Part way through the following year certain information began circulating among the boys like a self-fuelling brush-fire. Father O’Long, we reliably informed each other, was intending for Lazarus to surprise the Bishop during an as-yet undisclosed visit to the school.
Later advice – supposedly attributed to a boy whose uncle once worked with a man who knew the Bishop’s cousin – indicated that the Bishop’s own intelligence network had already apprised him of the Lazarus Tree, and that he was probably even now planning countermeasures.
When subtle and innocuous questioning techniques were applied to Brother SanSistez we were informed – in an effort to deflect our attention – that it would be a considerable improvement if we boys were to spend more time at our studies and far less of it at rumour-mongering.
To the best of his knowledge, Brother added, “...the Bishop has no intention of visiting Gower Abbey and, indeed, is most likely unaware of its existence.”
We boys quickly recognized this exactly for what it was, however:
Transparent Disinformation.
Brother SanSistez:
“Father O’Long thinks it’s coming from the septic
and Mrs Finnegan thinks it’s coming from the pig
pens, but I think it’s you boys in fact I’m sure of it.”
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Kevin Cassidy The Cassidy Chronicles Page 6