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"If you letup to my collar, "if you let me drink, then I'll know"

"No, all you'll know is that I believe what I saw, that's all"I said

"No," he said, shaking his head "I'll know the blood of Christ if I taste it "

I shook my head "Back away from me I don't even knohat the veil will look like Will it look like so hich I wiped my blood sweat in my sleep as I dreamt? Back away "

They obeyed They were a loose triangle I had my back to the inner wall so that I could see the snow on h I had to turn ht hand fumbled inside , soe which I could not explain to them, or put into words even for myself, I felt the weave, that weave of cloth, that ancient weave!

I drew out the veil, not lookingit to the crowd

A silence gripped the room A motionlessness

Then I saw Ar cry

"Dear God," said David

Shivering, I lowered the veil, still held wide open with both hands, and turned it so I could see the reflection of the veil in the dark glass against the snow, as if it was the Gorgon and was going to kill me

His Face! His Face blasted into the veil I looked down God Incarnate staring at me from the most minute detail, burnt into the cloth, not painted or stained, or sewn or drawn, but blasted into the very fibers, His Face, the Face of God in that instant, dripping with blood from His Crown of Thorns

"Yes," I whispered "Yes, yes " I fell on my knees "Oh, yes, so very complete, down to the last detail "

I felt her take the veil I would have snatched it back if either of them had tried But into her s round and round, so that all of us could see His dark eyes shining from the cloth!

"It's God!" she screarew triumphant and then filled with joy "Father, you've done it! You have given me the Veil!"

And she began to laugh, as one who had seen all the visions one can endure to see, dancing round and round, with the veil held high, singing one syllable over and over again