The Warlock Heretical Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Christopher Stasheff
hard
line. That should just make the conference shorter, in fact."
"Thou dost suspect meddling from our enemies tomorrow,
dost thou not?"
Rod noticed how the futurians were "our enemies," now. Nice and reassuring, that. "Ah. You caught me."
"Knowing thee and the contests we have waged in the past, 'twas open and clear when thou didst say the Lord
Abbot had help in the devising of his excuses. Who else wouldst thou think did aid him?"
"Well, yes, but suspecting futurian influence is becoming a reflex now. I'm beginning to look for them Page 23
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everywhere. If a sunny day turns cloudy, I see their hand in it."
"Not so bad as that. In truth, thou dost suspect their intervention only once or twice in a year, and thou art usually
in the right half the time. Yet in this case I am minded to concur with thee."
"Oh?" Rod looked up. "You see the hand of the future totalitarians in this, too?"
"Aye, though I would favor those who seek to abolish government altogether—for look you, the Abbot's action
can only bring war, and strife between Church and Crown can but work toward chaos." She hugged herself,
shivering. "Eh! But when the Church is shaken, all are! Nay, I've dark forebodings indeed, my lord."
"Well, share, then." Rod stood up and went over to settle down beside her on the floor cushions. "Why hug
yourself when there's a volunteer available?" He illustrated the point by slipping an arm about her. She was rigid for a moment, then relaxed against him. "My lord, I fear."
"I know what you mean. But remember, dear—whether or not our home is solid has nothing to do with the
Church." Gwen was still a moment, then shook her head. Rod frowned, lifting his head. "What? Do you think
that if the Church shakes, our marriage fails? That's superstition!" "Mayhap, yet 'twas in the Church we were
married." "Yeah, but that was our idea, not the Church's. No priest can create or destroy our unity, dear—only we
can."
She sighed and leaned against him. "Well, there's truth in that, praise Heaven. Even so, the Faith can give aid."
"You don't believe that!" Rod stiffened in indignation. "Yeah, sure I know the Church doesn't allow divorce—but
you don't think that's why I'm still here, do you?"
"Nay, I do not." Gwen turned to look up at him with a slow, heavy-lidded smile that bespoke reams about her
Page 24
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opinion of herself.
A few minutes later Rod lifted his head, took a deep breath, and said, "Yes. Well, so much for religious prohibitions. No, dear, I can't help but think that we'd stay married even if the Church said we didn't have to."
"I have some suspicion of the sort myself," Gwen agreed, snuggling up. "Yet still, my lord, I grew up believing
that marriage is a sacrament, as did all here in Gramarye—as something good and holy in itself; and I cannot
help but think that 'twas therefore I did not burn to marry whosoever I could, but did wait till I'd found he whom I
wanted."
"Well. My self-image soars," Rod whispered into her ear— as far into her ear as he could. "Remind me to thank
the Church."
"Why, so I do, now, " she said, in full seriousness, and Rod drew back a little, sobering. Gwen went on,
" Tis also
the honoring of the sacrament, my lord, and the wish not to profane it, that hath made me strive to preserve the
harmony between us. Must thou not also admit to somewhat of the same sense?"
"Yes, I would, now that you mention it. " Rod frowned. "And, come to think of it, some of my more worldly
acquaintances, back in the old days, did seem to regard marriage as more of a convenience than a privilege. Still,
I don't think that attitude is totally dependent on the Church, dear—it comes from the home; it's passed down
from parent to child. A family heirloom, you might say. "
"And the most valuable of them all, " she agreed. "Yet
line. That should just make the conference shorter, in fact."
"Thou dost suspect meddling from our enemies tomorrow,
dost thou not?"
Rod noticed how the futurians were "our enemies," now. Nice and reassuring, that. "Ah. You caught me."
"Knowing thee and the contests we have waged in the past, 'twas open and clear when thou didst say the Lord
Abbot had help in the devising of his excuses. Who else wouldst thou think did aid him?"
"Well, yes, but suspecting futurian influence is becoming a reflex now. I'm beginning to look for them Page 23
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
everywhere. If a sunny day turns cloudy, I see their hand in it."
"Not so bad as that. In truth, thou dost suspect their intervention only once or twice in a year, and thou art usually
in the right half the time. Yet in this case I am minded to concur with thee."
"Oh?" Rod looked up. "You see the hand of the future totalitarians in this, too?"
"Aye, though I would favor those who seek to abolish government altogether—for look you, the Abbot's action
can only bring war, and strife between Church and Crown can but work toward chaos." She hugged herself,
shivering. "Eh! But when the Church is shaken, all are! Nay, I've dark forebodings indeed, my lord."
"Well, share, then." Rod stood up and went over to settle down beside her on the floor cushions. "Why hug
yourself when there's a volunteer available?" He illustrated the point by slipping an arm about her. She was rigid for a moment, then relaxed against him. "My lord, I fear."
"I know what you mean. But remember, dear—whether or not our home is solid has nothing to do with the
Church." Gwen was still a moment, then shook her head. Rod frowned, lifting his head. "What? Do you think
that if the Church shakes, our marriage fails? That's superstition!" "Mayhap, yet 'twas in the Church we were
married." "Yeah, but that was our idea, not the Church's. No priest can create or destroy our unity, dear—only we
can."
She sighed and leaned against him. "Well, there's truth in that, praise Heaven. Even so, the Faith can give aid."
"You don't believe that!" Rod stiffened in indignation. "Yeah, sure I know the Church doesn't allow divorce—but
you don't think that's why I'm still here, do you?"
"Nay, I do not." Gwen turned to look up at him with a slow, heavy-lidded smile that bespoke reams about her
Page 24
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
opinion of herself.
A few minutes later Rod lifted his head, took a deep breath, and said, "Yes. Well, so much for religious prohibitions. No, dear, I can't help but think that we'd stay married even if the Church said we didn't have to."
"I have some suspicion of the sort myself," Gwen agreed, snuggling up. "Yet still, my lord, I grew up believing
that marriage is a sacrament, as did all here in Gramarye—as something good and holy in itself; and I cannot
help but think that 'twas therefore I did not burn to marry whosoever I could, but did wait till I'd found he whom I
wanted."
"Well. My self-image soars," Rod whispered into her ear— as far into her ear as he could. "Remind me to thank
the Church."
"Why, so I do, now, " she said, in full seriousness, and Rod drew back a little, sobering. Gwen went on,
" Tis also
the honoring of the sacrament, my lord, and the wish not to profane it, that hath made me strive to preserve the
harmony between us. Must thou not also admit to somewhat of the same sense?"
"Yes, I would, now that you mention it. " Rod frowned. "And, come to think of it, some of my more worldly
acquaintances, back in the old days, did seem to regard marriage as more of a convenience than a privilege. Still,
I don't think that attitude is totally dependent on the Church, dear—it comes from the home; it's passed down
from parent to child. A family heirloom, you might say. "
"And the most valuable of them all, " she agreed. "Yet
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