Kindle Edition
Brendan Carroll's Blog
Category:
Action/Thriller
Publisher: Brendan Carroll
ISBN-10: 1449985173
Type: Fiction
Pages: 264
Copyright: Jan 18, 2010
ISBN-13: 9781449985172
Price: $3.99 (eBook)
The Chevaliere Meredith Sinclair must use her powers as the Knight of the Wisdom of Solomon to locate her missing daughter while coping with the rivalry between the Knight of Death and the Knight of the Golden Eagle for her attentions . At the same time, the Mad Arab, al Hafiz al Sajek, becomes more entangled in the affairs of the Order of the Red Cross of Gold as he plots to use Meredith's gifted daughter to further his own ends. As the prophecies continue to unfold, John Paul contemplates the eventual loss of his wife since he became a member of the Order as the Knight of the Orient after Sir Philip Cambrique died in an unfortunate accident.
Excerpt
Lucio Dambretti was having a problem. He did not want to confess anything to Merry. It didn’t sound like a good idea to him at all. He stood facing her in front of the mirror of the dresser with a deep frown on his dark face. The long scar on his cheek stood out in stark relief, making him look a bit ominous as it usually did when he was mad.
“But it is part of the rite!” Merry pleaded with him. “And it is a general confession. Nothing specific. All you have to do is repeat the words after me and then I’ll say a short prayer and it will be done.”
“A general confession?” Lucio asked and shook his head slightly. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. You’re not talking about a reverse confession, are you?”
“A rever… no! It covers everything… just in case,” she explained and picked up the censer from the dresser. “Just do as I tell you and it will soon be over. Would you like a pillow for your knees?”
“I would like a pillow for my head,” Lucio muttered. He got to his knees in front of her and let go a long sigh. “All right. Go with it.”
Merry passed the censer in front of him three times and he used his hands to pull the smoke toward his face, closing his eyes. Simon had not done this. She was reminded of the movies she had seen wherein American Indians had done this in their ceremonial councils.
She placed her hand on his head and he bowed his head and closed his eyes.
Lucio did not repeat the prayer as Simon had done. He waited for her to pause and then repeated the entire phrase after her. The first part went very well, but then, when she began to list the sins, something went terribly wrong.
“I detest the crimes which I have committed by evil thoughts…” She paused again for him to repeat the phrase.
“I detest the crimes which I have committed by evil thoughts… whoa! Wait! Stop!” He held up one hand to her and frowned.
“Lucio!” She pursed her lips in a scowl. “You have to finish the confession!”
“All right. Just a minute.” He closed his eyes, swallowed hard and then bowed his head again.
“…vain and impure meditations, false suspicions, and rash judgments…” She picked up where she had left off.
“… vain and impure medita… ow! Oh! No. Wait a minute!” He held up his hand again and then pressed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “…meditations, false suspicions… dammit! What are you doing?” He looked up at her. His face was flushed a deeper red now and he seemed to be holding his breath.
“Lucio Apolonio Dambretti!” Merry put her hands on her hips and patted one foot impatiently.
“…and rash judgments!” he almost shouted at her and then looked away toward the wall.
“… by lust of impure and sensual pleasures…” She replaced her hand on his head and tried to continue.
“… by lust of impure… Oh, my God! Santa Maria!” Lucio slapped her hand away from his head and started to stand up, but she pushed him back down. He fell over and then got up again.
“What is wrong with you?!” she asked him angrily. “You are ruining this ceremony!”
“I’m ruining it?!” He looked totally shocked and almost sick now. “Wait. All right. OK. Go ahead. Slowly.”
“… by my idle words, my lies, and my deceit…” She grabbed hold of his hair this time and held fast.
“… by my idle words… my lies!… Holy Mary! And my deceit! Are you seeing this?!” He looked up at her. His eyes were wide with what looked like fear now. He pressed his fingertips to his temples.
“… by my false vows in various ways…” She went on in spite of his behavior.
“….by my false vows in various ways…” He repeated in a small voice.
“… and by my continual slander and calumny.” She finished the first part. Her heart was beating rapidly now as she expected another outburst.
“… and by my continual slander… and … and … and…” He bowed his head and closed his eyes again. “… and calumny.”
“I detest also the crimes which I have committed within; the treachery and discord which I have incited.” Merry was gritting her teeth now. It was very difficult to hold him in place.
“I detest also the crimes which I have committed within; the treachery. Oh, no. And discord. Che cosa e` esso? … which I have incited.” He shook his head again but did not move.
“… my curiosity, greed, false speaking, violence, malediction, murmurs, blasphemies, vain words…” Merry listed the sins and crimes.
“… my curiosity…. Greed! Santa Maria. Wait. Wait. No. False speaking…I never did that! Did I?” Lucio let his head fall back and he looked up at the ceiling. Merry had to let go of his head or rip out all his hair. “I can’t do this, Meredith. Please stop. It isn’t fair. It’s not fair.”
“Yes, you can,” Merry told him, now a bit more sympathetic. She was beginning to undrstand what Simon had said when he had left. Lucio might not be so cooperative. So this was what he was talking about! “Go on, now.”
“… violence… oh, oh. No. That was not my fault! That is not fair! It was necessary at the time. Malediction. That was not malediction… was it? Murmurs. Uh, oh. But I never meant any of that. It was just an expression at the time…” He let his head fall forward again and Merry was truly disturbed now. It seemed he was actually conversing or arguing with someone she could not see. “Not blasphemies. I never… but that was not blasphemy. That was just a figure of speech! Everyone says that. Vain words. Yes. Yes. Insults. Only in defense. Surely that is not such a terrible sin. Dissimulations. I never knew about this. No one told me… I really didn’t know this. I’m sorry. I was ignorant. I didn’t…”
Merry was truly alarmed now. Lucio had gone past where she had stopped. He was now making the confession just as it should have been, but he was not waiting for her to say the words. She stared at him in disbelief and then slowly placed her hand back on his head.
“My sins against God by the transgressions of the ten commandments. Not all ten… Surely... But I confessed that before and I received my penance! By neglect of my duties and obligations. That is true, but only because there were more pressing matters… I realize that, but he has others… surely someone could… and by want of love towards God and towards my neighbor. Oh, but that was not a neighbor! Yes, yes, but of course, that was a neighbor, but he was… I understand now. I see.”
Lucio remained where he was with his head bowed and his eyes closed. The confession was over.
Merry grabbed up the censer and quickly encircled him three times and then reached to lift his chin slightly. He did not open his eyes. He was barely breathing.
“Lucio?” She leaned toward him. “Take the censer, Brother.”
Lucio opened his eyes and took the brass bowl from her. He looked as if he were in a daze.
Merry crossed her arms over her heart and said the closing prayer.
“Amen. Amen. And Amen,” she said almost breathlessly. She was overcome with relief when it was over.
Lucio stood up. He looked at her blandly and then set the censer on the floor. She stood watching as he went quietly to the door and let himself out. When he was gone, she collapsed into the chair by her bed. The clock on her dresser showed close to midnight and she still had to get through this with Mark Andrew! She had had no idea that this would affect Dambretti so profoundly. Nor had she realized that it would be so very taxing on her own nerves. She felt as if she had been run down by a train and that she had done him a grave disservice.
|
