Of Preachers and Pagans

The men were removed from Shadyvale and dropped into the hell of World War II combat, leaving only those males who were very young or past military age. Stalwart teens served the needs of the community and the warriors' waiting wives. In Shadyvale, a war of a different sort erupted and the conflict that no one intended or expected dealt murder, rape, sexual abuse by clergy, attempted murder, kidnapping, justifiable homicide, marital infidelity, and simple physical assault as village residents acted as their circumstances and true natures compelled them. On this fateful field of conflict, the pious poseurs perished, and the profane prospered in a love that was humble, patient, chaste, and enduring.