Outside Castel Gandolfo, an updraft of mountain air gushed over the top of the cliff and across thehigh bluff, sending a chill through Bishop Aringarosa as he stepped from the Fiat. I should haveworn more than this cassock, he thought, fighting the reflex to shiver. The last thing he needed toappear tonight was weak or fearful.

　　The castle was dark save the windows at the very top of the building, which glowed ominously.

　　The library, Aringarosa thought. They are awake and waiting. He ducked his head against the windand continued on without so much as a glance toward the observatory domes.

　　The priest who greeted him at the door looked sleepy. He was the same priest who had greetedAringarosa five months ago, albeit tonight he did so with much less hospitality. "We were worriedabout you, Bishop," the priest said, checking his watch and looking more perturbed than worried.

　　"My apologies. Airlines are so unreliable these days."The priest mumbled something inaudible and then said, "They are waiting upstairs. I will escortyou up."The library was a vast square room with dark wood from floor to ceiling. On all sides, toweringbookcases burgeoned with volumes. The floor was amber marble with black basalt trim, ahandsome reminder that this building had once been a palace.

　　"Welcome, Bishop," a man's voice said from across the room.

　　Aringarosa tried to see who had spoken, but the lights were ridiculously low—much lower thanthey had been on his first visit, when everything was ablaze. The night of stark awakening.

　　Tonight, these men sat in the shadows, as if they were somehow ashamed of what was about totranspire.

　　Aringarosa entered slowly, regally even. He could see the shapes of three men at a long table onthe far side of the room. The silhouette of the man in the middle was immediatelyrecognizable—the obese Secretariat Vaticana, overlord of all legal matters within Vatican City.

　　The other two were high-ranking Italian cardinals.

　　Aringarosa crossed the library toward them. "My humble apologies for the hour. We're on differenttime zones. You must be tired.""Not at all," the secretariat said, his hands folded on his enormous belly. "We are grateful you havecome so far. The least we can do is be awake to meet you. Can we offer you some coffee orrefreshments?""I'd prefer we don't pretend this is a social visit. I have another plane to catch. Shall we get tobusiness?""Of course," the secretariat said. "You have acted more quickly than we imagined.""Have I?""You still have a month.""You made your concerns known five months ago," Aringarosa said. "Why should I wait?""Indeed. We are very pleased with your expediency."Aringarosa's eyes traveled the length of the long table to a large black briefcase. "Is that what Irequested?""It is." The secretariat sounded uneasy. "Although, I must admit,............