Part 14 (1/2)

And it was real, too. Millie Prior's cousin up in North Bay had been

possessed, and they had to bring a priest all the way from New York

City to exorcise her. If priests did it, then it must have been real.

Addie didn't see how you could argue with that. Preacher still did. Eventually, they seemed to accept that something might be

wrong with Charlie.

”If he was brought back, it would make sense that he'd be . . .

not right,” Sophia said. ”It's unnatural. It's not the work of G.o.d.

I know that.”

”The work of the Devil,” Addie said.

She could tell Sophia didn't like that idea much either. If

Addie found herself pulled toward demons and evil, Sophia

sought out angels and goodness. That's the way she was. As for

Preacher, Addie figured he didn't quite believe in angels or devils-he just knew this was wrong. The dead ought not to come

back, however much one might wish it.

”His a.s.sistant is dead, too,” Addie said.

Sophia stared at her for a moment, then managed to say,

”His . . . ?”

”Rene,” Preacher murmured. ”Or Mr. Rene. I'm not sure if

it was a Christian name or family.”