One mi1eย away, the hulking albino named Silas limped through the front gate of the luxurious brownstone residence on Rue La Bruyรจre. The spikedย ciliceย belt that he wore around his thigh cut into his flesh, and yet his soul sang with satisfaction of service to the Lord.
Pain is good.
His red eyes scanned the lobby as he entered the residence. Empty. He climbed the stairs quietly, not wanting to awaken any of his fellow numeraries. His bedroom door was open; locks were forbidden here. He entered, closing the door behind him.
The room was spartanโhardwood floors, a pine dresser, a canvas mat in the corner that served as his bed. He was a visitor here this week, and yet for many years he had been blessed with a similar sanctuary in New York City.
The Lord has provided me shelter and purpose in my life.
Tonight, at last, Silas felt he had begun to repay his debt. Hurrying to the dresser, he found the cell phone hidden in his bottom drawer and placed a call.
โYes?โ a male voice answered. โTeacher, I have returned.โ
โSpeak,โ the voice commanded, sounding pleased to hear from him.
โAll four are gone. The threeย sรฉnรฉchauxย โฆ and theย Grand Master
himself.โ
There was a momentary pause, as if for prayer. โThen I assume you have the information?โ
โAll four concurred. Independently.โ โAnd you believed them?โ
โTheir agreement was too great for coincidence.โ
An excited breath. โExcellent. I had feared the brotherhoodโs reputation for secrecy might prevail.โ
โThe prospect of death is strong motivation.โ โSo, my pupil, tell me what I must know.โ
Silas knew the information he had gleaned from his victims would come as a shock. โTeacher, all four confirmed the existence of theย clef de voรปteย โฆ the legendaryย keystone.โ
He heard a quick intake of breath over the phone and could feel the Teacherโs excitement. โTheย keystone. Exactly as we suspected.โ
According to lore, the brotherhood had created a map of stoneโaย clef de voรปteย โฆ orย keystoneโan engraved tablet that revealed the final resting place of the brotherhoodโs greatest secret โฆ information so powerful that its protection was the reason for the brotherhoodโs very existence.
โWhen we possess the keystone,โ the Teacher said, โwe will be only one step away.โ
โWe are closer than you think. The keystone is here in Paris.โ โParis? Incredible. It is almost too easy.โ
Silas relayed the earlier events of the evening โฆ how all four of his victims, moments before death, had desperately tried to buy back their godless lives by telling their secret. Each had told Silas the exact same thingโthat the keystone was ingeniously hidden at a precise location inside one of Parisโs ancient churchesโthe Eglise de Saint-Sulpice.
โInside a house of the Lord,โ the Teacher exclaimed. โHow they mock us!โ
โAs they have for centuries.โ
The Teacher fell silent, as if letting the triumph of this moment settle over him. Finally, he spoke. โYou have done a great service to God. We have waited centuries for this. You must retrieve the stone for me. Immediately. Tonight. You understand the stakes.โ
Silas knew the stakes were incalculable, and yet what the Teacher was now commanding seemed impossible. โBut the church, it is a fortress. Especially at night. How will I enter?โ
With the confident tone of a man of enormous influence, the Teacher explained what was to be done.
When Silas hung up the phone, his skin tingled with anticipation.
One hour,ย he told himself, grateful that the Teacher had given him time to carry out the necessary penance before entering a house of God.ย I must purge my soul of todayโs sins. The sins committed today had been holy in purpose. Acts of war against the enemies of God had been committed for centuries. Forgiveness was assured.
Even so, Silas knew, absolution required sacrifice.
Pulling his shades, he stripped naked and knelt in the center of his room. Looking down, he examined the spikedย ciliceย belt clamped around his thigh. All true followers of The Way wore this deviceโa leather strap, studded with sharp metal barbs that cut into the flesh as a perpetual reminder of Christโs suffering. The pain caused by the device also helped counteract the desires of the flesh.
Although Silas already had worn hisย ciliceย today longer than the requisite two hours, he knew today was no ordinary day. Grasping the buckle, he cinched it one notch tighter, wincing as the barbs dug deeper into his flesh. Exhaling slowly, he savored the cleansing ritual of his pain.
Pain is good,ย Silas whispered, repeating the sacred mantra of Father tosemarรญa Escrivรกโthe Teacher of all Teachers. Although Escrivรก had died in 1975, his wisdom lived on, his words still whispered by thousands of faithful servants around the globe as they knelt on the floor and performed the sacred practice known as โcorporal mortification.โ
Silas turned his attention now to a heavy knotted rope coiled neatly on the floor beside him.ย The Discipline. The knots were caked with dried blood. Eager for the purifying effects of his own agony, Silas said a quick prayer. Then, gripping one end of the rope, he closed his eyes and swung it hard over his shoulder, feeling the knots slap against his back. He whipped it over his shoulder again, slashing at his flesh. Again and again, he lashed.
Castigo corpus meum.
Finally, he felt the blood begin to flow.