Part 14 (2/2)

*Ta Da!' Sister Rebecca called to the room, as she walked in proudly carrying a tray of warm chocolate cake. Immediately people left their seats and crowded round her to marvel at this edible delight from a time gone by.*And we've also got fruit sauce. So if someone will pop to the kitchen to get it for me, we can all have a welcome home treat.'

*I'll go,' said Adrian, heading for the door.

*I'll be back in a moment,' Charlie whispered to Alice and started to leave his seat *No Charlie, it's been dealt with,' Alice said, trying to stop him, but Charlie was already half way to the door.

*d.a.m.n! Shall I go after him?' she asked turning to Liz.

Before Liz could offer an opinion, a very pale looking Adrian walked back through the door, the jar of Sister Rebecca's fruit sauce in his hands. Charlie followed shortly on his heals, looking like b.u.t.ter wouldn't melt in his mouth. Adrian went directly to the table where Sister Rebecca was cutting up the cake without so much as a glance in Alice's direction.

*What did you do?' Alice said, pulling Charlie back to his seat, *I told you it was sorted.'

*I didn't hit him, don't worry,' he replied, trying to look innocent. *I just told him if he ever laid a hand on you or anyone else in here again, I'd cut that hand off and make him watch while I fed it to one of the Dead.'

*Charlie!' Alice said, slightly shocked.

She knew this world was tough to live in and that justice was more often than not, swift and harsh. But at the end of the day Adrian wasn't much more than a s.e.x-starved loser. It was a little over the top to threaten to cut his hand off for trying to cop a feel of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. In fact, if civilisation hadn't fallen, she thought that Adrian's life probably wouldn't have been that much different anyway. He was the sort that would have naturally ended up alone, blaming everybody else for his loneliness.

*What? I could've threatened to cut off another part of his anatomy you know,' he said.

*Charming,' Alice said, playfully slapping Charlie's shoulder.

Each of the group collected their precious chocolate cake from Sister Rebecca and returned to savour their unexpected treat in silence. As Liz watched Justin and Anne's faces light up as they tasted chocolate for the first time, she realised sometimes it could be the simplest things that could bring the most joy. It was strange that something as simple as a piece of cake could affect the people in the Refectory so intensely and in so many ways. For the adults, the cake brought back a wealth of memories, but also an immediate sense of loss for a life and a time they could never get back. While the children could feel nothing but a sense of wonder for a world where something as amazing as the cake before them was considered normal and mundane. A world of experiences had been lost to Anne and Justin when the Dead came and to be able to open a window back to that world, albeit a brief one, was a priceless gift Liz hoped they would experience again.

*Don't forget to save some for Phil and Mohammed,' Alice said, as she took her cake from the tray and spooned on some of the dark fruity sauce. *Do you know who's on watch next?'

*That'll be me and Cam,' Michael said, spooning the last of his cake into his mouth. *We'll go now and relieve them so they can eat.'

Standing up, Cam took Michael's empty plate and pa.s.sed it to Sister Rebecca, along with his own.

*Thanks Sister, you're a star,' Cam said giving her a quick peck on the cheek. Even after seven years of hards.h.i.+p, Cam's looks may have faded, but he still had the charm that had made him a natural television journalist.

*Oh Cam, you rascal,' Sister Rebecca said as she blushed.

Ten minutes later Phil arrived in the Refectory. Usually, those on evening watch would find the room empty, with only a few of the candles burning and everybody else already left for their beds. Tonight however, everybody was still there, talking in small groups about what had happened on Charlie's journey to get Emma O'Brien. Sister Catherine walked up to him with a tray holding the meals that had been set aside for Mohammed and himself.

*Where's Mohammed?' Sister Catherine said looking behind Phil curiously.

*He got a bit mucky putting down one of the Dead, so he's gone to wash and change before eating,' Phil replied, tucking into the plate of scrambled eggs in front of him.

*Oh, Ok,' she said, taking back Mohammed's plate. *I'll pop this on the kitchen range to keep warm. When he comes in will you tell him it's there for me, it's time I was in the Chapel.'

*Sure, no problem Sister,' Phil replied, his broad smile showing the chives stuck in his teeth.

*G.o.d, no wonder you're single,' Liz said, smiling as she walked up to his table.

Sister Catherine laughed, sharing the joke with Liz, both of them laughing even more at the bemused look on Phil's face. Liz tapped her teeth to indicate he had something stuck there.

*No, the reason I'm single is that you continually fail to bring any hot gay men back from your jaunts for me to rectify my situation,' Phil said, after he had fished the offending chives from his teeth with his tongue.

*What did you say!' Reverend Moore was on his feet his fists shaking at his sides. Ruth tried to rise to stop her husband, but the Reverend was already striding purposefully over to Phil's table. The Reverend looked down at the man sitting there, not bothering to disguise his disgust, *I said, what did you say!'

*Hey, what's your problem man? Don't worry you're not my type!' Phil said, a little tired with still having to deal with this type of c.r.a.p after all that the world had gone through.

He turned back to his meal deciding to ignore the Reverend and his opinions.

*Sodomite!' the Reverend shouted, the rage making him visibly shake.

Immediately all other conversations in the room died, all eyes turning on the Reverend. Charlie glanced at Alice, both of them instinctively rising. Phil was not the sort of man that put up with abuse from anyone and if the Reverend wasn't careful he would end up getting a kicking.

*Filthy Sodomite, how dare you defile the hallowed sanct.i.ty of these walls.'

Then the Reverend took it one step too far and spat at Phil. Slowly Phil put down his fork, turned and began to leave his seat.

*Hey!' Liz said, standing in between Phil and the Reverend, her arm holding Phil back in his seat. *You need to go back to your wife Reverend... Now!'

*Look Reverend, you don't need to be insulting people,' Barry said, also standing from his seat. *You don't like someone, you keep it to yourself, OK? So, why don't you sit back down.'

But the calming words fell on deaf ears.

*Mark my words pervert, you are an abomination unto the Lord. G.o.d will turn his gaze upon these walls soon enough, he will look into your wretched soul and will find you wanting. You shall be d.a.m.ned for your perversion!' the Reverend shouted pointing to Phil, in his other hand he gripped his crucifix tightly while religious righteousness burned in his darks eyes, *d.a.m.ned!'

Phil had had enough of this mad man and went to move Liz aside.

*Reverend Moore!' Sister Josephine shouted uncharacteristically from across the hall.

The Reverend's head snapped in her direction at the sound of her voice, his eyes narrowing at the audacity that the woman should dare to challenge him on such matters.

*I warned you Reverend, I would not tolerate such behaviour in Lanherne. All are welcome here. All!'

*You are not fit to carry your t.i.tle, Mother Superior, you have allowed the very stones of G.o.d's house to be soiled with perverts and unG.o.dly heathens,' the Reverend said, the last with a flick of his head to Imran.

This one just keeps making more and more friends, Liz thought to herself.

*Now that's enough Reverend!' Charlie shouted, his deep voice echoing around the hall. *It's obvious Lanherne is not a place for you. I suggest that you leave us in the morning. If your wife wants to stay we will take her and the child but you are no longer welcome to stay.'

It wasn't often Charlie would speak for the group like this, without first discussing the matter thoroughly but he knew they would all be behind him on this. The Reverend's eyes blazed with hatred and was about to say something more when his wife spoke his name calmly.

*Nathan.'

The Reverend turned at her voice and something unspoken pa.s.sed between them.

*We will both leave in the morning,' Ruth said pointedly, and walked silently to the door, the baby in her arms.

The Reverend followed closely behind, clenching and unclenching his fists angrily. He would have to console himself with the knowledge that all of these people were nothing but the walking d.a.m.ned waiting for G.o.d's judgement, a judgement that would be swift and absolute. With a wave of the Lord's divine hand, their flesh would soon be as putrid and blackened, as their worthless souls.

*You know the nicest people,' Phil said to Liz with a smile, breaking the tension that still hovered in the room.

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