Рита Браун - Cat's Eyewitness

As the women examined the base of the statue, the huge boulder on which it was placed, and the area around it, they couldn't even determine where Brother Thomas's body had been found, because the fierce winds and snow squalls at this altitude swept away any depressions in the snow, depositing yet more snow.

"You say you can see everything when you fly? Did you see Brother Thomas's body?"

"Of course."

His mate lifted off the branch, landing gracefully on Mary's outstretched hand. "We saw everything," she boasted.

"What do you mean?" Tucker's ears pricked up and her mouth opened slightly, revealing strong, big fangs as white as the snow.

"Hour after twilight, and we, well, we live right over there." She indicated a knarled old walnut, big knobs on the sides. "Dark as pitch, snowing again, and we heard an odd sound, so I looked out and there he was"

"Came up to pray?" Tucker sat down, the snow cold on her tailless bum.

"I think so" she answered.

"Poor fellow must have had a heart attack, then froze to death." Tucker felt sorry for the old man, although perhaps dying in front of the Blessed Virgin Mother provided a comfort of sorts.

"Oh, no," the cardinal said. "No. He was praying. We snuggled back down but heard footsteps. Brother Thomas, being human, couldn't hear them in the snow. We roused ourselves in time to see what we could, but the flakes were flying; big ones, too, and thick. Someone snuck up behind him, put his right hand on Brother Thomas's mouth, and held him down with his left hand pressing on Brother Thomas's shoulder."

"What?" Tucker barked louder than she'd intended.

"It was hard to see; the snow swirled around. He bent next to the monk, then sort of arranged him back in his praying posture. Killed him, sure as shooting."

"Could you see his face?"

"His hood and cowl covered it," the female cardinal, who was a brownish chartreuse color with darker, reddish tinted wings and tail feathers, informed Tucker.

"A monk murdered another monk." Tucker thought this especially horrible.

"A man murders another man." The male cardinal hopped down to sit next to his mate. "When humans deny their essential natures, they get twisted."

"Yes, I agree, but I don't think murder is part of their essential nature."

"Ha!" He lifted his head back, emitting a warble. "They kill deer, they kill pheasants, they kill whales and dolphins, they kill lions and tigers, and they kill one another morning, noon, and night. All they do is kill."

"My best friend doesn't kill ."Tucker stubbornly defended Harry.

"She's a woman. Women don't go about killing things. The men do. I tell you, they live to kill." The cardinal noticed six goldfinches talking with animation to one another down in the old holly bushes.

"I don't believe that." Tucker wasn't rude, but she wasn't going to agree with something she found erroneous or wrong. "Most of them want to live and let live; the ones who don't cause all the trouble. And I don't see there's much we can do about it."

"That's true," the female cardinal replied.

"Are there odd things that happen up here? I mean, apart from Brother Thomas being murdered?" Tucker asked.

"Oh, my, yes" the female said, her voice dipping down.

"Not everyone in Holy Orders is holy," the male said. "They drink and smoke and take drugs." He opened his wings. "You'd better get out of here."

As the birds flew off, Tucker turned and inhaled deeply. Three other humans were coming on up; she could just catch their warm lanolin scent weaving over the frigid air, bright like a ribbon.

Alicia touched Harry's arm. "I don't think we're going to find anything."

BoomBoom spied the Brothers Frank, Andrew, and Mark before Harry saw them.

"Harry," Brother Frank called out.

"Oh, shit," Harry muttered under her breath.

15

The passing of Brother Thomas affected the three monks. It was assumed he died of natural causes. He was, after all, long in the tooth. If the cardinal could have communicated with these men, Brother Andrew would have performed an autopsy. Since the body wasn't embalmed, the deceased was buried quickly, with all the proper rites.

"What are you doing here?" Brother Frank angrily asked Harry as his eyes swept over the other two women.

"I came to see the Blessed Virgin Mother's tears." She told a half truth as Tucker sat protectively on her right foot, never taking her eyes off the three monks.

"Death from the ankles down" was Tucker's motto.

"The front gate is locked. How did you get in here?" Brother Frank's face reddened from emotion and the cold.

"Walked," Harry simply replied.

"Heavy going." Brother Andrew noted that all three women appeared in remarkable glowing health. He half-smiled. "Those media vultures can't come in the back way. 'Course, the camera is heavy, but they aren't up to the trek."

"We're country girls." BoomBoom hoped to defuse the situation. "And we are sorry to disturb you. Harry was the first person to see this phenomenon. We wanted to see for ourselves."

"This is the Miracle of the Blue Ridge." Brother Mark's eyes moistened. "Our Lady sends her love to us and she weeps for us. Her tears will wash away our sins."

"You are in no position to declare miracles," Brother Frank snapped, a wisp of gray hair escaping from under his hood.

"I'm not declaring anything." Brother Mark exhibited a rare streak of defiance. "Our Lady stands before us and we can't deny her tears."

"That's enough." Brother Frank raised his voice, which prompted Brother Andrew to lightly place an ungloved hand on the treasurer's shoulder.

"You're right, Brother, but this is so unusual we are each reacting in our own way." He turned to Brother Mark, smiled kindly at him, and then addressed Alicia, whom he recognized. "It's one thing to come through the snow and cold out of curiosity, but perhaps you have other reasons?"

"Do you know anyone who couldn't benefit from prayer?" Alicia did have her reasons. She was falling in love and not at all certain she wanted to do that, because, in her life, love upended everything.

"No," Brother Andrew warmly replied. He was not immune to her beauty nor to BoomBoom's.

"We're sorry we disturbed you," Alicia said. "But I must say, the sight of her tears is deeply moving."

"Yes." Brother Andrew smiled again.

"The love of Our Lady is available to anyone who prays to her. These external manifestations are"—Brother Frank searched for the word—"fripperies."

"That's not true!" Brother Mark blurted out, his hand gripping the rope tie at his waist. "This is a sign from—"

Brother Frank held up his hand as if to strike the impertinent pup, but stopped midair. "Haven't we endured enough without your extravagant outbursts?" He then grabbed Brother Mark's sleeve. "There's revelation and there's reason. Try using a little reason. You can't go declaring miracles."

Brother Andrew chimed in. "He's right. I'm not saying that Our Lady isn't reaching out to us, but we must be prudent and responsible in how we share this."

"Why? Channel Twenty-nine has already been here." Brother Mark didn't have the sense to shut up.

Brother Frank raised an eyebrow, stared directly at Harry. Her returning stare told him what he already knew. She'd kept her promise. "Did you really come to see her again?"

"Yes." Harry wavered a second. "Yes, I did, and I thought if we came up through the woods we wouldn't disturb anyone. And, I confess, I know that Brother Thomas was found, frozen, praying in front of this statue."

Brother Andrew sharply jerked his head in her direction. "How did you know that?"

"Susan Tucker. Brother Thomas was her great-uncle on her mother's side, the Bland Wades. The family was notified of his death. You knew they were related, didn't you?"