Chapter Five
"I bring a message from Mountain Glory's family.
They do not want her, or, her child in a house full of demons.
She is to return home at once. Have her gather her things. I will
take her myself. I am strongly disappointed in you, my son.
I had hoped that after you had been in this foolishness for awhile, you
would see the truth, and return to The One. But you have been
totally deceived by this giver of lies, and lost your soul.
2 You are no longer part of my family. I
disown you. Your employment at my factory has come to an end. If
you wish to be a Speaker for these lying Spirits that defile my god,
let THEM support you. I will not."
3 Gray Deer covered his face with his
hands. "That you feel this way, father, fills my heart with
sorrow, for I still hold the greatest affection for you and my kinsmen.
You are always welcome at my door.
4 Though we follow different ways there is no
reason for us to be enemies. Let us speak kindly, one of the
other. Let there be no bitterness between us."
5 "I can never enter your house again,"
answered his father, "you have chosen to follow after evil. My temple
speaker blames me for failing in your education. You have
chosen. Live with your choice."
6 Mountain Glory appeared with several
bundles. "I told you this would happen," she wept, "but you would
not believe me. You said my parents would understand."
7 "I thought," answered Gray Deer, "they were better people than this."
8 Mountain Glory spat on the floor and carried
her son outside. Gray Deer's father motioned to a servant who
came in and gathered up her things. "Never come to my door," he told
Gray Deer, "never speak to me on the street. I do not know
you. You are no kin of mine." He turned and left.
9 "What are we to do now?" asked Red Blossom.
"How will we live? Your Speaker's pay and Yellow Blossom's
income will not be enough to get us by. How will we survive?"
10 "I do not know," replied Gray Deer.
"I will find another position. There is plenty of work in the
city."
11 Screaming Bear, who had been standing in
the background, spoke up. "Do not be concerned with it. I will take
care of it tomorrow. You will have no worry about finances.
I have been thinking about it for some time. This simply makes
the need more urgent. Let us return to our studies."
12 "You are right," agreed Gray Deer, "it is a
problem for tomorrow. I do not know what you have in mind, my
friend, but I will trust your judgment."
13 They returned to their lessons. The
next day Gray Deer had many errands and was gone most of the
morning. When he returned for the mid-day meal, he found a
stranger sitting at his table. "This man has been waiting for you," Red
Blossom told him, "a Law Speaker."
14 "How can I serve you?" asked Gray Deer.
15 "I have some transfers of ownership for you
to sign," The Law Speaker informed him. "One Screaming Bear came
to my office this morning with the documents of his inheritance; a
considerable amount of property! He has requested they all be
signed over to you, save for two farms that shall be held in trust as
inheritance for his children. The total income from all the
properties is in excess of two-hundred-fifty gold a month."
16 Gray Deer's mouth fell open with
disbelief. "He's signing all of his property over to me?" he
asked.
17 The Speaker nodded. "If you don't
mind, sir, I'm in somewhat of a hurry. It's near the end of the
month. If you are to start receiving the payments when they're due, I
MUST get these papers registered!"
18 Still in a daze, Gray Deer signed the
documents and The Speaker Left. When The Voice returned later in
the day, Gray Deer told him what had happened. "What am I to do?"
he asked. "I can't just take his whole estate! It is more
than I would ever need in my lifetime! I must return it to him!"
19 "You must counsel with him first,"
instructed The Voice, "hear his reasons. Then, decide what you
must do."
20 That evening when Screaming Bear arrived,
Gray Deer took him aside. "What you have done," he said, "is a
marvelous thing. But I cannot take all that is yours! We must go
together to The Law Speaker, and you must take back your property!"
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