Chapter 14
Meanwhile,
in his academic career, Etienne was garnering straight A's. He had
chosen mathematics as a major, because he hated doubt and
disagreement. In Math, he reasoned, there should be little enough of
either. His hatred of domestic disputes manifested by changing the
channel, if characters erupted in complaint. He simply could not
abide Jerry Springer, and his classmates chuckled over his gentle
sensibilities.
Being gifted
with logic, Etienne found he had a natural affinity for computers.
Combining with a lackluster dating life, Etienne began to “help”
female upper classmen with their programming assignments. His
attention to ethics was lax, and soon more than one instructor was
able to recognize that these assignments were beyond the abilities of
the students who presented them as original effort. Nothing could be
shown definitively, but in the teachers lounge, they passed remarks
that eventually came to the attention of the Dean of Students. He
knew that Etienne played “fast and loose” with the rules, and
since he couldn't accuse him of his actual offense, the Dean resolved
to make Etienne pay for it in other ways. Imagine the Dean's
vindication, when the school received a letter, on official looking
letterhead, that Etienne was “under investigation.” The letter
explained that since Etienne was a gifted mathematician, he might
seek employment with the NSA, and would the Dean be pleased to
discourage his major.
Etienne's
assignments became harder than they had to be. Tutors began to have
difficulty fitting him in to their schedule. His examinations were
graded ruthlessly, and with a jaundiced eye. Etienne regarded these
hardships as a challenge, and strove to surmount the adversity, but
by his Junior year, Etienne could no longer sustain the burden. He
thanked the school for an Associate of Arts degree, in Liberal Arts,
and left school in misery and disgrace.
No one told
him why. No one gave him succor. Few even spoke.
At Missouri
Synod headquarters, the Senior Pastor opened a letter from an
anonymous well wisher.
Dear Sirs:
Etienne DuBois, of Berkeley California, is spreading libelous reports
that the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod has a secret order of spies.
He is most disparaging of Luther, and may need “special
attention.”
In
California, Etienne's Lutheran supervisor began to schedule his hours
back. His training became perfunctory, and he was given no real
avenue of advancement.
Etienne's
prayers became tearful and fervent. His very soul cried out. “Will
anyone ever hear?” he wondered.
