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%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOK148 Jack FritscherPeterPeterPeter ran and danced across the stage. I was jealous of him, or any boy who could sing and dance, but I was glad I couldn%u2019t because I felt sorry for boys that men out in the world might think made strange priests. Bing Crosby playing a priest in a movie was different from a priest playing Bing Crosby in a parish. PeterPeterPeter tap-danced his way off the stage to the wild cheers of all the seminarians.The Theology Choir walked out on stage and climbed the three steps of the choir risers singing a romantic German drinking song, %u201cDu, Du Liegst Mir im Herzen,%u201d then burlesqued themselves with %u201cWunderbar.%u201d The auditorium burst into applause and the applause rose when Father Gunn announced to the audience that the Reverend Mister Peter Rimski, who was only two weeks away from final Ordination to the priesthood, was making his last stage appearance at Misery.Amid the polite applause, Lock and Mike and I cheered. %u201cGood-bye! Good luck! Good riddance!%u201dThe Theology Choir, arranged in three rows on the risers, parted in the middle, as PeterPeterPeter appeared on the top stair. The Choir applauded him. The stage lights dimmed as one of the vigilante altar boys in the light booth hit PeterPeterPeter with a pinpoint blue-white spot causing PeterPeterPeter to shimmer vibrato like an angel singing on the head of a pin, %u201cAve Maria.%u201d%u201cGounod,%u201d Lock whispered, %u201cis not good enough.%u201dHank the Tank leaned forward, his tobacco breath between our two heads. %u201cYou%u2019re cruisin%u2019 for a bruisin%u2019.%u201d The whole choir joined together for a selection of difficult Palestrina, concluding with an upbeat medley from the Broadway musical Camelot. When PeterPeterPeter burst into a histrionic %u201cIf Ever I Would Leave You,%u201d waving good-bye to the Misericordians, Lock and Mike and I were practically busting a gut laughing. We had more fun, off with our secret little crowd, singing along with Tom Lehrer, %u201cGenuflect! Genuflect! Genuflect!,%u201d satirizing Vatican II to the tune of %u201cThe Vatican Rag.%u201dAt intermission, I stood alone near Hank, who was holding court in the lobby.%u201cChris is in Dutch with them,%u201d Hank said. His eyes burned holes into me. %u201cPeter told me the whole long scandal.%u201dHa! Hank the Tank didn%u2019t get it!%u201cThey%u2019re all mad he%u2019s brought fresh air into the place. The structure can%u2019t abide his civil disobedience.%u201dLock came up to me and stood with his back to Hank, listening to him.