Part 18 (1/2)
”What do you mean?”
”He agreed to pay six centimes for use of the room, and he put the copper coins in my hand. Then he said, 'What the h.e.l.l, I might as well be generous.” and he pointed his finger at the coins. And the coins changed to silver.”
”Silver!” cried Mother Joanna. ”Are you sure?”
”Of course! Look for yourself.” He held out a silver centime bit. All three of them stared at it as if it were the Devil himself.
Later Oliver and Mother Joanna went looking for Fran9ois, to arrange their morning meal, but they couldn't find him. They finally found a note tacked to the pantry door. ”Gentlefolks,” it read, ”please forgive me, but I remembered an urgent appointment I must keep with the abbot at the St. Bernard House. I pray that G.o.d will watch out for your souls.”
”How very curious!” Oliver said. ”Why, do you sup-o
pose:
Mother Joanna's lips tightened. ”The man was frightened out of his wits, that's why he ran away.”
”But if he thinks Antonio is a demon, why did he not at least tell us?”
”I think he was afraid to say a word,” Mother Joanna said, ”since this demon has chosen to travel in our company.” She thought for a moment. ”We might well be apprehensive, too.”
The soldier and the nun sat silently for a long time, staring gloomily into the flames. Sir Oliver poked at the coals, but he didn't like the faces he could see in the flames. Mother Joanna shuddered for no apparent reason, since no breeze had pa.s.sed her by.
After a while she said, ”We can't just let this situation continue.”
”No, certainly not,” Sir Oliver said.
”If he's a demon, we must take steps to protect ourselves.”
”Ah! But how to find out?”
”We'll come right out and ask him,” Mother Joanna said.
”Do so. I would be most grateful,” said Sir Oliver.
”I mean, I think you should come right out with it. You are a soldier, after all. Address him to his lace!”
”I wouldn't want to insult him,” Sir Oliver said, after giving the matter some thought.
”This Antonio is not a human.”
”Whatever he is, he might object to our knowing it, though,” Sir Oliver said.
”Somebody has to speak to him.”
”I suppose so.”
”And if you're any sort of man...”
”Oh, I'll speak to him, all right.”