“Oh my God,” he said out loud.
In the next instant he dropped the folder and began running as fast as he could back up the square towards the papal apartments. As the sweat began to run down his forehead from the exertion all he could think about was the contents of the sheet of paper. He had to find the Pope.
Inside the Vatican he raced up the staircase that led to his apartments. There was no time to observe the usual pleasantries as he shoved open the door to his papal quarters. Bursting into the Pope’s administration chambers he ran up the connecting stairs to his Private Secretary’s office.
The secretary was nowhere to be seen but the prostrate body of Major Dupont was sprawled across the three steps that led up to the Pope’s study. The sight that greeted him was shocking. Major Du
