Deliver us from Evil by Tom Holland Page A

Captain Foxe's resolve. It appeared, from Sir Henry's report, that several of his farmhands had been recruited by the Hall, tempted by the promise of abundant rewards - for the men who had driven the carts there had been paid with bags of coins, and Sir Henry knew this to be true, for he had seen the money with his very own eyes. Captain Foxe's questioning of them had not been welcomed; nor his warning that they should keep away from the Hall. For what was such advice, Sir Henry asked, when set against the promise of further gold?
    Captain Foxe brooded on this question. He did not care to think that men he had always known, men from his own village, might so easily be bought; and yet in his heart he could not be surprised, for he was a militiaman and had seen repeatedly in the course of his investigations how life was but a highway through Vanity Fair, in which the lure of money was hard to resist. Such greed, he had always believed, would bring its own punishment; yet Captain Foxe dreaded to think what the lure of Wolverton gold might bring in its wake, for he knew for certain that if the Devil tempted, then it was only to damn; and it was the Devil whose servants he had seen in the Hall. So convinced of this was Captain Foxe, that when he met with Colonel Sexton, he would not admit to even a glimmering of doubt; and when he was pressed by the Colonel, he would only challenge his superior to do as he had done, to venture into the cellars and feel the Devil's breath against his face. Colonel Sexton sighed at this; but he did not attempt to contradict his officer any further, nor did he deny him license to continue watching the Hall. 'You should know, though,' he warned, 'that I have already started to receive complaints, from my own superior and from the mayor. It appears this man Faustus has well-connected friends. They do not approve of your interest in him.'
    ' I have already discovered, sir, that Faustus is not averse to spending his gold.'
    Colonel Sexton shrugged. 'Find what you are searching for quickly, Captain. I may not be in a position to protect you for much longer.'
    ' I will find him, sir.'
    'You have a course of action prepared?'
    Captain Foxe paused. His brow creased faintly, 'God will aid us,' he said at last.
    'Let us hope so,' murmured Colonel Sexton, rising to clasp his officer's hand. 'Take care, though, John.' He nodded, a gesture of dismissal. 'For God's sake - take care.'
    Captain Foxe saluted, then strode through the Council Hail back towards his room. His mood had turned bleak once again. He pondered the silent admission which his colonel had wrung from him, that he was helpless before the killer, that he knew neither where to find him nor how to stop him killing once again. 'Captain Foxe!' a voice called out suddenly; he froze. He looked up the stairs to see a trooper standing there; and at once, he knew what had happened, what the trooper had to say. He was only glad, he thought, as he hurried up the stairs, that Robert and Emily were not with him this time. 'Very well, then,' he said, meeting the trooper's eye, 'tell me the worst. Who is it this time? Where has the body been found?' The trooper looked puzzled. 'Sir?'
    Relief, in a sudden flood of gold, bathed Captain Foxe. 'No murder?' he asked.
    The trooper continued to look puzzled. 'No, sir,' he said. 'There is a man in your room.'
    'And that is all you wanted to report?'
    'Yes, sir.' The trooper looked so baffled by now that Captain Foxe began to laugh. He turned, and hurried towards his room. His despair had vanished as completely as it had arisen; and he was confident once again of God's guidance in his task. As he entered his room, he almost tripped up over a jumble of papers and books; he looked about him in surprise, and recognised the back of Mr Aubrey, who seemed perfectly oblivious to him, crouching over a map. Captain Foxe offered up a silent prayer of thanks, that his faith in God's assistance had been justified so fast; then he