1634: Turn Your Radio On by Eric Flint Read Free Book Online Page A

it's time to get Phyllis Dobbs to become a deacon. Now that Slater's found the way."
    "That's a miracle if I ever saw one." Jennifer laughed. Slater Dobbs had been written off as no-account since before the Ring of Fire and afterwards had been right in the middle of the 250 Club crowd. While his wife Phyllis had been a bastion of the startup congregation, it had taken the Fischer miracle to bring Slater around. "I still find it hard to believe that Slater had the idea to donate the land for the new sanctuary. I figured it was Phyllis' idea all along. For some reason lately he's taken a shine to Hans Kurger and his kids as well."
    "Brothers Chalker and Fischer even think that Hans may be preacher material sooner or later," Jennifer continued. "Maria does a great job handling the money at their emporium. I've never heard a word spoken against them."
    Nodding, Pete added, "It's time we started adding some down-timers to the leadership of the church. I sure could use some more help with running the Sunday School program and I know it's past time to take the burden of the Wednesday night Bible study off of Brother Chalker's shoulders. We might start looking to increase the Council of Elders up from three to five."
    A small flurry of snow and wind swirled through the doorway, interrupting the conversation and in walked Georg Fleitner, the deacon and caretaker of the new church grounds. Georg had appeared at the new church while it was being built and he’d rapidly grown attached to Brother Chalker. "Mr. Enriquez, Mrs. Copenhaver, it is Brother Chalker. He sick."
    Pete jumped to his feet. "What's wrong, Georg?"
    "He hot. I put him in bed. Cover. He sick."
    "Lord, what now?" Pete turned to Jennifer, "Call the doctor. You can handle the rest of the gathering here and make sure Susannah gets home safely, can't you, Jen?"
    Jen nodded and looked at Georg, "Georg, does Brother Fischer know?"
    "Don't know. Have not seen since Mr. Nemeth funeral."
    "Fischer came here afterward with Ingrid and the kids. He left a while ago. Maybe he's over at the house by now," Pete said. "Georg, go to my house. Find Fischer. If he's not there, just go find him. Okay?"
    "Yah, okay. I go find Brother Fischer." Pete relaxed a bit. Georg wasn't a bright person, but he could be depended on to stay at it until the job was finished. He'd find Fischer.
    ****
    "It seems to be just a fever, but you people are going to have to make sure he slows down some. He's seventy-eight years old, for God's sake." Doctor Nichols looked right into Pete's eyes and said, "I don't want him getting out of that bed except to go to the bathroom until I come back Monday. Understand me?"
    The authoritative voice of the doctor communicated just as clearly in the seventeenth century as it had in the twentieth, and both Enriquez and Fischer quickly shook their heads in agreement.
    Brother Chalker's apartment was in the back of the new church building right behind the altar and choir loft. It was composed of a large study with a separate bedroom and bath.
    Fischer looked very distressed. "I should have done the graveside service. I should have been able to convince him to let me do it."
    "There's nothing you could have done, Dieter," Pete said. "I'm just glad you're here to take over the preaching duties tomorrow morning. I think it'll do the old man good to hear you preach while resting in his bed back here.
    "Doc Nichols is right. We've got to start taking a lot of the tasks away from him. Jennifer and I were talking. We're thinking it's time to expand the Council of Elders to five. What do you think?"
    Fischer sat in Chalker's chair behind the desk. "Yes, we're big enough to need more guidance now. It would also take some of the burden off of Brother Chalker."
    "That's our thought exactly." Pete paused. His eyes seemed to focus on something out the window. "Wait a minute. It's Brother Chalker's turn Monday morning!"
    "What?" Fischer looked confused.
    "The morning radio devotional. It's