Chapter 12: Induction

Sister Lucia woke when one of the nondescript servant girls in a grey smock brought her some hot tea, and bread and cheese early the next morning. When the prisoner started to ask a question, the skivvy looked very frightened and almost ran from the room. However, she left a bundle behind which proved to contain a nun's habit, complete with Swiss wimple, though no under-clothing. Sister Lucia donned such clothes as there were quickly, and with some relief; then she sat and ate the bread and cheese and drank the tea eagerly, as she had not eaten for some thirty-six hours.

Some time after that, the servant appeared again, and put an admonitory finger to her lips. Evidently there was a rule of silence in this establishment, at least between the servants and the inmates. Obeying the servant's gestures, Sister Lucia followed her along a corridor and was directed through a door. When she entered with much trepidation, she was relieved to discover that it was merely another toilet, and she gratefully made use of its facilities.

Returning to the corridor, she again followed the servant to another door, through which she went, to find herself in a book-lined study with a cheerful fire blazing in the hearth. A large desk, its top completely clear, stood below the window, with a comfortably upholstered chair behind it. Other than that, there was nowhere to sit, so Sister Lucia stood quietly waiting for someone to come and tell her what to do next.

It was a worrying few minutes for her; clearly she was expected to wait, but most of the rules of the College were unknown. Should she speak to whoever came in, or not? Should she kneel and pray as she waited? Should she pass the time reading one of the books? How should she greet whoever came in? As she pondered these mysteries, Sister Lucia heard the door open behind her and Monsignor Flavin came past her and sat in the chair facing her.

He examined her for some moments in silence, before asking, "Why are you here?"

Sister Lucia didn't know what to say as her thoughts ran wildly over possible answers. Should she say she was a sinner? Should she say it was the Bishop's suggestion? Did the question only refer to her being in his study, in which case should she say that the servant brought her?

It appeared that the question was rhetorical, as the Monsignor continued, "You are here because Mother Church has not finally decided that you are incorrigible. I have been looking at your history, and one thing puzzles me. Tell me, why did you become a nun?"

Sister Lucia was at a loss as to how to answer that, but an answer was required, so she decided to tell the truth as she saw it, "Reverend Father, I..."

Monsignor Flavin interrupted her, "You address me simply as 'Master', not as Reverend anything. I am your teacher and Master while you are here, not your confessor."

Somehow she heard the capital M on the word Master and shivered slightly.

"Sir, I became a nun because I had always been intended to be a nun. It was something I knew had to happen, even from childhood, before I understood anything about Our Lord."

A smile broke over the Monsignor's face, "I thought so. None of the V's?"

Seeing her puzzled look he continued, " No visions from God ordering you to take the veil? No visitations from Our Lady talking of the cloister? No voices insisting that you must profess the vows? Nothing like that?"

Sister Lucia was frightened even more by this line of thought; all the nuns who said they had visions in the Convent also had fits and were, in her opinion, at least partly mad. The one who heard voices was definitely mad; either that, or the angel which spoke to her was a devil, bent on upsetting the Convent.

"No, sir," she replied, "Nothing like that. I just always knew that was to be my life."

"So what did you feel, spiritually, when you first broke one of the vows?"

"Sir, I ... I ... don't understand," she stammered.

"Mother Superior had you removed from the Convent because you were found indulging in the sins of the flesh, specifically sexual sins. You had, she was certain, indulged before. When you had first enjoyed sexual stimulation by someone else, after you took your vows, and had not been caught, or been struck down by the wrath of Our Lord, what did you think?"

"I ... I ... it was so nice. I wondered how it could be wrong."