the nuns. 'Get away! I want out of here,' yelled Eli as Ignatius came nearer.
'Calm down,' said the priest.
'Open this door!' said Eli. He picked up a heavy piece of plaster statue that had been kicked along by the feet of the mob and raised it threateningly. 'Don't come any closer! Just open this door!'
Ignatius stopped and raised his palms. 'All right,' he said. 'Calm down.'
One of the nuns cried out and came running up to Ignatius. She had found the sister the man had tried to strangle. 'It's Sister Angelica!' she cried. 'She’s been badly injured.’
Ignatius turned towards Eli. 'You?' exclaimed the priest.
'No, it was one of the men. I tried to stop him but he had the strength of ten men.'
Ignatius put his hand to his forehead in frustration. 'God, what a mess,' he exclaimed. He seemed unsure what to say or do next. The nun who had brought the news seemed to find his indecision infectious. She exchanged anxious looks with the others.
'I think you’re lying,' said Ignatius, looking at Eli. He turned to the nuns. 'He's lying, sisters. He’s the one who attacked Sister Angelica.'
Eli felt all eyes turn towards him. 'Nonsense. I tried to protect her! I can even point the man out to you . . .'
Eli’s voice trailed off as Ignatius started to move towards him again. He raised the plaster he was still holding but the threat didn't work. In a desperate bid to attract outside attention, he turned and threw the plaster at a small window high up on the wall beside the door. The glass broke and he started yelling for help at the top of his voice.
Ignatius quickly overpowered him and smothered his cries for help by pushing a piece of cloth into his mouth. Stroud prepared an injection and jabbed it into his right buttock, straight through his jeans. Eli tried fighting against the feeling of tiredness that swept over him like a blanket of fog but it was a lost cause.
'We must inform the authorities, Father,' said one of the nuns, ‘and call an ambulance for Sister Angelica.’
'No, Sister,' replied Ignatius firmly, Dr Stroud will look after her. We really must think of the consequences for our work here. We don’t want the police involved.'
‘ But surely it’s our duty . . . ’
Ignatius held up his hand. ‘No, Sister, I’ve decided.’
'What is to happen to him?' asked another of the nuns, clearly unhappy with the situation and looking down at Eli.
'He can help us with our work,' said the priest.
A sudden loud banging came to the front door. It was accompanied by the bell being pulled vigorously. 'Open up in there!'
Ignatius snapped out of his preoccupation and took a moment to compose himself before replying. 'We are an enclosed religious order. Please leave us in peace.'
Open up! We heard cries for help and there's broken glass all over the place out here. I order you to open up!' There was more banging on the door. It sounded like rifle butts.
'One moment.'
Ignatius hesitated as long as he could before opening up the door to two Israeli soldiers, who entered, looking about them warily. Their automatic weapons were held on shoulder slings, barrels dipped just below the horizontal, but their fingers were on the triggers.
'We had a small disturbance,' said Ignatius, his thin lips doing their best to effect a smile. 'One of our patients became disturbed. We are a hospital and sometimes our patients do get a little excited: they are not always responsible for their actions, poor souls.'
'A hospital?' repeated one of the soldiers, taking in everything around him. 'What kind of hospital?'
Ignatius tapped his temple. 'For unfortunates,' he replied.
'It says nothing outside about this being a hospital,' said one of the other soldiers.
'It is only recently that we saw the need to take in such people,' replied Ignatius. It sounded weak and he knew it. He tried to add substance by adding, 'Our order demands that we be flexible and do what God tells us to whenever and wherever we are needed.’
The soldiers
'Calm down,' said the priest.
'Open this door!' said Eli. He picked up a heavy piece of plaster statue that had been kicked along by the feet of the mob and raised it threateningly. 'Don't come any closer! Just open this door!'
Ignatius stopped and raised his palms. 'All right,' he said. 'Calm down.'
One of the nuns cried out and came running up to Ignatius. She had found the sister the man had tried to strangle. 'It's Sister Angelica!' she cried. 'She’s been badly injured.’
Ignatius turned towards Eli. 'You?' exclaimed the priest.
'No, it was one of the men. I tried to stop him but he had the strength of ten men.'
Ignatius put his hand to his forehead in frustration. 'God, what a mess,' he exclaimed. He seemed unsure what to say or do next. The nun who had brought the news seemed to find his indecision infectious. She exchanged anxious looks with the others.
'I think you’re lying,' said Ignatius, looking at Eli. He turned to the nuns. 'He's lying, sisters. He’s the one who attacked Sister Angelica.'
Eli felt all eyes turn towards him. 'Nonsense. I tried to protect her! I can even point the man out to you . . .'
Eli’s voice trailed off as Ignatius started to move towards him again. He raised the plaster he was still holding but the threat didn't work. In a desperate bid to attract outside attention, he turned and threw the plaster at a small window high up on the wall beside the door. The glass broke and he started yelling for help at the top of his voice.
Ignatius quickly overpowered him and smothered his cries for help by pushing a piece of cloth into his mouth. Stroud prepared an injection and jabbed it into his right buttock, straight through his jeans. Eli tried fighting against the feeling of tiredness that swept over him like a blanket of fog but it was a lost cause.
'We must inform the authorities, Father,' said one of the nuns, ‘and call an ambulance for Sister Angelica.’
'No, Sister,' replied Ignatius firmly, Dr Stroud will look after her. We really must think of the consequences for our work here. We don’t want the police involved.'
‘ But surely it’s our duty . . . ’
Ignatius held up his hand. ‘No, Sister, I’ve decided.’
'What is to happen to him?' asked another of the nuns, clearly unhappy with the situation and looking down at Eli.
'He can help us with our work,' said the priest.
A sudden loud banging came to the front door. It was accompanied by the bell being pulled vigorously. 'Open up in there!'
Ignatius snapped out of his preoccupation and took a moment to compose himself before replying. 'We are an enclosed religious order. Please leave us in peace.'
Open up! We heard cries for help and there's broken glass all over the place out here. I order you to open up!' There was more banging on the door. It sounded like rifle butts.
'One moment.'
Ignatius hesitated as long as he could before opening up the door to two Israeli soldiers, who entered, looking about them warily. Their automatic weapons were held on shoulder slings, barrels dipped just below the horizontal, but their fingers were on the triggers.
'We had a small disturbance,' said Ignatius, his thin lips doing their best to effect a smile. 'One of our patients became disturbed. We are a hospital and sometimes our patients do get a little excited: they are not always responsible for their actions, poor souls.'
'A hospital?' repeated one of the soldiers, taking in everything around him. 'What kind of hospital?'
Ignatius tapped his temple. 'For unfortunates,' he replied.
'It says nothing outside about this being a hospital,' said one of the other soldiers.
'It is only recently that we saw the need to take in such people,' replied Ignatius. It sounded weak and he knew it. He tried to add substance by adding, 'Our order demands that we be flexible and do what God tells us to whenever and wherever we are needed.’
The soldiers
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