The Hammer of God

68

E lbows in front of his face, Cardinal Polletto tried to fend off Father Tolbert, now out of his mind with rabid rage, spitting and spewing like a possessed demon.

The cardinal grabbed at the crazed priest, but got tangled up in the oversized sleeves of his vestment. Father Tolbert sliced at the cardinal’s arms and hands, a menacing grin on his face. Cardinal Polletto looked toward the stands. Alison Napier was frantic. The Black Pope was gone.

Down the middle of the stairs, two of his people were rushing toward the stage. When they snatched off their hoods and pulled weapons from under their robes, the cardinal gasped. Robert Veil!

Cardinal Polletto felt a hot piercing pain in his stomach that quickly spread like an uncontrolled inferno. He looked down. Father Tolbert had plunged the knife into his stomach, pulled it out, and stabbed him again.

I…must… pull… the lever. Everything around him slowed to a crawl.

He heard voices, but they sounded muffled, hollow. He stumbled over to the large wooden lever, looking toward Samuel, who was no longer standing in front of his casket. He looked over at the other two boys and saw Samuel, hands free, untying his brothers. No!

The cardinal, dizzy and weak, grabbed the lever, and with all he had left in him pulled. “Arrrrrrrh!” He collapsed to the floor. Everything went black. Cardinal Polletto heard the deck give way and the splash of water. He smiled as hell opened its doors, blood pouring from his mouth.

“It is done,” he whispered.