwich, and they met during her lunch break at the Shelter. "Do what?"

"Keep going." Martine summed up. "God could have wiped out Adam and Eve and started over on the spot, but that wouldn't have settled the issue. And it wasn't a question of learning from mistakes, or advancing technology. Someone could have made that claim in the Ancient world, but we know better now. It took six thousand years of trying one thing after another, but we finally got to the point where the Earth itself just can't survive if God doesn't intervene directly."

Eleanor hesitated, and set her coffee cup down, not speaking.

"Whatever that thought was, go ahead and say it." Martine pushed her gently.

Eleanor shook her head. "No, I guess I agree. My answer was instinctive: 'There's still time'. But the whole reason I'm studying with you is because the 'avalanche' is crushing me. If it's like that for helping the homeless, I'm betting it's worse for climate change, the economy, politics, and any number of ways the world could end."

Martine raised her coffee cup to that. "Indeed."

"But Bible stories about talking snakes? Flaming swords around a garden?" Eleanor tried to keep the scorn out of her voice. She really did. "Doesn't sound like anything approaching reality. And to be honest, I don't care how suffering began. You want to convince me that you know what you're talking about, you have to show me something from this century."

"The Bible is still surprisingly practical for today."

"I'm sure it is. The really important wisdom is 'timeless' by definition." Eleanor nodded. "But I'm not worried about my marriage, or what happens when I die. No more than anyone else, anyway. I want to know about…" She waved her hands. "The future."

Martine smiled broadly. "Well then. Looks like we've found a topic to study."

~/*\~

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