Day 23
"We should start, somewhere, somehow? Maybe you should know what I am? I mean, do you really know what I am?" she corrected herself, "What we are?"
He gestured at the chair for Mercy to sit. "Do you want to tell me, or would you like me to venture a guess?"
"Venture a guess..." she whispered, more to herself then to the man. Words... Human words are so hard. And this man... My demon. My man, I can feel pain. His pain – strong, so far away. I have to stay here. We need to... The pain drew her in. She drifted off. Several minutes later, Mercy blinked, "I would like to hear your words – questions and answers, and other words, maybe?"
Samuel asked, "What happens when you drift off like that?"
"Drift off?" Her silver-black eyes formed large circles, but there was no smile, no movement, no gestures of any kind, just flat stillness." I go to a place where humans cannot go. I do not think they can. Not a human place. A place where we are. A place where all the sisters, past and present, come together. A place where we are one. Big, bright and loud – small, warm and soft, a place no amount of words could fill or describe. A wonderfully terrible place … a place we never want to leave." She blinked as if she was waking up from a long nap. She sat in the chair. "Samuel, I hope we will become friends."
"A place?" he said to himself.
"Oh yes, a real place. And that is why you are going to help me stay here. In this world; I must stay in this world. We cannot do it alone. You cannot do it alone. Maybe, Samuel and Mercy can save something of this world." She took a deep breath and tried to get her eyes to focus on the man. "We mustn't speak of that place. Not yet. We are not ready to speak of the place. Do this thing for me, yes?" The man, Samuel, his pain – so strong, so far away. I must stay here. He can't know, yet. Not now. He can't know what I keep in that place. Somewhere far away – soft, warm and hazy. No, I will not go there. No, I will not tell. I will not leave my demon. I will make my demon need me.
Samuel didn't try to figure out who she referred to when she said 'we' or 'I'. He believed she didn't know either.
"I know," the man started, 'the sister hood is some kind of collective consciousness. All of the creatures, sisters want the same thing, individually and as a group. The creature... Your people can talk to each other without speaking out loud."
Mercy covered her eyes with both her hands. "Through touch. We crave touch." She was not aware that she had spoken out loud. Oh, to feel the touch...
The man continued speaking...
How does he know these things? Mercy thought. He could be... He must be our demon? I have to begin to... He can't know, yet. Not now. He can't know what I keep in that place. Somewhere far away, creature... He was trying to stop calling us creature... Her thoughts jumped around like a bead of water on a searing hot rock.
She stood up! Erect! Brushed her dress off. She wanted everyone to know, understand and experience the pride, the glory and the beauty that was Mercy. Her 'little black dress' somehow had found an aura, a faint shimmering glow.
Mercy spoke, "Yes, many of these things that you say are true, are true. But we are much, much more. Our journey to this world was many, many times grander than your imagination – could imagine. We traveled and explored before this world cooled and decided to make life. Our ability to survive the time between the stars... gives us... gave us – an expanse, a gift no other being can match. Many of the things you speak of, and the secrets you have learned make us Mercy. Know this, before Mercy, we had other names – other lives. This is the way it has been, and this is the way it will be."
"And this is the glory and beauty of Mercy." He spoke sarcastically as he felt the last tiny bit of his world dying around him.
Her head tilted sideways slightly. Her eyes blinked rapidly, for a few seconds. Did he understand? Was it heard, my plea? Help. Something went wrong, help me.
She said, "Tomorrow, maybe, we can be friends?"
"Tomorrow." Her smile reminds me of a story about a snake.
Day 24
Mercy was standing behind her chair. She seemed relaxed and calm; her brilliant crimson dress flowed around her. She waggled her head; as if, to highlight the matching ribbon in her hair. She watched him walk. He had passed her once already. Please stop and talk to me. If just for a little while. Her mind wandered off. She searched the ground at her feet. We can't watch him. Samuel, please don't walk away from us again. We have searched the world for you. We have followed you to the dark place. We do not wish to lose our beloved demon again.
"Matching shoes?" he inquired, "That's different? None of the others even bothered. Does that make you special? No, that can't be right? Something makes you different? Your appearance is definitely different."
She responded, "It is good to have a face. It was needed to have appearance...? We are the not same, … No that is not it. I will find the words." Her gaze drifted from one object to another and another.
Honey colored eyes fell upon the man, "It is a gift from us to us. Maybe, a gift from us to the human male named Samuel; even so, it was a gift long before. Still, we offer the gift."
"Are you trying to say that the creature call Mercy - and no other creature – wanted to have a good face, a pleasant appearance, for the human male called Samuel. You offered this as a gift, to me?" He shook his head and smiled at the absurdity of it all. "The girl creature with a name wants to look good for the only adult human male around here? Maybe, the last human male it will ever be able to find? Hum, I'll buy it. Why not. At least, you don't stink." The others smell like rotten plants at best.
She did not speak the words that had come to her; instead, she faked a smile, "It is good not to stink." Is this him being mean? Without ending us?
"Yes, it is." He leaned back in the chair.
"In the beginning, it was thought that the sister hood was a virus or a bacterium. The truth of us could not be seen beyond fear. They could not, would not, see what we brought to this world. The truths we had gathered from other places. The life that could be had, for all. They attacked us, killed. Tried to cure us. Kill or cure are the same to us." Mercy stopped. This man had been part of that 'they'. She knew why. "I'm sorry, but you have to understand the sisterhood. You cannot help, without understanding." Was this fear that kept her from looking to the man, Samuel? Man-demon? Could he be both?
Mercy continued on about the worlds she observed in her mind and in her travels. She paused to watch the man, still she could not meet his eyes. It was good to be so close. She must be careful. He could not know everything yet.
Samuel stated. "So, the 'sisterhood' fixes that body up to impress me, sends you to talk a lot to educate me, and ask for help that I don't know how to give. Then, talk around all of it. Still, the question remains; what do you really want?" He did not expect to get a real answer to that question or any other question. Who was the prey, and who was the predator? Why a truce? And what really made this one different?
She watched the man; then Mercy continued on about the worlds she observed in her mind, and in her travels. It would be better to be closer. An empty smile. The man, Samuel – so strong, so far away. I have to stay here. He can't know, yet. Not now. Oh, his touch must be so warm, so gentle, so comforting.... He's very hazy, somewhere far away. To feel his touch... Oh my, beloved...
Day 25
Mercy questioned the man, "You said that all of the sisters want the same thing, Both individually and as a group. What did you mean?"
"I do not mind dying alone. Maybe, when I am very old and no longer can give the Sisters of Mercy what they want. I will go to them - you and have a quick death. Until then, I've watched the sisters just seem to suck the life out of anyone who's not them. Maybe, you will do this for me."
"Please, tell me more about what we want." Was he sad? He could be angry. It's been so long since I could tell those things about a human. This is one of the things to learn? Maybe? Maybe he is a human? But what kind of human?
"You want to stay alive and mate, and I don't think staying alive is that important. Your kind would walk bare foot on glass in a burning building while being poked with a sword to lay with another." This was what was different. Mercy did not behave like the 'Sisters of Mercy.' She might have had some self-control. Maybe, a little self-awareness? A bit of humanity left in that stolen shell of a person? He took a hard long look at Mercy. This creature truly puzzled the man.
Like a sudden shock, she felt his eyes burn into her. She wanted to reach out. With no warning, she jumped back. He was to be feared, too dangerous to touch. Trying to touch the man could mean the end. She was away from the man now. Her breath was heavy and fast. The chair had toppled over. The man? By the other chair? What is he doing? Standing? Just, standing. No one had an end.
He didn't know why she did what she did. Well, he didn't know why she did anything she did. So, he watched and waited. And waited. She stepped, a step without direction – was she coming or going? "What happened? I won't hurt you. You can tell me what happened. Mercy, you came to me for help." Nothing, he thought. "I'm not going to play your game without something in return."
"Thank you for the gift, Samuel." The smile he did not trust appeared, "A girl likes to be seen, sometimes. I have no other words, today." I really liked being seen! It wasn't being touched, but I liked... Oh, to be touched, and... "Tomorrow, maybe, an answer." Oh, I can feel it. There is demon in him.
The man named Samuel thought, Mercy- girl queen of the sisters, me thinks your brain is broke.
Day 26
"Fear." was the only word she had spoken since he sat down. Her hands, lightly clasped together, rested on her lap. Her eyes gazed at the ground where her feet should be. Her long gray sweater wrapped around her legs, reflected her mood; if she had moods.
Samuel understood what she meant by fear. He needed the trigger for her fight or flight reaction. She needed to say it for herself. I should end her now; he thought. He wasn't sure he could. This one is more dangerous than I believed. I feel like the prey. Maybe, it's getting to me.
Samuel raised his hands to the sky, and he counted. "Two - Two and a half hours." He stood up.
"It has been two hours and twenty-one minutes since we sat down. Samuel. you can count time in the sky?" Mercy said, not expecting him to answer. "Fear makes words hard to find. I hope you will allow me an attempt to find the words?" She watched the man; it did not help. She still didn't understand. "I ask that you give me time for words?"
"Today, what's left of it. And tomorrow. Then, I go on a long walk. It's time."
She did not know what to say. I could beg. Please don't go, can I come, or... I could plead some more? Oh, just to be...
Samuel said softly as he tried to find her eyes, "Hey, Mercy, are you still here?"
"Yes, I'm here." To Mercy her smile seemed sad, "Tell me of this journey?"
"I'll be back in ten, maybe, fifteen days. I have to go hunting. I'm nearly out of meat. I don't make enough food in the garden to keep me alive, all year long without hunting." They both knew that this was because the sisters stole a good bit of his food. Until recently, he had killed the sisters who tried to do this. They both remember the day he stopped.
Today, she did not think of killing, hunting, or remembering. "You'll be back." She screamed with joy, inside. Oh, yes – human emotion – He's coming back to me – us! Maybe, one day to be … Oh, to leave me. He truly is part demon.
"My house is right over there." he pointed. "Fear? You were saying?"
"We have spoken of you. To us you are more than one. You sit before me, and you are Samuel – the human man who walks and talks. Dangerous and feared, but a man, respected and admired, possibly even loved. Before the man, there was No-Mercy. A being to be feared. One hid, ran, watched this being – because - the only thing it did was offer no mercy. It spoke to us in anger. It avoided contact with us. It hated us. It stopped, and when we reached out to it, it killed us. We learned not to reach out to it, not to try to touch it. We learned distance, for it had no mercy. We traded distance for life – we lost..."
Mercy sat in a ball. The ball shrank as he waited for her to continue.
"The third you had no name. It is an image, many images of you in shadows, of you as a shadow. A shadow in your image. It is more than death, more than fear, and more than the worst of all of us. The story goes: The shadow- demon walked out of the old places. It formed from all the anger, despair, and hatred of the humans that had ended in pain or ended badly. It was a demon born of the past. Its purpose was to destroy all that was good. It wanted the 'Sisters of Mercy'. It hunted me, so the sisters say. That is what we say. The demon had no name, we knew it had no mercy. The demon was ours. It was our most feared, most despised, beloved demon."
"Mercy, I never hunted you. I didn't know there was a 'goddess queen' called Mercy. And God, I hope I'm not a demon." Samuel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I was trying to get away from all of you. Everywhere I went, you were there. Crowding. Touching. Grabbing. Clawing. And the things you said, talked about. And what you had done. None of you seemed - like people anymore. I was running away, but I couldn't get away. There was no escape."
"Samuel, I do not speak of these times to hurt you." Mercy uncurled her legs from the gray sweater. Her shiny green sandals lightly touched down. "I cannot say that any one being is the demon. When I jumped, I jumped from the demon; it did not matter if you were here or not. We all fear the image of this demon more than anything else. We feared the one who stole parts of ourselves from us. Please, I do not wish to say more."
No one spoke for a long time.
"Yesterday, you said, 'Thank you for the gift, Samuel. A girl likes to be seen. Those are not the words of a collective." He leaned forward, "Can... will you help me understand this?" The other creatures never spoke in first person. Possibly, a way to end all of them? A crack to get through the lies. She had lied about who she was scared of... I wonder why?
She showed no sign of responding. He said, "What I mean is – well - do you really like being seen?" That won't work. She can't be that vein – gullible.
Her eyes searched for his eyes. He watched the silvery gray sadness turn to her honey brown. "Is it not only correct for one being to appreciate qualities in another? Appreciation is a gift, in its way. One should be grateful for a gift of this magnitude."
"So, looking is a gift. And that's a big – look at me – yes?"
"Yes."
"And what does the collective think about this?"
"I will ask them and tell you tomorrow."
Day 27
"It's good to be queen and goddess, and more me than any other me." Her yellow dress, newly washed and freshly pressed, followed her as she twirled in the sun. "I have been put upon to ask if you will continue to speak with us upon your return?"
"The answer to why you want to be looked at is – because you're more you than any other you are you? Or. A good old fashion, it's good to be queen." He was behind the chair. Talking as much with his hands as he was with his words. "No - the answer can't be that simple - 'I like being looked at.' or 'We, sisters, are grateful when other beings find us appealing.' Your answer did not even answer the question."
"Are you angry with me?" She stopped spinning.
He leaned against the chair, arms folded, "No, I am not. A bit confused, not angry."
"Will you continue to speak with us upon your return?"
"Yes, I will continue to speak to Mercy." The creature seems to respond better when I talk in short sentences.
"We, Mercy, are grateful when appreciated for any of our qualities. If the man Samuel were to appreciate anything about Mercy, the sisters would be part of that, and they would be grateful." She sat in the chair. "I like when – you look at me. I do not want to say more, at this time."
Her eyes were as human as they could be, "Samuel, I have found, it is good to be queen, but it is better to be a queen that does not stink. Can we sit for a while without speaking?"
"Yes, it is also good to have a face." The man moved.
"You made a joke? I made a joke?"
"Yes, Mercy."
"Can we sit for a while?" The hallow- gray returned to her eyes.
"Yes, Mercy, we can sit here without speaking, for a time."
Mercy spoke to Samuel anyway.
"I've come a long way to talk to you." She looked at the man. "It is important. Neither one of us has much time left. Neither of us can fix it alone. You can't do it by yourself. I can't do it by myself." Mercy spoke until darkness had nearly come upon them. It is good to speak of things, important or not, to this man. This was not expected. It was appreciated, and I - we are grateful. But it was not expected.
Day 28
Mercy went to the tree. She placed her hands on the trunk. She rocked slowly, back and forth. She waited, and she left. She must be ready for tomorrow, ready for his return. One day. The grass swayed. The clouds floated by.
It was a short two-day (a day and a half) ride to the hunting grounds. The old man with a dog trot cabin lived there. Samuel's horse died at the start of winter – old age. So, now it was a good three-day walk. It would be good to see the old man.
Day 29
Mercy went to the tree. She placed her hands on the trunk. She rocked slowly, back and forth. She blinked. The clouds soft, white, and hazy. So far away...
She waited, and she left. She must be ready for tomorrow, ready for his return. Day two.
The old man was one of the few people he saw regularly. He was short and round with a long gray beard. His thin white hair crazy wild under his strange wide brim hat. He carried what he called a cowboy gun. Samuel really didn't get most of his stories but listening made both of them happy. The old man truly loved watching someone sip the brew he called wine. He would have to try to get the old man to come back with him. He was getting old.
Day 30
Mercy went to the tree. She placed her hands on the trunk. She rocked slowly, back and forth. She waited, and she left. She must be ready for tomorrow, ready for his return. Three days. Sisters calling from far away. Soon, very soon. There would be no faraway sisters to call.
Samuel had seen the log wall that surrounded the old man's dog trot cabin, from a distance. It was too dangerous to keep moving this close to dark. The sisters hunted here. Not very many, but more than enough. He found a place to lay. He covered himself with leaves, branches, whatever would help him hide. He held the shot gun close. He did not trust Mercy's truce. Prey, I am the prey.
Day 31
Mercy went to the tree. Her fingers touched the trunk of the tree. Part of her believe this broader closer to the man. She rocked slowly, back and forth. She waited. Tears rolled down her cheek, and she left. Her sisters were speaking to her from far away. She must be ready for tomorrow, ready for his return. The fourth day passed.
Something was wrong. He had an urge to check the gun. He knew he didn't have to. No creatures approached as he neared the wooden fort wall. The old man didn't answer when called. The gate was locked. It was an easy lock to undo. The old gray creatures didn't seem to understand locks. They spent their time pulling on boards and slapping walls.
He walked around the outer wall, until he found a log down and another leaning. The old man found a way out. He's alright, Samuel thought. He went in.
The odor of drying death surrounded him. Its harshness stung his eyes as he tied a rag over his mouth and nose. He counted. Five creatures out here. All dead. He rolled one over with his foot. The green liquid was not fully dry at the corner of her mouth. New dead. No wounds – no injuries at all. Just dead – no reason. The other four were the same. No reason. Mercy had said something about everyone dying, the end of all things. Is this what she meant? Mad death?
He entered the breeze way. There was no smoke from the chimneys. He went into the sleeping room on the right. The only light came from the door. He started to pull the rag of a curtain back. He saw him, long since passed. One dried up form of a creature at the foot of the bed a second creature on the side. The old man passed long before they entered. He didn't understand.
The creature by the side of the bed moaned, "Help. mercy..." She was only able to move one finger very slightly. She tried to point at the old man lying there. The green liquid that comes when they die formed at the corner of her pale-dry lips. Pain covered her face.
He ripped the curtain from the wall. Wrapped it around her wrist and pulled her closer to the old man. Her hand dropped. The man said, "Your hand is on the old man. You're touching him now. There's only one more thing I can do for your pain."
The creature closed her eyes. "Yes, mercy. Happy." She mouthed.
A shot from the old man's cowboy gun rang out. The man said. "Never again. Isn't this enough?" He gathered up the hat, holster and gun; then he sat in the breezeway until morning. It was the mad death; they were just too weak to attack. They chose to lay down and die with him.
Day 32
Mercy went to the tree. She placed her hands on the trunk. She rocked slowly, back and forth. She waited, and she left. She must be ready for tomorrow, ready for his return. The fifth day has passed, but it was not the same.
Samuel thought. This time I'll bury them all. I'll bury them together, next to the old man. He won't mind. He liked imagining them as pretty ladies from his youth.
Now, he had to find Randolph the mule. It was only right he should take care of the old man's mule.
Day 33
The next nine days went painfully slow for Mercy. She went to the chairs, under the tree and waited. She went to her sisters to hear news of the man's travels. She also quieted their anxieties. The sisters did not like Mercy and the human Samuel to be apart. Mercy thought. Are we to forgive the human? Is it time?
Samuel and Randolph hunted. He could feel the creatures watching. The hunt was an easy quick one. Randolph could feel them too. They were close. Maybe they did learn to hide? The scent of decaying flowers, Randolph got it too. "Easy old boy, it's just riding the wind." He patted the side of the mule's neck.
Day 42
Mercy knew what she saw. The man really was not the same. He had nothing in his hands or on his back, but he seemed to carry a great weight. He disappeared behind the house with that thing. She, they, did not like the big animal. He was much smarter than he seemed. He was not to be touched.
Samuel was back. He did not leave the house. He did not walk. He did not pass her. He did not say 'good morning.' He did not speak to her. He did not speak. He must be angry with us, me? I have done harm to my human? Oh, to hear his voice when...
Day 43
Mercy wore a teal blue sundress with a matching shirt under the top. The ribbon that circled under her hair to the top of her head was midnight blue. The little, short heeled pointed shoes were baby blue. Her right hand rested against the tree. Her right foot tapped the earth. She waited, desperately trying to stay away from the faraway places. She wanted to be clear and bright – for the... Samuel.
She placed her hands on the trunk. She rocked slowly, back and forth. She waited, and she left. She must be ready for tomorrow, ready to continue.
Day 44
Samuel's walking. Will he stop? He's coming. She crossed the clearing. Moving toward the tree. She brushed off the simple yellow dress printed with flowers. Her white cotton gloves seemed to jump in the morning sun.
He thought. Gloves, white gloves? Again? I'll have to remember to ask. They approached each other. He stood next to the border, as he said, "Good morning, Mercy."
Mercy stopped, twelve to eighteen inches away. "Good morning, friend, Samuel. We are pleased to be part of your company once more." Gray haunted eyes stared through him.
"Yea," he leaned back, "hard time getting your brakes to work this morning, I see."
"Brakes?" she lifted her hand, like to sign stop. It rested a couple of inches from the man. "Position was designed not to cause physical contact or violate border." The closest she'd ever been to him. Oh, to be close. To hear... To see... To touch... To feel... Her breath grew heavy. She stepped back. "I, we, hope no damage has been done to our..." Her eyes darted around him.
"To our situation?" he paused. "To our agreement?" paused again. "To our relationship?"
A serpentine smile showed on her face. "Yes, Samuel, to our relationship."
"An old man told me a story about a snake. Have I told you that story?" Did she mean to say to our Samuel? She lied to me once again.
Mercy's head leaned sideways, nearly touching her shoulder. "No, I do not believe you have."
"I will have to tell you, sometime soon."
"Samuel, sit, and speak of the snake animal tales?"
"Tomorrow, it will be better, tomorrow." He did not trust the snake today.
Day 45
Samuel sat in the chair. He had moved the chairs closer. They were four feet apart instead of six. He wanted to see if it noticed. And if it related anything it was about to hear to itself. No, it was not here, yet. It would come. It seemed compelled. It would come.
Samuel opened a book. It was the story of an old man who fished on a sea. It seemed fitting. Since, he had the old man's cowboy gun. Instead of his own.
A glint of red, nearly pink, bounced over the book. This was the quietest she ever arrived.
Her hair was wild. It was that way on purpose, maybe? She wore the same sandals she had before. The book closed.
Mercy smiled; it was like a small child waking up. "Hello." was all she said.
Her eyes were grayer than honey. "Hello." he returned.
With her child's smile she shyly turned her eyes from his. "I like that." she muttered.
"What's that?" he asked while following her eyes. The honey returned. What does that mean? Those eyes? They change colors: black, silver, brown and that honey golden? He had never seen any creature do that. The new turn kept their human eyes for a short time; then they would always turn that silvery gray, and when the creatures began to turn into a Gray, their eyes would fade to black with a hint of olive green.
"When you look at me, I am not the same as when you do not look at me."
"I don't know what to say. If you wish, I can look at you less?"
"Please, do no different than you have done." Mercy swallowed, "We must express our appreciation. The chairs are twenty-five inches closer together. This brings us great comfort."
Silence for a moment. Her face shifted like a leaf that could not find a place to land.
"Samuel, you are under no obligation to speak of the snake animal story today."
Damn, I think I made the creature girl Mercy cry. "Do you want me to tell it?"
"Yes, I do." Her childlike eyes blinked, "Today, I will appreciate the snake animal story."
"OK, but I think I will only tell you the short version today. I'll wait and tell you the long version if we become friends." He paused to watch her reaction. She did not seem to care what he spoke about. This was much too human for a creature. Maybe? Still, this one truly was dangerous. But what did it really matter? The world of mankind was nearly gone.
"Mercy? I want you to imagine that you are walking along, and you see a talking snake. The snake says. 'Please help me, I'm cold. I cannot move when it's cold.' So, you pick up the snake and hold it close as you walk toward the sun."
Mercy interrupted, "The bite of the snake animal. It does not hurt the Sisters of Mercy."
"Not this snake animal. His bite can hurt Mercy, but he had promised Mercy that he would not bite. You see, you have to imagine that you and the snake have made a bargain."
"I understand. You have made me part of the snake animal story? Yes, helping the snake animal not to get bitten is a good exchange. I... We.... Mercy would accept this bargain."
"While carrying the snake it grew warmer, and its ability to move returned. Snake grew happy as you returned it to a warm place in the sun. But as soon as you laid it in a warm place, it struck. It bit you on the hand." the man paused.
Mercy's expression grew blank; then she spoke. "I do not like this story. This story is about Mercy getting hurt. I.... We do not like that." A childlike frown came to her face. "Samuel only wants to hurt Mercy. We.... I do not understand. Mercy.... We.... I do not wish to hurt Samuel."
Samuel spoke softly, "Mercy, I am not going to hurt you right now. The story is not about Mercy getting hurt. It is a story to help you understand a lesson. Wouldn't you want to know why the snake bit you? The story is about understanding why things happen."
Mercy sat up straight and leaned forward. "Oh, you are going to tell me why the snake animal bit Mercy?"
"Do you know why?"
She leaned forward and stared directly at Samuel. "I think I like this story much more when Samuel is telling it. This story is not for Mercy to tell."
"I believe that means that you are not even going to try and guess? Anyhow, when Mercy asked the snake. "Why did you bite me?" The snake replied. "Did you not know who I was when you picked me up? I am a rattlesnake."
Her head leaned over towards her left shoulder. Her eyes blinked rapidly; then They opened up as round as they could be. The silvery gray of her eyes shined out as she spoke, "Yes. Mercy.... We understand now. Samuel tells this story so Mercy will not pick up any talking snakes." A serpent smile formed as she gazed at the man. "Samuel does not have to be concerned. Mercy will not pick up any talking snake animals."
She watched as the man closed his eyes and shook his head.
She leaned forward and her right hand reached out toward Samuel. As she spoke, her palm was facing upward like she was offering the man a gift. "Samuel, in all of the time and travels of Mercy, no such creature has ever been found. I do not believe you have anything to fear. There is no such creature to bite Mercy."
The man replied, "Yes, Mercy, you're indeed correct. Snakes are not supposed to talk." Maybe someone really did need to teach her things. Things she did not know.