Father Nishi sat outside of the Bishop's office, waiting in the hall. He could hear the Bishops' voice through the closed door, but couldn't quite make out the words. Not that it mattered much. He knew his time here was quickly coming to a close. He just wished it didn't have to end this way.

"Nishi?" the Bishop shouted. Father Nishi rose, opened the door and entered the Bishop's office.

"Yes, your Excellency, " Father Nishi said. He started towards the Bishop to kneel and kiss his ring.

The Bishop motioned for Father Nishi to take a seat in one of the maroon, leather chairs facing the desk instead. Father Nishi paused, then sat on the edge of the chair. No reason to get comfortable, he thought to himself. This likely won't take long.

The Bishop glanced down at the file folder which laid open on the desktop, then shook his head. "I'm sorry to say this," the Bishop began, then paused. "Actually, I'm not sorry to say this. As a matter of fact, I'm somewhat pleased." The Bishop leaned forward. "You're out of here, Nishi. I just cleared it with HR. You are now officially a priest without a diocese."

Although the news wasn't unexpected, Father Nishi still was taken back. "You mean you aren't going to transfer me? To another diocese?"

The Bishop grinned. "No, Nishi, I'm not." He sat back in his chair. "At your age, you're just a liability. No one wants an old priest. Frankly speaking, I don't think any other Bishop would want to put up with you either. You're a relic, Nishi, like the bones of those saints you hold in such high regard."

Father Nishi remained silent.

"And while I don't like to speak ill of the dead," said the Bishop, continuing, "perhaps my predecessor in office erred in sending you back to Rome for training. He should have kept you here, rather than in the stuffy halls of the Vatican. This is the 21st Century, not the 16th," he added, dryly.

Father Nishi's back still felt the tenderness from last night's lashing. The Bishop's words reminded him of his time at the Regina Apostolorum, where he had been trained in the old ways, the forgotten gifts of fasting, self-denial and mortification. It was there that he also had learned how to discern spirits, how demons fit into Catholic theology, and how the devil gained power over people's minds and hearts. Father Nishi's mistake was in overlooking the fact that such training would not be appreciated, valued or even wanted back in the modern world which figured every ill could be cured by a pill or, worse yet, was something one should be proud of.

The Bishop glanced at his watch. "Any questions?"

Father Nishi shook his head, then stood. "No, your Eminence. I understand." He started for the door, then paused. "May I have your blessing?"

The Bishop looked surprised for a moment, then nodded. He raised his hand, "May the blessing of the Lord our God be upon you as you find your way in the world, and may His light shine through you, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

"Amen," replied Father Nishi, signing himself.

"Don't forget to close the door behind you," added the Bishop.

As he packed his meager belongings, he tried to think of a place where he could go. All his friends were either dead or not really friends anymore. He had no family, or at least none which wanted an old priest around. He shook his head as he looked around the room. One nice thing about a vow of poverty, he thought, is that it doesn't take you long to pack your stuff.

Father Nishi hailed a cab. When asked by the driver where to go, Father Nishi merely replied, "take me to the place that needs me the most."

Three hours later the cab pulled into Hathian.