Becoming What, Exactly?: Part 19
by Theory Queen
Father Joe was waiting for them in the church beside a table he had set up in front of the altar. "Hey! Come on in!" he greeted cheerfully. He helped them bring in the clay body and lay it gently on the table. He uncovered the face and appraised it. "Wow. I'll have to congratulate the sculptor. It sure looks like him."

Cordelia, following with Willow on the heels of the men, beamed. "Thanks!"

"Now let's get to business. I'll have to ask everyone not involved in the ceremony to wait in my study until it's over, just to avoid distractions." He waited, while no one left. He sighed. "All right. Mr. Giles and Miss Rosenberg may stay."

"What about me?" demanded Cordelia. "I'm involved! I made the body; doesn't that make me totally involved?"

"Self- involved, maybe," muttered Xander.

Joe sighed. "All right, Miss Chase, but not a word." Cordelia donned her best put-upon expression and flounced over to the front row.

Xander and Oz went off together in the direction Joe indicated. Xander paused in the doorway. "How long will this take?" he asked.

"Not long," Joe said. "It'll either work or it won't. Either way it won't be much time." Xander nodded and exited with Oz.

Joe turned to the other two and rubbed his hands. "All right, now let's get to business. Giles, Willow, are you two ready? Good." He lit some candles and brought out some holy water, then carefully placed Giles' orb of Thessula on the chest of the sculpture. He opened his Bible and began to read various passages aloud, while Willow began to translate them simultaneously into Hebrew. "I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and He heardest my voice. With authority commandeth He even the evil spirits and they do obey Him. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after other gods: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer…for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell!"

Joe carefully inscribed the sign of the cross on the statue's forehead and its heart, then stood back and raised his face toward heaven. His stance was formal, hands clasped behind his back, and his expression was serious; his prayer, however, was as usual startlingly informal. "God, we have a problem here. You're all-knowing, so you know what it is, but for the sake of our own sense of ritual, let me recap."


This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=9592