Chapter 12

           Bernardhadtoshoutthroughthelockeddoor;theSavagewouldnotopen.

           "Buteverybody’sthere,waitingforyou.""Letthemwait,"camebackthemuffledvoicethroughthedoor.

           "Butyouknowquitewell,John"(howdifficultitistosoundpersuasiveatthetopofone’svoice!)"Iaskedthemonpurposetomeetyou."

           "YououghttohaveaskedmefirstwhetherIwantedtomeetthem.""Butyoualwayscamebefore,John."

           "That’spreciselywhyIdon’twanttocomeagain.""Justtopleaseme,"Bernardbellowinglywheedled."Won’tyoucometopleaseme?"

           "No.""Doyouseriouslymeanit?""Yes."Despairingly,"ButwhatshallIdo?"Bernardwailed."Gotohell!"bawledtheexasperatedvoicefromwithin."ButtheArch-Community-SongsterofCanterburyis

           thereto-night."Bernardwasalmostintears."Aiyaatákwa!"ItwasonlyinZuñithattheSavagecouldadequatelyexpresswhathefeltabouttheArch?

           Community-Songster."Háni!"headdedasanafter?thought;andthen(withwhatderisiveferocity!):"Sonsésotse-ná."Andhespatontheground,asPopémighthavedone.

           IntheendBernardhadtoslinkback,diminished,tohisroomsandinformtheimpatientassemblythattheSavagewouldnotbeappearingthatevening.Thenewswasreceivedwithindignation.Themenwerefuriousathavingbeentrickedintobehavingpolitelytothisinsignificantfellowwiththeunsavouryreputationandthehereticalopinions.Thehighertheirpositioninthehierarchy,thedeepertheirresentment.