Derailment: Day 10

Word Count: 60,010

Summary of Events:
Fox Paw finished her gift for Badger Ears and gave it to him; he apologized to her for his unkindness and spoke of their potentially soon marrying, which renewed distress in Fox Paw. Matthew came to answer questions again, but before anyone could gather, Fox Paw came and told him of her distresses and came to be somewhat more distressed when she discovered he intended to have her and her people turn away from their Spirits. Fox Paw then had a nightmare and ended up going to Matthew's camp where he woke up and she found he had broken ribs from his beating. Matthew came to answer questions again and then ended up having to rescue Fox Paw from a rattlesnake she'd disturbed.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Many of the women looked nervous and fearful, some of the oldest women looked quite angry — although most of them had looked that way from the start, yet they hadn't ceased to come.
Matthew looked over to where Rebecca had sat down and found she was no longer there; he guessed she'd fled in fear at the broaching of the topic again. Matthew wished he could get up and go after her, except that he didn't know where she'd gone.
"Why God no like Spirits?" another woman asked, startling Matthew slightly.
"Because they are worshipped, people see them as being what He is," Matthew replied. "There is only one God, and that is God Himself, and He has explicitly said that He is a jealous God, He wants our worship and allegiance, He wants us to be His children, and not the children of darkness and evil. He wants us to know and love the light of His presence, the light of life in Him; He wants us to have all good. He made us, He loves us, and He is saddened that we are no longer as beautiful, perfect, or good as we could have been, and He wants us to come to Him and to realize that He is the giver of all good. No other god, no Spirits that exist can possibly give any good; they can give something that seems good for a time, but usually leads to despair and ruin, for they are all evil, there is no good in them."
Matthew saw one of the old women straighten at his final comments and look at him fiercely, her dark eyes like blazing coals. She barked at a woman beside her and she was aided to her feet.
In a hoarse voice she hollered at him in the tongue of her people, spitting words at him — he was sure she was incredibly angry with him for what he'd said, but he was going to need someone to translate for him, being as he didn't know what she was saying.
The woman who'd helped her up helped her sit down once she was done, but remained standing herself. Matthew looked at the woman, waiting for her to begin translating what the old woman had said to him.
"She say it your God who be evil, there be no good in your God," the woman said. "It is all evil you speak, she say, and she put many curses on you and children for speak evil against Spirits."
Matthew turned his gaze to the old woman, her dark eyes still glowered at him and she looked at him with an expression and carriage of superiority. Matthew sighed. "May God forgive you for the words you speak, you have been too long deluded to change your mind.""