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The bishop’s residence was a heavy tudor ardens to the church of St Lucius, the largest - and wealthiest - Catholic church in Dallas It had balconies and a turret and several stained-glass s sending ht without the electric lights it could have been built two or three hundred years ago

"Cat doesn’t like this guy," offered Kirk as they pulled into the wide circular driveway "Says he’s too good for sinners"

Father Adam frowned "I think you’ll find he has a different attitude now"

Kirk smiled thinly "Cat told us about that, too After you pulled rank on him"

The priest shook his bead "After he’s had a chance to think about it" He looked at Kirk "There is a reason why people becoood-naturedly, his hair seeht froo in ahead," said Father Adaarette, and watched the priest skip through the puddles to the front door

"Felix?" Kirk whispered from beside him

Felix looked at him "Yeah?"

"Do we really have to chop his head off?"

"Looks like"

Kirk shook his head and stared out theHe shivered

"Who’s going to do it?"

Felix frowned "Crow, I guess If he’s up to it"

"What if he isn’t? He didn’t look so good to ed "Then somebody else, I suppose"

"You?"

Felix stared at hied "You’re second in coer, then turned away Jesus Christ! Is that what they think? Hell! I’!

Or was, he reminded himself, dimly, before they found o

So why do you feel so guilty?

I don’t I don’t I do not I I don’t knohat I feel

And he stubbed his cigarette out too forcibly into the dashboard ashtray

Lights hit theside the ed a look with Kirk, then clireet them

Cat still looked terrible, ashen and pale But Jack Crow looked pretty da seemed to have But no Those eyes Too deep Sunken and dark and unseeing

"Oh, Felix!" cried Annabelle as she ca tears

And then she did an odd thing She threw her arms around him and pressed her head into his chest and sobbed

Felix stared blankly at her Then he did what she wanted: he put his arms around her and coht suddenly

What she expected

As he stood there holding the sobbing Annabelle, he saw Davette, tears also in her eyes They exchanged wan smiles

Who do these people think I am?

"Mr Crow!" called out from the front door

It was the bishop, with Ada behind him from the house The cleric came to a breathless stop before Jack

"Mr Crow!" the bishop repeated "We are so grieved at your loss We" And then he stu for words At last, he held his arms out, palms up "I’m so very sorry, Mr Crow I didn’t understand"

Felix watched Jack eye the cleric suspiciously for a uy clearly means it Look at him

Jack nodded abruptly, said, "Thank you, bishop I appreciate it We" and he turned and esture to include the others

The bishop ay ahead of hi Come inside Please Let us help you"

They did And the bishop was, Felix decided later, quite wonderful He was everywhere at once, it see to the priests or priests-to-be - Felix was never sure which They got the to drink and so prepared and were not offended when no one had an appetite and it was hty, aristocratic, God’s-house-is-too-good-for-the-likes-of-you attitude had been replaced by a focus of warht

Felix had never uy was a priest

But it was his help with Carl’s body that meant the most to the Team He listened quietly and patiently as the macabre necessities of a vampire killer’s funeral were explained to hi else they didn’t need right then After he listened he left briefly to change to his full bishop’s robes and ordered his people to do the sa that had always before been just one olden candles and the soothing sy else

As soon as they found Jack

Felix was in one of theto tidy hied to dry his hair and smooth out his work shirt some Well, maybe the windbreaker would cover so He had thought about taking it off, this being a funeral and all But it really was a warrior’s funeral, wasn’t it?

There was a light tap on the door, followed by Davette’s voice

"Felix?"

He opened the door She had made herself up, too Her honey-blond hair was soft and clean and neatly combed and beautiful

"Hello," was all he could think to say

"Hello," she smiled back, her eyes downcast shyly "Have you seen Jack?"

"Huh? No"

"We can’t find him and Well, they’re ready to start"