She leered down. “That took long enough,” she said.
“I was washing my hands,” he said, a big smile on his face. “Think I could have a can of coke before bed?”
“You just finished in the bathroom,” she answered. “I think you’ve had enough to drink.”
“I usually have two at dinner,” said Samuel, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Sister Bravo took a deep breath. “Okay, but if you piss a river tonight you get to sleep in it, or on the floor.”
“I’m a big boy,” Samuel answered, meaning it. I haven’t wet the bed since I was five years old, asshole.
Sister Bravo went and got him the can of Coke, and then dropped him off in his room, with directions to turn out the lights within the half hour. Samuel thanked her again for letting him go outside and gave her a hug. When he stepped back, the nun’s face lit up with a smile.
“You’re very welcome,” she told him, and left the room.
Samuel sat down on the cot and waited several minutes, the steel wool irritating his crotch. When all was clear, he quickly opened the soda can and gladly drained every drop. His throat was dry from the tension.
He removed the wadded toilet paper and steel wool, and proceeded to bend the soda can back and forth until it cracked open. He stuffed the toilet paper and steel wool inside the can, grabbed the candle from the table and ran to the window. The sky was cloudy and black, but the wind had died down considerably. Samuel lit the paper and let the flames build until he could barely hold the can. He hurled it as far out over the water as he could, a tail of flames and sparkles streaking through the night, then quickly vanished into the water.
Samuel, his chest pounding, stood at the window, his hands and bottom lip quivering, his eyes welling up with tears. He hoped someone saw his signal, but even if they didn’t he felt hopeful. He knelt down, not to pray, but out of exhaustion. His legs would no longer support him. He sat there for an hour, then crawled to his bed and passed out.
38
S olemn and pious, each cardinal and bishop summoned to Rome, to sit before the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF), slowly filed into the Palace of Holy Office, quiet and tense. Summoned by the Pope himself, they had gathered at the Holy See to discuss the rash exposure of child molestations sweeping the United States, devastating the Church’s reputation and credibility around the world, costing millions of dollars in lost contributions and out of court settlements.
The CDF was the oldest, and most active, of the nine congregations of the Roman Catholic Church, that managed church affairs and oversaw the Roman Curia’s operations.
From his studies of the Apostolic Constitution on Roman Curia, Cardinal Polletto recalled Article 48, which defined the duties of the CDF as a mandate to safeguard the doctrine of faith and morals throughout the world of Catholicism, and to defend the integrity of the faith, a broad directive that encompassed much.
Cardinal Polletto, draped in a new cardinal red vestment, wore his favorite twenty-two carat ring, with a blood red ruby surrounded by twenty half carat diamonds. He followed the stream of nervous, concerned holy men, feigning the same trepidation that was plastered on their faces, knowing full well that many of them had more interest in the Church’s economic and political well-being, than for the injured children.
Cardinal Polletto gave pious nods and smiles to several men he counted in the service of The Order. He pretended to acknowledge several cardinals he knew would vigorously oppose his drive to destroy the Church if they knew his true intentions. He even tossed a smile and bow of his head to Cardinal Maximilian, the man he would destroy if given a speck of an opportunity.
Nobody in the chamber now taking their seat worried or gave him reason to fret. Especially since only forty- eight hours before, he’d stood with a chill running down his spine, as Father Tolbert pointed a loaded revolver at his head.
On the edge of a breakdown, Father Tolbert had pulled a gun after Cardinal Polletto told him that the two Samuel look-a-likes, Eduardo and Felipe, as well as Samuel himself, were the priest’s genetic clones.
Father Tolbert took a shot at him, but the bullet whizzed by the cardinal’s right ear and lodged in the wall. Father Ortega rushed inside and tackled Father Tolbert, knocking the gun from his grasp. Cardinal Polletto fumed, stomped forward, his hand drawn back to deliver a hard slap, but before he could, Father Tolbert collapsed and passed out cold.
Fortunately, Father Tolbert’s living quarters were near empty, with most of the men living there at a special presentation at the Vatican Museum. Those who did hear it had probably dismissed it as something other than gunfire, because nobody came running or asked any questions.
Father Ortega quickly snatched up the gun and slipped it in his pocket. Cardinal Polletto removed the bullet from the wall with a knife and told Father Ortega to repair the wall himself. Father Ortega slapped Father Tolbert into a barely lucid state, then pulled him to his feet.
Cardinal Polletto followed them to the car.
“Take him to Bracciano Castle until further notice. Sedate him,” the cardinal ordered. “Keep him under until I arrive.” Everyone sat quietly as the ten cardinals, who were members of the CDF, Cardinal Angelo Ottaviani, and to Cardinal Polletto’s dismay, Cardinal Maximilian, all took their seats up front behind a long sixteenth century gothic table on a riser above them.
Cardinal Polletto eased back in his chair and soaked in the scene, sizing up each cleric in the room. Ten bishops, five archbishops, and five additional cardinals had been ordered to Rome. Most of the bishops invited were executive committee members of the National Bishops Organizational Committee (NBOC) from the United States, who had recently adopted a policy recommending expulsion for any priest who molested a child. The policy was non-binding, without the approval of the Vatican, and the discussion and debate that was about to take place was the beginning of a process that would take years to complete.
The cardinals attending included Cardinals Polletto and Maximilian from the United States, Cardinal E’Tienne Rousseau from France, Cardinal Abubakar Osagiobare from Nigeria, and Cardinal Niklas Bauer from Germany.
Cardinal Polletto hadn’t laid eyes on the men who ran the CDF, now glaring down at them from the stage, in more than a year. Five of them were over the age of eighty, past the limit set by the Church to participate in a vote for a new Pope should the need arise, but every bit the influential force in Rome, with direct contact to the ear of those who mattered most at the Holy See.
When everyone was in place, Cardinal Angelo Ottaviani rose and thanked them for coming on such short notice, extended warm regards from the Holy Bishop of Rome, and turned the meeting over to Cardinal Maximilian. Cardinal Maximilian’s piercing brown eyes softened as he stood, his face a pallet of sincerity. He asked everyone to stand and opened the meeting with a prayer. Cardinal Polletto let the corners of his mouth upturn slightly.
When he finished, Cardinal Maximilian remained standing as everyone else took their seats, and gave a brief summary of why they were assembled, as though common knowledge had slipped their ears.
“The credibility of the Church has taken a severe global beating,” said Cardinal Maximilian. “I believe the edict passed by the NBOC is just the beginning. We should encourage a more thorough background investigation for all candidates of the priesthood, and close psychological analysis and treatment for any offender under our roof.” A buzz reverberated throughout the room, and several hands rose into the air.
Cardinal Maximilian pointed to a hand on the front row. “Bishop Wilmington.”
Bishop Curtis Wilmington, studious, wise for his age, and overseer of the diocese in Dallas stood. “Thank you, Cardinal Maximilian. I wonder if adopting such an immediate, harsh policy is in concert with the Holy Scriptures.”
“Certainly you’re aware that the scriptures speak against such abominations as harming children,” responded Cardinal Rousseau. “The Church can’t be seen as condoning such behavior.” Amused, Cardinal Polletto bit his tongue, not wanting to chime in too early. Since initiating and carefully nurturing the public exposure of one of the Church’s age old skeletons, priests and young boys, he’d found that the mire of debate and confrontation deepened if he just kept quiet and nudged it along at the opportune time.
“The Bible also speaks of forgiveness,” added Bishop Timothy Rogers of Philadelphia. “If second chances apply to parishioners, then why not to those who serve them?”
