The Physiognomy by Jeffrey Ford Read Free Book Online Page B

felt like flesh. Did I ever think of biting it? Even having only heard of it, did you not already think of biting it? Everyone here wanted it. But as long as we left it alone, the power of that combined desire kept us on the path of righteousness. Now we are heading for a blizzard of sin.”
    â€œDid anyone show a particular interest in it?”
    â€œOne or two,” he said.
    â€œWho took it?” I asked.
    He slowly shook his head. “For all I know demons swept down one night from out of the wilderness and crept into the altar chamber while I was sleeping.”
    â€œI’ve heard a lot of talk recently about an Earthly Paradise. Can you tell me exactly what that is?”
    Garland pinched his nose with the fingers of his left hand and then sank into a pose of deep thought. Arla leaned forward in her seat, waiting for him to speak.
    â€œThe Earthly Paradise, your honor, is the one small spot in this enormous world where nature has made no mistakes. It is God’s last best work before he was buried alive. It is a place that accommodates all sin and all glory and turns them drop by drop into eternity.”
    â€œGod was buried alive?” I asked.
    â€œEvery day we dig closer to him,” he said.
    â€œWhat will happen when we get there?”
    â€œWe will have reached the beginning.”
    â€œOf what?” I asked.
    â€œThe beginning of the end.” He sighed when he was through and looked over to smile at Arla. She smiled back and he said, “Tell your mother thank you for that whipped tadberry pie.”
    â€œYes, Father,” she said.
    â€œI hear from the mayor that your dog was recently taken by a demon,” I said.
    He nodded sadly. “Poor Gustavus, probably rent to pieces by a pack of the filthy creatures.”
    â€œCan you describe it?” I asked.
    â€œIt was as Arla’s grandfather said, like the way you always supposed a demon would look. It left a strange smell behind as I saw it flapping away.”
    â€œDid it have sharp nails?” I asked.
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œWhat do you think I mean?”
    â€œI think you are equating me with the demon in some way because of my nails,” he said, never losing his composure. “I keep them sharpened in order to pull out splinters like the one now lodged in my heart.”
    â€œI’ve got a pair of chrome tweezers you can use,” I said. Then I turned to Arla and asked her to leave the room. “The Father and I have personal business we must discuss.”
    When she was gone, I told Garland I would need his church in which to perform my investigations of the townspeople.
    â€œYou mean they will disrobe in my church?” he said, standing.
    â€œThat is the procedure,” I said. “You will be on hand to keep the crowd orderly and silent.”
    â€œImpossible,” he said, and took a step toward me, thrusting out those two little hands as if he intended to use them.
    â€œEasy, Father,” I said. “I’d hate to have to enlighten you.”
    Then he grimaced, and I noticed his front teeth had also been sharpened. He was turning red in the face and shaking slightly. I put my hand in my coat pocket and around the handle of my scalpel.
    â€œGrace is God’s lantern.” He grunted, and instantly he began to relax. He stood very calmly for a few moments.
    I nodded. “You can see this is better,” I said.
    â€œCome with me, your honor. I have something here that will interest you,” he said. He walked over to the wall behind his desk and gave it a gentle push. A door swung back behind which I could see a flight of stairs leading down. He stepped through and then began to descend. “Come, your honor,” he called back weakly.
    My first thought was that he meant to ambush me in some dark alleyway underground, but I followed, one hand on the railing and one in my pocket on the scalpel. I had decided that with the first pass of