Of Doors and Dieties

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“Once is perhaps forgivable, twice begins a pattern.”

Katherine looked up from her book, her lips twisting into a wry smile. She knew immediately what had made him put down his pen and regard her with concern. “True,” she answered, “but darling, she was so very surprised this time. I can't believe that she truly knew what would happen.”

“Perhaps not. In some respects, that almost makes it worse. Like someone firing off an elephant gun without any training. Because of her spell, a mortal being was sent to a place where there is likely no redemption available. A soul has been removed our world with no hope of recovery. That saddens me.” Ezekiel pushed his glasses up on his nose absently, his face solemn.

“But love,” and Katherine measured her words carefully,” what causes us sadness because we understand what has happened mustn't cause us to have self-righteous anger at an innocent who may have not intended the consequences that happened. Yes, she has powerful magic, but not having been trained in it, she does not know its limits. And in a panic, one doesn't always think clearly.”

She raised an auburn eyebrow. “I was not as good as I am now except for your tutoring. But you and I were born to do this; maybe Rebecca is not?” She uncurled from the comfortable wingchair that she had appropriated, set aside her book, and went to lean against his desk to more easily talk to him.

“Is it really too much to ask someone to be able to understand the tool they are using before they pick it up? I am not still angry with her, but I am terribly disappointed in her actions.”

Leaning down, Katherine took his face in her hands and kissed him long and tenderly, finally pulling away with a disarming smile. “Would you hate me if I said yes? She has a noble soul, but isn't a fighter. What little magic she has used has been trite and childish more than like. What she faces now requires more of her, more than she has ever given. Maybe it requires more of us too to help her reach her potential. And maybe some proactivity on our part to compensate for her failings?” She let her eyes twinkle at him minxishly.

His expression softened as he smiled in response. “When you look at me that way, it is hard to resist you.”

Katherine bit her lip, grinning. "It’s hard not to look at you that way, darling,” she retorted. “But nonetheless, I truly believe that she didn't know what she was doing. I worry more that she wants to find out."

Ezekiel paused briefly. "Do you mean the book?" He shook his head. "Josephine has the foul thing and I trust in her to do the right thing." Or at least not the wrong thing, he corrected himself. The right thing would be to burn the book to ashes, bury the ashes as deep as a man could dig, and then say prayers over it. For the rest of his natural lifespan. But given that he had chosen to let it go, he would have to trust in Josephine not to do something foolish. She had talked of giving it to Throckmorton and although the man was a drunkard, he was knowledgeable. And skilled in his use of magic. Unlike the talented but wild Miss Spencer.

Her brows met on her forehead as her mouth formed an uncharacteristic deep frown. "Yes love. But she. . ." Katherine let the word hang as she sought a less terrible way to repeat what she had been told. Her mouth worked impotently and then she sighed. "She wants to know what it is that makes God afraid. She wants the knowledge of why God asked you to burn the book."

Ezekiel was briefly startled. "What do you mean, afraid? God cannot be afraid. He asked me to burn the book because it was evil, its only purpose to corrupt." He looked at Katherine, trying to feel out what she had gleaned from Rebecca. "You don't mean to say that Miss Spencer, after seeing a gate to a dark god swallow a man whole, wants to try and do it again?"

Katherine put her hands to her head, sinking her fingers into the hair at her temples before pulling her hands down her cheeks and then over her eyes to rub them. She sighed heavily, her face hidden before she raised it to look at her husband. "I don't know," she answered sadly. "I hope that I misunderstood. But don't think that I did. She believes that God fears our knowledge of this book, much like the forbidden fruit. That within it might be the means to destroy him like the Egyptian gods were destroyed." Her smile, when it came, was rueful. "They aren't destroyed though. Just pushed from this plane. I just don't understand, Ezekiel, how. . .how she could have felt that foulness and still want to study that book."

Ezekiel shook his head. "If Rebecca thinks that God can be destroyed, then her theological knowledge does not equal its archaeological counterpoint. God, by definition, is incapable of being destroyed. If He could be destroyed, He would not be God."

Standing, he pulled Katherine's hands from her head and took them into his, rubbing them softly. “But I understand the temptation under which Miss Spencer finds herself. Knowledge, after all, was the cause of the original Fall. I often walk the fine line when I am on my search. It is only because of my complete trust in the Lord that I remain whole. And Miss Spencer, I fear, does not share my faith."

"It is madness to court the attention of the dark gods if you don't know who they are or what they can do. There is always a price with them. Always." She blinked into his eyes, her own sad. "I told her I would kill to keep the twins safe, kill to keep you safe. The implication was clear, I believe. I want to be her friend. But I fear her need for knowledge endangers us all."

"She has a recklessness about her that will end up with someone hurt, I fear. That recklessness is what fueled my anger with her, but I think my anger has also cost me a chance at convincing her to think before she acts." He frowned as he thought back to that moment where the gate had opened. "As you say, I do not wish to abandon her but I will not let her threaten the ones I love."

He was not ready to give up on Miss Spencer yet. After all, if he abandoned the forge the moment the heat began, then nothing of value would ever be created.

"So what do we do, love? After tea and our walk, I will admit that I was nothing but conflicted. I love her enthusiasm and curiosity. But I fear another portal." Another mournful sigh escaped her. "She is an interesting puzzle. She does not appear to like the dogma of the Church, but seeks knowledge of the gods and goddesses. She seemed ready to dismiss our faith as dictated by the Church alone. I told her otherwise. But she kept her armor of propriety around her. She wanted to make her apology to me for endangering me and the children. It was kind of her to do so."

Katherine’s lips pressed together and then she added, "She admitted that the runes that she meant to cast were not what was in her hand when she did cast them. That maybe she was under the influence of what she had read. She intended a cage. We know what happened instead."

She went silent then, her emerald eyes intent on his face.

If only Rebecca knew how he and the Church were at odds about many things. "All that we can do, love, is set an example, stay close to her, and stand firm on the idea that evil cannot be allowed to prosper. And if it comes down to it, wield blade and spell to make sure that does not happen." He chuckled a little. "It seems I have become a priest of sorts, despite my family's best intentions."

His laughter seemed to lift the sad concern from her face. "Yes indeed. I shouldn't worry, should I? Have faith that God will see us through. Have faith that my priest will guide us through the storm?"

"God has not done poorly by us so far, Katherine. Far from it. As always, the least we can do is to continue to trust in Him." He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly, enjoying the warm softness of her lips. "I trusted in Him and He brought me you. Looking at you is like renewing my faith anew each time."

She made a soft noise of contentment, returning his kiss with one of her own. "It is hard to worry when you do that," she murmured against his lips.

Ezekiel smiled. "God's gifts are endless." And he took her into his arms, her body against him a reminder of truly amazing those gifts were.

"Shall we lock the doors lest the servants are scandalized?" she whispered, her mouth grazing the hollow of his neck. "I would enjoy the gift of you here in the warm sunlight of your study. Or I can take my book and leave you to your writing."

"There will always be more time for writing," he said with a deep voice. "And I would never want to scandalize the servants. We would never hear the end of it from Neece."

She broke free to go lock the double doors, smiling as she came back to lead him to the couch. "Most likely not," she agreed with a laugh. "I shall be grateful that I've not come out of my morning wrap yet. I just couldn't find the enthusiasm to get dressed today." She began to unbutton his shirt. "We might miss early afternoon tea."

"The horror." He managed to keep a straight face, but only barely.



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