‘It was Father Green, a young fellow not ten years older than myself, who counselled me. He told me to have a good look at the world, before I gave it up. There was a sadness in him. I’ve wondered since what became of him. He had the makings of a Cardinal, or a renegade.’

‘Renegade’s the word they use,’ Gentrey said, ‘for such as open their eyes and use the minds God gave them.’