Padre Fernando Muzquiz walked in a slow circle around the woman�s chair. His left arm was crossed over his round stomach, hand bracing his right elbow. His right hand thoughtfully stroked his perfectly trimmed blondish brown goatee as he examined the straps that bound her to the arms, legs and back of the chair. He wondered if they were tight enough to contain a witch with such potent power. Her round belly protruded from behind the thick leather bindings, making her look like a wine boda that had been tied with a shoelace. The Padre did everything possible to avoid looking into her evil eyes, fearing it would open an opportunity for the devil she carried to possess his very soul. The thought made him shudder, and he prayed for a barrier to protect him.

�Se�ora, you admit that you are not married and therefore, that this child is a bastard,� the Padre sneered in his scariest voice, flipping a disdainful hand in the general direction of her belly.

�I wouldn�t use that term to describe my baby, no,� the woman said, and the Padre noticed her insolent chin jutted out. This was going to be a tough nut to crack.

�You must understand the gravity of your situation here. The body of our humanity must be pure when it is time for rapture. If we allow sinners and disbelievers to pollute our body, all of humanity will perish in apocalyptic hell. If you will allow yourself to be saved, to wash yourself of your sins, you will be able to participate in this eternal event. You have one choice: you may perform an act of penance for enlisting in Satan�s army, or you must be eradicated as a prisoner of war.�

�I don�t understand why you think my having a baby out of wedlock is on a par with demonic possession,� the woman said, her voice wavering.

�You said the sire came to you in a dream,� the Padre said, suddenly spinning to face her, feeling the full force of the Church fortifying his soul as Prosecutor.

�Yes, in a dream, because he was not alive. But why is that mortifying for me, but divine for Mary?� She winced slightly at his approach, but her chin firmly defied his authority.

�I cannot overlook the blasphemy in your statement. I see the Devil has indeed won your soul irrevocably,� the Padre said, looking down at his sandals. He took a deep breath and looked up at the judges sitting in the gallery to his right. �I rest my case, Monsignors,� he said, then genuflected to the crucifix mounted on the wall behind the judges.

The woman was dragged roughly from the chair by four large robed men, all praying loudly so they could not hear her curses and spells, avoiding her eyes to protect their souls from damnation. They dragged her up stairs to the gallows, bound her hands painfully behind her back, and slipped a pungent noose over her head. A hooded executioner approached with a shroud.

�No!� she shouted, her eyes burning with passion, �I will face this with open, innocent eyes!�