It only proved what every one knew: that the
jurisdiction of their Patron Saint did not extend to the mainland.
Each of those villages had its own Saint, whose business it was to
forestall accidents of this kind. If they failed in their duty through
incapacity or mulishness, nothing was easier than to get rid of them;
there were others to choose from--dozens of others, waiting for the job!
Thinking thus, the islanders gave vent to an immense sigh if relief.
They wished long life to their Patron Saint, with whose services they
had reason to be satisfied. Their own crops and lives were safe from
harm, thanks to the martyr Dodekanus. He loved his people, and they
loved him. He was a protector worthy of the name--not like those
low-bred bastards across the water.
CHAPTER XXXII
Mr. Heard had just finished his early Italian luncheon. Sitting at his
coffee and smoking a cigarette, in a mood of considerable contentment,
he gazed over the mirror-like surface of the sea towards the volcano,
whose pyrotechnical display on the previous evening had kept him awake
to a late hour.
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