Laura and Maude joined me to confront Sister Annabelle about the angel. We found her in Witch’s Warts, her bare feet buried in the cool sand beneath a sandstone arch. Two boys had discovered the arch stretching between a pair of sandstone fins, and when the weather turned exceeding hot, kids would come in after finishing the chores, scale the arch, and leap into the sand, laughing as they tumbled down the hill. But it was the middle of the day, and even the children were working. Annabelle looked up. “You’ve got counselors now, is that it?” She fixed Maude with a hard look. “And you’ve started in on my sister wives too, I see. Turning them against me, poisoning their minds.” “We’re worried about you,” Maude said. “Can we give you a blessing?” I asked. “A blessing? Hah!” Her voice came out like a crow’s jeering caw. “What, have you given yourself the priesthood now?” “It’s no different than the initiatory.” “This isn’t the temple, so yes, it’s completely different.
