The Exorcist

by William Peter Blatty

reading always tended to fray Chris’s patience. So instead, she read people. Naturally inquisitive, she would juice them, she would wring them out. But books were not wringable. Books were glib. They said “therefore” and “clearly” when it wasn’t clear at all, and their circumlocutions could never be challenged; they could never be stopped for a shrewdly disarming, “Hey, now, hold it. I’m dumb. Could I have that again?” Books could never be pinned, or made to wriggle, or dissected.

“And for the umpty-eighth time, I apologize for Mr. Dennings.” “I pay no attention.” Chris stopped and turned partway around. “Yes, I know. That’s exactly what’s driving him nuts.”

Chris handed it to Sharon. “Shar, take care of that for me, would you? Just call and they’ll send it. I’d like to go with the doctor while he makes those tests.” Chris turned and looked up at the doctor wistfully. “Do you mind?” Klein noted the tightness around her eyes, the look of helplessness, of confusion. He said, “Sure. Sure, I know how you feel. I feel the same way when I talk to mechanics about my car.” Chris stared at him wordlessly.

But I think it might be helpful if I gave you some background on the different personalities that Regan has manifested. So far, there seem to be three.” While slipping the stole around his shoulders, Merrin said quietly, “There is only one.”

“Who can really hope to know? And yet I think the demon’s target is not the possessed; it is us … the observers … every person in this house. And I think—I think the point is to make us despair; to reject our own humanity, Damien: to see ourselves as ultimately bestial, vile and putrescent; without dignity; ugly; unworthy. And there lies the heart of it, perhaps: in unworthiness. For I think belief in God is not a matter of reason at all; I think it finally is a matter of love: of accepting the possibility that God could ever love us.”

“You said he had a problem with his faith.” Dyer nodded. Chris lowered her head a bit and shook it. “I can’t believe that,” she answered abstractedly. “I’ve never seen such strong faith before in my life.”