Father Kilkenny turned and looked at his chapel. From the front, only the battered door showed that they had been having trouble; the rest of its face remained unmolested and the roof looked pristine. But the state of the town, whose people hide away in their homes in the middle of the day, made their troubles clear.
“You been having troubles, Father?” Dust asked.
He hadn’t been trying to change the topic, had just been moved to look back at his chapel, but it did the job. On reflection, it was a pretty unsubtle hint.
“We have. To be sure, grave troubles indeed.”
“I doubt they’ll be as grave as what Penelope Chalmers is going through,” said Eleanor. “She is a gentle Christian girl in the clutch of a cult of That Which Sins. The good Lord only knows what they will be doing to her.”
Father Kilkenny turned on her. “No worse than what might happen to my flock tonight.”
Dust eyed Father Kilkenny again, assessing and reassessing him. The intensity of his gaze put Father Kilkenny in mind of St. Peter at the Gates of Heaven. “You know something,” he said.
Father Kilkenny gasped. Did Dust have the power to read him? Or was the Father just so tired that he hadn’t been able to hide it?
“Tell us!” Eleanor cried.
There was no sense in trying to play it cool now. Perhaps the Lord was punishing him for trying to manipulate them rather than being honest. So he out and said “Not unless you help to protect my town.”
“A girl’s life is at stake!” she replied. “You can’t risk her life like this!”
“So is this town! The life of a whole town is at stake, Miss Naistmith.” He took a step forward and pointed a finger skyward, angry. It wasn’t her he was angry with but she was as good a target as any. “The people of Crucifix may not have the connections this Penelope Chalmers has but there are more of them. They are good people – honest, God-fearing people – and it is my job to protect them. You three are here because you need to find this girl? Well, I happen to know where she is. But I’ll only help you if you protect Crucifix, my flock, by finally seeing off the harriers who have been blighting us for too long!”
The girl blinked, shocked. Father Kilkenny realised he’d been shouting. He took a step back and straightened his uniform.
“Why are you so angry?” Shadows Fade asked.
“That,” Eleanor said in English, “is an exceptionally good question.”
Dust frowned. “What is?”
“Why the Father, a man of God, is so prone to the sin of wrath.”
The derision in her voice shamed him. She was right though; he had given in to sin once more. He crossed himself and said “Forgive me,” both to them and the Lord. By way of explanation he added. “It’s been a trying time for all of us.”
“You’ve nothing to apologise for,” Dust said. “Though Naismith didn’t deserve the brunt of that.”
“I am sorry, Miss Naismith,” the Father said. “I have no excuse.”
“What was the answer?” Shadows Fade asked.
“Weakness,” Eleanor replied.
The Father blushed. He couldn’t argue with that.
Shadows Fade frowned. “Whose? Yours?”
“What? No! His!”
“But he’s not weak. Look at him, he’s filled with fire and strength.”
Eleanor turned on Shadows Fade. “Then why must I be the weak one?”
Dust talked over them. “What do harriers have against a town like Crucifix?”
“See the spells on his chapel? He can’t be weak,” Shadows Fade said to Eleanor, who harrumphed in response.
Father Kilkenny suddenly had an insight into Dust’s last couple of days. “It’s… not something to speak of out here. You never know who or what might be listening. I’ll tell you inside. But just you, Dust.”
Eleanor’s head whipped round. “Why just him?”
Father Kilkenny swallowed. “Because, and I mean no offence by this, he’s the only one I can trust out of the three of you.”
Her nostrils flared, her bottom lip jutted slightly and her eyes narrowed. Father Kilkenny could see her whole life mapped out in that expression, the pamper and the excess and the luxury and the wilfulness. “How dare you! Did you not hear who I-”
“Hush, please,” Dust said softly. “Let’s not push him; the Father knows what he’s been facing. We should trust whatever security steps he wishes to take.”
“Wait, does that mean you are going to do what he asks?” she said, scowling.
He looked back at the Father. “For now.”
“But it will be a waste of time! What about Penelope?!”
The Wanted Man didn’t react to her atrocious tone. He must have the patience of a saint. His pattern of speech changed as he tried to assuage Eleanor. “It could take us days to find her; we do not have even a hit of her trail and would have to find where she was ambushed to attempt to pick it up. Aiding the Father, and so this town, could help us find Penelope much faster. His information will save us at least a day, even if we spend the night here. Isn’t that right, Father?”
That sounded like a question but it was a warning that he’d best not be wasting the Wanted Man’s time. Father Kilkenny nodded. “Oh yes, to be sure. I can lead you to where they are keeping her. It’s only half a day’s walk from here.”
The Father became aware that his flock had started paying him very close attention. Maybe it was his English guilt talking but he saw their faith in him wither as they stared from kitchen windows or holes in their houses. What else could he have done, he wanted to ask? With no telegraph and them being his highest priority, he couldn’t have made a difference to this Penelope girl.
“What’s happening?” Shadows Fade asked, interrupting his shame.
Eleanor sighed. “Apparently we are going to protect this… band,” she replied.
“Oh. Good,” said Shadows Fade.
“Shall we go inside?” Dust asked, talking over them again. He extended a hand out to the Father’s chapel.
“Of course,” Father Kilkenny said.
At this, Mary let out a small yelp and ran from the chapel. All four of them watched her jog to her house, which she almost dove into.
The Naismith girl wasn’t quite finished though. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Dust.”
Dust stopped. “I do. Please trust me. Go stable the horses and stay with Shadows Fade. This won’t take long.”
Slowly, she crossed her arms. Dust didn’t react, just headed inside.
“Jimmy’s saloon will have somewhere to put your horses,” the Father said. “Tell him I sent you and he’ll do what he can, though he’ll hardly have any hay for them.”
The Naismith girl eyed him for a moment before turning to do as she was asked. Shadows Fade followed a moment later, leaving Dust and the Father to their conversation.
