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"The blood is not there nor the body either." The priest paused and looked to see who had spoken. "You do not have the authority," Emmanuel said. And, upon saying that, he turned and walked out of the church. Elias found him in their car, listening to the radio. "You can't do that," Elias had said as they drove home. "You can't tell them things like that. They'll open a file on you and that's what we don't want." He was furious. "I saw,"Emmanuel said. "It was a wafer and wine only." "You mean the accidents. The external form. But the essence was-" "There was no essence other than the visible appearance," Emmanuel answered. "The miracle did not occur because the priest was not a priest." They drove in silence after that. "Do you deny the miracle of transubstantiation?" Elias asked that night as he put the boy to bed. "I deny that it took place today," Emmanuel said. "There in that place. I will not go there again." "What I want," Elias said, "is for you to be as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove." Emmanuel regarded him. "They killed-" "They have no power over me," Emmanuel said. "They can destroy you. They can arrange another accident. Next year I'm required to put you in school. Fortunately because of your brain damage you won't have to go to a regular school. I'm counting on them to-" Elias hesitated. Emmanuel finished, "-Consign anything they see about me that is different to the brain damage." "Right." "Was the brain damage arranged?" "I- Perhaps." "It seems useful." But, he thought, if only I knew my real name. "Why can't you say my name?" he said to Elias. "Your mother did," Elias said obliquely. "My mother is dead."
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