He began the prayers in a low voice. Introibo ad altare Dei . As he recited, the air grew thick, as if the crypt were filling with invisible water. The candle flame stretched sideways, then stood straight again.
As he climbed the stairs back into the church, Marta was waiting. She searched his face. messa volto santo
“What?”
The wooden face on the altar began to change. The sorrow lines softened. The weeping eyes dried, then closed. When Lorenzo intoned the Pater Noster , the lips of the Volto Santo moved silently with him, a fraction of a second behind. He began the prayers in a low voice
At communion, Lorenzo placed the host on his tongue. For a moment, he tasted not bread but ash — and then, honey. the air grew thick