Charles Brokaw - The Lucifer Code

‘It was mutual corruption,’ Lourds said. ‘She was experienced, but I was better read.’

‘Another fault of mine, I suppose.’

‘You’re the one that left those trashy spy novels lying around.’

Father Gabriel grinned. ‘So I did.’

Lourds was silent for a moment. ‘I’ve missed you.’

‘I know,’ the old man said solemnly. ‘I’ve missed you too. The years grow shorter…’

‘And they move ever faster,’ Lourds finished. ‘I think I’m finally beginning to understand what you were talking about.’

‘Good. My efforts weren’t wasted after all. I’m relieved.’ Father Gabriel focused on Lourds. ‘How much trouble are you in?’

‘A stone’s throw away from the yawning mouth of hell.’

Father Gabriel rubbed his hands together. ‘It’s been a long time since I could make any such claim. Tell me about it.’

Seated there in the shade, with the whisper of the wind round them, knowing that Cleena MacKenna guarded him with her pistol only a short distance away and that her friend had a spy satellite watching over them, Lourds did. He told Father Gabriel about the rapid trip to Russia where the statue of the Virgin Mary wept, and how they’d found the second golden ring within one of the foundations of the church that Patriarch Nikon had purposefully placed there when he built the church. He told his friend of the journey to Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where they’d discovered the third ring inside one of the walls near the ladder that no one had moved on the second storey for over a hundred years. That ladder had marked the spot where the True Cross’s shadow had fallen at the time of the Crucifixion. And finally, Lourds told Father Gabriel of the pool at the Grand Mosque of Cordoba and how the waters had turned red as blood only a few days before their arrival.

When he finished, Lourds sat back and waited to see what Father Gabriel’s reaction would be.

‘You think the Vice-President of the United States is Lucifer?’

Lourds hated the way that sounded when said naked like that. ‘It’s not just me,’ he answered defensively. ‘Several other people think that too.’

‘Tell me, Professor, what do you think your colleagues at Harvard would think if you told them this?’

‘Honestly, I shudder to think. My parking privileges would probably be revoked.’

‘You realize they’d rather think you were a thief than a wild-eyed madman. Being a thief has a certain sexy cache.’

‘Do I look like a wild-eyed madman to you?’

‘No, you don’t. You look incredibly tired is how you look.’

‘I feel incredibly tired. These past few days, the last three weeks, have been a blur.’

‘And yet you found Lucifer.’

‘Truth be told,’ Lourds said, ‘I wasn’t looking, and apparently it isn’t that hard.’

‘Because he was looking for you.’

A cold wind blew down the back of Lourds’ shirt. ‘Not,’ he said, ‘a good thought.’

Father Gabriel pulled at his beard. ‘The Vice-President of the United States.’

‘Yes.’

‘That certainly takes some getting used to.’

‘It does.’

Then Father Gabriel smiled. ‘But I’m not surprised to find out Lucifer decided to go into politics. Though it could have been worse.’

‘Worse?’

‘He could have become a televangelist. If I’d had to guess, that’s what I would have put my money on.’

In spite of the situation, Lourds laughed.

Father Gabriel joined him, and then asked, ‘How can I help you, Thomas?’

‘I need a place to stay where I can work,’ Lourds said. ‘Somewhere safe.’

Father Gabriel nodded. ‘Of course.’

‘Enough room for my road companions.’

‘One of them is a woman?’

‘Two, actually.’

‘Including the young redhead over there by that tree looking as though she’s innocently hanging about?’

Cleena cursed, eliciting a smile from Lourds. She made an obnoxious gesture at the priest.

‘Ah, a young woman of genteel breeding, I see.’ Father Gabriel chuckled. ‘I take it you’re in constant communication with her.’

‘Yes.’

‘Two women are harder to manage than one,’ Father Gabriel said. Lourds knew the double entendre was intentional.

‘You said this man was like a father to you?’ Cleena asked.

‘Yes,’ Lourds answered.

‘No wonder you have the morals of an alley cat.’

‘I meant father as in priest.’

Cleena came to a halt and looked shocked. ‘You just let me flip off a priest?’

‘It’s not as if you asked my permission or gave me any advance warning about what you were going to do.’

‘You are an idiot!’

‘I’m not the one that flipped off the priest.’

Father Gabriel waved to Cleena. Embarrassed, the young redhead waved back.

‘She doesn’t look like a linguist,’ the priest said.

‘Thankfully she doesn’t look like a gunrunner either,’ Lourds replied.

‘I so hate you right now,’ Cleena said.

‘She probably hasn’t been to confession in a long time either,’ Lourds said.

Cleena poured pure invective into his ear.

‘Besides sleeping quarters and a safe place where you can work,’ Father Gabriel asked, ‘is there anything else you need?’

‘Books,’ Lourds said. ‘I’m going to need some of those special books the Vatican keeps locked away. I’ve got to break this language, and it’s going to be even more difficult because it’s been broken into four parts.’

‘Done.’ Father Gabriel stood. ‘Did you drive?’

‘We took a cab.’

‘You are putting your life in God’s hands.’ Father Gabriel started walking away. ‘Come along, Thomas. You can ride with me. I’ll make a few phone calls and everything should be arranged by the time we get where we’re going.’ He looked over his shoulder to where Cleena trailed after them. ‘Your impertinent little friend can ride along as well, as long as she promises not to make a spectacle of herself.’

Cleena waited until Father Gabriel was looking away, then flipped Lourds off.

‘God saw that,’ the priest said.

Tired and frustrated, Lourds entered the large kitchen where Father Gabriel was managing several pots on the stove. Lourds knew from earlier inspection that they contained a selection of pastas and vegetables. The priest had even managed to bake some bread and the warm, yeasty smell pervaded the large loft he had secured for them.

The loft had six bedrooms, three bathrooms, a massive kitchen and dining room and a large common area. Lourds couldn’t imagine the size of the family that lived there. He also couldn’t imagine where they could’ve gone. When he’d asked Father Gabriel about it, the old priest had simply waved the question away.

‘Some people have old sins that just won’t go away,’ Father Gabriel said. ‘Every now and again, I’ll give those people a chance to do something good. This is simply one of those times.’

Maybe the accommodations were simple, but Lourds was struggling with the intricate puzzle of the final language. He filched one of the rolls that had just come out of the oven, then had to juggle it in both hands because it was so hot. When it had finally cooled down enough, he broke it open and slathered it with cream cheese.

Father Gabriel mopped at his sweaty brow with a shirt sleeve. ‘Progress?’

‘A little, maybe. I don’t know. I’ve been at this so long that I can’t tell up from down any more.’

‘Of course you can. You’re the finest student I’ve ever had. I’ll take your failure personally.’

‘You could help, you know.’

Father Gabriel stirred one of the pots, then reached for the next spoon. ‘No, I don’t think so. You surpassed my meagre abilities a long time ago. If I tried to help you, I’d just embarrass myself and distract you.’