From atop the Mahogany Table

Father Baumann drummed his fingers methodically against the surface of the mahogany table. He stared into the eyes of the gentleman sitting across from him, not in a threatening way, but rather in a curious way.

Father Baumann was not the threatening type at all. He was not in any type actually. He fit no categories. He was one of the rare entities of a human being that molded and shifted with the tide. But yet, one would never say he went with the flow. His existence defied the human nature.

He could coax a despairing man from the precipice of a bridge with a touch of his word and a twitch of his mouth. His charm being so that he could turn the suicidal to the hopeful, guiding them away from the brink of nothing to a brink of new life.

Such were the tales spun by the people who've seen him, who talked to him, who heard it second hand from strangers.

Not many things that you hear, you should believe, but anything you've heard of Father Baumann, it is true. So they would say.

But presently Father sat comfortably in an armed leather chair thumping his fingertips atop the mahogany table. On the other side sat a stoic gentleman, with a single piece of twine molded in his right ear. He was setting up his laptop as Father observed from five feet away.

The late noon sun glinted gloriously from the tips of the pines to the still hardwood floors of the cabin. They were in a neat Swiss chalet that belonged to the gentleman's family. His name was Herr Schweizer.

Herr Schweizer was from a long line of formidable Professors and leading world doctors. He was by no means at all an ignorant man. In fact, he was the word's leading Technological Doctor and Psychologist. Father Baumann sat in the presence of a public genius.

The genius set his computer at an angle so as not to obstruct Father's view.

" My apologies, Father for the conditions of the meeting. I hope that my humble chalet does not insult you in anyway."

Herr Swcheizer was tall, in his early forties and was also of Father's kind. He fit into no category of human beings. He was fascinated by them.

Father stopped drumming and smiled peacefully.

"Ahh, no, no, Herr Schweizer, I am honored to be a guest in your family's home."

Herr Schweizer gave a dry smile. He brought his hands up to the table and folded them. He looked Father straight in the eye.

An average person would have been intimidated by his penetrating gaze, but Father merely relaxed himself further into his seat.

" Father Baumann," Herr Schweizer began, " I've been meaning to do this for quite some time, but you know how work can absorb one away."

Father waved his hand.

" Work is good for the body and the mind. All play and no work makes jack a mere toy."

A shadow of a smile passed over Herr Schweizer's face.

" Precisely."

" Please, as you were saying." Father said.

Herr Schweizer continued.

" As you already know Father, I have invented a kind of technology that can predict the behavior of all human beings."

Father's mouth twisted up as if amused. Herr Schweizer saw this and his mouth curled up as well.

Pointing accusingly at the priest's grin, despite his own, Herr Schweizer went on.

" Ahh! You see Father, that is why I have called you! You smile at my invention that doctors and scientists marvel at. When I heard of your comments on the United Swiss, I could not help feeling that you did not take my work seriously and was piqued so, because I have always admired yours. You see, Father it is because of your psychological advancements that inspired me to dedicate my life to the study of the mind. I found that I could not rest until I could have an audience with you privately."

Father looked at his admirer who was almost thirty years his junior. He held his fellow psychologist in great esteem as well and looked at him almost tenderly.

" Herr Schweizer, I am not insulting your masterpiece. I believe indeed it does predict human behavior. I believe you deserve every credit and award medal for this. But I know for certain that that little earpiece in your ear right now, along with your laptop can only predict the human behavior to an extent."

The Professor let out a contemptuous huff through his nostrils. He was put off, but never became angry. He only cocked his head slightly at his guest trying to understand his reasoning.

" But Father Baumann, I have tested my piece on many varieties of people, with results being ninety-nine percent accurate."

Father remained silent which prodded Herr Schweizer on.

" I have tested it on infants, on old people and children. I've tested on men and women who work, to mothers to fathers and doctors and engineers, with my piece correctly predicting their behavior on their given situation every single time. I've spent half my career on this Father and it frustrates me how you doubt my knowledge."

Father was a polite listener, he did not remove his eyes once from the Professor. He soaked in every single word. Herr Schweizer studied his counterpart as he awaited a comment. Father did not say anything yet, not because he didn't know what to say, but rather he knew exactly what to say but had decided to wait.

" I see your great feat in the field of Science Herr Schweizer, your device will help a great many people," Father Baumann stopped, "or destroy them, but it is not infallible."

Herr Schweizer seemed to be dumbfounded at the priest's words. His eyebrows worked up a fury and his blue eyes turned grey. He held his composure.

" Father? Is that all you have to say? Wasn't it you, who had encouraged my young mind to study the great mystery of the human brain? Was it not you, who molded my scattered and outrageous ideas into a career? I am flabbergasted my good priest!"

Professor Schweizer huffed, holding his voice down to an even level. He knew his old mentor and respected him, but was frustrated by his dismissive air for his creation. He wanted more than anything then to please him. The priest was a father figure to him and the first human to see the potential his great mind held.

Father Baumann looked at his pupil. A warm feeling swelled up in his chest. He was proud. But one thing lingered that did not complete the piece and he was disappointed that his student had totally forgotten it. How could he fail to forget? No, his former student did not forget anything. He omitted it, and that is wherein lies the flaw.

Father Baumann spoke. "Professor Schweizer, remember when you were little, how you would pout and avoid your assignments?"

" Yes, I do."

" You earpiece would have correctly predicted that you would do that and it would have predicted my anger at your stubbornness. Would it have not?"

" It would have, yes."

Father Baumann smiled. His pupil stared at him working his brain on what Father was trying to get at.

" Now tell me, Professor, what kind of behavior were we exhibiting then?"

Herr Schweizer rolled his eyes.

" Father we are no longer teacher and student, why are you asking me these childish questions." He said almost with a hint of impatience.

Father Baumann made a peaceful gesture of the hand.

"Please, what kind of behavior were we exhibiting?"

Herr Schweizer rolled his eyes and and stated, as if he had done so a million times, "My behavior was of the irrational nature as I was opposed to those studies. Your's was of the rational because you were justly aggrieved by my attitude. My earpiece would have predicted all of our actions."

Father gave a slow approving nod.

" Precisely as I thought."

The Professor still looked at the priest uncomprehendingly.

" Father, with my earpiece, we no longer have to guess what the actions of a human being would be next. We would know. Crime would go down! Think of the good it would cause! My earpiece can predict all of human behavior."

Father mulled over the words spoken to him.

" You said you have tested your earpiece on many varieties of people, yes? I believe the nature of these people were of the common kind? You said working humans, mothers and fathers, children and even humans of a higher education?"

" Yes, it has undergone a thousand tests."

" Every single one being accurate?"

The Professor hesitated.

" Please it is important that you answer honestly."

Herr Schweizer thought for a moment and spoke.

" There was one test, but my team disregarded the results as an error on the subject's part."

Father raised an eyebrow.

" You blame the subject?"

"Yes. He was a veteran. I think he suffered from a dementia of sorts."

Father's ears perked. " What did the veteran do that caused your test to error?"

Herr Schweizer paused as if remembering something painful then said slowly. "He said he would fight again."

" Ahhh I see." Father brought his hand to his chin and worked on the facts given. Herr Schweizer was silent, pondering the memory of the old veteran.

"Professor," He looked up from his thoughts. " tell me, did you have a policeman?"

The professor scratched his head, closed his eyes and nodded, "Yes, and a fireman." He looked up at the ceiling, connecting the dots.

" Ahh and were they an error according to your device as well?"

Herr Schweizer raised his eyebrows and nodded, " Yes, they all were. I remember now, there were three and no more."

Father smiled in satisfactory. " Just to be sure, it was a veteran, a policeman and a fireman?"

The professor affirmed it was so.

" Now if you'll permit me, Herr Schweizer, I will tell you why your device failed to predict the behaviors of these particular persons."

" My device did not fail Father, it was an error on my team's part or on the subject's."

Father merely shook his head and smiled. " You have been so engrossed in your own progress that you overlooked the most obvious of the human characteristics in his behavior."

The professor only waited and stared at the priest.

" What is that?" He asked in exasperation.

" How can you forget? The first instinct of a human is to preserve his own life."

A wave of comprehension hit the professor's eyes. He was beginning to see Father's point.

" Humans' first instinct is to survive. That is why we have civilizations. We eat to survive, we build houses to protect ourselves from the elements. In a fight, our first instinct is to defend ourselves. We put ourselves first as we are a selfish species, but not an unredeemable one. All of these can be predicted yes?"

Herr Schweizer nodded and listened on.

" Your test failed on the veteran because it could not comprehend that veteran's desire to sacrifice his own human life for his country. It failed for the policeman because he puts his life in peril everyday, as well as the fireman. These are the humans who defy the very nature of survival. But you said your device accurately predicted the behavior of fathers and mothers. It predicted their behavior thus, because for humans, like other creatures, share a desire to reproduce as it is in their very instincts to do so."

The priest folded his hands down on the table gently.

" Your earpiece can only predict the physical part of our nature that we share with animals."

Herr Shcweizer found his oversight at last.

" I see your point, Father. How do I fix that?"

The priest chuckled and shook his head lightly.

" My dear, dear, student, you cannot predict, nor find where the nobility of a soldier or an officer comes from with a material device. For such heroism is found in the depths of the soul that animals do not possess and does not correspond to our base nature such as animals have. No, your device is as perfect as it can be."

The Professor set his face in both of his hands in deep contemplation. His old teacher looking on silently and glancing at his watch. He had to go soon. Herr Schweizer noticed this.

" Please, please stay for dinner and wine Father Baumann. It has been too long and I don't want us to part talking about my damned earpiece."

He removed the twine from his ear and set it next to the laptop.

Father Baumann graciously accepted the invitation.

Suddenly Father looked up as if struck by a thought.

" Herr Schweizer, if I may ask, would you be able to test your earpiece on myself?"

Herr Schweizer gave a surprised look but didn't decline.

" Of course." He worked the twine into his ear again.

" Now Father, my device is highly advanced and for a prediction, it just needs the subject to be physically moving. A wave of an arm, or a walk around the room will do."

Father stood up from the chair and walked a few steps to the large window. The sun had set long ago and the stars sparkled mischievously in between the pine trees. He admired the view for a moment and returned to his chair.

Herr Schweizer had a puzzled look on his face. He raised his head to the priest.

" Well and what did it predict?" Father Baumann said.

The Professor stroked his chin.

" It....it didn't predict anything." He stammered.

Father seemed indifferent.

" I knew it" was all the priest simply stated.

" How though? You're not a veteran. You're not putting your life in danger everyday. How can my device be error? I can understand the others, but not you. How? You know! You're not telling me!"

Herr Schweizer tried to not sound too desperate for the answer. Father Baumann noticed this and looked at him kindly.

" It is simple why your device is in error my son," he said in a low, clear voice, "It is because I am a priest."

" I-I don't understand still."

" My son, a priest takes the vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience, all which bind him for the rest of his life. All of those things go against the very natural behavior of humans."

Father Baumann raised his hand as if ending a lecture and smiled at his student. Herr Schweizer sat still, taking the twine out of his ear again and looked at the old man sitting across from him and gave a deep sigh.

" As usual, Father Baumann," the professor said resignedly, "the student cannot outperform the master."

Father bowed his head humbly.

The two men looked at each other, each a genius for different reasons. Two minutes went by and Father looked at his watch. He looked at the gentleman sitting across from him.

Father Baumann drummed his fingers atop the mahogany table.

" I do believe I'll have some wine now."