“Oh my beautiful golden boy!” She cried out, grabbing his hands, the gun resting between their digits. “My chaste, wonderful, precious son. He was so cruel to you.”

“Give me the gun, Mom. Just let go—”

“If he hadn’t sent you away, this never would have happened. You would have become a minister—a real servant of God—instead of a priest. You would never have left the true faith to worship idols and statues. You would have stayed with me, protected me from his evilness. Protected me as you’ve always done. Oh Abram, I should have seen so long ago what kind of man he was. He sent you away as surely as the Jews closed the door on the baby Jesus—”

“Mom, I left on my own accord—”

“No!” Dolly shook her head. “No, you didn’t. He sent you away! Drove you away with his harsh words and unforgiving disposition. And all the while he carried the gravest sin in his despicable heart.” Out loud she orated: “‘Let he who is innocent cast the first stone.’”

“Give me the gun, Mom.”

“Men are beasts,” she said fiercely. “They come to you with soft words and sweet promises, then snare you into their evil traps of lust and carnage, use you until you’re old and tired—”

“Mom—”

“He was evil, Abram. How could you give him your blessing?”

Slowly, Decker inched forward.

“I was wrong, Mom,” Bram purred. “Give me the gun.”

“Mom, please give Bram the gun,” Michael pleaded, stepping into the room. But Oliver grabbed his arm, pulled him back into the doorway. Decker took another step forward, his hand still tightly wrapped around the grip of his holstered gun.

Dolly liberated her left hand, stroked Bram’s face. She ran her hands through Bram’s long hair. The leonine mother grooming her cub.

“Ah, but how beautiful you are to me. So chaste and pure with the face and body of an angel.” Her smile turned into a sneer. “So unlike Lucas who wasted his attributes, wasted his life on whores and vices. Two faces, both the same, but so different. Jacob and Esau. You, devoting yourself to the service of God even if it’s in the wrong way.”

Tears streamed down Dolly’s cheeks. “How could you give him your blessing, Bram? How could you do that to me?”

“I was wrong.”

“Especially knowing what was in his heart. Seeing the filth and perversion in his lusts. Why? Why? How could you condone him?”

“I never condoned him, Mom. But forgiveness is another matter. Our Lord forgives us all of our grievous sins. Should we do any less to each other?” His voice was a hush. “Give me the gun, Mom. I’ll take care of you.”

“William said he’d take care of me,” Dolly snapped angrily. “Look what he did, the stupid, stupid fool. Look what happened! Men are beasts!”

“Let’s not think about him now, Mom.”