withstand exposure. That may be my major weapon against him."
Fabiola turned again. "Lord Bofort is a sorcerer. Father?"
He had forgotten, carelessly, that the girl could overhear him when he spoke to Jolie. Yet was there harm in it? Fabiola was dependent on him for her security and that of her family; she would support him absolutely.
"Yes, child, I believe so. So am I-but my magic is white, in support of God, while his is black, supported by the forces of evil." Parry had made a considerable study of evil; on occasion other friars had even teased him for his supposed love of evil because of his finesse in ferreting it out, as in this present case. He had learned well that evil was not always where one expected it, or of the nature one anticipated.
"I would like to see the man who was responsible for denying me my life with you brought to justice," Jolie said. "But still, I don't see why mere exposure should hurt him."
"Because he once worked in support of the crusade," Parry explained. "That was actually a work of evil, but was believed to be good. He would therefore have seemed to be aligning himself with good, and surely he would not thereafter declare himself to be the opposite. His present situation is evidence that he professes to be a good man. If his servants or knights knew that he was not, and that the whole countryside was about to know that truth, they would not support him. So exposure could cost him greatly at the outset; his own men would turn against him."
"I would love to see that!" Fabiola exclaimed.
Surely she would, for she had been tortured and raped by Bofort's men.
"Do you know, Parry, we might be able to use her," Jolie said.
"Use her?" he repeated, startled.
"Use me?" Fabiola asked. She evidently understood that he was answering questions she could not hear.
"I believe I might be able to speak to her, if I floated through her head," Jolie said. "Then I could tell her what to say. It might make a difference."
"I don't know . . ."
But Jolie was already floating toward the girl. Her form fuzzed as it overlapped the head, then shrank into it.
Fabiola abruptly straightened up. Then she turned to look back at him. "Hello, my love," she said with Jolie's voice.
Parry almost fell off the donkey. "Get out of there!" he sputtered. "That's too much like possession!"
"No, it's fun," Fabiola said in her own voice. "I can hear her now, and feel how she wants me to speak. I think I would know a demon. Jolie is good!"
"But the implications-"
The girl stood, evidently listening. Then she said:"I suppose that's true." She was talking to the ghost within her. "But it seems like trying to vamp a holy man."
"Get out of there!" Parry repeated.
The girl glanced at him, forming a marginal smile. "Can you make me. Parry?" she asked in Jolie's voice. Now her features seemed to resemble Jolie's, too.
He jumped off the donkey and strode to her. He took her by the shoulders. "By the greatness of God, depart this vessel!"
Jolie reappeared in the air above the girl's head. "You exorcised me!" she exclaimed indignantly. "I'm no demon!"
Fabiola began to cry. "I didn't mean any harm! It was only a game, she said!" Parry turned her loose. "Some games we do not play," he said shortly, and returned to the donkey.
"Don't be so stuffy!" Jolie said. "I was only showing you what could be done. I can help you directly, if I work through her. I'm not going to corrupt her, and it might make a difference if Bofort proves harder to deal with than you think. Anyway, what do you suppose you are going to do with her, after she brings you to the castle? Turn her loose so the knights can run her down?"
Parry had to concede there was a merit in her position. "You're sure she isn't being imposed on? I gave her my word to protect her from that."
"No, it's fun," Fabiola said. "I feel like a woman when she's with me."
That
Fabiola turned again. "Lord Bofort is a sorcerer. Father?"
He had forgotten, carelessly, that the girl could overhear him when he spoke to Jolie. Yet was there harm in it? Fabiola was dependent on him for her security and that of her family; she would support him absolutely.
"Yes, child, I believe so. So am I-but my magic is white, in support of God, while his is black, supported by the forces of evil." Parry had made a considerable study of evil; on occasion other friars had even teased him for his supposed love of evil because of his finesse in ferreting it out, as in this present case. He had learned well that evil was not always where one expected it, or of the nature one anticipated.
"I would like to see the man who was responsible for denying me my life with you brought to justice," Jolie said. "But still, I don't see why mere exposure should hurt him."
"Because he once worked in support of the crusade," Parry explained. "That was actually a work of evil, but was believed to be good. He would therefore have seemed to be aligning himself with good, and surely he would not thereafter declare himself to be the opposite. His present situation is evidence that he professes to be a good man. If his servants or knights knew that he was not, and that the whole countryside was about to know that truth, they would not support him. So exposure could cost him greatly at the outset; his own men would turn against him."
"I would love to see that!" Fabiola exclaimed.
Surely she would, for she had been tortured and raped by Bofort's men.
"Do you know, Parry, we might be able to use her," Jolie said.
"Use her?" he repeated, startled.
"Use me?" Fabiola asked. She evidently understood that he was answering questions she could not hear.
"I believe I might be able to speak to her, if I floated through her head," Jolie said. "Then I could tell her what to say. It might make a difference."
"I don't know . . ."
But Jolie was already floating toward the girl. Her form fuzzed as it overlapped the head, then shrank into it.
Fabiola abruptly straightened up. Then she turned to look back at him. "Hello, my love," she said with Jolie's voice.
Parry almost fell off the donkey. "Get out of there!" he sputtered. "That's too much like possession!"
"No, it's fun," Fabiola said in her own voice. "I can hear her now, and feel how she wants me to speak. I think I would know a demon. Jolie is good!"
"But the implications-"
The girl stood, evidently listening. Then she said:"I suppose that's true." She was talking to the ghost within her. "But it seems like trying to vamp a holy man."
"Get out of there!" Parry repeated.
The girl glanced at him, forming a marginal smile. "Can you make me. Parry?" she asked in Jolie's voice. Now her features seemed to resemble Jolie's, too.
He jumped off the donkey and strode to her. He took her by the shoulders. "By the greatness of God, depart this vessel!"
Jolie reappeared in the air above the girl's head. "You exorcised me!" she exclaimed indignantly. "I'm no demon!"
Fabiola began to cry. "I didn't mean any harm! It was only a game, she said!" Parry turned her loose. "Some games we do not play," he said shortly, and returned to the donkey.
"Don't be so stuffy!" Jolie said. "I was only showing you what could be done. I can help you directly, if I work through her. I'm not going to corrupt her, and it might make a difference if Bofort proves harder to deal with than you think. Anyway, what do you suppose you are going to do with her, after she brings you to the castle? Turn her loose so the knights can run her down?"
Parry had to concede there was a merit in her position. "You're sure she isn't being imposed on? I gave her my word to protect her from that."
"No, it's fun," Fabiola said. "I feel like a woman when she's with me."
That
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