Call It Faith

Ginny and Faustus were at one of their favorite eateries. The steaks had arrived and Faustus was devouring his with gusto. Ginny looked across the table at him with disgust as he noisily munched his dinner and quaffed ale.

"Faustus..."

"Hmnh?" he said from inside his mug.

"You are eating like a barbarian."

Faustus set the mug down and grinned broadly at her.

"Thats okay, I am a barbarian!" he joked.

Ginny was unamused. Faustus saw she wasn't kidding around so he behaved himself.

He was just very happy today. Things had been going right and to top it all off, he and Ginny had a three day weekend to enjoy with each other. No classes to teach, no marauders back home, and no sports events to go to. He hoped he hadn't started it off on the wrong foot, here.

When ever he did something that caused her to get short with him, he felt like a whipped dog. They had their arguments, yeah, and sometimes she apologized for being wrong when she was, but when he would be in the wrong he would feel bad about it for days, even when she graciously forgave him for being such an idiot. Getting her mad at him was the last thing he wanted to do. He put it down to the fact that she was much more intelligent than he was and she had a much better temper. She also got along with people in general better than he did, but soldiers flocked to him and followed him almost fanatically. Such was their relationship with each other and the people around them.

Barbarian indeed.

They ate in silence for a while then Ginny broached a subject.

"Faustus, if I had done something wrong, I mean really wrong, would you still, uh like me? I mean, would we still be friends?"

Faustus stopped in mid-chew. Was this one of those questions Paul Arcon had warned him about? Like "Does this make me look fat?" The type of question there was no right answer to?

Faustus chewed and swallowed and fought for time by taking a long drink of his Ale. Then he gave it a shot from the depths of what he had been taught back in his time at the Order, training for his knighthood.

"Ginny, that would depend on what you truly meant by 'really bad'. There are things that are forgivable, like white lies, but there are many things that are not.

"Treason, murder, using the Dark Arts to kill and destroy, such as that are unforgivable. Close to that is breaking a solemn oath sworn before God."

Ginny looked at him. She had something on her mind and he couldn't tell what it was.

"What about lieing?" she asked.

Faustus thought on that.

"There are lies and then there are lies. We can tell little ones so as not to hurt people's feelings needlessly. These do no harm, I guess. Like, uh... telling someone that you enjoyed the date with them when it was a disaster.....?"

Ginny looked at him funny.

"Bad analogy," Faustus said, a little relieved, but went on.

"Or like when say, one of the teachers wore a really bad dress to school and you didn't want to hurt her feelings by telling them it looked like crap. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"I think so."

"Okay, those are acceptable because they weren't meant to deceive. Lies that are meant to deceive, however, thats different."

She was now listening very closely. Faustus felt a chill. He was getting close to something here, but he wasn't sure what. Maybe too close. Alarm bells went off in his head, but he drove onward anyway.

"Deceivers cannot be trusted. If they lie about one thing, they'll lie about something else. They essentially have no honor. The fact that they do not tell you the truth means that they are not your ally to begin with and may in fact, think you a fool. They have broken their word with their lies and as a word is a bond, they have no bond to their word. Any contract they make with you can not be assured as valid, even if sworn on holy books."

Ginny looked oddly struck by this.

"How would you deal with such a person?"

"Well, as they cannot be trusted, they should not be associated with. I would avoid such a person, shun them if you will."

"What about forgiveness?"

Their eyes met. Was she talking about herself? In all the years he had known her and especially the past few, there was no sign that there had been anything under the sun to forgive her about. What on earth had she done that would require forgiveness? Does she have a child someplace? Was she already married and ran away from her husband? Balderdash!

The fact that Ginny Stewart would lie to deceive about something, anything, was a concept he simply could not grasp. She was far too decent a person for that! It has to be one of her friends or someone. That was it!

"As life has many paths, Ginny, so forgiveness can be given for many things. It would have to be seen, and examined, and thought out. The reason for the deception may be valid also. There are some secrets not meant to be known by others."

Ginny seemed to mull this over. The meal went on in silence for a while, spiced with the usual small talk. They then left after Faustus paid the tab. He took her home, they gave each other a goodnight kiss, and that was that.

Ginny couldn't sleep. She kept thinking over what the Captain said. If she ever told him about who she really was, it was obvious he would send her away or worse. He was a man that believed in honor and all that Knightly code jazz. He had also proven it over time and again. He was also a man of violence when put in a certain situations. If he found out the truth about her, how would he react? Would he be so insulted that she had lied to him for so long that he would attack her?

No. She knew him better than that. He wouldn't. His code of chivalry and his respect for women wouldn't let that happen. But what would happen? What would he do?

It was best they remain friends, then, and not something more. It would be nice, but it wasn't meant to be.

Ginny rolled over and tried to sleep. She told herself she'd never tell Faustus about her past, and who she really was. It would destroy their friendship if it did. And that friendship meant more to her right now than anything else she could imagine. But she wished it could be more.

The next day the school was closed because of a holiday. The faculty who didn't have somewhere to go opened the Girls Home pool so the girls who didn't go away for the holidays could enjoy themselves.

Faustus and Arcon set up a large bar-b-que grill there with tables and goodies and proceeded to cook burgers and whatnot for the girls, what faculty there was there, and themselves. The air was filled with the sounds of the girls enjoying the pool, food cooking, and the music blasting from a large boom box. Both Paul and Faustus had on shorts and t-shirts, and wore sunglasses as the New Mexico sun beamed down from above. Several of the girls were already a pinkish tinge as they got their first sunburns of the year. But everybody was having too much fun to stop.

Paul saw him first and got the Captains attention. Farenfarr, the most powerful wizard from back home, was slowly riding his roan stallion down the street toward them. The horse was powerfully built and had abilities that Farenfarr kept secret. The old wizard was dressed in his grey robes and wore a more or less pointed hat with wide brim. It had a wide almost turban-like hatband with a long badly worn out peacock feather stuck in it. The old Merlin style "bathrobe with dunce Faustus" style went out years ago. Most wizards these days either copied Gandalf from Lord of the Rings or looked like some cult priest. He also carried a sword of quite some power. Farenfarr was the leader of the resistance to Havoc's plans of world domination, and the most successful foiler of the evil monster's plans.

Farenfarr rode up to them and grinned at them both. 

"If you guys aint a sight! Back home they'd think you all was nuts. They probably do anyway. Whats on the grill?"

Arcon faked a frown at the old man and said defiantly "Since when did you get particular?"

"Since I ate what you last fixed, Arcon. I'm surprised you aint killed Faustus or most of them girls I see over there, what with the way you cook!"

Both men laughed and Farenfarr dismounted.

"Have a burger!" Arcon offered, "It wont kill you right away."

"Don't mind if I do."

They all three ate, made small talk and drank cokes for a while. Some of the girls and faculty looked them over, but they were used to strange visitors around here. They pretty much left them alone, but some went over to check out Farenfarr's horse. They kept a respectable distance from all of them, including the horse.

"Nice place." Farenfarr said, "I can see why you guys like it here, helping these kids and all. Makes a man feel warm inside."

Then he looked at Faustus.

"Captain, I need to talk to you."

"Sure!"

"In private, son."

Uh oh.

They walked some distance down the street, and as soon as they were sure they were out of earshot Farenfarr broke the news. They walked as they talked.

"My spies have infiltrated deep into Havoc's sanctum on the west coast. I was contacted last night at considerable risk. I was told this:

"Havoc knows about your girlfriend Ginny."

Farenfarr got the reaction he expected. Faustus stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Farenfarr with disbelief on his face.

"What? How? When?"

"It don't matter how or when, Captain, but the fact is he knows. Hes got spies all over the place, and I betcha bottom dollar he's got one here abouts keeping an eye on you."

"What... what should I do?"

Farenfarr put his hand on Faustus's shoulder.

"Break it off son. Tell her goodbye."

Faustus looked at Farenfarr like he was nuts. Farenfarr was asking him to give up the best thing that had happened to him in his entire life!

"I.. I dunno. I... can't, Farenfarr... She and I... I can't..."

"If that maniac gets his hands on her, you know what he'll do to her. If she lives through it and we do get her back, she wont be the same. He'll break more than bones.

He'll use her to get to you and through you to get to me. He figures that if he takes you out of the equation your army and the navy will go too. He's probably right. But I will find some way around that, even if he does.

"What I mean is, spare yourself and her. I lost my wife to those blood drinking demon worshipers, and I don't want that to happen to you."

Stunned, Faustus just stood there. He looked back at the pool where Ginny lay on her stomach on a large towel, sunbathing. Even from here he could see she was as beautiful a woman as he had ever seen. Faustus knew what Havoc would do to that beauty. She'd be a wreck both physically and mentally when he was done with her. Some of the girls they had rescued before suicided out, rather than live with what had been done to them.

"You know you got to do it, Captain."

Faustus looked at the ground. The old man was right. If he was going to spare Ginny the danger of going through that hell of being in Havocs clutches, he had to tell her goodbye.

"It wont be easy." Faustus offered.

"I know it wont. Thats why I came here in person. I hate to see you hurt, son, but..."

"In the long run its whats best. I know." Faustus broke in.

Crap.

They walked back to the poolside without saying a word. Arcon could tell something bad had happened and didn't ask any questions. Faustus would tell him in time if he needed to know about it.

Farenfarr made small talk then mounted his horse.

"Have a good holiday, you two. And I'll see you all back home."

They waved, and Farenfarr rode way. Faustus looked like he had eaten a live frog. He wasn't happy at all.

The old wizard thought to himself, "I'm getting too old for this. Look what I just did. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. I just don't know anymore. They'll have to work it out themselves."

Faustus glared at Ginny. He hated like hell what he was about to do. But he wouldn't see happen to her what Havoc would do. He rather tear his entire soul out than let that blood-sucker get her. And forcing her away would tear his soul out.

Damn Havoc, damn him to hell!

The pool party wound down and everybody went home. Ginny walked up to Faustus, smiling and happy.

"What time you going to pick me up tonight?" she asked sweetly, drying her hair with a towel.

Faustus looked at her in a surly manner.

"I aint. Dates off, Blondie."

Ginny looked like she had been struck across the face. Arcon turned and looked at Faustus.

"What the hell?"

"Stay out of it Paul!" Faustus warned, great menace in his voice. Both Ginny and Arcon took a step back.

"This aint none of your damn business, so keep out."

Paul fought down rage, and picked up his stuff. He shot the Captain the bird and stomped off mumbling to himself. If both men had swords just then he would have fought him. That type of insult to the woman, topped off by an insult to him, can result in a fight to the death back home. Only when he got to his bungalo did he realize that the talk Faustus had with Farenfarr was probably what caused him to act like that. Something was wrong, and it had to do with Ginny.

There was a knock on the door of his bungalo. He went and opened it. There stood Ginny in tears.

"Whats wrong? What happened?"

"Its Faustus! He treated me like I was trash! Called me a Yankee Whore and told me to get lost. He's never acted like that before! Whats happened Paul? What did I do?"

Paul had no answer. He escorted Ginny home, and paused for a bit to look at the Captain's bungalo. Nothing there betrayed anything unusual, except all the lights were off. Why all of a sudden was he treating a girl so nice as Ginny like she was some truck stop harlot? What did Farenfarr tell him that made him do that?

Faustus sat in his bungalo feeling like the low down dirty dog he had been acting like. He sat on his couch with arms wrapped around his chest with the lights off. He stared like a mad man at a blank wall. It had cut him to do that to Ginny. It made her cry. She ran away bawling. He wanted to die. He tried to console himself that it was for the best, but he wasn't totally buying it. He had hurt the one woman in all the world he cared more about than any other. Death would have been preferable.

All because of Havoc. No peace back home. No love here. He just sat there looking into the dark, and felt the darkness in his soul, the emptyness. What Ginny had given him was now thrown away, and that deep empty feeling was creeping back. He was in hell again. Worse than it was before she came here. That was because this woman actually liked him. That made it harder.

Ginny sat in her living room next to her phone, hoping Faustus would call or something. She sobbed repeatedly into a tissue. Why had he done that? What had happened?

Then she realized; the talk they had last night over dinner! Faustus had realized that she was talking about herself! He knew she was a liar! What was that he said?

"...they should not be associated with. I would avoid such a person, shun them if you will."

He had shunned her. Thats what it was. In her pain and anguish she pounded her fists on the chair back.

"No no no no no no no no!" she said over and over as she flailed the chair.

Finally her strength gave out and her hands were hurting. She just sat there, her face buried in her arms on the chair back and cried. First her father, then Peter and all her friends. All gone. Now Faustus. The pages keep turning but they have the same story on each one. Find someone you love and care for and then lose them. It has to stop! Please, let it stop somewhere!

Faustus went out on his nightly guard duties. He avoided going to the wall.

Ginny went to the wall on schedule. Faustus wasn't there. She waited far longer than was necessary. Then she went back to her house, brokenhearted. In the shadows Faustus watched her, a tear running down his cheek. He hated himself then more than ever before.

He whispered her name. It still had that meaning of joy and happiness and wonder that it always had. But inside, he felt empty.

The next day Faustus stayed indoors, sleeping late. Ginny didn't go anywhere either. Arcon wanted to visit Faustus, and he resolved that if he treated Ginny like that in his presence again he was going to knock his teeth out. But Arcon stayed away and hoped this mess would blow over.

At the regular time that night Ginny went out to the wall. She stayed there. She wanted to put a stop to this once and for all. Either she found out what was going on, or she would leave this place for good. She was looking around and hoping Faustus would show. She saw a movement in the shadows behind the gym. She took off running toward it. It was Faustus. He started to move away.

"Faustus! Stop! I need to talk to you!"

"Go away, Ginny."

She ran around in front of him blocking his way. He towered over her, threateningly.

"What are you going to do, Faustus? Hit me? Beat me up? Maybe even kill me?" she snarled at him.

Tears were streaming down her face. She looked up in the slits of his helmet and couldn't make out his eyes. She heard him sniff.

"No." he choked out, shaking his head. "I could never do that. Any of that. Ever. Not to you."

"I need to know then. Why are you doing this to me?"

Faustus casts his eyes down.

"Is it because of what we discussed at the dinner Thursday night?" she demanded.

He looked up.

"What? No. I had forgotten all about that. It was what I was.... what I was told Friday."

Ginny was surprised. She had seen the old man talking to Arcon and Faustus, but paid no real attention to it. She hadn't put two and two together on this. It wasn't the dinner conversation, it was something Farenfarr had told Faustus!

"What? What were you told?"

Faustus took off his helmet so he could see her better. Ginny saw he had been crying too. He wiped his eyes and was in obvious mental anguish.

"Ginny, you've been on the other side, where I come from. You know that in addition to the wonders of the place there is also great evil.

"I'm commander of the largest army we have. I also command the only real navy in the East. This evil tyrant on the West Coast threatens the free peoples of the Heartlands. My friends and I are their only defenders.

"The Tyrant is called Lord Havoc. Hes a chief follower of the Red Death Cult. He lusts only for power. Nobody and nothing mean anything to him, just power. Getting it and keeping it. He'll kill anyone to get that.

"We stand in his way. He's tried to kill us in many different ways. He has failed so far. We defeated his armies and his schemes time and time again.

"But he's not above treachery."

Ginny looked at him. "What has this to do with us?"

"Farenfarr told me that Havoc knows who you are. He may try to capture you. If he does, he'll do unspeakable things to you, just to get at me.

"I don't want that to happen, Ginny. Not to you, ever. You mean so much to me...."

Suddenly they were in each others arms. Faustus dropped his helmet. Their lips met.

"We can't be together anymore, Ginny!"

"Yes we can! We will! This Havoc won't drive us apart!"

"But what if he gets you..." 

"You'll come and rescue me, like you always have."

"You can't be sure of that!"

"I am as sure of that as I am of what we have here!"

They kissed again.

Then Faustus dropped to one knee before her and drew his sword. It had that eerie blue "Saint Elmo's Fire" glow to it. He held it before him, and looked up at her.

"Forgive me. I have wronged you. I have hurt you, unfairly."

She gently pulled him to his feet. He put the weapon away.

"There is nothing to forgive. You only did what you did to protect me."

Once more they were in each others arms.

"What ever happens to me, Faustus, even if he gets me, I'll always be thinking of you. Waiting for you. I know you'll come, and that band of fellows you have that are all so interesting. You'll all get me out of there and make it all right and mess up his plans again. I've seen you do it, and I know you will do it again. I have only trusted one other man as much as I trust you, and he is gone forever from me. You... you are all I have now. I can't give that up. I wont give you up."

"I wish I had your confidence, Ginny."

"Call it faith."

That shook Faustus to his bones. Faith, indeed! If she had the confidence that even if Havoc got her and took her to his deepest hell hole, that they'd get her out, then by all that is Holy, he'd share that faith with her!

"Ginny, you are all kinds of amazing!"

They went back to the wall, and talked as they did before. This crisis had passed. They would go out on their date Sunday and have a great time together. Their love held them together, no matter what, and no one and nothing could stop it.

Some distance away, evil eyes watched, and plotted their chance. Soon. Oh yes, soon.