# In the Service of Mystery (Pt. 6)

Author: CofEFur
Tags: Canine, Clean, Lynx, Plot Development, Stag

#6 of In the Service of Mystery

Father Francis finds out more about Reverend Cormack's war experiences.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; They both nodded.&nbsp; In an unguarded moment, I realised that for the first time ever, I had actually used Dean Grayson's Christian name.&nbsp; I gathered myself and took Harry to my car.&nbsp; Minutes later we were heading back home.&nbsp; We drove home in silence, Harry very quickly falling asleep.

The following morning, I was woken by the sunlight streaming through my kitchen window.&nbsp; Last night, I had settled Harry in my guest bedroom and had gone downstairs to try and make sense of what my friend was going through.&nbsp; At some point, I must have fallen asleep on the hard wooden chair and slept through the night.&nbsp; I attempted to straighten up, but all this achieved with a pained yelp on my part and a feeling like I had caught my tail in a vice.&nbsp; Very slowly, I levered myself out of the chair and began to potter about the kitchen.&nbsp; The clock radio on the worktop switched on as 6 a.m. came round, so I sat with a cup of coffee to listen to the news.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Above me, I could hear Harry stirring.&nbsp; He had always been an early riser and I was glad that the experience of the previous day had not completely removed the Harry Cormack that I knew.&nbsp; A few moments later, Harry poked his head around the door.&nbsp; He smiled faintly and sniffed at the aroma of coffee.&nbsp; He still looked tired, but it was good to see him smile.

'Morning, Nerd.'&nbsp; He said quietly, 'Do you think you might spare some coffee for me?'

'Sure.'&nbsp; I replied.&nbsp; I waved at him to sit down and fished a mug out of the cupboard.&nbsp; I placed the mug and coffeepot in front of him and shunted the milk jug and sugar bowl across the table to him. &nbsp;I noticed that as he poured his coffee, his paw visibly shook.

'Do you want some breakfast?'&nbsp; I asked.

Harry granted a yes at me from the depths of his mug.&nbsp; I put out my meagre selection of breakfast items on the kitchen table.&nbsp; I wasn't much of a breakfast eater, so I always felt a poor host in the mornings.&nbsp; Harry looked at my offering and grunted again.

'How about we go out for breakfast?'&nbsp; I asked, 'There's a lovely café over in Amblehead that does good cooked breakfasts.'

'Yeah, sure.&nbsp; I could go for a fry up.'&nbsp; Said Harry.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I took this as a good sign.&nbsp; Ever since I had known him, Harry had been a fiend for cooked breakfasts.&nbsp; On feast days at seminary we would have a cooked breakfast and somehow Harry always managed to be first in the queue; and go back for seconds.

'Good,' I said, 'I'll just changed into some reasonable clothes and we'll go.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It wasn't something I cared to admit, but I used to spend my time at home in tatty shorts and faded convention T-shirts.&nbsp; It was also my firm belief that no one should see their parish priest in a shirt that said "_Anskar's RPGSoc: Sleep, Game, Repeat_" on it.&nbsp; As I got up, I noticed that Harry was looking at his own clothes - the black suit he had been wearing since yesterday was rumpled and covered in dust.

'Nerd,' he said, 'Do you think I could, you know, borrow something else to wear?'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I nodded and went to find a shirt and some jeans for him.&nbsp; Thankfully, we were both of the similar height.&nbsp; Once I had changed, I sat in the hall to wait for Harry.&nbsp; As he walked down the stairs, I realised that I had overlooked something: although we were of a similar height, Harry actually had muscle tone; whereas I was quite scrawny.&nbsp; A muscle tone similar to boiled string, Harry said.&nbsp; He was struggling valiantly with the collar on the shirt I had lent him.

'Blast it,' I heard him mutter, 'I'll just leave the dratted thing undone.'

He looked up as he reached the bottom step and said:

'Thanks, Nerd, but I'm not sure that I could ever get this collar closed.'

I smiled and replied:

'I think you're entitled to not be immaculately turned out once in a while.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He smiled back, the tip of his tail curling up as it did whenever he thought something was funny, but only just funny.&nbsp; We left the house and drove off.&nbsp; The Amblehead Road skirted the edge of the Oxfold Estate before crossing the river and climbing up the wooded hillside.&nbsp; I had always thought the woods to be very pleasant, the ancient oaks and elms cast the road in a cool, green light.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We drove in silence, the only sound in the car with Harry drumming his claws lightly on the dashboard.&nbsp; Amblehead sat on the crest of a hill, it was a pretty town that had grown up around Amble Castle.&nbsp; We wound through the cramped streets and I parked on the marketplace.&nbsp; We got out of the car and crossed the road to the Castle View Café.&nbsp; The café was just being opened for the day.&nbsp; Inside we could see its owner bustling around.&nbsp; She was an elderly Airedale terrier with a permanent look of disappointment on her muzzle.&nbsp; The bell above the door tinkled as we entered.&nbsp; Without looking round the terrier said:

'Take a seat, love, I'll be with you in a moment.'

We sat down at one of the little Formica topped tables in the café's window.&nbsp; I looked through the menu while Harry watched the town slowly come to life as its inhabitants began their days.&nbsp; A few minutes later the owner came up to our table brandishing a notepad and a pen like they were weapons of war.

'What'll it be?'&nbsp; She asked.

'Could I have the eggs Benedict and a pot of tea?'&nbsp; I said.

'Full breakfast please.'&nbsp; Said Harry, 'And a glass of orange juice.&nbsp; Thanks.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The terrier nodded appreciatively at Harry's order and shot me a glance as if to say that I didn't take breakfast seriously enough.&nbsp; She bustled off and from the kitchen came the clanking of pots and pans.&nbsp; This was accompanied by a muffled 'Eggs Benedict, well!'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I looked at Harry and said:

'How are you, Harry?&nbsp; Yesterday came as a shock to me and to Bishop George as well.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Harry looked at me and in his eyes I saw a deep sadness.&nbsp; I wondered how long he had been carrying such a burden.

'Yeah, sorry.'&nbsp; He replied, 'it's just... Just.&nbsp; It's just that I had thought that the guilt would fade.&nbsp; Those lads were my responsibility and I let them down in the worst way possible.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I opened my mouth to say something, but Harry held up a paw.

'No,' He continued, 'Don't say it.&nbsp; I know what the court of enquiry said.&nbsp; It doesn't change the fact of what happened.&nbsp; The enquiry report didn't say what I told them.&nbsp; It's not wrong, just cold, clinical.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'We were a little way up that road.&nbsp; I was in the front-most vehicle.&nbsp; I was supposed to be checking the terrain so that we could get some heavy stuff up to that village - they wanted a forward operating base there or something.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'They attacked us with mortars.&nbsp; The first I knew was when the vehicle behind me flipped over as the first shell hit.&nbsp; It seemed to happen in total silence: there was a red-black rose of fire that seemed to bloom on one side of the tank; and then it just rolled over.&nbsp; Then, I heard the blast.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'You know, I found myself mesmerised by the swirling cloud of dust that the mortar shell had kicked up.&nbsp; I came to my senses and started barking orders, trying to get us into a position where we could fight back.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'I remember how the trees seemed to be pressing in around us, as if the forest itself seemed to want to get in our way.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'That first shell was a ranging shot.&nbsp; They must have had spotters in the trees near the road, because the next attack was heavy and accurate.&nbsp; I couldn't make out the individual explosions, there was just a solid wall of noise.&nbsp; There was a constant flaring and roiling of fire.&nbsp; All I could do was watch as the flames engulfed the last tank in our convoy.&nbsp; Strangely, my memory from there is silent - just images.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'I saw how my own vehicle was hit.&nbsp; How it rocked away from the blast.&nbsp; I felt myself being thrown clear.&nbsp; And, I saw how the tank landed on its turret - trapping my crew inside.&nbsp; I watched as a machine designed to protect its crew became their coffin.&nbsp; I watched as the last shell dropped, its blast pushing my tank up the hill.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'I lay there and watched as my consciousness faded away.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'I woke up three days later in a field hospital.&nbsp; I had been found by the rescue patrol that had been sent out when my unit failed to make contact.&nbsp; I was the only survivor and had been shipped back to our operational headquarters.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 'The medics had operated on me for ten hours.&nbsp; They said that they had to remove 50 pieces of metal from my body and reattach the tip of my left ear.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Harry returned to silence.&nbsp; I stared at my paws on the table-top, I was amazed.&nbsp; As far as I knew, Harry had never told anyone about the attack; except for his official report to the court of enquiry.&nbsp; The little café seemed dark and grim to me, as if touched somehow by the horrors that Harry had endured.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The gloom was broken by the return of the terrier bearing a tray with our breakfasts on it.&nbsp; The contents of the tray were placed on the table and of the terrier disappeared back into the kitchen.&nbsp; Harry chased a piece of mushroom around his plate with his fork.

'Ten years,' He said, 'Ten years have passed, but I still see that forsaken place every time I close my eyes.'

He sighed and stared out the window.

'I shouldn't have lumbered you with this, Francis.'&nbsp; He said.

'Harry,' I replied, 'I've known you for eight years now.&nbsp; I don't know what to say or do - I can't make it better, but whenever you need to talk, you know I'm ready to listen.'

I paused for a moment and then added:

'Also, it sounds weird when you call me Francis.'

Harry snorted and grinned at me.&nbsp; There was a brief flash of the Harry Cormack I knew, a glimpse of his sense of humour.

'Yeah, sorry, Nerd.'&nbsp; He replied and then glanced out the window again.

'Do you know that stag?'&nbsp; He said, 'Only he keeps waving at us.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I looked at Harry askance.&nbsp; Then, I looked out of the window and saw that there was indeed a red deer stag waving his hoof at me.&nbsp; I gazed blankly at the stag for a second, then I stared at Harry.

'Oh, heck.'&nbsp; I said, 'That's Mike Buck, I went to university with him; or in spite of him.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Harry laughed at this, causing the café owner to poke her head out of the kitchen to tut at such behaviour.

'Oh look, he's coming over.'&nbsp; Said Harry, a grin covering his features.&nbsp; Although I was dreading seeing Mike Buck again, that smile was a gladdening thing.&nbsp; I knew that, at least for the moment, Harry was back to his former self.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The shop bell tinkled as Mike Buck walked in.&nbsp; He was a tall red deer stag with surprisingly short antlers and a physique that spoke of more than just average exercise.&nbsp; In one hoof he carried a black briefcase, and with the other he pointed at me.

'Good grief,' He boomed, 'Nerdy Francis Shepherd!&nbsp; What are you doing here?'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Buck grabbed a chair and dragged it up to our table and sat down heavily.

'Hi!'&nbsp; He said to Harry, 'Mike Buck, I'm the manager of the Equine Savings Bank over the way.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Harry took the proffered hoof and suppressed a wince as Buck shook it and tried to crush Harry's paw.

'This is Reverend Harry Cormack.'&nbsp; I said, 'He's a friend of mine.'

'Reverend?&nbsp; You're a padre then?'&nbsp; Said Buck, 'So, how'd you know the IT department then?'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I cringed to hear that nickname again.&nbsp; I had hated it at university and it didn't sound any better now.&nbsp; Harry gingerly extracted his paw from Buck's grip.

'We trained together,' said Harry, 'I met Father Francis at seminary.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At this I took some joy in the confusion that Buck found himself in. &nbsp;I shouldn't have taken pleasure in it, but it was rare to see Mike Buck lost for words.&nbsp; Buck stared at me.

'You're a priest?'&nbsp; He said.

'Yes,' I replied, 'And, I think you're moving into my parish.'

This confused Buck even further, so I added:

'I bumped into Laura yesterday afternoon.&nbsp; She is teaching at the school in the village.&nbsp; Congratulations on the wedding by the way.'

'Well, err, thanks.&nbsp; I'd better be going.'&nbsp; He said.

And with that Buck left the café and walked slowly over to the bank.

'Now, that was interesting.'&nbsp; Said Harry.

'Yeah,' I replied, 'I'm his vicar and he's my bank manager.'

'Tell all, Nerd, I'm dying to hear.'

'After I've paid.&nbsp; I'd rather not discuss it in public, I know you too well.'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I could sense Harry's impatience to hear what I had to say the way back to the car.&nbsp; I also knew that he was never going to let me forget my experiences of Mike Buck at Anskar's.&nbsp; Nevertheless, I hoped it would help Harry to just be Harry for a while.&nbsp; Once we got back into the car I fixed Harry with my most piercing look.

'Harry,' I said, 'I want you to promise that this doesn't go any further.&nbsp; I managed to avoid this all coming out at seminary and I don't want the entire diocese to know.'

'I promise, I promise.'&nbsp; Said Harry, holding up his paws.

'Good.'&nbsp; I said, 'Mike Buck and I really didn't get on at university.&nbsp; He used to play rugby for the Varsity side and he was after a girl I liked.&nbsp; I never told her that I felt that way about her and, well, now she's married to him.&nbsp; Anyway, Mike Buck made my life a living hell, or tried to, the last time I met him he tried to glue my tail to a bench in a bus stop.&nbsp; And once, he chased me three times around the entire campus.'

I had to stop as Harry was doubled up with laughter.&nbsp; We drove home.&nbsp; I knew that my efforts weren't much, but, as we travelled along, I was aware of Harry relaxing.&nbsp; For now, I thought, his horrors were passed.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By the time we arrived home it was as if the old Harry had never left.

'Do you remember that time when I got Brian Strix to climb the West Front of the cathedral with me?'&nbsp; Harry asked.

'Oh yes.'&nbsp; I replied, 'Until then I didn't know that owls could get vertigo.&nbsp; What was that for?'

'Mission Aid Week, I think.&nbsp; Didn't old Father Lutra put a ban on me doing things for sponsorship after that?'

'Well,' I replied, 'You did get Brian stuck halfway up the cathedral._&nbsp; And_ you had to carry poor Helen Mustela back from your "sponsored walk" which sounded more like a forced march to me.'

'Oh, yeah.&nbsp; How are they doing, do you know?'

'Helen is teaching and working as a school chaplain.'&nbsp; I replied.&nbsp; 'And, I think that Brian is a missionary somewhere.'

'What?&nbsp; Brian?'&nbsp; Said Harry, 'I thought he couldn't be more than half a mile from a posh supermarket without feeling ill.'

'Yeah,' I laughed, 'Look it's my day off today and you're supposed to be having a break from parish life, I thought we could go to look at the ruins of an old Abbey that is not too far away.'

'Okay,' Replied Harry, 'What's got you interested in archaeology all of a sudden?'

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I explained to Harry the gist of Anna's story.

'... So, I thought it would be interesting to check it out.'&nbsp; I finished.

'That sounds good.'&nbsp; Said Harry, 'with my parish work, I don't think I've done any walking pleasure in an age.'

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/J1OlXlXe
Part of the series In the Service of Mystery
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