"I say this," The Ancient One continued, "on August 4th, 1986, one Jefferson Young came to this man and confessed to him that he had murdered one of my children because she was practicing pagan rights. This priest gave him absolution and told him to do nothing like this again and kept what he had been told a secret, even when he heard reports of my daughter's death, which had been brutal and cruel. Six months later the same man came to this priest again and admitted that he had murdered yet another of my daughters. Again, the priest did nothing! Six months later again, the man came to him a third time and told him that he had murdered one of my daughters, and again the priest did nothing! Six months later the man tried to kill yet another of my daughters. But this time an off duty police officer happened by to visit her, and the man was stopped before he could complete his effort. He was pursued and finally captured. When he came to trial the priest defended him, even knowing he had been guilty of the other three murders. The man was convicted but given a light prison sentence. Fortunately he tried to attack one of my sons in prison and this time was killed. I bring two charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder against this individual, for by keeping his silence he caused two of my daughters to be killed when he could have prevented it."
The Ancient One stepped back. "What say you on this matter?" Peter asked the priest.
"This information was given to me in the confessional," the priest answered. "I cannot violate the sanctity of the confessional. No matter how much I would like to reveal some things, God forbids me. I am sanctified by the church to give absolution. I had hoped that this man would stop this practice, I begged him to seek help, but I could do nothing else and not violate my priestly vows." Peter sighed and shook his head. "Do you really think," he asked, "that God gives you the power to forgive murder? The folly of man! Their utter ignorance! The blood on your hands cannot be washed away. You permitted murder. If you had spoken in time two lives could've been saved. The ignorance of what you have been taught should have been obvious to you. Demetrius, did this man that he forgave make large donations to the church?"
"No," Demetrius answered, "but his mother did. And when her son was convicted she moved away and it became very difficult for his church to continue. The reason for his silence was obvious"
Peter nodded again. "There is no place for you," he finally announced, "in The Kingdom Of God! I order you be taken to The Gate and never be allowed to enter in again."
"No!" the man who had been defending the priest cried, "What about all the good he did? Those women haunted him the rest of his life. He prayed constantly for forgiveness! I ask that they be requested to give their pardon, to give mercy, and the good father be allowed to work out his debt."
"What say you on this, Demetrius?" Lord Peter asked.
"No pardon will be given," he answered, "no forgiveness considered because he still feels justified. In his soul he says 'They were heathen, they were not of God. Their punishment was justified.' We will give no pardon!"
"My judgment stands!" Peter snapped. "Cast him out! God will not condone murder!"
Demetrius fetched his crown and accompanied the party to The Gate. Those with the priest still wailed bitterly. The priest was put outside The Gate.
"Remove the protection of God from him!" Demetrius ordered.
The Keeper Of The Gate did so. The priest cried out, covered his eyes and fled into the Darkness. The Ancient One grabbed Esther's shoulder and carried her with him. They stayed close enough to observe the priest. He was wailing and crying and screaming "They were heathens! They were heathens! They were not of God!" Suddenly he began to pat himself as if he was trying to put out an invisible fire. Slowly what appeared to be flames began to come out all over his body. The priest began to swell like an over filled balloon. He shrieked and shrieked "No! No! No!" Suddenly he burst apart. Fragments flew off into the Darkness and one by one went out. Esther clung to The Ancient One.
"My God!" she cried, "My God! I've heard it described, but to see it, to actually see it! It's horrible! Why did you bring me here? Why did you make me see this?"
"So you can bear witness," The Ancient One answered, "so you will know in your soul what my greatest power is, so you will understand how wrong what they do is! He was basically a good man, but that insanity destroyed him! If he could've accepted the wrong that he did he would have survived, but he believed that God would permit him to justify murder. He believed that God gave him that power. He let those women die believing he was justified. Was he right? Was what he did right?"
"Of course not!" Esther moaned, "Of course not! You're right! The system's wrong. It needs to be fixed but there could have been some mercy, there could have been some pity."
"Come on!" The Ancient One sighed, "I'll take you home."
The Ancient One returned to his body. "How did it go?" Jesus asked.
"As expected," The Ancient One answered, "as expected! We've lost another one. But it couldn't be helped. Some things cannot be tolerated, some things cannot be allowed."
"Absolutely!" Jesus agreed, "Absolutely!" He left The Ancient One's body and The he went back to work.

THE END