He went into the sacristy, removed his alb and carefully folded his violet stole. He reached for his raincoat, debating the virtues of an early night, but compassion and Christian charity won the day as usual. Eighteen patients at the moment, seven of them terminal. A last round of the rooms wouldn’t come amiss. He hadn’t visited since early afternoon and that wasn’t good enough.
He went out of the chapel and saw the Mother Superior, Sister Maria Palmer, mopping the floor, a menial task designed to remind herself of what she saw as her greatest weakness: the sin of pride.
Father Martin paused and shook his head. ‘You are too hard on yourself.’
‘Not hard enough,’ she said. ‘I’m glad to see you. There’s been a development since you were here earlier. They’ve given us a German prisoner of war again.’
‘Really?’ They walked out of the chapel into the entrance hall.
‘Yes, a Luftwaffe officer, recently wounded, but well on the way to recovery. A Colonel Kurt Steiner. They’ve put him on the top floor like the other ones we’ve had.’
‘What about guards?’
‘Half a dozen military police. There’s a young second lieutenant called Benson in charge.’
At that moment Jack Carter and Dougal Munro came down the main staircase. Sister Maria Palmer said, ‘Is everything satisfactory, Brigadier?’
‘Perfectly,’ Munro said. ‘We’ll try to inconvenience you as little as possible.’
‘There is no inconvenience,’ she said. This, by the way, is Father Martin, our priest.’
‘Father,’ he said and turned to Carter. Til be off now, Jack. Don’t forget to get a doctor in to check him over.’
Sister Maria Palmer said, ‘Perhaps it was not made clear to you that I am a doctor, Brigadier. Whatever Colonel Steiner’s requirements are I’m sure we can take care of them. In fact now that you’re finished, I’ll visit him to make sure he’s settled in properly.’
Jack Carter said, ‘Well actually, Sister, I’m not too sure about that.’
‘Captain Carter, let me remind you that this Priory, of which I am in charge, is not only a house of God, it is a place where we attend to the sick and the dying. I have seen Colonel Steiner’s medical record and note that it’s only been a matter of weeks since he was gravely wounded. He will need my attention and as I note from his record that he is also a Roman Catholic by religion, he may also need the ministrations of Father Martin here.’
‘Quite right, Sister,’ Munro said. ‘See to it, Jack, will you?’
He went out and Carter turned and led the way up the stairs. There was a door at the top, heavily studded and banded with steel. An MP sat at a small table beside it.
‘Open up,’ Carter told him. The MP knocked on the door which was opened after a moment by another MP. They passed inside. Carter said, ‘We’re using the other rooms as billets for the men.’
“So I see,’ Sister Maria Palmer said.
The door to the first room stood open. There was a small desk beside a narrow bed and the young lieutenant, Benson, sat at it. He jumped to his feet. ‘What can I do for you, sir?’
‘Sister and Father Martin have access whenever they require it. Brigadier Munro’s orders. We’ll talk to the prisoner now.’
There was another MP sitting on a chair outside the room at the far end where the passage ran into a blank wall.
‘God help us, you’re guarding this man well enough,’ Father Martin said.
Benson unlocked the door and Steiner, standing by the window, turned to greet them, an impressive figure in the blue-grey Luftwaffe uniform, the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves at his throat, his other medals making a brave show.
Carter said, ‘This is the Mother Superior, Sister Maria Palmer. You didn’t get a chance to speak earlier. And Father Martin.’
Sister Maria Palmer said, ‘Tomorrow, I’ll have you down to the dispensary for a thorough check, Colonel.’
‘Is that all right, sir?’ Benson asked.
‘For goodness’ sake, bring him down yourself, Lieutenant, surround him with all your men, but if he’s not in the dispensary at ten, we’ll have words,’ she told him.