THE MEN TENSED in their chairs as Cardinal Tsana repeated the question.
“Why, gentlemen, am I surrounded by fools?”
It was a rhetorical question but the Cardinals felt uncomfortable as he gave each of them a steely look. Simons, Andretti, Fitz, and Desmond were hoping he had not included them in his overall assessment.
The cardinals that Tsana addressed were a mixed bag. Cardinal Simons had been a former concentration camp officer like Steiner or Cardinal Tsana as he was now known. Like many others in Nazi Germany, when the war ended he had fled, making his way to Italy. Being able to speak fluent Italian on his mother’s side, he quickly lost himself in the post-war confusion that existed in that war-torn country. It was Steiner himself who recruited him after a chance meeting in Rome. Steiner had known Simons when they were both in Germany so it was a fortutitous meeting for both of them. Steiner persuaded Simons to enroll in the priesthood and Simons who was penniless by then agreed. Elevation through the priesthood with Cardinal Tsana as his patron had been a formality for Simons. As Steiner in his role as Tsana rose to prominence, so too did he ensure that Simons rose with him.
Cardinal Andretti was a product of Mussolini's Italy. In his youth, he had joined the National Fascist Party (PNF), but quickly decided to seek a more rewarding career. War clouds on the horizon had made his mind up for him and in 1939, with a good education behind him, he had entered the priesthood. In the confines of his calling, his homosexuality had been safely cloaked in the folds of respectability. His recruitment by Cardinal Tsana had been easy enough because Cardinal Andretti had a penchant for the good life and young men. He was the only true priest in the room, however, and this sometimes made him feel superior although any evidence of a superior intellect was lost on his colleagues.
Cardinal Fitz, a bull-like man, course in manner despite his position but exceedingly clever and cunning as a fox, had once held a very high position in the Nazi party. No one, not even Steiner had been able to establish his real identity but it was of little importance. One thing about him that they all knew though. He was a very old man, but again no one could determine his age He too had taken on the guise of a priest when the war ended, and, he too like Steiner, had murdered the man whose place he took. His elevation through the ranks of the Church was due to the wealth he seemed to have at his disposal. He simply bought his way to a position of power. In fact, it was he that was the driving force behind Cardinal Tsana’s rise to the position he now held. In political parlance he would be termed a 'power broker'. Over the years Fitz had become Steiner's close confidante and adviser, a role he was well versed in.
Cardinal Desmond, who was really Paul Webber, had originally started off in the German-American Bund in New York. The Bund's members were mostly American citizens of German ancestry but Paul Webber was an exception. Then, in 1939, when he had been holidaying in Germany, the Second World War broke out, and he immediately volunteered to work for the Nazis. Just before Germany’s defeat, he bought a new identity, that of a priest, Father Desmond. As in the case of Cardinal Simons, the meteoric rise of Tsana through the ranks of the Church had ensured Cardinal Desmond’s rapid elevation as well because Like Cardinal Simons, Steiner knew of Cardinal Desmond’s past and was therefore certain of his allegiance.
His Cardinals now waited patiently for Tsana to elaborate and he did not disappoint them.
“First of all, there was the fiasco in Ireland, where nine of our men couldn't get the job done, and now...” he paused to glance at the document once more, “I have this!” he said in a low controlled voice that barely disguised his anger. The Cardinals looked at the sheet of paper he was holding and wondered what it contained that had upset the man so.
“This, gentlemen, is a dispatch from our office in Hong Kong informing me that not only have two of their own men been killed in Manila, but Peter Sartori has died as well!”
“ Peter Sartori! Impossible!” Cardinal Andretti exclaimed in disbelief.
“Yes! Peter Sartori, one of our best operatives.”
“But how?” Cardinal Fitz asked.
“How indeed!” Cardinal Tsana answered. “How the fuck do you think!”
The Cardinals were not shocked by Cardinal Tsana's language, for, in the privacy of his chambers, his Eminence often reverted to the language he had used in his younger days when he was an officer of the Third Reich.
“Captain Lewis?” Cardinal Fitz suggested.
“Captain Lewis?” Cardinal Tsana confirmed. “The same Captain Lewis that thwarted our plans in Ireland has, it seems, done it again!”
“But how?” Cardinal Andretti inquired. “Peter Sartori has never failed us before!”
“You forget that he failed in Ireland against the same man!” Cardinal Tsana reminded him.
There was silence in the room while each of them considered what he had told them.
“Oh, and one other thing, Sam, has disappeared on us.”
“Disappeared?” Cardinal Desmond queried.
“Yes! It seems that Captain Lewis is still unaware that she works for us or he wouldn't have seen her off at Manila Airport last week. However, since her arrival in London, we've had no word at all.”
“That's odd!” Cardinal Fitz said. “Is she all right? You know how fond she was of Peter Sartori.”
“He was fucking her if that's what you mean!” Cardinal Tsana responded. “Then again, we would all like to do that!”
The other men laughed as they considered the prospect although two of them at least were not up to it anymore.
“For now, we must consider her out of the picture.” Cardinal Tsana said. “No matter, gentlemen! I will now take care of Captain Lewis personally!”
“But how?” Cardinal Andretti exclaimed. “He seems to have the lives of a cat!”
“You leave that to me!” Cardinal Tsana reassurred Andretti. He paused then and addressed the group. “As you are all aware, I have been housing Monsignor Cronin at my villa while he recuperates from his illness!”
“How is the Monsignor?” Cardinal Fitz inquired.
“He seems to have recovered his faculties somewhat, but I still cannot establish where he has put his financial report.”
“You're quite certain he has uncovered the organization's holdings?” Cardinal Andretti asked.
Cardinal Tsana looked at him as if he were an idiot and didn't bother to reply to his question.
Turning around in his chair, Cardinal Tsana stared through the window at Saint Peter's Square below as he tried to retain his composure. He knew that if he weren't careful, he would lose his temper, and this was the time to stay in control.
Turning back, he said to them, “Gentlemen, let me remind you all what is at stake here. We have within our grasp the means by which we can establish a new world order. A world order that will go far beyond that ever dreamed of by our predecessors!” He paused to let his words sink in. “The Catholic Church has almost a billion followers around the word, a billion minds that we can mould! We have the finances and we have the technology!” His eyes gleamed in anticipation as he then said, “And, gentlemen, we have the date!”
The other men in the room had heard it all before but they never tired of listening to his propaganda for unlike that other great propagandist, Joseph Goebbels, the Cardinal's words had real substance.
“Herr Bar has set the date then?” Cardinal Desmond asked eagerly.
The ardour disappeared as Cardinal Tsana was reminded that he too had a master, Oscar Bar.
“Yes, gentlemen! The date has been set! It will be soon. That’s all you need to know for now! Oscar Barr will be meeting with you all in the near future to outline his plans and give you the date”
“Good!” Cardinal Fritz said. “At long last!”
“Yes, gentlemen! At long last!” Cardinal Tsana acknowledged. “Now we come to the question of John Devlin!”
“Him!” Cardinal Andretti exclaimed. “The man's a monkey! How could we ever pass him off as Monsignor Cronin?”
“True!” Tsana responded, “But he looks the part and his face may be all we need.”
“How so?” Cardinal Andretti asked.
“It's almost certain that Monsignor Cronin has placed a copy of the financial report in a safety deposit box somewhere. Now, if we can obtain confirmation from the Monsignor, we can use Devlin to collect it from wherever that somewhere is.”
“But surely there will be more than one copy?” Cardinal Desmond said.
“Quite possibly!” the Cardinal answered, “And if there is, hopefully, we can use Devlin to obtain those as well.”
“But we'll need to know where those copies are!” Cardinal Andretti said.
“Obviously!” Cardinal Tsana replied scornfully. “Why do you think we are keeping the Monsignor alive?”
“Where is this man, Devlin, now?” Cardinal Fritz asked.
“I have him at the Villa as well. Needless to say, I am keeping him well away from the Monsignor. It would hardly do for both of them to confront one another, now would it?”
The men before him laughed as one at the prospect.