揥e have a tribute to God as well.?
Labelle nodded. 揟he Lord抯 Prayer.?
揥ere you raised Catholic??
揑 was. It got me nothing but trouble. Our prayer, the Pater Noster, is primarily for Perfecti. Only a Perfectus can address God as Our Father.?
Fascinating that a religion that professed to be without prejudices or classes, opportunity open to all, would restrict who could say a particular prayer to the almighty Creator. It made no sense. But elitism was inevitable with religion. Human beings just could not help themselves.
And he should know.
揙ur Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our supersubstantial bread, and remit our debts as we forgive our debtors. And keep us from temptation and free us from evil. Thine is the kingdom, the power and glory for ever and ever.?Labelle raised his head. 揙urs is different.?
揧es, it is.?
揃ut nothing in our belief system tells us to hide away a child molester and protect him from the law. Or sleep with married women and father children who are then denied and become bastards. Why would you do such awful things??
He had no good answer, so he said nothing.
揥ill I ever see Bernat de Foix again??Labelle asked.
He shook his head. 揘o.?
揌e was a good, decent man, who cared about me.?
He could see that was true. 揑抦 sorry for your loss.?
Labelle抯 face tightened. 揜eally? The one person who could destroy your life and you抮e sorry he抯 gone??
揌e was my son.?
揥hich you cared nothing about.?
He抎 thought an acknowledgment might work, but it only seemed to make things worse. So he decided to be conciliatory. 揧ou抮e right. I am a sinner.?
揟his world is nothing but sinners. Our task is to find a way out, to free our soul from this despicable place and find a way to the God of Light. That抯 our only purpose here.?
Insanity, for sure. To live your entire life in misery and if you do not give yourself up and become some sort of Perfectus, then you抮e reborn into another miserable life, where you do it all again. Over and over and over. It made no sense. Surely the only reason the idea gained any popularity in the thirteenth century was that the Catholic Church had fallen into a state of total corruption. Even a largely illiterate population saw its hypocrisy. So anything had been deemed preferable. But today? In the modern world? The whole thing made no sense.
揧ou抮e evil,?Labelle said to him. 揓ust like Tallard. Just like all those who came before you. Despicable clerics, abusing their positions. Nothing has changed in eight hundred years.?
He did not know what to say.
揅hrist, who was born in the earthly and visible Bethlehem and crucified in Jerusalem, was evil,?Labelle said, voice rising. 揗ary Magdalene was his concubine, taken in adultery. Just like you did with de Foix抯 mother. The good Christ, the real Christ, neither ate, nor drank, nor assumed the true flesh, nor was he ever in this evil world except spiritually. That抯 the difference between us and you. The difference in what we believe to be holy.?
His vehemence stung and Vilamur saw the rage rising in the eyes like a cold mist. Think. How could this powder keg be defused?
揥hat of other believers??he asked. 揧ou, as a Perfectus, owe them a duty to look after them.?
Labelle calmed a bit. 揑 do. And I have.?
揝hould you not be with them??
Labelle stared at him. 揥hy do you care? We mean nothing to you.?
揂ll who live within my diocese are my concern.?
Labelle shook his head and stepped closer. 揥e don抰 need your concern. What we needed was for you to be true to your vows. For you to conduct yourself in a manner that is respectful and mindful of us all. Instead, you only looked after yourself. What would you have done with de Foix? How were you going to deal with the fact that you have a son? Tell the world? I doubt it. Of course, that抯 no longer a problem since de Foix is gone. Never to be seen again.?
揟hat wasn抰 me.?
揃ut you benefited from it.?Labelle banged his chest with a closed fist, then pointed. 揑抦 here to finish what Bernat de Foix started.?
What did that?
Labelle rushed forward in a quick, unexpected move, crossing the three meters that separated them, leaping into him with a flying tackle, wrapping his arms tight around Vilamur抯 chest. The momentum from the impact drove them both back toward the cliff edge. They slammed into the hard ground, which hurt. He tried to resist but the young man was strong.
揟o hell with you,?Labelle spit out in his ear. 揂nd to the God of Light for me.?
The younger man抯 feet dug into the rocky soil and, together, they slid forward, over the edge, out into open air.