Three Converts

Part 66

The crowd of Robes and their loved ones backed up. In the clearing, teetering on a rock jutting out over the cliff was Franklin. I rolled my eyes. He could jump for all I cared. He was pontificating, "I would sooner die than be associated with you blasphemers!" He yelled wildly. The council was outside now, moving toward him. Sister Margot tried to say something to him, but he yelled, "A council who cannot control their people are no better than the sinners themselves!"

"You are a sick people!" he screamed back at the crowd. "You have made me dirty by association! I will be cleansed by Diety today!" He took a half step backward. There was a sigh next to me, then Sophie stepped into the clearing.

"Franklin," her voice was calm, full of a gentleness he did not deserve. But that was Sophie. "You don't want to do this. Step down, please." She held her hand out and I saw Franklin's good eye flash just the tiniest bit of doubt. "Please," she repeated.

"No! No, he is right!" Brother Augustus charged forward. "Be cleansed, son!" Things clicked for all of us at once. My dad sprinted toward Augustus, tackling him, but he was a breath too late. The senior council member shoved his son over the cliff with a yell, then landed face-first on the rock where Franklin stood, my dad on top of him. There was shocked silence, except for a scream that I realized came from Sister Florence. She ran to the edge of the cliff and looked over, covering her face. The commune exploded into action. Some people took the opportunity to leave while the council was distracted. Others restrained the council members. My friends and I raced down the path to town, looking for a way to get to Franklin. "I see him," Misty announced. She looked at Sophie, "You sure you want to get him?" Sophie nodded.

Franklin still had a pulse when we got to him. We carried him (not always very carefully) over the rocks to the path. "We'll take him to the med center," Rocco promised, grudgingly. We let Gordo, Griffin, and Rocco take the unconscious, broken Franklin. "I'm going with them," Misty said. "I just can't with that place." She gestured at the commune. I couldn't blame her. Her parents had left without speaking to her. This place held no happiness for her. Soph and I hugged her and trudged back up the path to our parents. Dad and some of the other men had restrained Augustus, mom said, and were turning him over to the town authorities. The other council members would be allowed to leave on the condition they all go separate ways.

Sophie, Mom and I said a few good-byes tofriends. We went into our little hut one last time. Mom stroked the doorway abit sadly, then turned with a huge smile. "Let's go." We gave Dad somedirections, then led Mom down the path. It was her first time into town sinceshe converted over twenty years ago. She stared in wonder at the buildings,people, smells. Every now and then she'd mutter, "that never used to be here,"or "none of this was here." We walked slowly, letting her take everything in.Eventually, we made it to Griffin's. I returned her old clothes. While shechanged, we put a donut on a plate for her. She came out laughing. "The pantsare a little tighter than I remember, but I managed to squeeze in!" It wasstill too soon to talk about the big questions we had to answer. For now wejust wanted to be together. Mom split the donut three ways and we knocked themtogether like clinking champagne glasses.