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nd Faith Miller could hardly be expected to bend to her husband as the Lord intended。
The venison； however； was the best that Thrower had ever tasted。 〃Not gamy a bit；〃 he said。 〃I didn't think wild deer could taste like this。〃
〃She cuts off the fat；〃 said Armor； 〃and throws in some chicken。〃
〃Now you mention it；〃 said Thrower； 〃I can taste it in the broth。〃
〃And the deer fat goes into the soap；〃 said Armor。 〃We never throw anything away； if we can think of any use for it。〃
〃Just as the Lord intended；〃 said Thrower。 Then he fell to eating。 He was well into his second bowl of stew and his third slice of bread when he made a ment that he thought was a jesting pliment。 〃Mrs。 Weaver； your cooking is so good that it almost makes me believe in sorcery。〃
Thrower was expecting a chuckle； at the most。 Instead； Eleanor looked down at the table just as ashamed as if he had accused her of adultery。 And Armor…of…God sat up stiff and straight。 〃I'll thank you not to mention that subject in this house；〃 he said。
Reverend Thrower tried to apologize。 〃I wasn't serious about it；〃 he said。 〃Among rational Christians that sort of thing is a joke； isn't it？ A lot of superstition； and I〃
Eleanor got up from the table and left the room。
〃What did I say？〃 Thrower asked。
Armor sighed。 〃Oh； there's no way you could know；〃 he said。 〃It's a quarrel that goes back to before we were married； when I first e out to this land。 I met her when she came with her brothers to help build my first cabin the soapmaking shed； now。 She started to scatter spearmint on my floor and say some kind of rhyme； and I shouted for her to stop it and get out of my house。 I quoted the Bible； where it says； You shall not suffer a witch to live。 It made for a right testy half hour； you may be sure。〃
〃You called her a witch； and she married you？〃
〃We had a few conversations in between。〃
〃She doesn't believe in that sort of thing anymore； does she？〃
Armor knitted his brows。 〃It ain't a matter of believing； it's a matter of doing； Reverend。 She doesn't do it anymore。 Not here； not anywhere。 And when you sort of halfway accused her of it； well； it made her upset。 Because it's a promise to me； you see。〃
〃But when I apologized； why did she〃
〃Well； there you are。 You have your way of thinking； but you can't tell her that e…hithers and herbs and incantations got no power； because she's seen some things herself that you can't just explain away。〃
〃Surely a man like you； well read in the scripture and acquainted with the world； surely you can convince your wife to give up the superstitions of her childhood。〃
Armor gently laid his hand on Reverend Thrower's wrist。 〃Reverend； I got to tell you something that I didn't think I'd ever have to tell a grown man。 A good Christian refuses to allow that stuff in his life because the only proper way to bring the hidden powers into your life is through prayer and the grace of the Lord Jesus。 It ain't because it doesn't work。〃
〃But it doesn't；〃 said Thrower。 〃The powers of heaven are real； and the visions and visitations of angels； and all the miracles attested in the scripture。 But the powers of heaven have nothing at all to do with young couples falling in love； or curing the croup； or getting chickens to lay； or all the other silly little things that the ignorant mon people do with their so…called hidden wisdom。 There's not a thing that's done by doodlebugging or hexing or whatever that can't be explained by simple scientific investigation。〃
Armor didn't answer for the longest while。 The silence made Thrower quite unfortable； but he had no idea what more he could say。 It hadn't occurred to him before that Armor could possibly believe in such things。 It was a startling perspective。 It was one thing to abstain from witchery because it was nonsense； and quite another to believe in it and abstain because it was unrighteous。 It occurred to Thrower that this latter view was actually more ennobling： for Thrower to disdain witching was a matter of mere mon sense； while for Armor and Eleanor it was quite a sacrifice。
Before he could find a way to express this thought； however； Armor leaned back on his chair and changed the subject entirely。
〃Reckon your church is just about done。〃
With relief； Reverend Thrower followed Armor onto safer ground。 〃The roof was finished yesterday； and today they were able to clap all the boards on the walls。 It'll be watertight tomorrow； with shutters on the windows； and when we get them glazed and the doors hung it'll be tight as a drum。〃
〃I've got the glass ing by boat；〃 said Armor。 Then he winked。 〃I solved the problem of shipping on Lake Erie。〃
〃How did you manage that？ The French are sinking every third boat； even from Irrakwa。〃
〃Simple。 I ordered the glass from Montreal。〃
〃French glass in the windows of a British church！〃
〃An American church；〃 said Armor。 〃And Montreal's a city in America； too。 Anyway； the French may be trying to get rid of us； but in the meantime we're a market for their manufactured goods； so the Governor； the Marquis de la Fayette； he doesn't mind letting his people turn a profit from our trade as long as we're here。 They're going to ship it clear around and down into Lake Michigan； and then barge it up the St。 Joseph and down the Tippy…Canoe。〃
〃Will they make it before the bad weather？〃
〃I reckon so；〃 said Armor； 〃or they won't get paid。〃
〃You're an amazing man；〃 said Thrower。 〃But I wonder that you have so little loyalty to the British Protectorate。〃
〃Well； you see； that's how it is；〃 said Armor。 〃You grew up under the Protectorate； and so you still think like an Englishman。〃
〃I'm a Scot； sir。〃
〃A Brit； anyway。 In your country； everybody who was even rumored to be practicing the hidden arts got exiled； right away； hardly even bothered with a trial； did they？〃
〃We try to be just； but the ecclesiastical courts are swift； and there is no appeal。〃
〃Well； now； think about it。 If everybody who had any gift for the hidden arts got shipped off to the American colonies； how would you ever see a lick of witchery while you were growing up？〃
〃I didn't see it because there's no such thing。〃
〃There's no such thing in Britain。 But it's the curse of good Christians in America； because we're up to our armpits in torches； doodlebugs； bog…stompers and hexifiers； and a child can't hardly grow to be four feet tall without bumping headlong into somebody's go…away or getting caught up in some prankster's speak…all spell； so he says everything that es to mind and offends everybody for ten miles around。〃
〃A speak…all spell！ Now； Brother Armor； surely you can see that a touch of liquor does as much。〃
〃Not to a twelve…year…old boy who never touched a drop of liquor in his life。〃
It was plain that Armor was talking from his own experience； but that didn't change the facts。 〃There is always another explanation。〃
〃There's a powerful lot of explanations you can think up for anything that happens；〃 said Armor。 〃But I tell you this。 You can preach against conjuring； and you'll still have a congregation。 But if you keep on saying that