As dinner ended, there was not one bit of the Cabbage and Roots concoction left. It had been simple, but loaded with butter, and some onions and salt. The two precooked chickens were mostly gone. "Finish these off, guys. I don't want to have to put this stuff away." They complied, and there were no leftovers whatsoever. Guided by Janiece's careful questions, the talk had centered on fields and gardens, vegetables, herds, and orchards. All safe stuff, Janiece hoped. Jake got out the herbal teas and put the kettle on, and James and Josh cleared the table while Janiece scrubbed down the countertops. Bolco was sitting on the side toward the deck, and he turned and looked out. It was dark. He went to the window and looked out; there were stars.

Jake stood beside him. "Stars are out."

"Yes."

"You want to drink outside?"

"Can we?"

"Why not? James, Josh, you game? Mom?"

"What?"

"Take the tea outside."

"In February?" said James.

"Sure, " said Josh. "Why not?"

"Bundle up, " said Janiece, clearly unenthused. "Can't you find something for Bolco's feet? He'll freeze. He might be able to wear some of your shoes, Jake."

"He doesn't like shoes, " Jake protested. Bolco shook his head.

Josh thought hard. "Although... you know, Bolco, if we go anywhere, being barefoot will make you totally conspicuous. If you want to blend in, you should think that one over again. You couldn't go into any stores-- markets, I mean-- or into any inns or anyplace public, with bare feet. It's against the law."

"Oh, I couldn't. I can't, " said Bolco, to Jake, pleading.

"You're really not cold?" asked James.

"Not very. I mean, you do get a slight chill, but it's not bad."

"Well, we won't worry about it tonight, then. But we need to think it over." James met Bolco's eyes. "I know it's nasty, but you'll be housebound otherwise, and stuck with those funny clothes. We need to get you some things that fit, and that will help you blend in a bit better." He held Bolco's gaze, and Bolco argued with himself that he needed to trust these men, and he tried to open his mind to the idea.

"Why don't you wait outside, and watch the stars?" Josh suggested. "We'll be out in a bit, after we finish cleaning up."

"All right. Janiece?" She turned, and Bolco drew himself tall, placed one hand on his chest, and bowed, as he had early that morning at breakfast, and then said gently, "Thank you for dinner, Janiece."

He really was delightful. She beamed. He slipped outside and closed the door behind him.

"All right, " Josh said quietly but firmly, "I've been thinking; we really can't mention much about Middle-Earth at all. Not at all."

"Go on, " said Jake.

"What we know from the Trilogy is all wrapped around stuff that either nobody in his town knows yet, like the contents of Bilbo's book, which he hasn't shared in the Shire-- or, most of the stuff we know just plain hasn't happened yet, " said Josh, hurriedly. "Nobody should know about the Ring, except Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo, and Fatty Bolger. And they should have several months more of obscurity before the thing breaks. Bolco mustn’t find out from us. "

"Then how do we know about Tuckborough, the Smials, the Shire? Hobbits themselves?" asked Jake.

"Vague folklore, “ James offered. "Like rumors of dragons in faraway lands."

"The Tooks were the best traveled... that might be the best that we can do, " Josh replied.

"So... the only thing we know about is the Took family and the Smials and that it's in a place called The Shire?" James summarized.

They all hesitated. It did seem a bit farfetched.

"I don't want to lie. He trusts us, " said Jake.

"Of course not. It's a question of what information we volunteer, " said Josh. "Ideas?"

"Let him tell us whatever he likes. Let's pump him for information, and see if we can stick to that."

"He'll ask us eventually."

"Pray like blazes."

"Heck, yeah. We'd better do that anyway."

"Okay... he's waiting, and he's got no jacket at the moment. Let's go. Mom, you're not coming?"

"No. Make sure nobody gets a chill."

"Where did he go?"

"I can guess." Jake pointed to the base of the pine tree, at which was a plastic deck chair, and a mug of tea. "He'll need a jacket all right."

"He climbs trees!"

"Avidly. Bring your mugs of tea, " Jake said.

The older brothers thought it odd, but they fetched jackets and tea mugs, and soon gathered under the pine. Bolco was waiting for them in the lower branches. Jake held up a jacket, which Bolco donned with some difficulty, and then Jake handed Bolco his mug of tea. Bolco sipped another inch or so off the top, and then began carefully climbing, and did not spill one drop.

"Someone's going to have to hold two mugs in the tree while the last person swings up, " Jake said. Josh and James were now grinning ear to ear. "James, you get started; I'll hold the two mugs, " Josh said. In another few minutes, they were all at least twenty feet up, and enjoying the smell of pitch, mingled occasionally with peppermint or chamomile.

James was closest to Bolco, and decided to go first. "What got you started climbing trees?"

Bolco laughed. "Dodging other hobbits while I was looking for elves, " he said. "I get tired of hearing how odd I am. And I always thought that the elves might not notice me if I was in a tree, and they might walk underneath where I was. It's never worked." After a brief pause, he continued. "Then I started liking the trees just for themselves; and for the solitude they gave. And the view of the stars through their branches. The stars-- I can't get enough of them. They make me hungry, almost, like-- well--"

They waited.

"Jake, do you remember earlier today when I said I was hungry, but in a different way? We were talking about the Creator."

"I remember."

"The stars make me feel like that, only not quite so much. Perhaps the hunger I feel when I look at the stars is the beginning of that feeling about the Creator." He paused, and thought. "The night before I woke up on the train, when I was in the tree out in Green Hill Country, I remember thinking, the Path of Stars-- that-- “ he slowly ran his hand across the Milky Way, end to end-- "is like a great river of light, a river of stars, and I should like to be able to swim in it. And I wanted to so badly, it almost felt like it was possible, that someday I could. I asked if I could someday, without knowing whom to ask. I just did."

They waited for a while, and then James changed the subject.

"Bolco, you mentioned the Creator. Tell me more about that."

"I don't know much. Jake does, though. But you must know that."

"I want to hear what you have to say. What you've learned, what you think."

"I'm only beginning to learn."

"Then tell me about how you are learning. What started you thinking?"

Bolco collected his thoughts. "Just yesterday.... I was walking away from the tall buildings, along the rails. And I was thinking about the people that I had met, and how one man had been kind and had given me the jacket. And so looking for that kindness again, I tried to talk to the woman at the window, but I did not do very well. And I left discouraged. But before I got back to the tracks, I smelled something sweet. Too sweet, only I was so hungry it smelled good.

"I was so hungry, that I asked for food. Only there was no one to ask, and I spoke inside my mind, or my heart, I suppose. And I didn't even wonder if somebody would hear me, at that point; I just followed the smell, and it led to a glass-walled market, where people were buying ring-cakes. I stood outside, realizing I had no money, and a man told me I needed shoes, and a bath. I said no thank you, I didn't want shoes, but I was hungry, and had no money to buy anything. And he went inside, and came back out with a cup of milk, and then gave me two ring-cakes, and then left. He was very kind.

"I walked back to the tracks, and I realized that when I had tried to talk to the woman behind the window, I had gotten nowhere; but when I had asked Someone for help, I had gotten it. Only I didn't know who the Someone was. But when I said thank you to the Someone... " He paused, remembering. "When I said thank you, I felt warm inside. Even though the milk had been cold, and I was cold. But deep inside, I sensed a warmth. And I thought about that, and as I said thank-you to the Someone again, the warmth grew stronger.

"Not long after that, I asked a second thing. I asked to find someone who would befriend me, take care of me for a while, and give me a place to stay, to rest. And then I turned south, and left the tracks. I walked through the woods, and past some houses, and asked the Someone what to do next.

"And that was when I met your mother. That was early this morning, " he said, amazed. "I was drinking from the, the faucet at the back of the house, and your mother asked me if I was okay-- wash she asking me if I was well?-- and if I was hungry. And she was very kind. I knew that my request was being answered, and as I said thank-you-- silently-- the warmth stayed, and grew. I knew Someone was taking care of me, providing, watching over me, and most of all, listening to me. And that was the most amazing thing; that I was being listened to." He paused. "And then your mother called Jake."

He paused, remembering. "The last man-child I had faced had not been kind at all, and I was so terrified to meet another, I fled the house, and stood on the back porch. And I was weeping again, and I complained that I had been weeping a lot lately, and your mother said, Sometimes the Holy Spirit just does that. And I didn't understand, and she said, God's Spirit. And I realized that she meant The Creator. And I realized that was the Someone looking over me, listening to me, taking care of me. And that He was warming me, inside, like... like a candle, maybe, or a coal from the fire.

"So I decided that I wanted to stay near Janiece, thinking that she was the friend I had asked for; and especially, since she knew something about the Creator, and talked to him too. That I would risk meeting Jake, and trust the Creator to work it out. I was terrified, of course, but the Creator was right. "

Bolco took a deep breath, and then said, "Now I think that instead of giving me one friend, the Creator gave me four."

"He does have a habit of working things out, " said James. "He's good at it."

"I feel safe here in a way I'm not used to feeling safe, " Bolco said. "You don't seem to laugh at my wild ideas."

"If you don't mind my saying so, " said Josh, "I think your ideas are rather nice. I like them. I'm still thinking about your other idea you mentioned. Swimming among the stars...” he tipped his head back and explored the Milky Way. "I love to swim."

Bolco jolted so hard he actually spilled his tea. "You can swim??" Agitation took the place of peace.

"Sure. Lifeguard, instructor... swam a lot."

"Instructor? You, you mean, a swimming instructor? You teach people how to swim?"

"Uh-huh."

"Could-- could you-- could-- would you--"

"What?"

"I, I... I mean... "

Josh gave his mug to Jake, and climbed up eye to eye with Bolco, grasping his arm, half afraid Bolco might fall if he got more agitated. James had had the same thought, and maneuvered to Bolco's other side. Josh spoke. "Bolco, would you like to learn how to swim?"

"YES!"

"I'll teach you, then."

"You... you will?"

Josh studied Bolco's face, and saw an even mixture of wild hope and sheer terror.

"Yes, " said Josh, leaning over a good large branch and grasping him with both hands now. "I will teach you to swim."

"Oh, Josh, thank you!" And then Bolco began to shake, and James and Josh held him by one arm each as Jake came up to join them. Bolco's emotions had gone off the scale, and he struggled to regain some sort of composure, but it took what seemed like forever. Eventually he took several deep breaths in a row, and said, "Josh, I shall be absolutely terrified. Can you teach me even though I will be frightened out of my wits?"

Josh nodded. "Bolco, I've taught lots of people who were afraid of the water. I'll take you on. Don't worry. Jake and James are pretty good swimmers themselves, we might even talk them into coming too."

"You bet, " said Jake.

"I'd like to, " said James.

"I can't believe it, " said Bolco. "I never thought it could happen." Then he sobered. "We shall have to wait until the summer, " he said, suddenly thinking it had been, after all, too good to be true. He did not think he would still be here by then.

"Knucklehead, " said Josh. "The pool at the high school is indoors, and warm enough, and open year round. Let's go Sunday."

"Pool?"

"Well," said Jake, "You could compare it to a giant bathtub, I guess."

Bolco wasn't there yet.

"It's like a big rectangular pond, inside a tile room. Filled with water. The water has chlorine in it, to keep it clean. You swim back and forth. You'll need goggles, like the rest of us, or the water will hurt your eyes. "

"People swim inside a building." Hope and terror came flooding back. He was numb with bewilderment, shock, and anticipation combined.

"We'll take you there and show you."

"Josh, you don't know."

"What?"

"How much I want to do this. And how terrified I am. Both at the same time."

Josh nodded. "Maybe you're right; maybe I don't know, " he said, "but if I can teach you, I will. I'll give it all I can."

Bolco hid his face in his hands, and just tried to catch his breath. He was still shaking, but he calmed down little by little. "I've always wanted to learn to swim, because I've always loved the water. But it would have been the last straw. I'd have been labeled insane. I thought of going to Buckland for a few weeks in the summer, but there were the fields to take care of. And I would never have lived it down if anybody found out; and why wouldn't they? And for that matter, why should the folks at Buckland teach me how to swim when it's rare enough even there? And goodness knows what Lilac would think."

The brothers exchanged glances, but decided that this was the wrong time to press him about anything, and that he should just calm down if he could. But the thought of Lilac seemed to calm him considerably, and he went on. "I suppose I am being unfair to her in saying that, " he went on. "She goes wading at Bywater too, much to everyone's astonishment. Everyone thinks that water belongs in a drinking glass or a bathtub, or a teakettle; but not her. I think she'd even get in a boat if the opportunity presented itself. She's never criticized me for being crazy, even when I sit in trees waiting for elves to go by." He laughed at himself.

He was himself now, they thought. The brothers gently released their grip on Bolco and they sat comfortably again. "She must be wild like you, " Josh said. "I think I like her. What's so crazy about wading?"

Bolco laughed. "Oh, it's fine, until you wade in past your knees. Then people look at you oddly. And when you go right up to chest-deep, they accuse you of being queer in the head."

"How often do you do that?"

"Only when the river is quite calm and slow. I'm too afraid otherwise. That's one reason I want to learn to swim. I went right in up to my neck once, when Lilac wasn't there to be frightened by it. But I was terrified, because I knew if anything happened, if I stumbled into deeper water or fell over or anything, I'd be done for."

"But she goes wading too. How deep?"

"She went in just above her knees once. But her father disapproved, and I heard about it. He said if I wanted to keep seeing her, I'd better not encourage that any more. So of course, I don't any more. We only wade in shin-deep water when we are together."

"What do you like best about her?" asked James.

"That she doesn't laugh at me, but with me instead. She's the only cousin I can say that about, I think. And... well..."

They waited.

"... seeing the moonlight in her eyes leaves me half dead, " he said.

"Brown eyes?"

"Yes, very dark; and long wavy brown hair, shining like the gloss on a new birch twig, only with no red in it. But that glossy."

"Does she climb trees?"

"Oh, yes. One winter day she asked me to help her in the garden-- she tends the vegetable gardens at the Smials. But there were only a few chores to do, and we talked afterwards. Her father was right there, puttering near the tool sheds, the whole time. And the next day I took a cup of tea out into the orchard, and climbed a tree, and the next thing I knew, she and her father came strolling past, and he puttered around doing some odd chores I suppose, and she climbed right up and joined me. She does that often now, and her father is never far. Sometimes if it's too cold he drinks a beer and sits by the window."

"Doesn't that make you feel nervous, having her father around so close?"

"Oh, no. It's a relief. If he's escorting us, nobody will talk... that is, nobody worth listening to; some will talk whether they have reason or not, but one discounts that. And besides, he's always been kind, even when he tells me how crazy I am. He usually says I'm as crazy as his own daughter, and sometimes I think there's an affection of sorts in that. He was even fairly kind when he told me not to let Lilac wade in the river over her knees anymore."

"Does he always have to be there?"

Bolco thought it an odd question to ask. "Unless we will be in public, of course, or unless there's someone else to escort us. And although Pippin would be glad to do it, I'd rather have her father. Isembrand doesn't remind me endlessly of my insanity; he keeps it to once or twice a day." Bolco tapped his empty mug absentmindedly. "I should like to find some way of taking her through Green Hill Country to Woody End, but I don't think Isembrand would go, and I can't imagine anyone else I'd like to bring. And anyway, then people would talk, but not about impropriety; about our insanity, looking for elves."

"Well, it sounds like Lilac's father thinks that you and Lilac are wild enough for each other," said Josh warmly.

"She's adventurous, " said Bolco. "And in the Shire, nobody wants an adventurous wife."

"What kind of wife do you want?" asked James.

"I want Lilac, " said Bolco decisively. There was a pause. "I've never said that out loud before."

"Does she know that?" asked James.

"I think she's guessed, " said Bolco, "but that's what worries me. I never did say it. I thought I was too young. One normally waits until one comes of age, and we both knew I had six more years to go. And now I'm gone, and it was left unsaid. How long will I be away? What will happen while I am gone? Am I going to be like Hildifons who went off on a journey and never came back?" He sighed. "I haven't exactly been gone a long time, but this sort of thing causes excitement, and that's generally frowned upon. Mad Baggins was gone for just a year, but it was enough for them to auction off his things. They say he never did get his spoons back."

"So you're worried whether she will be patient until you come back, " summed Jake.

"Yes."

They sat in silence for a while, and then Bolco's shivering became perceptible to James. "We promised Mom, " said James, "that nobody would get chilled. Shall we go in, or shall we send somebody to bring four more mugs of tea?"

"I hate to go in, " said Bolco, "but I am more weary than I thought."

"You've had a rough couple of days, " said Jake; "Lots of travel, not much sleep, and high stress on top of it all. You could use a good nights' sleep. Would you rather warm up with more tea or another hot bath?"

Startled, James studied Jake, wondering what had gotten into his little brother, and not displeased at the change.

"Tea will be fine. Thank you, Jake, " said Bolco, and began the descent. Jake went down with him, got down first, and spotted his final drop to the ground. They gathered in the kitchen and put the kettle on again. Bolco wandered into the living room and picked up the notebook, and brought it back to the kitchen, murmuring, "Nothing is impossible with God. "

James looked over his shoulder. "What's that?"

"The Christmas story, " Bolco replied with obvious pride. "It fascinates me." He sat down at the table, and buried himself in the runes.

James and Josh exchanged glances of consternation, and turned away from Bolco towards Jake. "What's going on?" they whispered. The rumbling teakettle covered their conversation from Bolco.

"He asked me what Christmas was, " said Jake, "and I told him what I could, but I bungled some details. So I asked him if he'd like to hear the original from the book, and he said yes. Then he said he wanted to copy it down. He's partway through."

"Are you sure that's okay?" asked James.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Is it something he should know? We don't even know if he is from the past or the present."

"He wanted to know. He's extremely curious for anything about the Creator, and he's theone who asked me about Christmas. And he asks good questions."

"That's not what I mean, " James said. "Should he be taking back the story of Jesus to the Shire? What if they're not supposed to hear it for another three or four thousand years?"

"He'll be taking a lot of information back to the Shire, like trains and stoves and refrigerators," argued Jake. "I don't see what we can do about that. And he's really curious about the Creator."

"For all that, " pondered Josh, "hobbits shouldn't swim, either, not unless they're Brandybucks. But this one will, and he'll take it back to the Shire when he goes. Time to pray for wisdom, I guess. Maybe we should have earlier."

"I did. Hard, " said Jake, not without a touch of smugness.

His brothers let it go, quite proud of him for having prayed for wisdom. "All right then, " said James, "but let's be careful. The whole thing worries me. What if he takes that notebook back to the Shire and other folks read it?"

"That's my school notebook, but I was going to get him one of his own, " said Jake.

They were interrupted by a snore. The center of controversy had nodded off over the notebook. It was a good thing, Jake thought, they had been talking a little too loudly. Jake nudged him. "Come on, Bolco, come downstairs. I'll bring your tea down when it's ready. Get some rest." Bolco got up, and the three brothers followed him down (having turned down the heat under the kettle) and they gathered in Jake's room. Bolco took off the outer long-sleeved shirt, left on the two tee shirts and the sweats, and climbed under the covers. He was surprised to see the three brothers reach for him, each lightly placing a hand on his head. He turned deep within, and the flicker of warmth blazed. He reached up and wiped the tears away.

"It's all right, " James said. "Sometimes the Holy Spirit just does that."

That was too much. Bolco sat up again, blinking, and stared at them. The three of them sat back, and waited.

Bolco thought, "I'm suddenly so happy here. If only Lilac could come here. The only thing really missing is Lilac." But he knew as he thought that she would not be happy here at all, and it was not to be.

Still staring at them, he thought some more. "Creator, what do you want from me in this place? Why have you brought me here, and how long will I stay? Let me know what I should do, what I am here for. And thank you for these three friends, thank you. And please take good care of them, too. They are almost like brothers to me. Perhaps they are."

"Now that you're awake, " said Jake, "I'll go and get your cup of tea ready. I'll be right back." He ran upstairs, James looking after him again in wonder. "You've changed him, " James said to Bolco. "I like what I see."

Bolco smiled. "He's changed me too. But I don't know how it looks from the outside."

"How does it feel from the inside?" said Josh.

"Safe, " said Bolco. "Very, very safe." He swiped at his face with his sleeve. "I don't think I've cried in a year as much as I have today, " he said. "I don't know why. Especially since I feel so safe here."

"Change and stress, and the Holy Spirit, and maybe relief too. Don't worry about it, " said Josh. "I don't know how I'd react if I landed in Tuckborough all of a sudden."

"Me either, " said James.

Bolco thought that sounded awfully good, and smiled. "I wonder, if I could get here, whether you could get there," he said. "The three of you. I'm not sure your mother would want to come."

"Wow," James laughed. "Probably not. " Jake returned with two mugs of tea, and then ran back up for two more, and returned. The three sat on the floor with their backs against Jake's bed, and stretched out their legs.

"Well, " said Josh, "It's not up to us, as far as I can see. And we'd be more out of place there than you are here, I think."

"Why?"

"If you had to, you could pass for a young child. But we can't pass for anything that belongs in the Shire."

"How would I pass for a young child?" Bolco said, a bit puzzled.

"Easy. Just don't say anything. Act shy. As soon as you talk, your maturity shows, but hang your head or look away, or blush, and you could pass for eight, or younger, if you had to."

Bolco decided to keep that in mind. He realized that he had behaved that way toward the Janitor, and he had indeed taken him for a child. If he had to blend in, it would have to do. Bolco worked at the tea, and the warmth of it relaxed him 'til drowsiness had him again. He drained the mug, set it aside, said "Good night, " pulled the covers to his ears, and was asleep when his head hit the pillow.

"Now, " James said, "shall we finish praying for him?"

"Prayer wakes him up, I think, " Jake said. "It did this morning, anyway. It makes him hungry instead of peaceful."

"Interesting, " said Josh. "Perhaps we should pray over him in the morning, instead of in the evening. Let's pray in another room then." Jake took Bolco's empty tea mug, and the three went upstairs. Jake remembered to shut the door to the room behind him. Upstairs, the brothers prayed for wisdom, about what to say, what not to say, what to do, what not to do, and what to keep quiet and what to reveal. Then Jake prayed for Lilac, that she would be patient, and wait for Bolco to come home. Josh prayed about the swimming. And James prayed about what to do with Bolco: or rather what not to do, worrying about what his mother might want to do, in terms of counseling and doctors and whatever else she might think of.

Then Jake prayed about church on Sunday, and so a debate began about that. James did not think that Bolco should go to church.

"We are planning on taking him to a pool; and to a store, for clothes. At least one store. Why can't he come to church then?" said Jake.

"Church is different, " said James.

"Why?" said Jake. "He's learning about God on his own, and God started it, we didn't. Why shouldn't he keep learning?"

"But this is changing a theology. What if he brings it back to the Shire?"

"What if he does? Theologies change when God changes them."

Josh was torn in between the two. "Look, he didn't get here without God noticing, " Josh began, addressing James. "God knows he's here, and he's hungry and curious. God started drawing him before mom talked to him. If you think about all his stargazing, I'll bet God has been drawing him a long time. "

"But, " said James, "there's no framework for him to put Jesus in. Their theology hasn't even advanced into basic sacrificial stuff yet. They have no lamb to compare Jesus to, no concept of atonement. Nothing."

"I wonder, " pondered Josh, "whether the Ring bearer might not provide that. Like Isaac."

James was stumped, but he clearly did not like the idea at all.

Jake wasn't sure he did either. "I don’t know, Josh. That's kind of out-there. I mean, even if it worked, there was a whole lot more groundwork put into the scriptures before Jesus showed up than just Isaac."

Josh sighed. "Either way, I don't see that protecting him from the church-part of our lives is going to help him out. Especially since he's so hungry for more of God."

"I don't know, it makes me really nervous, " said James.

"There's one thing we haven't tried, " said Jake.

"What's that?"

"Why don't we ask him what he thinks is right and what he wants to do?"

"You mean, let him exercise his own judgment and free will?" said Josh. They laughed, and the tension broke. "Okay, but now we pray for wisdom for him, " said James. They agreed, and did so. And then they realized it was late, and that their mother had long since retired, and that they probably should too. They put the mugs into the dishwasher, turned it on, gave the sink its final cleanup for the day and turned in.

Upstairs, Janiece had been awake, listening to the indistinct sounds of her sons' laughter and speech. They had been praying, she knew. Nothing gave her more joy. She wished that her husband had been there to see it. But then, she secretly believed he was watching anyway. Not that she ever said so, because people would think that she had gone daft in the head. But she liked to think so. She could allow herself one or two crazy, unorthodox beliefs.

If Bolco's coming does only this, she thought, only brings my sons together in prayer, it is worth it. But she knew there was more to come.

The house grew silent, and seemed to be asleep, but more than one person was awake and pondering deep into the night.

*******

Saturday morning

Jake looked at the ceiling and wondered why he was at home-- in his comfortable bed-- and not at school in the uncomfortable one. He stretched, and gradually yesterday's events returned. The phone call from Mom telling him to skip classes and come home, and then the drive home, and -- he sat bolt upright.

There was the couch. The quilts. And a few brown curls, barely visible.

It was true.

Jake sat cross-legged, and placed his palms flat together, index fingers in front of his lips, willing himself to be quiet, and he prayed like blazes for Bolco, silently swiping tears away on the corner of the top sheet. When he ran out of ideas, he got his bible, and prayed the prayers from Ephesians, and Colossians, and then Psalm 23, and then Psalm 1, and then the end of Romans 8, and then the beginning and the second half of Romans 12. His stomach was churning all over again. Then songs came, silently, in his head. The corner of the sheet was getting pretty soaked, he'd been crying more than he thought.

He needed to get up, but he didn't want to wake Bolco, and he sat, waiting. He heard a gentle brush on the door, the brothers' quiet signal. He rolled quietly out of bed and put his robe on, and opened the door a crack. It was James. "Hey." He looked past Jake at the quilts. "How is he?"

"Asleep."

Josh was behind James, and he also looked in at the pile of quilts and nodded. Jake slipped out reluctantly, looking back, but then dutifully closing the door behind him. He wiped another tear away. "I can't believe it."

"Yeah, we both woke up and thought we'd had the wildest dream ever. Somehow it seems much harder to believe now than it did last night." They each clasped the others by the shoulders and turned to go upstairs. They brewed coffee, and took turns washing up in the bathroom on the far side of the house. Josh stretched and James had seconds on coffee, and Jake pondered Bolco's runes, and they listened to the clock ticking. It was early. Their mom wasn't even up yet.

"I can't take it, " James said. "He could sleep all day."

"He needs to, " said Jake, bent over the runes, deciphering.

"Easy for you, " said Josh. "You can stay at home and commute to your classes. We're too far away."

"That's exactly what I want to do. You gotta help me convince Mom."

"What can we do while he sleeps?"

"I'm not leaving, " said Jake.

"Let's go get milk and such. You know Mom will want us to. Eggs, bacon, whatever else. Fruit."

"Let's go then, and get back." James and Josh turned for the door.

"Hey, " said Jake, looking up from the runes. "Get him a notebook of his own. I'll pay you when you get back."

"I'll buy it, " they both said in unison. Laughing at each other, they hurried out.

Jake took his coffee back downstairs, and kept vigil. The moments ticked past, Jake letting worship songs run through his head, and sipping his coffee. He sat down, and waited.

The collie padded into the room. That meant mom was up. He heard her shower running, and knew he had another ten minutes before she came downstairs; he hugged the collie and scratched his ears, and sipped coffee, and time crawled by. Bolco rolled over and slept on. Jake pulled out a schoolbook: Materials. He couldn't face it. Then he heard Josh and James pull in. That was fast.

He sighed, and he and the collie went back upstairs.

Mom was laughing at them as they came in. "What did you buy?" she said.

"Breakfast stuff, milk, eggs, bacon, fruit."

"I bought all that yesterday."

They laughed. "Well, Jake, you and Bolco will eat well next week."

Janiece raised an eyebrow. "Jake, is there something you haven't told me?"

"I'll commute, Mom. It'll be fine."

"I see."

"It makes sense, Mom, " Josh pitched in. "We'd stay too if we could."

"You would?"

"Oh, yeah." James nodded, handing Jake the new notebook. Jake took it, but his attention swung to the stairwell; he had heard water running downstairs.

"He's up," Josh said.

"Yeah," said Jake. "But leave him be until he's done; he gets embarrassed easily. I'll put the teakettle on."

James whistled. "Who are you, and what have you done with my airhead kid brother?"

"I'm not an airhead."

"You've never been this conscientious and thoughtful before. Not that I'm complaining, mind."

Jake shrugged, and got out the bagels and the fruit, and set out plates, knives and glasses for five, and a mug waiting for Bolco's tea.

"Mom," Josh said, "Last night I agreed to teach Bolco how to swim."

"Swim?"

"Yeah."

Janiece was stumped. "What on earth?"

"We talked about it, outside, up in the tree. He really wants to learn. Desperately. I promised him I'd teach him. We'll take him to the pool at the high school."

"If you say so." She reminded herself how happy she had been last night at their impromptu prayer meeting, and took a deep breath. "He'll need swim trunks then, I suppose."

"Um, he might want something more modest, " said Jake.

"We'll ask, " Josh agreed.

Bolco was coming up the stairs, and they turned. "Good morning, " he smiled, genuinely happy and peaceful, holding each brother's gaze, and finally Janiece. The collie trotted over and snuffled his hand, and then his shins; Bolco had donned his own homespun clothes, the shirt, the vest, and the calf-length trousers. The effect was striking-- he was comfortable and smiling, at ease, and the three brothers sat back and watched him. He went to the side table and retrieved his dictation, and brought it to the table.

Jake reached for the new notebook. "This is yours, " he said, and smiling back at James and Josh, he said, "We haven't figured out who bought it yet."

"I think we'll split the cost three ways, " Josh said.

"For a spiral bound notebook?" Janiece said, thinking she knew why.

"It's not the amount, " James said, coming to Jake's side, and pulling out a pen. He opened the inside front cover, and wrote, "For Bolco, from James, and", and then passed it to Josh, who signed "Josh, and". Jake finished with "Jacob Scott."

Bolco accepted it gratefully, intently studying the inscription. "I wish I could read it, " he said.

Jake replied, "I have an idea about that. I'll show you later."

The teakettle squealed, and Bolco set the new notebook aside carefully. "I'll recopy the dictation into it, neatly."

"Okay." Jake wondered if he would get to keep the original, and was glad he hadn't torn it out of the notebook already to put in the pocket of the new one.

Bolco fixed his tea with honey and milk, the brothers set to work preparing bagels, and Bolco joined them to toast his own. Janiece shook her head, and said, "Don't mind my asking, but if you were going to have bagels and fruit for breakfast, why did you buy bacon and eggs?"

"Second breakfast, Mom, " said James.

"Second breakfast?"

Bolco laughed. "Janiece, I hope I haven't corrupted them hopelessly."

"Tell me what you mean by second breakfast."

"It comes after breakfast, and before elevensies. And that's before lunch, and that's before tea, dinner, and supper."

"Seven meals a day?"

"We usually end up skipping one of them for some reason, or some households leave one out. Six really is the norm."

"Well, gentlemen, I hope you understand that for all but two of those meals, you are on your own."

"Yes, Mom, we knew that. And we can cook lunch and dinner sometimes, too, if you'd like. Give you the day off completely." Josh sat down with his bagel and waited, and soon they were all ready.

"James, " said Jake. They held hands around the table while James said more than grace-- James enjoyed prayer-- and when they finished, Bolco forgot his bagel for a while and went back to his tea. He had one hand on his chest.

"You okay?" asked Jake.

"Different kind of hunger, " said Bolco, coming back from faraway.

Josh nodded. "I thought hard about swimming through the Milky Way last night."

"Milky Way?"

Josh slowly palmed an arc across the sky, the way Bolco had traced it last night. "That's what we call the Path of Stars."

Bolco considered the name for a while, and liked it.

"What's your name for The Creator?" said Josh.

"Just that, " Bolco said. "His other names are Iluvatar, 'All-Father', or Eru, 'The One'. Only a few of the Tooks know those names, as far as I know, from some of the oldest elvish songs. And I've never heard the songs sung; not that I'd understand the elvish if I did. But there are a few rare hobbits who would, and I've heard a few bits of the stories about Iluvatar from the elder Tooks; late nights in the parlor, or Midsummer Night Festivals, that sort of thing. I always wanted to hear more. But most hobbits just don't talk about the Creator at all."

"Iluvatar, All-Father, “ Josh savored the words.

Janiece smiled. "Those are beautiful names."

"You seem to have a bewildering selection of names for him, " Bolco said. "I keep noticing new ones popping up when you talk to him."

"His names describe him to us, and various names help us understand more about him, " said Janiece. "Jesus gave us another whole set of names for himself, too."

"There are several just in the Christmas story, aren't there?" Bolco said, reaching for the original notebook, and perusing it. "The Lord; God; The Most High; several instances of those in combination. And as the story goes on there are more, aren't there?"

"Bolco, we have a question to ask you, " Josh said.

"Yes?"

"Sunday morning we do something that we call church. We get together with a large group of people to listen to a reading and a lesson about God, and to talk to him, and to sing to him."

"You sing to the Creator?"

Josh nodded.

"I'm coming." Eagerly.

Janiece smiled like a spring day.

Josh looked at his mother and braced himself. "Are you sure that you should?"

Her eyes blazed, and Bolco looked surprised. "Why shouldn't I come?" he asked.

"Why indeed?" echoed Janiece.

"We've been thinking hard about your home, Bolco, and we don't know whether you are even from the same time as we are. You could have come from out of the past. In which case, we don't know if bringing back the scriptures to your home is a good thing. God releases scriptures when the people are ready. And we don't know that your people are. We're rather afraid that they might not be. So we are wondering whether or not you should come with us."

Bolco gazed at Josh, amazed. "You think that they will listen to me long enough to hear the story at all?" He burst out laughing, his eyes sparkling with glee. "Oh Josh, they dismiss me as an elf-hunter now, and tap their heads at me when they think I'm not watching. No, I don't have nearly the credibility necessary to convince anybody that the second person within the Creator came to earth as a baby and flying angels sang over him. I doubt I could even convince anybody that the Creator is three people."

He chuckled, and then grew serious, and leaned forward. "But my hope is this. If I can look through the literature we have, tucked away in the libraries-- the poems and the songs and the records and any ancient ceremonies I can find from who knows where, I hope to see whether the information is there already, in a reliable source, that has been overlooked 'til now. And if it is, then it should speak for itself, shouldn't it?"

James whistled, Josh's eyebrows went up, and Jake's inward glee grew fierce.

"But that means, " Bolco continued, "That I'd better get serious about my runes. And I'll probably have to learn several languages I hadn't planned on; Sindarin, and perhaps others. More than a field hand usually gets to learn."

"So that's settled, " said Janiece. She was really quite proud of how Bolco had handled that.

"There's one more thing, " said Josh, ducking the fire in his mother's eyes.

Bolco waited.

"It's a public place, " said Josh. "You'll have to wear shoes."

Jake held his breath. He could get angry with his brother at this rate, he thought; but wait.

They watched as Bolco turned to look out the door, at the trees, the grass. He curled his feet under his chair, clenching his toes hard, and then looked back at Josh, determination growing. Then his eyes blazed. "I'll do it. I'm going."

Jake could hardly believe his ears.

Bolco glared at Josh. "Satisfied?"

"Yeah, " said Josh. "Okay."

Bolco looked down, at the all-but-forgotten bagel, and wondered how the details would work out, and what the meeting would be like, and whether his presence there would cause a stir. He hoped not. But he would not miss a thing like that. Even if he had to wear shoes... he stifled a shudder. "Jake, " he said.

"Yes?"

"Is that where you learned so many stories about the Creator?"

"Yes."

"Then I must go. I need to. And I do so want to."

"It's kind of noisy, " said Jake. "I don't think you've heard music quite like that before. You might like it. I do."

"You might put some music on later-- quietly-- just so he's not too surprised, " suggested Janiece.

"Good idea, Mom, " Josh said, starting a list of songs in his head already.

"And you might as well decide where you are going to go shopping. Get Bolco some extra sets of clothes and some shoes and socks, and whatever he needs for swimming. All right? I'd come, but..."

"Modesty. That'll be a guy thing, Mom, " said Jake.

"Like the pool, I suppose." She was beginning to feel quite left out.

"Speaking of swimming, " Josh said, "Bolco, you and I need to talk a bit. There’s some stuff I want you to be thinking about."

"Maybe after we finish shopping we could swing by the high school and have a look at the pool, “ Jake said to Bolco.

"Bolco, why does swimming interest you?" Janiece said.

His shoulders, recently so full of fire, suddenly sagged, and he looked deflated. "I can hardly describe it, Janiece, " he said. "I have on the one hand such a love for the water. I told you how much I love the sound of the river. And how I walk down there when I can spare the time, and sometimes Lilac comes with me. But my people seem to have an inborn terror of the deep water, and I have no lack of that, either. I've tried to get over it, but my inability to swim I think adds to the terror my people seem to be born with. And I've never had, or perhaps had the courage to make, the opportunity to learn, until now. But now Josh has offered to teach me. And if he is willing to take me on, then I am going to learn, if I can make any progress at all."

She was satisfied.

Josh spoke up again. "Bolco, how often will you be willing to go and practice, even while I'm not here? If Jake can take you?"

"I don't know. I think I would want to practice as often as I possibly could."

"Several times a week?"

"Is that reasonable?"

"Some people swim every day."

"I hope I am that brave, " said Bolco. "How will I know?"

"If you are, " said Josh, "We can just get you a season pass." Janiece and the two brothers looked startled. "It pays for itself in twenty visits, “ Josh said.

"Will I be here long enough to swim twenty times?" Bolco's head spun. How could one know?

"Sounds good to me, " said Jake.

"If I am, " Bolco looked at Janiece, "Then I should find some way to earn my keep. I don't suppose you have any fields that need plowing or harvesting. What can I do?"

"We won't worry about that today, " Janiece soothed. "But thank you, Bolco, for thinking of it." She pressed his hand, and then got up and started clearing the table. The brothers and Bolco joined her, and short work was made of it.

Josh called Bolco aside, but Jake came too. Josh was okay with that.

"There are some things I want you to work on before we go swimming tomorrow. And I'm pretty sure that you can work on them here, in the bath."

Bolco's eyes widened.

"You can do this yourself, alone, I think. Or you could be fully dressed if I had to be in there. Two things."

Bolco squared his shoulders, and faced him. "Tell me what to do."

"Fill the tub right up to the drain lever. The first exercise is this: Take as big a breath of air as you easily can, immerse your entire head under the water, and then slowly blow all the breath out; bring your head up out of the water, take a big breath; immerse your entire head; exhale; come up. Thirty times."

"Thirty." It sounded doable. "Lying on my stomach or on my back?"

"If you do that lying on your back, you'll get water up your nose. Do the thirty breaths on your stomach. Try to keep your eyes open as much as you can."

Bolco digested the concept, reviewing. "What else?"

"Then lie on your back, put your hands on the floor, with just your eyes, nose and mouth above water, and take in as much of a breath as you can, and hold that breath, and see if your body will float and you can let go of the floor completely. Try that as often as you need to until you get the hang of it. Maybe five or ten times."

"Brace my hands on the floor behind me, lie back with just my mouth, nose, and eyes out of the water, breathe in as much as I can, and see if I can lift my hands off of the floor."

"Right."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"I'll be back when I'm done." He turned on his heel and marched downstairs with his jaw set.

Josh heard the water running. He sat back and chuckled. "Absolutely amazing. He can go from sheer terror to grim determination in seconds."

Jake shook his head. "I always hated those breathing exercises."

"Incredibly boring, aren't they?"

"Yes. Are you boring him on purpose?"

"I certainly am. And so did your instructor. If he gets bored, he should also relax. If you weren't doing it in the water, you'd call it a relaxation technique. It'll be the first thing he does in the pool tomorrow: thirty boring breathing exercises. Then he'll be ready to focus and work."

"What if he can't float on his back?"

"We'll find out about it here, instead of there."

James came over. "What was that all about? " Janiece joined them too.

Josh smiled. "I hope it isn't Hobbit-torture. Remember bobbing and survival floating?"

James listened, and heard the running water. He laughed. "Is he short enough to do all that in the tub? I guess he is. That ought to relax him."

They discussed clothing stores, and shoe stores, and settled on a plan of action. Then Josh hunted through the CDs and pulled some out.

Jake frowned. "Those are a little wild, don't you think? Loud noises make him jump."

"Might as well get him used to it." Josh kept hunting.

"Low volume might help."

"I'm not putting any of them on yet, " said Josh. "I want to be able to hear."

"Hear what?"

A spluttering cough erupted downstairs, eventually followed by the sound of throat clearing.

"Inhale above water, " Jake intoned with a grin, "Exhale below water."

"Oh, poor Bolco, " said Janiece.

Josh smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't feel sorry for him, Mom. If he learns breathing and timing now, and learns it well, it will become automatic later. He needs to make his mistakes now, in shallow water. Let him cough."

No more gagging was heard.

"Jake, " Janiece said, "Go fetch those measurements that you took of Bolco's clothes." While he did that, she located several catalogs, and she set about calculating sizes.

"I've been thinking, " said Jake. "Bolco is such a hobbitty name. If he was called Sam, it would blend in, but Bolco Took just screams, 'Hobbit Here!' What are we going to call him?"

"I hate giving him an alias as if he was a criminal, " said Janiece.

"Me too, " said Josh.

"But where he comes from, people name each other all the time, don't they?" Jake asked. "If we really give him another name-- one that's a compliment and not a disguise-- then we can use it with a clear conscience."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Yeah, " Jake said. "Nathaniel. I looked it up. It means 'Gift of God'. But what I also liked about it is that Jesus called Nathaniel from under a tree. Remember? He says 'Before I called you, I saw you under the fig tree.' That reminded me of when I came out yesterday morning and saw Bolco under the maple tree. "

"Gee, I like it, " said James. Jake was surprised that James liked it. Josh nodded.

"But what matters, " said Janiece, "is whether Bolco likes it."

"I'll read him the story, " Jake said, "and we'll see what he thinks."

They heard the tub draining, and wondered whether Bolco defaulted to float or sink. Keeping perfectly still, James could float, but Jake sank.

They waited, bemused, making small talk. In another five minutes, Bolco marched back upstairs dressed again but with damp hair, and faced Josh.

"Thirty two, since I did an extra two to make up for the one I did wrong," Bolco said. "And trying to float on my back, I almost make it off of the floor, but not quite. If I let go of the floor entirely, I start to sink."

Josh nodded. "Slowly? Or quickly?"

Bolco thought. "Slowly, I think."

Josh nodded again. "Then a little motion will take care of that; finning, or a mild flutter kick. Okay. We know enough to keep going. Oh, and about those breathing exercises."

"Yes."

"Get used to them. You'll do them every time you swim, as long as I'm teaching you."

"All right. They're important then?"

"Did they seem important when you coughed?"

"You heard that."

"Yes. You need to train yourself to always breathe in above water and out below, and never the other way around. When you're comfortable with thirty, we'll go up to fifty or sixty, and then perhaps up to a hundred." Josh stood and stretched. "Would you rather go shopping for clothes and shoes now, or wait a bit?"

"Let's go now, and get it over."

Janiece stepped forward with a long tape, and said, "Hold still; arms up." He obeyed, and she snugly measured his waist, and wrote that down.

"You'll need to borrow shoes and socks then. It'll be awkward for you, I think, until you have a pair that fits, but you can't get into the stores otherwise. Jake has the smallest feet of the three of us, but he wears the wildest shoes. Jake, don't you have any old docksiders or something tame?"

"Wait. Wait, yeah, I do. Come on." He jumped up and went downstairs.

Shoes. In the balance hung the pool, and the Creator's gathering. Well, he would need the shoes then. Bolco sighed, stood, and followed resolutely.

"He was dead set against this just last night, " marveled Janiece.

"We'll see how he does with the crowds in the stores. It's Saturday, “ said James, feeling a bit of dread himself.

"I wanted to take him shopping yesterday, but Jake was having none of it, " said Janiece.

"It's all right, Mom. We'll manage. Josh, do you think we should go and check on their progress?"

Josh headed downstairs, followed by James.

The beat-up old docksiders were too large, and Bolco was unenthused to say the least, but no complaint escaped him. The knots used for the laces were different than anything he'd needed to learn for farm work, so he practiced them several times.

James faced him. "It's only ‘til we get you a pair that's right for you. If you can't walk in these, let us know. One of us could carry you. Jake, don't you have a pair of socks that would match the color of his pants better? I do. Let me check." James came back with another pair of socks, and Bolco put them on and the shoes back on. Then he got up, and walked about very carefully. "I think I am ready, " he said. "One thing worries me. You are all being very hospitable, and I am not trying to be ungrateful by any means. But is there any way that I can help or contribute to all this somehow?"

"We'll worry about that later, " James said. "I'm all set, and Josh is solvent, and Mom is pitching in; if we get short, we'll speak up. Don't worry about it for now, okay?"

"All right, “ Bolco said. Jake pocketed the paper with Bolco's sizes on it. They donned jackets and headed out the front door, each giving Janiece a kiss on the way out. She knelt down so that Bolco could reach her face, and he kissed her cheek, blushing furiously, and followed the brothers out.

"What's the blush for?" asked Jake.

"I don't know, " Bolco replied. He stopped in front of the car, and took a deep breath.

"Wait, " said Jake. "Brace yourself for a loud noise, Bolco. Hit the horn, James." James did so. Bolco jumped anyway. "You okay?" Bolco nodded.

"Okay. Start it up." James did so. Josh pointed to the exhaust. "Very bad; never breathe this. If you smell it, move away ‘til you don't smell it any more. Okay?"

Nod.

"Pull hard on the door handle to open it."

He really didn't want to get inside the thing, but James and Josh were in already, and Jake was waiting. He yanked hard, and it opened, and he got in. "Here's the handle, pull it closed." Jake came round the other side.

"Seat belts. " Jake demonstrated twice, including the release, and Bolco carefully followed suit, connecting and disconnecting twice. "That's it. Now just connect it. Ready."

James pulled out, and gave Bolco a quick tour of the neighborhood and came back to the house, to let him get his bearings again, and then they pulled away. "Bank, then Thrift store, " Josh said. "Let's try and find everything we can there-- jacket, belt, shirts, whatever. But Bolco, don't get anything you don't like. Okay?"

Jake reviewed the list of clothing items and corresponding sizes while the brothers nodded.

"Bolco, " said Jake. "I wanted to read a story before we left but I forgot. There was this guy that Jesus saw underneath a fig tree, and he noticed him and complimented him for his honesty-- anyway, it reminded me of when I came outside yesterday and saw you under the maple tree. "

Bolco waited.

"The guy's name was Nathaniel, and that means, Gift from God; Nathan is gift, I guess, and El means God. I mean, like,” Jake struggled a little, "I'm really grateful that God sent you here. So I was wondering. Would you mind if we called you that when we are out of the house? Nathaniel... Nathan for short. Nathan was a really cool Old Testament prophet."

Bolco looked very serious. "I'd be honored, Jake, " he said.

"I'll read you the story when we get home, if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much."

They came to a stoplight, and Jake explained how the rules worked. Bolco didn't like this part of town very much; trees were few, lawns were small and unhealthy, and there were no woods or wilderness. They went through several more lights, and then pulled up at a building. "Thrift store and lunch... Get sixty, " said James. Josh jumped out and ran inside and came right back out moments later, got back in, and they drove off, and stopped at another small place.

"Okay," said Jake, "Come on, Nathaniel." Bolco Nathaniel grinned, and climbed out. Jake led Nathaniel to the shirts section but James and Josh scattered, looking for a jacket and a belt. The attendant glanced at them and went back to what she was doing. James and Josh brought back several jackets for Nathaniel to try, but the available belts did not please either of them. Nathaniel tried on all of the jackets, and chose a longer tan one that covered his vest.

"Good choice, it'll cover a blazer too if you ever have to wear one, " said James. "Ugh, " said Josh. Jake laughed.

"What about spring? It won't be long."

"How about a chamois shirt?" Jake held one up, hunter green, one size large. Nathaniel nodded. "Try it on." He did, and liked it.

Jake got serious about the shirts; he selected five different oxfords, thinking to duplicate what Nathaniel already had as best he could. "Try these on. If you don't like it, don't get it."

Nathaniel reached slowly for his top button, and then stopped, glancing nervously at the attendant.

"I'll ask about the dressing room." James came back a moment later and said, "Follow me, Nathaniel." They all did.

Nathaniel went inside with the five shirts, and came back out having chosen the two largest, in white and cream. Jake went back and hunted for more oxfords in the larger size. He came back with three more, one tan, one white, one light green. He could tell Nathaniel was leery of the green one and took it back immediately. "Don't get it if you don't like it, " he repeated, and came back shortly after. "That's all they've got."

"So- one jacket, one chamois shirt, four oxfords. Not bad. Let's go."

Jake and Nathaniel waited while James and Josh paid with a twenty and got change. They handed him the new jacket, which he put on. Back in the car, they headed across town, which Nathaniel liked even less; the buildings were suddenly vast and sprawling. Suddenly the little thrift shop seemed downright likeable. When they stopped in font of a huge store with what seemed like hundreds of cars parked in front, he steeled himself, and got out, and stuck close to Jake's side. At least now he was wearing a jacket that fit, looking less like a ragamuffin, reflected Jake.

There were people everywhere; all kinds of people, wearing all kinds of clothes. The three brothers hustled him over to the boy's section. They walked past blue jeans, chinos, twills. "Nathaniel, I'm guessing you'll want something kind of similar to what you already wear, but if you want something else, let me know."

Nathaniel hesitated. "You wear these, " he said, pointing to the blue jeans.

"Try a pair, “ Jake said. Jake selected two pairs of khakis and two pairs of soft twills, and two pairs of jeans. "Pick what you like. I should think you'd want three pairs? "

Nathaniel took the armful. James guided him to another section and pointed. "Boxers or the other type?"

Nathaniel looked up, blushed furiously and ducked his head. "Okay, we'll get some of each; decide later," said James, and added several packages to the collection.

"Okay, go and try the pants on, don't take off those linen shorts though, " said Jake.

Nathaniel was blushing harder now. "How did you know?"

"I did your laundry, remember? No, I guess you didn't know. Relax. I should think you'd rather I washed them than Mom."

Nathaniel thought that over and couldn't decide. They hustled him over to the dressing rooms, told the attendant "Six", and waited outside his closet as he changed. He was glad they did. He was horrified that the attendant was female.

"The blue ones-- what do you call them?"

"Jeans."

"They're far too stiff."

"Don't get them then."

"All right." He settled on the larger pair of khakis, deep brown. Jake had guessed he would.

"Can I get three pairs like this?"

"Yes, if they have enough."

They walked past socks. Jake guessed the size and grabbed six pairs of deep brown. Josh picked out a brown belt. Jake collected two more pairs of pants.

"One more thing, " Josh said. "Something to swim in."

"I'll get a cart for all this stuff," said James. They'd been too busy hustling Nathaniel past the crowds to get one before. He came back with one, the clothes were unceremoniously dumped in, and they all headed for the exercise section.

"Most guys, " said Josh, holding up two pairs of swim trunks, "swim in either these, or these." Nathaniel's eyes went wide, he blushed again, despair overcame him, and his eyes locked on the floor. Split second, thought Josh. Let's see if we can reverse it as fast.

"However, " Josh continued, "I think if you want to, you could wear something more like this." He held up some fairly thick high-quality exercise pants, calf-length, and shiny black. Relief flooded into Nathaniel's face, and Josh smiled; yes, his emotions reversed almost as fast.

"And, let's see, do I guess right that you aren't used to taking your shirt off in public?"

"In public? No. In the fields, if it's extremely hot, but never in mixed company."

"Ah. So maybe you'd rather wear a shirt in the water, too. That'll be a little harder but we can look." They scrounged, hoping to find something that would shed water. They tried to talk him into a mesh tee shirt, but he didn't see the point. So they settled on a snug blue short sleeve tee shirt. Nathaniel wasn't too keen on the short sleeves, but Josh was adamant about not letting him have a long-sleeved shirt and convinced him he'd definitely be the most modestly dressed person in the whole pool. He finally agreed.

"Checkout, " said Josh. "Shoes next."

Jake and Josh took Nathaniel out to the car while James checked out. There was a line and it took a while. They lounged by the car, and Josh was just thinking they should get in.

"Josh! Hi, " said a feminine voice. "Jake, how are you?"

Three girls were approaching. Nathaniel looked up, and saw high-heeled shoes, tight jeans, painted lips, and giggly faces. Jake looked up and saw his ex high school girlfriend, and was far more frightened than Nathaniel was.

"Fine, " said Josh, seeing the humor right away. "We're fine, LeeAnne. How are you? I haven't seen you in years."

"I know, " said LeeAnne, pointedly. "Someone doesn't call anymore."

Not very subtle, Nathaniel thought.

Her friends thought so too. "Nice, " one of them said. "Maybe now we know why."

"Shut up."

"Nice weather we're having, " said Josh, and the other girls giggled.

One of them stepped forward towards Nathaniel. "Hi, cutie, how are you?"

"What?" he said, involuntarily, and then looked to Jake for rescue.

Josh intervened. "Nathaniel's pretty shy, " he said.

"You need to get him some shoes that fit, poor thing, " she said. "Cute knickers, though. Where'd you get those?"

"Oh, he's had them a long time, " Josh rescued again.

"I like them, " she said. "I'd get a pair too. They look like linen." She came closer. Nathaniel began looking for a place to hide.

James arrived, and Nathaniel was discarded for more interesting prey.

"Hi, Ladies. Hi, LeeAnne, how are you? "

"Neglected, " she pouted.

Her friends rolled their eyes. "Waah, waah, waah. Come on. Give the guy a break."

James dumped the clothes rapidly into the trunk, and handed the cart off to Josh. "You return it; we'll meet you by the door, " he said. "Come on, Jake, Nathaniel, we don't have all day." Jake opened the car door and Nathaniel dove across the seat to the other side, Jake followed him in, and James started the car.

"Bye, " one of LeeAnne's friends flirted with James. "Have a nice afternoon."

"I will, " laughed James, pulling away.

Nathaniel studied Jake, who looked deeply chagrined. "Really, really bad judgment. Okay??"

James laughed. "Nathaniel might be the only one of us who can't say that. I sure hope I've learned. Please, God, let us all learn."

Josh jumped into the car. "Wow. Poor LeeAnne really misses you, Jake."

"Whatever." Jake hoped she wouldn't decide to start calling again. Ugh, misery!

Nathaniel was still studying Jake. "Maybe the public places are just as dangerous for you as for me, " he said quietly, but with a twinkle in his eye. Jake laughed a little.

But maybe not, thought Nathaniel. The shoe store is next. He dreaded it. The borrowed shoes annoyed him enough, but at least they weren't his; he never dreamed he would ever actually own his own pair. What his relatives would say he did not want to think about. What Lilac would say made his ears burn. He would have to explain it all; the Creator, and needing to learn about him, and thus needing to go to this public place called church, and men's laws about public places and shoes. Lilac would eventually understand, he hoped. Just as he hoped he would eventually get used to the idea.

But he was not looking forward to it. He was only looking forward to getting home, to Janiece's house, and taking off the shoes. And now he was about to own a pair. Creator, he prayed, please let this be worth it. Please let me learn about you. Teach me. ...There, there was that inner warmth. Thank you, he thought, for being here with me, even when I'm about to own a pair of shoes. It's true, you are merciful.

Josh sat thinking about Bolco's different demeanor today. Yesterday Bolco had been on the verge of tears more than once… many times more than once. But today, Bolco's preeminent attitude seemed to be determination and resolution. He wondered at the change, and prayed about it. He asked for a good opportunity to ask.

James was happy with the shopping so far, and was wondering how the shoe store would go. He was inclined to shield the shoe salesman from Bolco, and Bolco from the shoe salesman, for both their sakes. He prayed about that.

Jake prayed hard that LeeAnne would not call.

"Here we are, " said James, sounding a little too cheerful. The brothers got out. The parking lot was even bigger, with more cars, than the one they had just left.

Nathaniel (back into public, he reminded himself) took a deep breath, unbuckled the seatbelt, got out, drew himself to his full three-foot-three-inch height, squared his shoulders, faced the building and marched forward, not looking at any of the brothers. They surrounded him, not saying much.

This building was monstrous. Nathaniel looked up at it, and said, "Men consider shoes to be this important?"

It took a moment, and then the three burst out laughing. "This is a mall, " explained James. "There are dozens of stores inside."

Nathaniel tried to laugh with them and almost succeeded. Several hands landed on his shoulders at once. They're with me, he thought; they know I hate this. He relaxed, a little.

"Those girls noticed too much about me, " he said. "I guess the details of clothing matter more than I thought."

"You just have a different set of details, " said Josh. "Length, propriety, modesty matters to you. Not to them."

"I noticed, " Nathaniel said. "What did they have on their faces?"

"Too much, " said James. The brothers laughed.

"It's called makeup, " said Josh. "Too much, and it shows. Most women don't lather it on quite so heavy as that."

"Makeup," echoed Nathaniel, disliking the word.

"Mom wears it sometimes, " James warned him. "But not so heavy that it's obvious." They went through the doors, which opened by themselves, making Nathaniel nervous.

Past the next set of doors, Nathaniel reached up and caught Jake's wrist. The sensory input was overwhelming. Jake realized they had come in by the arcade; music was blasting, lights were flashing, and crowds were rushing about. "Come on, " Jake said, "We'll be away from it soon." They found the directory, James navigated, and they headed off. Compared to the arcade, the rest of the mall was not quite so bad. Nathaniel noticed there were genuine trees inside the building, and the brothers waited while he studied one. A type of birch, he thought, growing in a huge pot, under a window high above in the ceiling.

Imprisoned here for how long?

He sighed. It looked healthy, healthier than many he had recently seen along the railroad tracks. Those were out in the sun and rain, in terrible soil, with noisy trains rumbling past; this was in a pot, indoors, no sun, no wind, no rain, but apparently rather good soil, and noisy crowds rushing about its feet. He would think about the contrast more later. Right now, he sighed, there were shoes to be purchased.

Jake guessed at what Nathaniel was thinking, and came fairly close.

The shoe store was actually nice and quiet. It was small, and there was only one salesman, which suited James just fine. Josh and James had collaborated, and James headed straight for the salesman, engaging him in a conversation about dress shoes. Josh hunted ‘til he found the measurement device, which he had Nathaniel stand on, and measured his foot carefully. Then he interrupted James's conversation and asked for boating shoes in Nathaniel's size.

"Dark brown or chocolate brown; bring out leather and suede both if you have them, " Josh said. The Salesman returned with an armload of boxes; Josh took them all, said, "Thanks, I'll get back to you in a bit, " turned his back on the salesman, and sat down by Nathaniel and Jake. Josh worked his way through the boxes, and Nathaniel walked back and forth in each pair. Josh debated the merits of leather versus suede with Jake, and let Nathaniel listen; Nathaniel secretly thought that having the shoes fit might make them a bit less miserable, that having them blend in and be the same exact color as his pants and socks might make them less noticeable, and that he just might survive this ordeal, if it was over sooner rather than later. He settled on deep brown leather. Josh took the box to the counter, James brought out the card, and it was over, except that Josh brought the shoes back to Nathaniel and suggested that he wear them home. "They'll be more comfortable than the borrowed ones, " Josh promised. He was right.

On the way out the door, however, the clean new soles had more traction than the old ones, and Nathaniel scuffed, caught, and went flying. Josh happened to be in the way, and Jake grabbed Nathaniel's arm, or he would have landed flat on his face; as it was, his dignity suffered badly. "Boat shoe soles do tend to catch when they are clean, " Josh said, as Nathaniel brushed himself off, and glowered at the staring crowds.

"That'll be worse on the rugs at church, " said Jake. "Be careful tomorrow."

That's all I need, thought Nathaniel-- to fall face first at the Creator's gathering.

They reached the car without further incident. "Lunch, " said James.

"Josh, " frowned Nathaniel, "You said these were called docksiders, but then when I fell, you mentioned Boat Shoes. Are these boat shoes?"

"Docksiders, boat shoes, same thing--- Ohhhh." The light dawned.

All four of them burst out laughing, and this time Nathaniel was the loudest of them all. "Over the edge, I've finally gone over the edge. Not just any shoes. Boat shoes!" He laughed long and loud.

Ten minutes later he was eating his first burger meal as they drove toward the high school. The brothers had simply ordered four identical meals; it was their tradition, and they included Nathaniel in on it. They pulled into the high school parking lot, and Nathaniel was struggling to drink the fizzy stuff through the thin little pipe they called a straw, although it was not made of straw at all. He laughed every time he drank some. "It tickles."

They lingered over the fries, mopped up with the napkins, and then got out.

Josh picked up a schedule at the desk and inquired about rates, and then they headed for the pool, bypassing the dressing rooms. Josh stopped at the door. "Shoes off." All complied.

"I thought this was a public place, " said Nathaniel.

"Yes, but here, there's plenty of chlorine to sterilize everything, and they don't want the dirt tracked in from outside."

"Chlorine?"

"That's what you smell. Chlorine. Tomorrow you'll taste it, unless you're luckier than most. That's how they keep the pool clean."

"Uh, Nathaniel," said Jake, "Remember that men wear shorts to swim in?"

"Yes."

"Well, women wear something different, but it still might surprise you a bit."

"I hadn't thought of that, " said Josh. "Pretty skin-tight, and probably more revealing than you're used to."

They stepped inside carrying their shoes, and Nathaniel slowly tried to absorb what he was seeing; the lanes were full of swimmers, wearing goggles; the lane-markers, the starting platforms, and the diving board puzzled him; and the noise was distracting. There was a lifeguard on duty. Josh pointed out some strong swimmers for Nathaniel to focus on.

"Watch them breathe, " said Josh. "Same thing; inhale above water, exhale below. Whether they breathe forward during the breast stroke or turn to the side for freestyle, it's the same idea."

Nathaniel studied them for quite a while. Then he began a tentative exploration, and the brothers followed him as he inspected the ladder, and tried to guess how deep the water was. He gestured at the letters at the side of the pool and asked Jake what they said.

"Three and a half feet deep, " Jake replied.

"The water?"

Jake nodded. Over Nathaniel's head. They turned to Josh.

"That's the idea, isn't it?" said Josh. "You want to learn to swim in deep water. Well, you will."

Nathaniel's eyes got wide enough that Josh added, "But we'll be there with you, don't worry."

Nathaniel didn't look unworried to Jake.

"Here, follow me." Josh led him to the deep end, and pointed to the last set of letters there. "This says Eight Feet. That's over their heads, isn't it? They're doing fine."

They know what they're doing, Nathaniel thought. I don't. Not yet.

"Feel the water. " Nathaniel went to the ladder so he'd have something to hang onto, knelt down, leaned over feeling very insecure, and stuck his hand in the water. It was warmer than the river, but colder than a bath. He sniffed his hand and recognized the smell of the chlorine.

As he stood up, a swimmer came under several lane markers and approached the ladder. Nathaniel backed up and stood, watching; the swimmer climbed the ladder, removed her goggles, said "Hi" absentmindedly to the three men and the boy, wondering why they were at the pool in street clothes, and headed for the women's locker room. Nathaniel had turned toward Jake, blushing furiously, looking for refuge of some sort. "That's called a tank suit, or a racing suit, “ said Jake. "Actually as women's swimsuits go, it's considered pretty modest."

Nathaniel had no idea what to say.

"I guess you'd better just watch us, when you can, " said Josh.

"Poor Nathaniel, " said James.

"Over there, " said Josh, "that lane is all guys. Let's watch them."

Nathaniel followed Jake hard, and they clustered at the end of Lane 3. There were three men, all doing freestyle.

Josh drew Nathaniel close, not wanting his critical comments overheard by bystanders, and the brothers leaned in.

"This guy splashes way too much. All that water flying around is a waste of energy. Hear his hand slapping the surface with each stroke? No good. Your hand should slice into the water, this way, at an angle, more like a knife. And his kick is out of control. Your feet shouldn't break the surface. Okay, this next guy, much better control. No splash from his feet, no smack from his hands. He rolls his shoulders too far though. All he should do is turn his head and his shoulders just a little. See how that extra roll affects his rhythm when he breathes? The first guy had better rhythm. Okay, this third guy... he twists too much. His stroke is shortened up. If he'd reach forward all the way, and stop twisting his shoulders, he'd be better off." Josh demonstrated reaching forward with his arm almost but not quite straight. "But this guy does have a really nice flutter kick. See how his knees stay pretty straight? No splash."

Josh scanned more lanes, and found another all-male lane with two swimmers. They moved to Lane 6. "Not bad, " said Josh. "Really, not bad. Nice reach, nice control, steady rhythm. Okay, this next guy is another splasher." Splashing clearly bugged Josh a great deal. "His reach is good, if he'd just knife his hand in at a slight angle, and control his kick. He bends his knees too much." Josh stood up, and with a single leg demonstrated right amount of knee-bend for the flutter kick; then he reiterated bringing the hand in to the water at a reasonable angle to eliminate splash.

"That's about thirty degrees, " said James, rethinking his own stroke.

Josh got serious about reach, and briefly demonstrated a full stretch, arms overhead. "Glide is important. The tighter and longer your body is, the better glide you'll get. Who's doing a flip-turn?" He asked. They checked. Nobody was.

"Okay, Nathaniel, then just look. If I stretch my arms all the way in front of me--" he demonstrated again with arms overhead--" and I stretch my legs all the way straight behind me--" he stood on his toes, and stretched toe to fingertip as long as he could-- "I'll get the best, smoothest glide. I'll cut through the water."

Nathaniel tried hard to understand, but he was already overwhelmed. Jake and James, however, were absorbing. Josh came down off his tiptoes and continued. "The stroke starts all the way up here, " he said, looking up at his hands, and then his right hand began to pull down the center line of his body, "and it follows your center line to about your heart, and then comes around toward your hip bone, for one last push past your hip joint. Then your arm leaves the water, Elbow First, " he emphasized, " and then swings forward to re-enter as far forward, and as stretched, as possible. Remember the entry angle."

"About thirty degrees, " said James, readjusting. Jake was thinking about that last quick push past the hip joint. Was that why Josh always beat him? he wondered.

"When your elbow on the breathing side leaves the water, your head turns. Inhale above water, exhale below water." That was critically important, Nathaniel remembered. He echoed it internally. Josh continued, "As your hand re-enters the water, your face does too."

"I wish I'd brought my suit, " said Jake. He wanted to try that last push past the hip joint. The more he thought about it, the more he realized it was key.

"Tomorrow, " said Josh. "There's something else I want Nathaniel thinking about."

Nathaniel sighed, and concentrated hard.

"We used to call this 'finning', like the fins on a fish, " said Josh. "You'll do it floating on your back. If you tend to sink, this will help keep you from sinking."

He had Nathaniel's attention now.

"Stand up tall, hands at your sides, " Josh ordered. They faced each other. "Remember that thirty degree angle?" Josh demonstrated carefully, realizing the number meant nothing to Nathaniel. "Keep your arms straight. Angle your palms outward, about thirty degrees, and press the water away from your sides. Not too far. Less than a foot distance. Then turn the palms to face in-- thirty degrees worth again-- and press the water in towards your sides. Turn out, press out; turn in, press in. Yeah, that's it. In the water, it needs to be quick; out, in, out, in. Now, eventually, you'll let your elbows bend just a little, but for now, keep them straight, and keep your wrists pretty straight too, until you get the hang of it."

Nathaniel reviewed, and considered. "And this will help me float instead of sink."

"Yes. Not only on your back-- which is the first place we'll work on it-- but also treading water, and survival floating. Very important. " Josh demonstrated finning at shoulder height as if he was treading water.

"Nobody here is floating on their back, " observed Nathaniel.

"People here are working, " replied Josh. "Back floating is for resting. And staring up at the sky-- the ceiling in here isn't all that interesting, either. But outside, floating gently and quietly along on your back and staring up at the sky can be pretty cool. Especially out under the stars."

"You've done that..."

Josh's smile was enough; back floating was suddenly very important to Nathaniel. He reviewed finning in his mind several times on the way home.

They filed out of the pool. The brothers put their shoes back on, but Jake said, "We're going straight home, aren't we? Does Nathaniel have to put his shoes back on?"

"Nah, don't bother, " said Josh. They went out a side door, and Nathaniel jigged and dodged about on the lawn until a game of reverse tag ensued, more like a relay-frolic.

"I'm hungry, " Nathaniel said.

"We just ate!" laughed James.

"Finning is hungry work, " laughed Nathaniel. "And hiding from all those women is even harder. My goodness, how little your people wear!"

"It might be better if we wore more, " agreed James. "I guess we shouldn't take you to the beach."

"I should think not, " exclaimed Jake, horrified.

"The beach?" echoed Nathaniel. "What's wrong with that?"

"Women wear even less there."

"No, thanks, " said Nathaniel.

It was three o'clock. There was nothing wrong with Nathaniel's stomach-alarm by hobbit-standards. They headed home. They greeted Janiece, got out fruit and bagels and glasses of milk, and made short work of it. They began calling Nathaniel, Bolco again, which made him happy; although he liked the new name quite a bit, he was glad it wasn't going to supplant his original name completely.

"I'd like to work on the Christmas story some more, " he said as they cleared the table.

"Good idea, " said Josh. "Most of us have studying to do."

"All of us," said James. "Let's scrub the table then, and dry it." They did so.

Bolco considered Janiece for a few minutes, and then approached her. "Janiece."

"Yes, Bolco."

"I was wondering, " he began, "since Jake has schoolwork to do, and since you and I don't get to spend as much time as I'd like-- I was wondering if you would mind helping me by reading the Christmas story while I try to write it down. I know it's tiring work; I'm extremely slow. But if you wouldn't mind reading, I'd be grateful."

"Bolco, I would be delighted to read to you." And she meant it wholeheartedly.

The brothers settled down around the table and Bolco and Janiece sat in the living room. The brothers would much rather have had Bolco at the table, except that Janiece and Bolco were reading aloud, and that would be distracting, so they settled for sitting where they could see Bolco if they looked up. James had a great deal of reading to do for his Master's thesis; Josh had to design a compiler, and Jake had Materials reading to do, among other things. So Janiece and Bolco had a great deal of peace and quiet; Bolco's mind was clearer after a good night’s sleep and yesterdays' review of all the runes.

Bolco asked Janiece to start at the beginning, with Gabriel's visit to Mary, and this time "In The Sixth Month" went quite smoothly. Bolco wrote steadily for an hour, all the way through the Song of Zachariah. Although he said nothing, and just kept writing, he was inwardly astonished and delighted at his progress. Everyone else noticed, though. Janiece was reading quietly enough, but Jake noticed her cadence was significantly faster than his had been yesterday, and James and Josh remembered where his previous pages stopped, and they knew he was well past that spot. By and large, they were able to refocus on their own work and keep going.

At five, Janiece finished the Song of Zachariah, and inserted a bookmark, saying that she needed to get started with dinner. She was aware as the boys were of how much he had done, and she was proud of his progress; she complimented him on it.

"Thank you, " said Bolco, "and thank you for reading to me." He spent the remaining time pondering the story so far. He wondered whom Elizabeth's son John would turn out to be, and what he would do. He noticed that Elizabeth and Zachariah were each filled with the Holy Spirit before they spoke. The thought made him hungrier than ever, and he decided to ask about it. He noticed Zechariah’s pride in what his son would do. That brought up an ache, which he tried to ignore. He succeeded in forgetting it by starting at the beginning, and rereading through, but by the time he got to Zechariah’s song again, the ache returned. He fidgeted, and reached for the peace deep beneath the ache.

Creator, he asked, if there is something to be done about my own father, then tell me what to do. You seem to be good at difficult situations.

And then he returned to Mary's song, and stayed in it until dinnertime.

******

Table Of Contents