The conundrum had clearly already occurred to others in the Sanctuary. Solomon had already garnered himself a nickname from Dexter - Mr. Prophet. That was probably why he'd resigned himself to the task, even while scrabbling for a way out. Or at least searching for someone to complain to.
"Ah," was all Paddy could say. For nearly a full minute, it was all he did say.
The possibility had, of course, also occurred to him, long before Saffron even arrived on his doorstep. That didn't make the looming explanation any easier, since he'd never had to explain the responsibility to anyone else before. It was difficult to put into words, even for those who already knew what he was talking about.
Still, Solomon needed help. Paddy had to start somewhere. "What you're talking about is taking spiritual responsibility for a large group of people, most of whom are complete strangers or people you barely know, and guiding them from a perceived position of enlightenment that you, in reality, know no more about than they do. What you're talking about, Solomon, is having a congregation. A flock, if you will."
Paddy couldn't deny being glad that Solomon's departure from the Temple may well have ended its existence. Particularly since it was in the most peaceful way possible; no death, no violence, each and every acolyte within it saved through their own choice to allow for it. And on a more vindictive level, Paddy couldn't think of a better retribution for the torture Solomon was put through than to have the entire Temple crumble around the Necromancer leader's ears. "Don't think of it as spiritual responsibility at first," he went on. "You handled Saffron perfectly. She isn't relying on you for help anymore, but she still knows where to find you. And for someone giving up everything they've ever known, that's the perfect balance of comfort and independence. For now, all you're doing is organising safety and protection for refugees, as any good political leader should. The, um... prophet part can come later."
Paddy smiled at Solomon. It was amusing only because Solomon thought the idea was laughable. In Paddy's secondhand experience, no one ever set out to become a prophet. History decided that, after the fact. "You'll probably find that you feel responsible for them anyway. Not just spiritually, either. The thing is, it works both ways - it can be a burden, but it also means you'll feel proud of them when things go right. That isn't a weakness. That's what makes it all worth it."
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"Ah," was all Paddy could say. For nearly a full minute, it was all he did say.
The possibility had, of course, also occurred to him, long before Saffron even arrived on his doorstep. That didn't make the looming explanation any easier, since he'd never had to explain the responsibility to anyone else before. It was difficult to put into words, even for those who already knew what he was talking about.
Still, Solomon needed help. Paddy had to start somewhere. "What you're talking about is taking spiritual responsibility for a large group of people, most of whom are complete strangers or people you barely know, and guiding them from a perceived position of enlightenment that you, in reality, know no more about than they do. What you're talking about, Solomon, is having a congregation. A flock, if you will."
Paddy couldn't deny being glad that Solomon's departure from the Temple may well have ended its existence. Particularly since it was in the most peaceful way possible; no death, no violence, each and every acolyte within it saved through their own choice to allow for it. And on a more vindictive level, Paddy couldn't think of a better retribution for the torture Solomon was put through than to have the entire Temple crumble around the Necromancer leader's ears. "Don't think of it as spiritual responsibility at first," he went on. "You handled Saffron perfectly. She isn't relying on you for help anymore, but she still knows where to find you. And for someone giving up everything they've ever known, that's the perfect balance of comfort and independence. For now, all you're doing is organising safety and protection for refugees, as any good political leader should. The, um... prophet part can come later."
Paddy smiled at Solomon. It was amusing only because Solomon thought the idea was laughable. In Paddy's secondhand experience, no one ever set out to become a prophet. History decided that, after the fact. "You'll probably find that you feel responsible for them anyway. Not just spiritually, either. The thing is, it works both ways - it can be a burden, but it also means you'll feel proud of them when things go right. That isn't a weakness. That's what makes it all worth it."