These days Reverend Strong says he is worrying intensely about the theological issues raised in the doctrinal negotiations with the Roman Catholics that have been going on for a year at the Vatican. He doesn’t want to be bothered with practical problems concerning community work; he has to think about abstract theology, it takes up all his mental energy. This is what he tells Lucy over their late lunch.

Lucy ends up suggesting solutions to their most pressing problem—fund-raising—and absentmindedly he agrees to them. So, she thinks angrily: time for another futile, pathetic garage sale … because who cares if we don’t have enough money to help out our poor neighbors? They don’t deserve it anyway! They were only given their one talent.…

The afternoon goes to helping Helena, and to calling all the local newsheets to announce the garage sale, and to visiting four families in El Modena with care packages, and to teaching Lillian Keilbacher how to assist in the office, keeping the records. That last part is actually fun. Lillian, her friend Emma’s daughter, is now being paid as a part-time assistant, which means she goes at it harder than most of the young people. Lucy really enjoys her company, especially after Anastasia, who must be just a year or two older.

“Lucy, I just hit the command key to get the mailing list and everything disappeared!”

“Uh-oh.” They sit down looking at the computer screen, which stays stubbornly blank no matter what they try. “You sure you only hit the command key?”

“Well that’s what I thought, but I must be wrong.” Lillian is cross-eyed with consternation. Then the screen beeps for their attention and starts displaying a brightly colored sequence of graphs and figures.

“Wow!” They laugh at the extravagance of it. “Do you think this disk is damaged?” Lillian asks.

“I hope so. It’s either that or the computer is haunted.”

Lillian laughs. “Maybe we can get the reverend to, you know, cure it.”

“Exorcise it, sure.”

It’s fun. A nice girl, Lucy says to herself after Lillian leaves; and that’s her highest praise.

Office in order and closed, home to start dinner. Lucy chats on the phone with her friend Valerie while she chops up potatoes for a new casserole she’s trying. Into the microwave.

Then Jim comes by. He looks messy, tired.

“You aren’t going to teach looking like that, are you?”

He looks affronted. “Looking like what?”

“Those clothes, Jim. You look like you came out of lower Santa Ana.”

“Now, Mom, don’t be prejudiced.”