God's Crusade

Part Twenty-Five

Sister Caris only heard about the outside world from Bishop Osborne's sermons or the odd snippets of gossip she overheard at the hospital, from patients, and as the opportunities to talk to her fellow sisters were limited to a few minutes every evening, usually with their keepers close by, she did not know the full story about the terrorists. Bishop Osborne spoke of the trial, and the conviction of the evil Colin Hughes, and Caris knew that was Sister Carina's father, from their time together at Ribble. Mostly by a ridiculous mixture of sign language and mime, she gathered that Carina had been tricked, or that they all had, but whatever the truth of the matter, Carina was moved on before Caris heard about the death sentence. That was a surprise. No one left the Winstanley Priory. But Caris did not dwell on it, because such thoughts would destroy her equilibrium. She just followed her inexorable routine. She did not think, or judge. She just prayed, because that was the only release allowed to her, and she took some comfort in the opportunity to talk to someone, even if it was only in her head, even if no one would ever listen to her.

۩

Sister Carina had not, in fact, gone very far. Once the trial was over, and her sentence was officially confirmed, she was told that she was being sent to the Meadvale Convent, further along the river, beside the old Cathedral, to complete her service. She could not ask what her captors meant, as they left her muzzled, but they told her anyway. They seemed to enjoy telling the story. Meadvale Convent was the oldest Reformist convent, where the very first nuns took their vows to support Pastor Winstanley's dream, and to the Order it was a particularly holy place, beyond the toils of daily existence.

In the early days of the movement, led by the saintly Mother Margaret, daughter of Pastor Richard Winstanley and sister to beloved Pastor Michael, the original convent served the nursing home and cottage hospital in the village. It was home to the most pious women of the First Congregation, but when the movement started to reach beyond the confines of Meadvale things started to change. Mother Margaret first had to train the original penal nuns, women offered the chance to reduce their sentences by serving the Order, and then, having survived the growth of the new Order around them, she served as the first Mother Superior of the new convent, built alongside the new Cathedral, leading the first White Sisters, or the Trevor Nuns as the media dubbed them.

But Mother Margaret did not enjoy her wider role and at her brother's behest she withdrew to her original home with her most faithful sisters, although she was sent more as it suited the church in God's name. It was a strictly closed order. Once in there was no way out except death, and the Sisters within the convent had no contact at all with the world outside their walls. Carina was told that she would be spared work, other than that necessary to sustain life within the convent itself, and would spend her life in prayer, atoning for her own sins and begging for the solace of God's love. It was a silent order, of course. Her keeper informed her as she climbed into the transport van that her muzzle would only be removed once a month, for cleaning and to allow her to ingest some solids. And mittens were worn at all times, unless she was on a work detail, so that she would have nothing to distract her from God's love. In fact, the keeper laughed as she prepared to close the doors, Carina would spend the rest of her miserable life dumb, disabled and blind as much as possible, so that she had nothing else to think about other than God and her sins against Him, until the gates of Hell opened for her and she was called down into the fire.

۩

Bishop Sebastian Osborne told his wife everything he knew and allowed her to read a fairly detailed article on the case. He thought she deserved that much at the very least, and she certainly appreciated the gesture. She was a good Reformist wife. He had made an excellent choice, both socially and politically, and she had never caused him a moment's trouble. He could have married a much younger virgin, but he had chosen the best available option for his own purposes and his own reasons. He had taken on Harry Trevor's responsibilities willingly as a favour to his friend and to solve his own issues regarding marriage. Even his stepchildren had served their purpose. He had arranged good marriages for Eloise and Grace and the boys would have the pick of the best maidens when they finished university and were ready to settle down to marriage. India was his next project, surprisingly his favourite simply because she retained a certain spirit about her, although the patient Miss Derbyshire did her best to disguise it from anyone important, of course. Even so, she had time. He had no need to hurry into anything as she was only sixteen years old, and her mother clearly enjoyed her company at home. He found himself thinking more about Brogan's happiness than he really ought, but there was nothing improper in it, because India was still very young and it was only right that a husband consider his wife's feelings.