Love towards One another.

"You sound like Mr. Gottlieb," I scoffed. "And I am unsure if what I have seen could be called 'Love'. It is more akin to 'Lust' in my eyes."

The pastor shook his head. "Your answer before, my son, was that of doing Good for hopes of Reward in the Here-after. Why is that so?"

"Because we are not without Fault, unlike our Lord. We are all subject to our most Base Needs and Wants. And thus we have been charged by the Lord to resist our Temptations and should we be worthy, be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven."

He nodded sagely. "Is Selfishness a Sin, my son?"

His question gave me pause. "It would not be a Virtue but no, it is not."

"Is Selflessness a Sin?"

"No."

"Then, pray tell, my son, in the short time that you've been with us, have you indulged in your own selfish desires? A Curiosity that demanded Satisfaction? One that would have inconvenienced or even imposed upon others?"

I fell silent and looked inwards. "I... I have," I admitted, shame giving my cheeks color.

"And those that you have called upon to address these selfish Curiosities, have they turned you away? Cast you out onto the street? Did they not... oblige your curiosity?" I shook my head. "And from what I have heard, they had all extended invitation. Did they ever **** you to go?" Again, I shook my head. "That is quite selfless of them, was it not? To invite a complete stranger, an outsider, into their Homes, their Bedrooms, to break Bread and have Wine with? To even call upon your house servants to see that you are properly seen to? Is it not enough to be Good to another man, regardless of whatever Sin you believe them to bear? Is that not Love?"

I crossed my arms and frowned deeply, before raising an eyebrow at him. "You seem to be in the know of my comings and goings, Father. Divine Visions from up-on-high?"

He chuckled and smiled warmly. "If there is one Sin, that we all share here in Madosin, my son, is that we are all horrible Gossips." A bark of laughter exited my mouth before I could stop it. His chuckle continued when his Secretary approached us, begged our pardon, and told him that a Mr. Bronswic had come to express his gratitude for the pastor's assistance in some manner that was not relayed to me. Father O'Coner nodded and excused himself, but not before advising me to think upon what we had discussed.

In the shade of his Garden's Tree, I thought long and hard, but found no Answers. Perhaps they could be found elsewhere. I collected myself and took my leave, but as I walked through the Church halls, I saw, through a Door left ajar, the pastor and his guest, in a similar state to which I had first seen Mr. Gottlieb. Blood began to fill my mouth, from my own bitten tongue, and my paces grew longer as I made my exit.