Adrian D'Hage - The Omega scroll

‘Cardinal Rodriguez Medici.’

‘Cardinal Lorenzo Petroni.’

‘Cardinal Daniel Thuku.’

‘Cardinal Giovanni Donelli.’

At the end of the first vote the Camerlengo read out the results: ‘Cardinal Lorenzo Petroni, forty-two votes.’

Cardinal Petroni nodded imperceptibly.

‘Cardinal Giovanni Donelli, thirty-two votes.’

Cardinal Petroni’s eyes hardened. Donelli. Obviously the announcement of the investigation had had some effect but not enough and Petroni wondered who might be voting for him. Petroni decided to reinforce the dangers of heresy and of a long Papacy during the lunch break.

‘Cardinal Daniel Thuku, twenty-four votes.’

Cardinal Petroni nodded to the Kenyan. It was around the number he had calculated. Again the counter to the Third World of ‘not yet’ would have to be reiterated, and he thought about how he might swing Thuku and his bloc of African votes over to his side. A twenty-four vote bloc, together with one or two more coming over, would give him at least seventy and put him comfortably in striking distance of the magical figure of seventy-eight. Once a candidate got close, Petroni knew that the next vote usually clinched it as the other cardinals all rushed to be on the winning team.

‘Cardinal Rodriguez Medici, twenty-two votes.’

Again Cardinal Petroni nodded in acknowledgement. The Latin American bloc of Liberation cardinals would be harder to swing, but he had already listed those who might be vulnerable. The other votes were scattered in twos and threes and the Camerlengo gave orders for the ballots to be burned with a candle so that black smoke issued from the chimney.

Jerusalem

‘There must be something we can do, Patrick,’ Allegra said, her anger still flaming as Patrick O’Hara showed her in to his lounge room.

‘I have to agree with you, Allegra, it’s got Petroni’s trademark all over it but the trouble is, once a conclave starts, the cardinals are sealed off from the outside world.’

‘No doubt something Petroni was banking on with his timing,’ Allegra said bitterly. ‘Sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of those who are wavering on their candidate to ensure Petroni gets himself across the line, then he can claim it was all a misunderstanding.’

‘Sorry to interrupt, Bishop O’Hara,’ Sister Katherine said from the doorway. ‘Tom Schweiker is calling from Rome, shall I ask him to call back?’

‘No, no, we’re in between a rock and a hard place here anyway, Sister Katherine. I’ll take it in the study but you can serve the tea in here.’

It was nearly fifteen minutes before Patrick returned but he had a bounce in his step and his eyes were dancing with a mischievous anger.

‘Tom phoned me on a personal matter, but I took the trouble to raise last night’s broadcast with him and he is just as irate as we are,’ Patrick said. ‘He’s got reason to believe that when Petroni was a bishop in the Vatican he was involved in covering up the Church’s involvement in paedophilia.’

Patrick kept the allegations general. Tom Schweiker hadn’t said as much, but Patrick had been around long enough to sense there was a deeper personal issue for the journalist, and he had told Tom his door was always open. There had been a sense of gratitude in Tom’s response that heightened Patrick’s suspicions.

‘Tom tells me there was a heated argument in New York just before the item was aired. With only seconds to go before the bulletin opened, the CCN anchor was handed a brief headed “Breaking news from Rome”. When she had a closer look at the date, she could see the information had come through from Petroni’s office nearly a week before.’

‘Then there’s a link between Petroni and the CCN News Director,’ Allegra said.

‘Tom’s certain there is.’

‘So that would rule out any chance of Tom getting a story up that suggested the timing of the allegations is political.’ Allegra was getting angrier.

‘It doesn’t stop us airing the allegations against Petroni,’ Patrick said. ‘I made a call to the one person in the conclave who is connected to the outside world, the Camerlengo. It’s a long shot, but Tom’s agreed to back us. The Camerlengo’s absolutely furious, but I told him the media already had the story and it would not look good if it subsequently emerged that he refused to see us. To give us credibility I gave him Tom’s number if he wanted to check. It took a fair bit of arm-twisting, but he’s very reluctantly agreed to listen to us.’

The Italian in Allegra came to the fore. She put her cup down, leaned over and gave an astonished Patrick a hug.

‘Patrick, you’re a marvel!’

‘Don’t get your hopes up too much, Allegra,’ Patrick cautioned. ‘He’s only agreed to see us. The Curia can be very stubborn. Will David come?’

‘I don’t see why not,’ Allegra said firmly. ‘The election’s not due for another six weeks. Surely he can slip out of the country on personal business without the whole place falling apart. If Petroni gets elected Pope, it won’t be just a backward step for the Catholic Church,’ she said, her dark eyes smouldering. ‘Given what’s in the Omega Scroll it could mean the countdown for destruction will be accelerated.’

Roma

As they filed out of the Sistine Chapel for lunch, Cardinal Petroni managed to hide his irritation, but as lunch wore on his irritation increased. Petroni needed to speak separately with Cardinal Rodriguez Medici and Cardinal Daniel Thuku but both had been deep in conversation with each other for over twenty minutes. The lunch break was drawing to a close and Petroni waited for an opportunity, frustrated at being caught up in small talk with cardinals he didn’t need to speak to.

If Petroni had known what Medici and Thuku were talking about his over-confidence would have been shaken by desperation and a sense that power was slowly slipping through his elegant fingers.

‘I’m flattered by the support I’ve received, Daniel,’ Rodriguez Medici said, ‘but I’m going to have a word with one or two of my supporters to see if we can get behind the one candidate. One thing is very clear to me, it would be an unmitigated disaster if Petroni is elected. He has campaigned shamelessly this last week and as Pope he would set the Church back a hundred years. You might think getting the Curia to change their minds on condoms is a hard ask now. Under Petroni you’d be excommunicated for thinking about it.’

Daniel Thuku smiled grimly. ‘Yes, and I think the chances of a third Vatican Council would be about zilch. What about this investigation into Giovanni?’

‘That’s got Petroni’s mark all over it, Daniel, surely you can see that?’

‘Yes, but can the others?’

Back in the chapel the Camerlengo read out the results of the voting for the second ballot.

‘Cardinal Lorenzo Petroni, forty-eight votes.’

Cardinal Petroni disguised his cold fury. A paltry six vote gain on the second ballot. His vote had stalled. Something was not adding up.

‘Cardinal Giovanni Donelli, forty-two votes.’ Giovanni shook his head. Those around him heard him say softly, ‘Please God. No. Please, no.’

Cardinal Salvatore Bruno, who was seated directly opposite, just smiled and nodded encouragement in Giovanni’s direction. While Cardinal Petroni had been dispensing champagne and caviar, Giovanni’s old mentor had not been idle in the lead up to the conclave either, quietly building Giovanni’s candidature amongst others who also held the brilliant young cardinal in high esteem. Votes for both Cardinal Thuku and Cardinal Medici had fallen, largely at their own instigation, and both exchanged conspiratorial glances. Both were wondering if it was the kiss of death for Petroni, or if he might hold his position for another twenty-eight ballots to force a run-off on a simple majority. Cardinal Petroni’s thoughts were running on similar lines.