Sunday afternoon

Josh sought Bolco out.

"Couple of rules about the pool that all swimmers need to know."

Bolco waited.

"One; If you're going to swim, then dressed to swim or not, you enter through the locker rooms. Two; everybody takes a shower before entering the pool. Three: no blood or communicative diseases. Last I checked, you're not bleeding anywhere, right?"

Bolco shook his head. "Communi... communica..."

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"All right then. Four: no running; until you know where it's okay, no diving either; and do what the lifeguard says."

Bolco nodded.

"Five: If I speak sharply to you, that means you're in danger; obey first, ask me later. I will explain anything you want once you are safe."

Bolco nodded and smiled. "Yes, Jake. Thank you."

Josh hoped that he never had to raise his voice.

"All right. You've got a choice; change here, wear sweats over everything, strip down and shower there anyway; or just get dressed there. It doesn't matter to us. I'm changing there."

"Is there a place to change?"

"Yeah, more or less. You can always change in one of the shower stalls or in the washroom."

"All right."

"I'll help you figure out what you need, " Jake said. "I've got to get my own stuff around." They went downstairs. Jake found an old knapsack, a black nylon one with a UMASS logo, which they outfitted for Bolco, and he got his own stuff around, and met everyone upstairs. Janiece was standing by the closet.

"Are you coming too, Mom?"

"I suppose that depends. Bolco, did you talk to James about water baptism?"

The three brothers were caught completely by surprise. Bolco said, "I was planning on asking him tonight, at the pool."

James was stunned. "You want to be baptized in water?"

Bolco nodded. "If my allegiance is set, then why shouldn't I?" He held James' gaze, challenging him.

"Is it? Are you?" All three sons snapped awake, watching.

"Yes, Jesus has my allegiance. And I want to go under the water, just like he did," he replied.

James thought it over, his head spinning, and realized that once again, he was up against Bolco's free will. That made it simple. "All right then. You're quite sure that you want to do this."

"Yes, I am," Bolco assured him, smiling, wondering what the fuss was about. "What's wrong with doing it today?"

"All right. If you want to, I'll do it."

Josh laughed. "Good way to meet the water."

Bolco nodded, pleased. They might take some convincing, but once convinced, this family wasted no time with regard to spiritual matters. He liked that way of life.

This was getting intense, Jake thought. First day at church; first time ever in a pool; and baptized in water-- all in the same day. And he looked completely confident. What a change in him, between Friday and today, if today's biggest upset proved to be the "heartbreaker" comment.

James shook his head, overwhelmed. Never in his wildest dreams...

They piled into the car, but Janiece took her own. They chatted about baptism on the way to the pool; Josh had been baptized in the ocean, Jake in a river, James in a pool. They all compared notes. Jake hadn't known before this that James had actually baptized five guys at school. How cool is that, he thought.

Bolco soaked it up. He was ready. Josh modified the immersion process for Bolco since the water was over his head. They met Janiece in the parking lot and proceeded to the front desk, checked in, and Janiece headed for the bleachers in the pool while the boys headed for the locker room.

She was relieved to note that there were two free lanes, near the bleachers. She waited, praying for Bolco-- Nathaniel, she reminded herself-- for his new life in Christ, for singing in worship, for his swimming lessons, for Lilac. Eventually the four of them emerged dripping from the locker room, the shortest one wearing the shiny tee shirt and long pants. The lifeguard studied him hard, but he was clearly showered, drenched through and clean, and the clothes were spandex, fair enough. Big fuzzy feet, she thought, but there are no rules against that. Still, she thought she'd keep an eye on that one.

Janiece watched from the bleachers. She felt that she was watching the baptism of her fourth son. She laughed at herself, but there it was. She decided to enjoy it.

The three tall men jumped into the waist deep water, and the short one stood still dripping at the pools edge, by the diving block. James quietly asked him the classic baptismal questions, which Nathaniel answered correctly. "I baptize you," said James softly, hardly believing his own ears, "in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Josh and Jake then each took one wrist, and Nathaniel clenched his elbows to his sides; they lifted him down off the deck, James placed one hand on top of Nathaniel's head, and held him under for the count of five, watching bubbles rise slowly (He remembered, thought Josh) and then in one motion they sat him back onto the deck between the diving blocks.

His eyes were ablaze. He was quietly laughing. And deep inside he was repeating, thank you, Creator, thank you.

The lifeguard was staring, Janiece noticed, and a few swimmers that were in between laps were watching him, puzzled, but he took no notice of them. He dangled his feet in the water, quietly laughing. Suddenly he turned to find Janiece, and got up, went to her, and taking both her hands, kissed them and thanked her. She blessed him, laying her hand on his head, and rose. "Have a good swimming lesson, Nathaniel." He nodded, and thanked her again, and turned back to the brothers.

He sat back down again between the diving blocks, where he was not quite so conspicuous, and together they laid hands on his dripping head and prayed for him very quietly. James prayed for his character development, the fruits of the spirit, the gifts of the spirit, wisdom and revelation and knowledge and understanding and sanctification. Jake prayed for him to understand his position in Christ, to comprehend everything that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus meant to him in his life, and in the relationship of his life to everybody else, especially to God. Josh prayed for his continued determined and persistent pursuit of God through good times and bad, joy and sorrow, water and desert; through periods of illumination and through the dark night of the soul. Josh shuddered as he thought about that; he had an uneasy feeling that the dark night was not as far away as he would have liked it to be, and that it would be awfully hard. His heart sank as he prayed, and he tried to shake it off. But the uneasy feeling remained, simmering just below the surface.

They finished praying, James still profoundly stunned that he had just baptized a hobbit. Nathaniel offered both his wrists again, when Josh and James each took one, Nathaniel pulled himself back into the water. He went under intentionally, trusting them, and breathing out slowly. They lifted him back up after five counts, and looked at him carefully. "How are you doing?" said Josh, still very uneasy about the Dark Night foreboding he had had.

"Twenty-nine to go," said Nathaniel, wondering why Josh asked. "Should I keep going like this or hold onto you or something else?"

Jake said, "I volunteer," before Josh could reply. He held one arm out for Nathaniel to pull up against. Nathaniel carefully switched his grasp so that he had one hand around Jake's wrist and one hand flat across Jake's open hand, inhaled a lungful, firmly immersed himself, and exhaled. He continued until he completed thirty full inhale/exhale cycles, and then looked up at Josh. His eyes were tranquil. But they were getting rather red.

"Yikes," said Josh. "What did we do with those goggles? Blink for a while," he told Nathaniel. James quickly prepped the goggles (we'll explain that later, he thought) and handed them to Nathaniel, then prepped a pair for himself, and demonstrated how to put them on. Jake let Nathaniel lean on one of Jake's arms while Nathaniel put his goggles on.

"All right," said Josh, "James is going to demonstrate finning again. Remember what I showed you yesterday?"

Nathaniel nodded.

"You're going to watch it from underwater, though. When James lies back and starts finning, take a deep breath, hold on, and go under, and watch his arms and hands as long as you're comfortable. Try it and just look at your own hands first."

Nathaniel did so. Things were a lot clearer with the goggles, even though they were a bit blue. He checked out his hands, then the floor of the pool, then the wall, and then wanted some air. And then he realized that he had let go of Jake's arm.

Even as he was realizing that, Jake's hand appeared in front of him. He caught it, and lifted himself up, feeling bashful, but also trusting Jake more than ever.

Jake laughed, walking Nathaniel further down the lane so that James would pass by. "Ready?"

Inhale, immerse. James cruised by. He was fast. Exhale, emerge. "He's fast."

James turned and came back. Nathaniel ducked under again.

"All right," Josh said. "Listen, the key to floating on your back is to hold lots of air in your lungs. Finning helps keep you up, but the air is key. And you have to lie back. Remember?"

"Just the nose, eyes, and mouth out of water," recited Nathaniel.

"Right. But as soon as you sit up, you're going to sink. So don't sit up. Okay? Keep lying back. If you really go under, we'll get you. But try to stay arched back as much as you can, and keep your lungs full of as much air as you can."

Arched back, lungs full.

"All right. Try it. We'll put our hands out, and you lie back across our hands, and see if you can float up and off of our hands by breathing deep."

This was scary.

"Josh."

"Yeah?"

"I'm afraid to do it. But I will. The reason I'm saying something is that I wasn't afraid until now. I really thought I would be completely terrified. I was sure of it."

Josh waited.

"I think, I think a lot of the fear went away when I was baptized." Gripping Jake's free hand, and concentrating hard, he turned himself so that he had his back to their outstretched hands, and carefully lay back until they were supporting him. They lowered him into the water, and he focused, tense, breathing deep, exhaling as little as he could, and staying arched. Without finning, he wouldn't float all that well, Josh knew; too lean. And he would eventually need to relax.

Jake watched Josh, and they lowered Nathaniel until his eyes, nose and mouth were the only thing above water; he filled his lungs as best he could, and was lighter on their hands, and sometimes seemed just about to float, but as soon as he exhaled, he weighed on their hands again. Jake worried a bit.

"Pick him up," Josh said, and they turned him upright, and Bolco crossed his arms over Jake's forearm again. Josh bent his knees until he was shoulder deep in the water. "Watch my hands and my arms." He tucked his feet up so that he was floating, and began finning horizontally at shoulder level; hand angles out, presses out; angles in, presses in. Swish, swish. Nathaniel remembered from the day before, and copied the motion with one arm. Thirty degrees, he recited, wondering what that meant, but he got it right. Jake lowered him into the water, up to his chin, and let him work at the motion; but the motion actually lifted him an inch or so, and he came off of Jake's forearm. He laughed, and James and Jake hovered nearby, but gave him room. He kept it up for about thirty seconds. "All right," said Josh, "we don't want him tired out." They each reached him a hand, and he was elated.

Josh let him enjoy his success for a minute, and then said, "Rested? Do it again." He did. Josh gave him another thirty seconds, and they reached for his hands again.

"Now try that on your back."

Hands reached behind him, and he arched back, and started finning. Press out, pull in, swish, swish. He began to move off of their hands. They walked beside him, ready, and he realized he was off of their hands, and the surprise of it made him sit up. He sank. They caught him. He spluttered.

"Try again. Don't sit up. Stay back."

He had it. Jake and Josh grinned at each other, James let out a soft cheer. Nathaniel heard the cheer and sat up, but this time he sat up still finning, and did not sink. They let him tread water long enough for the triumph to set in, and then reached for him again.

Jake tousled his hair, but that made his pointed ears show. "Whoops." Jake tried to hide the ears again, to no avail. "Float on your back again, Nathaniel, " he said. "No, that won't fix it," said Josh, "Just duck under once." He did so.

"All right, three more sets each of back floating and floating upright, and then we'll add the flutter kick." Nathaniel breezed through the repetitions, and then they all sat on the edge of the deck. Knee angle and minimized splashing were once again explained in minute detail. I must never, ever splash, Nathaniel told himself. No splashing. Splashing is obviously very bad.

Minutes later they were back in the water, and Nathaniel was motoring around on his back, switching almost comfortably between a strong back float and treading water vigorously.

"All he needs," said Josh, "Is to be able to go forward. Jake."

"Sir-yes-sir."

"Hold him up so he can see. Ready, Nathaniel? Watch." Josh found deeper water, treading, and then ducked under, combined a flutter kick with three simple pulls underwater, and then surfaced, treading water again. "Inhale above water," he intoned, "and exhale under..." he submerged again, pulling three strokes. Nathaniel watched the pulling action, noticed the same flutter kick was used, and was pulling away from Jake to try it. "Hey," said Jake, "Slow down. Swim from one of us to the other."

Inhale, submerge, exhale and pull pull pull, surface, tread water. Triumph. He swam from Josh to Jake to James and around again. By the time he got back around to Jake, he was ecstatic, and climbed halfway up Jake and tousled his hair. Then he went back around.

"Well, that was too easy," said Josh. "Nathaniel."

Nathaniel listened, treading water.

"Now try staying on the surface. Like this. Remember that stretched position, arms overhead? Keep your arms tight over your head. And use only your kick to move. See how far you can go on one long breath. "Josh demonstrated, a fully-stretched prone position with a minimal flutter kick and a long slow exhale. He went a long ways, thought Jake; wonder what the trick is. He looked at James and realized James was measuring too.

He looked at Nathaniel, who seemed on the tired side. He decided to stay close to him. Nathaniel started off, trying to stretch, having nothing to push off from, but kicking smoothly, and reaching forward. The breath was too small, though, and he came up for air before he really got going. He fought for breath, got one good one, and tried again. But he was tired and didn't get far. Jake stayed close. "Josh, he's tired," Jake warned.

"Okay," Josh replied, "enough. Take him in."

"Nathaniel," Jake called, "Ladder. Time for a break."

Nathaniel didn't argue, Jake noticed, and they headed for the ladder together. Halfway, Nathaniel was gasping for air. "Roll over and float on your back," Jake ordered. "I'm right here, I won't let you sink." Jake put one hand under Nathaniel's back. "Breathe and rest. If you were alone, you'd have to fin to stay up, but for now, just breathe, okay?"

Nathaniel nodded, suddenly realizing just how very tired he was and how deep the water was beneath him. It was not a nice thought.

"Tired?" asked James, adding another hand under Nathaniel's back. Josh was on his way over, but he wasn't hurrying. Good setup, he thought. Let the lesson sink in; back floating is your friend... By the time he arrived, Nathaniel was beginning to recover, but Josh let him wait. "Breathe. Keep breathing. Better? Don't roll over yet. Breathe a while more."

They waited.

"Now, how are you feeling?" Josh asked.

"Better," Nathaniel said.

"Okay," Josh said, "Swim to the ladder and climb out."

He did it, but it was clear that he was still very tired. Jake joined him. "You two going to do some laps?" he asked Josh and James, and they liked the idea. James wanted to work on that anti-splash thirty-degree entry angle, and Josh just plain loved to swim.

Jake and Nathaniel moved over to the starting block and watched the two brothers work back and forth in the lane. James had a clean stroke, but not as polished as Josh's. Josh wasted no movement, streamlined everything, and made each motion count for additional distance. Nathaniel watched Josh carefully, noting everything about his stroke that he could, and wanting to swim just like that. Josh's flip-turns mystified him.

"Yesterday, Josh was trying to find somebody doing a flip-turn, and nobody was," said Jake. "When he pushes off, look at how stretched he is, fingertip to feet. That was what he wanted to show you yesterday."

Nathaniel nodded.

"You know, you did well today. Good work."

Nathaniel's eyes caught fire again. "Thank you." Nathaniel reflected that Jake had no concept of what had just happened; the greatest fear of Nathaniel’s life had been vanquished, and one of the greatest longings fulfilled. It would become clearer to Jake in due time. Nathaniel was too tired to talk much, but he was still watching Josh like a hawk.

After ten minutes or so, James came and took Jake's place, and Jake did some laps. Jake was focused on that last push with the palm past the hip joint. Sure enough, he could feel his body surge forward. This was worth some work.

Meanwhile James and Nathaniel were discussing Nathaniel's sudden decrease in fear of the water, and his suspicion that the baptism had a lot to do with it. James thought it quite plausible. "There's a scripture that says, perfect love casts out fear," he said, "it wouldn't surprise me a bit."

"There's a lot about love, isn't there? I'm not sure I grasp it. I think that's what I like most about the singing, was the sense of warmth and affection it involved. Why is that?"

James pondered, and then replied, "The singing is part of offering yourself to God, or what we call worship. And in the end, love and worship are the same thing. So... Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength."

It sounded non-trivial, to say the least. Nathaniel pondered that as he watched Josh and Jake surging through the water. Both the overt and the subtle rhythms of their freestyle began to sink into his mind. He watched Josh's flip-turns and his glide. He watched Jake's backstroke. And when Josh suddenly did a length of butterfly, James was jolted out of his reverie by Nathaniel's explosive enthusiasm. "What kind of swimming is that?"

James shook himself. "Uh, that’s Butterfly. It’s a racing stroke. Terribly impractical, very tiring, but a lot of fun. Especially to watch."

After watching Josh swim various strokes for another ten minutes or so, Nathaniel decided that if he had been determined before to learn whatever he could, he was more determined now. I'll do whatever he tells me to do, he thought. There's no reason to hold back anything. I can throw myself into this with everything I've got.

And someday I will swim just like that. Lots of different strokes, and a freestyle just like Josh.

Josh was the last to finish, and they headed for the locker room, with a round of congratulations heaped on Nathaniel. Nathaniel was surprised how exhausted he was. They showered and changed, and Bolco contented himself with listening as they drove home. The conversation centered around school; James and Josh were bracing themselves for an early drive to Amherst in the morning, and Jake had classes from nine to two, so he would be gone pretty much from eight to three.

Bolco realized that he was not looking forward to a day alone. Normally he thrived on solitude, but normally, there were not three rivers of affection and affirmation pouring on him, either. He would miss them. And he would be alone in what still felt like a cavernous and strange house.

James would be gone all week, but Josh would return briefly Tuesday afternoon for another swimming lesson.

"I don't think you should try to go swimming tomorrow," Josh warned. "You got pretty tired today; all new muscles for you, I suspect. Take a day off. Eventually, you'll be able to go every day." He did not add that Jake was not qualified in Josh's mind to lifeguard Bolco effectively by himself. Not yet, not until Nathaniel was much stronger and his breathing was instinctive.

If Josh says I need a day off, thought Bolco, then I need a day off. "All right, Josh. "

Josh's eyebrows went up. There was something different in Bolco's voice that he'd never heard before. He twisted around, and looked at him, and besides a very sleepy weariness, he saw grim determination mixed with something else. He stared.

"Bolco, are you okay?"

"Yes, just tired, why?"

"Just wondering."

Bolco stared back, sensing a deep internal change in himself. He had never decided to follow anybody unreservedly before. He didn't think the words "commander" or "captain", but he felt them. In Bolco's perspective, he had flirted with drowning in deep water for fully half an hour, and he had emerged breathing and victorious. It was a dream come true; but that goal having been met, he had a new one: a perfect, splash-free, powerful and fluid freestyle, with flip-turns included. And that meant submission and obedience.

Josh puzzled over the gaze, until sitting twisted became uncomfortable and he smiled and turned forward again. Jake had been watching, and he thought he would ask Bolco what he was thinking sometime later. He had more pressing thoughts.

"Bolco, I've been thinking," he began. "I think you should stay in the house all day tomorrow."

James nodded, and Josh looked back. Bolco frowned. "Why?"

"Until we think some things through, I think it's risky for you to be out alone, " Jake said. "I mean, you could stay in the back yard, I guess, if you can stay totally hidden, but the front yard-- I'd hate to have the neighbors asking pesky questions, and thinking strange thoughts, and getting nosy. Just stay in the house, and don't answer the door. Or the phone."

"Phone...?"

"If it rings. Remind us, we'll show you. And we'll set up something so you'll know if it's one of us; answer it then."

Bolco sighed. "Indoors all day, alone?" He plainly did not like the idea.

"I'd take you to class with me," said Jake, "but you'd be bored, and everybody would ask about you, and you'd still be indoors. "

"We can set you up with some worship CDs, that will take care of a little time," Josh said.

"You can review your runes that you've done so far," Jake added.

That was true. But it wouldn't hold his attention for seven hours. "Perhaps I'll nap during the day, and go out at night," Bolco suggested, thinking he'd enjoy the stars.

The brothers exchanged glances, thinking that another council would be necessary, James was tempted to include Bolco in on it; he'd bring that up later.

"Do you think," Jake said, "that you could go out very early in the morning, in the dark, instead of late at night? If you want to go into the woods, I mean."

"I don't understand," said Bolco.

Jake pleaded. "Some of our neighbors are awfully nosey. Much too inquisitive and interfering. They have too little to do themselves, and mind everybody else's business. And I don't want them messing around with you. Not if I can possibly help it."

"He's right, Bolco, " said James. "We've got some Sackville-Baggins types living right next door to us." He regretted it as soon as he said it. Josh shot him a flaming look.

Bolco frowned. "How do you know about the Sackville-Bagginses?"

Josh held his breath. They pulled into the front yard. "Oh, I thought they were the busybodies that gave Mad Baggins such a hard time," James evaded.

"Evangeline Burroughs, now there's a busybody, " Jake interrupted. "And the one across from the Adams. Mrs. Gourd. She's always calling the police, for anything from stray dogs to music that's too loud. And there are no leaves on the trees, so if you went into the woods in daylight, you'd be visible for quite a ways. If she thought you were just a little bit odd-looking or suspicious, she'd have a cruiser out after you. We used to leave Hunter off leash, but she turned us in enough times, we have to tie him out now. "

"Hunter?"

"The collie. I know, stupid name for a sheepdog, but I was just a kid when we got him."

"Oh."

"I say," said Josh. "Why don't we talk to Mrs. Chattham, and see if she'd mind if Bolco cuts through her yard to that big pine grove behind her house?"

"I can get to that pine grove easily from your yard," said Bolco, trying not to lose patience. "Can't you trust me to stay hidden?"

Trust to the Hobbit's legendary ability to move absolutely quietly, and disappear when big folk like you and me come blundering along, thought Jake. He's right. But he couldn't let it go without one last word. "Just please," said Jake. "Be very, very careful. Don't talk to anyone? And stay completely hidden? Please, Bolco?"

Bolco sighed. "All right." He yawned. They went into the house, but Bolco was suddenly claustrophobic, and he detoured to the lilac bush. As soon as Jake realized Bolco wasn't behind him, he stepped to where he could keep an eye on Bolco, waiting to be invited, thinking Bolco might want some space with his own thoughts.

Bolco went between the lilac and the yew bush, sat cross-legged behind the yew, and put his head back against the house. He looked left and right, and saw nothing but greenery; he was completely hidden from the road and the neighbors. He thought about Lilac, and Jake waited by the front stairs for several minutes, finally sitting down on the steps, chilled, but patient.

Ten minutes later, Josh opened the door and looked out.

Jake was shivering. "Tea, please? I'm cold."

"You want to eat out here?"

"I guess. You could ask him," Jake nodded toward the lilac.

This was unexpected. Josh sauntered round, and saw no one, and looked back at Jake who pointed.

He looked round the yew bush. Not bad, he thought.

"Tomato soup, and garlic bread?" He watched.

Bolco made a conscious decision to be polite. "I'm coming. I'll be there in just a minute."

"See you then."

Josh motioned Jake inside, and Jake reluctantly followed, but his eyes strayed often to the front door. They set the table.

Two minutes later, there came a tap at the back door to the deck. Bolco had crept around the house, and silently up the stairs.

Jake wilted. "Bolco."

"Yes, Jake."

"I'm sorry. And thank you."

Bolco looked at Jake again, and realized he was choked up. Bolco wilted too. The tension broke, and Bolco stepped around next to Jake.

"Jake, I'm not made to be inside, to stay inside all the time. I can't."

"I know. I'm sorry. I know I'm being a pain. I'll try and loosen up. But I'm worried about you while I'm gone."

Janiece, just coming over from the stove, was puzzled by this. "Why should you worry about him, Jake? There's no need for him to leave the house, is there? He'll be fine inside all day."

James laughed.

Bolco sighed. "Perhaps you all know something about this neighborhood that I do not," he reluctantly agreed.

"It looks safer than it is, Bolco," said Janiece.

"Mom, Bolco wants to spend some time outside tomorrow. We suggested the Pine Grove, out behind Mrs. Chattham's house. He says he can slip over there from our back yard, unseen."

"How can you be sure that you can get back, if you are threatened by something?" James asked. "If some loose dog trees you, you could be out there all day. I feel better about the pine grove than I do anywhere else, but still."

Josh got up, and looked out the back door, measuring the cover and the greenery that Bolco would have to work with.

"I tell you what, Bolco, " Josh said. "If you can make it from the front door all the way to the pine grove and back, without us seeing you from the deck or any of the windows, we'll stop worrying."

"Can I eat first?" Bolco replied, eyeing the bowls that Janiece had just ladled up. He was tired and hungry from the swim. She checked the garlic bread, and put it back in for just another minute, but the garlic smell filled the room.

"It's getting dark fast. Do we let him eat first?" Josh asked the assembly.

"Oh, come on!" Bolco fairly exploded, and then felt a twinge of remorse. The brothers laughed, and Bolco found himself under three hands at once, all rough affection.

"I'd call that a yes, " said James. "Actually, Josh, I think it's a great idea. He'll probably pull it off, too. But I'll watch like a hawk."

Jake nodded. "I think he'll have us, hands down. Pass the garlic bread, please."

"I could get careless," Bolco said, "just because I am so tired. So it's not a foregone conclusion."

"There's something I've been wondering, Bolco," Janiece said, opening the oven again, and pulling the garlic bread out this time. She brought it to the table, steaming, and James sliced it. "You said that you work in the fields. But I've never met a field worker before that had quite such a nice vocabulary as you do. You don't seem to me to talk like a field hand." She set a bowl of soup in front of him, and James finished slicing the bread and passed it around.

"Grace; Jake," said Josh, and they bowed their heads. Jake prayed briefly, adding a request for Bolco's safety tomorrow, and Lilac's continued patience, and then dinner commenced.

Bolco stared into his soup between spoonfuls, and considered the question. "I suppose you are right, Janiece," he said. "Most of the field workers grew up working in the fields from their youth. I did not."

Janiece waited.

"I did not grow up in the Smials. I am the only member of my family that lives there. I am not a close relative of The Took. I came from a large aristocratic family, descended from Bandobras, or Bullroarer Took-- the North Tooks of Long Cleeve, which is far, far up on the northern border of The Shire. We lived five miles south of Lake Evendim, which is where I fell in love with water. Most of my cousins are quite well-read, with the nice vocabulary you've noticed. My father isn't, nor my brothers," Bolco sighed, "but they are the exceptions. My father may have been a good reader in his youth, but I don't remember him reading much. At any rate, my father managed his orchards and gardens himself, and used hired hands to work his fields. I did not learn fieldwork growing up, nor did I ever expect to do field work regularly. But neither did I meet my father's expectations." I spent too much time chasing elves in Bindbale Wood, he thought, and not enough time in the North Cleeve inns, drinking beer, like a normal teenage hobbit should; the argument over wading in Evendim was merely the last straw. He stirred his soup, first one way, and then the other. "When I was dismissed from my father's household, several southern cousins made an appeal on my behalf to The Took. My situation was a bit of a scandal; it was not often that a hobbit is disowned in the Shire, and many thought that my father had been too harsh. They were able to win The Took to their perspective, I guess.

"The Took was amenable to hiring me on as a hand, and as one of his grandsons had just married and moved into a hobbit hole belonging to the bride's family, there was a spare room came available at the Smials. That was an unusual arrangement, really; most of the hired field hands don't live in the Smials. They live in neighboring houses or holes in Tuckborough. The Tooks mostly manage the gardens and the orchards, similar to my father's household, and hire out the fieldwork. At any rate, that is how I came to work the fields for The Took, and live in the Smials. "

It explains, thought Jake, how he lives in the same hole as Lilac, but is a fourth cousin once removed.

There was a silence, and Bolco felt awkward, as if more was expected. "I'm happy there," he said, not very convincingly, "and Pippin watches out for me quite a bit. Many nights when I am out late, he saves a meal's worth for me, and keeps it hot until I get there. And Pippin keeps me in touch with the goings-on in the rest of the Smials, when I've been out walking for too many days in a row."

"Where does Lilac live?" Janiece asked.

"With her father, in the southern part of the tunnels," Bolco answered. "The South side of the Smials is closer to the gardens. I'm on the north side, where I can get out the side door and head up the hill into the upper fields." His appetite was quite gone again, but eating would be easier than talking. He slowly worked on the garlic bread for a while in silence.

Jake ached for him, wondering what on earth would have driven his father to disown him, and what kinds of grief that would cause. And it made him wonder more and more what Lilac's father's reaction had been. He decided to ask.

"Bolco, have you talked to Lilac's father about having to leave your father's house?" he said as gently as he could.

"It came up once," Bolco said, "But I was tongue-tied that day. He started saying that normally if a hobbit was interested in a fellow's daughter, the girl's father would talk to the young hobbit's father. I froze with fear and despair, and Isembrand had pity on me, I think. He spoke kindly to me, saying that there were Brandybucks aplenty who liked the water, and got deeper into it than I did, and it certainly wasn't natural, but it wasn't necessarily a crime as far as he knew." Bolco let out a grim, quiet laugh. "I wonder if Isembrand ever really made up his mind about that, or if he'll change it when he hears that I am learning to swim. Perhaps not."

"Your father threw you out of the house because you went into the river?" James could hardly believe his ears.

"Lake Evendim. We lived right up on the north border of the Shire. But yes, he threw me out of the house for going into the water. My father is on the conservative side, even for a hobbit," Bolco said. "We had been in several arguments about it already, and that was the first day I went in up to my chest." He took a bite of garlic bread, and then added, "But it wasn't my last. Once I moved south to the Smials, I went into the river there, which was far more public than Lake Evendim, and so that much worse. By then my father felt that I had disgraced the entire family, and has never spoken to me since. He did have a point; the talk at the northern inns was about nothing else for months. My brothers had a sore trial living through all the controversy. My father simply stopped drinking out ‘til it died down. Months. After that I always went wading at night, as late as I could, when there was nobody there."

Great, thought Josh, wading up to his chest at night, with nobody around to haul him out or throw him a rope if he gets swept off his feet. Well, he's learning to swim now. Soon he'll be able to float downstream on his back, and forget his worries, and watch the stars go by, Josh promised himself, unaware that Bolco was promising himself the same thing. Their eyes met, and again Josh was surprised by the new look in Bolco's eyes. Was it a hungry look? He couldn't quite place it.

"Are you able to forgive your father?" Janiece gently asked, noting that Bolco had not once mentioned his mother, and wondering why, but deciding not to pry.

"I think perhaps," Bolco said. "Late last night I couldn't sleep, and I went out on the porch, what you call the deck. And I was thinking about the lamb, and I realized that I wasn't angry and bitter at my family anymore, at least, not like I was. There was a great weight gone from me. I was able to think about them with affection again. Even my father." He sighed. "I was a sore trial for him, I'm afraid. Always climbing trees and looking for elves. He never approved of the Took family's wild edges, and he was outraged that he had fathered one." Bolco shook his head. "My father kept trying to steer me clear of elves and starlight and water. And I just couldn't be steered.

"I stayed out too late, he said. So I came home at the same time my brothers, Banco, Dondo, and Songo came home from the inns. Well, it was fine for them to be out ‘til two, at the inn, but if I was out 'til eleven near the water, or out in the trees, that was out too late."

Josh spoke. "Did you get along with your brothers?"

"Not really," Bolco said, "which they never quite understood. They liked me fairly well, I think, looking back, although I was convinced that they didn't. Songo especially stood up for me, in later years. I think once I realized that my feet were too small for me to be a real hobbit, I just gave up, and decided to be a miniature elf, or something." Another grim laugh.

"Your feet were too small?" echoed Janiece, stunned, and thinking afterward it might have been rude.

"My father," said Bolco, "has Proudfoot blood. His feet are magnificent. And the rest of my brothers took after him, in more ways than one. All," he added, "except me. Bolco Humblefoot." He shook his head. "I'll spare you the myriad nicknames. But suffice it to say that what they looked on as harmless humor, rather effectively drove me from their company. And I let it, which was my fault, I now realize. I wonder if I would have become such an elf-chaser, if I'd had respectable feet. Perhaps not."

"So, he was annoyed with you all along, for not being one of the brothers and going to the inns, but climbing trees and chasing elves instead. And the water was the last straw."

Bolco nodded. "Even once I moved down to the Smials, I went through a phase where I really tried to like beer, and go to the inns, and be one of the crowd. My longest effort lasted about five weeks. After that I made other similar efforts, but they lasted less and less time. Pippin thought he'd try to help me out, and often tried to coax me along to the inns with him. I got to know some of his friends; Merry, a little, and Folco, and Fredegar. They're a bit wild, too, at least Merry is. I almost got up the courage once to ask him if he could swim."

"So," chuckled James, "You went to the inns, and ended up hanging out with hobbits almost as wild as you were."

Bolco nodded. "But by then, I'm afraid I was quite beyond caring what my father or brothers thought or felt. I just went wading, later and later at night, under the stars. And deeper and deeper into the woods."

"In our culture," said Janiece, very, very softly, "I don't think very many people see big feet as aesthetically essential. Nor do I think that people's initial reaction is that your feet are too small."

"Right size to kick with. Get you through the water just fine," said Josh, matter-of-factly.

The comment from Josh won him. He would remember that. He smiled at Janiece too.

Now Jake understood why Bolco usually tucked his feet under the chair if he could.

"Besides, " said Jake, "if you had feet like your brothers and father apparently do, we couldn't disguise you at all. Right now your feet are Large For A Kid. Any bigger, they'd be Too Big for a human kid."

Bolco shifted in his seat. "Which brings me to, why did I come here."

Josh blinked. "It does?" Everyone leaned forward in his or her seats.

"Well, I think I'm beginning to understand, " Bolco said hesitantly. "And I want to see what you think."

They waited.

"That last night, out in Green Hill Country, " Bolco began, "when I was in the tree ‘til late. I wanted to swim in the path of stars, the Milky Way. Swimming in the stars, swimming in heaven. Exploring and immersing myself in the Creator's country. Josh, you remember that."

"Definitely."

"Well," said Bolco, "I think I prayed it."

It sank in, and they began to smile.

"I think I came here to learn to swim, for one thing," Bolco began. "And for another, some how it has to do with the path of stars, with the Creator's country, with the Creator's people, and learning everything that I can about it and him."

He paused.

"I think that's why I am here. And I think, maybe, that when I've learned enough, I'll find myself back home. I can't explain why I think that. I just do."

"So the way to get home," said Josh, "is to learn like blazes."

Bolco pondered the thought. Then he looked at James and Jake in turn, and Janiece.

"Then," Janiece said, "you can stay here, and learn all you can about God, his people, and swimming. "

Bolco had been holding his breath, and it took him a moment to breathe and respond. "Oh, Janiece, thank you. I was hoping. Thank you." He reached for her hand. "Can I somehow earn my keep in some way?"

"No," she said firmly. "You can learn all you can about God and his people, and learn to swim too. That is what I want you to do."

"Welcome to the student life," said Jake. "Study hard, Bolco. Grades matter." The brothers laughed.

"It's more than grades," said Janiece intensely, surprising several of them. They waited. "It's life experience," she continued. "Learning about God and his people, Bolco, is done by living it, not by studying it. And that is quite a different thing, than engineering of any kind."

James was tempted to argue with this, thinking that engineering had been quite a life experience for him, but decided it wouldn't benefit Bolco if he did. Josh shifted in his seat, thinking something similar, but the point was, Bolco could stay, seemingly indefinitely. They liked that.

Bolco tried to absorb what Janiece was getting at, and thought he knew. He nodded, waiting for more.

"Learning about God is going to involve becoming a disciple and letting him change your heart. Learning about his people is going to involve relating with them."

"But Mom," Jake began, "You can't mean, like, formal church membership or... or... or anything like that." And how do we keep Bolco's life simple and safe and sound, meanwhile immersing him in church life? Is that possible? Should we even go there? He glanced at Bolco. There were some things Jake had no idea how to explain.

"We'll see what God wants it to mean. It's what he wants that matters. If God wants Bolco to learn about the people that follow him, it won't be just facts. It will mean experience."

That made all four brothers quite nervous. "Perhaps we'd best pray about it then," Jake suggested.

A fine idea, thought Janiece with deep satisfaction. "Why not now." The brothers rapidly cleared the table and wiped it down, left the dishes for later, and they re-gathered around the table.

They had a lot to pray for, having been accumulating topics all day. Occasionally debates arose on various topics, and they requested wisdom more than once. It was quite a while before they left the table. The last thing they prayed about was Lilac, and Bolco was immersed in memories of her and did not notice Jake quietly disappearing downstairs. He reappeared with a guitar, the group wandered slowly into the living room, and for the next hour, the guitar was passed from brother to brother as songs surfaced.

Janiece sat back and blissfully closed her eyes. Bolco sat on the floor and lost himself in the music. They quite forgot about their challenge to Bolco to get to the Pine Grove and back unseen.

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