"Answer me!" Dominic said boldly. He had no fear of these cowards. The devils then tried to use all of their cunning and wiles to avoid answering his question. The heretic's face grew long and melancholic as the demonic look in his eye changed. The demons had changed their tactics. Suddenly, from within the heretic came out immense cries of anguish and sorrow. The devils wailed so pitifully, that many of the people in the crowd wept, purely out of natural human sympathy. Amidst their weeping, the demons called out through the Albigensian's mouth to St. Dominic. In heartrending tones, they pleaded with him to leave them alone.

"Dominic, Dominic," they cried woefully, "have mercy on us. We promise you that we will never hurt you. You have always had compassion for sinners and those in distress; have pity on us, for we are in grievous straits. We are suffering so very much already, so why do you delight in heightening our pains? Can't you be satisfied with our suffering without adding to it? Have pity on us!"

Hardly an eye in the crowd was dry, as the people wept in compassion for these supposedly innocent suffering creatures. But the demons were not interested in what the multitude thought. The demons did not accept the sympathy of the crowd but waited instead to see St. Dominic's response.

"I will not leave you alone until you answer my question," was the impassive response. The Spanish priest was not one bit moved with their emotional performance. The devils were enraged by their failure. They had convinced thousands of others to the point of tears and the one man they sought to fool had seen right through their lies. With great self-control the demon's withheld their anger from the heretic's face. Their clever minds had once again changed tactics. The Albigensian's head stooped low and through his mouth a demonic compromise was proposed.

"We can whisper it," the devils told St. Dominic, "so that only you can hear it."

"No," the Saint insisted. "You must speak clearly and out loud." It was important for the people to hear it from the devil himself. To that, the demons had no reply. The Albigensian sat silent, deaf to the orders issued from the holy priest. They would not comply with that man's wishes. No one would know who these cowards feared most. But the Spaniard's determination was stronger than the fallen angels'. Having the humility and wisdom to not rely on his own strength, the priest took recourse to a greater strength than his. The crowd silently peered over each other, in anticipation of what would happen next. The devils were stubbornly quiet and seemed to be waiting as well. Everyone watched St. Dominic kneel down on the hard earth and raise his eyes to Heaven. A loving prayer came forth from his frustrated heart.

"Oh, all powerful and wonderful Virgin Mary, I implore you by the power of the Most Holy Rosary, order these enemies of the human race to answer me." All was silent; but when St. Dominic finished that prayer, the crowd was startled by an unexpected burst of fire. Necks were straining, while others were cringing, as all reacted to a glowing flame which leaped out of the ears, nostrils, and mouth of the Albigensian. Everyone shook with fear, but the fire hurt no one. Dominic rose from his knees to listen to the devils, whose tongues had suddenly been loosened.

"Dominic, we beseech you," they cried, "by the passion of Jesus Christ and by the merits of His Holy Mother and of all the Saints, let us leave the body of this man without speaking further, for the Angels will answer your question whenever you wish. After all, are we not liars? So why should you want to believe us? Please don't torture us any more; have pity on us"

They are liars, but God would be glorified with the Truth they would witness too. St. Dominic, slightly annoyed with their wailing complaints, briefly replied: "Woe to you wretched spirits who do not deserve to be heard." He knelt down and prayed once more to his Queen.

"Oh most worthy Mother of Wisdom, I am praying for the people assembled here who have already learned how to say the Angelic Salutation properly. Please, I beg of you, force your enemies to proclaim the whole truth and nothing but the truth about this, here and now, before the multitude."

Suddenly, the face of the heretic became calm. The demons actually grew quite, so quite in fact, that it took everyone by surprise. No one knew what to expect next, but they knew the battle was not over...