The Left Hand of God

More tea, Father?

No, thanks, Mrs Sigman,

this is fine.

You took a real chance, Father,

crossing the mountains alone.

You should've waited

for the trading party.

I was anxious to get to the mission

as soon as I could, Dr Sigman.

I was anxious to get to the mission

What is it, Celeste?

Father, I know you're very tired, but

there's a patient in the ward, dying.

He's been clinging to life,

waiting for you.

Scottie feels his immortal

soul's at stake, Father.

But it is!

Now, now, Scottie,

Lee Kwan is 80 years old.

A beautiful example of

the survival of the unfit

but don't tell me I have to take

him seriously as an immortal soul.

Dear, Dave!

Sorry, Scottie. When you're through with him,

Father, I'm going to enjoy doing a post mortem on him.

My bag was lost crossing the river,

the chalice, the holy oils,

my vestments.

He really needs your

blessing, Father.

Where is this man?

Lee Kwan, Father O'Shea is here.

Bless me, Father,

it's a long time since I...

confessed my sins.

Easy, old man, easy.

All he prayed for, Father,

was to stay alive long enough

for you to get here

and be with him at the end.

He had great faith and endurance.

I'm sorry he couldn't have had

the final rites he waited for.

Could we pray, Father?

Yes.

Yes, of course.

In the name of the Father,

the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who

trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is

the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now

and in the hour of our death. Amen.

Well, Scottie's pet is dead.

Let's go home.

Good morning, Father.

You say mass?

Mass?

I'm sorry, I'm...

not quite awake.

What's your name?

- John Wong, Father O'Shea.

I fix everything for priest, take care of

house, sexton for church, sometimes altar boy.

Clean and press clothes for you.

I keep list too.

Read list now, Father O'Shea?

Yeah, yeah, read the list.

What?

I see.

Maybe more come now.

Well, 36 is a good score.

What else?

Many people want confessing,

make quickly.

Work sure piles up, doesn't it?

How long since the last trade

caravan came through here?

Long time since last caravan.

All right, John, I'll get dressed.

Yes, Father.

Morning, I'll be right with you.

Yeah, take him into the

clinic and finish checking him.

Sit down.

I'm glad you came over.

Cigar?

- No, thanks.

My last box.

I ordered some from the coast,

if the caravan ever gets here.

Wong tells me it's been a long time

since the last caravan came through.

That's right.

I suppose they told you

I've recommended closing the mission.

What did the bishop decide to do?

Well,

would I have been sent all this distance

if the bishop decided to close the mission?

We'll keep it open, of course.

The bishop is mistaken.

The mission should be closed.

You saw my clinic,

one unwashed patient.

Once there were scores like him.

It's a waste of time and money.

There's a lot more to this mission than

just your clinic, isn't there, doctor?

Is there?

Look, one of our priests

was killed in a rock slide.

Father Coleman, the priest

before you, overtaxed his heart.

The Chinese figure there must be something wrong with

a religion that can't keep its own priests healthy.

They feel the same way about my

hospital so they stay away in droves.

There's no earthly reason

to keep the mission going.

The trouble is, the bishop

doesn't think earthly reasons

are as important as spiritual ones.

That's the difference between

my profession and yours.

I may be more interested in material

things that you think, doctor.

Let's get to the point.

It's not only a question

of my clinic.

In the mountains, there's a warlord

named Yang, We're sitting on

the edge of his territory.

Did the bishop tell you about him?

Yes, although I understood that

Yang's policy was not to interfere

with the missions.

Some of his troops have

raided the outlying villages

but in addition to Yang,

there's the political danger now.

Did they tell you how many

missions have been forced to close?

I, uh... I don't think

I know the exact number.

I'm surprised that the bishops sent

you out with so little information.

Perhaps he didn't

think it important.

There are three of us with our lives at stake in

this mission. My wife, an American nurse and myself.

China is being ripped apart

by civil war.

I think we're entitled to any

information the bishop gave you.

The bishop and I

are not exactly buddies.

Is that supposed to be funny?

This place has already

killed two priests.

I don't intend to add myself

and my wife to the list of martyrs.

And I expect a civil answer

- you're not talking to one of your parishioners now.

And you're not talking to

one of your coolie patients.

Don't depend too much on

that collar, Father O'Shea.

Would you like me to take it off?

I guess I have been a little abrupt.

My wife asked me to invite you

to dinner tonight.

She seems to think you must

be tired of Chinese cooking.

Well, thanks, I am.

We can continue the discussion

over a drop of something medicinal.

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