He held up a hand to cut off the questions all had turned to ask the young priest.

They will not stop until the young priest is dead.

Now all the young priest wanted was to do his best, to be of service.

And a young priest who seemed to be in charge.

The young priest spoke the single line with pain in his voice.

The younger priest was running to keep up with him.

The call came again in the young priest's mind, from somewhere not so far away.

"At least you didn't have to walk all the way back with them," the young priest offered.

He moved quietly across the room toward the young priest.

The young priest must have caught the new note of authority in his voice.