A Burnt Out Case by Graham Greene Page A

beyond Marie Akimbu’s house and he prays to Nzambe and he makes bad medicine. He worships a false God, but once when a piccin was ill and his father and mother were in the hospital he took no money; he gave bad medicine but he took no money: he made a big God palaver with Nzambe for the piccin but took no money. I tell you then he was a Klistian, a better Klistian than the man who broke Henry Okapa’s bicycle. He did not believe in Yezu, but he a Klistian. I am not a thief, who steal away his charity to give to Yezu. I give back to Yezu only what Yezu made. Yezu made love, he made mercy. Everybody in the world has something that Yezu made. Everybody in the world is that much a Klistian. So how can I be a thief? There is no man so wicked he never once in his life show in his heart something that God made.’
    ‘That would make us both Christians,’ Querry said. ‘Do you feel a Christian, Colin?’
    ‘I’m not interested,’ Colin said. ‘I wish Christianity could reduce the price of cortisone, that’s all. Let’s go.’
    ‘I hate simplifications,’ Querry said, and sat on.
    The Superior said, ‘I do not tell you to do good things for the love of God. That is very hard. Too hard for most of us. It is much easier to show mercy because a child weeps or to love because a girl or a young man pleases your eye. That’s not wrong, that’s good. Only remember that the love you feel and the mercy you show were made in you by God. You must go on using them and perhaps if you pray Klistian prayers it makes it easier for you to show mercy a second time and a third time . . .’
    ‘And to love a second and a third girl,’ Querry said.
    ‘Why not?’ the doctor asked.
    ‘Mercy . . . love . . .’ Querry said. ‘Hasn’t he ever known people to kill with love and kill with mercy? When a priest speaks those words they sound as though they had no meaning outside the vestry and the guild-meetings.’
    ‘I think that is the opposite of what he’s trying to say.’
    ‘Does he want us to blame God for love? I’d rather blame man. If there is a god, let him be innocent at least. Come away, Colin, before you are converted and believe yourself an unconscious Christian.’
    They rose and walked past the mutter of the Credo towards the dispensary.
    ‘Poor man,’ Colin said. ‘It’s a hard life, and he doesn’t get many thanks. He does his best for everybody. If he believes I’m a crypto-Christian it’s convenient for me, isn’t it? There are many priests who wouldn’t be happy to work with an atheist for a colleague.’
    ‘He should have learnt from you that it’s possible for an intelligent man to make his life without a god.’
    ‘My life is easier than his – I have a routine that fills my day. I know when a man is cured by the negative skin-tests. There are no skin-tests for a good action. What were your motives, Querry, when you followed your boy into the forest?’
    ‘Curiosity. Pride. Not Klistian love, I assure you.’
    Colin said, ‘All the same you talk as if you’d lost something you’d loved. I haven’t. I think I have always liked my fellow men. Liking is a great deal safer than love. It doesn’t demand victims. Who is your victim, Querry?’
    ‘I have none now. I’m safe. I’m cured, Colin,’ he added without conviction.
    II
    Father Paul took a helping of what was meant to be a cheese soufflé, then poured himself out a glass of water to ease it down. He said, ‘Querry is wise today to lunch with the doctor. Can’t you persuade the sisters to vary the plat du jour ? Sunday after all is a feast-day.’
    ‘This is meant to be a treat for us,’ the Superior said. ‘They believe we look forward to it all through the week. I wouldn’t like to disillusion the poor things. They use a lot of eggs.’
    All the cooking for the priests’ house was done by the nuns and the food had to be carried a quarter of a mile in the sun. It had never occurred to the nuns that this might be disastrous