The Snake Stone

33

In the church of St. George, the archimandrite waved the censer again and filled the air with the grateful fragrance of sandalwood and frankincense. He intoned the words of the creed.

I believe in One God, Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of everything visible and invisible, he sang.

And in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages.

Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, through Whom all things were made.

He sang the words; his body trembled to the majestic statement of faith; but his mind was elsewhere. Had he, he wondered, already said too much?

I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

And then there was the book. The Ottoman authorities probably didn’t know that it existed. It was better that way.

I await the resurrection of the dead.

And the life of the ages to come.

That was the way it should be kept.

Amen.