Man, not a monster

08/11/13 Copenhagen, Denmark

From the outside, the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran, seems like a fairly traditional house of worship — but it’s hiding a gorgeously colorful secret.

You can only see the light through the stained glass in the early morning. It was built to catch the morning sun, so that if you visit at noon it will be too late to catch the light. The sight of the morning sunlight shining through the colorful stained glass, then falling over the tightly woven Persion carpet, is so bewitching that it seems to be from another world

“Yes, the doves live up in the bell tower, we have them for weddings and christenings and other celebrations. It’s my job to take care of them, as well as clean the sanctuary, ring in the morning services and vespers and donate my time to the soup kitchen when I’m able.”

Quasi listed off his duties, counting each one off on his fingers. He snuck a peek at Maddi again, his dark eyes filled with concern.

“I’m sorry. You came here to see the church, not to hear me chatter.

Taking a deep breath, Quasi held out his good hand to Madellaine, palm and hopes up, wondering if she’d take it. So far, she had been very kind, as many people had, but he wondered if this was pushing a boundary. She hadn’t touched him yet, not intentionally anyway, even though he desperately wanted her to. Deep down, Quasi knew it was rude to ask directly. Besides, nobody ever wanted to touch him anyway, not even his father, though he did out of duty, especially if a punishment was needed. The thought of Father finding him here, especially with a girl, no less, made Quasi’s heart jump in fear but rather than coil away, he stretched his hand out further.

“That’s quite alright, Quasimodo, I don’t mind at all,” she told him. “Besides, I like listening to you talk. It does sound like a lot of work for just one person; though I have no doubt that you do it all very well.”

Inwardly, she was happy that Quasi wasn’t entirely alone up in the tower, even if his only companions were the doves.

She took his hand when he offered it to her, without any hesitation whatsoever. There was no need for her to, this was Quasi, and despite what the bell-ringer no doubt thought, she had no aversion to his touch at all. In fact, she found herself welcoming it. It just felt natural to her, though she couldn’t quite place why.

“That sounds fantastic,” she said, her smile growing a little wider in her anticipation. “I’m looking forward to seeing them for the first time.”

She paused for a brief moment, her blue eyes focused intently on his darker ones and her smile lingering as she spoke again.

“You’re welcome.” the boy said, giving her hand the gentlest of squeezes. "It's nice to have a chance to share it with someone."  He moved up a step and waited for Madellaine to follow before taking another, quickly leading her out of the basement until they reached the main lobby. A thick hush lay over the church, it was still far too early for any worshipers to have made the pilgrimage from their homes, and many scowling saints and grimacing martyrs frowed down from high upon the walls as if scolding the couples for distrubing the silence.

Quasi, who had seen all this everyday since boyhood, walked under their judgemental gaze without showing any signs of distress. The only time the boy appeared at all anxious was when a ginger cat slipped out from behind a pillar to wind itself around his ankles.

“Marius!” he whispered, his voice frantic “You’re supposed to stay upstairs. Do you have any idea what would happen if Father or the Bishop found you here?”

He leaned over and gathered the purring cat into his arms, offering the ginger head to Maddelaine as he leaned towards her.