Offering!

[Bunny]

Isaac repeated the charge aloud. "Abbreviated the Lord's holy title?" he repeated slowly, as though he didn't comprehend what the sentence meant.

Rebekah spoke up, here, trying to be helpful. "He shortened it to - "

"Silence!" Isaac snapped, and, for once, Rebekah truly did fall silent. The boy preacher himself felt a heartbeat of fiery, indignant fury, but it quickly iced over into an arctic disdain. "You dared to make His Holy Title shorter? You blaspheme his very name, his very holy rank, his holy being? Is it too long, too difficult for you? Your time is so important that you cannot offer him the most basic respect of calling him by his name? While lifting up your prayers, while offering him your worship you -- " He broke off, here.

Why had the Lord not informed him of this? Such a transgression against him, forsaking his very name, would surely be something that he would tell his boy preacher. Or if, as he sometimes did, he wanted his children to figure out the transgression on their own, why would he not send upon them some sort of pestilence, a squall to show that he was angry?

Isaac didn't know. Isaac didn't know, the Lord was not speaking to him upon this matter, and, his grip, his infallibility slipping, he grew panicked.

"No," Isaac shook his head. "You are lying. You That is not your crime. It can't be. It can't be," he repeated. He squared his shoulders, his voice raising into a flustered shriek. "What was the sin? What crime was committed? If this was your lie, this claim to have committed a sin of the most grievous nature, what was your true transgression? You speak it to me now, you untie your lying tongue or I will have it cut out!"

[esau12]

Esau, realizing his precautions had backfired, needed to smooth things over. He had to make a very controversial assumption. "Forgive me, oh wise Isaac, but perhaps there is an explanation for this. I have not lied, I swear to you this. Perhaps He Who Walks Behind The Rows has seen my sin, but instead of getting angry, he let it go. Perhaps he is even kinder than you know, for how can any mortal being understand the depths of our Lord's emotions. Perhaps He is perfectly fine with my, in His eye, minor indescretion. Please consider this possibility, Isaac."

[Sly Cooper]

"Isaac, what i He Who Walks Behind the Rows is simply testing you and your judgment. Maybe this is why he hasn't told you? He wants to see if you can find things for yourself?" Damon shrank like a bug under a microscope. He felt guilt for talking to Isaac in such a way. "Maybe our Lord wants to make sure you are as good as he believes?" He continued to get smaller.

[Bunny]

Isaac shook his head, even as the sinners spoke their heresy, degraded his integrity. "Our God," he snarled through gritted teeth, "is not one of forgiveness, Esau. He demands blood for a transgression against him. He told me so himself, and he is absolute and eternal. He does not change, heretic!" The boy was shaking now, his small form clearly having difficulty processing the frustration, the pure unadulterated rage that was flowing through his veins. Why had the Lord not spoken to him of this? He would have told him if his name was desecrated during worship. But why would they lie about that? What crime, what heinous, unspeakable crime was committed?

As he spoke, Isaac told himself repeatedly that he was scolding the misfits, and not convincing himself. He succeeded, and when he spoke again there was a stronger veneer of calm. "Tell me," he repeated, his voice more cajoling, more coddling and kind. Almost a caress of words, rather than the frantic search for a mortal sin that it was. "What did you do -- the three of you?" He whirled to make eye contact with Damon and Rebekah, not forgetting that they too had contributed to the lie. "The Lord would have heard your insult to him during your prayers if that was the crime. He would have informed me. Since he did not, you must be lying. I ask you to tell me, willingly. The Lord is not one of mercy, but his children can be. Allow me to be merciful towards you. Allow me to be kind. I want nothing but to see you three grow and be closer to the Lord, to bring him honor and glory, to be happy and joyous as his children. Do not force me to be cruel." His voice hardened as his gaze strayed to Malachai, offering his enforcer a curt nod. "Do not make me watch you suffer."

[Sly Cooper]

Damon winced just at the thought of Malachai's brutality, when Isaac looked toward him. "Honestly, Isaac, we were on the streets when Rebekah told me she was going to make a good wife and mother and and..." he stumbled over his words foolishly, "Esau came out of the old Ice Cream parlor when Rebekah began to talk to him, and when he shortened our lords name both Rebekah and I backed away in fear." Damon's heart began to race for he felt that he wasn't really making the situation any better. "Then Esau promised not to do it again. he didn't realize it was such a heresy." His blue eyes widened with fear as he looked at the preacher boy with great panic. 'That's all that happened, I promise you, and more importantly He Who Walks Behind the Rows, that that is the order of events and all the events that have happened before we came to you."

[Bunny]

Isaac fixed his clear gaze onto Damon and held it for a few moments. Damon was a noble follower, he knew. Shy, and humble before the Lord and the Lord's servants, the boy always knew his place and had never displayed any sort of disrespect or had broken any of the major laws.

"I could come to believe you," he acknowledged, nodding at Damon so the boy would understand that he meant that he meant it only to Damon as an individual. "Esau committed a heresy, and you reacted with horror and disgust, as any of his Children would. But you have said to me before that Esau proclaimed to you to have used this blaspheme in the very worship of the Lord. His words to you, and unto me, were both mistruths. He has betrayed both his brothers and sisters, his own shepherd and spiritual guide," he placed a hand on his chest in reference to himself, "and He Who Walks Behind the Rows himself." After a pause, he reluctantly asked, "Tell me, Damon. Did Esau have any reason to lie?" It pained him to ask such a question, and simultaneously admit that he, for once, was uncertain on the best course of action. He desired to send everyone away so that he could privately partake in the wisdom of His Lord.

[Dot Dot Dot]

Ruth had been trying to keep her head down in all senses of the phrase as she gathered the spilt offering. Even when the basket was once again full of the multitude of summer crops, she did not rise from her knees, even though they ached. She could feel Isaac's rage flashing through the air, and she did not want to make it turn its attention to her.

She offered a quick prayer to He Who Walks Behind the Rows for just that, that Isaac wouldn't rest his gaze on her, that Malachai's knife would not enter into her body, and that if he so desired blood that day -- and she hated herself for the ending -- that the blood of another would be spilt.

But her prayer was interrupted. Isaac's mood had altered. He was being kind towards Damon. Ruth bit her lip, almost as hard as to draw blood. Maybe Isaac had already stopped. She knew that when girls grew to be around Isaac's age they became moody, being giddy one second and murderous in another. Maybe the danger had past.

"Um, uh..." she slowly rose to her feet. "That-that was a bad thing Esau did," she admitted. "Abbreviating the name of He Who Walks Behind the Rows, I mean. Maybe everyone should busy themselves to punish him?" I'll I'll sneeeaaaaak away into everyone forgets about how I dropped the vegetable basket!

\\ Ruth, at eight years old, is not very bright. Or helpful, really.

[esau12]

With the feeling of the room not nearly as tense as it had been previously, Esau felt slightly relieved. However, he knew that he was in some deep corn. He knew, again, that he must try to smooth things over, hopefully with better results than last time. "Isaac, if I may ask for your forgiveness, I am sorry that I ever doubted your knowledge and convenant with our Lord. If I also may add something, I think there is one crucial detail that you are missing. When I used this," Esau paused and, as he said the following word, added a shiver for good measure, "blasphemous abbreviation, I was not formerly worshipping him. I was merely speaking of The Almighty Lord and Creator of All That Is in a fond manner. If were to have been formerly worshipping Him, I would not dare do something so foolish." He felt a little bad for this lie, but he thought it would help, hopefully. "Please forgive me." Esau finished and got down on both knees at Isaac's feet. He kept his back stooped and his head way down.

[Bunny]

Rebekah scratched her head thoughtfully as she listened to her fiance. Creeping closer towards him and lowering her voice so as not to be overheard by Isaac she asked, "Hey. That's not true. You told me that you shortened it so that you worship him longer."

Isaac gave the bowed Esau a mere cursory glance. "I did not give you permission to speak," he hissed.

The matter, as far as he was concerned, silenced, he turned his attention towards Damon, and plastered a small smile onto his features. "Damon," he cooed, "please answer me, for I do not know." His tone took a pained tilt, as though he was begging for answers, uncertain and hurt, as though he were asking where his lost puppy had gone rather than prying for the revelations the Lord was not giving him. "Why does Esau lie to me so? Does he lie to protect himself from a greater grievance he has committed, or does he merely not wish to speak the truth to me? Have I displeased him in some manner? Am I at fault? Please tell me, Damon. No harm shall come to you."

[esau12]

Esau knew he must remain hushed, "Rebekah, do you want me to be sacrificed?"

[Bunny]

Rebekah stared blankly at Esau, not understanding the rhetorical nature of his question. "Why would I want that? Geeze, is that what's this is about? You're going to get yourself sacrificed to prove your love for me? You are such a fool. I can't become a widow before I'm even married!"

[esau12]

OOC: Wow
IC: "Wow"

[Bunny]

OOC: >.> I've never actually seen a one-word rp post before. That doesn't give me a lot to respond to.

IC:

Rebekah quirked an eyebrow at Esau. "What d'ya mean 'wow?'" she hissed, clenching a fist, though swiftly hiding it behind her back lest Isaac interpret it as a display of defiance. "'Wow, I'm such an idiot?' 'Wow, I'm going to die?' 'Wow, my wife is going to become a widow and I'm going to be laughing my tail off while I burn in hell?"

This time, Isaac heard Rebekah's rumblings, though he did not catch her words or hear but a breath from Esau. Still, it diverted his attention away from Damon and onto the girl. "Esau," he finally addressed the creature kneeling before him, "please just tell me what you have done. The truth. I have detected your lie, and if I cannot make certain who has assisted you in weaving it, and who has stood beside you while you committed the true crime, everyone must pay the ultimate price so that the transgression is surely avenged. It would be so loathsome for your lovely affianced to have to suffer for your sins."

[esau12]

OOC: I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much. Also, I cheated my post count a bit. I posted only an OOC comment before writing my IC and I deleted it, the count of comments still counts it.

IC: Now Esau began to feel a sinking in the pit of his stomach. He could feel himself getting heavier as his anxiety put an increasingly large weight on him. He had to think, but he needed time, or at least he wanted it. "Thank you for this chance to explain myself, I have seen the error in my ways. I have lied until this point in order to protect my fellow followers of the Lord." He paused and sent a quick glance over to Rebekah and Damon as sign for them to keep their mouths shut. He prayed that they would understand. He began to think, at this point sweat was visibly appearing on his brow. "You see, Isaac, I am guilty of teaching these two," He gestured to Rebekah and Damon, "about the Almighty. I fear that in doing so I have betrayed you, Isaac. It did not occur to me that my actions were wrong until after the fact, only now have realized that this treason should be dealt with, my leader." He once again knelt with his head down, he attempted to put on a facade of being humble and solemn as he awaited his punishment. He succeeded.

[Bunny]

OOC: Yeah. <.< >.> Don't do that. Cheating is wrong.

IC:

The boy preacher's gaze lingered on the inclined head of Esau. To Isaac, the boy seemed to be the picture of humility, of a piety and willing servitude that was usually seen as an honor to their Lord.

He Who Walks Behind the Rows, the Almighty and Holy, told him no different. He whispered no accusations of treachery, no orders for sacrifice or blood. He was silent, in all matters, regarding this boy. He didn't demand blood, true, but neither did he demand that Isaac cease his prying, neither did he order that Isaac fall onto his knees and beg forgiveness himself for harassing one of the Lord's favored.

And neither did the Lord indicate that Esau's tongue was spilling the truth. He was as quiet about this matter as he had been when Esau was caught in a lie.

"And this is the truth?" Isaac asked. This time, his voice was devoid of all the panic and indignant fury he had been feeling before. He managed to keep it perfectly calm and self-assured with no traces of the turmoil of doubt that was raging through him. "You claim to have been teaching Rebekah and Damon in the ways of the Lord?" His face remained calm, but his face contorted into one of disgust.

His tone was condescending, and laced with it. "What is it that you could possibly teach them? What principles did you offer them? Holy principles that I do not possess, even though I commune with our Lord personally? Have I proven unworthy? Teach me," he ordered, narrowing his eyes. "Impart your wisdom onto me, as you offered it to Rebekah and Damon."