The First Legion Page #7

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The Archbishop has granted our petition.

Permission will be named

to take testimony at once.

Congratulations, Father Duquesne.

Congratulations.

But tell me .. what was the Archbishop's

own personal feeling in the matter?

He doesn't say yes,

and he doesn't say no.

He gives us a free hand,

and that's all I need.

Well, now. Are there any questions?

Father Rector.

Do you .. do you have a good canon

lawyer to plead our case in Rome?

One of the best. We shall be represented

in this cause by Father Arnoux.

Father Rector ..

You know I found it impossible to believe

in this miracle from the very beginning.

I must ask to be excused.

Really, Father .. I know

this is most irregular.

Let me remind you that your own belief

is a matter that doesn't concern us now.

Father Rector ..

How can I plead a case

in which I do not believe?

One moment, Father.

As your superior, I can't of course ..

Command you to believe in something

you in good conscience, can't accept.

But as your superior I can and do

request you to prepare the case.

In which I believe.

That will be all, Fathers.

I'll ask you to remain, Father Arnoux.

Father Keene. Yes, sir?

I asked Dr Morrell to stop by. When he

comes, will you send him in here please?

I shall tell him.

You will be staying to supper, Monsignor?

Today is Sunday, isn't it?

Uhuh.

And you'll be having

cold mashed potatoes.

No thank you .. besides, we're having

icebox cake at the Rectory tonight.

And your desserts are always terrible.

Well what do you say, Monsignor?

I don't know. I don't know.

Sometimes I feel very

much like Father Arnoux.

Thank you Brother Clifford.

Then why bother to help

us as much as you do?

Vanity, Father Quarterman. Vanity.

You Jesuits have a way of

turning up on the winning side.

And I like to be with the winners.

Now, Father Arnoux.

Perhaps you'll be good enough to explain

the meaning of this unusual attitude.

I have no explanation.

You must do as I bid you.

You are under a special vow of obedience.

Yes, I know.

I know, a good Jesuit surrenders his

will to that of his order. In all things.

And most of the time I have.

But suddenly there is

no point to it anymore.

Call it insubordination if you will.

Disrespect for authority.

The fact is I am going stale.

There is nothing anyone can do about it.

Marc, this isn't like you.

I'd expect that from Fulton or Rawleigh

or the younger Fathers, but not from you.

You're made of different stuff.

Am I?

I wonder.

Alright Father Rector.

Let me ask you a question.

Why were you so quick

to believe in this miracle?

Would you be so quick ..

If it wasn't the one thing you needed

to prove Blessed Joseph a Saint?

You mean to imply that I perpetrated

a trick on this community?

No, of course not. You were

sincere, but you were wrong.

And then everybody followed you.

Even the church.

The church has taken

no stand in the matter.

Well, you said it yourself.

It gives you a free hand.

It allows you to go on promoting

this fantastic enterprise.

Sir, there is no promotion.

Not directly, perhaps, but ..

You reasoned, this might be a miracle.

Therefore, it will prove itself.

It has proved itself.

Ah, Doctor, you've come

at just the right moment.

Doctor .. let me ask you.

On your word of honour.

Is it your opinion that

this was truly a miracle?

The recovery of Father Sierra ..

Will go down in medical history as a

case for which we have no explanation.

There Marc, you see?

I don't care what a doctor says.

What evidence do you

have as against Dr Morrell?

I have no evidence.

Marc .. there are no two ways about this.

Either you do as I say ..

Or I shall have to ..

Very well then. I resign.

I can no longer be a Jesuit.

No, no, no. That solves nothing.

What are you holding back?

What is it? What is it?

Goodbye, Father Rector.

Oh no, Marc .. you can't go like this.

Marc .. you can't fail me now.

It is you who are failing me.

No.

God make me right.

Father Rector!

Father.

I don't know.

Heart attack.

There is nothing I can do in there.

It rather gets me.

These prayers for the dying.

What's getting you, Doctor, is that

in there lies another victim of your ..

Glorious hoax.

I won't argue with you.

You can stop this thing

before it gets any worse.

By this time, no-one would believe me.

I destroyed Father Sierra's records.

I've no proof any more.

You can tell what happened.

I would tell now, but you call the truth.

What good would it do?

It would only hurt the people who have

come here with hearts full of hope.

Sooner or later you are going to help them

anyway. Just as you helped Father Rector.

Do you know when Father Rector was hurt?

At the very moment he

began to fear it was all a lie.

And that's when the rest of

the people will be hurt too.

Morrell, I beg of you.

Do what is right for once.

Stop worrying about who will

be helped and who will be hurt.

Try to live one life at a time.

Your own.

Alright, Father. Have it your way.

Tell anyone you want, any way you please.

Morrell.

Father Arnoux .. Father Rector is

asking for you. Come quickly, please.

Edward.

Have I been anointed?

Yes, Paul. Everything has been done.

Father Rector. Hello, Marc.

I'm sorry. I tried to do too much.

Too soon.

There is no hurry when you

are dealing with eternity.

Even a miracle needs time to grow in.

Edward.

Edward. Yes, Paul.

There isn't much to dying.

It's like moving from

one room to another.

This is the day appointed.

And I'm content.

You must spare yourself, Father Rector.

Why should I spare myself now?

Father Keene .. Father Keene.

Yes, Father Rector.

You will be acting-Rector.

Until the new one is appointed.

Use your authority with discretion.

And try to serve God with a smile.

And Monsignor .. you too.

A Jesuit to the end.

I'm honoured.

Is there anything I can do for you?

Yes.

Don't neglect the Fathers when I'm gone.

Come and .. plague them

in the way you did me.

And sometimes .. remember to ..

To sing a small .. Te Deum for me.

A Te Deum, Father Rector?

Yes. This is not a time for mourning.

This is a time for rejoicing.

I begin to see now that ..

The miracle is to have faith.

To have faith is the real miracle.

The Lord God is my shepherd.

Whom then shall I fear?

Edward.

Edward. Yes, Paul?

Give me your blessing, Edward.

Dixio Dei Omnipotentis.

Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

Amen.

I don't believe you, Peter.

I just don't believe you.

I'm telling you the truth, Terry.

There's nothing to this miracle.

There never was.

That's why the church has suddenly

called off all these pilgrimages.

But how do you know this?

How can anyone know for sure?

Terry, I was there. I planned it all.

Father Sierra walked because

he was always able to walk.

It was just like a case of

shell-shock. That's all.

So I gave him a new shock. A feeling

that he was talking with Blessed Joseph.

Suddenly, he got up and walked.

Is he really telling

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