Brave Story - Miyuki Miyabe [259]
When the prayer service had finished, the congregation shuffled out of the cathedral. Father Diamon closed the front doors and lowered a bar to lock them. The hem of his vestments swept across the polished floor, making a soft rustling sound. The pastor inspected the candles around the altar, and seeing that all was in order, he disappeared through a small door in the back.
Good thing he didn’t come to inspect the candles back here.
Wataru took a step out beyond the cover of smoke, brushed the dust off his sleeves, and looked around.
Just what is going on here?
The large doors in front served as the only exit and entrance to the building. It was the door behind the altar, the one Father Diamon had disappeared through, that interested Wataru. That led to another part of the cathedral for sure. That’s my way in. But once he went through, his chance of running into Father Diamon or someone else grew exponentially, and he might have to maintain the barrier for quite some time. Wataru wasn’t sure if his body could take the strain.
Surely a building this size has some other exit. Wataru considered going out again and examining the place from the outside.
Then, Wataru had the distinct impression he was being watched. He blinked.
No one was there. The cathedral was as empty as it had been a moment before. No one could be watching him.
I’m nervous. It’s just my mind playing tricks on me.
Walking as quietly as he could, Wataru cut behind the pews, heading for the large central doors. He placed a hand on the bar…
Someone is watching me. Wataru could feel eyes following his every move.
Resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, Wataru slowly looked around. Where were they hiding, whoever they were?
Wataru’s gaze went to the colorful stained glass on the walls. He could see the images of Cistina traced over and over again. Here she was appearing before a crowd of bowing craftsmen. There she was vanquishing foul beasts with the gem-tipped scepter in her hand.
She was drawn quite beautifully, with utmost attention paid to every detail. But the artwork was inanimate. There was no life in any of the images. Surely, they couldn’t be the source of the eyes watching Wataru. Or was he wrong?
He grabbed the bar again, and this time heard a rustling sound behind him. Wataru tensed and whirled around.
What was that?
Wataru’s nerves were so taut he could hear them giving off electric sparks. But that wasn’t the noise he heard. No, this sounded like something moving…
The smell of freshly cut flowers tickled his nose. As it had been the last time he came here, a pile of flowers lay at the feet of the statue of Cistina. Wataru assumed they were arranged in that specific manner to hide the awful truth—that Cistina represented hate for beastkin.
False flowers.
Wataru allowed himself to catch his breath. Standing near the large doors he could see from here that a few of the white flowers had fallen from the statue pedestal onto the stone floor. That was the source of the sound he’d heard. They had probably been piled too high and fallen naturally of their own accord.
There was no time to lose. Carefully, so as not to make a sound, he removed the bar and began to push on the door. Five or six more flowers fell off the pedestal, revealing one of the statue’s feet.
For a moment, Wataru shivered. It looked as if the flowers had fallen because the statue of Cistina had moved.
It’s just a statue, silly.
He held his breath and watched. Just then, a rattling sound came from the door through which Father Diamon had disappeared. The door began to open. Wataru dove behind the nearest pew. The door opened, and someone stepped through. There was the sound of robes sliding across the floor.
Father Diamon? Uh-oh. If he comes straight down the center aisle, he’ll see me!
Wataru hurriedly made a cross with