The Last Sin Eater Page #3

want to do such a thing to yourself?

Dear Lord.

What secrets

these mountains must possess!

I saw you with that stranger.

Going again' me, are you?

Going again' your Pa.

- I didn't...

- Liar.

Vile, deceitful child, is you

who brought that outsider upon us,

you and your sin.

You go out there again,

it will be the end of you.

I swear it on my own soul,

and the same if you speak a word of this.

Better one should die than all suffer.

Cadi. Cadi. Is your pa. Are you okay?

Cadi.

Is your pa. Is all right. Breathe.

Is okay. I'm here.

Is okay. Is all right. Is okay.

All right. Come here. Come here.

All right. Come here. Is okay.

Is your papa. Is okay.

Who did this to you, Cadi?

Who did this to you?

It was the stranger, wasn't it?

No, Pa, it wasn't him.

Is okay. You'll be fine.

All right, I'll take you home now.

I'll take you home.

I swear on my own soul,

better one should die than all suffer.

CADl:
Hello, sir.

Well, child.

I hope you're feeling better

than you did yesterday.

I just came to warn you.

There's a powerful fear of you in our cove.

I know there is, lass.

Powerful fear of the truth,

wherever it travels.

Now, where is your young friend

who enjoys hiding in the bushes with you?

He was here

eavesdropping on me again evening last.

I don't know.

His pa's the one so hard set against you.

That would be Brogan Kai, would it?

Yes sir.

He paid me a visit when I first come.

A man acquainted with anger.

Those who despise the word of the Lord

will not stand in the day of judgment,

for the breath of the Lord

will blow them away like chaff.

Well, anyway, I just came to warn you.

I got to be getting back.

At least

do me the honor of knowing your name.

Cadi. Cadi Forbes.

Well, Miss Cadi Forbes.

My earthly name is not important.

All that matters

is I'm a humble servant of God,

come to redeem these wicked mountains.

Will you sit and hear the word of the Lord?

I best not. Is not safe for...

"It is the Lord who giveth wisdom.

"Out of his mouth cometh knowledge

and understanding

"and he who dwells

in the shelter of the most high

"will abide in the shadow of the almighty. "

"The Lord redeemeth

the soul of his servant,

"and none who trust in Him

shall be desolate. "

None of this makes any sense to you,

does it?

No, sir.

Why are you so heavy-burdened, child?

If you tell me what ails you,

perhaps I can help.

I don't think so.

If the Sin Eater can't cure me,

then no one can.

Sin Eater? And who might that be?

He's the one chosen from among us

who lives all by himself

on Dead Man's Mountain.

After a person has passed,

he takes our sins upon himself,

so that they can rest in peace.

And you believe this?

Doesn't everybody?

I went to him

and asked to take my sins away.

But he can't help me until I pass on.

Child, what could you have done

to merit such shame?

I cannot say.

Nothing you could have done can make

the Lord love you any more or any less.

If I tell you,

will you promise not to hate me?

As the Lord has loved me,

so will I love you.

I killed my sister, Elen. My baby sister.

Now I'm doomed to live all my life

knowing that she's not here

because of me.

Knowing that my ma's heart is broken

and is all my fault.

Tell me how it happened, child.

It was a cursed day

from the very beginning.

Granny made me a rag doll

and Elen wanted it.

- CADl:
Let go. Is mine.

- Let go. I was playing with it first.

I said let go, you little brat.

Is mine. Granny made it for me.

- Cadi, how dare you hit your little sister?

- But mama...

You are being selfish and you know it.

You don't deserve this doll.

You always let her have

everything she wants.

I hate her and I hate you.

Cadi, wait.

You can have the doll back.

Cadi!

Cadi!

Elen! Elen!

I screamed but it was too late.

There was nothing I could do.

I went down below to look for her.

I kept screaming her name,

hoping she'd come up.

But she never did.

Oh, Cadi.

There are some sorrows so deep,

only God can touch them.

No mere man

can take away your sins, child.

You see, there's already been a sin eater,

the original sin eater

that the Lord God sent long, long ago

to take away all of our sins

once and for all,

and this book...

This book tells all about him.

Will you tell the sin eater how sorry I am?

Will you ask him to forgive me?

You just did. Beautiful girl, you just did.

And now your heart is washed clean

of all the black marks

this world has ever given it

or you could ever give it.

Does he have a name?

Yes. His name is Jesus.

Jesus.

It doesn't hurt anymore, Lilybet!

It doesn't hurt!

I know, Katrina Anice. Well done.

Cadi, where have you been?

We've been fretting over you.

Is done, Miz Elda. Is done.

Whas done, child?

I'm forgiven.

If this man of God is speaking the truth,

we've all been believing a lie.

Especially the Sin Eater.

- How was he chosen, Miz Elda?

- That was a long time ago.

Twenty winters back,

when your granddaddy Laochailand

was in his final hours.

But I can't tell it

without speaking ill of the dead.

I ain't blind to the deeds of my kin,

Miz Elda.

Well...

I suppose the fear of God

comes upon all men, even the cruelest,

and Laochailand

had more than his share of sins.

He begged your father

to get him a sin eater.

So Brogan demanded

that each man past 13

put his mark on a chicken bone,

and they gathered the bones together

in a mazer

and, from the mazer,

one bone was chosen,

and it fell to the man

who now lives on Dead Man's Mountain.

I'll never forget the look on the face

of the man chosen,

nor the tears of his young lady.

- Was that Bletsung MacLeod?

- Aye, lass.

The new sin eater come

and done his duty,

and its been that way ever since.

Child, I'm afraid these old bones

will never make it.

Do you think this man of God

will come to me?

I'm in desperate need

of forgiveness myself.

CADl:
Hello again.

Well, if it isn't my young disciple.

Pardon us, sir, but my friend Fagan here

no longer wants to listen from the bushes.

Well, have you ever heard

the name of Jesus Christ, son?

Only when my pa hits his thumb

with a hammer.

Well.

Have a seat, because the truth

will set you free,

and we are going to start

from the very beginning.

Is my father.

You've got to run, sir.

- Fagan.

- You've got to hide.

Fear no man, son.

No. My father rules this cove.

He'll kill you.

- He cannot kill the truth, Fagan.

- No, no. Please. Please, run. Hide.

I walk in this valley of death. I fear no evil.

Fagan?

The Lord is with me

and I will dwell in his house forever.

Fagan, we've got to run.

Please. We've got to run right now.

No, Cadi. No.

I have to stand fast for this man.

Fagan!

I told you to stay away from here,

didn't I, boy?

Leave him be, Pa.

He's done nothing wrong.

Who are you going to believe?

Some madman from across

the mountains or your own pa?

- Let the boy go.

- Sniveling little rat. Betrayer.

The kingdom of Heaven belongs

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