Words on Fire

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The priest gestured around him. “This church has stood for over one hundred years, outlasting war and fire and the ravages of nature. But it faces a new enemy now, a tsar who insists we believe in his God. At first, he politely invited us to abandon this place and gather in his own cathedrals. When we refused, he tried to lure us away through rewards and bribery. Now, when all else fails, he intends to force us out.” The priest took a deep breath. “The soldiers among us have new orders, to destroy our churches and our relics. If they cannot remove the people from the church, they will simply remove the church and the people will have nowhere else to go for worship. One day soon, they will come for this place. The only weapon I have to stop them is a people who feel powerful enough to stand between a Cossack soldier and the doors of this building. And how do I make them feel powerful?” “You give them books,” I whispered.