Page 36 (1/2)

Theynoplace They stood in a cluster to confer, looking back at the tent, from which I could now hear Father Kenneth’s voice, raised in a for The lamp in the tent went out, and the forms of Jamie and the priest, dim shadows on the canvas, disappeared into a confessional darkness

Anstruther’s bulk sidled closer to Mr Goodwin

"What in fuck’s name is transubstantiation?" he hten as he drew hi

"In all honesty, sir, I a of the terh I perceive it to be some form of pernicious Papist doctrine Perhaps Mr Lillywhite could supply you with a istrate said "It is the notion that by the priest’s speaking particular words in the course of offering his Mass, bread and wine are transformed into the very substance of Our Savior’s body and blood"

"What?" Anstruther sounded confused "How can anyone do that?"

"Change bread and wine into flesh and blood?" Mr Goodwin sounded quite taken aback "But that is witchcraft, surely!"

"Well, it would be, if it happened," Mr Lillywhite said, sounding a bit htly holds that it does not"

"Are we sure of that?" Anstruther sounded suspicious "Have you seen them do it?"

"Have I attended a Catholic Mass? Assuredly not!" Lillywhite’s tall for dusk "What do you take me for, sir!"

"Now, Randall, I am sure the Sheriff means no offense" Goodwin put a placatory hand on his friend’s arm "His office deals with more earthly matters, after all"

"No, no, no offense meant, sir, none at all," Anstruther said hurriedly "I was s-on, so as to be a decent witness, for the prosecution of it, I mean"

Mr Lillywhite appeared still to be somewhat offended; his voice was cold in reply

"It is scarcely necessary to have witnesses to the heresy, Sheriff, as the priests thely admit to it"

"No, no Of course not" The Sheriff’s squat forht, sir, Papists doerpartake of this--this transubwhatnot, aye?"

"Yes, so I a cannibalisain, enthused "I know that’s against the law! Why not let this bugger do his bit of hocus-pocus, and we’ll arrest the whole boiling lot of ’em, eh? Get shut of any number of the bastards at one blow, I daresay"

Mr Goodwin e his face, no doubt to ease a recurrent ache froh his nose

"No," he said evenly "I am afraid not, Sheriff My instructions are that the priest is not to be allowed to perfor visitors"

"Oh, aye? And what’s he doing now, then?" Anstruther de toward the darkened tent, where Jaun to speak, hesitant and barely audible I thought perhaps he was speaking in Latin

"That is quite different," Lillywhite said testily "Mr Fraser is a gentleainst visitors is to insure that the priest shall perfores; hardly a concern at present"

"Bless lish, suddenly louder, and Mr Lillywhite started Father Kenneth uilty of the sins of lust and iht and in ht rather more volume than was quite discreet

"Oh, to be sure," said Father Kenneth, suddenly louder too He sounded interested "Now, these sins of impurity--what form, precisely, did they take, my son, and upon how many occasions?"

"Aye, well I’ve looked upon wo with How many occasions--oh, make it a hundred, at least, it’s been a time since I was last to confession Did ye need to knohich wo to them?"

Mr Lillywhite stiffened markedly

"I think we’ll not have time for the lot, Jamie dear," said the priest "But if ye were to tell me about one or two of these occasions, just so as I could be formin’ a notion as to theerseverity of the offense?"