The top floor of the cathedral was a quiet place. Not as silent as belowground, David shivered, remembering his week locked beneath the prayer hall among the soft drips on the cold stones. However, the fourth floor of the cathedral was Nevada compared to the chaos that drummed in the main hall. At the top floor only muffled murmurs from the mid-day service could be heard along with the faintest clatter of the outside street coming in through the windows. The hallway led from the spiral staircase at the rear to the head office of the archbishop, the window inside overlooking the central plaza of Kerioth. Along the hallway were doorways into smaller offices, one was used by Brother John, other Bishops lived behind those doors also. One was technically dedicated to David, but he was yet to use it. Filling the gaps between doorways were dozens of portraits of old men and women. However, they were always so youthful in their paintings, most would be in their teenage years physically, but their white eyes told the truth. These eyes seemed to follow David as he walked down the hall and as David approached the wooden double-door to Suraj’s office his heartbeat quickened. His hands got clammy while his neck became both cold and sweaty. By the time he got to the door he was having trouble breathing, his hands - still clenched - starting trembling and his eyes would not stop moving. They darted around the hall at every shadow and corner as if there would be a beast waiting to strike. Finally, he dropped to his knees by the door.

  What’s going on? David couldn’t think straight. It was normal to be nervous. A little scared maybe, but he was terrified.

  David avoided Suraj as much as he could. It took a great bout of courage to come and present his weapon two weeks ago, but this was different. It was as if his soul was cowering.

  The last time I came here it led to me being sent to the dungeons. I just need to take a moment to regain my composure.

  So David sat there and tried to breathe calmly. Inhale four seconds, hold three, exhale four seconds, but it did no good and while he sat there David heard a voice. Suraj was talking, but David could not hear who he was speaking with. There was only one side to the conversation with long pauses in between. It was in the pauses that David trembled the most.

  ‘We can’t,’ Suraj said. ‘By the few reports I have received, they have already taken Samaria and the sieges are rapidly gaining ground against Heira and Decapolis.’

  Suddenly Suraj burst out laughing. So loud that it sounded painful. As quickly as it came it went as if the laughing was more of a compulsion like coughing than responding to any joke.

  Suraj continued talking with a diplomatic tone. ‘I am aware, I was simply stating the facts. A defence would never hold in Kerioth. They would surround us and by controlling the Messiah’s plate we would have no retreat. This new weapon may buy us some time, but we have too few, it is untested and frankly I don’t trust it. The only options I see is either to kill him ourselves or to leave him for the holy-knights to do with as they please.’

  There was another sudden bout of laughing. It cut off and Suraj continued talking as if he never had an outburst. ‘No I don’t believe they will. They may not be aligned with you, but they are sworn against Saleos above all others. Now that I have told them that Saleos needs him dead, I believe they will keep the boy alive as advised. The enemy of your enemy is your friend as the saying goes.’

  Suraj went back to cackling at the funniest joke ever heard. David wondered who Suraj was talking to. They spoke quietly or their voice was simply drowned by the archbishop’s laughter. David never remembered Suraj to be much of a laugher and he didn’t know how anyone could laugh when David felt so fearful. It felt like stepping too close to the angel.

  ‘Yes. I will prepare them and wait for the Red Bear.’

  With a snap David’s trembling stopped and it felt as if a great weight had been lifted off him. He was trying to regain his composure when he heard voices rising behind him. They echoed down the hall, coming from the staircase and were growing louder. David panicked. He couldn’t be caught eavesdropping on the archbishop and he had lost any remaining desire to actually enter his office, but the voices were near the top of the stairs. It was too late to turn back.

  David knocked on the door. He made them loud, confident bangs. I am supposed to be here knocks. There was silence and some shuffling behind the door. And while he waited for an answer David looked at the artwork on the door. A tree with a bushy canopy was intricately carved into the grain and from a lower branch hung a single noose. David had never noticed that detail before and wondered what it meant.

  ‘Come in,’ Suraj said.

  The voices from behind, a man and a woman, were now up the staircase and approaching. David pushed through the door. Suraj sat behind his desk far across the room. His face was hidden in shadow as he eclipsed the sunny window that overlooked Kerioth.

  ‘David, I wasn’t expecting you. What do you need, Child?’

  David was shocked to find the office empty. Besides Suraj, there was no one there. There were only a handful of crystal balls in all of Purgatory and the chance of an archbishop having one was slim to none. So was Suraj talking to himself?

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  Suraj laughed and he wore a huge grin, but his voice didn’t sound genuine. His eyes looked tired. Suraj wiped his mouth and forced the smile away, adding a little cough to clear his throat. ‘Come on, out with it. I have an important meeting soon.’

  What did I come here for? David felt in a daze. That boy, he remembered, but now it felt a stupid thing to ask for. The conversation he overheard through the door seemed to be about Alek of all things and they were thinking of killing him. David shook his head, it was impossible.

  ‘Sorry Father,’ David stammered. ‘I came here for… a foolish request, it can wait or actually I can solve it myself. Again, sorry for disturbing you Father.’

  Suraj raised his eyebrows. ‘Alright then.’ Suraj had a single burst of laughter which he quickly stifled. ‘Back to your duties.’

  ‘Yes Father.’ David bowed then turned around, coming face to face with Aaron and Marie. They stood side-by-side. Aaron looked down on David with what could only be contempt, wearing his fancy suit with a red tie as if mocking the way he entered this world drenched in blood. Marie stared up at David with either disgust, hatred or both. Her orange eyebrows furrowed to a point and her cheeks were drawn, chewing on her lip. Yet just seeing her face with her frizzy hair soaking up all the light in the room was enough to bring joy to his heart as if this were a beautiful reunion.

  ‘What are you doing here, David?’ Aaron asked with a polite smile. ‘Can I help you with something?’

  David took one more glance at Marie, hoping her face might lighten, praying, but it did not. ‘I was just leaving,’ he said and left with his head hung in shame. He stepped quickly down the hall, hearing Suraj’s door slam behind. He never took his eyes off his feet, shuffling down the stairs. At the bottom he bumped into someone. David nearly didn’t recognise him. Christopher had grown so old it was difficult to process even after seeing him just last night. In his memory the doctor was in his forties and it was painful to see him now. He had become a frail thing. His hair was all white now and thinner than a promise. His hands moved with a slight shake and his back was hunched.

  He gave David a wide grin, but his eyes looked deathly tired. ‘David, it's good to see you. I just finished up with my morning client. Have you talked with the archbishop?’

  ‘Aye, I just did actually.’

  Christopher moved closer and he even smelt old. It was hard to believe he was so young underneath. Suraj above looked in better health and he was over five hundred. ‘And what did he say?’ The doctor asked, his smile slowly fading.

  ‘I tried Chris,’ David said, shaking his head. ‘I really tried, but Suraj, the archbishop, was adamant. I even vouched for the kid myself and threw in your name too. We went back and forth, but he put his foot down and… and damn it Chris he is right. That boy is dangerous in ways that you don’t even understand.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘I’m sorry. I really tried, I mean I said everything I could think of and then some, but the answer is no. I think you should just try to forget about him.’

  Christopher didn’t say anything, looking like a mourning grandfather.

  ‘Hey, I have an idea. I could put in a request to have you replaced from this job. There is no reason why you need to be stuck underground every day. Some other healers could share the burden. As a bishop, I could help you with that.’

  He waved his hand dismissively. ‘No, it's okay. By the sounds of it he will be taken any day to be transferred to Carandiru… and I would rather see him anyway.’

  David put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. ‘He isn’t your problem, Chris.’

  ‘He is my problem.’

  ‘Right.’ David failed to hide the confusion in his voice. David was helping him here, but if anything he sounded dismissive and kind of ungrateful.

  ‘Thank you David,’ he said and gave a weak smile. ‘I should be going, I have other clients to see.’

  ‘Before you go, can I talk to you about something?’

  It almost looked like he would walk away, but in a daze he answered. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Chris, I want you to take better care of yourself. I know the Church pays you well enough to de-age a bit. It isn’t healthy.’

  ‘I’m not that old.’

  ‘Have you looked in a mirror? I worry your bones will snap walking down the stairs. I know you want to repent, but that is hard work and you haven’t come to the Church at all for guidance or forgiveness. The best thing to do would be to spend some of that lifespan on yourself and live a bit longer here, helping more people over time.’

  ‘I mean-’

  ‘Chris please.’ They made eye contact and David nearly lost himself in those dark blue rings. ‘I did a favour for you by talking to the archbishop just now, so do something for me. Promise me you will de-age. Promise me you won't leave Purgatory without me.’

  The doctor didn’t look like he was really listening.

  ‘Promise me.’

  He nodded.