'We parked down the road from the mansion, up on a bluff overlooking the road. Must have been two, maybe three hundred folks, of all ages, come out of that place and drive toward town. Lots of kids, high school and college. Near 'bouts all the professors and staff from out to Nelson College was there. And a lot of parents was there—and so was their kids.'
'There is no such thing as incest in the language of the Devil,' Sam explained. 'As a matter of fact, it's encouraged. Brings the family closer together, so to speak,' he added dryly.
'My father, my brother, and my youngest sister came out of that house,' Mille said. 'My little sister is only fourteen. All this is adding up to me now,' she said, putting dark eyes on Sam's face. 'I've been noticing some—well,
Odd, Sam thought, as the waitress, wearing a uniform that looked as though it hadn't been washed in a month, put his breakfast in front of him. I wonder why Father Le Moyne didn't say anything about that?
When the waitress departed, taking her stinking body and filthy clothing with her, but leaving a stench behind, Sam said, 'Did you try to talk to Father Le Moyne about it?'
'Yes. He was aware of it, and it concerned him. You see, Sam, this is it for Father Le Moyne. He'll never have another church. He's had some—personal problems.'
'That's interesting,' Sam said. 'What kind of problems?' He looked down at his breakfast and it turned his stomach. The plate was filthy, had not been washed in God knows how long, and the food was floating in stinking grease. He pushed the plate from him.
'Sickenin', ain't it?' Joe said.
'At least that,' Sam muttered.
'No one knows for sure about Father Le Moyne,' Mille said. 'Some say it was a woman. That he fell in love, had an affair. Some say he was burned out performing an exorcism. I don't know. I do know he's had problems with the bottle.'
Sam recalled the way the priest had knocked back the booze at his quarters.
Mille said, 'I remember my mother telling me—years ago—that Father Le Moyne had butted heads with the Devil one too many times and finally the Devil beat him. I don't know any of the particulars, Sam. I just know that Father Le Moyne's been here for a long, long time, and it's accepted knowledge that he'll never leave.'
The cafe was rapidly filling up, the patrons, to a person, both male and female, giving the trio hard looks, ugly looks. The cafe began to stink of unwashed bodies.
Laughter came rolling to them from a group of men and women seated at a far corner. The words followed. 'Sure would like to have me some of the little French snatch,' a man said. 'Then ol' Ralph would turn her over and stick it up her ass.'
Hard dirty laughter followed. Joe flushed and started to rise from his chair. Sam put out a hand, stopping the man.
'Let's get out of here, people. But first I want to confirm a suspicion.' He caught the counterman's eyes. 'This breakfast is terrible!' Sam shouted. 'And the plate is filthy. You really expect me to pay for this slop?'
'No!' the man returned the shout from behind the counter. 'It's on the house, you son-of-a-bitch! And you can all get your asses out of my place. Don't come back—none of you. We don't need your kind in here.'
'Your kind,' Joe muttered. 'That what you was waitin' on, Sam?'
'That's it,' Sam said.
The trio walked outside, very conscious of all eyes in the place on their backs. They all breathed a bit easier when they were outside in the clean, fresh coolness of morning air. Dawn was breaking, spreading its golden light.
'Gonna be a gorgeous day,' Joe said. He added, 'All things taken into consideration, that is.'
* * *
Janet was very quiet that morning, and Nydia did not understand the silence, for the teenager was usually bubbling over with love of life. So Nydia thought. She asked the girl what was the matter.
Janet looked at her for a moment, and then burst into tears. Nydia went to her, putting her arms around the girl.
'Nydia,' she said, 'I was so afraid last night. 1 didn't know what to do. 1 still don't. Please, Nydia, if I tell you, will you promise not to tell Sam? 1 mean, you have to swear to me you won't tell. Cross your heart and promise you won't tell him I told you.'
Nydia dried the girl's eyes with a napkin. She smiled at her. 'I promise, Janet. I won't tell Sam. Whatever it is, I won't tell him.'
Janet nodded her head. 'Well, after you went to bed last night, Sam started drinking. The glass is still on the table by his chair. I fixed him—I don't know, several drinks. I don't know how many he fixed himself. A lot. I was watching Saturday Night Live on TV and he changed it to that—that awful channel.'
'Awful channel?'
'You know, the one—that shows everything. All the naked people doing—it.'
'Sam did that? With you in the room!' Nydia was filled with outrage.
'Then he asked me if I ever thought about doing things like that. Nydia, I swear to you I'm a good girl. I swear it! Ever since that happened to me—you know, at Falcon House up in Canada, having sex has been the furthest thing from my mind.' Janet willed tears to roll from her eyes and they came in silver torrents, spilling down her cheeks.
