Chapter 20 Mercy and Love
On their way out of the Embassy, Reason and Dignity agreed that, driving separately, they would meet at Grace House, for the Ambassador had told them they would find Capt. Mercy there visiting with his in-laws. Reason drove slowly and this for two reasons. One was that she was still overcome by the revelation that she was failing her King; the other that she half intended to go on failing Him. How could she possibly take a part in Patience’s harebrained schemes!
As she passed a little park in a run-down neighborhood, she slowed down even more and peered at a small crowd gathered around a speaker who was standing on a bench. A street preacher, dressed lamentably with neither tie nor suit jacket, he was holding forth in a deep voice. She pulled over, got out, and approached the man.
“Thus says the Lord God in the book of Ezekiel, the seventh chapter: ‘An end! An end is coming on the four corners of the land!’” he ranted. “And the word says, ‘Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you. For My eye will have no pity on you, but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the Lord!’”
He noticed Reason’s arrival among the listeners and paused. “People, I’m going to take a break and continue in a few minutes.”
He stepped off the bench, walked briskly to her, and hugged and kissed her.
“Oh, Truth,” she said to her husband, “Patience has returned, and Grace has given him command of a mission tonight. They’ve put me on his team, so that I’m being called on to do something mad and dangerous. Yes, I know, the kind of thing you do all the time. But I’ve never been in prison, and I’ve, well, at least almost never been threatened physically. And oh, I don’t want to go through with it!”
He looked into her eyes. “Don’t tell me I married a wimp. I know otherwise.”
“Yes, you did! I’m a sissy-pants. What should I do? No, put a hold on that question. Of course, I know what I should do. Look, I’ll go now, but I mean this quite seriously, dear, that I may never come back. It’s going to be a night of insanity.”
“No, it won’t,” he said, “because you will be there. Go on and be blessed.”
Either Dignity had driven even slower than she, or he had deliberately lingered in the front hall at Grace House. She found him there, chatting with Lt. Justice, Lt. Retribution, and Goodness. The young officers, she learned, were here on a visit and Goodness was hosting them.
“Reas’,” Dignity said. “I was just asking the officers if, I mean if it was their decision, if they could see clear to petitioning the City to delay the condemnation of Leasing House. Just a sort of poll, you might say.”
“My answer is, not on your life,” said Retribution. “It’s God’s vengeance for the Leasings. They’ve worked hard for this, and here it comes.”
“The guys and I disagree on this,” Goodness said with a self conscious laugh. “I say, why not ask?”
“And I say it’s just a matter of reaping and sowing,” Justice said coolly. “Anyway, if you give Leasing House extra time, it’ll just encourage others to sin with impunity.”
“Yes, I completely agree with you,” Reason said, “but we have to put the same question to your Captain and hope for the same answer. At least I think I hope for the same answer. Frankly, I’m so confused I don’t know what I want.”
“The Captain is upstairs in their room,” Goodness said, meaning what had been Love’s room and was now shared by the married couple when they were visiting Grace House. “How about if we all go up there?”
The lieutenants were unsure about such an unannounced visit with their superior officer, but all five now ascended the stairs and were welcomed in by Mercy and Love. The Captain was in uniform, Love in a sweater and slacks. They rose from chairs in a little sitting area in the small room.
Soon Dignity had explained what he and Reason had come for. “I’m asking this knowing that I personally would be much safer if the Leasings were gone, and gone as quickly as possible,” he said. “So don’t expect me to push for it. I could give you twenty reasons not to do it. But Grace gave me three copies of this document, all ready for your signature. It requests more time for Leasing House. Uh, here, you can take a look.”
The Captain took the copies and, with Love looking over his shoulder, perused one of them. Presently he said, “This is a petition from our military, but made at your request, it says. But you think it’s a mistake?”
Dignity made a pained sound but did not answer.
“Not so much a mistake exactly,” Reason put in for him, “as it is deeply costly for Grace House. It means Guiles and family will be around for more vicious tricks and attacks on us. Patience calls it walking off the cliff of compassion.”
“Without even a bungee cord,” said Love mirthfully, as if she thought this was a comedy.
“You don’t want me to sign?” Mercy pressed.
“Don’t!” Reason snapped. “No, I mean do whatever you want.”
“Dig?”
“Haven’t I made it clear I don’t want anything to do with it?” Dignity said waspishly. “We’ve just learned that we had better ask you, considering the bigger picture, but if you don’t sign, it gets us off the hook. No responsibility.”
Love whispered something in her husband’s ear.
“Hum, I’ll get these ready for you anyway,” he said, pulling a pen from his brass-buttoned breast pocket and signing the copies. “Use it or don’t. Personally, and from what I know of the political situation, this is badly needed. In fact, it could just save the Invasion.”
With a woeful face, Dignity took the papers. “I wish you hadn’t put it that way. Thanks, Captain.”
“I just wish so much that Merce and I could have been part of the HIMF team,” said Love. “Of course, we volunteered, but Grace and Patience said the team members were already decided and we couldn’t go. How I envy you.”
“Yes, sorry I couldn’t be with you tonight,” the Captain said.
Dignity responded with a hollow laugh. “OK, I wouldn’t want to hog all the fun, so I’ll tell Grace that you’re more than welcome to take our place on any future missions.”
On the way out of the crowded room, he handed one of the papers to Reason. She remained, looking at Love and Mercy with a puzzled expression.
“What is it?” Love asked.
“Oh, it’s just that you two seem to live in a whole different world from me. Sometimes I wish I could get across that barrier that separates us. I’d like to be so free and brave that I could risk my neck cheerfully for the King and want to do it again. Maybe once or twice in my life I’ve had moments like that, but I could never be like you.”
She turned to go but paused to look up at Justice. “Lieutenant! This is a formal request if not an order. I don’t want my name ever to be on the park that is going to surround this house. Even if the City renovation really happens, and that’s looking more doubtful all the time, I just don’t deserve it.”