There's a haze over the sun. There must be a forest fire somewhere already. What a tragedy, all that promising timber burning away. All the opportunity for jobs and for building, for harvesting God's bounty. All gone in smoke.
A sacrificial offering, from God, to God.
Brother Andre turns to the raven haired woman beside him.
"It looks like a forest fire. Over that way."
"Fire?" she replies.
"Yes. Trees burning, trees on fire."
"Oh. Tree fire. Yes. Much smoke."
Hold on Jack How are you doing, Jack. It's been eight years Since you and all the Spiets took off by helicopter And left us all to wonder what might become Of you. Eight years. You must have changed, you must Have grown into a man by now, in body Anyway. The letter from Marie was filled With doubts about your psychological health.
She sees you grapple dragons she never knew Existed. She cannot help you, but she sees Your struggle. And Siem, he cannot help you either.
And they do not even know the half of it.
Your search for your identity is fraught With unsuspected intimations, which you From vague and half remembered revelations Have tried in vain to comprehend and bring Into coherent union. Scant hope that you Might engineer a self that would prevail.
It is not likely that all unassisted You can bring this off. You must have help.
When next you celebrate your date of birth You will receive that letter. And you will learn That you were not conceived in love; that you Were fathered in a union you could not Imagine. Your father is not just unknown, He will forever be so. Not only was it Rape, the rape was by an apeman. Your father Is an apeman, Jack. What will that knowledge Do to you? Have I done something frightful Here? Was I mistaken, and misguided To send that letter to you? Would it be better Not to know? Well, with God's help I will Take Cheoki to visit you before That time has come. And we will try to find The best approach. The letter could be stopped.
Her English is coming along nicely. They've been traveling for two weeks now, taking time to stop whole days in several places where there's a chance to rest and talk.
After he used his influence with the king to commission a small band of armed men to help him finally locate and return his lost monks to their monastery, Brother Andre made a determined and at last successful effort to find Jack's mother. He is bringing her now from Laya, where she had gone after the death of her husband, and he is teaching her English.
