"Well, mostly it's..." Hesitant, Kindeman squinted. "Well, mostly it's ethical, you could say, Father Karras... a question...." The detective turned around and leaned his back against the wall.
He frowned at the sidewalk. Then he shrugged. "There's just no one I could talk to about it; not my captain in particular, you see. I just couldn't. I couldn't tell him. So I thought..." His face lit with sudden animation. "I had an aunt... you should hear this; it's funny. She was terrified---
terrified--- for years of my uncle. Never dared to say a word to him. Wouldn't dare to raise her voice. Never! So whenever she got mad at him for something-- for whatever--- right away, she'd run quick to the closet in her bedroom, and then there in the dark--- you won't believe this!--- in the dark, by herself, and the moths and the clothes hanging up, she mould curse---
she would curse!--- at my uncle for maybe twenty minutes! Tell exactly what she thought of him! Really! I mean, yelling! She'd come out, she'd feel better, she'd go kiss him on the cheek.
Now what is that, Father Karras?That's good therapy or not!"
"It's very good," said Karras, smiling bleakly. "And I'm your closet now? Is that what you're saying?"
"In a way," said Kinderman. Again he looked down. "In a way. But more serious, Father Karras." He paused. "And the closet must speak," he added heavily.
"Got a cigarette?" asked Karras with shaking hands.
The detective looked up at him, blankly incredulous. "A condition like mine and I would smoke?"
"No, you wouldn't," murmured Karras, clasping hands atop the wall and staring at them. Stop shaking!
"Some doctor! God forbid I should be sick in some jungle and instead of Albert Schweitzer, there is with me only you! You cure warts still with frogs, Doctor Karras?" "It's toads," Karras answered, subdued.
"You're not laughing today," worried Kinderman. "Something's wrong?" Mutely Karras shook his head. Then, "Go ahead," he said softty.
The detective sighed and faced out to the river. "I was saying..." he wheezed. He scratched his brow with his thumbnail. "I was saying--- well, lets say I'm working on a case, Father Karras.
A homicide."
"Dennings?"
"No, no, purely hypothetical. You wouldn't be familiar with it. Nothing. Not at all." Karras nodded.
"Like a ritual witchcraft murder, this looks," the detective continued broodingly. He was frowning, picking words slowly. "And let us say in this house--- this hypothetical house--there are living five, and that one must be the killer." with his hand, he made flat, chopping motions of emphasis, "Now, I know this--- I know this--- I know this for a fact." Then he paused, slowly exhaling breath. "But then the problem.... All the evidence--- well, It points to a child, Father Karras; a little girl maybe ten, twelve years old... just a baby; she could maybe be my daughter."
He kept his eyes fixed on the embankment beyond them. "Yes, I know: sounds fantastic...
ridiculous... but true. Now there comes to this house, Father, a priest--very famous--- and this case being purely hypothetical, Father, I learn through my also hypothetical genius that this priest has once cured a very special type illness. An illness which is mental, by the way, a fact I mention just in passing for your interest." Karras felt himself turning grayer by the moment.
"Now also there is... satanism involved in this illness, it happens, plus... strength... yes, incredible strength. And this... hypothetical girl, let us say, then, could... twist a man's head around, you see. Yes, she could." He was nodding now. "Yes... yes, she could. Now the question.." He grimaced thoughtfully. "You see... you see, the girl is not responsible, Father.
She's demented." He shrugged. "And just a child! A child!" He shook his head. "And yet the illness that she has... it could be dangerous. She could kill someone else. Who's to know?" He again squinted out across the river. "It's a problem. What to do? Hypothetically, I mean. Forget it? Forget it and hope she gets"--- Kinderman paused--- "gets well?" He reached for a handkerchief. "Father, I don't know... I don't know." He blew his nose. "It's a terrible decision;
just awful." He was searching for a clean, unused section of handkerchief. "Awful. And I hate to be the one who has to make it." He again blew his nose and lightly dabbed at a nostril.
"Father, what would be right in such a case? Hypothetically? What do you believe would be the right thing to do?"
For an instant, the Jesuit throbbed with rebellion, with a dull, weary anger at the piling on of weight. He let it ebb. He met Kinderman's eyes and answered softly, "I would put it in the hands of a higher authority."
"I believe it is there at this moment," breathed Kinderman.
"Yes... and I would leave it there."
Their gazes locked. Then Kinderman pocketed the handkerchief. "Yes... yes, I thought you would say that." He nodded, then glanced at the sunset. "So beautiful. A sight" He tugged back his sleeve for a look at his wrist watch. "Ah, well, I have to go. Mrs. K will be schreiing now:
'The dinner, it's cold!' " He turned back to Karras. "Thank you, Father. I feel better... much better. Oh, incidentally, you could maybe do a favor? Give a message? If you meet a man named Engstrom, tell him--- well, say, 'Elvira is in a clinic, she's all right.' He'll understand.
Would you do that? I mean, if you should meet him."
Karras was puzzled. Then, "Sure," he said. "Sure."
"Look, we couldn't make a film some night, Father?"
The Jesuit looked down and murmured, "Soon."
" 'Soon.' You're like a rabbi when he mentions the Messiah: always 'Soon.' Listen, do me another favor, please, Father." The detective looked gravely concerned. "Stop this running round the track for a little. Just walk. Walk. Slow down. You'll do that?"
"I'll do that."
Handsin his pocket, the detective looked down at the sidewalk in resignation. "I know." He sighed wearily. "Soon. Always soon." As he started away, his head still lowered, he reached up a hand to the Jusuit's shoulder. Squeezed. "Elia Kazan sends regards:"
For a time, Karras watched him as he listed down the street. Watched with wonder. With fondness. And surprise at the heart's labyrinthine turnings. He. looked up at the clouds washed in pink above the river, then beyond to the west, where they drifted at the edge of the world, glowing faintly, like a promise remembered. He put the side of his fist against his lips and looked down against the sadness as it welled from his throat toward the corners of his eyes. He waited. Dared not risk another glance at the sunset. He looked up at Regan's window, then went back to the house.
Sharon let him in and said nothing had changed. She had a bundle of foul-smelling laundry in her hands. She excused herself. "I've got to get this downstairs to the washer."
He watched her. Thought of coffee. But now he heard the demon croaking viciously at Merrin.
He started toward the staircase. Then remembered the message. Karl Where was he? He turned to ask Sharon and glimpsed her disappearing down the basement steps. In a fog, he went to the kitchen.
No Karl. Only Chris. She was sitting at the table looking down at... an album? Pasted photographs. Scraps of paper. Cupped hands at her forehead obscured her from his view.
