The First Legion Page #6

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Sixteen young men who wish to

follow in the steps of Blessed Joseph.

Who wish to follow and ..

[ Phone rings ]

Paul!

Yes? .. No ..

No, no photographs within the walls.

Paul, what is it?

Oh nothing, just a little dizziness.

You've been driving yourself too hard.

Why don't we hear from his excellency?

Every day brings us new evidence that

Blessed Joseph was truly a Saint of God.

Hardly evidence.

Why do you fight this, Marc?

Why must your whole life be

one of unending questioning?

You've been stalking this thing like a ..

Well, like a criminal lawyer.

Marc, what proof do you want?

We have the word of the doctor himself.

The word of a man who

believes in nothing.

All the more convincing, then.

If he can't explain it away,

it must be a miracle.

Peter. Hello Monsignor.

Come in, come in.

Caesar! Quiet, Caesar.

Caesar!

Caesar, I'll give you to the Jesuits.

The final and most terrifying threat.

Well again, how are you, Peter?

Like the town. Nervous, rushed and

bothered. I'll tell you why I'm here.

You said the other day if we ran out of

bed-space at the hospital you'd help out.

And I haven't forgotten.

What space do you need?

What's the matter?

What goes on here?

This is her Latin lesson.

She's supposed to be on her way to

Europe. I said goodbye to her yesterday.

Now, everything will

work out for the best.

Come in. See for yourself.

Hello, Peter. Hello.

I thought you'd be on

your way to Paris by now.

So did I.

But here I am, still following the

Roman legions around Gaul.

Come along Terry. Come clean.

What happened?

Alright, Peter.

This trip to Europe did mean a

lot to me, and to mother too.

But there was something else here

that meant a great deal more.

You know what, don't you?

I think I do.

Yes. Terry didn't want to go away because

she didn't want to miss graduation.

Oh, graduation?

Yes, didn't you know?

She's graduating in June.

Top of her class.

I'm very proud of her.

So at the last minute I

said to her mother, now ..

You do what you want to do.

And I said to Terry: You

do you want to do.

And that settled everything fine.

It sure did.

Well .. I'll consult with

the tyrant in the kitchen.

We should be able to make room

for at least five of your patients.

I didn't want you to do this, Terry.

I know you told mother to take me

away because you think I'm .. incurable.

That's what every doctor has said.

I know no doctor and no

miracle can help me.

That's what you think, isn't it?

Terry, be reasonable.

I'm tired of being reasonable.

Tired.

There comes a time in everyone's

life when it's all or nothing.

That's the way it is with me now.

Either I throw this

chair away for keeps ..

Honey, please.

But there's nothing more to live for.

Nothing.

Five blessings to you. I'll tell him.

Five people, Peter.

We'll take five she said.

But she won't shave the men's

whiskers .. well, I'll do that.

Thanks.

I'll be running back now,

Monsignor. Thanks again.

Bye, Terry.

Goodbye.

Is there anything more I can do?

No .. no, you've fixed

everything up fine.

Just fine.

[ Buzzer ]

Alright, alright. I'm coming.

I'm sorry to bother you at this hour,

Brother, but I must see Father Arnoux.

Father Arnoux is busy right now.

Very well then. I'll wait.

He's in Chapel. Hearing the

confessions of the novices.

Oh. I see.

Of course .. you can wait in the

community room if you like.

That's alright. I know the way.

Father Arnoux.

It is I, Doctor Morrell.

Doctor?

What are you doing here?

I had to see you.

Well .. I'm finished now, anyway.

I'll see you in the community room.

No .. no.

This is alright. I want to talk

to you and it has to be alone.

You want to go to confession?

No .. no, I don't.

Well, what is it?

It's about a girl who

lives in the town here.

She thinks she's going to walk just

because Father Sierra was able to walk.

But .. it's an incurable case.

I can hold her off for a while

but I can't hold her off forever.

It's hard to explain since

you don't know her.

Doctor, I'm not sure I understand.

Surely, you're not responsible?

I am responsible.

For every one of these pilgrims that

come here looking for a miracle.

Now, now Doctor. Control yourself.

What is it you are trying to tell me?

I'm trying to tell you that

you were right, to be suspicious.

Suspicious? Of what?

There is nothing to this

miracle. It is just a hoax.

A fraud, a thing I dreamed up myself.

Doctor .. this can't be true.

Oh, I didn't mean any harm.

But ..

At first, I only wanted

to help Father Sierra.

But after all, he ..

He did walk and he .. he did

have some kind of a vision.

A vision in which he spoke

with Blessed Joseph.

Father Sierra, didn't talk with

Blessed Joseph. He talked with me.

With you?

Yes, it was I that told

him to get up and walk.

I felt at the start it was

a nervous condition.

I gave him an injection and

his imagination did the rest.

But how?

I always wondered about

the power of suggestion.

And here was the chance to test it.

Besides, it was fun.

Fun? Yes. A crazy kind of fun.

Watching you Jesuits scurry around

like so many black-robed dancers.

Getting worked up about nothing. Giving

statements, building up a Jesuit centre.

And all because of a

miracle that wasn't a miracle.

This is blasphemy!

What's the use of debating it?

It's done.

Now you want to know ..

How to undo it?

Yes. Because there was

one thing I didn't count on.

I never realised what it was

going to do to other people.

People like Terry.

She wants this miracle so much

she'll die if she doesn't get it.

What are you going to do?

What can I do?

You are going to tell the truth.

To whom?

To everyone concerned.

Not to Terry.

Yes. To the whole world if necessary.

Come. I'll go with you to Father Rector.

Now hold on, Father.

I'm not going to tell the truth

to anyone and neither are you.

What you hear in confession

is secret, isn't it?

Why yes .. but you are

not making a confession.

You said yourself ..

Alright then.

I'm making a confession now. I'm

putting you under the seal of confession.

You can't do a thing like that.

You mustn't.

There are others involved. You haven't ..

You have no right .. you are making

me an accomplice to blasphemy.

I can't help that. I'm binding you not to

breathe a word of this to a living soul.

The truth is bound to come out, sooner

or later. There will be other doctors.

They'll never agree with each

other. They don't agree now.

Well, they will want to see

the records on Father Sierra.

Just after I talk to you at the hospital.

I cannot even ..

Curse you as I should .. Morrell.

God help you.

And God help me.

Oh God most merciful.

Grant this man the

grace to see the truth.

And the courage to speak it.

Don't let this mockery continue.

Show us the way, oh Lord.

Or we are lost.

Fathers, this is a historic

day for St Gregory's.

The cause of Blessed Joseph

is moving forward at last.

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