hes, went to
confession, and did not fall asleep during sermons. Everybody believed
what the priests told them and were as good as it was possible for
human beings to be. So, the priests had no real incentive to work, no
evil to fight.

Then why the prohibition against alcohol?

"_Sacre Bleu!_" groaned Father Jules. "Drink as much as I did last
night and you'll find out. Never again, I say. Ah, there's another
bottle, hidden by a providential fate under my traveling robe. Where's
that corkscrew?"

Father Jules swallowed half of the bottle, smacked his lips, picked up
his Skin from the floor, brushed off the dirt and said, "I must be
going, my sons. I've a noon appointment with the bishop, and I've a
good twelve kilometers to travel. Perhaps one of you gentlemen has a
car?"

Rastignac shook his head and said he was sorry but their car was tired and
had, besides, thrown a shoe. Father Jules shrugged philosophically, put on
his Skin and reached out again for the bottle.

Rastignac said, "Sorry, Father. I'm keeping this bottle."

"For what?" asked father Jules.

"Never mind. Say I'm keeping you from temptation."

"Bless you, my son, and may you have a big enough hangover to show you
the wickedness of your ways."

Smiling, Rastignac watched the Father walk out. He was not
disappointed. The priest had no sooner reached the huge door than his
Skin fell off and lay motionless upon the stone.

"Ah," breathed Rastignac. "The same thing happened to Mapfabvisheen
when he put his on. There must be something about the wine that
deadens the Skins, makes them fall off."

After the padre had left, Rastignac handed the bottle to Mapfarity.
"We're dedicated to breaking the law most illegally, brother. So I'm
asking you to analyze this wine and find out how to make it."

"Why not ask Father Jules?"

"Because priests are pledged never to reveal the secret. That was one
of the original agreements whereby the Church was allowed to remain on
L'Bawpfey. Or, at least that's what my parish priest told me. He said
it was a good thing, as it removed an evil from man's temptation. He
never did say why it was so evil. Maybe he didn't know.

"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that the Church has
inadvertently given us a weapon whereby we may free Man from his
bondage to the Skins and it has also given itself once again a chance
to be really persecuted and to flourish on the blood of its martyrs."

"Blood?" said Lusine, licki