Поющие в терновнике

           "Please,Father,please!Ican’ttellyou!"

           "Oh,Meggie!Yeoflittlefaith!Youcantellmeanything,anythingunderthesun.That’swhatI’mherefor,that’swhyI’mapriest.IamOurLord’schosenrepresentativehereonearth,IlistenonHisbehalf,IevenforgiveonHisbehalf.And,weeMeggie,thereisnothinginGod’suniverseHeandIcannotfinditinourheartstoforgive.Youmusttellmewhatthematteris,mylove,becauseifanyonecanhelpyou,Ican.AslongasIliveI’lltrytohelpyou,watchoveryou.Ifyoulike,asortofguardianangel,betterbyfarthanthatchunkofmarbleaboveyourhead."Hetookabreathandleanedforward."Meggie,ifyouloveme,tellme!"

           Herhandsgrippedoneanother."Father,I’mdying!I’vegotcancer!"

           Firstcameawilddesiretolaugh,agreatsurgeofuproariousanticlimax;thenhelookedatthethinblueskin,thewastingofherlittlearms,andtherecameanawfullongingtoweepandcry,screamofitsunfairnesstotheroofofheaven.No,Meggiewouldn’timaginethisoutofnothing;therehadtobeavalidreason.

           "Howdoyouknow,dearheart?"

           Ittookheralongtimetosayit,andwhenshedidhehadtobendhisheadrightdowntoherlipsinanunconsciousparodyoftheconfessionalpose,handshieldinghisfacefromhereyes,finelymodeledearpresentedforthesullying.

           "It’ssixmonths,Father,sinceitstarted.