Daughter of Magic by C Dale Brittain

Author:C Dale Brittain
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, 9780671877200
ISBN: 0671877208

PART SIX

Rats I

"I have spoken to him, of course," said the bishop gravely, "and spoken more than once. But he always says his only interest is to bring himself closer to God by carrying the divine message of judgment and salvation to His flock."

"You should stop him, Joachim. A bishop can certainly forbid Christians from listening to a charlatan who preaches false religion."

We sat in the bishop's study, where candlelight reflected on the dark windowpanes and made the wood paneling ruddy. There was a faint sound of scurrying in the walls that might have been rats, though I had certainly never

heard any in the bishop's palace before.

Joachim answered me quietly, light and shadow flickering across his face.

"But

is he preaching false religion, Daimbert? I wish that I could say. It is true tfiat I have told the cathedral priests not to attend his prayer meetings.

But

is a bishop who lacks the will to resign fit to judge a man who after all only

teaches God's message? Can there be sin in Christian preaching, even 207

208 C. Dale Brittain

if done more spectacularly than by most and without die license of a sinful bishop?"

Joachim could sometimes be even more exasperating than Antonia. "Don't tell me

you're still thinking of resigning! Didn't I explain it to you? You and I were

bodi infected by some spell of madness left in the bones of those undead warriors by whatever renegade wizard made them. I hope you realize I wouldn't normally try to kill you any more dian you would harbor lustful thoughts."

"I was under a spell?" The bishop looked slighdy ill at the idea.

"So was Celia—tiiat's why she suddenly decided to become a nun after insisting

that she would never retreat from the world to die cloister, but instead become

an active priest. And I think Cyrus is behind it. You know I've suspected him all along of working widi a demon. Wait!" as Joachim seemed about to interrupt.

"What I'm trying to ask you is, if he repented of his evil ways, including his

attacks on Yurt, would he be able to save his soul after all by becoming a preacher?"

"It is very difficult for someone who has sold his soul to reclaim it," said the

bishop dubiously. "But I would not be so quick to condemn or to assume—"

"And I also had anodier question," I said hastily, not wanting any lectures about forgiveness of one's brodier, since I had no intention of being Cyrus's brodier. "If someone sold his soul from pure motives, to save anodier's life, would he regain it?"

I had told Joachim briefly about Antonia's flying carpet ride when he asked after her. He looked at me a moment from his enormous dark eyes, tiien slowly started to smile. Whatever he had diat passed for a sense of humor appeared at

die strangest times. "If one were acting from completely pure motives, die devil

might not accept die bargain. Do you know why,

Dauchter of Macic 209

Daimbert," he added in apparent inconsequentiality, "priests do not marry?"

"To avoid sins of the flesh, I presume," I said in surprise, hoping he was not

about to start confessing yearnings for Theodora again.

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