"You don't," Carlos warned. "Look, I am really not in a good mood, so I suggest you get out of my way and let me go downstairs in peace."
Father Patrick quietly chuckled and lowered his weapon. "Oh, yeah... he ate in the woods, and has not breached his promises to the Covenant."
Carlos gave the seer cleric a hard look and brushed past the others that had blocked his lair entrance. Once the door slammed shut, the stunned clerics gathered around Father Patrick.
"How can we be sure? He may have - "
The old seer held up his hand, cutting off Asula's question. "He is angry, surly, very agitated."
"Yes, and - "
"Lin... a man who has just feasted well, and sated his other desires, is generally not in such a bad mood."
Lin bowed with a wide grin. Asula nodded, chuckled, and walked away. Father Patrick sat down heavily in an overstuffed armchair and closed his eyes. Padre Lopez's gaze shot around the room.
"But... I don't understand?"
"Just stay out of his way."
"But - "
"Son, unlike the rest of us," the old priest sighed, "you took the vow very early... You will never totally understand his agony. Be thankful. You are blessed."
Chapter Seven
"Hold up, everybody," JL said, his tone cautious. He glanced around the team, and everyone just nodded. "Got four monks, or priests... but they're warm bodies incoming. Think it's our old crew from the tunnel battle."
Marlene just stood and nonchalantly went to the door. But her expression was beyond concerned; it was pained. She turned to Damali and shrugged. "The Covenant."
"What's the Covenant doing here? I don't like it." Damali looked at Marlene hard, then toward the computer screens for a moment. It was them, sure enough. The old guy in blue Templar knight robes who reminded her of a lean, silver-haired version of Rider, was with Big Mike's practical double, save the Muslim white garb and machete, plus Monk Lin was with them, donning his traditional brown robes that looked like burlap... and they had a new, young, Latino priest with them who could be mistaken for a teenager. "We're tight with them and everything, but generally they call first. What do you think they want?"
"They want to bring a word."
"A word?"
"Oh, boy! Here we go!" Rider shook his head.
"Rider, shut up," Marlene said with a weary tone.
Big Mike nodded at Shabazz, who passed the nod to JL and Jose. Dan shook his head.
"Crossbows and weapons up, gentlemen," Mike intoned in his drawl.
"Roger that," JL replied. "Got a cold body reading on screen one, though."
"Mar, JL's got a cold body reading, and you all are just sitting there? Open the freakin' door, let the clerics in, and man your battle stations, people!"
She almost had a heart attack when JL hit the lights, and her crew nonchalantly stood, weapons in hand, but with relaxed stances. Marlene had flung the door open wide like it was a summer day, and was passing out hugs to the four guys who entered. Beyond flipping out, Damali watched her team exchange male hug-back-slaps with the Covenant team, and noticed that all UV in the weapons room were doused.
"All clear?" JL asked the oldest-looking cleric who wore blue robes.
The Templar knight glanced around. "Yes. I believe so."
"Okay, okay," Damali said, walking in a circle around the oddly assembled team. "Father Patrick, Imam Asula, Monk Lin, and Padre... I'm sorry but - "
"Oh, Damali, this is Padre Lopez. He's new to our team."
The shy, young cleric smiled and fingered the sword that he was obviously very unused to handling. "Hi."