Papal decree

61

Tarcisio rode in the backseat of a luxurious Mercedes, and felt an unbearable absence, as if he’d lost a familiar part of himself. Trevor had been a dedicated assistant, and Tarcisio didn’t return a third of the attention the young Scotsman devoted to him. A man as pious as the secretary of state should not feel remorse. His feelings were supposed to follow a sense of right, of purity, full of love and compassion. Still, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelming guilt for having taken Trevor for granted, with never a friendly word of recognition. Although the Scotsman had never indicated he felt the lack of appreciation, Tarcisio now felt he should show a paternal concern for a life whose only detail he knew was his nationality. Tarcisio had been embroiled in his own problems, the church’s problems. Never had he called Trevor at the end of the day to ask him about his hopes for the future, how his family was… if he needed anything. Trevor never missed work for an illness, never showed a lack of respect toward anyone. The church and the secretary of state were the first priority in his short life. He had died under terrifying circumstances without a friendly hand to help him. Remorse. That’s what Tarcisio felt, though his position did not permit it.

His eyes couldn’t camouflage his grief and guilt. If it weren’t for the presence of Cardinal William and Father Schmidt in the car, Tarcisio would have cried openly.

The secretary didn’t have the courage to look at poor Trevor’s body splayed out in the corridor of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. It was a sight he didn’t want to remember. William spared him that suffering and offered to go in his place. Trevor was not his assistant. He saw him often and always considered him a good person, but felt nothing more than the normal shock of seeing a life cut short in that way.

‘This doesn’t seem prudent to me,’ William protested vehemently in the backseat. ‘It goes against all security standards.’

‘You’ve already said that,’ Tarcisio answered impatiently, his voice breaking a little.

Daniel, the commander of the Swiss Guard, had also disapproved when he’d heard Tarcisio’s intention in his office.

‘There are security protocols that have to be complied with,’ he’d asserted. ‘With all due respect, the secretary of state can’t leave the Vatican like a normal citizen or even like a normal cardinal. Your Eminence knows you are not a cardinal like the others, excuse my familiarity.’ This last remark was for William, who agreed with him and was not offended.

‘It wouldn’t be the first time,’ the secretary argued.

‘It would be the first time under these circumstances. Two murders in one day. We’re under attack, Your Eminence agrees, I know. The secretary of state is the most important prince of the church.’

‘You don’t have to teach me my position, Daniel,’ Tarcisio grumbled.

‘Your Eminence, pardon me, but I can’t let you leave without security.’

‘Be reasonable, Tarcisio,’ William said.

Tarcisio persisted. ‘I’m the cardinal secretary of state of the Holy See,’ he cried, flushed with anger. ‘His Holiness is the face of the church, but I’m the one who has to expose my chest to the bullets. What happened here today and in the last few days must not happen again. The Society of Jesus wants to negotiate, and with these latest developments they’re in a position to do so.’ His voice broke. ‘I don’t want to belong to a church that won’t defend its own.’

Daniel took a deep breath after listening to the secretary’s arguments. What a situation. ‘Very well, Your Eminence, I’ll prepare a car. You’ll take one of my men as the driver, and I’ll go in back.’

‘I’d like to go with Your Eminence to help as much as possible,’ Father Schmidt volunteered.

Tarcisio laid a grateful hand on Schmidt’s shoulder. ‘I appreciate it, my friend, but you’ve been through a lot today, and I want you to get some rest. I’ll take care of this.’

‘I won’t be able to rest until you return. Let me go with you, please.’

Tarcisio said nothing. He went to the window and looked at the sun setting behind the buildings.

‘All right,’ he finally decided.

‘I’ll come also,’ William said.

Daniel held a Beretta up in front of Schmidt’s face. ‘Do you know how to use one of these?’

Schmidt blushed and smiled nervously. ‘Of course not.’

‘I’ll explain it quickly.’

The Mercedes left twenty minutes later with a driver and two Swiss Guards, young but well trained, and two Volvos behind the Mercedes.

‘Was it Adolph who called?’ William asked.

‘No, Aloysius.’

‘What do you expect from this?’

‘I have no idea, Will. Not the slightest.’

‘But…’

‘He threatened to kill more people, Will,’ Tarcisio suddenly confessed. ‘He said they would kill…’ He hesitated. ‘His Holiness, to be specific. After what happened to Trevor, I don’t believe I’m in a position to bargain,’ he added in defeat.

‘The bastards,’ the prefect swore.

‘We can’t foresee their game, Will. We can only look out for ourselves.’

‘There’s nothing that can be done?’ Schmidt asked.

The two cardinals gestured negatively.

‘The person who helped us with this tragic operation complied with what was specified. Our interest was only the parchments. They’re in our possession,’ Tarcisio explained.

William didn’t approve of the secretary revealing these details to someone unknown. They might be friends, but that didn’t give him the right.

‘Who did you trust with this job, if I might ask?’ William insisted with no embarrassment or hesitation to interfere.

Tarcisio looked out at the Roman street they were passing before responding, ‘The pope’s assassin.’