"Mom, we're home."
Hayes said softly, then turned around and carried the other person behind his back. Mrs. Lardy also lay on his back obediently and began to whisper Remember what happened in the days after "he" left.
As for Hayes, he returned steadily step by step back to the way he came. On the way, he noticed that the top of the metal rod in the scavenger's hand actually had an eagle emblem. He had not looked carefully before, and added The eagle emblem was so rough and ugly that he thought it was just a piece of scrap metal. Generally, the person holding the eagle emblem staff had only one identity.
“I forgot to ask, what is your name?”
“Just call me Campane.”
"Do you live here too?"
The scavenger carrying a heavy baggage gasped and tried hard to answer Hayes' question.
“Ah, yes, I came to this place ten years ago, and I have been here ever since.”
Hayes looked at the other person’s neck, and could vaguely see a pendant, but Can't see what it is.
“You must be very religious.”
"Ah? Ha, yes, because I am a priest. By the way, you are here to deliver Peak's relics, right? Would you like to go back to the church with me? I want to say the last requiem mass for his soul."< br>
When the other party said that he was a priest, Hayes was also very surprised. This was so different from the image of a state church priest he had seen.
“Ah, of course.”
“Let’s go this way.”
Then the four of them followed Campane to a fork in the road, passing through several small tribes of scavengers. As he arrived, Hayes saw many people saying hello to Campane.
It was obvious that he was well-loved by the inhabitants of this abandoned place.
Not long after, Hayes saw a house standing among the ruins. This could hardly be called a church. Although it tried hard to create an atmosphere consistent with a church, the house was made of broken canvas. The spire and the walls made of scrap iron plates and stone slabs made it not fundamentally different from the surrounding rags. When he got closer, Hayes could even see some fist-sized cracks in the walls, allowing him to see the internal conditions. , and the door of the church is also made of wooden boards and scrap iron, and it looks like it was "hardly made".
Beside the door, there is a bronze bell hanging, or most of it, because a considerable part of the bronze bell is missing.
Pushing open the creaking door, Campane put down the garbage bag behind his back. Only then did Hayes realize that the other person was actually taller than him when he straightened his back, but years of labor were inevitable. It gave the priest a curve in his spine.
Looking around, there are only broken benches and chairs in the main hall of this church. At the end is the pulpit, which is also piled up with scrap wood. The candlesticks are all old black iron products, also in the bottom nest, and Compared with the magnificent church in Linhu Town, this place is extremely miserable.
Behind the podium, it should be said that there should be an icon of the emperor, and it was the same here, but I have to say that although it is a bit ungodly, Hayes thinks it is really funny.
The head and body of this imperial elephant obviously come from two different statues. It is obviously a little bigger in head and smaller in body, like a big-headed doll, and the body part is obviously incomplete, so it can only be used in various ways. Scrap materials were used to fill it. In addition, according to the seniority, this holy elephant should still be holding a sword in his hand, but the sword is unknown and can only be replaced by a metal beam. The final icon is more like a beggar and a scavenger than an emperor. It has no majesty or sanctity, but for some reason, in Hayes's eyes, it is worse than those statues decorated with gold and jewels. , more like a "person".
"Sorry, wait a moment, it is a sacrament after all, I need to clean up first."
When Campane turned and walked towards the back hall, Hayes also Putting Mrs. Russ on a chair and taking a look at the other party's scarred feet, he directly tore off his wind-proof scarf and wrapped the other party's feet.
After a while, Campane walked out. He put on a simple gray robe. In fact, using "simple" to describe this piece of washed and faded fabric is a bit overrated, but compared to what he wore before It has gotten much better, and the dirt on his face and hands has also been wiped away, revealing a face that is full of weather and wrinkles, but not actually old. His hands are thick and big, and the knuckles are swollen. Covered with calluses, Hayes knew that these were the hands of a coolie.
He never thought that such a hand would appear on a priest of the state religion.
And only then did he notice that after removing the burden and tattered robes, the priest had an obvious lameness when walking, and his left leg was unnatural.
After Campane came out, he also brought clean water to Hayes and others. However, Hayes did not drink it. Instead, he wet the remaining scarf with water and wiped Mrs. Rath’s face and hands. Wipe away all the dirt on it.
And his two wives also opened the lunch box that Campane prepared for Mrs. Rath, and found that although it was very low-grade and cheap synthetic protein starch and a little bit of animal meat, but in this The bottom nest was already rich, so the two of them took a spoon and carefully mixed it with water and fed it to Mrs. Russ.
As the minister began to light the nearly burnt candles in the menorah with a match, Hayes walked up to him.
"Pastor Campane, why are you here?"
Campanet just smiled, lit the candle and said:
"Why not Come?”
“Uh, I mean”
"I understand what you mean. In this place that has been abandoned by everyone, it seems that no more 'identified' people should appear, but what about the people here? Everyone has a reason to abandon this place and abandon these desperate people. , but only we can’t, we are hope, we are salvation, no one should be abandoned by the God Emperor.”
As he said, the priest straightened up and looked at Hayes.
"This is the first lesson I learned in seminary."
"Seminary"
Hayes didn't know much about the state religion, but hearing the name he thought It was a very noble place.
Then, the pastor twisted his left leg and walked to the other side, taking out half-burned incense from a small box. It can be seen that he is usually a very economical person.
“I have always been a rebellious student in the eyes of my teachers, but my grades are still pretty good. If nothing else happens, after graduation I may be able to study in a certain place in Zhongchao or Shangchao. Counting donations, starting from a servant in the gorgeous and glorious cathedral, doing homework day after day, eating grain bread sent from the distant world, drinking pure water, tasting rose sugar, and Isn’t it a comfortable life to drink wine occasionally during the celebration, hoping that some old immortal above will suddenly die and then take over?”
After thinking for a while, Hayes nodded silently? nod.