Saphira chuckled deep in her throat, where it sounded like stones grinding against each other, and rested her head on her two front feet.

When it was empty he passed the godstone over the same place and Vortka heard stone grinding to its accustomed place.

Above them, they could hear strange sounds, as of huge stones grinding together-not collapsing so much as shifting position.

A voice as flat and hard as the sound of two stones grinding together says, "I was here first, old woman."

Only, before Stan could reply, a voice as flat and hard as two stones grinding together - I was here first, old woman.

Gravel ripped my pants, and I felt the sharp sting of small stones grinding away at flesh.

"You will not speak," he told her, his voice as harsh as two stones grinding together.

The building was swaying, its stones cracking and grinding now.

In Bernanos's novel, the church is merely one of the age-old stones grinding the flesh of the populace, which knows exactly what to expect from Catholicism.