with your father out in the garden. But I'll tell you a secret. "When I want to take God at his word exactly, I take a peep out the window at His Creation. Because that, darling, He makes fresh for us every day, without a lot of dubious middle managers." Leah didn't commit herself one way or the other. "The flowers and birds and all, you mean to say that's your Gospel." "Ah, you're thinking I'm a crazy old pagan for sure." Old Tata Bird laughed heartily, fingering the cross around his neck (another warning sign of Catholic papism), and he didn't sound repentant. "No, I understand," Mother said thoughtfully. She appeared to understand him so well she'd like to adopt him and have his mixed-race family move right in. "You'll have to forgive me. I've been here so long, I've come to love the people here and their ways of thinking." That goes without saying, I thought. Given his marital situation. "Well, you must be famished!" Mother said suddenly, jumping up out of her chair. "Stay for dinner, at least. Nathan should be home soon. Do you actually live on that little boat?" "We do, in fact. It's a good home base for doing our work