Fox of France

That evening, about seven o'clock, the stagecoach arrived at Avignon. From Marseilles to Paris, there is a distance of more than two hundred and close to three hundred fares (the traditional French unit of length, one fare equals about four kilometers), which is obviously not something that a postcoach can reach in a short time. In fact, there is no direct coach from Marseilles to Paris at all. Passengers who take a postcoach to Paris generally change trains one by one.

In the twilight, the stagecoach passed through the high walls of Avignon and entered the ancient city. After getting out of the car, Joseph raised his head, and he could see the Pope's Palace towering on the top of the hill, hidden in the twilight. Avignon has been the residence of the Catholic Pope for a long time. Although the Pope has returned to the Vatican long ago, the city is still directly under the territory of the Holy See. This special status would not change until the outbreak of the Great Revolution.

"That's the Pope's Palace." Seeing Joseph looking up there, Priest Alfonso explained, "Although His Majesty the Pope is no longer here, this place is still a holy place."

"Can I go in and have a look?" Joseph asked.

"Oh, boy, I'm afraid that's not the case. That place is not accessible to anyone." Alfonso replied, "As a messenger of the church, I have traveled between Marseilles and Paris many times, and I pass by here every time. But every time, you can only look at this sacred palace. Well, Bishop Minier has gone in, if you are interested in the situation inside, you can ask the bishop yourself in the future."

After hearing this, Joseph shook his head and said, "I don't need to ask the bishop, I think I should be able to go in by myself in the future."

After hearing this, Alfonso thought he meant that he could also become a bishop, so he smiled and said, "This is what the Bishop expects from you."

But what Joseph really meant was not the case. Joseph knew that in a few years, the Great Revolution would break out. During the Revolution, especially during the time of Robespierre, Catholicism was thrown to the ground and put on another ten thousand feet. Almost all churches were confiscated and converted into so-called "rational" churches. The icons in the churches have also been replaced with busts or full-length portraits of revolutionary leaders and heroes of all ages. A bastion of reactionary forces like the Pope's Palace is no exception. At that point, it's so easy to get in and see.

Avignon is still directly under the territory of the Holy See, because Jesus once drove out the businessmen who were doing business in the Temple of the Lord, so in the city of Avignon, compared with other cities of similar size, the commercial atmosphere here is weaker. There are many, there are no loud merchants in the city, some of the people walking around are wearing black robes, and most of the rest are devout pilgrims.

Of course, Joseph understands that this is only a superficial phenomenon. In terms of greed for money and business, there are few institutions in this world that can compare with the Holy See. After all, they invented the amulet of immunity, and they can sell a poultry feather as an angel feather. But on the surface, they still have to put on a holy look.

After getting off the bus, several passengers said goodbye to each other in a friendly manner. Joseph followed Alfonso Padre and walked along the street for about a hundred fathoms (the old French unit of length, equal to about 1.624 meters). Before the dark gates of a monastery. However, Priest Alfonso did not go directly to the gate, but turned to the right, reached a small door that was also dark on the right, raised his hand, and knocked gently on the door.

The small door did not open, but there was a window with iron bars on the small door. This window was pulled open, and an eye appeared in that small window.

"I am the messenger sent to Paris by the bishop of Corsica, Bishop Minier. I want to spend the night here. This is the bishop's godson, and he will go to Paris with me." Alfonso said, sending a copy The documents were handed over.

That eye looked at Alfonso, then at Joseph, then a hand appeared at the window to take the papers, and the little window on the little door was closed.

After a while, with a creaking sound, the small door whose hinge seemed to be rusted was opened. A large man wearing a black priest's attire with a hood covering most of his face was revealed. The big man stood hunched over in the dark corridor, returned the paperwork to Alfonso without a word, and stepped aside. This movement made Joseph notice that one of his legs seemed to be limping.

Alfonso walked in with Joseph, and the big man closed the door again and locked it, then reached out and took off a lantern from the wall, held it in his hand, and walked ahead to lead them the way.

There are no windows facing the street in the monastery, and the windows facing the inner courtyard are also very small. Even in the daytime, the aisle is very dark, and it is even more eerie and dead at this time. Only the light of the lantern and the shadow of the big, lame man carrying it and walking in front flickered.

This scene inexplicably reminded Joseph of the dark underground passage of the Sakarum Cathedral in the Diablo game. And the staggering big man walking in front reminded him of that "Dark Wanderer" inexplicably. So Joseph couldn't help but look vigilantly at both sides, for fear that one or a group of red fallen demons holding small torches would suddenly jump out of somewhere.

However, what Joseph traveled to was a normal world after all, so in the dark and long alleyway, only rats appeared suddenly, and there were no monsters, and the big man walking in front was just a taciturn gatekeeper. Where he walked, there was no inexplicable fire.

After walking for a while, the janitor stopped, took out a bunch of keys from his waist, and opened a small door by the side of the corridor, then turned around and said in a low and incoherent voice: "You... tonight ……here."

Then he raised the lamp, lowered his head and walked in. Alfonso walked in with Joseph. At this time, the big man had already lit the candles on the candlestick in the middle of the room. The room was suddenly filled with a layer of dim yellow light.

After lighting the candle, the janitor got up and went out. When he went out, he lowered his head and walked out through the low doorway. By the light of the candle and the lantern in his hand, Joseph saw a long scar on his face.

He seemed to have noticed Joseph's gaze. After the gatekeeper went out, Alfonso sat down in front of the table and said, "He was originally a captain of His Majesty the King. He was injured during the Seven Years' War. After retiring, he couldn't find him." After getting things done, I came here to work as a janitor.”

Then he sighed and said, "The days are becoming more and more difficult these days. It is difficult for a healthy person to live, let alone a person like him? Fortunately, the church will not forget those who fought for the Catholic Church. God will bless him Yes, amen."

"Amen." Joseph followed suit.

On the second day, just after dawn, Joseph and Alfonso left the monastery again, and bought two tickets for the stagecoach to Les Turste. As soon as the two got into the car, they heard a surprised voice: "Brother Alfonso? Little Joseph?"

The two looked over, only to see that the two young couples they saw yesterday were already sitting in the car.

"Ah, is it you? Are you going to Les Tourstore, too?" asked Alfonso.

"Ah, we're going to Lyons," replied the husband cheerfully. "I've got a job at a school there."

"Sounds like a good job," Alfonso said.

"Thank you," replied the husband.

So everyone started chatting, as if they had forgotten the argument that happened in the car the day before. However, after arriving in Lyon, after separating from them, Alfonso sighed to Joseph in this way: "I really didn't expect that the influence of that apostate would be so great."

"What apostate?" Joseph asked.

"It's that Voltaire who was dragged by the devil just last year and fell headlong into hell." Alfonso replied in a rare, mean tone, "This damned apostate, it is said that the dying And sometimes he blasphemed about burying himself half in the church and half outside, so that if he got away with going to heaven, he'd go to heaven through the half of the church, if—not really if But it must be - to be punished to hell, he can escape from the outside half. Hehe, where can he escape to escape the palm of the living God? Now he must be very warm in that big fire pit, hahahaha ..."

"But Mr. Gregor didn't seem to mention Voltaire just now." Joseph asked again, "And what he said doesn't seem particularly unreasonable."

"You're right." Alfonso said, "It's true that he didn't directly mention the apostate. But many of his views, well, you think there is nothing unreasonable, even very reasonable views, are actually from As for the apostate. Joseph, you have to pay attention, this is where the devil is terrible.

Devils never show their true colors to people. On the contrary, they will disguise themselves as prophets and saints, and use their seemingly radiant "reasons" to lure you and lead you into evil paths. This is where those apostates, devils, false prophets, and antichrists are most terrifying and dangerous. My child, you must know that Lucifer, the devil king, was originally the most glorious archangel around God. It also has a deceiving light on its body. Therefore, if we do not trust the church, we are easily deceived by them. May God punish them, Amen! "