The wineglass Father Adrian had raised to his lips paused in midair. His right hand, which had been resting lightly below his ribs, moved up and down until it found the spot Kraft had mentioned.
"How did you know?"
The stomach pains had been troubling him for quite some time. Not only had his appetite been dwindling, but his love of wine had also been suffering.
He hadn't noticed his yellowish complexion, though. His lifestyle had never been particularly healthy, and unless he had to go out, he didn't bother much with his appearance. He hadn't expected his complexion to look very good anyway.
"That's not all. You often feel overheated, you have little red, spider-shaped spots on your skin, the blood vessels around your navel are swollen and prominent, and your palms stay red." Kraft rattled off a string of symptoms, then paused for breath before continuing his explanation.
"You often have pain in your upper abdomen after meals. It feels like burning, and your stools are black."
Adrian's neck drew in slightly. He held both hands protectively over his stomach, feeling as though his white robe no longer shielded him at all. Kraft's perceptive gaze had seen right through it.
William looked at him questioningly. The priest's bewildered expression was unmistakable proof that Kraft was right.
He hurriedly rolled up his white sleeve to expose his upper arm. Around each small red spot, fine red lines branched out like a spider's legs, their tips vanishing beneath the skin, like red spiders burrowing into it.
If the others were surprised, Father Adrian looked almost terrified. His voice trembling, he asked, "Is all this because I drink?"
"Yes. It's caused by drinking too much." Kraft hadn't expected the priest to be so quick to catch on. He had thought he'd