The Girl in Black

Chapter 7

"Very well said," replied Donati. “What about you? Do you still believe? Or have you ever had faith?"

Gariel stopped walking. “The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amalekites, the Moabites – they are no more. But for some reason we"re still here. Perhaps because 4,000 years ago God made a covenant with Abraham. Who know?"

“Your descendants will take the enemy stronghold,” Gabriel completes the rest of the passage for Donati. “Now my enemy wants to reclaim his stronghold. He is willing to do anything, including sacrificing his son to achieve this.”

Donati smiled at Gabriel"s clever interpretation of the biblical word. “We are not that different, you and I. We all give our lives to higher forces. For me it"s for the church, and you"re for the people." He paused and added. "For country".

They walked along Via Dolorosa into the Muslim street. As the street was shaded, Gariel pushed his sunglasses to his forehead. Palestinian vendors looked at him curiously from their crowded stalls.

"Are you okay here?"

"We"ll be fine."

"I assume you have a weapon."

Gabriel answered with silence. As they continued walking, Donati"s gaze fixed on the pebbles in the road, his bushy black eyebrows furrowed in thought.

“If I know Ali Massoudi is dead, is it possible that his comrades also know this?”

"Of course".

“Do they also know that his computer has pictures? And the computer fell into your hands?”

"Maybe".

“Could this make them push the plan faster?”

"Or maybe they will delay the plan until you and the Italians relax their guard."

They passed through the gates of Damascus. Gabriel lowered his sunglasses as they entered the noisy crowded market behind the walls.

“There is one thing you need to know about these photos,” said Donati. "They were taken during the pope"s public address as he greeted pilgrims from around the world at St Peter"s Square."

Gabriel paused to look at the golden arch above the stone walls. “The public talk is usually held every Wednesday, right?”

"Right".

Gabriel looked at Donati and said. "Today is Tuesday".

Donati looks at his watch. “Can you give me a ride to the airport? If we go fast, we can make it to Rome for a late night meal.”

"We?"

“On the way to the suburbs, we will stop by your apartment so you can pack,” Donati said. “Rome has had a lot of storms these days. Remember to bring a raincoat."

I"ll have to bring more than just a raincoat, Gabriel thought as he led Donati across the market. You will also need a fake passport.

It was a rather idyllic office for a powerful man. The oriental rugs fade with time, and the curtains look heavy and dull. When Gabriel and Donati entered the room, a small man in white sitting behind a large crude table was staring intently at the television screen. There was violence on it: smoke and fire, bloodied survivors tearing their hair out and mourning the unhealthy bodies of the dead. Pope Paul VII, Bishop of Rome, Archbishop pressed the Stop button on the remote control, and the image turned black. “Gabriel,” he said. "Nice to meet you again."

The Pope slowly rose to his feet and held out his small hand - not the face of the ring as is often the case, but turning the palm of his hand over. The handshake was still firm, and the eyes that looked at Gariel affectionately were still clear and energetic. Gariel had forgotten how small Pietro Lucchesi was. He recalled the afternoon Lucchesi showed up after the papal conclave. He then moved in a hastily prepared baggy vestment and almost no one could see him from the colonnade outside the Cathedral. An Italian television commentator called him the Unthinkable Pietro. Cardinal Marco Brindini, the ultra-conservative Secretary of State who always thought he would be the one to walk out of a closed-door meeting with the white robes, bitterly called Lucchesi the "Unexpected Pope I".

Yet Gabriel always thought of another image of Pietro Lucchesi, the image of him standing on the podium of the great synagogue in Rome saying things that no pope had ever said. “We confess and ask your forgiveness for these crimes and those that are about to be exposed. There are no words to describe our deep sadness. In your hour of greatest need, as the Nazi forces dragged you out of your home and into the streets surrounding this synagogue, you begged for help, but your pleas were answered. by silence. So today, when I ask for forgiveness, I will do it this way. In silence…”

The pope sat down and looked at the black screen with no signal as it was still conveying to his eyes images of distant casualties. “I warned him not to do this, but he didn"t listen. Now he intends to go to Europe to reconcile with his former allies. I wish him well, but I think the chances of success are slim."

Gabriel looked at Donati for an explanation.

“The White House informed us last night that the President would be here early next year for a tour of European capitals. The president is hoping to create a more friendly and less belligerent image in order to repair some of the damage caused by his decision to go to war with Iraq."

“The war I have always opposed,” the Pope said.

"Did he visit the Vatican?" Gabriel asked.

"He"s going to Rome - that"s all we know. The White House has yet to announce whether the President wants to meet with the Pope. We hope the request will be made shortly.”

“He would never come to Rome without visiting the Vatican,” the Pope said. “Conservative Catholics are an important part of the electorate. He"ll want some nice photos and some kind words from me. He will take pictures. As for the words of goodwill…”. The Pope"s voice grew fainter. "I"m afraid he"ll have to look for this elsewhere."