Chapter 78

           InLondon,aBBCtechnicianejectedavideocassettefromasatellitereceiverunitanddashedacrossthecontrolroomfloor.Sheburstintotheofficeoftheeditor-in-chief,slammedthevideointohisVCR,andpressedplay.

           Asthetaperolled,shetoldhimabouttheconversationshehadjusthadwithGuntherGlickinVaticanCity.Inaddition,BBCphotoarchiveshadjustgivenherapositiveIDonthevictiminSt.Peter’sSquare.

           Whentheeditor-in-chiefemergedfromhisoffice,hewasringingacowbell.Everythingineditorialstopped.

           "Liveinfive!"themanboomed."On-airtalenttoprep!Mediacoordinators,Iwantyourcontactsonline!We’vegotastorywe’reselling!Andwe’vegotfilm!"

           ThemarketcoordinatorsgrabbedtheirRolodexes.

           "Filmspecs!"oneofthemyelled.

           "Thirty-secondtrim,"thechiefreplied.

           "Content?"

           "Livehomicide."

           Thecoordinatorslookedencouraged."Usageandlicensingprice?"

           "AmillionU.S.per."

           Headsshotup."What?"

           "Youheardme!Iwanttopofthefoodchain.CNN,MSNBC,thenthebigthree!Offeradial-inpreview.GivethemfiveminutestopiggybackbeforeBBCrunsit."

           "Whatthehellhappened?"someonedemanded."Theprimeministergetskinnedalive?"

           Thechiefshookhishead."Better."

           Atthatexactinstant,somewhereinRome,theHassassinenjoyedafleetingmomentofreposeinacomfortablechair.Headmiredthelegendarychamberaroundhim.IamsittingintheChurchofIllumination,hethought.TheIlluminatilair.Hecouldnotbelieveitwasstillhereafterallofthesecenturies.

           Dutifully,hedialedtheBBCreportertowhomhehadspokenearlier.Itwastime