=== Vander & Pandreo ===
--- C ---



[Pandreo]
Sir Vander, is it true you used to serve in Lythos
under Queen Lumera?
[Vander]
Yes, I was her attendant. Why do you ask?
[Pandreo]
I just want to say that as a man of the cloth,
I hold you in the highest regard.
[Pandreo]
I would have given my left arm for such an
honorable station─in the Holy Land, no less.
[Vander]
Keep flattering me and you may lose an ear
instead. I'll talk it off with my old war stories.
[Pandreo]
Please do! I'd love to hear about what it
was like.
[Vander]
Certainly. Though perhaps we should find a
more appropriate place to talk.
[Pandreo]
Why don't you come to my next party?
That ought to be a suitable setting.
[Vander]
Hm. I'm not usually one for parties.
[Pandreo]
Oh, I'm sure you'll fit right in. It's just a small
gathering at the church.
[Pandreo]
Young adherents praying for peace─some pious
singing and dancing. That sort of thing.
[Vander]
Worship through song and dance? Why, that
sounds marvelous.
[Pandreo]
I see it as my clerical duty to help people find
comfort in these difficult times.
[Vander]
I understand. You put on these get-togethers as
a kind of service to your congregants.
[Pandreo]
Exactly! So, would you care to join us?
[Vander]
Of course. How could I refuse an invitation to
such a sanctified gathering?
[Pandreo]
Wonderful! I look forward to seeing you there.
--- B ---



[Pandreo]
Thank you for coming to the party today,
Sir Vander! You really elevated the proceedings.
[Vander]
Pandreo, did my ears deceive me, or were you
and the other guests...howling?
[Pandreo]
Oh, don't worry about that. Just a thing
we do when the spirit moves us.
[Pandreo]
We were riveted by your fascinating stories
about Queen Lumera.
[Vander]
Well, that's good, but... Really, what bizarre
gathering did I witness?
[Vander]
You spoke of pious songs and dances. I was
expecting something rather solemn.
[Vander]
Instead, it was a circus! Everyone hopping
about and yelping like rabid dogs.
[Vander]
Could you even hear what I was saying over
all the commotion?
[Pandreo]
Of course!
[Pandreo]
That was why we got so excited. We were
celebrating your stories in our bodies and souls.
[Vander]
Hm, is that so. Call me old-fashioned but...
I usually celebrate stories by listening to them.
[Pandreo]
I did notice you didn't dance with us.
[Vander]
Of course not! This creaky back of mine would
snap if I cavorted around like that!
[Pandreo]
Still, I appreciate your open-mindedness. In the
early days, some followers would complain.
[Vander]
Did they now?
[Pandreo]
Yes. People in Solm don't tend toward religion.
The church used to be rather, ah, ill-attended.
[Pandreo]
Then I had an idea that turned things around.
[Vander]
To make church more like a party.
[Pandreo]
Exactly! If you want people to listen, you have
to speak in a language they understand.
[Vander]
You worked hard to rebuild your church.
I apologize for calling it a circus.
[Vander]
Though...unorthodox, your methods have clearly
brought in new worshippers. I appreciate that.
[Pandreo]
That is high praise coming from you, Sir Vander.
[Vander]
Yes, well. Perhaps more flexible thinking is just
what the world needs right now.
--- A ---



[Vander]
Hngh! Come on, Vander. Mustn't let those
young folk show you up...
[Pandreo]
Vander, what's going on? Is this a training
technique you learned in Lythos?
[Vander]
No! It's nothing! Now...go away!
[Pandreo]
Oh... I was just checking in as a friend. Sorry to
disturb you.
[Vander]
...
[Vander]
Pandreo, wait. I was trying to...learn how
to dance.
[Pandreo]
Oh, OK. You're learning how to dance.
[Pandreo]
Wait a minute. Learning how to dance?!
[Vander]
Yes.
[Pandreo]
But I thought you had a bad back.
[Vander]
Shut up, will you! I am trying to understand
what the young people get out of it.
[Vander]
But these motions are...beyond me. I feel young,
but my body has no such delusions.
[Pandreo]
Ah, it's just that you're not used to it. Anyone
can learn with a little practice.
[Vander]
Hm. In that case, I suppose I'll keep at it.
[Pandreo]
Hm-hm!
[Pandreo]
You're nothing if not steadfast. I admire that.
[Vander]
Is that one of those ironic compliments you
young people enjoy so much?
[Pandreo]
No, really! Though you and I are from different
generations, we share beliefs as holy men.
[Pandreo]
I think learning from each other's experiences
can only benefit us both.
[Pandreo]
Like with the stories you told at my party─
I really appreciated hearing them.
[Vander]
I am always glad to impart what I have learned.
[Vander]
Let us continue teaching each other─for the
church's future, and indeed, the world's.
[Pandreo]
Agreed!
[Vander]
To that end, I will master this dance so that
I may "boogie down" at your next party. Hup!
[Vander]
URGH! MY BACK!
[Pandreo]
Oh! Sweet mother of─ How is it bent like that?!
--- S ---