Free Bad Catholics by James Green

not a group of bandits. Everything will be properly done. May we go to your office? My sergeant will take the men and look over the school and see what we require.’
    She turned and walked towards the school. ‘Come with me, please.’
    The captain motioned to a sergeant who in turn began to give orders to the men. Captain Nduma went with Sister Philomena to her office, where he took off his cap.
    â€˜May I use your desk, Sister?’
    This was not what she had expected. His correctness unnerved her.
    â€˜Of course.’
    Captain Nduma went to her chair, put his peaked cap on the desk, undid his belt, and put his holster next to his cap. Sister Philomena noticed that the holster flap was undone.
    â€˜Will you have a chair, Sister?’
    She brought a chair from a corner of the room and sat down, facing him.
    â€˜Is your school well equipped?’
    â€˜Yes, I think so, all things taken into account.’
    Captain Nduma smiled again.
    â€˜Everything is always taken into account. You understand, we will have to take many things. We have a wide area to cover and we must be as well equipped as possible to round up the insurgents.’
    â€˜Insurgents? There are no insurgents here.’
    â€˜Indeed, Sister? You sound very sure. Is that because you have specific information?’
    She recognised at once her incaution.
    â€˜No, I have no specific information, no information at all. I don’t know anything about insurgents.’
    â€˜So often, people tell me that they know nothing at all about insurgents, assuring me that there are none in their district. They fail to see the essential inconsistency of that position. That is because they are not educated people like you and I.’ His smile disappeared and his voice changed. ‘If you know anything, Sister, it would be better to tell me now. If you do know anything, you will certainly tell me before I leave.’
    â€˜Is that a threat, Captain?’
    She was trying hard to get the headmistress into her tone.
    Captain Nduma smiled again.
    â€˜Very much so, Sister. Would you like me to give you some demonstration of just how much a threat it is?’
    He pulled his automatic from its holster and laid it in front of him. The Sister and the headmistress both disappeared at once and Philomena, the frightened, powerless woman, was in their place.
    â€˜No, I need no demonstration.’
    In the pause that followed, she became aware of a confused noise beyond the office door, bangs and crashes and, further off, screams.
    â€˜What is happening, Captain?’
    She had stayed voluntarily. Now she must do her duty. If she had nothing else, she still had her duty. She was a professed Sister and knew and respected the discipline of her order. Her voice now carried some authority, without confrontation but also without fear. She had a right and a duty to ask. She asked again. Captain Nduma fingered his pistol and kept his eyes on her. He was thinking, making a decision. Then he made up his mind.
    â€˜My men are taking what we need, everything else will be rendered useless. Nothing,’ he continued pointedly, ‘will be left which might give aid or comfort to the enemy, nothing at all.’
    She understood perfectly.
    Suddenly the door burst open. It was the young Sister. She was breathless.
    â€˜They’re breaking everything, everything, and taking everything they don’t break. They say they’ll take the girls when they go.’
    Sister Philomena stood up. The sergeant appeared in the doorway, casually pointing his automatic rifle in their general direction.
    The young Sister came to the desk and faced the captain.
    â€˜Make them stop. You can’t do this.’
    Captain Nduma picked up his pistol and shot her once through the face. The noise of the shot exploded off the concrete walls and filled the room. Philomena was only vaguely aware of the way the young nun’s head was thrown back, pulling her whole body