."

"It was quite similar to the raid in which Captain Cortin was attacked.
The church was full of schoolchildren and their teachers; there were no
survivors."

Odeon crossed himself, feeling sick. Schoolchildren in church, staff
and patients in a convalescent hospital-- "What next?"

"Only the Brothers know," Illyanov said grimly. "But I would be
extremely surprised if they plan to attack anyone who can defend
themselves. Nor do they seem amenable to persuasion, which leaves no
alternative: they must be eliminated."

"Now that I could enjoy," Cortin said consideringly. "I could enjoy it
a lot."

"I am sure you will have the opportunity," Illyanov said. "Perhaps
Captain Odeon will as well, if he is a specialist and has adequate
personal grievance."

"I do. I'm a specialist, yes, a Tracker. The grievance I'd rather not
talk about, except to say it gives me a good reason to go after
Brothers. Any idea when this group will go public? Because I plan to
apply for it as soon as I can."

Illyanov shrugged. It wasn't hard for an experienced Inquisitor to
read Odeon's expression, and from that deduce his grievance; the
question was whether Colonel Bradford would consider it sufficient.
"The timing I can only guess at, Captain. I have heard no rumors on
that subject."

"Living in the capital, though, you'd have a feel for it; what's your
best guess?"

"Until recently, I would have said the next time the Brothers made a
particularly abhorrent raid, but that would have been the hospital one.
I still believe it will be tied to such a raid, though it now appears
there is at least one additional criterion. The most likely is that
the unit does not yet have sufficient personnel, but it could be any
number of other possibilites; I simply do not know."

Odeon nodded. "Makes sense--but that could be months, at their current
rate. If I see him before that, I'll try to apply then."

"There is one other item of interest," Illyanov said as they drove into
the Detention Center compound and toward the gray, windowless main
building. "That is that many of the new unit's members supposedly
either have been or will be given full Holy Orders. I find this
plausible, since such a force will of necessity spend much time in
remote areas where priests are extremely rare." He paused, then said
thoughtfully, "I think that a wise decision, if only for reasons of
morale. A civilian priest would find it difficult if not impos