Darkly Dreaming Dexter | Page 5

hi m out after m e, j us t t o l et hi m fe el m y s tre ngt h. H e fl oppe d
t
o t he sandy roa dbed and t wis te d l ike an i njure d snake . T he D ark P asse nge r laughe d and l oved it
a
nd I pl aye d t he pa rt. I put one boot on F athe r D onova n's c he st a nd he ld t he noos e t ight . “
Y ou ha ve to l is te n a nd do a s I s ay,” I told hi m. “ You ha ve to.” I be nt and ge ntly l oos ene d t he
noos
e. “ You s houl d know tha t. It 's i m port ant ,” I s aid. A
nd he heard m e. H is e ye s, poundi ng wit h bl ood a nd pa in a nd l eaki ng t ears ont o hi s fa ce, hi s e ye s
m
et m ine in a rus h of unde rsta ndi ng a nd a ll t he thi ngs tha t ha d to ha ppen w ere the re for hi m to s ee
now
. And he saw . A nd he knew how im port ant it w as for hi m to be jus t ri ght . He be gan t o know . “
G et up now ,” I s aid. S
low ly, ve ry slow ly, w ith hi s e ye s a lw ays on m ine , F athe r D onova n got up. W e s tood j ust l ike tha t
for a
long t im e, our e yes t oge the r, be com ing one person w ith one need, a nd t hen he tre mbled. H e
ra
is e d one hand ha lfw ay t o hi s fa ce a nd droppe d it a ga in. “
In t he hous e,” I s aid, s o ve ry softly. In t he hous e w here eve ryt hing w as re ady. F
athe r D onova n droppe d his e ye s. H e ra is e d t hem to m e but coul d not look a nymore. He t urne d
t
ow ard t he hous e but stoppe d as he saw aga in t he da rk di rt m ounds of the ga rde n. A nd he want ed t o
l
ook a t m e, but he coul d not , not after s ee ing a gain t hos e bl ack m oonl it he aps of e art h. H
e s ta rt ed for t he hous e a nd I he ld hi s l eash. H e w ent obe dient ly, he ad dow n, a good a nd docile
vi
cti m . U p the five ba tt e re d s te ps , a cros s t he na rrow porc h to the front door, pus hed s hut . Fathe r
D
onova n stoppe d. He di d not look up. H e di d not look a t m e. “
T hrough t he door,” I said i n m y soft com mand voi ce . F
athe r D onova n trem bled. “
G o t hrough t he door now ,” I s aid a gain. But
he coul d not . I l
eane d pa st hi m and pus hed t he door ope n. I shoved the pri est i n w ith m y foot . He s tum bled,
ri
ght ed hi mse lf, a nd s tood j ust i ns ide , e yes s que ezed t ight shut . I c
los ed t he door. I ha d left a ba tt e ry l am p s ta ndi ng on t he floor be side the door a nd I turned it on. “
L ook,” I whispe red. F
athe r D onova n slow ly, c are ful ly, ope ned one eye . H
e froz e.