The Six Messiahs - Mark Frost [201]
The man nodded; his face pale, ashen. Critically wounded.
"See to them, please," said Kanazuchi.
The man winced and with dreadful effort rose to his feet; Doyle helped him up. Innes tried to hold him back.
"You must rest, sir," said Innes.
"No," said Kanazuchi. "Thank you."
Kanazuchi bowed slightly, gathered himself, and walked slowly toward the church, grasping the hilt of his sword.
Innes and Doyle looked down at the small piteous faces staring hopefully, fearfully up at them.
"I'll look after them," said Innes in a husky voice.
Doyle clutched Innes and held him until their tears passed, bodies trembling with the effort to contain them.
"Dear God. Dear God in heaven."
"Mustn't show them we're frightened, too," whispered Innes.
Doyle looked away, gripped Innes's hand, then followed Kanazuchi back to the church.
As she reached the back of the cathedral, Eileen saw Frank through the rear doors outside, twisted around the machine gun. She ran up the steps to him, saw the blood pooled around him in the dirt, and went to her knees.
"No. No, please."
Frank opened his eyes and looked up but didn't see her.
"That you, Molly?"
"Frank, it's Eileen."
His eyes found her and focused. "Molly. Sure look pretty in that dress."
His hand reached out; she held it with both of hers, and the tears ran freely from her eyes.
"It's Molly, Frank. I'm here."
"Never meant to hurt you, Molly," he whispered.
"You didn't, Frank. You didn't ever."
"Sorry. I'm so sorry."
"It's all right."
"Nothing in our way now. Me and you."
She shook her head. "No."
"That's good."
"Yes, Frank."
Frank smiled; it made him so happy to see her again.
"Always love you," he said.
His eyes looked past her, then closed. His hand let go.
Eileen lowered her head and wept.
As he walked back down to the floor of the cathedral, Doyle could not accurately determine how many had died; perhaps a quarter of the thousand who had been inside, another equal number wounded. It was more than bad enough, but when he saw the deadly configuration of the machine guns, he realized how much worse it could have been; hundreds had been spared. He heard a deep rumbling in the ground far below the church.
Doyle found Kanazuchi in the center of the room, kneeling beside the open grillwork in the floor through which the blood of the victims still funneled.
"Help me," said Kanazuchi. "I must hurry."
Doyle moved instantly to his side; together they used the edges of his knives to pry one of the blood-soaked grills free from its rim.
Jack and Presto carried Walks Alone through the last turns of the maze toward the light they saw ahead. Powerful tremors shook the walls, rivulets of rock and dirt running down from the corners. When they entered the round room, they saw the Reverend Day pouring oil from a lantern into a small brazier; the coals ignited, Day picked up a long taper, lit it from the fire, and walked toward the nearest silver casket
Jacob saw them; Lionel had untied his hands and was working to free his legs. Jack left Walks Alone with Presto and stepped into the circle, drawing his pistol. Sensing another's presence, Reverend Day turned to face him; Jack stopped a foot away. His face a grim, determined mask, he raised and pointed the gun directly at the Reverend's head.
The Reverend waved his hand sharply, as if trying to fend off a bothersome insect, a move that might have sent another man flying across the room. Jack did not yield or react but instead reached forward, touched the barrel to the Reverend's upper lip and coolly cocked the pistol's hammer, fully prepared to kill him. A quizzical look shaded the Reverend's features; fear had become such a stranger to him he seemed incapable of registering danger, but then fury erupted inside as he realized the affront this man offered him and he drove the power from his eyes forward into Jack's.
Jack appeared to stand his ground against the assault, but after a long silence the hand holding the gun wavered, then Jack slowly lowered it to his side.
"I'll deal with you presently," said