At the word “religion,” stomach acid climbed up to my throat. I thought about that nitpicking church that had embarrassed my family, that money-grubbing, self-righteous minister who had the affair with the organist. I’d sworn as a high schooler I’d never darken a church door again.

Still, as much as I’d been burned by organized religion, I’d always been interested in the great questions religion asked. It was only the answers—and those who offered the answers—I objected to. Religion seemed so irrelevant, so dry, so distant. For me it never had the ring of truth.

No, I thought, religion’s roads weren’t for me. Once we got back to the red road I’d stay on it, at least for a while. I’d tell Joshua when we got there.

Shad and I hoisted our packs. It struck me odd that Joshua didn’t carry a pack, and even odder I hadn’t noticed until then. We hiked back up toward the red road.

I heard an excited woof behind us and looked back to see Frodo, his usually floppy ears comically erect, batlike, and his white fur covered with gray dust. He pranced around like a tiny Clydesdale. His tail didn’t just wag, it spun like a propeller. He did the doggy dance of joy.

“Hello, fella. You’re a sight!” I reached down to pick him up. His lips quivered and he bared his teeth in that outlandish smile.

“Where have you been, boy? I wish you could tell me your story!”

Ten minutes later Frodo nestled into his little sling, soon falling asleep against my chest. It was a far longer journey to climb back up to the red road than it had been to come down. As the hours wore on, every few minutes dirty grit collected on my tongue, and I had to spit it out. My calves cramped up. I sat down and took off my boots, stretched my legs, then rubbed the soles of my feet. I touched two new blisters and wished I hadn’t. A dusty sagebrush blew into my face. I swatted at it and swore. What was I doing here? Maybe I’d have been better off to stay on the gray roads down below.

When at last we arrived at the red road, Salama approached us. “Hello, Salama,” Joshua said.

How do they know each other?

“We’re going to the southern roads, the roads of religion,” Joshua said. “Do you want to come with us?”

“I’ve been waiting,” she said. “I’m weary of the red road. Yes, let me go with you.”

Joshua smiled warmly and put his arm around her while Shad tried to talk her out of it.