Fraternizing with the enemy
Chapter I
When Silas stood in front of the altar to solve the secret sister Sandrine was not the only one who watched his every moves. Hidden in the shadows of the balcony stood a young woman, absolutely motionless. Not the slightest breath revealed her bare presence, she seemed to be completely fused with the shadow which hid her.
Dinah was unusually tall for a woman, and very slender. However, her figure was hidden by the an ankle - length habit from dark brown woollen material that she was wearing. A sash was attached over her habit which covered her down from shoulders to the knees. Her half - long, black hair which she had tied together with a strand of hair to a pigtail on the back of her upper head was hidden by the hood which she had moved over the head. Her unusual appearance was completed by an unusually pale skin and large, very clear green eyes.
She had observed how the sister had led the mysterious monk in the church. A feeling of the restlessness had seized possession of her that she led back not only on the late hour of the visit but on the visitor himself.
His appearance was unusual, fascinating, but at the same time a menace went out from him which put her senses on the highest alert. She had learned at an early age to trust in her intuition. This had saved her life in the past more than once.
A past which she wanted to remember no more. And yet she felt the first signs of that strange restlessness rising inside of her which always overcame her when the recollections tried to control her consciousness.
Dinah had lost her parents very early and had grown up as an orphan's child in the most different foster homes in Paris, one worse than the next. As a teenager she had run away finally and attained to London. After months of privations she had broken down completely exhausted before the side entrance of a house. She remembered vaguely that she had been found by monks and had been carried in the inside of the house.
Thus she had found board and lodging in the London house of Opus Dei. The friendly admission for the time being which she had found in the community was soon enough strained by the fact that she had found it hard to accept certain rules right from the beginning. Above all it was the ritual of corporal mortification whose carrying out was demanded in greater extend to the women than to the men that met her determined resistance.
When her always rebellious nature made more and more headway a complete control had been imposed on her which stretched from the lasting for days ban to leave the room up to the extreme use of the discipline. More and more often she had entertained the thought of an escape which was absolutely impossible for her by the complete control under which she had stood. The only friar who had helped her was Darius who had worked in the kitchen at that time and had sent her food from time to time although the contact between men and women was strictly forbidden. Because both tracts were connected by the kitchen with each other he had always found a possibility of circumventing the ban.
Don't let pain and hatred achieve control over you, she tried to calm down. Forgive those who trespassed against you.
Meanwhile, the monk stood half-naked in front of the altar and turned the pages of the leather - bound Bible. Dinah looked shocked and fascinated at the countless wounds which shown by his alabaster-white body. Some of them were still fresh and bled. This man had mercilessly whipped himself shortly before his arrival here. Dinah detested this ritual, it was neither necessary nor convenient in her eyes but merely a barbarian act of control. Just as wearing that cilice which she could recognize clearly by his right thigh and from which small bloody rivulets ran down on his leg.
So dreadful the wounds were, they showed the liveliest proof of whom she had before her: an envoy of Opus Dei.
In spite of the first shock about the magnitude of the injuries she observed him with a fascination which she could not explain to herself. She felt a strange mixture of loathing and compassion on that absolutely unknown man who touched her internally in a kind which she could not put in words and which confused her.
The sight of the wounds brought back to her the pains with a physical shock which belonged to them inevitably. And the recollection of that night in which she had been punished by several friars in the most brutal kind with the scourge after she had rebelled especially violently the last time. The injuries had been so bad that she had been in danger of her life for days.
By a chance of the fate bishop Aringorosa had just been present at this time in the house. He had grown so angry about the incident that he had expelled the responsible friars from the house. He had seen to it that her wounds were looked after and she had got enough to eat. Dinah owed her life to him and it was also him who had helped her to find her aunt in Paris. Sister Sandrine was the only family which she still had.
Now all of that was more than two years ago. Dinah had not felt the wish until now to return to London. Her wounds had healed, at least the physical ones, and yet she felt the pains for a moment so real that she could suppress a scream of the horror only with effort .
Exactly at this moment the monk looked up in her direction to the balcony and she ossified. However, he seemed to be persuaded of the fact that he had been mistaken, because he looked away, slipped into the habit again and continued his work.
Dinah tried to calm down and to repress the thought of the pains of the scarred wounds which covered her whole body like cruel shades. Witnesses of a time which she believed to have outgrown.
Two years ago a new life had begun for her, she had experienced a freedom from whose existence she could not even be expected to know until now.
Nobody will ever take that from me, whatever the cost. She owed everything to the sister and this had taught her not only faith but had also entrusted her with a secret which she might share with nobody and whose protection was more important than the own life.
Her green eyes darkened a moment when she looked down to him.
Whatever you search I will take care for it that your search remains to no purpose, by any means.
Dinah had only one purpose before her, she had to protect the sister, she might not fail. She was aware that they were both in mortal danger because the monk would not leave the deception unpunished. Dinah had promised to the sister with a heavy heart not to strive for revenge but to grant forgiveness if the enemies should kill her. She couldn't be expected to know that the vow would fullfil tonight.
Dinah did not know how long she had waited hidden on the balcony caught in her recollections but when she perceived her surroundings again the sister as well as the monk were disappeared. A bad foreboding rose in Dinah and she ran as fast as she to the room of the sister.
The door was open. She stopped opposite from it and observed horrified what happened inside. She saw the monk standing before sister Sandrine holding one of the heavy candlesticks from the altar in his hand. The sister said something to him and this made him furious, thus furious that he raised his hand with the candlestick and knocked the sister down.
Dinah had the feeling that something inside of her broke in pieces with this blow, irretrievable and finally. She did not want to believe her eyes what she saw, did not want to accept that she could do nothing and knew that for the sister every help came too late yet.
On first impulse she wanted to run in the room and knock down the monk and beat all her fury, disappointment and the whole pain of her life out of him. However, it was sister Sandrine who kept her from it. As if she stood beside her, she heard her voice and heard the words which she found so inexpressible heavy to follow at this moment : The secret must be protected at any price. Get you to safety, whatever happens.
Even before Dinah could stop herself a cry detached from her throat.
Silas turned around and saw in the direction from which the cry had come. He had reckoned on being alone but now he saw that he had been mistaken.
Opposite to him stood an other person on the balcony. This person was wrapped in a habit and had put on the hood so deeply in the face that he could not recognize from his position whether there stood a man or a woman before him
But this was indifferent to him at the moment, what counted was the fact that he had been discovered and that this person knew what he had done. There was only one way to find out who this person was.
Dinah stopped motionless and looked him in his face. It showed surprise and confusion which gave way for a few seconds to a panic horror and a determination which let to expect nothing good. She asked herself what thoughts ran through his head behind these angrily sparkling red eyes. However, she did not want to wait, until she had found it out by his reaction but gave way to the most natural instinct which the situation had to offer: she took flight, exactly at the moment when he briefly looked away from her to put the candlestick on the ground. Dinah did not feel a need to be at the other end of this rage if it broke out again.
Silas looked away from the figure for a moment and set down the candlestick on the ground beside himself. When he looked up again, the stranger had disappeared. He ran from the room and looked over the balcony. The mysterious figure ran up through the church to the wooden portal and disappeared into the night. He gave a loud furious groan.
Silas already wanted to run after it but he changed his mind. If he reached the wooden portal, the person could be already everywhere and nowhere. It was more important at the moment to save the situation in the church, as far as it just went. He would look after the mysterious figure later.
Dinah ran out of the church, down the stairs and around the corner in the small park which ran long at the side of the church. She quickly climbed on the next tree and became one with the shadows which the tree offered. From here she had in view exactly the forecourt of the church. She could see who entered the church or left it without being seen.
Dinah tried desperately to get control of herself. Inside of her raved a true storm of contrasting feelings which brought her nearly out of her mind. Particularly as her mind still refused to believe the events whose witness she had become minutes before. She hoped that this all was only one nightmare from which she would awake every second and knew exactly that she was caught in an awful reality.
Dinah closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe calmly. You must calm down. Concentrate, she tried to force herself to get some peace. But there was still something else when he looked at her with this frightening and at the same time so captivating look that she could neither understand completely nor even wanted to grasp more exactly but confused her even more thoroughly.
Step by step the chaos inside of her gave way to a tense calmness. Now she could only wait.
Silas closed the doors of the church carefully behind himself. He looked round but could discover nobody. The forecourt of the church was deserted. With speedy steps he returned to his car and sat down inside. He remained seated motionless and stared to himself.
Dinah had not to wait too long. She heard how the wooden portal of the church opened and closed. Then she saw him how he stood on the steps and observed the church forecourt exactly . Obviously he looked for her.
When he discovered nobody he went across the forecourt and got into a car nearby and did not move.
Finally he started the car and drove away. When he had disappeared around the next corner Dinah used the opportunity and came out of her hiding place. She ran up to the aisle of the church and opened a small secret door in the side wall. She disappeared inside of the church and was making tracks to the room of the sister. When she got there she opened the door and entered.
The sight which was presented to Dinah inside of the room surprised her. Apparently the monk had tried to cover up as many of his tracks as possible. The candlestick had disappeared. Dinah supposed that she would find it again on the altar.
However, it surprised her mostly that sister Sandrine laid in her bed covered with a blanket just thus as she would sleep. Dinah knelt down before her bed and looked at the gentle face of the sister. She looked peaceful thus as she really would only sleep. Dinah was aware painfully that this was a sleep without awakening. Now she was absolutely alone in the world, the last of her remaining family members laid dead before her. Dinah closed her eyes and prayed fervently for the spiritual welfare of the sister.
After she had finished her prayer, she looked for the slip of paper with the telephone numbers which the sister had told her about . She found it in a corner beside the bed and got down to call the four numbers. The result of the telephone calls was distressing. She reached none of the contacts. This could signify only one: the identity of the brothers had been disclosed and they were all dead. The warning system had failed. The precious truth was lost therefore for ever. Dinah closed her eyes and a deep overwhelming regret overcame her.
When she had got control of herself again, she rose and left the room with a last look at the sister. She closed the door and set out for the adjoining room which had been a new home to her during the last two years. She got out a small flat wooden casket under her bed. She took a short wooden stick from its insides. Then she put back the closed casket under the bed. Now she packed the stick under the sash between her belt and the habit. Finally she got up and left the room.
Dinah strode across the gallery and hurried down the hallway in the nave. In front of the altar she stopped and lit a candle for the sister. She had made a decision and nothing in the world would keep her from translating it into action. Nothing could stop Dinah doing an honour to her name tonight and getting the justice which was entitled to her and which could give her only that man who had taken away from her the last hold in this world so cruelly at just this night.
Dinah knew that he would come back again. Only this time she was prepared. An internal calmness had seized possession of her which did not seem to be from this world. Dinah was ready whatever may come.
She stood there motionless with her face turned to the altar when the quiet creak of the wooden portal sounded behind her as it was opened and closed again. An extremely contented smile appeared on her face and her green eyes sparkled coldly and sure of victory in the light of the candle.
Silas had driven off without really knowing where he wanted to go. Thus he could not face the teacher. He had been deceived. And had gone further on than it would have been necessary. To all misfortune he had even been seen. Up to now in this night everything that could go wrong had went wrong. He had to know who that mysterious person was . That stranger was possibly the key for solution of the secret.
Silas turned suddenly and drove back to the church. He parked the car, ran across the forecourt and hurried up the steps leading to the main entrance. In front of the portal he paused a moment to gather internally and to ask the Lord for assistance. Strictly speaking he sent a quick prayer to the sky with the request for a miracle. Then he went towards the portal and laid the hand on the handle.
The door opened without any difficulties. Silas was surprised and entered as silently as possible the inside of the church. He closed the door behind himself carefully and looked around. The church was still deserted and almost already eery quiet. And then he saw it.
The mysterious figure stood by the altar with the back on him. What a happy chance, he thought triumphant. An unbelievable internal excitement grasped him when he slowly went to the altar by the nave.
On his way he had the opportunity to give the figure a closer look. He still could not put out exactly whether he was facing with a man or a woman. The figure still had the hood on the head and, indeed, was very tall, even though a good piece smaller than him.
But, actually, it made no difference to Silas. He had come to get the information of which he already had been cheated out of the whole night. How he reached to his purpose played no role now . Silas had nearly reached the figure and already proceeded from the assumption that he could overpower it unnoticed when he was spoken to abruptly.
„ This is a house of God, built to praise Him, but your presence offends Him. "
It was a deep and calm voice which sounded there without the slightest sign of fear. Silas stopped astonished. Something in this voice led to the fact that all the muscles of his body tensed up and his senses were put into the highest alert. This voice was so full of self-confidence that it had an extremely threatening untertone.
„ And I am a servant of God who has to fulfil an order ", replied Silas with careful determination. Whoever this person was it would not reveal its secret without a fight. Now, this should only be right to him.
„ A true servant of God doesn't break the supreme commandment in his holy house ... with impunity. ", came as an answer from the stranger. Even if it was spoken out calmly Silas could clearly hear out the suppressed rage which his opponent tried to control yet.
„ Give me what I'm searching and no harm will be done to you. ", answered Silas demanding.
Dinah had stood all the time motionless in front of the altar. It was some effort to her to bridle her rage. She did not want to give him a sense of satisfaction to see her losing the self-control. She had tried to remain calm but each of his answers showed renewed arrogant insults which she was no longer determined to accept.
While she spoke with him, she had solved carefully the wooden stick which she carried under her sash and held it now hidden from his looks vertically before herself in her hands. With slow and skilled movements she let the single sticks linked with each other glide apart until they formed a chain before her which stretched from the breast to the ground. A light rotary movement to the right in the uppermost wooden stick set a mechanism going which connected the single wooden sticks firmly with each other and after the single limbs engaged silently formed a long wooden stick which could become in skillful hands an absolutely lethal weapon.
She chose her next words carefully because he should realize that he had made a mistake when he entered this church once more. She spoke calmly but very clearly and in her voice laid a threat and cold-bloodedness which gave no rise to doubts about her determination.
„ Whatever you search for you will not find it here but what you get will finish your search "
The time of the revenge has come.
With these words she slowly turned around and looked into his face.
Hope you all had some fun with reading it like I had with writing it.
I'd like to stress that I'm no native. So please, don't judge me too hard for wrong phrases. But I like reviews, of course, like everyone does who's writing stories. The reason is simple: if I don't want somebody to notice or comment my writing I would keep it at home hidden in a closet.
So, feel free to tell me everything you want and think about it.
Laters