"I never told anyone Godwell might be pressuring you to get Madam Arlene out of town."
"I didn't think you had. For all we know, Simona's spirit might be here right now listening to us. So when Godwell ordered me to murder Madam Arlene, I knew I couldn't just drop it. What if Simona passed that information to her?"
"You think Simona is here right now, Sheriff?"
"Can you see her?"
"Uh, no."
"Have you ever seen a spirit?"
"No."
"Neither have I. So how can we know if one is watching and listening to us right now?"
"I guess there's no way. Unless Madam Arlene were here."
"Yeah. Well— until Watson leaves town, I'm going to be extra careful not to say or do anything that could possibly be misconstrued as being illegal or that might appear to make me complicit in any illegal act."
"That sounds like a good policy, Sheriff. But don't forget, Simona originally went to visit Madam Arlene on her own. She could always do it again if there's something going down she doesn't believe is legal."
"Good Lord, you're right. I can't just be careful now. I have to be careful for as long as I'm on the job."
"Looks that way, Sheriff."
"Damn all spirits."
* * *
When his housekeeper knocked once and then opened the door to his office so the head of the diocese could enter, Father Paul stood up behind his desk. "Your Excellency, you're a bit early."
"Father Paul, it's wonderful to see you again. I always love coming to visit here. The community is so charming and picturesque."
"And we love having you come to visit. Mrs. McGrath is preparing the stew you've always claimed is your favorite when you've visited in the past."
"Wonderful," Bishop Flaherty said. "You are a lucky man, Father Paul. Mrs. McGrath is an incredibly gifted cook. I would steal her from you if I could, but I know she'd never leave Lake Georgina."
"I know how lucky I am, Your Excellency. I thank our Lord every day for the blessings he has bestowed on me."
"Given the reports we've been hearing about the traffic jams, I expected it to be worse than it actually was. I expected stop-and-go traffic for the last twenty miles before reaching town, but I made good time."
"Won't you have a seat?" Father Paul said, gesturing to a comfortable chair facing his desk.
As Bishop Flaherty sat down, he groaned slightly.
"Are you in poor health, Your Excellency?"
"No. Just a minor ache from a pulled muscle. I was helping decorate a church hall last week when I tripped on a roll of bunting and fell. I used my left arm to break my fall and injured it. The doctor says I'll be just fine in a couple of weeks, but right now it aches whenever I move it a certain way."
"Yes, pulled muscles can be painful. I'm glad it wasn't more serious."
"As we get older, we tend to forget that our body isn't as agile as it once was. Little reminders like this show us the folly of not acting our age. You're still a young man, so it will be awhile before you can appreciate what I'm saying."
"I appreciate it now, Your Excellency. I spend a considerable amount of time with our retired parishioners. But down to business. To what do we owe this unscheduled visit? I didn't anticipate seeing you for a couple of months."
"Well, it's about this spiritualist you have visiting your community."
"Ah, I suspected that might be the reason. I imagine the news interview recorded here was broadcast all over the diocese."
"It wasn't only the initial news broadcast in front of the restaurant. Our local station has broadcast a new report every night since then. People all over the diocese are talking about this Madam Arlene woman."
"I imagine they're talking about her all over the region. And perhaps all over the state."
"Have you met her yet?"
"Yes, I've met her three times. She's a charming young lady. She's very intelligent and well educated, and has the heart of a devout Christian."
"She's a Christian? That's a surprise. I expected her to be a practicing pagan."
"I haven't probed the depth of her alliance to Christianity, but I know she wears a small cross on a gold chain around her neck and she shares most of our values. She does have a unique set of ideas that step slightly outside those of the Church, but nothing that's seriously in opposition to our own."
"For instance?"
"She believes that all religions worshiping a single deity are actually worshiping the same god and that the differences in the way the religion is practiced is simply owed to interpretation of the deity's words by religious members in high positions of authority."
"A number of good Christians subscribe to those ideas."
"And she believes that the souls of the departed who have lived good lives have the option of remaining here rather than ascending to heaven as soon as they die. She believes that the souls of evil people are immediately pulled down to Hell as opposed to ascending to heaven before being cast down after being adjudged unworthy to enter through the heavenly gates."
"Some theologians also disagree on the Church's official interpretation of the judgment procedure. So that's a very minor point. What else?"
"Well, she believes God has given her the ability to see and communicate with the departed who have chosen to remain here."
"Ah, yes, we learned that from the news reports. Anything else?"
"Uh, yes. She believes she can summon and speak with the departed who have already gone to heaven— or, as she calls it, the immortal world."
"I see. That wasn't mentioned in the news broadcasts."
"I can understand that. She knows how skeptical people are of her gifts and doesn't like to— overemphasize the particulars of her abilities."
"You say you've met her three times. Do you believe she has any of these gifts she claims?"
"My first visit was just to satisfy myself she wasn't merely a con woman catering to people's gullibility. I wanted to be assured she didn't represent a danger to my parishioners, the other residents of this community, or even herself. I quickly determined she wasn't and didn't. My second visit was to discuss her gifts."
Father Paul hesitated before answering the second part of the bishop's query. The pause was long enough that Bishop Flaherty repeated his last question.
"Yes, Your Excellency. I do."
"You do? Why?"
"I had a personal demonstration."
"Where? At that antiques store where she's said to spend all of her days?"
"No, Your Excellency. I invited her to come here and demonstrate her abilities by calling someone who had departed."
"Here? In the rectory? Father Paul, didn't you realize that by doing that, you were in fact giving credence to her claims?"
"By doing it here, I knew there could be no opportunity to stage visual tricks. And the— event— was neither publicized in any way nor reported after the fact."
"I see. And were there any visual tricks?"
"No. The entire event was straightforward. One might almost say— businesslike."
"And who did she call? A famous person? A saint, perhaps?"
"Quite the opposite. She called a relatively unknown individual who died as a teenager."
"A teenager," Bishop Flaherty said in a low tone as if he were considering why a teenager had been called. "And not well known? So no one could verify what was said by this alleged spirit?"
"The teenager was well known to me, Your Excellency. Very well known. We grew up together and even talked of marriage just before her death. I selected the departed spirit to be contacted."
"I see," the bishop said, staring intently at Father Paul. "And did the departed individual appear?"
"Not exactly an appearance. The individual spoke through a medium. But there was no doubt that the things that were said could not have been known by any living person other than myself."
"Really. And how much time did Madam Arlene get to investigate the background of this teenager an
d prepare to welcome her?"
"Minutes, Your Excellency. I didn't tell her who I wanted to contact until we were seated at the table, ready to begin."
"Is it possible she could have guessed who you wished to hear from? Did you perhaps mention anything about the person earlier?"
"I never mentioned that individual in any previous conversation. That was a very private part of my life before the Church, and I've never talked about it since I was a teenager. No one, but no one, could have known. And no one other than myself could have known the specifics that would convince me the presence of the departed spirit was real."
"Some people who claim clairvoyant abilities are very gifted in the art of 'reading' people from their movements, from minor things they've said, and reactions to questions."
"I assure you that was not the case. The spirit talking through the medium told me things I had forgotten. There's no possible way Madame Arlene could have learned certain facts in advance of the séance once I named the individual I wished to contact, or even learned it from me in prior discussions."
"I see. Precisely what was said?"
"Speaking through the medium, the spirit of my childhood friend used pet names and references only the two of us would have known."
"You're absolutely positive this couldn't have been faked?"
"There's no question, Your Excellency. I'm as surprised as anyone, but by the time the séance ended, I had become a believer. Madam Arlene does have the gift. She can call the departed."
"I wonder how soon I could see an exhibition of this gift. And perhaps I could invite several members of the order to observe as well."
"Madam Arlene doesn't perform séances often. In fact, I understand this was the first time she had consented to do it with anyone outside a small coterie of childhood friends."
"Yet she has adopted this sort of honorific title of Madam, which people use to refer to her."
"It was bestowed on her by others who immediately recognized and accepted her gift when she first came to Lake Georgina. Her closest friends don't attempt to dramatize the honorific and always refer to her simply as Arlene. Perhaps, Your Excellency, I can interest you in a book that was given to me by a parishioner. It was written by Madam Arlene under a pen name. It may begin to help you understand her and her unique attitudes."
"She's written a book about spiritualism?"
"Not exactly. The book is listed as fiction, but everyone who knows her and her friends believes it to be a true account of her gift as it developed. I understand it's almost impossible to find a copy these days. Let me get it, and you can decide for yourself if it's something you believe you might care to read."
* * *
Chapter Seventeen
"There's something here that you might be interested in Arlene," Renee said.
"What is it?" Arlene said, putting a slip of acid-free paper into the book she was reading to mark her place before closing it to listen to Renee.
"You asked us to pay attention to anything unusual that might be related to ethereal energy."
"Yes, I did."
"There's an account in this eighteenth century Italian book that talks about a clergyman revered as being extremely devout. A villager told a local bishop that he had been walking home on a road that passed through a forest when he saw a strange light in the woods. He claimed to know it wasn't a campfire. Curious about what could be responsible, he surreptitiously approached the area and sought out the reason for the light. As he approached a clearing, he spotted the clergyman kneeling at a makeshift altar, apparently praying. The villager said the torso of the clergyman was glowing brightly, and the intensity of the light increased as he watched. When the light grew so bright that he could no longer look at it, it suddenly stopped. When the villager's eyes were again accustomed to the darkness, he saw the clergyman lying in front of the stone altar. He was unmoving and appeared to be dead."
"What happened to the clergyman?" Arlene asked when Renee stopped recounting the event.
"It doesn't say. I read you everything in the report."
"Do you think it's been edited?" Erin asked.
"I don't know. I read everything in the account. It doesn't suggest the bishop was trying to suppress any information."
"So the clergyman was glowing?" Arlene said aloud as she thought. "That sounds like the accounts from exorcisms."
"Except the clergyman in this story was reputed to be alone."
"So what made him glow?" Megan asked.
"The account doesn't say," Renee replied.
"Perhaps he was summoning ethereal energy for some reason," Arlene said. "Perhaps an extremely heavy concentration of ethereal energy in the body makes it glow."
"But what does that mean?" Megan asked. "Can the ethereal energy be focused to repel evil?"
"In the several accounts of exorcism or banishment efforts we've read," Erin said, "both parties— the person performing the exorcism and the person possessed by the demon— continued to glow brighter and brighter until no one could look in their direction."
"And then they died," Arlene said.
"I wonder if they died from the light or from trying to kill one another," Renee said.
"Does it matter?" Megan asked.
"It could," Erin said. "If the person didn't die from the light, then maybe fighting the demon isn't an automatic death sentence. Perhaps death comes because the one doing the exorcism uses up all of the energy that sustains their life."
"So why didn't Kamet attack Arlene when he was here?" Megan asked.
"Perhaps it's because he realized that his chances for survival against someone like Arlene, who can draw upon and focus all of the ethereal energy around her, weren't so good," Renee said. "Perhaps he was only here to bluff his way through and try to frighten her into leaving."
"I wish we knew for sure," Arlene said as she opened the Greek book she had been reading before Renee announced her discovery.
* * *
"Good morning, Your Excellency," Father Paul said as Bishop Flaherty joined him in his office. "Did you sleep well?"
"Very well, thank you. I always sleep well when I come here to visit. It's so quiet and peaceful."
"We're far enough removed from the business district that dissonance from the tourist attractions doesn't reach us. Lately the noise level there has been significantly higher as people from all over have come here with the hope they can catch a glimpse of Madam Arlene, but we still never hear anything here."
"That was a very interesting book you lent me, Father Paul."
"You finished it?"
"Just now. Once I started, I had trouble putting it down. I finally couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and had to stop to get some sleep. As soon as I awoke, I began reading again. Madam Arlene has quite an imagination."
"I see. You don't believe the story is true."
"It's— a bit farfetched."
"Yes, but aren't many of the stories in the bible also a bit farfetched?"
"Uh, yes, I can see why people might think that and express doubts about them."
"I didn't say that I didn't believe them, but think about the stories such as Noah and the Ark, and the story of Moses parting the Red Sea. Or how about the Tower of Babel, or of our Lord Jesus Christ being put to death on the cross and then rising from the dead and physically ascending to heaven to sit at the right hand of God. Some things simply have to be accepted with faith that God has acted or intervened because the acts are far beyond what mere mortals can perform."
"Of course, Father Paul. That's true. So you believe God has intervened and given Madam Arlene the abilities she professes to have?"
"Your Excellency, I do believe that God has given her a gift— a special gift— a wonderful gift. So why should we believe the account written by Madam Arlene is less true than the account of the miracles performed by our revered saints?"
Bishop Flaherty sighed before saying, "I suppose I've just become a bit of a skeptic myself when it comes to such clai
ms by persons not associated directly with the Church."
"Your Excellency, there was no organized Christian church when Christ was crucified, although he did have numerous followers who would go on to lay the groundwork for the Church."
"If I understand correctly, you're saying you believe everything that was written in her book."
"Not at first, certainly. But as I said last night and again just now, I've become a believer in this woman's gift."
"How soon do you suppose I could meet her, Father?"
"That's difficult to say, Your Excellency. She doesn't seek attention. In fact, she tries to avoid it whenever she can. Since the interview, she's been ensconced in the Lake Georgina Antiques Shop, trying to avoid the press and her admirers."
"That's a positive."
"Why?"
"It indicates that she hasn't started all this just to gain notoriety to sell her book."
"She definitely hasn't done this because she's looking to sell books. She's a college student at Bryn Mawr."
"Bryn Mawr? A fine school."
"Yes. Madam Arlene is an accomplished individual. I know she speaks, reads, and writes half a dozen languages. And it's most revealing that she's never studied any of them. In her book, she mentions that she acquired this knowledge from the body of the young woman which she occupied in the 1800's."
"Yes, I saw that. And you've confirmed her ability to read, write, and speak these languages?"
"I only know English and Latin, so I'm afraid it's far beyond my abilities to confirm her knowledge of French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, and German."
"I see. I speak a bit of French and German. I'd love to see how she would respond to a few sentences in each."
"I naturally can't promise anything, but if you wish it, I'll contact her and see if I can arrange a meeting, Your Excellency."
"It would be wonderful if you could do that, Father Paul. I would very much like to meet this young woman."
"But first let me tell you why Madam Arlene chose to remain in Lake Georgina following completion of the coroner's inquest for the woman who was killed. Make yourself comfortable, Your Excellency, this is quite a story."
When the Spirit Calls (When the Spirit... series - Book 2) Page 22
