God himself had decided to intervene, so she let you go and never said a word. Now here you are, poised to steal the papacy.”
This man’s interest in him was frightening. So for once he decided to keep his mouth shut and see where this led.
“That mother superior was right,” Spagna noted. “You are, indeed, your own worst enemy. As an adult you managed to do what you failed to achieve as a child. You meted out your own punishment. To your credit, you achieved a position only a few of the red vultures have ever attained. Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura. That’s a lofty post. Enabling, in so many ways. But your mouth. That foul, vile mouth of yours got you fired. For some odd reason you thought people cared what you had to say.”
“Maybe I cared.”
Spagna laughed. “That was never in doubt. I’m sure you cared a great deal. Which, dear Kastor Gallo, is another of your problems.”
“Eminence. That is my title, Archbishop.”
The older man flicked a hand, as if swiping the rebuff away. “You are a fool. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just a plain, ordinary fool.”
He’d not risked this journey from Rome to be chastised by a subordinate. But he was damn curious as to what was going on. He’d been told to come to Malta immediately and meet with someone at the Madliena Tower. Since the person who’d sent the message was trustworthy and understood what was at stake, he’d not questioned the request. But never had he thought the Lord’s Own would be the person he’d be seeing.
“Say what you have to say,” he said.
“I want to find the Nostra Trinità. You’ve searched a long time. Now I want to join with you. I know things you don’t.”
He did not doubt that observation and was surprised by the request. This man had kept the Vatican’s secrets for decades. Too long, if the murmurs he’d heard within the curia were to be believed.
“Why do you want it?” he asked.
“It’s the church’s ultimate secret. The one that has eluded us. Every organization has secrets. Ours is seventeen hundred years old. Before I die, or am fired like you, I want this secret secured.”
He decided to be clear. “I want to use it to become pope.”
Spagna nodded. “I know. You want to be pope. I want you to be pope.”
Had he heard correctly? “Why?”
“Is that important? Just be grateful that I do.”
Not good enough. “Why help me?”
“Because you actually have a chance at winning.”
Really? “How? As you’ve just noted, I’m a thief and a fool.”
“Both attributes are common to the red vultures, so neither is a liability. I also know for a fact that your ultra-orthodox views are shared by a great many. I’m assuming that, as prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, you amassed the necessary damning information on your colleagues.”
He had, so he nodded.
“I thought as much. I’m privy to some of the same information.”
That didn’t surprise him.
“John Paul II wanted the world to think him a reformer, but he was a real hard-liner. There was nothing progressive about that Pole,” Spagna said. “The Soviets tried to kill him, but he survived and stayed the course, held the line, and brought Moscow to its knees. I liked him. He loved to say one thing publicly, then privately do another. He was really good at that, and I learned from him. The church was stronger then. We were feared. We were also much more effective on the world stage. We destroyed the Iron Curtain and crushed the Soviet Union. We were a power. Not anymore. We’ve waned to nothing. And though I do consider you a fool, you’ll be my fool, Kastor.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “I doubt it.”
“Don’t be so hasty. I have something you don’t.”
He was listening.
“The leverage to bring the undecided cardinals over to your side. Enough to garner the magic two-thirds vote.”
“The Nostra Trinità can do that.”
“Maybe. But it’s a bit of an unknown. And that’s all contingent on you finding it. I can provide something more tangible. More recent. Something you can use either in addition to, or in lieu of, what you’re after.”
He liked what he was hearing.
Still—
“What do you want?”
“That blood vessel bursting in the pope’s brain offers us both an opportunity,” Spagna said.
Not an answer.
He needed to make a phone call. He’d apparently been kept in the dark about a great many things. Why? He wasn’t sure. Having Spagna as an ally could indeed change everything. In some