The small apartment that served as his haven was very spartan. The flickering lightbulbs had been switched off and the only light was one of those small bookmark lamps clipped on this older copy of the Testament. Father Cordwood meditated on it's teachings while he thought of this situation.

The situation was not swirling around the drain, yet. Father Nathanial was full of what could, at best, be described as impractical ideas. Sister Mariel seemed unsuited to the task of fighting off demons. Paladin Wells showed promise, but he did not know how best to use her. Mother Superior provided her own difficulties, he did not want to rely on the Elder, because it would be far too easy to let that grow into a weakness. The Lancea et Sanctum did not need her, and if she remained there was the very real risk that she could take over. Elders were tricky like that.

What he needed was someone that he knew. Someone that, if he could not trust, then someone that he could at least know what to expect of. This person, ideally, would know something of the trials that they faced now, so the information that Mother Superior could gather could be looked at with two pairs of eyes.

Hrm...