We were sitting around River Greyclouds kitchen table. It was a Saturday in April and cumulonimbi clouds were tossing heavy dollops of rain like stones and we were drinking, River and I. River was on his fifth drink, I nursing my third and River was talking. I can’t say I was doing much in the way of listening and River said “What have you to say on Original Sin?”

“It makes me sick, the whole Eve joke,” I said. “I’m a sinner. I’ll admit I’ve done my share of some sinful things in my day. Does that make me damned? I say I’m as good a man as they come. I’m flawed, I’ll admit, but good. Now, send around that bottle of rum,” I said.

“Apple or pear? What say you,” River said. He sent the bottle around.

“You know well as I it was a pear,” I said. I filled my glass and sent back around the bottle. “What say you of Eve?”

“She got a bad rap,” River said. “Ask me, I say blame falls on Adam.”

“You’re in the Lilith camp, are you,” I said.

“Only if you’re not in the Eve,” River said.

“What say you if I say that I am,” I said.

River killed his drink refilled and took another. “I say whichever is against Adam,” River said.

“I say you are a coward,” I said. “We’re out of rum.”

“More on the counter and blame falls on Adam,” River said.

“When all else fails blame the man,” I said. I got a bottle killed my drink and refilled.

“Shall I tell the story,” River said.

“Only if you tell it right,” I said.

“You tell it. I say Ned I believe I am quite drunk,” River said. “Send around that bottle.”

“I say you are quite drunk.” I said. “I think I will tell it after I kill this drink.”

“Right you are, old friend,” River said. “Right you are.” River killed his drink and refilled.

“To Eden,” I said. I killed my drink.

“To Eden,” River said. He killed his drink. “How we miss in here in the east,” River said. “How about that story, old friend?”