The Divine Inquiry

[Mongrel]

Prior Hivarin sat quietly until the Council was ready for his business. When his name was called, he rose, quietly. His sandled feet carried him before the Governor and his Council. He cleared his throat and spoke, his voice rich and sure, but not like that of a stump-standing preacher.

"Lord Governor, Lords and Ladies of the Council, I have been instructed to deliver unto you this Bull of Pontifex Elian, Holy God Bless Him and Keep Him. I have been instructed to read it and then surrender it to you. The priory has its own copy of the document."

Hivarin broke the wax seal, bearing the sigil of the Pontifex. He unrolled the parchment and began to read.

"Elian, Pontifex, Servant of the servants of God, for the eternal remembrance.

"It has indeed lately come to Our ears, not without afflicting Us with bitter sorrow, that in some parts of Northern Trae Kelsa, as well as in the provinces, townships, territories, districts, and dioceses of Myrken Wood, Heath, and Derry, many persons of both sexes, unmindful of their own salvation and straying from the One True Faith, have abandoned themselves to devils, demons, witchery, and warlockery, and their incantations, spells, conjurations, and other accursed charms and crafts, enormities and horrid offences, have slain infants yet in their mother's womb, as also the offspring of cattle, have blasted the produce of the earth, the grapes of vine, the fruits of trees, nay, men and women, beasts of burthen, herd-beasts, as well as animals of other kinds, vineyards, orchards, meadows, pasture-land, corn, wheat, and all other cereals; these wretches furthermore afflict and torment men and women, beasts of burthen, herd-beasts, as well as animals of other kinds, with terrible and piteous pains and sore diseases, both internal and external; they hinder men from performing the sexual act and women from conceiving, whence husbands cannot know their wives nor wives receive their husband; over and above this, they blasphemously renounce that Faith which is theirs by the Rights of God, and at the instigation of the Enemy of Mankind they do not shrink from committing and perpetrating the foulest abominations and filthiest excesses to the deadly peril of their own souls, whereby they outrage the Divine Majesty and are a cause of scandal and danger to very many. And although Our dear son Tomias Gestahl and daughter Madeline Graf, Professors of Theology, of the Order of Tulans Preachers, have been by Letters Apostolic delegated as Inquisitors of these heretical pravities, and still are Inquisitors, the first in Amasynia and the second in certain territories which lie along the borders of the Sibon River, nevertheless not a few clerics and lay folk of those countries, seeking too curiously to know more than concerns them, since in the aforesaid delegatory letters there is no express and specific mention by name of these provinces, townships, dioceses, and districts, and further since the two delegates themselves and the abominations they are to encounter are not designated in detailed and particular fashion, these persons are not ashamed to contend with the most unblushing effrontery that these enormities are not practiced in those princes, and consequently the aforesaid Inquisitors have no legal right to exercise their powers of inquisition in the provinces, townships, dioceses, districts, and territories, which have been rehearsed, and that the Inquisitors may not proceed to punish, imprison, and penalize criminals convicted of the heinous offences and many wickednesses which have been set forth. Accordingly in the aforesaid provinces, townships, dioceses, and districts, without open danger to the souls of many and peril of eternal damnation.

"Wherefore We, as is Our duty, being wholly desirous of removing all hinderances and obstacles by which the good work of the Inquisitors may be let and traded, as also applying potent remedies to prevent the disease of heresy and other turpitudes diffusing their poison to the destruction of many innocent souls, since Our zeal for the Faith especially incites us, lest that the provinces, townships, dioceses, districts and territories of Holy Office thereto assigned, by the tenor of these presents in virtue of Our Apostolic authority We decree and enjoin that the aforesaid Inquisitors be empowered to proceed to the just correction, imprisonment, and punishment of any persons, without let or hindrance, in every way as persons and their crimes in this kind were named and particularly designated in Our letters. Moreover, for greater surety We extend these letters deputing this authority to cover all the aforesaid provinces, townships, dioceses, districts, and territories, persons, and crimes newly rehearsed, and We grant permission to the aforesaid Inquisitors, to one separately or to both, their notary, or to any other public notary, who shall be by them, or by one of them, temporarily delegated to those provinces, townships, dioceses, districts and aforesaid territories, to proceed, according to the regulations of the Inquisition, against any persons punishing, as their crimes merit, those whom they have found guilty, the penalty being adapted to the offence. Moreover, they shall enjoy a full and perfect faculty of expounding and preaching the word of the One True God to the faithful, so often as opportunity may offer and it may seem good to them, in each and every parish church of the said provinces, and they shall freely and lawfully perform any rites or execute any business which may appear advisable in the aforesaid cases. By Our supreme authority We grant them anew full and complete faculties.

"At the same time by Letters Apostolic We require Our venerable Brother, Prior Lucent Hivarin, that he himself shall announce, or by some other or others cause to be announced, the burthen of Our Bull, which he shall solemnly publish when and so often as he deem it necessary, or when he shall be requested to do by the Inquisitors or by one of them. Nor shall he suffer them in disobedience to the tenor of these presents to be molested or hindered by any authority whatsoever, but he shall threaten all who endeavor to hinder or harass the Inquisitors, all who oppose them, all rebels, of whatsoever rank, estate, position, preeminence, dignity, or any condition they may be, or whatsoever privilege of exemption they may claim, with excommunication, suspension, interdict, and yet more terrible penalties, censures, and punishment, as may seem good to him and that without any right of appeal, and if he wills he may be Our authority aggravate and renew these penalties as often as he list, calling in, if so please him, the help of the secular arm, which by order of the Crown as needed will be charged with assisting this Our order."

Prior Hivarin cleared his throat and looked at the Council.

"The Lord and Lady High Inquisitors should be here within the week."

He awaited their reply.