don’t know what your problem is here, but sit down and I’ll bring you something to eat. Assuming you can eat food , and not just souls. ’ Adom shoved Eo down on to a rock at the edge of the crowds and stomped crossly away.
‘ Watch out !’ said Hurple in a much quieter voice. ‘I think we’re drawing attention …’
‘So?’ said Eo.
‘Don’t be stupid !’ Hurple hissed. He was getting really agitated now. ‘I can’t think of any period in human history where a talking ferret isn’t going to be in big trouble. And I for one don’t fancy spending every new Tide being burned as a messenger from hell or stoned as an abomination or dissected as a freak of nature or bored to death on a string of chat shows – so start treating me like a normal ferret!’
Eo blinked. And that involves… what, exactly?’ he said tentatively.
Hurple tutted impatiently. ‘Just pick me up and carry me around. I’ll do the rest. Look out!’
A fine animal.’
Eo managed to grab Professor Hurple, swivel and fall off his log in one uneasy motion. From the ground, he looked up into the face of the man they called the Bard. His eyes were laughing, though he was trying hard to keep the rest of his expression polite.
‘I’m sorry to have startled you,’ he said. At exactly the same moment Eo heard a tiny strangled whisper from under his chin – ‘Not so tight!’ – and he adjusted his grip on the Professor, while struggling upright again.
‘Sorry!’ he said. ‘Um, I mean, thank you. Yes. He’svery… pretty.’ At which point Hurple bit him on the thumb. OWWW!’
The Bard tipped back his head and laughed out loud.
‘I think “handsome” is the word you wanted!’ he said. ‘This is clearly no mere jill but a noble dog, one of the wisest of his kind.’ He started to move on, then stopped and looked at Eo more closely.
‘I’ve not seen you before – have you travelled far?’
Eo nodded.
‘Has anyone offered you food?’
Eo nodded again. ‘Yes… Adom. He’s –’
At which point Adom came bustling back. ‘You can eat later,’ he said. ‘The Holy Father is about to begin. Excuse us, Bard –’ turning to the man – ‘they have come to be blessed, and it’s time now…’
‘Off you go!’ Devin said cheerfully. But a moment later he thought, They? That’s an odd word to use…
Adom was already showing Eo where to stand in the line, then stepped back.
‘I’ll be watching,’ he said. ‘God speed.’
Eo peered nervously down the queue as Columba began his progress. The people seemed so grateful for the old man’s attention, so awed!. It didn’t make sense to him – maybe it was a cultural thing? – but really, he couldn’t see what all the fuss was about…
… until Columba was standing before him, putting out his hand and looking him in the eyes. Suddenly Eo understood it all. The Holy Father was no less old than he’d thought, no less decrepit-looking, but the greatness was still there. It had nothing to do with vigour of muscle or agility of mind, or even depth of experience – andit had everything to do with native power. It flared out of his grey eyes and welled from his touch in ways that Eo was unable to find words for.
‘Bless you, boy,’ was all Columba said, but Eo couldn’t at that moment have asked for more. In fact, he almost forgot Hurple, sitting in his hands and also needing to be given the all-clear as far as being demonic went.
Just at the last moment he remembered, and squawked, ‘Holy Father, will you bless this beast?’
Columba turned back, smiled at the adoring boy with his animal, alert and expectant in his hands. He sketched a cross with his thumb on the animal’s furry forehead and moved on.
And nothing happened – neither Eo nor the ferret began to scream or dissolve in smoke or show in any other way the kind of major discomfort hellish things usually manifest when touched by holiness.
Adom stirred. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his
‘ Watch out !’ said Hurple in a much quieter voice. ‘I think we’re drawing attention …’
‘So?’ said Eo.
‘Don’t be stupid !’ Hurple hissed. He was getting really agitated now. ‘I can’t think of any period in human history where a talking ferret isn’t going to be in big trouble. And I for one don’t fancy spending every new Tide being burned as a messenger from hell or stoned as an abomination or dissected as a freak of nature or bored to death on a string of chat shows – so start treating me like a normal ferret!’
Eo blinked. And that involves… what, exactly?’ he said tentatively.
Hurple tutted impatiently. ‘Just pick me up and carry me around. I’ll do the rest. Look out!’
A fine animal.’
Eo managed to grab Professor Hurple, swivel and fall off his log in one uneasy motion. From the ground, he looked up into the face of the man they called the Bard. His eyes were laughing, though he was trying hard to keep the rest of his expression polite.
‘I’m sorry to have startled you,’ he said. At exactly the same moment Eo heard a tiny strangled whisper from under his chin – ‘Not so tight!’ – and he adjusted his grip on the Professor, while struggling upright again.
‘Sorry!’ he said. ‘Um, I mean, thank you. Yes. He’svery… pretty.’ At which point Hurple bit him on the thumb. OWWW!’
The Bard tipped back his head and laughed out loud.
‘I think “handsome” is the word you wanted!’ he said. ‘This is clearly no mere jill but a noble dog, one of the wisest of his kind.’ He started to move on, then stopped and looked at Eo more closely.
‘I’ve not seen you before – have you travelled far?’
Eo nodded.
‘Has anyone offered you food?’
Eo nodded again. ‘Yes… Adom. He’s –’
At which point Adom came bustling back. ‘You can eat later,’ he said. ‘The Holy Father is about to begin. Excuse us, Bard –’ turning to the man – ‘they have come to be blessed, and it’s time now…’
‘Off you go!’ Devin said cheerfully. But a moment later he thought, They? That’s an odd word to use…
Adom was already showing Eo where to stand in the line, then stepped back.
‘I’ll be watching,’ he said. ‘God speed.’
Eo peered nervously down the queue as Columba began his progress. The people seemed so grateful for the old man’s attention, so awed!. It didn’t make sense to him – maybe it was a cultural thing? – but really, he couldn’t see what all the fuss was about…
… until Columba was standing before him, putting out his hand and looking him in the eyes. Suddenly Eo understood it all. The Holy Father was no less old than he’d thought, no less decrepit-looking, but the greatness was still there. It had nothing to do with vigour of muscle or agility of mind, or even depth of experience – andit had everything to do with native power. It flared out of his grey eyes and welled from his touch in ways that Eo was unable to find words for.
‘Bless you, boy,’ was all Columba said, but Eo couldn’t at that moment have asked for more. In fact, he almost forgot Hurple, sitting in his hands and also needing to be given the all-clear as far as being demonic went.
Just at the last moment he remembered, and squawked, ‘Holy Father, will you bless this beast?’
Columba turned back, smiled at the adoring boy with his animal, alert and expectant in his hands. He sketched a cross with his thumb on the animal’s furry forehead and moved on.
And nothing happened – neither Eo nor the ferret began to scream or dissolve in smoke or show in any other way the kind of major discomfort hellish things usually manifest when touched by holiness.
Adom stirred. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his
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