Chapter 134

           CamerlegnoVentresca’swhiterobebillowedashemoveddownthehallwayawayfromtheSistineChapel.TheSwissGuardshadseemedperplexedwhenheemergedallalonefromthechapelandtoldthemheneededamomentofsolitude.Buttheyhadobeyed,lettinghimgo.

           Nowasheroundedthecornerandlefttheirsight,thecamerlegnofeltamaelstromofemotionslikenothinghethoughtpossibleinhumanexperience.Hehadpoisonedthemanhecalled"HolyFather,"themanwhoaddressedhimas"myson."Thecamerlegnohadalwaysbelievedthewords"father"and"son"werereligioustradition,butnowheknewthediabolicaltruth—thewordshadbeenliteral.

           Likethatfatefulnightweeksago,thecamerlegnonowfelthimselfreelingmadlythroughthedarkness.

           ItwasrainingthemorningtheVaticanstaffbangedonthecamerlegno’sdoor,awakeninghimfromafitfulsleep.ThePope,theysaid,wasnotansweringhisdoororhisphone.Theclergywerefrightened.ThecamerlegnowastheonlyonewhocouldenterthePope’schambersunannounced.

           ThecamerlegnoenteredalonetofindthePope,ashewasthenightbefore,twistedanddeadinhisbed.HisHoliness’sfacelookedlikethatofSatan.Histongueblacklikedeath.TheDevilhimselfhadbeensleepinginthePope’sbed.

           Thecamerlegnofeltnoremorse.Godhadspoken.

           Nobodywouldseethetreachery…notyet.Thatwouldcomelater.

           Heannouncedtheterriblenews—HisHolinesswasdeadofastroke.Thenthecamerlegnopreparedforconclave.

           MotherMaria’svoicewaswhisperinginhisear."NeverbreakapromisetoGod."

           "Ihearyou,Mother,"hereplied.