He pushed through the swing door at the rear of the church. Carter McBride was laid out on a pew at the front, draped in a blanket. Someone had lit one of the altar candles.
A dainty red star flickered a metre over the body.
All Horst’s anguish returned in a deluge that threatened to extinguish his sanity. He bit his trembling lower lip.
If God the Holy Trinity exists, said the waster sect Satanists, then,
Now Horst Elwes looked at the speck of red light and felt the dry weight of aeons press in on his mind again. To have the existence of supernatural divinity proven like this was a hideous travesty. Men were supposed to come to faith, not have it forced upon them.
He dropped to one knee as if pushed down by a giant irresistible hand. “O my Lord, forgive me. Forgive me my weakness. I beg Thee.”
The star slid through the air towards him. It didn’t seem to cast any light on the pews or floor.
“What are you? What have you come here for? The boy’s soul? Did Quinn Dexter summon you for that? How I pity you. That boy was pure in mind no matter what they did to him, no matter what they made him say. Our Lord would not reject him because of your acolytes’ inhumanity. Carter will be welcomed into heaven by Gabriel himself.”
The star stopped two metres short of Horst.
“Out,” Horst said. He stood, the strength of recklessness infusing his limbs. “Get ye gone from this place. You have failed. Doubly you have failed.” His face split in a slow grin, a drop of spittle running down his beard. “This old sinner has taken heart again from your presence. And this place you desecrate is holy ground. Now out!” He thrust a rigid forefinger at the gloaming-soaked jungle beyond the door. “Out!”
Footsteps thudded on the steps outside the church, the swing door banged open. “Father!” Jay yelled at the top of her voice.
Small, thin arms hugged his waist with a strength a full-grown man would be hard put to match. He instinctively cradled her, hands smoothing her knotted white-blonde hair.
“Oh, Father,” she sobbed. “It was horrible, they killed Sango. They shot him. He’s dead. Sango’s dead.”
“Who did? Who shot him?”
“Quinn. The Ivets.” Her face tilted up to look at him. The skin was blotchy from crying. “She made me hide. They were very close.”
“You’ve seen Quinn Dexter?”
“Yes. He shot Sango. I
“When was this?”
“Just now.”
“Here? In the village?”
“No. We were on the track to the homesteads, about half a kilometre.”
“Who was with you?”
Jay sniffled, screwing a fist into her eye. “I don’t know her name. She was a black lady. She just came out of the jungle in a funny suit. She said I must be careful because the Ivets were very near. I was frightened. We hid from them behind some bushes. And then Sango came down the track.” Her chin began to tremble. “He’s dead, Father.”
“Where is this woman now?”
“Gone. She walked back to the village with me, then left.”
More puzzled than worried, Horst tried to calm his whirling thoughts. “What was funny about her suit?”
“It was like a piece of jungle, you couldn’t see her.”
“A marshal?” he said under his breath. That didn’t make any sense at all. Then he abruptly realized something missing from her story. He took hold of her shoulders, staring down at her intently. “Was Mr Manani riding Sango when Quinn shot him?”
“Yes.”
“Is he dead?”
“No. He was shouting cos he was hurt. Then the Ivets carried him away.”
“Oh, dear Lord. Was that where the woman was going, back to help Mr Manani?”
Jay’s face radiated misery. “Don’t think so. She didn’t say anything, she just vanished as soon as we reached the fields around the village.”
Horst turned to the demon sprite. But it had gone. He started to hustle Jay out of the church. “You are to go straight home to your mother, and I mean straight home. Tell her what you told me, and tell her to get the other villagers organized. They must be warned that the Ivets are near.”
Jay nodded, her eyes round and immensely serious.
Horst glanced about the clearing. Night had almost fallen, the trees seemed much nearer, much larger in the dark. He shivered.
“What are you going to do, Father?”
“Just have a look, that’s all. Now go on with you.” He gave her a gentle push in the direction of Ruth’s cabin. “Home.”
She scampered off between the rows of cabins, long, slender legs flying in a shaky gait that looked as though she was perpetually about to lose her balance. Then Horst was all by himself. He gave the jungle a grim glance, and set off towards the gap in the trees where the track to the savannah homesteads started.
Sentimental fool,laton said.
Listen, Father, after what I did today I’m entitled to show some sentiment,camilla retorted. Quinn would have ripped her apart. There’s no need for that kind of bloodshed any more. We have achieved what we set out to do.
Well, now this idiot priest is heading out to be a hero. Do you intend to save him as well?
No. He’s an adult. He makes his own choices.
Very well. The loss of Supervisor Manani is vexing, though. I was relying on him to eradicate the rest of the Ivets.
Do you want me to shoot them?
No, the hunting party is returning, they will find the horse soon enough, and the trail Quinn Dexter has left. They would wonder what killed them. There must be no hint of our existence. Though Jay—
Nobody will believe her.
Possibly.
