being sent him by the Vigilo would have wilted lesser men.
“And what of Ardall?” Clement asked.
“He is near my age, I think,” Ennio answered, standing straighter. “He was quiet but nodded and gave his agreement with Richard when others of the Seven pressed him. He lost his left hand but has gained a magical gauntlet. Richard had confidence in him, although I do not know how much aid he will be able to give. Sal pointed out Ardall is untrained and virtually useless.”
“It is true then,” Clement said. “The boy has taken up a knight’s mantle.”
“He has. For him to be there, with us, makes it certain.”
“Myrddin Emrys,” Cardinal Villenza hissed.
Pope Clement looked hard at Cormac. He had failed in gaining the power of the Heliwr. Now, it seemed, the Pope blamed him for not gaining two knights for the Church.
“It is settled then,” Cardinal Smith-Johnson said. “The facts of the matter do not lie. It is time to leave St. Peter’s. Time to bolster our defense here in the warrens. Too many souls work and pray and visit the hallways and buildings above, the city above. It is our role to protect them. It is our role to do what must be done.”
The Pope looked into the blazing hearth. He did so for long moments. No one interrupted him. The group waited for Clement, the pontiff having the final say in what was to come.
The call to evacuate St. Peter’s would soon come.
“How will this be done?” Clement murmured.
“One of the foremost reasons Pope Gregory IV called for the current placement of the portal beneath the Basilica was to ensure sufficient defense could be brought to bear against such an invasion from Annwn. We do have options, Your Eminence.”
“No such invasion has ever occurred in our history.”
“True,” Cormac confessed. “But as the Cardinal Seer was fond of saying, time comes for all things.”
“Bolstering our defense is paramount then,” Cardinal Tucci said.
Cardinal Villenza nodded. “What has become of Captain Arne?”
The Pope returned his hot gaze at Cormac.
“No word,” Cormac divulged. “Still in Annwn.”
“On a fool’s errand,” Clement said. “He who possesses the Shield of Arthur was ever meant to protect the Church and the Vatican.”
“I felt it more wise to send him to Annwn and gain the Heliwr before Myrddin Emrys could complete his plans, Your Eminence,” Cormac argued. “I could not have known the intentions of Philip or how they would enter our lives here.”
“Wisdom!? You know not the word!” Clement thundered.
The room fell silent. The anger of the Pope infused the air. Cormac had never seen the pontiff so enraged—and he understood, to a point. Clement felt trapped by circumstance that he had no control over. Events he was barely privy to were directly threatening all he had come to shelter and grow. Few courses of action were available to him. Cormac could deflect the fury of Clement; the Cardinal Vicar only hoped the Pope would choose to fight back.
“It might be best for Your Eminence to vacate the Vatican,” Cardinal Diaz suggested, breaking the silence. “The Lateran Palace on the other side of Rome, perhaps?”
“And present our faith to Plantagenet on a silver plate? No.”
“Your safety is more important than—”
“My safety is tied to that of the Church, Cardinal Diaz,” Clement said. “And the Church is in danger. Those of you here represent many souls around the world. It is you who must find sanctuary, weather the storm that comes into our home.”
The Cardinals spoke their protestations at once.
“I will not hear it,” Clement said loudly, raising his hand. The others fell silent. “You will leave St. Peter’s immediately and find safety from what comes. There is nothing any of you can do in the midst of this danger, but you must remain to keep the hope the Lord instilled in each of us alive.” He paused. “Cardinal Tucci, organize the Swiss Guard. Call all to arms and order them into the catacombs. They must be outfitted with the entirety of firepower the Vatican has at its disposal. Cardinal Villenza, make preparations as if the Vatican will be besieged—food caches, water, medical needs. You understand?”
The Cardinals nodded, but they were not pleased.
Clement turned to Ennio. “Do you have the power to destroy the portal?”
“I do not,” the young knight admitted, fidgeting under the scrutiny. “It takes a wizard of immense power to achieve an event of that magnitude. I can, however, bring the catacombs down upon the portal, closing it off for the time being.”