"Ah, good. Perhaps I should read before I bore you by attempting to absorb an entire theology piecemeal." 

"Well, it's rather Protestant to try to learn it from books and not from priests but I'm certainly nothing near a priest."

Is that a name for another religion about the same god? Also not unheard of, but...he's just gonna read the book first. 

"I'd like to speak to a priest as well, certainly, but I was under the impression that'd have to wait on England...speaking of which, what prompted you to embark on this journey?"

"Going to America didn't work out so great."

"I see. I perceive your burden, Rebecca; I offer attention, should you wish to speak of it, and companionship regardless." It has the cadence of something oft-spoken, warm and gentle. (It is in fact a much shorter phrase in Celestial.) 

"Thank you, that's very kind. It's - I wasn't a magical girl yet when I set out, that came - later. Too late."

"I am sorry for your loss. How long ago?"

"Three months."

Far beyond his ability, then. Solace would have to suffice, as it all too often must.

"Itamnri. May their soul find rest, and flourish Beyond."

That's... close enough even if it's not quite right. "Amen."

"Some find it helps to speak of the lost, others do not. I do not know your heart, Rebecca, but the offer I made does not expire." He falls silent, and that is an offer too. 

"My baby Catherine. She got sick, on the voyage."

"As a magical girl, you could have — brought her to a healer?"

"Well, I could've got healing magic but I wasn't even thinking about that, then, I was thinking - she'd been away from me for a while, and I couldn't nurse, and I was pretending, swapping her around with five other mothers, and I thought maybe if I could shapeshift I could get it going again but it was too late."

He listens, and comments occasionally, signaling as best he can that he hears and welcomes her story without expecting her to share more than she is comfortable. And he flies with her. (She may find the wind unusually cooperative.)

The wind being cooperative helps with allowing her to be in the air longer than she usually manages. She doesn't have a whole lot else to say though.

Eventually she mentions her wings are getting a bit tired and she needs to be able to take off if there's a sea monster, and she glides back down to the ship.

Then he'll check in with the sailors, slightly adjust the prevailing winds, and repeat this a few times until he's got a sense for the direction and speed that's best for the Shotley. 

And ask to borrow a Bible. 

It's not exactly convenient to read a human book while flying, but he has mage hand and cloudwalking and plenty of time. He'll figure it out. 

Mortal theology has always been spotty at best, but Heavens this book is a mess. If He's being represented properly, this "one true God" either has utterly baffling priorities or He is actually several gods in a trenchcoat. It's hard to imagine a Good god ordering half of what is described here. Perhaps the mortals were overzealous in translating? It happens, quite often, but rarely this badly without a cleric showing up to set the record straight. 

Their origin myth he mostly glosses; they're all more or less the same flavors of strange in his experience. There are some intriguing bits, but he's not sure how reliable they are.

At least God's instructions to His followers show up relatively early on. It looks like a pretty Lawful list, albeit with some confusing entries. What exactly does it mean to misuse His name? What counts as "coveting"? The "no other gods" bit does rather explain a few things, but also suggests there might be other gods, not just demons, although the rest all being Evil would certainly explain the importance of the provision. 

Oh goodness there are more rules. Even Ploth Koon Eidrex isn't this persnickety, and He hazes His clerics. 

...maybe mortal misrepresentations is the problem, because it does seem to keep happening that a servant of God shows up and tells everyone they're doing it wrong. 

Speaking of which, what happened to all their clerics? Clearly someone back then was slinging around earthquake and snake staff and probably even calling on miracles, and they couldn't have been magical girls unless they all somehow caught a very specific curse. Was there a renegotiated godagreement at some point?

It's still not a worse read than the Holy Doodle, thank the Heavens. The words don't change around at all, he checked six times. Bizarrely, though, he misses the pictures. 

...that's enough reading for one day. 

Rebecca flies up later on to ask if he's going to fish for his dinner, they're not sure they have enough food on board for him.