Thor smiled as Connor wrapped his arms around the tiny form, and then Jordan leaned back, staring intently at his father. “Are we still going fishing tomorrow?” he asked.
With a laugh, Connor replied, “Yeah, boy. Of course we're going fishing. I promised you that we'd go fishing, didn't I?”
“Uh huh.”
“And don't I always keep my promises?”
Jordan smiled. “Yeah. You always keep your promises.”
Laughing, Connor hugged him a moment. “Okay. Now it's time for bed. But tomorrow you and me are going fishing. And Thor will even come back and tell you a story. So give Thor a big bear hug and say good night.”
Jordan descended to the floor and walked around his chair, vanishing for a moment in Thor's gentle, massive arms. Then the child leaned back, gazing into the bearded face. “You'll come back tomorrow after we go fishing and tell me a story?”
Thor held the tiny hands, gazing down. “For sure, boy. I'll even come back tomorrow and tell you a long, long story about a magical sword and a great king who used the sword to destroy a terrible beast.” Thor nodded seriously. “It is one of my best stories.”
“Okay,” Jordan said, enduring the disappointment of not hearing the adventure this minute. He turned to give Connor a kiss.
“Nite-nite,” Connor said.
“Nite-nite.”
Beth smiled and picked him up and in a moment had disappeared into the back of the stone house. Connor rose from the table and went to the kitchen, returning a moment later with two large containers of coffee. Thor nodded gratefully and reached out to drain half of his with a long swallow. When he set it down, he cast a glance at the door where Jordan had vanished.
“He is a good boy,” he rumbled, a faint smile.
“Yeah,” Connor replied. “He's a good boy. He's the love of my life. I don't know what I'd do without him.”
“You will do well with him,” Thor nodded. “You promise, and you keep your promise. Not an easy thing in these days.”
“Yeah,” Connor replied. “But keeping my promises to him isn't hard. I love him. He means everything to Beth and me. To tell you the truth, Thor, I never really wanted to bring a child into this sorry world. It just sort of happened. But it's been really good.”
Motionless, Thor stared into the doorway. “Maybe Jordan will change the world,” he said finally. “Maybe that is the reason he is here.”
“Thor,” Connor said, staring. “There aren't any reasons for things. Things happen, and there's no reason, no purpose. I think that we've had this discussion before.”
Thor laughed heartily. “Let's have it again.”
Shaking his head, Connor looked away. “I don't believe like you do, Thor. I never have.” He paused. “You believe in good and evil. God and Satan. You believe in hope and faith and the rest of it. But I don't. I don’t believe in anything. Nothing but my family. That's all there is for me.”
“A family is a great thing,” Thor said.
“I really don’t care to change the world, Thor,” Connor continued, looking up. “I just want to get away from it. When I finish this job, we're going to go someplace where Jordan can grow up like a kid should be allowed to grow up. And it'll be a long way from a city, I'll tell you that. A long way from any people at all.”
“And what will you do when you reach this place in the sun?” Thor asked, his voice harder.
“Live in peace,” Connor replied. “Live a decent life.”
“Yes. That would be a good thing also. To live a peaceful life. A good life.'‘ Thor paused. “Do you know what a good life would be for me?”
Connor smiled. “Yeah, but I think you're going to tell me anyway.”
Accepting the lack of invitation, Thor went on solemnly, “Yes, I will be glad to tell you. And you will be glad you asked. Because it is a philosophy full of insight and meaning.” He smiled, almost laughing. “And the heart of it is this, my friend: I would live a life to change the world for good. A life where I made a good difference in the life of one, or in the lives of many. Where I faced great battles like a man. With courage and strength. Doing what is right. And I would win, in the end.”
For a moment Connor said nothing, impressed by the un-abashed seriousness of Thor's speech. “That's a pretty tall order, Thor,” he answered, touching the rim of the coffee mug. “But to want that, you've got to believe in good and evil or something beyond this world. And I don't.”
“All men believe in good and evil.” Thor looked up. His ice-green eyes didn't waver. “Even you, Connor. But you think that only man is evil. And yet all the civilizations that have ever held kingdoms on the earth have written of an evil that is beyond man. Just as they all have written of a last, great battle that will occur between good and evil. A battle that is yet to come.”