Page 9 (1/2)

"Do you want to tell"Yes, but I can’t"

"I’m a priest I respect all confidences Even the police have no power over me"

"Oh, I trust you, Father And I’m not particularly worried about the police"

"Then?" "If I tell youthe enemy will co those words The stateh him rather than frohtless expanse of desert "I don’t know"

"The eneht?" "Maybe"

"You said it would kill us all"

"And it will" He went on, perhaps even more interested in what he said than the priest was, for he had no idea ords he would speak until he heard them "If it finds out aboutlives, special lives, then it’ll colanced at him "Special lives? Exactly what do you mean by that?" "I don’t know"

if you tell me about yourself, I’ll never repeat to another soul a word of what you say So whatever this enemy is-how could it find out about you just because you confide in me?" "I don’t know"

"You don’t know"

"That’s right"

The priest sighed in frustration

"Father, I’ purposefully obscure"

He shifted in his seat and adjusted the safety harness, trying to get more comfortable; however, his discomfort was less physical than spiritual, and not easily re’?" Glowering at the road ahead, Geary said, "Psychics and mediums talk about it Superstitious claptrap A spirit supposedly seizes control of the medium’s hand, while he’s in a trance, and writes out ust "The sa with God-or even at the mere idea of God’s existence naively embrace any con-artist’s claim to be a channeler for the spirits of the dead"

"Well, nevertheless, what happens toelse see I knohat I’ it"

"You’re not in a trance"

"No"

"You claim to be a medium, a psychic?" "No I’h you?" "No Not that"

"Then who?" "I don’t know"

"God?" "Maybe"

"But you don’t know," Geary said exasperatedly "I don’t know"

"You’re not only the strangest man I’ve ever "

They arrived at McCarran International in Las Vegas at ten o’clock that night Only a couple of taxis were on the approach road to the airport

The rain had stopped The pal looked as if it had been scrubbed and polished

Jim opened the door of the Toyota even as Father Geary braked in front of the terot out, turned, and leaned back in for a last ith the priest

"Thank you, Father You probably saved ive Our Lady of the Desert soht need it all I just don’t knohat’s going to happen in Boston, what I ht have to spend it for"

The priest shook his head "I don’t expect anything"

"When I get hoain, I’ll send some money It’ll be cash in an envelope, no return address, but it’s honest ood conscience"

"It’s not necessary, Jih just to ht a sense of the mystical back into the life of a weary priest who had soain"

They regarded each other with a mutual affection that clearly surprised them both Jim leaned into the car, Geary reached across the seat, and they shook hands The priest had a firrip

"Go with God," Geary said

"I hope so"

AUGUST 24 THROUGH AUGUST 26

Sitting at her desk in the Press newsroo at her blank coically that she just wanted to go hoet into bed, and pull the covers over her head for a few days

She despised people ere always feeling sorry for themselves She tried to shaan to pity herself for having descended to self pity Of course, it was impossible not to see the hue a s such a silly and a’s edition had been put to bed and that the newsrooues could see her in such a debased conditionThe only other people in sight were To waste cans and sweeping up-and George Fintel