Chapter 9 Chapter nine

Father Bosco raised his cane and tapped twice on the door. It took almost thirty seconds for the door to open, but he showed no impatience, or rather, no emotion.After the door opened, a tall redeemer stood in front of the military priest. "Do you have an appointment?" the tall man asked. "Don't be silly," Bosco replied curtly and contemptuously. "The Supreme Redeemer wants to see me. Here I come." "The Supreme Redeemer never asks, he only commands—" Bosco pushed him away and walked in. "Tell him I'm coming." "He's very upset with you. I've never seen him so angry." Bosco ignored it.The tall man went to a door in the house, knocked, and went in.After a while, the door opened again, and the tall man came back with a malicious smile on his face.

"He can see you now." Bosco walked into the room, it was very dark inside, and even he who was used to the darkness found it difficult to see things clearly.Yet there was something else to the darkness here than the shuttered little windows and the dark tapestry of ancient and terrible martyrdom.The source of the darkness appeared to be a bed in the corner.One sat on a bed, using at least a dozen uncomfortable-looking cushions for support.Bosco had to get very close to see the face, which was almost as pale as paper, covered with countless wrinkles from cheek to neck.Those eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of water, dull and lifeless, as if dotted on a soulless body.When Tan saw Bosco, a light suddenly appeared in those eyes, which were full of cunning and hatred.

"You keep me waiting!" said the Supreme Redeemer, in a distant but shrill voice. "I'm coming as soon as I can, my lord." No one believed him, and he didn't expect it. "When I call you, Bosco, all you have to do is drop everything and get the hell over here." He laughed.The laughter was chilling, and perhaps Bosco was the only person in the temple who was not intimidated by it.The voice seemed to emanate from the body of the man, animated only by intense rage and malice. "Why have you called me here, my lord?" The Supreme Redeemer stared at him for a moment.

"The boy named Kyle." "What's the matter, my lord?" "He fooled you." "How do you say that, my lord?" "You've always had plans for him." "Indeed, my lord." "He has to be brought back." "You have no disagreement with me on that, my lord." "Bring them back and punish them severely." "Of course, my lord." "Then hanged and dismembered." Bosco didn't answer. "He murdered a redeemer. He must be sacrificed in a 'rite of faith'." Bosco looked thoughtful.

"My investigations so far indicate that two other acolytes were responsible. It appears they forced Kyle to leave with them. They had weapons and he didn't. If this is true, then Kyle should only be Punishment as an example to others. As for dismemberment, I don't think it is necessary. The other two are okay, since the fault is theirs." The person on the bed snorted contemptuously, sounding like a cough. "Ha! Bosco, mercy isn't your style. It's just your vanity. It doesn't matter whether Kyle or the other two killed Picabo. God, I want to confuse the whole dorm with They burned together."

The body of the Supreme Redeemer did not allow him to be so excited, and now he was choking on his own saliva and coughing again and again.He pointed to a glass of water on the bedside table.Bosco handed him the water slowly.He gulped it down, making a loud noise.Finally, he handed over the wet, sticky glass.Bosco put the cup back in place with subtle disgust on his face. Slowly, the chaotic breathing of the Supreme Redeemer calmed down and returned to normal.But the viciousness in his eyes continued unabated. "Tell me about Picabo's business." "A trick, my lord?"

"Yes, business, Bosco, what's the matter with the priest of discipline and a disembowelled whore in the room." "Ah," Bosco thought. "that matter." "You think I'm old and sick and don't know what's going on here? Well, it's not the first time you've made this mistake. I'm sick, but you're not good enough to fool me, Bosco." "No one with the slightest brain would underestimate your intelligence and experience, my lord, but..." He sighed regretfully. "I wish I hadn't had to tell you about the disgusting scene we found in Piccolo's room. We cannot bear to let it disturb your recuperation."

"I'm too old for your flattery, Bosco. I want to know what he's doing with her. Won't it just fuck her?" Even Bosco, who was clearly unimpressed by anything, felt uncomfortable with that word.Never before has such a direct reference to sexuality been made, and euphemisms such as "beastry" and "scandalous" are usually employed—indeed, even that is not commonly used. "Perhaps his soul has gone bad. Demons are always tempting men, my lord. Perhaps he takes pleasure in punishing adepts. It has happened before, I suppose." The Supreme Redeemer snorted. "How did he get a girl here?"

"I don't know that yet. But he holds many keys. You and I are the only ones who have the right to ask the priest. It will take some time." "He couldn't have done it without help. It wasn't just about bestiality - it was probably heresy." "I thought so too, my lord. Twenty people close to him have been held in isolation in a punishment cell. The higher ranks deny - so far - knowledge of this, but the lesser Redeemers have Admittedly, they sealed off the corridor next to the nunnery at Picabo's behest, forming a protective circle so that no one would notice that there was an anomaly. Anyway, the nunnery is completely isolated from the redeemed. No one had ever seen the girls. Picabo had moved the kitchen and washhouse for the senior monks into the protective enclosure to conceal the comings and goings. The priests who were in charge of meals and laundry were all Piccolo. guys, so it's not that hard to move food or anything in and out."

"But aren't we restoring miles of old cloisters? Morrie will find out sooner or later." "Unfortunately, Father Murray, who is in charge of the repairs, is also one of them." "God! That false pious Morrie helped Picabo turn the temple into a brothel?" The Supreme Redeemer lay on the bed, stunned by the extent of the scandal, gasping for breath. . "We need purges, we need rituals of faith, which will continue until the end of the year . Could it be a brothel, or more of an insular place. According to the writings he left behind - crazy writing, of course - Picabo was looking for something very specific."

"What's in the belly of some fat bitch?" "I don't know now, my lord. The purge may be necessary, and on a large scale, but we must wait until after this is over before lighting the candles for the Lord." Light the candles for the Lord with wax and wick, etc. thing has nothing to do with it. "Be careful, Piccub. You think you know more than anyone else, but I know..." He pointed a finger at Piccub and raised his voice, "...I know that knowledge is the root of all evil. It was the curiosity of that bitch Eve that brought sin and death to each of us." Bosco stood up and walked to the door. "Father Bosco!" Bosco turned around and looked at the shaking old monk on the bed. "When you get Kyle back, he must be executed. I'll give the order today. You forgot to investigate that bastard Picabo's debauchery. Clean up anyone connected to him. I don't care Are they innocent. We cannot risk condoning heretics—burn them and let God judge. The innocent will be rewarded with eternal life." As a person with meticulous insight, nothing can be hidden from his eyes, so he should be able to see the military priest blinking, as if he was thinking about something and made up his mind.But that might just be an illusion caused by the dim light.Bosco walked to the side of the bed and bent down, as if to help the old man on the bed straighten the cushion.But instead, he picked up a cushion, and carefully but firmly pressed it on the small and aging face. His movements were so fast and neat, until less than a second before the cushion blocked his mouth, the person on the bed Realized what a terrible thing had happened. Two minutes later, Bosco came out of the bedroom to see the tall Redeemer standing up immediately and walking towards his master. "He fell asleep while we were talking, nothing like the High Redeemer. Maybe you should go see him." Not only did Bosco murder the Supreme Redeemer, he lied to him.He did not tell him how many young girls Picabo had raised, nor did he tell him his suspicions about Picabo's true intentions.It will take him a while to mull over what to do with the girls, but in due course they will be a useful excuse for him to control the Temple, and excellent teaching material when Kyle returns. On the third day, Kyle caught up with the search party ahead and watched them turn west, away from Henry and Reba.A day later they turned again to the east, and it was dangerous to be near the pair again.It was while stalking and hoping they would turn again that something truly extraordinary happened to Kyle. He was living on a knoll near the scab, which had crumbled away and had rough edges.After rounding the hillock, he headbutted a man coming from the opposite direction.He was so taken aback that he almost fell on the gravel all over the ground, and because the man was standing on a steeper place, he simply lost his balance and fell on his back with a bang. This gave Kyle time, and he drew the dagger he had stolen from the Doctrine Priest, stood over the man, and took control of the situation.The man recovered quickly from the shock, groaning as he tried to stand up.Kyle swung his dagger at him, signaling that he'd better stay where he was. "Oh," said the man wearily and kindly. "First you bumped into me and now you're trying to slit my throat. That's not nice." "That's exactly what people say about me. What are you doing here?" The man smiled. "Do what everyone does in a scab - try to get out." "I won't ask a second time." "I don't think it's any of your business." "I'm the one with the knife, so it's up to me to decide whether it's my business or not." "Well said. Can I stand up?" "It's better to stay like that for now." The man seemed to have seen some worldly experience, but he was obviously confused by this young but calm boy who appeared in front of the scab. "You're far from home, aren't you, child?" "Don't worry about me, Dad, you should think about where you can buy a crutch." The man laughed. "You are the assistant of the temple, right?" "What did you think of?" "Nothing, really. It's just that a few times I've seen them lined up in a procession of a hundred, guarded by a dozen Redeemers with whips. Never seen a single adept before." "Well," Kyle said, "there's a first time for everything." The man smiled. "Yes, I think so." He held out his hand. "I'm Idris Puke, and I'm currently serving at the Governor of Heinkel." Kyle didn't shake his hand.Idris Puke shrugged and dropped his hands. "Perhaps you are not as young as you appear. It is better to be careful here." "Thanks for your advice." "You are a child who doesn't eat soft and hard, right?" "Yes," Kyle replied blankly. "Also, don't call me a child." "Whatever you like. What should I call you then?" "You don't need to address me." Kyle nodded towards the west. "You go over there. If you follow me, Idris Puke, you'll see how hard I am." He motioned that he could stand up.Idris Puke complied.He stared at Kyle for a moment, as if carefully considering what to do next.Then he sighed, turned and walked in the direction Kyle pointed. For the next twelve hours, Kyle had doubts about running into Idris Puke.Is he a redeemer in disguise?No, he is too energetic, not like someone who came out of the temple, someone hired by the temple?It's not like, the Redeemers will not make this kind of thing public.On the other hand, he killed the teaching priest, such a heinous crime, the temple will definitely take him back at all costs.He had been thinking about it as he tracked and waited for the search party to turn.A day later, they turned, and they turned west again.Typically, they stay in one direction for twenty-four hours.It's time to find someone else.If you can still find them. Twelve hours later, he was back on the route he had planned for Henry and the girl.But he moved ten miles further than he had budgeted, just to be on the safe side.Then he started walking back down that line to make sure he didn't miss it.Along the way, he tried to cover his whereabouts as much as possible, for fear of encountering the search team followed by Kleist.A few hours later, he saw the three of them.They stood next to a large pit, and beside it lay more than two dozen battered corpses, some of which had been chopped into small pieces.A hundred yards away, the three saw Kyle. They didn't move, they stayed in place quietly, waiting for Kyle to pass through the pile of corpses.He nodded at them. "The search party went west," he said. "The last time we saw it, my party went east." Then they fell silent. "Do you know who they are?" Kyle nodded to the dead on the ground. "No," Henry replied vaguely. "I'd say they've been dead for about a day," Kleist said. Reba had the stunned look on Kyle's face again when he saved her from Piccolo—the look that said: How could this happen? "How long have you been here?" Kyle asked softly. "About twenty minutes. We met Kleist on the way here a few hours ago." Kyle nodded. "It's best to search the body. The people who do this don't leave much behind, but maybe they can find something useful." The three boys started rummaging among the dead man's belongings and found a coin, a belt, and a torn blouse.Then Henry spotted something gleaming in the sand next to a severed head, and he quickly brushed the sand aside only to find it was just a brass knuckle.He was a little disappointed, but at least this thing was useful. "Help me," moaned the severed head.