‘“What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, the teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein to make dumb idols” ... God’s answered you, Jonathan.’
‘But that’s about the man who wrote it,’ objected Jonathan. ‘He trusts in his work, but I don’t; he’s not going to make a dumb idol of me.’
‘You’re running your head into danger, Jonathan. If you are not a True Believer, the Book may be only a trap set for you by the Devil. He can quote Scripture when it suits him, as well as any.’
‘But I prayed first,’ said Jonathan. ‘And I’m trying to become a True Believer.’
‘When you’ve become a True Believer, we’ll talk about it,’ said his uncle.
After that for a whole week his uncle saw no more of him. Then one day, waking up from his afternoon nap, the old man found Jonathan sitting and looking at him.
It was quite five minutes since Jonathan had crept in, and during that time he had not been idle. He had gone to the Book, and arranged a marker, and three and four times he had opened and without looking had put his finger to the exact place; just a finger’s length from the bottom on the right-hand side, it was easy to find. Then, sitting far away from the Book, he had waited for his uncle to wake.
He did not allow the haze of sleep to disperse before he made his announcement.
‘Uncle,’ he said, ‘I’ve become a True Believer. I’ve had a call: God has shown me the way.’
‘How do you know you’re a True Believer?’ questioned the old man cautiously.