The Way of Cross and Dragon

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"The Way of Cross and Dragon" is a short story by George R. R. Martin. It involves a far-future priest of the One True Interstellar Catholic Church of Earth and the Thousand Worlds (with similarities to the Roman Catholic hierarchy) investigating a sect that reveres Judas Iscariot. The story deals with the nature and limitations of religious faith.

The story originally appeared in the June 1979 issue of Omni.

[edit] Plot Synopsis

Damien Har Veris, a priest skilled in resolving heretical disputes efficiently, is sent as Knight Inquisitor, despite spiritual exhaustion, by his alien archbishop to deal with a particular cult that has made a saint of Judas Iscariot: whoreson, dragontamer, ruler of an empire, torturer of Christ, penitent Legs of Christ, the first and best-beloved of the Twelve, destroyer of an empire, and the thousand-year-old Wandering Ju. Perusing the materials of the sect, the priest finds himself enjoying the fanciful, creative, but ultimately ridiculous narrative, so unlike the more mundane reasons that heresies have developed: power, money, doctrinal quibbles.

In confronting the heresiarch Lukyan Judasson, the creator of the "Way of Cross and Dragon" narrative, he finds that he is expected. A conspiracy of nihilistic Liars, who see Truth as entropy and despair, wish to color the ultimately meaningless lives of others by creating belief in carefully crafted Lies—they create faiths. They have perpetrated this Judas cult as well as others; now they want Har Veris to join them. Despite his spiritual exhaustion, he realizes that though he may be losing his faith, he has not lost his passion for truth. When he refuses, Lukyan wishes to have him silenced, but his senior in the conspiracy, a misshapen psionic mutant, senses that the impending Liar in Har Veris, and allows him to go.

He uses political manipulation and the public's fear and distrust of psychic powers to turn the tide on the Judas cult, resolving yet another heresy with dispatch. When, much later, he fully acknowledges that he has lost his faith, his superior is indifferent: results are what is needed, and Har Veris is to continue in his role as inquisitor. The priest accepts this, realizing that the psychic was right: he is himself a consummate Liar, perpetuating a faith he no longer believes.

But his new ship is now called Dragon.