Method

Mithraeum. The seven lads, master Danilo and I. Anderson seemed to be growing more and more isolated from the group in time. Sometimes I even got to notice a certain feeling of strangeness from him, like he didn't belong in the place.

Like he didn't belong in the place. I don't know why the phrase was going round and round my brain for some time. Now Bruno opened the meeting with a nice analysis of the attempts to date:

"Well, we thought a musician could help, so Guilherme went there. Only it didn't work at all. Any other brilliant idea?"

"Any brilliant idea coming from your side, Bruno? I don't see how you have been involved in the issue, as if you just wanted to stay in the shade. Neither has Arthur co-operated much lately nor has he accused us of anything at least", Guilherme sounded annoyed by the criticism offered by his friend from the farm Pinho. I turned my eyes to Arthur, who seemed rather embarrassed by Guilherme's underlying criticism toward him.

"I'm at your disposition to go to Basilisk Island whenever you need me to", Arthur declared, closely followed by Bruno. The latter added, "what I meant is that nothing is working. I didn't mean to call you lazy you're doing so much more than I am, but does nothing we do work out in the end? Why is always there shit on the way to any solutions in this town?"

"Bruno, we do understand your anger, but if people can't get together and reason together, there's no deal. Only anger won't get us anywhere", master Danilo admonished him.

"My good folks of Taurinos, talk is nice but as master Danilo said, what about the situation?", Andrés felt the talk too off-topic for his tastes.

"There's not a problem with the bell's casting", Anderson got ahead, with that annoyed air that was starting to annoy me.

"There's really no problem with the bell, Anderson" agreed Andrés, "the problem is either in yourself or in Renan or in the two together."

A pause loaded with meaning and thoughts. Then, Renan started being defensive and said there was no problem with himself per se. His rotation as a member of the Obscure Police was coming down as the bell's tolling speed. His problem was a consequence of the bell's problem, not a cause.

"If that's true, why hasn't Anderson's rotation fallen as well?", inquired Bruno, now more aware of the issue being discussed there.

Anderson turned to him as if he had been touched by an electric charge. His brusque reaction was plain for all to see. Every time he got mentioned, a jerk occurred. I got to agree with Renan when he said his issue was a consequence, not a cause. The issue in question was in Anderson. Everyone turned to the blacksmith. He assumed a defensive stance, his body language was as clear as crystal. I saw Guilherme draw his tuning-fork from the pocket and hit the grandstands with it. The tiny sound echoed nearby, but produced no other effect. Anderson stared at Guilherme as though he knew he was being put under test with that little fork.

"Good point", added Arthur, "that's Obscure Police's issue; why is only Renan running slow while Anderson that is part of the same corporation is running normally?"

Anderson didn't manage to answer question from the two. It was valid questioning. What caused the two to differ in their reactions? Anderson proved to be openly uncomfortable with the issue. But Andrés seemed to have a mightier card up his sleeve: the story of the thumb he had been offered for some way to harm Renan. The story got everyone in the Mithraeum shocked. I saw Renan shrink and gaze at his own shoes, seized by a sudden sadness for what he had just heard. I sat down at his side, he clutched to me and wept. All were angry and upset at what they heard too. Master Danilo turned his eyes to me, in sheer astonishment as I nodded to confirm Andrés' words.

"That's blasphemy, brother Anderson. You didn't stand the test. You saw it would be easy to obtain a method to harm Renan if you only had a thumb to offer."

Anderson asked calmly (or trying to show he was calm), "and what's my punishment?"

"Whatever the council decides", warned Adriano, "we'll examine your behavior, brother blacksmith, many people here have it in for Renan, but thinking of doing him harm is another thing. He is one of our brethren, as you, Miss Grisam, anyone in here."