Blood and Honor (Honor Bound 2)

"

You were baptized here into the Roman Catholic Church," Welner said. "So far as we're concerned, you're a Roman Catholic."

"So far as I'm concerned, Father, I'm not."

"Would it offend you if I continue to think of you as a Christian? There is even some talk in Rome that Anglican holy orders are valid."

"You can think of me any way you want to. Father."

Welner smiled and nodded.

"You made Father Denilo happy when you approved of the arrangements he made. Your approval is very important to him. I know he would like to stay on here at Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo. He's been here for almost thirty years."

"What have I got to do with him staying on or not?"

"In one sense, nothing. He is a diocesan priest, assigned here on the sole authority of his bishop. On the other hand, if it came to his bishop's attention that the Patron of Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo wished that Father Denilo was assigned elsewhere, I'm sure the Bishop would consider that the Patron of Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo provides-I would guess-somewhere be-tween forty and fifty percent of his budget."

" 'Money talks,' huh? You sound like my grandfather."

"Should I take offense at the comparison? Your father was not an admirer of your grandfather, of whom he often talked."

"No offense was intended. I'm very fond of, greatly admire, my grandfa-ther."

I even admire his capacity to hate, his ruthlessness. So what does that make me? A chip off the old blockhead?

"Your father described him as a hardheaded man who saw things only in black and white. Which could have been a description of himself."

Clete chuckled.

"Where are you assigned, Father? I guess I'm asking how come you were my father's priest... what did you say, 'his confessor'?"

"I'm a member of the Society of Jesus."

"A Jesuit?"

Welner nodded. "I am educated in the law, canonical and temporal. I teach in Buenos Aires, at the University of St. Ignatius of Loyola. We're not really as bad, as Machiavellian, as we are sometimes painted. Mr. Frade."

"What makes you think I think you're Machiavellian?" Clete asked with a smile.

"Your eyes. When your mouth said 'Jesuit,' your eyes said, 'OK, that ex-plains everything.'"

"Am I that transparent?"

"You are your father's son, Mr. Frade. You are no more opaque than he was. And I was his friend-as well as his confessor-for many years."

"You said you wanted to talk to me. What about?"

"I am, of course, first and foremost a priest. I thought I might be of some service under the circumstances. How are you handling your father's death, for example?"

"Frankly, Father, with a good deal of anger."

"The classic dichotomy between the 'eye for an eye' of the Old Testament and Christ's admonition to 'turn the other cheek' in the New."

" 'Thou shalt not murder,'" Clete quoted.

" 'Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord,'" Welner responded.

"How did we get into this?" Clete asked.