The Devil in Green (75 page)

Mallory was bitterly amused at this interpretation of their actions.

'We have shown today that we can meet the forces of darkness head-on,
and that with God's light shining at our backs we can overcome anything
the Adversary places in our way. This has been the first step in establishing
the new Kingdom of Heaven on earth.'

He continued in that vein for five minutes, playing word games,
delivering rhetoric, slowly building hope and optimism amongst the
browbeaten brothers. But then there was a subtle, unannounced change
in his tone; his face grew more grave.

'To carry out the Work of our Lord as He intended, we need to be pure
of heart,' he said, moving his gaze slowly across the congregation as if he
were looking at each one individually. 'We need to be a shining example to
all who see us: the most devout, the purest of thought, the clearest of
conscience, unsullied by the corrupting material world so that the Lord's
light shines out of us, so that all who see us will have something to which
they can aspire.'

There was a long pause while he waited for his words to sink in, but
he didn't stop pressing the attention of his cold, dark eyes on the worshippers. 'To that end, we will be instigating more intensive religious
instruction amongst your duties. There are many different branches of
the Church under this roof, which has made worship understandably
fragmented. With the help of the Chapter of Canons and some of the
elders, we will be attempting to bring homogeneity to services and ritual
so that we can be as one.' This brought a faint murmur of disapproval,
which Stefan didn't appear to hear. 'It has also been noted that there have
been . .
.
failings. In some quarters, even piety is a quality in short supply.
And some stand in direct opposition to the teachings of Our Lord. Yes,
even here. There has been indulgence in drink and blasphemous talk, in
the sins of the flesh when the gates were open and in the sin of sodomy
since the gates have been closed. Prayers have been abandoned; the Great
Work of God has been allowed to wither. That cannot be allowed. We
must be strict with ourselves, for if we are not, how can we ask others to
obey the Word?

'It was always my belief that we are custodians of our own path to God.
Now, in my new role, I see how naive I was. Some of us need help along
the way. Some of us need guidance. We are all children in the eyes of God.
And in that spirit, I feel it is my duty to put temptation out of harm's way.
From this day, alcohol is forbidden, as are all narcotics, natural and man-
made. They corrupt the senses and lead even the most devout into the
arms of Satan.'

Stefan checked some notes on the lectern before him.

So many rules he has to write them down.
Mallory thought.

'Fornication will not be countenanced,' he continued. 'But the wrath of
all good, honest men within these walls will be reserved for those who
commit sodomy.' Mallory cast a furtive glance at Daniels; he kept his face
blank. 'For them, there will be no respite.'

He left a long silence before continuing. 'The temporary closure of the
library will now be permanent. Only authorised books will be available,
and then only to authorised tutors. I'm sure you will be happy to be
relieved of this burden, whereby impure thoughts and ideas are allowed
to sully your minds, often before you realise what is happening. I have
investigated the contents of the library in depth, and I was horrified to
discover many Satanic texts amongst the books. These are not only
dangerous to the minds of novices, but are also doorways that allow Evil
into the very heart of our community. Therefore, they will be taken out to
the main gate and burned at the earliest opportunity, to act as a message to
the Dark Forces gathered beyond our walls. We are pure; our light shall
not be dimmed.'

The list continued: music, apart from plainsong and devotional hymns,
was banned, as were all forms of technology because they 'promoted a
mindset in opposition to God'. Mallory couldn't tell if the majority of the
congregation agreed with Stefan or was angered; all response was muted.
But he sensed they had been so worn down by recent events that they
couldn't be bothered to feel strongly one way or the other. It was too
much detail, minor compared with the struggle of staying alive. Best to let
someone else take those kinds of decisions so they could concentrate on
the day-to-day hardships.

Stefan finished his long speech with a warning. 'To ensure that these
new guidelines are treated with the correct respect, any transgressions will
be met with the most serious punishment. I feel that is only right. The
system of punishment will, of course, be transparent and will be overseen,
once again, by the Inquisition of Heretical Depravity. Through discipline
we will grow closer to God. That is the way it has always been, though we
forgot it for a while, and that is the way it shall be from now on.'

Mallory wanted to laugh out loud, but as he looked around for others
who had got the joke, he saw only deathly seriousness. And in some,
worryingly, he saw faint smiles of appreciation.

There was one hopeful moment. Just as he left, Mallory looked back
to see Julian, James and some of the others gathering at the rear of the
nave. Their mood was easy to divine. They were as appalled by Stefan's
repressive dictum as he himself was, and they weren't about to let it
stand.

Miller caught up with him as he made his way back to the dormitory, head
bowed against the wind that brought increasing flurries of snow. It was
already starting to settle on the grass and cobbled path, adding a ghostly
counterpoint to the brooding darkness of the cathedral buildings.

'What did you make of that?' Miller asked breathlessly.

'What did I make of it? I think he missed a trick by not having a
torchlight rally and a marching knight honour guard.'

Miller looked at him askance, then, as usual, gave up trying to
comprehend his friend. 'He seems to have a strong idea of how to move
us forwards.'

'When you say
us,
Miller, I have this worrying feeling that you mean me
as well.'

'What is it with you, Mallory?' Miller said, with annoyance. 'Why do
you have to act as if you're not with us?'

'I'm not.'

'Then why are you here? What's your motivation?' He sounded at the
end of his tether; events must have been getting him down more than
Mallory had guessed.

'The only thing that's driving me now is to get out of this place and put
as many miles between it and me as possible.'

'That's all you care about?'

'Yep. Self-preservation. Don't knock it - it's been driving evolution
since .
. .
well, since for ever.'

Miller shook his head in disbelief. 'Nobody can stand alone, Mallory.
You need us.'

'And then you woke up.'

Daniels came running up, skidding on the snow-slick cobbles. He had a
hunted expression.

'You OK?' Mallory asked.

'Looks as though I've turned celibate.'

'Could be worse,' Mallory said. 'He could have made you shag Hipgrave.'

Daniels forced a smile, but it barely hid the anxiety eating away at him.
'Where do we go from here?' he said, shaking his head.