"I believe now is a good time to discuss Reverend Crane's sermon," Miss Brigham said. She paced from one side of the meadow to the other, her hands clasped behind her back. "The reverend talked to us about the value of truth. Truth is central to The Way. It is the greatest virtue we can live by. When we do not tell the truth, bad things happen not only to us but to those around us as well." Miss Brigham stopped her pacing to wave in Samantha's direction. The other children turned to look at her. "Samantha lied during this morning's service, forcing Reverend Crane to punish her-"
"I didn't lie!" Samantha said.
"Young lady, during class you must raise your hand and wait for me to call upon you before speaking," Miss Brigham warned.
"I'm sorry. But I didn't lie about the snake."
Before she could say anything else, Prudence touched her arm and put a finger to lips. Samantha crossed her arms and then looked down at the grass to avoid the gaze of the other children. "As I was saying, my dears, truth is central to The Way. We must always tell the truth, not only to keep our souls clean but to avoid hurting the others counting on us. For instance, last week Wendell lied about stacking the firewood. What happened after that, Wendell?"
A young boy with a head of curly red hair said, "I had to sit in the shed to think about what I did."
"Yes, Wendell, that is true. But what else?"
"John had to find the firewood," Wendell said.
"That's right, dear." Miss Brigham pointed to the dark-haired boy who had supplied Helena with the snake. "John had to gather up the wood and as a result Phyllis did not have enough fuel for the oven, which delayed dinner for all of us. So you see how a lie can affect us all. Little Wendell's lie nearly caused us to go hungry. This is why Reverend Crane stresses truth above all else."
Samantha raised her hand. She waited for Miss Brigham to acknowledge her this time. "What if we're lying to protect someone else? Aren't there times when you should lie?"
"No, dear, there are no good lies and bad lies. You children must never, ever lie under any circumstances."
"Has Reverend Crane ever told a lie?" Samantha asked.
"Of course not, dear. And you must raise your hand each time you want to ask a question."
Samantha raised her hand again. "You mean the reverend is perfect? Isn't God the only one who is perfect?"
"Reverend Crane is not perfect, my dear, but he does not tell lies to us. The reverend upholds The Way."