Chapter1—A Fish in the Dust
Lucia smelled pepper, cumin and something rancid when she opened the storeroom door. The light from the doorway blinded her at first, but then she saw children's frightened eyes, ten pairs or more peeking from behind the boxes and sacks of supplies. She jumped back, gathered her wits, and coming through the low doorway, she sat down on a big sack of pepper. Waiting, breathing softly, her eyes adjusted and she noticed that some of the children were barely old enough to walk, others possibly ten or twelve.

She placed her pepper scoop down on the ground and waited.  Finally one bold child stood up, shuddered and stepped toward her. Dressed is an embroidered tunic, he was no rag-tag orphan. Beautifully tended curls surrounded a sensitive face with huge brown eyes. He stepped in front of her and leaned down to draw a sign with his finger in the dirt floor exactly in the center of the shaft of light at her feet. Two curving lines met at one end and crossed at the other, the sign of a fish.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.  She rocked back and forth slightly, wondering what to do. They were just children, but helping Christians could involve her and everyone she loved in unimaginable dangers.