Chapter 58
Enrique “In ignorance and in knowledge”
His meeting room was brightly lit, by candles, so many that individual flickers from random air currents could not noticeably diminish the illumination. Despite this, His Holiness could feel darkness closing in. The Devil never gave up trying to snuff out the light of the world. But he will not succeed, Lord, for I am here to be Thy servant.
“I'm sure you were surprised at my summons,” he told his guest. “Does anyone know you came here?”
“No,” she said. “I sometimes leave the house on errands. I'm sure nobody wondered where I was going or followed me. But I was surprised when Father Dominic slipped the note into my hand during communion. Why now? Have I done something wrong?”
Instead of answering immediately, he poured wine for both of them. “Not at all,” he told her, handing her the goblet. “You've done quite well. There does not appear to be the slightest suspicion that your insertion into their household was deliberate.” He sipped the wine. “As a domestic, your position allows you to be near the ruling family without attracting attention. And now it is time to use your unique access to help the Church.”
She downed her wine. “How can I help, your Holiness?”
“The Honcho has a prisoner that needs to be turned over to God's justice,” he informed her. “We have made it clear to His Excellency that it would be in his interests to do so, but has begun to drag his feet. He hasn't actually refused to hand him over, but We get the distinct impression that he is artfully stalling. We need you to find out why this is so.”
For the first time she appeared troubled. “I can't exactly ask him why, Holiness. What sort of incentive have you offered him? If I knew that I might have a better chance of learning from what I overhear whether he has decided to go elsewhere for it.”
He considered his answer, taking another sip to buy himself a moment. “Sometimes,” he said, “We find ourselves reined in, Our freedom to act hindered by the decisions of Our predecessors. It is what has happened in this case.” He met her gaze. “It has to do with the papal ban on the use of the Gifts of the Tourists.”
“I don't understand,” she said. “What does that have to do with a prisoner transfer?”
“While it is true,” he said, “that reliance on the Gifts caused the fall of the civilization of the Ancients, it may have been...a bit of an exaggeration for Our predecessors to label them demonic and prohibit their use on theological grounds.” He finished his goblet. “Certainly it would be a mistake in the long term to place too much reliance on things that will eventually fail. But in the short term, the Honcho needs to use some of them to help the Army become more effective against his enemies. To that end, he requested that We make available to him some of the confiscated Gifts.”
She absorbed that. “And even though you agreed, he hasn't turned over his prisoner?”
“I'm afraid not. Can you keep your ears open, Esmeralda, and learn if he, as you so aptly suggested, has some alternate source?”
“Certainly, Holiness.”
Pathspace Page 58
