Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 29

Chapter 29When it was entirely finished, Simon looked great, break dance than Id always put iodine overn him look. razzua had non al genius raised him from the dead, exclusively also hea unsay his leprosy. Maggie and Martha were ecstatic. The modern and improved Simon invited us c perpetuallyywhithering to his stomach to celebrate. Unfortunately, Abel and Crustus had witnessed the resurrection and the improve, and despite our admonishments, they started to sp hit the books the yarn through Beth whatsoever and Jerusalem.Joseph of Arimathea accompanied us to Simons house, besides he was hardly in a celebratory mood. This dinner partys non ex figure go forthly a trap, he t elder razzua, its more(prenominal) comparable a test.Ive been to unmatchable of their trials by dinner, give tongue to Joshua. I sentiment you were a regardr.I am, give tongue to Joseph, especi aloney later on w include down into I precept today, simply thats why you put in for to c ome to my house and pose dinner with the Pharisees from the council. Show them who you atomic number 18. Explain to them in an informal hard-boiledting what it is that you ar doing. fiend himself once asked me to prove myself, express Joshua. What proof do I owe these hypocrites?Please, Joshua. They may be hypocrites, but they harbour great influence every can the people. Because they condemn you the people argon afraid to listen to the Word. I see Pontius Pilate, I dont conceive anyone would h ramification you in my home and risk his wrath.Joshua sit for a moment, sipping his wine. and so into the den of vipers I sh alto set downher go.Dont do it, Joshua, I tell.And you control to come alone, said Joseph. You sack upt bring any of the apostles.Thats non a problem, I said. Im solitary(prenominal) a disciple.Especially not him, said Joseph. Jakan bar Iban cast down bulge be there.So I guess its another night seance home for me, too, said Maggie.Later we all watche d and waved as Joseph and Joshua unexpended to go back to Jerusalem for the dinner at Josephs house.As soon as they get close to the corner you follow them, Maggie said to me.Of course.Stay coda bountiful to chance on if he needs you.Absolutely.Come here. She pul direct me inside the entrance where the others wouldnt see and gave me one of those Maggie kisses that made me walk into walls and forget my name for a few minutes. It was the foremost in months. She released me and held me at arms length, then(prenominal)ce, You fuck that if there were no Joshua, I wouldnt love anyone but you, she said.You dont put on to bribe me to watch oer him, Maggie.I shaft. Thats one of the reasons I love you, she said. Now go.My years of toil rough to sneak up on the monks in the monastery paid me back as I shadowed Joshua and Joseph through Jerusalem. They had no idea I was following, as I slipped from shadow to shadow, wall to tree, finally to Josephs house, which lay s divulgeh of the urban center walls, only a stones throw from the palace of the high non-Christian priest, Caiaphas. Joseph of Arimatheas house was only slightly nonageder than the palace itself, but I was able to pose a pip on the roof of an adjacent building where I could watch the dinner through a window and still wee-wee a view of the front door.Joshua and Joseph sat in the dining d swell up drinking wine by themselves for a while, then gradually the servants allow in the other guests as they arrived in groups of dickenss and trines. There were a twelve of them by the time dinner was served, all of the Pharisees that had been at the dinner at Jakans house, plus five more that I had neer seen before, but all were severe and meticulous active washing before dinner and checking separately other to base sure that all was in order.I couldnt hear what they were saying, but I really didnt care. There seemed to be no spry threat to Joshua, and that was all I was worried about. He could ho ld his have got on the rhetorical battlefield. Then, when it seemed that it would end without incident, I saw the tall hat and white robe of a priest in the street, and with him two synagogue guards carrying their long, bronze-tipped spears. I dropped down off the roof and made my way most the opposite side of the house, arriving just in time to see a servant lead the priest inside.As soon as Joshua came through the door at Simons house Martha and Maggie describeered him with kisses as if he had returned from the war, then led him to the table and started interrogating him about the dinner.First they yelled at me for having fun, drinking wine, and feasting. axiom that if I was truly a prophesier I would fast.And what did you tell them? I asked, still a infinitesimal winded from the running to get to Simons house ahead of Joshua.I said, well, John didnt eat anything but bugs, and he never drank wine in his life, and he certainly never had any fun, and they didnt believe him, s o what kind of standards were they trying to set, and please pass the tabbouleh.What did they say then?Then they yelled at me for eating with tax collectors and harlots.Hey, said Matthew.Hey, said Martha.They didnt mean you, Martha, they meant Maggie.Hey, said Maggie.I told them that tax collectors and harlots would see the nation of immortal before they did. Then they yelled at me for sleeporeing on the Sabbath, not washing my hands before I eat, being in compact with the Devil again, and blaspheming by claiming to be the Son of divinity.Then what?Then we had dessert. It was most look of cake made with dates and honey. I liked it. Then a guy came to the door wearing priests robes.Uh-oh, said Matthew.Yeah, that was bad, said Joshua. He went rough whispering in the ears of all the Pharisees, then Jakan asked me by what position I raised Simon from the dead.And what did you say?I didnt say anything, not with the Sadducee there. scarce Joseph told them that Simon hadnt been dead. He was just sleeping.So what did they say to that?Then they asked me by what authority I woke him up.And what did you say?I got angry then. I said by all the authority of god and the Holy Ghost, by the authority of Moses and Elijah, by the authority of David and Solomon, by the authority of thunder and lightning, by the authority of the sea and the pass nigh and the ardor in the earth, I told them.And what did they say?They said that Simon must have been a very sound sleeper.Sarcasm is wasted on those guys, I said.Completely wasted, said Joshua. Anyway, then I left, and extracurricular there were two guards from the Temple. The shafts of their spears had been broken and they were some(prenominal) unconscious. There was blood on ones scalp. So I meliorate them, and when I saw they were coming around, I came here.They dont think you attacked the guards? Simon asked.No, the priest followed me down. He saw them at the same time that I did.And your healing them didnt convin ce him?Hardly.So what do we do now?I think we should go back to Galilee. Joseph ordain send word if anything comes of the meeting of the council.You know what go forth come of it, Maggie said. You threaten them. And now they have the priests involved. You know what will happen.Yes, I do, said Joshua. and you dont. Well leave for Capernaum in the morning.Later Maggie came to me in the great room of Simons house, where we were all bedded down for the night. She crawled under my c everywhereing fire and dumbfound her lips respectable next to my ear. As usual, she smelled of lemons and cinnamon. What did you do to those guards? she whispered.I strike them. I thought they exponent be there to ar ministration Joshua.You might have gotten him arrested.Look, have you done this before? Because if you have some sort of plan, please let me in on it. Personally, Im do this up as I go along.You did good, she whispered. She kissed my ear. Thank you.I reached for her and she shimmied away .And Im still not spillage to sleep with you, she said.The messenger must have ridden through several nights to get ahead of us, but when we got back to Capernaum there was al go down a nitty-gritty waiting from Joseph of Arimathea.JoshuaPharisee council condemned you to death for blasphemy. Herod concurs. No official death warrant issued, but suggest you take disciples into Herod Philips territory until things settle down. No word from the priests yet, which is good. Enjoyed having you at dinner, please drop by next time youre in townsfolk.Your mavin,Joseph of ArimatheaJoshua read the message aloud to all of us, then pointed to a deserted set overtake on the northern put down of the lake near Bethsaida. Before we leave Galilee again, I am passing play up that mountain. I will stay there until all in Galilee who wish to hear the good news have come. except then will I leave to go to Philips territory. Go out now and find the faithful. Tell them where to find me.Joshua, pup pet said, there are already two or threesome hundred sick and mettlesome waiting at the synagogue for you to heal them. Theyve been gathering for all the years youve been gone.Why didnt you tell me? advantageously, baronetholomew greeted them and took their names, then we told them that youd be with them as soon as you got the chance. Theyre fine.I lead the dogs back and forth by them occasionally so we look busy, said Bart.Joshua stormed off to the synagogue waving his hands in the air as if asking god why he had been plagued by a gang of dimwits, but then, I might have been narration that into his gesture. The rest of us spread out into Galilee to announce that Joshua was termination to be preaching a great sermon on a mountain north of Capernaum. Maggie and I deceaseed together, along with Simon the Canaanite and Maggies friends Johanna and Susanna. We decided to take three days and walk a circle through northern Galilee that would take us through a dozen towns and bring u s back to the mountain just in time to help direct the pilgrims that would be gathering. The first night we camped in a sheltered valley outside a town called Jamnith. We ate bread and cheese by the fire and afterwardsward Simon and I shared wine while the women went off to sleep. It was the first time Id ever had a chance to talk to the Zealot without his friend Judas around.I hope Joshua burn bring the demesne down on their heads now, Simon said. Otherwise I may have to look for another prophet to pledge my sword to.I nearly choked on my wine, and pass him the wineskin as I fought for speck.Simon, I said, do you believe hes the Son of God?No.You dont, and youre still following him?I am not saying hes not a great prophet, but the Christ? the Son of God? I dont know.Youve traveled with him. Heard him speak. Seen his power over demons, over people. Youve seen him heal people. Feed people. And what does he ask?nothing. A place to sleep. somewhat food. Some wine.And if you could d o those things, what would you have?Here Simon leaned back and looked into the stars, as he let his imagination unroll. I would have villages full of women in my bed. Id have a fine palace, and slaves to bathe me. I would have the finest food and wine and kings would travel from far away just to look at my gold. I would be glorious.But Joshua has only his cloak and his sandals.Simon seemed to snap out of his reverie, and he wasnt blissful about it. Just because I am weak does not make him the Christ.Thats exactly what makes him the Christ.Maybe hes just naive.Count on it, I said. I stood and handed him the wineskin. You can finish it. Im firing to sleep.Simon raised his eyebrows. The Magdalene, shes a exquisite woman. A man could lose himself there.I took a deep breath and thought about defending Maggies honor, or even warning Simon about making advances on her, but then I thought better of it. The Zealot needed to learn a lesson that I wasnt qualified to teach. But Maggie was.Go od night, Simon, I said.In the morning I found Simon school term by the cold ashes of the fire, cradling his head in his hands. Simon? I inquired.He looked up at me and I saw a huge purple hombre egg on his forehead, just below the bangs of his Roman haircut. A spot of blood seeped out of the middle. His right eye was nearly swollen shut.Ouch, I said. How did you do that?Just then Maggie came out from behind a bush. He accidentally crawled into Susannas bedroll last night, Maggie said. I thought he was an attacker, so naturally, I brained him with a rock.Naturally, I said.Im so sorry, Simon, Maggie said. I could hear Susanna and Johanna giggling behind the bush.It was an middling mistake, said Simon. I couldnt tell whether he meant his or Maggies, but two way he was lying.Good thing youre an apostle, I said. Youll have that corned up by noon.We finished our loop of northern Galilee without incident, and indeed, Simon was nearly healed by the time we returned to the mountain ab ove Bethsaida, where Joshua awaited us with over five thousand followers.I cant get away from them long enough to find baskets, Peter complained.Everywhere I go there are fifty people following me, said Judas. How do they expect us to bring them food if they wont let us work?I had comprehend similar complaints from Matthew, James, and Andrew, and even doubting Thomas was whining that people were stepping all over Thomas Two. Joshua had multiplied seven loaves into enough to feed the multitude, but no one could get to the food to distribute it. Maggie and I finally fought our way to the top of the mountain where we found Joshua preaching. He signaled the crowd that he was going to take a break, then came over to us.This is excellent, he said. So many of the faithful.Uh, JoshI know, he said. You two go to Magdala. Get the crowing transfer and bring it to Bethsaida. Once we feed the faithful Ill send the disciples down to you. Go out into the lake and wait for me.We managed to pull John out of the crowd and took him with us to Magdala to help sail the ship back up the coast. Neither Maggie nor I felt confident enough to handle the big sauceboat without one of the fishermen on board. A half-day later we docked in Bethsaida, where the other apostles were waiting for us.Hes led them to the other side of the mountain, Peter said. Hell deliver a blessing then send them on their way. Hopefully theyll go home and he can meet us.Did you see any soldiers in the crowd? I asked.Not yet, but we should have been out of Herods territory by now. The Pharisees are interruption on the edge of the crowd like they know something is going to happen. We take for granted that he would be swimming or rowing out in one of the small boats, but when he finally came down to the marge the multitude was still following him, and he just unbroken walkway, right across the surface of the pissing to the boat. The crowd halt at the bring down and cheered. Even we were astounded by t his new miracle, and we sat in the boat with our mouths hanging loose as Joshua approached.What? he said. What? What? What?Master, youre walking on the water, said Peter.I just ate, Joshua said. You cant go into the water for an hour after you eat. You could get a cramp. What, none of you guys have mothers?Its a miracle, shouted Peter.Its no big deal, Joshua said, dismissing the miracle with the wave of a hand. Its easy. Really, Peter, you should try it.Peter stood up in the boat tentatively.Really, try it.Peter started to take off his tunic.Keep that on, said Joshua. And your sandals too.But Lord, this is a new tunic.Then keep it dry, Peter. Come to me. Step upon the water.Peter put one foot over the side and into the water.Trust your faith, Peter, I yelled. If you doubt you wont be able to do it.Then Peter stepped with both(prenominal) feet onto the surface of the water, and for a split second he stood there. And we were all amazed. Hey, Im Then he sank like a stone. He came u p sputtering. We were all dual over giggling, and even Joshua had sunk up to his ankles, he was laughing so hard.I cant believe you fell for that, said Joshua. He ran across the water and helped us pull Peter into the boat. Peter, youre as dumb as a box of rocks. But what amazing faith you have. Im going to build my church building on this box of rocks.You would have Peter build your church? asked Philip. Because he tried to walk on the water.Would you have tried it? asked Joshua.Of course not, said Philip. I cant swim.Then who has the greater faith? Joshua climbed into the boat and move the water off of his sandals, then tousled Peters wet hair. Someone will have to carry on the church when Im gone, and Im going to be gone soon. In the spring well go to Jerusalem for the Passover, and there I will be judged by the scribes and the priests, and there I will be tortured and put to death. But three days from the day of my death, I shall rise, and be with you again.As Joshua spoke Mag gie had latched onto my arm. By the time he was finished speaking her nails had pinched blood from my biceps. A shadow of grief seemed to pass over the faces of the disciples. We looked not at each other, and neither at the ground, but at a place in space a few feet from our faces, where I hypothecate one looks for a dismiss answer to appear out of vague shock.Well, that sucks, someone said.We landed at the town of Hippos, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, directly across the lake from Tiberius. Joshua had preached here before when we had come over to hide the first time, and there were people in the town who would feature the apostles into their homes until Joshua sent them out again.Wed brought many baskets of the broken bread from Bethsaida, and Judas and Simon helped me unload them from the ship, wade in and out of the shallows where we anchored, as Hippos had no dock.The bread stood piled like small mountains, Judas said. Much more than when we fed the five thousa nd. A Jewish soldiers could fight long days on that kind of supply. If the Romans have taught us anything its that an army fights on its stomach.I halt schlepping and looked at him.Simon, who stood next to me, set his basket down on the rim, then lifted the edge of his waistband to show me the hilt of his dagger. The land will be ours only when we take it by the sword. Weve had no problem spilling Roman blood. No skipper but God.I reached over and gently pulled Simons sash back over the hilt of his dagger. corroborate you ever heard Joshua talk about doing harm to anyone? Even an enemy?No, Judas said. He cant speak openly about taking the kingdom until hes ready to strike. Thats why he always speaks in parables.That is a crock of rancid yack butter, said a region from the ship. Joshua sat up, a net hung over his head like a tattered prayer shawl. Hed been sleeping in the bow of the ship and wed completely forgotten about him. Biff, call everyone together, here on the beach. I havent made myself clear to everyone, evidently.I dropped my basket and ran into town to get the others. In less than an hour we were all seated on the beach and Joshua paced before us.The kingdom is open to everyone, Joshua said. Ev-ree-one, get it?Everyone nodded.Even Romans.Everyone incorporateped nodding.The kingdom of God is upon us, but the Romans will remain in Israel. The kingdom of God has nothing to do with the kingdom of Israel, do you all date that?But the Messiah is hypothetic to lead our people to freedom, Judas shouted.No master but God Simon added.Shut up said Joshua. I was not sent to deliver wrath. We will be delivered into the kingdom by forgiveness, not conquest. People, we have been over this, what have I not made clear?How we are to cast the Romans out of the kingdom? shouted Nathaniel.You should know better, Joshua said to Nathaniel, you yellow-haired freak. One more time, we cant cast the Romans out of the kingdom because the kingdom is open to all.And I think they were getting it, at least the two Zealots were getting it, because they looked profoundly disappointed. Theyd waited their whole life for the Messiah to come along and progress to the kingdom by crushing the Romans, now he was telling them in his own divine words that it wasnt going to happen. But then Joshua started with the parables.The kingdom is like a wheat field with deceivers, you cant pull out the tares without destroying the grain. unoccupied stares. Doubly blank from the fishermen, who didnt know squat from farming parables.A tare is a rye grass, Joshua explained. It weaves its roots amid the roots of wheat or barley, and theres no way to pull them out without ruining the crop.Nobody got it.Okay, Joshua continued. The children of paradise are the good people, and the tares are the bad ones. You get both. And when youre all done, the angels pick out the wicked and burn them.Not getting it, said Peter. He shook his head, and his gray mane whipped around his face like a heterogeneous lion trying to shake off the sight of a spry wildebeest.How do you guys preach this stuff if you dont understand it? Okay, try this the kingdom of heaven is like, uh, a merchant seeking pearls.Like before swine, said Bartholomew.Yes Bart Yes Only no swine this time, same pearls though.Three hours later, Joshua was still at it, and he was starting to run out of things to liken the kingdom to, his favorite, the mustard seed, having failed in three opposite tries.Okay, the kingdom is like a monkey. Joshua was hoarse and his voice was breaking.How?A Jewish monkey, right?Is it like a monkey eating a mustard seed?I stood up and went to Joshua and put my arm around his shoulder. Josh, take a break. I led him down the beach toward the village.He shook his head. Those are the dumbest sons of bitches on earth.Theyve become like little children, as you told them to.Stupid little children, Joshua said.I heard light footsteps on the sand behind us and Maggie threw he r arms around our necks. She kissed Joshua on the forehead, making a loud wet smacking sound, then looked as if she was going to do the same to me so I shied away.You two are the ninnies here. You both rail on them about their intelligence, when that doesnt have anything to do with why theyre here. Have either one of you heard them preach? I have. Peter can heal the sick now. Ive seen it. Ive seen James make the lame walk. Faith isnt an act of intelligence, its an act of imagination. Every time you give them a new metaphor for the kingdom they see the metaphor, a mustard seed, a field, a garden, a vineyard, its like pointing something out to a cat the cat looks at your finger, not at what youre pointing at. They dont need to understand it, they only need to believe, and they do. They imagine the kingdom as they need it to be, they dont need to grasp it, its there already, they can let it be. Imagination, not intellect.Maggie let go of our necks, then stood there grinning like a mad woman. Joshua looked at her, then at me.I shrugged. I told you she was smarter than both of us.I know, Joshua said. I dont know if I can stand you both being right in the same day. I need some time to think and pray.Go on then, Maggie said, waving him on. I stopped and watched my friend walk into the village, having absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do. I turned back to Maggie.You heard the Passover prediction?She nodded. I take it you didnt confront him.I dont know what to say.We need to talk him out of it. If he knows what awaits him in Jerusalem, why go? Why dont we go into Phoenicia or Syria? He could even take the good news to Greece and be perfectly safe. They have people running all over the place preaching different ideas look at Bartholomew and his Cynics.When we were in India, we saw a festival in the city of their goddess Kali. Shes a goddess of destruction, Maggie. It was the bloodiest thing Ive ever seen, thousands of animals slaughtered, hundreds of men behead ed. The whole human seemed slick with blood. Joshua and I saved some children from being flayed alive, but when it was over, Joshua kept saying, no more sacrifices. No more.Maggie looked at me as if she expected more. So? It was horrible, what did you expect him to say?He wasnt talking to me, Maggie. He was talking to God. And I dont think he was making a request.Are you saying that he thinks his father wants to kill him for trying to change things, so he cant evacuate it because its the will of God?No, Im saying that hes going to allow himself to be killed to show his father that things need to be changed. Hes not going to try to quash it at all.For three months we begged, we pleaded, we reasoned, and we wept, but we could not talk Joshua out of going to Jerusalem for Passover. Joseph of Arimathea had sent word that the Pharisees and Sadducees were still plotting against Joshua, that Jakan had been speaking out against Joshuas followers in the Court of the Gentiles, outside the Temple. But the threats only seemed to strengthen Joshuas resolve. A couple of times Maggie and I managed to tie Joshua up and stash him in the bottom of a boat, using knots that we had learned from the sailor brothers Peter and Andrew, but both times Joshua appeared a few minutes later guardianship the cords that had bound him, saying things like, Good knots, but not quite good enough, were they?Maggie and I worried together for days before we left for Jerusalem. He could be wrong about the execution, I said.Yes, he could be, Maggie agreed.Do you think he is? Wrong about it, I mean?I think Im going to throw up.I dont see how thats going to stop him.And it didnt. The next day we left for Jerusalem. On the way we stopped to rest along the road at a town along the Jordan River called Beth Shemesh. We were seance there, feeling somber and helpless, watching the column of pilgrims move along the riverbank, when an old woman emerged from the column and beat her way through the reclini ng apostles with a walking staff.Out of the way, I need to talk to this fellow. Move, you oaf, you need to take a bath. She bonked Bartholomew on the head as she passed and his doggy pals nipped at her heels. Look out there, Im an old woman, I need to see this Joshua of Nazareth.Oh no, sustain, John wailed.James got up to stop her and she threatened him with the staff.What can I help you with, Old Mother? Joshua asked.Im the wife of Zebedee, mother of these two. She pointed her staff to James and John. I hear that youre going to the kingdom soon.If it be so, so be it, said Joshua.Well, my late husband, Zebedee, God rest his soul, left these boys a perfectly good trade, and since theyve been following you around theyve run it into the ground. She turned to her sons. Into the groundJoshua put his hand on her arm, but instead of the usual calm that I saw come over people when he touched them, Mrs. Zebedee pulled away and swung her staff at him, scantily missing his head. Dont try to bamboozle me, Mr. Smooth Talker. My boys have ruined their fathers business for you, so I want your assurance that in return they get to sit on either side of the throne in the kingdom. Its only fair. Theyre good boys. She turned to James and John. If your father was alive it would kill him to see what you two have done.But Old Mother, its not up to me who will sit next to the throne.Who is it up to?Well, its up to the Lord, my father.Well then go ask him. She leaned on her staff and tapped a foot. Ill wait.ButYou would deny a dying woman her last request?Youre not dying.Youre killing me here. Go check. Go.Joshua looked at us all sheepishly. We all looked away, cowards that we were. Its not as if any of us had ever learned to deal with a Jewish mother either.Ill go up on that mountain and check, Joshua said, pointing to the highest peak in the area.Well go, then. You want I should be late for the Passover?Right. Okay, then, Ill go check, right now. Josh backed away slowly, sort of sidled toward the mountain. Mount Tabor, I think it was.Mrs. Zebedee went after her sons like she was shooing chickens out of the garden. What are you, pillars of salt? Go with him.Peter laughed and she whirled around with her staff ready to brain him. Peter pretended to cough. Id better go along, uh, just in case they need a witness. He scurried after Joshua and the other two.The old woman glared at me. What are you looking at? You think the pain of childbirth ends when they move away? What do you know? Does a broken heart know from a different region?They were gone all night, a very long night in which we all got to hear about John and James father, Zebedee, who evidently had possessed the courageousness of Daniel, the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Samson, the devotion of Abraham, the good looks of David, and the tackle of Goliath, God rest his soul. (Funny, James had always described his father as a wormy little guy with a lisp.) When the four came back over the hill we all leapt to our feet and ran to greet them I would have carried them back on my shoulders if it would have shut the old woman up.Well? she said.It was amazing, Peter said to us all, ignoring the old woman. We saw three thrones. Moses was on one, Elijah was on another, and the third was ready for Joshua. And a huge voice came out of the sky, saying, This is my son, with whom I am well pleased.Oh yeah, he said that before, I said.I heard it this time, Joshua said, smiling.Just the three chairs then? said Mrs. Zebedee. She looked at her two sons, who were cowering behind Joshua. No place for you two, of course. She started to stagger away from them, a hand clutched to her heart. I suppose one can be happy for the mothers of Moses and Elijah and this Nazareth boy, then. They dont have to know what it is to have a spike in the heart.Down the riverbank she limped, off toward Jerusalem.Joshua squeezed the brothers shoulders. Ill fix it. He ran after Mrs. Zebedee.Maggie elbowed me and whe n I looked around at her there were tears in her eyes. Hes not wrong, she said.Thats it, I said. Well, ask his mother to talk him out of it. No one can resist her I mean, I cant. I mean, shes not you, butLook Is that a seagull?