'I thank you for those good words, Reverend,' she said and left the room.
'What the hell was all that about?' said Piper when her footsteps had faded. Baby stood up and raised a finger to her lips. 'No cussing. No brownbagging.'
'And that's another thing...' Piper began but Mrs Mathervitie's footsteps came down the passage again.
'Conventicle's at eight,' she said poking her head round the door. 'Doesn't do to be late.'
Piper regarded her biliously. 'Conventicle?'
'Conventicle of the Seventh Day Church of The Servants of God,' said Mrs Mathervitie. 'You said you wanted prayers.'
'The Reverend and I will be right with you,' said Baby. Mrs Mathervitie removed her head. Baby took Piper's arm and pushed him towards the door.
'Good God, you've really landed us '
'Amen,' said Baby as they went out into the passage. Mrs Mathervitie was waiting on the porch.
'The Church is in the town square,' she said as they climbed into the Ford and presently they were driving down the darkened street where the Spanish moss looked even more sinister to Piper. By the time they stopped outside a small wooden church in the square he was in a state of panic.
'They won't want me to pray again, will they?' he whispered to Baby as they climbed the steps to the church. From inside there came the sound of a hymn.
'We're late,' said Mrs Mathervitie and hurried them down the aisle. The church was crowded but a row of seats at the very front was empty. A moment later Piper found himself clutching a hymn-book and singing an extraordinary hymn called 'Telephoning To Glory'.
When the hymn ended there was a scuffling of feet and the congregation knelt and the preacher launched into prayer. 'Oh Lord we is all sinners,' he declared.
'Oh Lord we is all sinners,' bawled Mrs Mathervitie and the rest of the congregation.
'Oh Lord we is all sinners waiting to be saved,' continued the preacher.
'Waiting to be saved. Waiting to be saved.'
'From the fires of hell and the snares of Satan.'
'From the fires of hell and the snares of Satan.'
Beside Piper Mrs Mathervitie had begun to quiver. 'Hallelujah,' she cried.
When the prayer ended a large black woman who was standing beside the piano began 'Washed In The Blood Of The Lamb' and from there it was but a short step to 'Jericho' and finally a hymn which went 'Servants of The Lord we Pledge our Faith in Thee' with a chorus of 'Faith, Faith, Faith in The Lord, Faith in Jesus is Mightier than the Sword'. Much to his own amazement Piper sang as loudly as anyone and the enthusiasm began to get to him. By this time Mrs Mathervitie was stomping her foot while several other women were clapping their hands. They sang the hymn twice and then went straight into another about Eve and The Apple. As the reverberations died away the preacher raised his hands.
'Brothers and sisters...' he began, only to be interrupted.
'Bring on the serpents,' shouted someone at the back.
The preacher lowered his hands. 'Serpents night's Saturday,' he said. 'You know that.'
But the cry 'Bring on the serpents,' was taken up and the large black lady struck up 'Faith in The Lord and the Snakes won't Bite, Them's has Faith is Saved all Right.'
'Snakes?' said Piper to Mrs Mathervitie, 'I thought you said this was Servants of The Lord.'
'Snakes is Saturday,' said Mrs Mathervitie looking decidedly alarmed herself. 'I only come Thursdays. I don't hold with serpentizing.'
