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THE JESUIT STOOD TALL looming above him. The Novice lay naked and shivering on the cold stone. The Jesuit’s fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of a sword, he pressed the sharp pointed end into the naked skin just above the heart of the young man, applying enough pressure to pierce the flesh. A trickle of blood first beaded then began to roll down the well-formed pectorals and over the ridges of the Novice’s abdomen. The Jesuit watched as the blood flow continued trailing down the Novices upper thigh, then down his leg over the powerful calf muscle. The Jesuit was in awe of this Novice. He was a perfect specimen of a man and would be a perfect warrior for God.
The sharpened metal edges of the hilt cut into the Jesuit’s hand, as he wrapped his fingers tightly around the crucifix that formed the hilt of the hammered iron sword.
It had been many months since a novice of this caliber had obtained the right to move from the lowest of classes in the Society to the Professed. Once the Novice was confirmed into the ranking of the Professed, he would take his place among those in the Society, and among those who knew the secrets and the holy power of the Society.
“My son, heretofore you have been taught to act the dissembler,” The Jesuit spoke softly. “To spy even among your own brethren. To believe no man. To trust no man, so that you might be enabled to gather together all information for your Order as a faithful soldier of the Pope.”
The Jesuit leaned into the hilt of the sword sending the point deeper into the Novice’s chest. Blood now ran freely, puddling into the outer edges of the cross that had been chiseled into the stone floor, and above which the Novice stood.
“You have been taught to insidiously plant the seeds of jealousy and hatred. You have the power to ensure that only the Church might be the gainer and that the end justifies the means.” The Jesuit pulled the sword out and slightly away from the Novice’s heart, and then allowed it to slowly drag along his chest and stomach scratching a line of blood down to the Novice’s genitals. He held the sword there for several minutes, the sharpened edge of the blade just touching the base of the Novice’s penis, poised to slice into the organ or to cut off the sack of testicles that hung below. A slight twitch in the Jesuit’s hand and the penis would be amputated.
The Novice stood absolutely still, staring directly into the eyes of the Jesuit.
The Jesuit relaxed his grip on the sword and it fell to the cold stone floor causing a spark to flare up.
“Kneel.”
The Novice knelt without hesitation, his knees straddling the cross carved into the stone, so that his testicles and penis hung at the apex of the now blood-filled indentation.
“You have received your instructions and must now serve the proper time using your body and soul as both the instrument of death and the executioner. This you must do as directed by your superiors. For none can command here who has not consecrated his labors with the blood of a heretic. For without the shedding of blood, no man can be saved.” The Jesuit’s voice trembled. “Do you now declare and swear that his holiness, the Pope, is Christ’s Vicegerent and is the true and only Head of the Church throughout the earth? And by the power of Jesus Christ, he hath the power to depose heretical kings, princes, states, commonwealths, and governments, as all are illegal without the sacred confirmation of the Lord?”
“It is my obedient obligation,” the Novice said, head and eyes down.
“Do you now renounce and disown any and all allegiance?”
“It is my obedient obligation.”
“Do you declare that you will assist your brethren or any agent of his Holiness in any place and for whatever reason?”
“It is my obedient obligation.”
“Do you further declare that you shall have no opinion or will of your own, and that you will be submissive in all things commanded?”
“It is my obedient obligation.”
The Jesuit’s voice rose and echoed in the empty chamber. “To your feet Novice.”
The Novice pulled himself up from the floor, his skin sticking to the cold stone by his own drying blood.
“You stand here naked before God,” The Jesuit said handing a parchment to the Novice. “Take this and read it so that God and all of mankind may hear.”
“In confirmation,” The Novice’s raspy voice grew louder with every breath, “I hereby dedicate my life, soul, and all of my powers. And with this sword, that I will now receive, I shall scribe my name, written in my blood, in testimony.”
“Go ye then into all the world, and take possession of all the lands in the name of the Pope. He who will not accept him, the Lord Jesus, let him be exterminated.” The Jesuit bent down, picked the sword up, and turning the blade to his own heart, and the hilt to the Novice said, “Will you do that?”
The Novice took hold of the hilt. “I will,” he said, eyes closed head held high.
A breeze quickly began to make its way around the chamber, as if a door had been opened. It circled the chamber throwing a shivering chill into the air.
The Novice opened his eyes and looked around the darkened chamber, expecting that someone must have entered. Instead, when his gaze returned to the spot where The Jesuit stood, found that it was empty.
The Jesuit was gone.
Only the Novice remained. He stood in the dark, sword in hand and God’s commandment in his heart.