The Devil in Green (25 page)

'You really think you can make me?' Mallory sneered.

Blaine smiled. 'Of course I can.' The cosh came hard across Mallory's
face. He felt his lip burst and then he blacked out again.

Mallory awoke on his bed, his body a web of aches; his face felt as if it had
been hit by an iron. The first thing he saw was Daniels hunched over him.

'What happened to you?' Daniels said, with deep concern.

Mallory levered himself on to his elbows then noticed Hipgrave watching from the doorway. 'I walked into a door,' he said.

Hipgrave gave a curt nod and a smirk. Mallory felt a dull anger that his
comment would be construed as acceptance of defeat, but it wasn't the
time to make a stand. Blaine and the authorities had picked the wrong
person to bully.

'You need treatment.' Daniels helped him to his feet tenderly. 'Come on
- I'll take you down to the infirmary.'

As they exited, Hipgrave said snidely, 'The Lord watches over those
who walk a cautious path.'

'You going to tell me the truth?' Daniels asked, when they were outside.

'I was stupid. But now I'm smart.'

Daniels eyed him cautiously then nodded faintly, understanding without needing to know the details. 'These are indeed hard times.'

Quietly seething, Mallory was barely aware of the disturbance as they
walked across the compound. A large group had gathered in the shadow of
the cathedral, their animated talk punctuated by cries hailing the Glory of
God as they raised their hands towards the steeple.

Gardener was amongst them and broke away when he saw Daniels and
Mallory. 'You've got to see this.' His face was transformed by wonder,
stripping away the hardness of a tough life; Mallory thought he looked ten
years younger.

He dragged them into the centre of the crowd where a grizzled, thick-set
man with a bald head staggered around in a daze. Occasionally he would
stop, clasp his hands together and raise his face to the sun. Tears streamed
down his cheeks.

'Roy was blind,' Gardener said in awe. 'And look at him. He can see!'

'A miracle!' someone cried. 'God is with us!' The note of relief in the
voice revealed the subterranean fears of many in the compound.

'What happened?' Daniels asked, his eyes bright with the infectious
fervour.

Roy dropped to his knees in front of Daniels, his palms pressed together
in prayer. 'Blind these thirty years!' A sob fractured his voice. He half-
turned and gestured towards the cathedral. 'This morning I brought the
relic into the new shrine. And now this!'

'What relic?'

Daniels' question triggered a ripple of murmuring through the crowd
and as one they surged forwards, with more joining by the second. Caught
in the flow, Mallory and Daniels allowed themselves to be carried into the
cathedral. In the Trinity Chapel a reliquary had been built out of bricks
and wood. It was cordoned off by heavy-duty rope, but inside the
framework Mallory could glimpse the chest he had seen the Blue Knights
bringing into the compound on the night of the attack.

The crowd stood in awe, but its earlier noise had obviously alerted the
authorities, for within moments the bishop and Julian were allowed
through into the area next to the reliquary.

'We were hoping to make an announcement before vespers,' Julian said
when all eyes were on him, 'but I suppose now is as good a time as any.' He
smiled devotedly at Cornelius. 'The bishop will say a few words about
what is obviously a momentous occasion, not only for our community
here, but for Christianity itself.'

Cornelius rested shakily on his cane. Though he looked frail, his eyes
were bright with excitement. 'Several weeks ago, the decision was taken to
make this cathedral a haven for all surviving relics. Many from the
Anglican branch may have long considered them of historical importance
only, while our Catholic friends still believe they carry some part of the
Lord's power.' He took a long breath, his mouth dry. 'We have all wrestled
with the philosophy of our Faith in these changed times. But whichever
way you approach this age in which we find ourselves, it is one of wonders.
The Spirit affects the material world with a power that we could only have
dreamed of before. In this world, then, where faith is an engine of change,
what wonders could our relics bring?'

His smile brought gasps from the crowd as understanding of his words
slowly surfaced. He gestured towards the reliquary. 'In here lie the bones
of Saint Cuthbert. Our brave knights faced undreamed-of dangers to
bring them from Durham Cathedral. We prayed over them for seven days
and nights. We had hopes
. . .
We had so many hopes.'

With a trembling hand, he motioned for Roy to come forwards. The
tearful supplicant knelt before the bishop and kissed his hand with
adoration.

'Word has just reached me of Brother Roy's cure.
I was eyes to the
blind, and feet was I to the lame
.' He rested one hand on Roy's head. Tears
streamed down faces on every side. 'Let us hope this is only the first of
many miracles. The light of the Lord shines brightly once more across this
land of darkness.

'Even for the devout, faith is not always easy. We are tested at every
turn, and over the last year and a half we have been tested more than ever.
But now . . .' He paused for dramatic effect. '. . . faith has been renewed.'

A loud cheer erupted.

'This is the first step in our mission to reaffirm the Word. Once more to
bring the love of our Lord to the people. To build Jerusalem in England's
green and pleasant land.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and
let men say amongst the nations, the Lord reigneth.'

The noise was deafening. Many fell to their knees, sobbing openly.
Others hugged their fellows or bowed before the reliquary in quiet prayer.

As Mallory departed, a line began to build as those with ailments
ranging from the minor to the debilitating waited to be cured.

Daniels brushed away a tear as they walked towards the infirmary. 'Things
are going to get better.'

'You think?' Mallory breathed slowly; his ribs felt bruised, not cracked,
but it wasn't worth taking any chances.

'We all need a little hope. That's what I came here for. That's why most
people are here.'

Mallory felt a surprising twinge. He'd locked himself in the present for
so many months that whenever any echoes of the old days came back it felt
like touching a live wire. 'Do you miss your partner?'

Daniels looked startled by the question. 'Every day. We'd been together
eight years, since university. He was the first person I'd really felt anything
for.'

'Gary, wasn't it?'

'Gareth.' He paused. 'It feels strange saying his name again. You forget,
with all the shit that happens in life. You don't have the time to think about
what you shared. That's a mistake.' He wiped his eye again. 'Sorry. I'm a
little emotional after all that with Roy.'

'It's OK.' Mallory felt oddly encouraged that Daniels felt no need to
hide his sensitivity.