8- ❂❂❂ -I

9 2 4
                                    

 A day hath gone since water crash'd upon

the slopes above the city, flooding all

the streets, canals and buildings' storeys low,

and whilst the streets did flow with current's might

the Chaplain opened his cathedral's doors,

for steps that keep the chapel over street

prevented it from flooding like the rest

of all the structures by the centre square,

and let the panick'd populace inside

to shelter those who manag'd trek the streets,                10

wherein they sang to pass the time and keep

their frighten'd children up with spirits high,

and shar'd what little bread the baker brought,

and little meat from butcher, and so on

until the floods receded from the streets

to fill canals, whose sluices now are up

to channel water more toward the streets

of poorer districts for a second time

this year t'relieve canals and mitigate

what further damages may still occur                20

upon the richer districts ere it's done.


The Chaplain, having usher'd out the last

of those remaining in his chapel now

decides to close and lock the church's doors,

for with the floods subsiding may he have

his privacy again. He turns toward

the chapel and he ambles past the rows

of pews along the wall to far of right

to enter past a portal in behind

the dais, to a corridor where he                30

ascends a stairwell to another hall

the bedrooms of his nuns and friars branch

from, where he takes a ring of keys from in

his pocket, picking out the proper key

and proper door to twist the instrument

inside to open up into a room

wherein the Doll is lying on a bed.

Returning keys toward the pocket same

and making sure his dagger's still conceal'd,

he sits upon the bed, observing her;                40

she hathn't wash'd in days; her hair is slick

with grease and sticks the tufts together o'er

her face, so mark'd with streaks of makeup black

that's run from tears she's shed these passing days.

He puts a hand upon her ankle bare

which causes her to flinch, as finally

she notices his presence in the room.


"I'm sorry, Chaplain," now she says to him.

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