Struggle. Taste of power

Metropolitan

The Korsa sector had a very convenient location in the Donetsk-Makeyevka grouping. It had access to four different sectors at once, and was second only to Diza in terms of labor productivity. Guzokh was not too surprised that his fellow metropolitan had chosen this particular sector for his visit before the main strike. And that the main strike was aimed at Ananhr was no longer in doubt, since her older brother is one of the members of the Empire's Central Committee. The Church is aiming for supremacy in the Empire….

Guzokh was now in the reception hall, the one where the local chief of the SCK, Bazankhra, had been burned alive for heresy just yesterday. The hall was enormous. Marble in white, coral, green and chestnut. Someone had clearly had fun exercising their design skills in this place. Tall columns on either side of the aisle and a large pedestal with a sculpture of the founder of the SCK. This piece was a bit out of place with its surroundings, neither in color nor in manner. If everything around was bright and refined enough, the sculpture was gray and bulky. It should have been made twice as big or depicted an SSchekist sitting in an armchair instead of standing with a gun in his hand. The columns around him seemed to be pressing on him, and it seemed that he was too weak for all this.

Well, that makes sense. Someone else was there before. And they brought him in at the moment when a few months ago they received six more sectors in addition to Diza.

— We are honored by your arrival. — The former deputy and now chief of the CPS in Korsa sector, Divinhr, proclaimed.

— And to my predecessor, did you say the same? — There were only two novices behind Guzoch's back, and though they were quite stout and very manly looking, they were not at all intimidating in the way that the punitive drill of the Inquisition had recently been.

— Yeah, we had a little bit of that last time.

Guzoh stopped and turned around. It was a bit surprising. How could an SSchekist say such a thing so easily. But, on the other hand, there was no point in humoring him now. He wouldn't make the same mistakes as his former chief, especially about things that the church wouldn't like. After all, the church doesn't like the silent ones like SCK, it likes those who speak in moderation. It is the quintessence of the clerical sphere of life to see the measure of permissible and forbidden things, because, in fact, everything around us is both permissible and forbidden. The only important thing is how to approach it. The Church has been proving for thousands of years that it knows how to do this better than anyone else, and no one has ever been able to prove otherwise.

— There is no point in denying the obvious. — Whoever was burned here for heresy certainly deserved to be punished. But it was too harsh. And then his mind went blank….

"I wonder what side he's even playing for," thought the Metropolitan. After all, he was now admitting those things that could be argued with. Then still accuse Samokh of it, and then strike back quite legally at the Inquisition itself. The same punitive battalion, for example. Of course, Divinhra isn't a high-flying bird, but he's no stranger to career advancement, especially since he's grabbed his new position. So, what's his agenda? Is it to take the blow away from himself once again, to realize that he has nothing to lose, or to get something more than just a few more quiet days?

The Metropolitan looked at the ashes. A black, staining mass, which with every new breeze of wind only spreads to more and more spaces. It was original that no one had thought to clean it up until now. Maybe this way they comfort themselves with the thought that since it is still fresh, it won't happen again any time soon? A bit unconventional behavior for a special service, whose adherents mostly boast of their luxury and unlimited influence, the kind that no one else has….

Guzoh began to speak somewhat quieter:

— My son, tell me, what's on your mind? Your associates are very reluctant to talk to a churchman. It is all pretense and flattery without action… And you confess to me that your chief was really wrong.

— Don't you recognize me, Your Eminence?

The Metropolitan looked at him even more closely, then began to recognize facial features, then a look. But nothing. Nothing familiar or similar to anything he had seen before.

Escheckist noticed that his interlocutor was slow to answer because he couldn't find that answer, so he said himself:

— You don't remember my name because I never told you my name before. And my appearance, because I was too young… But that does not take away from the fact that twenty-two years ago I was your novice… You said to me, "My son, you are firm in the faith, but I do not see how you can confirm others in the faith as a priest.

Guzokh remembered him instantly. Indeed, back then he had been the rector of a church parish with an orphanage for homeless children. The children themselves, of course, were difficult, and only nuggets like Divinhir could enter the seminary and become priests. The only thing required to enter the seminary was a recommendation from the priest superior of the orphanage. Which for Divinhra, Guzoh had not given at that time, having said that phrase. He was really sure that Divinhir was firm in his faith, already knew the ways of Jah at the priestly level, and fit all the criteria, especially considering the available space in the seminary that the orphanage was supposed to have at that time. But the gift of convincing others in his faith, using a full understanding of the power of the Black Stone for all chums, not for one particular one — this favorite novice did not have. And Guzokh, by virtue of his fundamental conservative principles, could not allow himself to become a priest of such a plague… Fate had decreed that in its place he became an eschekist.

— Ah… It is you, my son… What a pleasant meeting. — Guzoh smiled. In a way, he was pleased that the once homeless child had achieved something in his life.

— Yes, I understood what you said about me not being able to strengthen others in the faith by being a priest. It really would be inappropriate… So I decided to defend the faith as best I could. Interesting twist. Up to this point, all the information that Guzokh had about the burning of Bazankhra included just a few simple points. One, the chief of the SCK had ordered the chapel to be equipped on the fly without the sanction of the holy Church, which was an attempt by an unordained chum on the holy sacrament. Second, the chapel turned out to be equipped, in fact, in a just-abandoned lagoon, which was a sacrilege. And, third, intimidation and threats to the

Metropolitan Priest himself by an official of the Empire, which was the highest degree of apostasy, not counting sorcery. Guzokh was more than sure that Samokh had simply brought the SSchekist to the last point, and the second was a coincidence. But now it didn't seem to be a coincidence in the choice of a place for the chapel, because the one who was responsible for the choice was obviously the one who, among all the S.S.C. men here, and maybe not only here, could choose the ideal place, not to mention not to choose the inadmissible one. Divinhr knew all the peculiarities of religious rituals too well.

So there was more to Samoh's visit than that. He didn't rely on intuition and improvisation alone. And he's not as simple and battering ram as he seems. Looks like a worthy student of his teacher…

— Divinhr, my son. — Putting his hand on the shoulder of the SR, the Metropolitan said. — You are seriously exposing yourself to danger… You must realize that you also have your own superiors…..

— I made my choice a long time ago, Your Eminence. — And I have never once regretted it… And the fact that I will have to wear worldly clothes for the rest of my days, I have long since accepted that….

— Realize, my son, that if anything wrong happens… And even I can't help you…..

— With all due respect to you, Your Eminence. — Divinhra's gaze changed and became somewhat menacing. — I only said all that to make you realize that it is you who should be careful, not me.

One didn't even have to go on. He was obviously in direct communication with Samoh, and maybe even with Nevroh. They'd obviously promised him full protection for service, information, or whatever. In a way it was even a surprise — it turns out not only the SCK has its plagues among the priests, but the Church has its plagues among the SCK, and in a way that is not even rumored.

It was not for nothing that he had once shuddered at the idea of Nevroch becoming patriarch. He was too powerful and ambitious. Too much on his own mind, no matter what others said or thought. He wanted too much even for the head of the Church. And the result was this: the Inquisition has its punitive units, so that a week of repentance is not even necessary. Instead of bending the plagues to the faith with subsequent forgiveness — immediate burning. And the employees of the SCK in reality are themselves failed priests. Is that what the Jah faith was aiming for when we affirmed the faith of the Black Stone?

And now he, the metropolitan, who all his life was faithful to the holy rules, fulfilled them and carried them everywhere in the world. Now he's being warned not to poke his nose into other people's business… Other people's business. This word alone means what it means… The affairs of faith can be called "alien" for the metropolitan…..

He used to think he'd just be removed if anything happened. Given some non-serious position away from the Center to keep him out of the way. Now. Everything looked completely different… Now, at best, he would be killed quietly and blamed on some personal score or accident. And at worst… Neuroch and Samokh's imagination is not lacking. And they have enough tools… They can trade him in the war with SCK, pretending to be a valuable figure, but in fact just getting rid of the ballast. They can also leak "compromising" materials to the SCK through their own chums, and he will be accused of high treason. And maybe something else….

And how well I remember that look in Samoh's eyes when he said that he would find "the heresy that he had overlooked" and "that it was something to think hard about." Yeah. It really is something to think about. And to take a few more steps, not to moderate the fervor of the Inquisition, but to protect oneself from the Inquisition.