by Bruce Buff
Together they covered the remaining distance to the basilica’s entrance and slipped by the tourists who were slowly passing through the large open door.
Within, an abundance of natural light, airy and joyful, illuminated the many ornate tapestries, finely carved sculptures, intricate woodwork, vivid paintings, and frescoes. The atmosphere seemed almost worthy of what the church’s builders had aspired to glorify.
For a brief moment, the church’s beauty nearly made Dan forget why they were there. Seeing the look of wonder on Trish’s face, he saw that the basilica had the same effect on her. The sense of being stalked had been pushed to the back of his mind, but then he remembered that, as of an hour ago, they were major international fugitives on an urgent mission. There was no time to admire human handiwork. They were on an accelerating train already moving too fast for its rickety tracks.
Refocused, Dan looked around. With a slight movement of his wrist, he motioned for Trish to come with him as he walked over to four short rows of pews in the open center of the basilica. The pews were empty, save for Father Michael, kneeling, apparently in prayer.
Dan glanced around, and then sat down to the left of him while Trish sat down on his right.
Father Michael sat up and said, “Everything go well?”
Dan answered, “Yes. Thank you for getting us out of Milan. Do you have the pouch?”
With a small nod, Father Michael stood up and walked slowly to the organ console on his right, lifted the corner of the red leather covering closest to the altar, and retrieved a brown, foam-rubber pouch. Returning to the pew, he handed it to Dan, saying, “I could pay a high price for this. I’m still an American citizen and don’t want to have to depend on my Vatican diplomatic status.”
Dan opened the pouch that he had given the priest in Cambridge so that it could be transported to Father Michael without being searched by Evans. He verified that the encrypted tablet was still inside. He said, “Let’s make sure all of us come out of this in good shape. How about telling me, this time, everything you know about Stephen and his work? It’s a question I’ve been asked a lot of times, and I’d like to know myself.”
“I have done what I have done because you told me that you were in grave danger and had information about Stephen’s work and death that could shake the foundation of humanity, including the Church. With words like these, you owe me an explanation before I go any further,” Father Michael replied.
Dan said, “Right before Stephen died, he left me a message saying that if anything happened to him, I should watch out for someone going by the name of Galileo. He would provide important information about Stephen’s work. Galileo contacted us in Seattle. His real name was Sam Abrams, and he had worked with Stephen. Before we could talk, we found him tied up and tortured in my motel room. Dying, he told us to find an ‘other.’ I think that’s you. Why else would Stephen have chosen the code name Galileo? His research was a threat to the Church’s existence and power.”
“Absolutely not. The Church knows nothing of Stephen’s work. What little I knew, I did not, nor could have, opposed,” Father Michael said emphatically.
“If you are not the ‘other,’ then why does a page in Stephen’s journals refer to you?”
“I’m not anybody’s ‘other.’ And I don’t know anything about Stephen’s journals, so I can’t comment on anything in them. But now that you mention it, as we agreed, I get to see them. Only then will I know if I have anything of value for you.”
“Do you mean you need to see them before you know if you can tell me what you already know, or you need to take a look in case you find something worth telling me?”
“Let me see and then I’ll know,” Father Michael replied firmly.
With things at an impasse, Trish leaned across Father Michael and grabbed his and Dan’s hands. A moment of silence ensued before she released them and said, “We don’t have time for distrust and conflict. We’re all on the same team. Stephen’s team.”
Turning toward Father Michael, Trish quickly recapped all that had happened to them, what Dan had told her about his meeting with Agent Evans, the images Dan had been shown, and the grave threats they posed.
While Trish was speaking, Dan watched Father Michael’s expressions and body language. Whether it was from years of hearing confessions or well-developed guile, Father Michael registered the reactions of someone hearing shocking things for the first time. If he knew more than he had let on, it wasn’t outwardly apparent.
After Trish finished speaking, Dan waited a moment for Father Michael to think about what he’d heard and then said, “Now you know why I was reluctant to talk about this. Things are headed in a bad direction. I need to know if Stephen was honest with me. Did he discover the fantastic things he said he did, or was it all a ruse to cover up espionage and use me to protect his materials?”
With a troubled sigh, Father Michael said, “I have no reason to doubt Stephen’s integrity, though I can’t say what he discovered. I am not a scientist. But if what you two have said about his work is true, you, Dan, may soon bear the extraordinary responsibility of being the only one with access to Stephen’s discoveries, the only one who will get to decide what to do with them. That would make you the only one who can use them to prevent the catastrophes that appear headed humanity’s way. Are you prepared to be the caretaker of all of this, by yourself?”
Startled, Dan replied gravely, “No one can be prepared for that. But I am not going to give it up. Though I don’t know why Stephen gave it to me, I will honor the judgment of the only person who knew the truth.”
“What made it Stephen’s to give and withhold?” Father Michael exclaimed.
“Something he saw led him to think that.”
Turning back to Trish, but speaking to Dan, Father Michael said, “I’m glad to see that despite your oft-practiced desire to go it alone, Stephen was smart enough to provide you with someone with the wisdom, compassion, and strength to help guide you, in spite of yourself.”
Now looking at Dan, Father Michael added, “I see by the look of surprise on your face that the thought hadn’t occurred to you. There’s probably a lot more to Trish than you see.”
Though Dan did know there was much to be discovered about Trish, he ignored what seemed a reference to his shortcomings. “You still haven’t said anything about Stephen’s work. Did he tell you the passcodes he used to encrypt it? Without them, I can’t access his research, and Ava, and many, many more, may be doomed.”
Solemnly, Father Michael replied, “The last time I spoke with Stephen was early May. He was very excited and deeply troubled. We talked about the implications of his genetics work; you already know them. This was all before you helped him with computer security.”
“Is that it? Was there anything else? Anything that sounded like it could be a passcode?”
“There are two things that I am able to say,” Father Michael answered, pausing long enough for an unfathomable idea to occur to Dan. “Stephen told me that if the time ever came, I was to help you in every way possible.”
“Possible meaning everything outside of the confessional?” Dan asked.
Father Michael did not answer.
Trish asked, “You mean, if Stephen told you something in confession, no matter how terrible, that you could prevent by telling people or acting on it, you couldn’t do it?”
Dan answered, “That’s right. Even if Stephen had confessed to espionage, discussed the passcodes, or described mass murder he was about to commit, a priest cannot break the seal of the confession without triggering automatic excommunication. So when Father Michael here says he doesn’t know anything else, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t know anything else. Only that he can’t acknowledge it if he does. And they call that a sacrament!”
“You know the Church considers the state of the soul more important than anything corporeal. The seal of confession i
s needed for absolving penitents of sins they would not otherwise confess. What is more important? Temporary suffering or the eternal disposition of the soul?” Father Michael replied.
The thought that Father Michael might actually have and know everything Dan sought, but couldn’t acknowledge it, couldn’t steer him in the right direction or even give him the smallest hint, was too much to handle. Rage boiled within him. His vision narrowed on Father Michael, to the exclusion of everything else. A firm, cool grip on Dan’s right wrist pulled him in another direction. For the first time in a long time, he sought to turn away from Trish’s gaze, but then awareness of her goodness took over. Looking down at his arm, he saw that Trish’s left hand held his arm firmly, then slowly released its grip. A sense of peace descended upon him.
Now calm, Dan said quietly to Father Michael, “Stephen said that he had found the human soul, had proof of its existence, that it was part of each and every moment of our lives, and that without it we could not be present to each other.”
“He told me something similar,” Father Michael said.
“I could use the proof he spoke of,” Dan said
“Then keep looking. Who knows what you may find?” Father Michael said.
After another pause, during which Dan thought about what it would mean to always feel, if it existed, the presence of his soul, he said, “What’s the other thing you can share with us? Were you able to help with my other request? Does that fall under the umbrella of helping me in every way possible?”
“Yes it does, and I have,” Father Michael said.
Before he could say more, a man dressed as a Franciscan brother approached Father Michael. A startled look crossed Father Michael’s face, and he stood up in an alarmed posture. Sensing something amiss, Dan moved quickly, placing himself between the approaching Franciscan and Father Michael. The Franciscan’s right hand began to move from the fold of his cassock. Immediately, Dan took a step forward and prepared to strike. Before Dan did anything, Father Michael grabbed Dan’s right shoulder and said, “It’s all right. Brother Cletus is a member of my staff.”
After motioning Brother Cletus toward a nearby pulpit, a pensive Father Michael spoke quietly with him for a few minutes, after which Brother Cletus hurried off.
Returning slowly to the pews, Father Michael, obviously disturbed, said, “A member of my organization has been acting suspiciously. There is a lot of unusual activity in the lower city. We may not have much time.”
“We better get a move on it,” Dan said.
“In fifteen minutes, after it’s cleared out, we’ll walk a short way to the Colleoni Chapel. There are items stashed there that may help answer some of your questions.”
“What are they?”
“Relax. You’ll know soon enough. Now may I see the journals?”
Removing the tablet from the brown pouch, Dan handed it to Father Michael, saying, “There is too much to go through now. I’ve highlighted the pages and sections that will interest you the most. They pertain to implications of Stephen’s work on human origin and existence.”
Father Michael sat down and began to skim the scanned journal pages, while Trish, drawn by the artistry around her, walked around, not straying far.
Ten minutes later, Father Michael handed the tablet back to Dan and said, “I understand our predicament better. And there is more. But we should not discuss that here.” Spying Trish studying a fresco to their right, he added, “Most interesting that’s the one capturing her attention.”
“Why’s that?” Dan asked.
“Come and see,” Father Michael said as he walked toward the fresco. It depicted a structure based on a tree. Floors of a dwelling branched off the trunk. Within the floors, separate rooms held people.
Reaching Trish, Father Michael asked, “What fascinates you so much?”
Trish responded slowly, as though things were gradually coming to her. “The center structure is meant to look like a tree. Within the tree are different representations of what seems like Jesus, Mary, and some others. Around the tree, people are holding up numbered pages. And the image is incomplete. Something is missing at the top.”
Father Michael responded, “It’s interesting that you said ‘the image is incomplete.’ Something is missing. You didn’t say seems, you spoke as though you knew. How did you know the top of the fresco had been painted over? Have you seen this before?”
“Never. It just feels that way to me.”
Dan took pictures of the fresco with his tablet, though he felt like he was missing something important. “What is it? What’s so odd?”
Father Michael said, “This fresco also intrigued Stephen. It is based on Saint Bonaventure’s work called The Tree of Life. He was known as a great mystic”—he raised his eyebrows, looking at Trish—“and I studied it in the seminary.
“Numbers in Stephen’s journals correspond to the biblical passages, from both the Old and New Testaments, that St. Bonaventure cited in the text that forms the basis for this fresco.” Pointing to the lower right of the fresco, he added, “This one is from the Book of Revelation and refers to the healing waters of a new Jerusalem.”
Immediately, Dan thought the fresco could lead him to Stephen’s passcodes. He couldn’t wait to find out.
Trish asked, “What do healing waters and new Jerusalem mean?”
Father Michael answered, “The Book of Revelation is attributed to Jesus’s disciple John, based on a heavenly revelation John was said to have received and was instructed to write down. It is about the end of times. After great tribulations, a new Jerusalem descends from heaven. Healing waters flow in a river from God’s sanctuary. On each side of the river is the Tree of Life.” Speaking more slowly, and quietly, nearly stopping before getting the last words out, he continued, “Its leaves are medicine for healing.”
A truly awful thought struck Dan, “No. it couldn’t be.”
Trish and Father Michael looked at him.
A fantastical thought came to Dan and he said, “Stephen would never have been so distraught over Ava’s illness, so religiously fanatical, that he would have tried to bring on the apocalypse to get healing water and leaves for her. He never would have tried anything like that, never would have lost his mind that way, right?”
Hesitantly, Father Michael said, “I never saw anything like that in him. And it would have reflected a serious misunderstanding of the symbolism in the book and the meaning of the apocalypse or last days.”
“I don’t understand,” Dan answered, reassured that Stephen never would have, or could have, done anything to try and bring on an apocalypse.
“There are three main things that are confusing about the book of Revelation. First, what are the last days? Second, what does the symbolism mean? Third, when will the events take place? According to Saint Peter, we’ve been in the last days since his time. The symbolism is hard to understand and needs to be considered in the context of the people of the times in which the book was written.”
“That’s one of the few things I remember from my religious education,” Dan said.
“Did you know there are four views of when the events will take place?”
“No. What are they?”
“Didn’t think so. Idealists believe the book is allegorical and does not foretell actual events. Preterists believe the book was intended for the people undergoing Roman persecution in the first century and that most of the events took place then. Futurists believe that most of the events have yet to take place. Historicists believe the events have been transpiring throughout the last two thousand years. One thing we know for certain: God’s view of time is different than ours, and we have to be careful how we interpret things.”
“It would be truly, truly terrible if Stephen’s actions inadvertently help bring on terrible events, apocalyptic or not,” Dan said.
“Why? Everyone has to die someti
me. Why does it matter if everyone dies at once or death is spread out over time? Wouldn’t there be less suffering if no one was left behind to mourn or feel sorrow?” Father Michael asked.
The words struck home. Dan answered slowly, “To many, an eternal void is terrifying, and meeting God even more so.”
“Just seek a pure heart and make the best decisions you can. Then, if there is such a thing as an apocalypse, it won’t matter to you when it comes. We all have a personal apocalypse whenever and however we die, anyway. You can’t get out of here alive,” Father Michael said with a sardonic smile.
“What do you think Stephen thought?” Dan asked.
“I think he looked at it the way I do. Events that seem to foretell the end times have been happening since the book of Revelation was written. The Black Death alone took over a third of the population. Plenty of other things that could qualify for what’s written in the book have happened. I don’t think Stephen thought of the apocalypse as single moment of time that he could influence.”
“But that doesn’t mean others aren’t going to try and use Stephen’s work to bring on terrible events. Every time I start to think God could exist, almost want Him to, I get turned away by what religions, and religious people, do in His name,” Dan said.
“But they are not doing it with His spirit. It is their own will, not His,” Father Michael responded.
“That’s easy to say. But it doesn’t explain why a God wouldn’t do something about it.”
Still looking at the fresco, Trish said quizzically, “I’ve always had a positive, naturalistic view of life. For me, it was simple. Just be good to others. Was that enough?”
“You mean, just being good, without reference to the soul and conscience that God gives you? That objectively good things would exist in what would otherwise be a subjective and temporal existence?” Father Michael asked.
“All I know is that it will be absolutely wrong if don’t try to stop whatever Stephen may have started, whether he meant to do so or not,” Dan said.
