The rickety carriage arrived arrived at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Marina on time in the late afternoon, exactly when mosquitoes got bold and the drunkards of the town started shouting, or in other words, when the filth of the world started spreading its taint now that God’s gaze couldn't expose them as easily.
To the children of the carriage though, that just meant they could finally find the comfort of a proper bed again inside their temporary lodgings in the church’s orphanage.
After a hearty vegetable soup with stale bread served on proper long wooden tables like those expected for a feast, the huddled children were first separated from the orphans and then escorted to a waiting room.
Every now and then a nun would approach a group of five or six children and escort them away.
Suddenly though, a nun approached Raphael with a purpose different from the usual, and interrogated him with a flat tone of voice and a wooden face.
“Child, I heard of what you did last night. I heard you believed it to be justice too. Tell me Child, if that was justice, then is a boy beaten for being dimwitted or ugly justice too? Tell me Child, if a girl should be punished for loving a man she wasn't betrothed to? Tell Me, if a sinner of these so called injustices that can't and have never hurt anyone should be forced to join the Church for redemption?”
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If it was anyone else, Raphael would have thought his interlocutor to be a fool, but she was an emissary of God, doing God's work in first person helping the children and bringing the light to those who couldn't see.
He didn't doubt for a moment her words had a purpose, and he didn't doubt for a moment he was one of those blind that needed the light.
“It's not my right to judge if they don't follow God's verdict. It's my Duty. It's Everyone’s duty. For God has given us the free will to do everything we want, but also His verdict to allow who of us want to live in a just and splendid world to do it.
They are sinners because they go against it, but they can be persuaded to go with it.”
“So They should all sacrifice themself for this world? Isn't by fulfilling their needs that they create a world they want to live in?”
“God's verdict is perfect exactly because it can merge the two needs of having a splendid world and having a world where everyone would want to live in.
One of the Church's main works is allowing those near sighted fools to comprehend the benefits of following something so abstract and yet so good as God’s verdict.”
At this point a faint smirk appeared on the stone faced nun.
“Tomorrow during the selection follow me. You earned the Church's attention.”