Krafft's Notes on Anomalies

"Dominic? Dominic!"

The call came from so close that it sounded urgent, so urgent that Dominic felt that he would be slapped twice if he didn't respond.

The double image flickered in front of his eyes, like dark paint poured into a drain, drawn into a circle by the water flow, rotating with the vortex background and sucked into the dark core in the middle.

The sound also became slow, elongated and deformed. His dry lips opened and closed slightly, but he couldn't hear what he said, and it was even difficult to determine whether he was speaking.

Then there was pain. The skull seemed to be as big as a prayer hall, so that the most intense physiological sensations took a while to go from the back of the head to the front of the forehead, buzzing in the empty consciousness like an echo.

The cold touch pressed against the side of his neck. Fortunately, his companion's first reaction was to check the pulse instead of physically waking him up. The first aid course was not in vain.

Fortunately, the arterial pulsation was quite obvious. Even though Field hastily touched the wrong position, he could still feel the strong blood flow from the heart, full of fear. Each pulsation was like the last struggle before sliding into the abyss.

This was not friendly to the blood vessels, but it was good for the chest - it successfully avoided the fate of having several ribs broken on the uneven ground.

Dominic could feel the chaotic footsteps around him, and his body was lifted up and taken to the bright outdoors, away from the dark and rotating enclosed space.

The drum-like heartbeat was still hitting the eardrum, and the vision calmed down first, followed by hearing and position perception.

Field shook three fingers in front of his eyes, and he casually said a number until this guy panicked and changed his words.

The owner was more panicked than Field. He threw down the half-woven rattan basket and stood beside him at a loss, frightened by the sudden situation.

The moment Dominic fell, a thousand serious consequences of clergymen dying in their own homes may have flashed through his mind, and he stammered to pray to the Father, asking the almighty Lord to show up and save his life, or at least give him a breath.

Although it is not known whether the Lord heard it, Dominic did hear it. A few words that are often taught to ordinary believers over and over again, it seems that traces of faith are still being passed down during the years when the monastery was vacant.

"It's okay, just let me rest for a while." Dominic sat up against the wall and comforted little John, who almost knelt down to beg him not to die, "It's just dizziness, it's not your fault."

The feeling came strangely and went away quickly. Compared with the influence of the roof design and the special style of hand-woven products, poor health and missed breakfast are more likely to be the culprits.

Some people may interpret physical discomfort as some kind of evil spirit, but the monks of Dunling have always sneered. Orthodox views do not deny the existence of evil spirits and demonic intrusions, but also emphasize that they are extremely special and low-probability events, and the prevalence of diseases caused by eating disorders, environmental hygiene, etc. should not be ignored.

"Excuse me, you may not believe it, I used to be in good health, but I have not been able to adapt to this place."

After this incident, the distance between the two sides seemed to be shortened. Little John brought out the homemade cushions and asked the two monks to sit down in the sunny place in front of the house to rest.

Once again, Dominic noticed the weaving method. It is almost everywhere in the works of the basket maker. It has good adaptability and can be cleverly twisted into various extended shapes with a little adjustment.

"It's really good. Even in Dunling, I haven't seen many better ones than this."

Although he didn't know where Dunling was, it didn't prevent Little John from hearing that this was a compliment to his craftsmanship. It was very helpful to be recognized by the monks, but I still had to be humble:

"Actually, many people know how to do it, but my father is better at it, and he taught me."

"It's more than that. Your father must be an excellent basket maker." Dominic handed the pendant that he had not given away to the other party, and moved the cushion closer, sitting side by side like a friend.

Family craftsmanship is a good option to start a conversation, and it is also suitable to extend it to the father's generation.

"Can you tell me about him, for example, how he inherited the family craft. The brothers in the monastery must have liked his work before. Have they asked him to help weave flower baskets for offerings?"

"Well, actually it should be from my father that our family has been dedicated to this. Grandpa still hopes that he will concentrate on farming. I remember that they quarreled a few times because of this, but not many times after I was ten years old."

"Did your father convince him?"

"My father convinced him with his craft." Little John's mouth pursed unconsciously, which seemed to be a trace of envy, the pure envy of craftsmen for those with better talents, "He can always do the same thing better."

"Grandfather only taught how to make hats and baskets, but one day, he took out baskets, and then cushions, stools... and even roofs."

"A genius." Field exclaimed. Such a person will definitely not worry about not being able to write innovative points in the lecture notes when studying for a bachelor's degree.

It's a pity that he was born a few years earlier and missed the peak period of the church's development. The world lost a promising scholar and gained a gifted basket maker.

"I'm so glad his craftsmanship can be inherited."

"In fact, I didn't inherit all of my father's craftsmanship. At most, I'm better than my grandfather." Little John's pursed lips drooped, regret and unhappiness flashed alternately.

"He left too early, there were too many things he didn't have time to teach, and he caused a lot of trouble to the family before he died..."

"Please accept my condolences." Dominic stepped forward and held his hand, "The love of God is broad, his service to the village during his lifetime will be remembered, and his soul must have ascended to heaven."

A perfect version of the book in 16-9!

"Alas..."

The persuasion didn't work. When he mentioned going to heaven, the other party's expression became even gloomier.

Dominic and Field looked at each other, wondering if there was any unexpected change.

"If there is anything you can't tell us, please tell us. In the name of the Father, we will keep it secret, and all sins can be redeemed after sincere repentance."

They stopped there, and the two tacitly left time and space for the struggling little John.

Appropriate silence is more powerful than verbal questioning. It can be trust and tolerance, or solemnity and pressure.

The basket maker held the holy emblem pendant tightly, and in silence he seemed to hear the wooden wings rubbing against the metacarpal bones through the skin.

"There is something about my father that caused a lot of trouble at that time."

Dominic patted the back of this man who was much older than him, just like a father comforting a child who had made mistakes, encouraging him to continue. Some of the work that had been done by the priests was being mastered without a teacher in a short period of time.

"Will you keep it a secret?"

"In the name of God."

After receiving assurances again, the man relaxed his tightly pursed lips:

"I wasn't sure at the time, but now I think he might have done something he shouldn't have done..."

Happy New Year!