“I’ve also heard,” interrupted Scharley, “but not seen. Furthermore, I was talking about higher devils, and it’s well known that every higher devil has at least thirty lower devils in its service. However, self-respecting exorcists don’t keep count, because if you cast out the leader, its followers will also flee. But were I to reckon up using the method of the Order of Preachers, then I might easily compete with those Dominicans you mentioned.”

“Quite right,” admitted the abbot, but somewhat hesitantly.

“Unfortunately,” added Scharley, coldly and a little nonchalantly, “I cannot give written guarantees. Please keep that in mind so there won’t be any grievances afterwards.”

“Eh?”

“Saint Martin of Tours,” Scharley still didn’t bat an eyelid, “took from every exorcised devil a document signed with its own devilish name, stating that the given devil would never, ever dare to possess a given person again. Many celebrated saints and bishops managed to do the same, but I, a humble exorcist, am unable to obtain a document of that kind.”

“Perhaps it’s for the better!” said the abbot, crossing himself, as did the other monks. “Holy Mother, Queen of Heaven! A parchment signed by the Evil One’s hand? What an abomination! And a sin! We don’t want that—”

“I’m glad you don’t,” Scharley cut him off. “But first duties and then pleasure. Is the patient in the chapel?”

“Absolutely.”

One of the younger Benedictines, who hadn’t taken his eyes off Scharley for a long time, suddenly spoke. “Nonetheless, how may it be explained, Master, that Brother Deodatus is lying like a log, barely breathing and not moving a finger, when almost all the learned books you have quoted say that the possessed person usually has an extraordinary agitation of the limbs, and that the devil endlessly jabbers and yells through him? Is there not some contradiction here?”

“All affliction,” said Scharley, looking down on the monk, “including possession, is the work of Satan, the destroyer of God’s work. Every malady is prompted by one of the four Black Angels of Evil: Mahazel, Azazel, Azrael or Samael. The fact that the possessed person isn’t thrashing about or crying out but is lying lifeless proves that he has been possessed by one of the demons subordinate to Samael.”

“Christ the Lord!” said the abbot, crossing himself.

“Notwithstanding,” Scharley said, arrogantly, “I know how to deal with such demons. They fly on the wind and possess a fellow noiselessly and stealthily, through the breath, which is called insufflatio. I shall command the Devil to leave the afflicted man via the same route, through exsufflatio.”

“How can it be,” the young monk went on, “that the Devil is in the abbey, where there are bells, the Holy Mass, the breviary and sanctity? How can it be that he has possessed a monk?”

Scharley retorted with a stern look.