Colonel Potter stopped briefly on the hill's edge to intercept the litter-
bearers who were heading up to the chopper pad and to explain to them that
it was a simple matter of a visiting officer. When they questioned him as
to the helicopter pilot's ability to navigate in the dark, he grew uneasy
and angrily dismissed them without answering their question in any manner.
He looked up to the top of the hill as the rest went on ahead of him. He doesn't really see what was going on, it being more or less pitch black up there from this angle, but he hadn't heard any sounds of violence or harsh discord, so he went on, shaking his head.
"Padre," he called gently as he came within earshot of the others who were traversing the compound on the way back to the Officer's Club.
Father Mulcahy, who'd been nervously treading the earth at the end of the train of camp staff and strangers, turned around, looking for the Colonel.
"Mind if I have a word?"
"Of course, not, Colonel," the Father spoke meekly, gripping his cap in both his hands and digging his nails into its cloth as he turned around and stood in the center of the compound.
Colonel Potter approached him, looking over his Chaplain's shoulder as he watched the rest of the group disappear into the Officer's Club. Then, and only then, did he step back a bit and look with deadly seriousness into Mulcahy's eyes.
"Padre, I know that word of the-- changes-- that have come on Colonel Blake and Corporal O'Reilley have been spread all over camp, by now. But I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that there's one left that's more or less ducked under our radar screens." He stared intently, pointedly, but it was still a moment before Father Mulcahy knew that the Colonel was not, in fact, talking about another vampire or changeling.
"Oh." Mulcahy finally replied, "Yes," he ducked his head in a near gesture of repentance. "I'm sorry I haven't been entirely forthright about it. I was sure you'd all think I had gone completely bonkers." He sighed. "Colonel Potter, I HEAR voices!"
"Padre, I don't think anyone in their right mind would accuse you of being insane, with everything else that's crept out of the woodwork in the last two days. Do you know what these voices are?"
Mulcahy stared at the ground, "I thought, well, at first I thought it was-- Him."
Potter nodded quietly. Inwardly awed, always having been a Christian in name and in practice, always sure of the goodness of the Bible's teachings, but never quite positive about the whole "God" thing.
"Now I think it might be something more like an Angel. I've been doing some research-- it's not unusual-- well, that is to say, Biblically, it wasn't unusual-- for angels to come and make God's will known to men."
"And what kinds of things do these voices say God's will entails, exactly, Father?"
"Mainly," Mulcahy sighed heavily, "Colonel, that ideally Henry and Radar should be-- um-- put down."
Colonel Potter shook his head and whistled. "No wonder you've been quiet, recently, Padre. That's quite a cross to be bearing. What's your own opinion about this will, if I might ask? Strictly between you and me, of course."
"Thank you, Colonel." Mulcahy replied as he tried to tie his thoughts together on the subject. He took a deep breath. "The conclusion that I've come to-- I think-- is that this message is only an ideal suggestion; that God disapproves of such creatures. Then, God also disapproves of sinners; but sinners may be redeemed. I think that there may be a chance that Henry and Radar might yet be redeemed. And I think that God has given me the power to do so."
"Power, Padre?"
"Yes. Certain... skills, I suppose, that allow me to subdue them and show them the light of humanity again. They ARE still human, on some level, Colonel, and I think that God is trying to tell me to seek out the human in them and try to lead it out. On the other hand--" He stopped himself.
"Yes?" Colonel Potter urged.
"On the other hand, I do firmly feel that if redemption proves impossible through the powers of the dark forces that have taken over our comrades... that they should be destroyed."
Colonel Potter then got around to the crux of the matter. "And these visitors. Are they--?"
"Yes." Mulcahy answered immediately. "Yes, they are. Well, Sparky isn't one, but is definitely under their power somehow. The rest, yes, yes," he repeated, his eyes wide with something near panic.
"Thought so." Colonel Potter mumbled darkly. "Father, when Henry returned, I thought I could handle it. When Radar... changed... I started to get scared. This is too much. There are vampires taking over my camp! Holy Moses, one virtually OUTRANKS me!"
Mulcahy fell silent, thinking that he knew where this was headed. "What are you saying, Colonel?"
"I guess I'm saying, Father, is that I'm going to need your help. I know you feel strongly about bringing these people back around, but if you find that you can't, I don't want you to hesitate to do whatever you have to to get them the hell out of my camp! Alive or otherwise."
Mulcahy exhaled deeply as he felt a surge of adrenaline well within him. "Yes, sir," he replied.
~
He looked up to the top of the hill as the rest went on ahead of him. He doesn't really see what was going on, it being more or less pitch black up there from this angle, but he hadn't heard any sounds of violence or harsh discord, so he went on, shaking his head.
"Padre," he called gently as he came within earshot of the others who were traversing the compound on the way back to the Officer's Club.
Father Mulcahy, who'd been nervously treading the earth at the end of the train of camp staff and strangers, turned around, looking for the Colonel.
"Mind if I have a word?"
"Of course, not, Colonel," the Father spoke meekly, gripping his cap in both his hands and digging his nails into its cloth as he turned around and stood in the center of the compound.
Colonel Potter approached him, looking over his Chaplain's shoulder as he watched the rest of the group disappear into the Officer's Club. Then, and only then, did he step back a bit and look with deadly seriousness into Mulcahy's eyes.
"Padre, I know that word of the-- changes-- that have come on Colonel Blake and Corporal O'Reilley have been spread all over camp, by now. But I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that there's one left that's more or less ducked under our radar screens." He stared intently, pointedly, but it was still a moment before Father Mulcahy knew that the Colonel was not, in fact, talking about another vampire or changeling.
"Oh." Mulcahy finally replied, "Yes," he ducked his head in a near gesture of repentance. "I'm sorry I haven't been entirely forthright about it. I was sure you'd all think I had gone completely bonkers." He sighed. "Colonel Potter, I HEAR voices!"
"Padre, I don't think anyone in their right mind would accuse you of being insane, with everything else that's crept out of the woodwork in the last two days. Do you know what these voices are?"
Mulcahy stared at the ground, "I thought, well, at first I thought it was-- Him."
Potter nodded quietly. Inwardly awed, always having been a Christian in name and in practice, always sure of the goodness of the Bible's teachings, but never quite positive about the whole "God" thing.
"Now I think it might be something more like an Angel. I've been doing some research-- it's not unusual-- well, that is to say, Biblically, it wasn't unusual-- for angels to come and make God's will known to men."
"And what kinds of things do these voices say God's will entails, exactly, Father?"
"Mainly," Mulcahy sighed heavily, "Colonel, that ideally Henry and Radar should be-- um-- put down."
Colonel Potter shook his head and whistled. "No wonder you've been quiet, recently, Padre. That's quite a cross to be bearing. What's your own opinion about this will, if I might ask? Strictly between you and me, of course."
"Thank you, Colonel." Mulcahy replied as he tried to tie his thoughts together on the subject. He took a deep breath. "The conclusion that I've come to-- I think-- is that this message is only an ideal suggestion; that God disapproves of such creatures. Then, God also disapproves of sinners; but sinners may be redeemed. I think that there may be a chance that Henry and Radar might yet be redeemed. And I think that God has given me the power to do so."
"Power, Padre?"
"Yes. Certain... skills, I suppose, that allow me to subdue them and show them the light of humanity again. They ARE still human, on some level, Colonel, and I think that God is trying to tell me to seek out the human in them and try to lead it out. On the other hand--" He stopped himself.
"Yes?" Colonel Potter urged.
"On the other hand, I do firmly feel that if redemption proves impossible through the powers of the dark forces that have taken over our comrades... that they should be destroyed."
Colonel Potter then got around to the crux of the matter. "And these visitors. Are they--?"
"Yes." Mulcahy answered immediately. "Yes, they are. Well, Sparky isn't one, but is definitely under their power somehow. The rest, yes, yes," he repeated, his eyes wide with something near panic.
"Thought so." Colonel Potter mumbled darkly. "Father, when Henry returned, I thought I could handle it. When Radar... changed... I started to get scared. This is too much. There are vampires taking over my camp! Holy Moses, one virtually OUTRANKS me!"
Mulcahy fell silent, thinking that he knew where this was headed. "What are you saying, Colonel?"
"I guess I'm saying, Father, is that I'm going to need your help. I know you feel strongly about bringing these people back around, but if you find that you can't, I don't want you to hesitate to do whatever you have to to get them the hell out of my camp! Alive or otherwise."
Mulcahy exhaled deeply as he felt a surge of adrenaline well within him. "Yes, sir," he replied.
~