'The director?'
'Yes.'
'The director who---'
'Yes,' she cut in.
The Jesuit considered her answer for a moment in silence. He saw her index finger twitching.
'Would you like some coffee or something, Father?'
He shook his head. 'Thanks, no.' He lead forward, elbows on the table. 'Was Regan acquainted with him?'
'Yes.'
'And---'
A clattering. Startled, Chas flinched, turned and saw that Karl had dropped a roasting pan to the floor and was stooping to retrieve it. As he lifted it, he dropped it again.
'God almighty, Karl!'
'Sorry, madam.'
'Go on, Karl, get out of here! Go see a movie or something! We can't all stay cooped in this house!' She turned back to Karras, picking up a cigarette packet and slamming it down on the table when Karl protested, 'No, I look---'
'Karl, now, I mean it!' Chris snapped at him nervously, raising her voice but not turning her head. 'Get out! Just get out of this house for a while! We've all got to start getting out! Now just go!'
'Yes, you go!' echoed Willie as she entered and snatched away the pan from Karl's grasp. She pushed him irritably toward the pantry.
Karl eyed Karras and Chris briefly and then left.
'Sorry, Father,' Chris murmured in apology. She reached for a cigarette. 'He's had to take an awful lot lately.'
'You were right,' said Karras gently. He picked up the matches. 'You should all make an effort to get out of the house.' He lit her cigarette. 'You too.'
'So what did Burke Say?' Chris asked.
'Just obscenities,' Karras said, shrugging.
'That's all?'
He caught the faint pulse of fear in her tone 'Pretty much,' he responded. Then he lowered his voice. 'Incidentally, does Karl have a daughter?'
'A daughter? No, not that I know of. Or if he does, he's never mentioned it.'
'You're sure?'
Willie was scouring at the sink. Chris turned to her. 'You don't have a daughter, do you, Willie?'
'She die, madam, long, long before.'
'Oh, I'm sorry.'
Chris turned back to Karras. 'That's the first I ever heard of her,' she whispered. 'Why'd you ask? How'd you know?'
'Regan. She mentioned it,' said Karras.
Chris stared.
'Has she ever shown signs of having ESP?' he asked. 'I mean, prior to this time.'
'Well...' Chris hesitated. 'Well, I don't know. I'm not sure. I mean, there have been lots of times when she seems to be thinking the same things that I'm thinking, but doesn't that happen with people -who are close?'
Karras nodded. Thought. 'Now this other personality that I mentioned,' he began. 'That's the one that emerged in hypnosis once?'
'Talks gibberish?'
'Yes. Who is it?'
'I don't know.'
'It's not familiar at all?'
'Not at all.'
'Have you sent for the medical records?'
'They'll be here this afternoon. They're being flown down. They'll be coming straight to you.' She sipped coffee. 'That's the only way I could get them loose, and even at that I had to raise hell.'
'Yes, I thought there might be trouble.'
'There was. But they're coming.' She took another sip. 'Now what about the exorcism, Father?'
He looked down, then sighed. 'Well, I'm not very hopeful I can sell it to the Bishop.'
