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Our Lady of Fandom, Friday all day

Gabriel had noticed that the radio was a perfect source of information on what was going on. Now he just left it on, as finding the power button every time was such a hassle. Last night's broadcast had been a little confusing though, what with all the code names. Only monkeys could come up with something like that. At least there hadn't been an attempt to give him one, and appearantly that made him scary. Gabriel approved of that. Well, as long as it didn't scare away any potential useful mortals.

He sat on the altar and picked up another paperback. While chewing on a donut he began to read. This one contained some slightly graphic descrptions of monkey mating scenes. He carefully skipped those. No reason to ruin a good meal.

[The church is open]

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"Hello? Gabriel?" Karal walked cautiously into the church, pausing in the doorway, because while it may be a public building, it was still Gabriel's only home.

Altra didn't share his sentiments and he trotted right over to Gabriel to peer at his book.

Gabriel looked up and gave Karal a reasonably friendly nod. "Welcome." He put the book down and threw a glare at Altra. "You want to read you find your own books," he told the cat.

Altra sniffed. :As if I'd be interested in that. Karal, must you visit him?:

Karal shot a quelling glance at the 'cat, then came further in, holding out a bag. "I brought you some sandwiches and iced tea, and there are some pastries in there as well."

"Ah, thank you, Karal." Gabriel decided to ignore Altra for now. "And how are things at the school?" The radio gave him some insight, but it was a little confusing at times.

Altra appeared to be ignoring Gabriel as well, tail flicking as he prowled around the church.

"We are on a week's break, which seems very strange. I am not used to having so little to do." He set the bag down on a pew and took a seat. "And how are things with you? No one has returned to threaten you, have they?"

"No threats," Gabriel replied. "It's been quiet." He didn't mind quiet, but he needed to get somewhere with his plans for how to get out of this situation. "No more visits from your god?" he asked. Well, he'd have sensed if there were, but anything related to that was something Gabriel would like to know.

Karal smiled, because there was no one else on the island, he thought, who could accept Vkandis so easily. "No, I think that one is graced with such a visit only rarely. I am only an ordinary priest," and it made him so proud to say that, "so it is likely to be my only one."

Gabriel couldn't help smiling a little. Gods rarely visited ordinary priests in his experience. Best not to make the boy to sure of his importance however. "Any news on that bed?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, yes there is! My friend Molly has agreed to help. She is leaving on Sunday, but I think that we might be able to fetch it tomorrow," he replied happily.

"Good. My back is beginning to hurt." There was a look of frustration on his face, caused by the weakness of the human body. "Wonder if that was intentional," he added, mostly to himself, refering to God's plan when creating humans.

"Intentional?" he asked, very curious and more than a touch baffled, but it got lost in his concern. "I will bring you some willowbark tea, or they sell a medication called aspirin that deals with pain, if you would prefer that. It should help ease your hurt."

Gabriel waved a hand and shrugged. "Did God mean for people to have backache?" He didn't expect an answer to that question. "Oh, and anything that takes away pain is fine." He silently cursed himself for having sunk this low.

"I will bring you both," Karal said, studying Gabriel thoughtfully. "Does your god concern himself with such things?"

"No," he said firmly. "But it could be considered a design flaw." Gabriel shot an annoyed glance at the altar.

That was something he'd never considered, and he peeked at the altar a bit uncertainly. "I am not certain I understand," he said slowly. "Did your god, did he create you?" He couldn't keep his mind from flashing to the gryphons, created by the mage Urtho, which was unsettling somehow.

Gabriel actually looked surprised. "Yes," he said finally.

"How?" he blurted out, then flushed. "I am sorry, I did not mean to be rude. Vkandis is, he watches over Karse, intervenes when it is necessary, but he did not create the Karsites."

"So who did?" Gabriel asked. "And the Bible I gave you? It has two accounts of it. Can't always trust humans to get it right, but still."

"I..." He stopped, and looked over at Altra, who gave him a long, inscrutable look in return and went back to inspecting the altar. "I do not know. And I have not yet had a chance to read it, but I will do so, I promise."

Gabriel shrugged. "No hurry. Just that a lot of people have been concerned with that issue." He picked up the bag that Karal had brought and looked inside.

"Why?" he asked, leaning forward, confusion growing. "Why does it matter where we came from? What we do with our lives is what is important. The Sunlord prizes free will above all things, so that we may choose; he gives us intelligence, and guidance, so we may choose well. It is our actions, our choices, that matter."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the sermon, but not everyone agrees with you there. Not that I care that much myself, but people do generally." The tone of his voice was sharper than usual.

"It was not a sermon," he said quietly, very aware of Gabriel's sharpness. "I am simply trying to understand."

"I suppose you could say that knowing our origins gives us our purpose of being, the reason for existence and all that." Gabriel looked at Karal. "The reason why we are here. Our purpose in being who we are." There was an ironic hint in his voice.

"Looking back, rather than looking forward." He folded his hands, gazing down at his Vkandis medal. "It is important to know the past, ignorance of true events, of subtle changes, can lead to terrible things," things he himself had seen and accepted as right, until it was learned they were a lie, "but it cannot be the most important thing. Our purpose lies in our actions, in how we treat others, how we help, or do not help, those who need it."

Gabriel refused to commit himself to either view, but reminded himself that Karal's position was certainly more to Gabriel's advantage. "Helping. Yeah. Used to do that a lot." He frowned. "Lost the feel for it I guess." He decided it was time to change the subject and picked up one of the sandwiches. "These are so good."

Karal's suspicion that Gabriel was a former priest crystallised into certainty. "Has it been very long since that happened?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral as he tried to imagine what could have been so terrible that he would abandon his calling. "And I am glad you like them. I will bring you some more as soon as I can."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. Karal knew? Had he been talking to Lucifer or Aziraphale perhaps? He avoided the question.

"As I said, good."

"All right." Karal would not push, but... "If you ever wish to speak of it, I would be more than willing to listen," he offered, then smiled. "Or I can simply continue to bring you sandwiches."

Gabriel had no wish to start talking about angelic politics with Karal. He was better off not knowing. "I have more use for sandwiches," he replied, then fixed Karal with his gaze. "But as I think I've mentioned before, stay away from Lucifer and Aziraphale. They are not to be trusted."

"I have not met either of them, but I will," he promised. "I remember your advice."

That surprised Gabriel, but he tried not to let it show. Karal didn't seem to be the lying type, but then who knew? Oh the other hand, someone else might have told Karal about him, someone who knew the other angels.

Gabriel gave a quick nod and took another bite out of his sandwich.

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Our Lady of Fandom, Friday all day

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