Free Solomon's Grave by Daniel G. Keohane Page A

forward in the chair. “Have you been sleeping well?”
    Nathan shrugged. “I think so. I’d been having some vivid nightmares lately, but I wrote them off to nerves. In fact, I’ve had only one since arriving here. Except… well, nothing. Felt like I was dreaming at the reception before I... fainted.”
    Hayden nodded and thought for a moment, the wrinkles in his face twisting. “Well, the EMTs said that you were fine. It looked like simple exhaustion, so there’s a good chance you were dreaming just then. Passed out on your feet.”
    Nathan grimaced in embarrassment and tried to hide it behind another spoonful. He’d awoken, vaguely, soon after blacking out. Those moments— were they hours or minutes? he wondered now—were a mix of images and unreality. As if waking from a dream but not quite coming all the way to the surface. By the time the EMT began packing up his bag, Nathan had begun to feel better, but allowed his mother to lead him to the bed Hayden had pulled out from the upstairs couch. He’d slept the rest of the afternoon away. Nathan visibly cringed every time he wondered what the rest of the reception was like.
    “Do I really need to go in for tests? I’m feeling a lot better, physically at least. I just needed to rest.”
    The older man shrugged. “Your call. They wanted you to get tested for epilepsy, tumors...” He waved his hand across the table as a way of finishing the sentence.
    Beverly gasped. Nathan winced at the pain of her grip on his arm. Hayden smiled. “I have a very strong feeling it is none of those. As it is, I agree with Nate. I assume you slaved all night on that sermon, Reverend? It was a good one, by the way.”
    “Thanks.” He appreciated the change in subject. After another spoonful of soup—some chicken noodle left over from the botched fellowship dinner—he added, “Yeah, I was up pretty late.”
    “That’s what I thought. I hate the dentist. Get all nerved up before going in. He makes me sit there for five minutes before I get out of the chair. Says patients like me get so worked up that when the appointment is finally over, they collapse in relieved exhaustion when they try to stand.” He looked at Nathan’s mother and pointed at his yellowed teeth. “Have I mentioned, Bev, that these are all the originals?”
    Beverly allowed herself a relieved smile.
    Nathan put the spoon down with a clink. He looked up pleadingly. “Even so, I’m afraid I made a pretty poor impression. New pastor collapses after his first service.”
    Hayden nodded. “I won’t lie and say that’s not true. At least you have something to start next week’s sermon with.”
    Nathan nodded. The man was never one to sugar-coat things. He remembered something that had bothered him since Hayden suggested he lead this morning’s service. “I assumed you would want to be lead minister next week, Pastor, seeing as it’s your last.”
    Hayden looked down for a moment, then said, “Yes, well, I suppose I should, shouldn’t I?” He slapped his legs and slowly rose from the table. “I’d better start working on the sermon soon, then, so I’m not wearing myself out with worry the night before.” He looked sideways at Nathan, a half smile implying the comment was only half in jest. “But you will handle the announcements at the start of the service, and can say what you wish about the events of this morning.”
    “I’d like that; thanks.” He didn’t like it, would rather visit Hayden’s dentist than face anyone after today.
    His mother insisted he go back to bed. It was dark outside. He tried to calculate exactly how long he had actually slept since being brought upstairs. It was almost eight o’clock now and the sun was down. Hayden would be going to bed soon. Part of Nathan wanted to stay up, drive to the cemetery as he’d planned, but his body refused to cooperate. His mother busied herself downstairs straightening the kitchen and washing the few dishes while he changed, then