بخش 07

And this, the parson would not allow.

The parson had two daughters who were the light of his life.

He was a caring, loving father who’d have done anything for their sake.

But one day, both little girls were struck by a terrible sickness, and nothing the parson did helped.

No cure from the more modern doctors, no prayer, nothing.

There was no choice but to approach the apothecary.

‘Will you not help my daughters’, the parson begged.

‘Will you not save two innocent girls?’

‘Why should I’, said the apothecary.

‘You have driven away my business with your preachings and you have refused me the yew tree, my best source of healing.’

‘You may have the yew tree’, said the parson.

‘I will preach sermons in your favor.’

‘I will do anything if you would only save my daughters.’

‘You would give up everything you believed in’, said the apothecary.

‘If it would save them, I would give up everything.’

‘Then there is nothing I can do to help you.’

The very next day, both of the parson’s daughters died.

What?

That night, I came walking.

Good! He deserves all the punishment he gets!

Indeed.

It was shortly after midnight that I tore the parson’s home from its very foundations.

The parson? What are you talking about?

The apothecary’s the evil one.

He was greedy and rude, but he was still a healer.

The parson? What was he?

A man of faith without faith.

Belief is half of all healing.

Belief in the cure, belief in the future that awaits.

Your belief is valuable, so you must be careful where you put it, and in whom.

Tell me, Conor O’Malley.

What shall I destroy next?

What?

It is most satisfying, I can assure you, Come on! Tell me! What should I destroy?

Snap the chimney?

The chimney!

Next!

Throw away their beds!

Smash the furniture!

Break the windows!

Windows.

Break them yourself.

C’mon!

Harder, Conor O’Malley! Come on!

Harder!

That’s it, that’s it!

Yes!

Feels good, doesn’t it?

Yes!

Grandma.

Grandma.

Grandma.

Grandma, please.

Grandma.

How do you like them sunny side up?

What are you doing here?

What do you think?

Grandma called very early this morning.

She’s gone to the hospital to see your mum.

She has had a bad turn.

I need to see her.

We’ll see what happens today and maybe you can visit for a little while this afternoon.

I can see how upset you are.

I didn’t mean to.

I don’t know what happened.

Worse things happen at sea.

What does that mean?

Aren’t you going to punish me?

What could possibly be the point in that?

I gotta say, champ, this is really just amazingly thorough.

Buried treasure!

These must be those.

The home movies your mum used to send to me when I moved away.

Why did you move away?

We were young.

Too young. We had big dreams, and

What kind of dreams?

Well, your mum wanted to go to Art college.

Really?

Yeah.

She didn’t go, but she wanted to.

What happened?

Because Mum got pregnant with me.

Hey.

Mum never regretted having you.

You were only ever good news.

And I know that for a fact, because the one thing she regretted was marrying me.

Why did she marry you, then?

Because I’m handsome.

Your mum was amazing, and she still is.

And we were in love.

I mean, I still love her.

But, you see, the.

Love isn’t enough.

It doesn’t carry you through.

So, you didn’t get happily ever after.

No, but that’s life, you know?

Most of us just get messily ever after.

That’s alright.

But I’m happy you turned out like her.