THALIA - Bergotte (best book reader txt) 📗

speaking. You don't mince your words either, you tell it as it is. The church should be preaching this message, but church leaders shy away from telling people that they are greedy, but we are." The Pump Room Trio struck up a new tune as Thalia replied, “I enjoyed doing it. I’m convinced that it is the right thing for me to be doing just now.”

“I do think you ought to get more publicity for your cause, if you have a cause. Do you? And if so, what is it?” continued Giorgia.
“I think I do have a cause. However, it’s difficult to specify exactly what it is, because my speeches identify problems within Western society, rather than suggest solutions.”
“Have you got any solutions?” asked Giorgia, earnestly.
“Well, to be honest, no, I haven’t other than to avoid doing what I am speaking out about.”
“Your campaign is rather negative, isn’t it?”
“What I am saying should serve as a warning, not just to individuals but to society at large.”
“Society is made up of individuals, isn’t it?” interjected David.
“Yes,” said Andrew, “but also it is made up of many different institutions, particularly businesses, which are becoming increasingly multi-national and therefore, their influence is growing, especially in their lobbying power.”
“It is said that the city of Bristol is built on tobacco, drink and slavery,” said Giorgia.
“And the tobacco and drink is still with us,” responded Andrew, “but the system of slavery was successfully opposed and eventually eradicated, by forward looking people like William Wilberforce.”
“If you are to have any influence on society at large, Thalia, you need public awareness of what you are saying, beginning with this area, the West Country,” said Giorgia.
“Otherwise, you are not very different from the odd characters who go around carrying a placard proclaiming, the end of the world is nigh!” exclaimed David.
“I’m not proclaiming, the end of the world, not now, not in the future,” responded Thalia, hotly.
“In fact, it’s us, as Christians that believe in the end of the world sometime in the future, but we don’t know when,” commented Giorgia, “but we do believe that there will be a new heaven and a new earth.”
“Oh, I’ve never heard of that before…” said Thalia.
“It’s a big subject, known as eschatology…the last things. I covered it as part of my theology degree,” said Andrew.
“You studied theology?” queried Thalia, “I thought you studied music.”
“I did both,” responded Andrew, “and now I teach both at school.”

“That brings us neatly to something I’ve been thinking of during the last few days. I think, Thalia, you ought to consider studying for A levels and possibly going to college or university,” said David.
“I have no intention of returning to school,” said Thalia, testily, “I hated every moment of it!”
“You don’t have to,” said Andrew.
“You could study in the reference library,” said David.
“And we three could help you,” suggested Giorgia.
“What would I study?”
“How about English, music and religious studies?” responded Andrew.
“I have no real interest in religious studies.”
“Your prophetic gift has something in common with those Biblical prophets who were concerned with social justice, such as Amos and Hosea,” suggested Andrew.
“And I would have thought the prophetic books of William Blake, as part of an English literature course, would be up your street,” said David.
“I will give it some thought,” said Thalia.

On the way back home Thalia told David that she was happy to accompany him to church on the following day.
“It doesn’t feel much like a church,” she observed.
“No, that’s why I like it. I had enough of public school religion when I was at boarding school,” replied David.
“What do you mean by public school religion?”
“Sung mattins, choral evensong and sung Holy Communion.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“I have some records of our chapel choir singing these services. I’ll play them to you. You’ll understand much better from listening to them, rather than any explanation I can give.”

They walked on in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Thalia pondered the prospect of academic work, which did not excite her. However, she realised that what her three new friends were suggesting made sense. Her biggest challenge however, was the problem of how to set herself apart from the doom merchants, the religious cranks who constantly threatened the end of the world and her own message presaging what she regarded as the end of our world. Perhaps, she thought, I should use that simple phrase, the end of our world, or the end of the world as we know it, almost as a sort of catchphrase.

After the service on the following day, the old man who had led the service called Thalia over to him and asked her into his study. She realised that this was his house and he was very much in charge of this tiny church. He invited her to sit down. She did so, whilst he took his seat behind his desk. He gazed at Thalia and said,
“A near neighbour of ours was walking through the Abbey Courtyard yesterday and saw you haranguing a large crowd of people. He recognised you as a visitor to this church. He didn’t like what he heard and I agree with him. I have to ask you either to stop what you are doing in the city, or not to attend church here anymore.”
“What I do is what I think I must do. I do not have a choice in the matter."
"Do you know who I am?" said the minister, hotly.
"Why, have you forgotten?" was her mischievous retort.
I am Colonel... " he began.
Thalia cut him short.
"Don't stand on your dignity. I cannot stop doing what I do,” she told him angrily.
“In that case, I must tell you that you are no longer welcome here.”
“I understand. Goodbye.”

Thalia rose from her chair and walked briskly out of the minister’s study. He was very taken aback by her attitude, the way she spoke to him and her body-language. He was obviously used to being obeyed unquestioningly. She told David what had happened. He left her and strode into the study. “If Thalia is not allowed here on a Sunday, I am not staying,” David shouted at the old man. He was rather surprised by the vehemence in the young man's voice, but before he could make any response he saw Giorgia and Andrew standing in the doorway. “Neither are we,” said Andrew.
“I cannot allow the members of this church to be associated with the crackpot views of your girlfriend,” said the minister, sharply.
“She is not my girlfriend, she’s my cousin,” said David angrily, “and your attitude is positively antediluvian.”

All four of them left the house immediately, without speaking to any of the church members.
“I don’t want to cause so much trouble,” cried Thalia. The others could see the tears welling up in her eyes.
“It’s a matter of principle,” said Andrew, “you have a perfect right to express your views in public, whatever they are.”
Giorgia put her arm round the girl’s shoulders and hugged her tightly.
“We will stick together,” she said.

Later that afternoon David received a phone call from another church member. “Hello Peter,” said David, “what can I do for you?”
“I’m phoning about the debacle in church this morning,” he replied. “Can you tell me more about it?”
David briefly explained the situation and his reasons for leaving the fellowship.
“Well,” said Peter, “we as a family feel the same way. We think Christians ought to be more tolerant of other people, especially when they are as young as your cousin. So, we will not be returning to the fellowship, but we do want to continue as a church. I was wondering whether you and Andrew, along with Giorgia would like to join us.”
“And Thalia?”
“Yes, of course. She is most welcome. I didn’t mention her name because she is not a committed Christian is she?”
“No, she’s not,” rejoined David, “and she never will be with the attitude old George has.”
“Quite so,” said Peter.

Thalia was not so happy with David’s news about Peter setting up a new church. She didn’t really want to be part of it. Her idea had always been to maintain her own independence, but it was beginning to dawn on her that she would be much more successful in her quest with people behind her, who would support her when the going got difficult and it certainly was getting difficult, even in these, the early days of her prophetic career. She expressed her anxieties to David. She had discovered that his friendship was genuine; she thought already that she could trust him completely.

“I know you don’t like church,” he said, “but we, as a group of friends, we like you, so please stick with it. And you’re right about having a group of supporters around you. The strength of the fellowship is that we are committed to each other, irrespective of what we believe as individuals.”

Thalia was relieved to hear this news, but a thought had occurred to her.
“Won’t people think I’m just using them, if I rely on them, expecting help?”
“That may be how the world thinks, but we don’t think like that.”
“Can you tell me something about Peter?” she asked David.
“Yes, he is in his early thirties and is married to Jane, who is about the same age. He works as assistant manager in a large antiquarian bookshop and bookbinders in the city. He is very knowledgeable about books. Andrew and I often go in to the shop to look at the second-hand books they have there.”
“He sounds an interesting character,” commented Thalia.
“Oh, he is. They have two children, who you won’t have seen at church, because they were in the crèche, at the back.”

The following evening David received a phone call from Andrew, who asked if he could speak to Thalia. She took the receiver from him and listened to what Andrew had to say.
“I’ve been in touch with someone I know at Radio Bristol. They are prepared to give you an interview, which might reach their newsroom and be broadcast as part of their local news coverage. If you can be at the studios on Wednesday morning at eleven o’clock, they will slot you in somewhere.”
“I don’t know whether I am up to being interviewed. I’m not sure what to say,” said Thalia.
“It won’t be a live broadcast. It will be recorded and edited. There is nothing to worry about. The questions will be given to you beforehand, or if not the precise questions, the topics of concern to you.”
“Well, okay, but I do have some reservations about it all.”

“You will probably have David to accompany you and give you his moral support.”
“I can’t depend on him all the time.”
“I think you can. It’s what he expects. He enjoys looking after you. Believe me; your presence in his life has renewed him.”
“Okay, I will be there. Does David know where the studios are?”
“Yes, he has visited them with me before now. Talk to him about it. I’m sure he would be happy to help.”
“I will. Bye for now, and thank you for setting up this interview for me.”
“Don’t mention it. Giorgia and I will look forward to seeing you soon and hearing all about it.”

Thalia put down the receiver and told David the gist of the conversation she had had with Andrew.
“I will be happy to go over to Bristol with you. It’s dead easy on the train. It only