Chapter 21 Chapter 21

The service was held in a modest chapel, candlelight, whitewashed walls, everything was very simple, except for the magnificent and magnificent altar in front of the east gable.Grant was amazed at the appearance of the altar.These monks are poor, but there are obviously other sources of income.The utensils displayed on white velvet and the crucifix were probably stolen by pirates from a Spanish church in America.He had found it difficult to turn what he knew to Herb.Ge Taobai was associated with this humble and poor scene in front of him.It must be a disappointment to watch a dramatic performance without an audience.But when he saw the altar, he hesitated again.Perhaps Herb was indeed working hard.

Grant could not hear a word of the ceremony.From his seat in an unobtrusive alcove by the side window he could see every face of the attendees, more than twenty people in all, whom he found interesting to study.Some of them were rednecks (whose faces seemed unsuitable for meetings, only suitable for reviving country dances), and some were religious fanatics (thinking about how to wear bristle shirts [ascetics or penitents] close to the body for self-discipline or self-punishment tools.] Modern masochists), some have empty heads, some find peace in being at odds with themselves, and some find solace in being at odds with the world.Grant examined them one by one with relish, and when he finally saw a face, his eyes couldn't help but stop.What is the reason for the owner of this face to choose to come here to accept this life of isolation and self-denial?A chubby head with odd contours, matched with a round khaki face, with small eyes, a big nose, and a loose lower lip, so that when he repeated the scriptures, his lips always hung down and couldn't cover his teeth.Everyone else's type in the chapel could easily fit into its proper place in the everyday world: the dean goes to the clergy, this one goes to the neurology waiting room, that one goes to the unemployment office.But where does this person belong in the end?There is only one answer.in court.

"It appears," Grant's alter ego told him, "that this man is Herb Gotaube." But of course he couldn't be sure until he'd seen the man walk.The only thing he's seen is the way he walks.But he decided to gamble his judgment.The best judges make mistakes now and then - Gotauber is probably the thin, docile guy in the front row - but he'd be surprised if that loose greasy thing on the lower lip wasn't Gotauber. up. After midnight, as the crowd began to emerge from the chapel, he had no doubts. Gotaobai has a peculiar walking posture, stiff and clumsy, with shoulders shaking back and forth, and this posture can be said to belong to him.

Grant followed them out and found the Headmaster.What was the name of the last one to leave the chapel?That was Brother Aloysus. After a little persuasion, he sent for Brother Aloysus to come over. While waiting, Grant chatted, as usual, about the order and its rules, and was told that no one in the congregation should own worldly property, nor associate with other beings for worldly purposes.So for such insignificant mundane things as newspapers, of course, I don't even think about it.In addition, he also learned that the patriarch planned to go to Mexico within a month to take over a newly established church, which was established with the funds they raised. As for the selection of successors, he has full decision-making power.

Grant suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "I didn't mean to offend you, please don't think I'm poking around - but can you tell me if you have someone in mind already?" "Basically I've made up my mind." "Can you reveal who it is?" "I really don't know why I should let a stranger know that I'm not going to tell my brother about it, but it's nothing to hide, if I can trust you to keep it a secret," Grant told him. ensure. "My heir should be the one you want to see." "But isn't he new here?" Grant blurted out without thinking.

"I don't quite know how you know this," said the headmaster sharply, "Yes, Brother Aloysus has only been with us for a few weeks: he does not ask for the conditions of being the president. It has nothing to do with the length of membership .” Grant vaguely assented, and then asked who was sent out on business tonight in the street. No one, said the Dean firmly, and the conversation was forced to end at this point, because the person Grant wanted to see came. He stood obediently in his dun robe, his hands folded in his wide sleeves.Grant noticed that he had bare feet instead of sandals, and it reminded him of the newsstand scene where he showed up without warning.Grant wondered whether Herb's preference for bare feet was a sign of humility, or whether he walked silently for the convenience of walking.

"This is Brother Aloysus." The patriarch said, leaving a prayer before leaving, which was much more poetic than the concierge's performance. "I represent Mr. Erskine, Temple's solicitor," said Grant. "You are Herb. Gotauber." "I am Brother Aloysus." "Your real name is Herb. Gotabbe." "I've never heard of this man." Grant looked at him for a moment. "Excuse me," he said. "We're looking for Gotauber about an inheritance left to him." He won't be interested." "If the legacy is large enough, he may realize that he can do far more good outside the walls than inside."

"We take a vow to dedicate our lives to the Church. Brothers of this order have no interest in anything that happens outside the walls." "So you deny that you are Herb Gotabeth?" Grant naturally dominated the conversation.But he found that what was on his mind was hatred.Such hatred is almost unprecedented.Why hate?This is the question in his mind.It's supposed to be scary, isn't it?Grant felt that to this man he was not a pursuer but someone who was in the way.This feeling was already there when he said goodbye, and it followed him all the way back to the hotel opposite the shop.

Williams was contemplating a cold meal that Grant had asked him to help prepare. "Any news?" Grant asked. "No, sir." "There's no news from Tisdu yet? Have you called?" "Yes, about twenty minutes ago. Nothing, sir." Grant sandwiched slices of ham between two loaves of bread. "Unfortunately," he said, "I'd be much better off if I didn't have to think so much about the priest. Let's go. We won't get much sleep tonight." "How did it turn out, sir? Did you find him?" "Found it, it's there. He doesn't recognize him as Gotobai. They don't allow anything to do with the outside world.

That's why he was so shy in the store, he didn't even want to know who the other person was hiding behind the counter, and he would run away as soon as he sensed the presence of outsiders.Here's what I can't figure out, Williams.He seemed too busy worrying about being excommunicated from the Order to care that someone was planning to get him jailed. "But he would run away from the store, probably just trying to stay in hiding.A good place like a monastery is just about any murderer's dream hiding place. " "Yes. Yes, but he's not afraid. He's angry. We don't know what to do to him."

They went downstairs in silence, Grant munching on his hastily made sandwich.Just as they were about to reach the first floor, a burly woman blocked the stairs.Although she was unarmed, her murderous aura remained undiminished. "So this is what you guys are doing!" she said, with a strong sense of malice in her words: "A pair of sneaky dog ​​men. You swaggered into my store and asked me and my poor husband to buy the best. Waiting for you to eat - tenpence steaks, two pounds and eightpence tongues, not to mention those British tomato sauces just to satisfy your strange tastes - and out of all this cost and trouble we got What? Only to find the room empty in the morning.I'd love to have the police come and take you to justice—if it wasn't for—" "Oh, there's no end to it! said Grant angrily, and then laughed. He was hanging from the railing and laughing, and Williams told the angry lady boss the truth. "Oh, since it's a note, why didn't you say it earlier?" she said. "We're not cops," Williams said fiercely, and Grant laughed harder, dragging him away from the scene. "It's ridiculous!" he said, wiping his eyes. "It's ridiculous. I'm in a better mood now. Listen. Those monks, no matter what they call themselves, have to go back to bed every midnight, and they can't sleep until six in the morning." come out. But Herb seemed to be able to come and go as he pleased.I don't know how he did it.Those first-floor windows were low enough to jump down from, but too high to climb back up.And he doesn't seem to have that kind of skill. But he did come out.Nobody knew—at least their magic didn't—that he'd been out at night.I have a hunch that he will sneak out again later, and I want to see where he will go. "Why do you think so, sir?" " "Intuition. If I were Herb, I'd find a place to base my activities on. I walked around the area before returning to the hotel. There are only two adjoining points between the monastery and the street. One is on the side of the gate; It's on the other side, and at the end of the garden there's a wall that looks like fifteen feet high. There's a little gate over there; a very solid iron gate. The place is a long way from where they live, so I think the side we went to is more likely. But I want you to guard the garden side and follow whoever comes out. I will do the same on the gate side. If there is no movement by six o'clock, you will You can crawl back to sleep."