New Gods of North America.

Chapter 574 Farewell
Ethereal music began to play, accompanied by the choir's chanting.

Bishop Jonathan Krantz, the one Tom Hagen mentioned who was in charge of the ceremony, led a group of priests slowly to the altar.

Clergy often appear most "divine" during various celebrations and ceremonies, and that bishop was no exception. He was fully adorned with a crown, holy belt, shawl, and scepter, looking every bit the imposing figure of an agent sent to earth by the Holy Spirit.

If we set aside the complicated details, the bishop's farewell ceremony is actually quite similar in procedure to that of ordinary believers.

The presiding official led the congregation in prayer, scripture reading, and hymn singing. Then, Reverend Tyrell delivered a memorial address, recounting Bishop Corleone's life, outstanding qualities, and spiritual journey.
Afterwards, the officiant led a prayer, praying for the late Bishop Corleone and for the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit for all.

It must be said that the Holy Spirit Church is quite adept at stirring emotions.

In the solemn and respectful atmosphere, as the entire process was carried out, even Wayne's thoughts were affected, and he entered a state of remembrance and longing. Many ladies in the prayer hall were already sobbing.

After the officiant, holding a golden incense burner, circled the body of Bishop Corleone to offer blessings and farewell, the Bishop Corleone's ring was solemnly engraved with a triangular mark and destroyed in public.
The shroud was officially closed inside the coffin, and the interlaced strips on the coffin lid were coated with gold sealing wax and stamped with the Holy Spirit emblem, marking the end of the farewell ceremony.

The coffin, carried by guards in a grand procession and led by solemn monks, slowly walked out of the cathedral, surrounded by a large crowd, to receive the final homage and farewells of the many believers outside.

The procession had a pre-arranged route. After leaving the prayer hall, the church clergy escorted the coffin through Richmond for a while, but the route actually ended in the cemetery behind the cathedral, where it was finally buried next to the graves of the bishops.

Since the distance wasn't too far, and the road conditions outside didn't allow driving at that time,

All believers, regardless of their wealth or poverty, must walk to the cathedral to attend the farewell ceremony and wait for the final burial to be completed before the funeral is considered over.

Wayne and Inessa followed the crowd, escorting the coffin out of the prayer hall, watching the procession walk away for a while, and then joined the flow of people towards the cemetery.
The three generations of the Beaton family, who were originally walking at the front of the crowd, stopped outside the flow of people. After Wayne approached, they started walking again and lowered their voices: "What exactly happened last night?"

The group was now packed with Richmond's elite, so Wayne explained briefly, "We happened to run into a group of slave thieves, so we went with the foremen and overseers to take them to the police station."

Beaton's father then asked, "I heard from the police chief that, according to the statement you signed and confirmed, they are from the 'Underground Railroad'?"

Wayne quickly explained, "That's what the two slaves said. But we did find 'Underground Railroad' tickets on them; I was just confirming what I saw."

"The subway?! Those bastards are committing crimes again?!"

A gentleman next to him immediately shouted out, and this term seemed to have a lot of influence in the South, attracting the attention of many people in the crowd.

Wayne didn't recognize the guy, but Beaton's father clearly did, responding briefly: "One of my plantations had a slave escape last night, and now I suspect they were the ones who did it."

Like a pebble thrown into water, the gentlemen and ladies who had been watching were quickly stirred by this topic.
Questions like "How many escaped?" "Have they been caught?" "Is there an inside man?" suddenly came flying at them. Since Wayne was a bit unfamiliar, their eyes turned to Beaton's father.

"Thank you for your trouble. The slave has been captured and was unable to escape."

"I know of two escaped slaves so far, one of whom is a mixed-race female slave." "I'm not sure about that yet; I'm still looking into it."

Those present in the crowd at this moment, though differing in wealth and status, generally possessed an average wealth likely no less than Wayne's. Beeton's father, instantly becoming the center of attention, had no choice but to respond to their questions in turn, adhering to social etiquette.
This led to many other problems. As some people got closer and closer, wanting to walk up to Beaton's father and talk to him directly, Wayne and Inessa, as the parties involved, could only keep quiet, exchange glances, and then quietly give up their seats.

Then, the crowd, which had initially been immersed in sadness and silence, gradually began to whisper among themselves as they moved forward.
It wasn't exactly "lively," but it was at least at the level of "before the professors walk into the classroom" in the college.

……

In the afternoon, after everyone silently watched the coffin being lowered into the ground, the formal funeral procedures were completed, and the atmosphere became less solemn.
People can take turns bringing flowers to the grave to pay their respects in a secular sense, while those who are "waiting" or "have already said goodbye" can seek guidance from the clergy or talk to each other.

In the case of an ordinary person's funeral, this step is usually used to comfort the family and prepare for saying goodbye.
However, the bishop's death was considered a "blessing," and the church's clergy did not need people to comfort them, so they could gradually leave in batches.

Wayne and Inessa spotted Miss Olivia again, dressed in a conservative black gown, surrounded by a group of ladies. However, they were too far away to exchange more than a few words.
Beaton's father, busy with his social engagements, didn't come over to ask any more questions. Instead, his son, Victor Beaton, approached him and asked, "What are your plans after the funeral?"

Wayne spoke frankly, “Our detective agency now has two offices, responsible for security along the steam train route. After the funeral, some of the agents may go there. I still need to finish my studies, so I'll leave some people in Richmond to promote some cheap meat in the dock area. I estimate I'll be shuttling between Richmond and Georgeburg.”

Vidocy Beeton was slightly puzzled: "Protecting the steam train route and promoting food? Aren't you going to spend your time hunting wild criminal extraordinarys?"

So that's what he wanted to ask...

According to what Bishop Corleone revealed at the "small meeting," Virginia needed to conduct an internal purge in advance to build up its strength in preparation for any extraordinary individuals who might infiltrate from the Old World.
But for Wayne, the priorities are different now. For example, once the priest Tyrell officially becomes a bishop, Wayne can't be sure whether the detective agency will eventually be among those "purged".

For now, it's safe, at least the priest of Tyrell has given us the list, and the detective agency still needs to continue investigating.

However, the saying "when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked" is nothing new. Compared to a possible "promotion and raise," it is definitely more important to ensure that one does not lose money.

“Our detective agency is currently short-staffed, so some things have to be done step by step. For now, we need to focus on keeping things running smoothly.” Wayne then turned to probing, “What are your plans lately?”

The other party didn't hide anything: "The militia commander has already authorized me to go to various counties in Virginia to participate in the inspection of the local militia's training. If anything is found, I will gradually take action to eliminate it."

Having connections makes things easier, but unfortunately, not everyone can walk that path.

Wayne wasn't too envious. "Then I wish you success in your mission and that you achieve your goal."

"the same as you."

After they parted, Victor Beeton reflected on Wayne's attitude and couldn't help but ponder, "The dock area..."

(End of this chapter)