said Amy. “It is,” answered Bill. “You must be patient. The shipwreck is coming.” Father Keegan finished drying his hands on the linen cloth and turned back to the altar. The most important part of the Mass was coming. It was called the Canon, the point from which there was no turning back. Will went to his position and knelt on the edge of the platform. Suddenly, the church door opened with a bang. A man Will knew from the village burst in. The wind gusted behind him, carrying him along. The man started yelling as soon as he got inside. “Ship’s sinking, down on the rocks. We need to put out the lifeboat.” Father Keegan had been about to raise the thin wafer of bread that is called the Host. He turned in shock at this intrusion. Only a man not of the Catholic faith would have dared to intrude at that moment. The man shouted, “She’s a three-master, a sailing ship that’s been blown onto the rocks. Looks like the crew got into the rowboat, but they’re not doing too well in this wind.”
