“It has not been destroyed, Holy Father. The dome can be restored.”
“This still needs further study,” the Pope said with a sadness that was different from his usual character. “It is unlikely that engineers and architects have done this. Might have to pull down and rebuild from scratch. The frescoes were severely damaged under the weight of the rubble. It"s not easy to replace, you know better about this than anyone."
Gabriel glanced quickly at his watch. You"ll have to get to the airport in a few minutes, or you"ll miss your flight. He wondered why the Pope had invited him here. Certainly not to discuss how to rebuild the Great Cathedral. They were walking towards St. John"s tower, in the southwest corner of the Vatican.
“There is only one reason why I am not dead yet,” the Pope said.
