Free The Sun Gods by Jay Rubin

his Bible. Her hair seemed more tightly pulled back than usual tonight, the normally serene brow slightly tense, a touch of color in the cheeks. “Did you have trouble again?”
    â€œOnly a little trouble,” she replied. “If I am not very careful, I say ‘z’ or ‘s’ instead of ‘th.’ Today when I asked for moth crystals, the drugstore man thought I was asking for something to kill moss. He told me to go to a garden shop. And when I asked at the garden shop, they told me to go to a drugstore. It was very confusing.”
    â€œListen to you now. You’re doing just fine.”
    â€œThat is because I am being careful. I need practice.”
    â€œAll right. Say ‘mother.’”
    â€œMother.”
    â€œFather.”
    â€œFather.”
    â€œNow, that did sound a little like Fah-zer.”
    She blushed and looked at her hands.
    He thought for a moment. “Say ‘Our Father.’”
    â€œOur Father,” she responded, looking up again.
    â€œGood. ‘Our Father.’”
    â€œOur Father.”
    â€œWhich art in Heaven.”
    â€œWhich art in Heaven.”
    â€œHallowed be thy name. Oh, there are lots of tee-aitches in this!”
    â€œHallowed be zye—”
    â€œThy—”
    â€œThy name.”
    â€œ Thy kingdom come.”
    â€œThy kingdom come.”
    â€œ Thy will be done.”
    â€œThy will be done.”
    As Mitsuko worked with fierce concentration to produce the dreaded “th,” Pastor Tom watched her mouth with equal intensity. Each time the pink tip of her tongue found its proper place between her straight, white teeth, he felt a little thrill. But when he intoned, “And lead us not into temptation,” the words nearly stuck in his throat.
    As Mitsuko’s full lips formed the word “temptation,” it seemed to take on a whole new, physical meaning.
    â€œBut deliver us from evil,” he implored, wondering what the words could mean to her as she spoke them. Did she know, in her heart, that the kingdom, and the power, and the glory were indeed God’s for ever? Or were these only sounds to her in a pronunciation practice?
    â€œAmen,” concluded Mitsuko, looking at him expectantly.
    But instead of giving her an assessment of her language skills, he asked, “Do you understand the Lord’s Prayer, Mitsuko?”
    She hesitated before answering. “I have known it all my life.”
    â€œBut do you really understand it? Do you understand what it means by asking the Lord to lead us away from temptation?”
    â€œI do not understand your question, Pastor Tom.”
    â€œOf course you do,” he insisted. “Tell me, Mitsuko, why do we pray to the Lord to lead us from temptation?”
    â€œWhy are you asking me this?” she pleaded.
    â€œYou tell me,” he demanded. “You must know why I am asking you this.” He wanted her to see it herself. He wanted her to recognize her sin and confess it openly before God. Surely she could come to know the true Christ only when she had abandoned the twisted ways of her benighted country.
    She heaved a long, long sigh, and bowed her head before him. But when she raised her eyes again, they were shining with conviction.
    â€œThen I will say it,” she declared, her voice barely rising above a whisper. “The Lord is tempting me now,” she said, looking at him hard. “You are my temptation, Pastor Tom.”
    Her answer struck him like a blow to the forehead. He had been preparing to lecture an innocent, childlike creature on the profoundest meaning of prayer and redemption, but she had proven herself to have a woman’s understanding, and now he did not know what to say.
    â€œI have seen you look at me,” she said. “I was a married woman. I know. And I have been looking at you.”
    He felt his face growing hot, his heart pounding.
    â€œI love to be here with