The Severed Sun

In the beginning,

there was only the Moon...

but she was lonely.

Her desire for a lover became the dawn, the Sun,

the God of Light.

And in the shadows...

lives that other thing.

Forgotten, away from the light.

Their bastard child wakes from its slumber.

While here I sit, the dutiful wife,

waiting patiently for my husband to join his family...

and drink the poison

that is waiting for him.

-Shall we get that last stack chopped

before the service?

Alright.

For all have sinned.

For all have sinned.

For all have sinned.

And yet, we do not know how much we have sinned.

For like the fish

that has no concept that it swims in a river,

we are conceived and born into it,

born into this fallen world.

Some of the elders among us will remember the time before

when people laughed at us.

Before the river of moral decay had run dry,

before nature had had its revenge,

before God spoke to us who could hear.

We were chosen.

Yes!

But we cannot become complacent.

You had this coming, Howard.

My friends...

I know that work has been hard of late.

And I can only thank you for your efforts,

but we must remember

that we cannot always have bright, shining sun.

There will be periods of darkness and light.

For when you grind a diamond a little,

you will see it glisten.

Good morning, Father.

Did you sleep well?

-Some strange dreams, but fine.

And you?

I was restless.

I couldn't settle.

What's troubling you?

My daughter.

Yes.

They have drifted away from us.

Since the accident.

-You were affirmed with the stepson, David,

weren't you?

-We used to play together as children.

Good.

That's good.

I will need your help

bringing them back to the truth.

I will help in any way that I can, Father.

Give virtue to my hands, oh Lord,

that being cleansed of all stain,

I may serve you with a purity of mind and body.

Place upon me the helmet of salvation

that I may overcome--

the assaults of the devil,

and return to you triumphant...

in the light of the truth.

Follow me.

It was amazing.

The sparrow hawk swooped down and plucked a young starling

straight out of the sky.

It was quite a sight.

- It was right there in front of us.

One minute, it was gliding along without a care in the world,

and then the next,

Snap. Dead. Just like that.

Blood and guts all over its beak.

The women are bigger and much more fierce!

Daughter.

Good morning, Father.

John.

Mrs. Edwards.

You're late.

We've just come from the fields.

Everyone else has started working.

We were delayed.

-And if I'm not mistaken, young man,

classes started over 30 minutes ago.

-We were just talking about birds

and a sparrow hawk that we saw.

-We must have lost track of time, Father.

-I was talking to my grandson, wasn't I?

As you're running late, I'll get straight to the point.

I haven't seen you at service recently.

Four Sundays in a row, to be precise.

I've not been well.

But work and prayer are great healers,

are they not?

They will help you through your grief.

We are family.

You have lost a husband and a father,

so I have been patient.

But as family, we must set an example.

Take strength and comfort in the fact

that Howard will be waiting for us all in the truth.

You will see your father again, young man.

We'll be at the next service.

-Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you there.

Is that all?

For the moment, yes.

Keep an eye on her.

-Honestly, who does he think he is?

Lording it over us?

Living it up in the big house with the pastor.

It's not natural.

He needs to marry.

What if he doesn't want to marry?

-Sometimes it's not always about what we want, is it?

We have a duty.

Anyway, what are you doing here?

You should be out in the field with the rest of the men.

If you weren't always late...

Leave him alone, Andrea.

-Mr. Edwards wouldn't have stood for it.

God rest his soul.

Mother, don't.

Well, it's true, isn't it?

We haven't seen you at service recently.

-My father died, Mrs. Eastchurch.

-All the more reason for you to look to God for guidance,

don't you think?

I'm sure Mr. Edwards would have wanted his family

to be virtuous in his absence.

After all, he was a good man.

-Where was your concern for my family

when this "good man" was beating his son

half to death?

You saw us at service, week in, week out,

bruised and broken, and you said nothing.

Magpie.

-He's not here to defend himself.

You shouldn't speak ill of the dead.

So, what about the living?

Magpie, stop.

-Can we speak ill of the living before it's too late?

-What in God's name are you talking about?

That's enough.

Have you two lost your minds?

God can't save you.

He can't protect you. You have to save yourself.

Oh, this is heresy.

Ursula, Ursula?

Ursula!

Did you see what she did?

Did you see what she just did?

Stay away from my family.

Did you hear me?

-You need that to come and talk to a woman, Mr. Eastchurch?

You're not fooling anyone.

You know that, don't you?

Is that right?

-You think we believe your little story about Howard.

Accident?

I never saw any man surer with an axe in my life.

I don't care whose fucking daughter you are.

You take this as a warning.

Stay away from my wife and daughter.

-I sensed something in your daughter

earlier today, Fred.

I saw her pain.

So you take that as a warning, fucker.

She is all but accusing my daughter of witchcraft.

Apparently, she made the Eastchurch girl fit

just by looking at her.

-It was the stress of the argument,

an argument which Andrea started.

Well, that may be so,

but Andrea is now refusing to work.

She's a zealous fool, but she has influence.

I mean, what does my daughter expect

if she continues to mark herself like this?

Does she think she can just ... disassociate

without any consequence?

-Perhaps we are pushing too hard.

They are still grieving.

- Am I a stranger to grief? - No.

And have I neglected my duties?

No.

No.

I have not.

My daughter needs another husband to guide her.

I think perhaps the time has come, John.

You're a good match for her.

And I already think of you as a son after all.

-I will do whatever you think is best, Father.

I know you will.

And I believe that in time, you will both be happy.

Yes.

-I think you should speak to David.