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Lilly sat on the Girardis' couch, legs curled under her. Helen joined her, carrying two cups of herbal tea, saying as she sat down, "I've been thinking about what you said about Origen."

Lilly grinned. "I probably shouldn't even have brought him up," she admitted. "I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be filling your head with orthodoxy, not introducing you to interesting heresies."

Helen laughed lightly. "I'll get the orthodox stuff down perfectly, I promise," she said. "It's just that it occurred to me-it's like art, in a way." Lilly looked puzzled. "I mean, it's not enough for an artist to learn technique-to be an artist, you have to push beyond that, and create something new."

"I guess so," said Lilly, nodding.

"And there must be room for that in religion, too," Helen persisted. "There have to be people out there on the edge, questioning our understanding of God, or else how would our relationship with Him grow? Even if," she added wryly, "some of them get written off as heretics."

"Or crazies," Lilly pointed out. "Our society is very quick to question the sanity of anyone who sees God in a new way."

"That happens to artists too," Helen said, quietly.

meanwhile

"Where's my sister?" Luke demanded as soon as Ryan opened the door. Grace pushed past both of them and headed down the hall. After a moment's hesitation, Glynis followed her.

Joan, looking flushed and slightly disheveled, looked up at them in amazement from a huge leather coach. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked, bewildered.

Grace rolled her eyes. "And this is what, a logical place for you to be?" she countered. "C'mon, let's get out of here. Joan looked argumentative, but stood up and stormed out, followed by Grace and Glynis.

"I'm so sorry," she told Ryan at the door. "I had no idea my friends--," she scowled-"would do this."

"Of course not," he said, but his voice dripped sarcasm. Joan flinched at the anger in his eyes.

"Klepto much?" Grace asked Glynis the moment the door shut behind them. "I totally saw you steal that glass."

"What?" asked Luke, staring at them. Joan, still fuming, said nothing.

Glynis, however, looked pleased with herself. She produced the wine glass from her pocket, carefully using a Kleenex to handle it. "DNA evidence," she told them smugly. "I picked up the glass that Joan used."

"Oh, for the love of-," Joan began. "Evidence of what? Nothing criminal happened. Nothing at all happened," she corrected herself hastily. Grace raised one eyebrow.

"Underage drinking," Friedman pointed out. "That's a wineglass, right? Did he give you wine?" He whistled. "That would sound verrrry suspicious to a jury."

"Very shrewd," Luke told Glynis admiringly.

"Oh, honestly," Joan began, exasperated, and then stopped, looking thoughtful. "Seeds of trust," she murmured.

"What?" asked Grace. She and Luke exchanged concerned looks.

"Oh, nothing," Joan said, "just-I had a conversation with someone the other day, and I think I just realized what he meant." She turned to Glynis. "I really, really appreciate what you did," she told her, "and it was smart of you to think about DNA. But it's important that I give that glass back."

"Okay," said Glynis, looking slightly confused.

Joan marched back to Ryan's door and knocked. "Here," she blurted, handing him the glass when he opened the door. "One of my friends-um-accidentally picked this up. But there's absolutely no reason for me to keep it," she added emphatically.

Ryan took the wineglass and looked at it silently for a moment, and Joan blushed, wondering exactly how much he'd guessed or overheard. Then he smiled, and for half a second it Joan was sure it was a real smile, not mocking or sarcastic or mean. "Thank you," he said.

"I'll talk to you again some time?" she pushed.

Ryan hesitated, and she saw the doubt in his eyes. "I hope so," he said finally, and closed the door.

end of "episode one"