Michael corners Silas in the mill’s blast furnace. The demon offers one final temptation: kill him and the town stays dead. Spare him, and the children return, but Silas walks free.
Fifty-three people. Including Mrs. Czernin, who brought me homemade pierogies every Thursday and never once asked why I smelled like whiskey at 10 a.m. Including Deacon Roy, who had Parkinson’s and still managed to ring the bell with his forehead when his hands failed. Including Maria.
I’ve been worse. CATASTROPHIC PRIEST (100,000 words) combines the theological horror of Midnight Mass with the grim, propulsive violence of Hellboy and the psychological ruin of First Reformed . It asks: What does a holy man do when he realizes that holiness is a lie, but love is not?
