Eric Flint - 1635 - The Papal Stakes

“Yes, I see. These ‘delays’ would be most helpful, Senor Dolor.” Olivares smiled.

Dolor didn’t smile back.

Olivares’ smile faded, then returned, sly but also an admission that his henchman had, in this moment, undergone a sudden transformation into something more like his vassal. “As I said, this would be most helpful, Don Pedro. Now tell me, what will it take for a complete report-and thus, news of the involvement of O’Neill and his Wild Geese-to be so unfortunately delayed?

Dolor leaned back and savored the moment he had been waiting his whole life to savor. At last he would have a position from which he could begin to exact true and proper vengeance, the closest thing to justice he could acquire for all the little boys that Madrid’s mighty and the powerful had abandoned to cruel streets.

Little boys who had been abandoned just as he and his brother had.

Mike Stearns came into the headquarters tent of his Third Division, peeling off his gloves. As he did so, he bestowed an almost baleful gaze upon his two visitors.

“Ed Piazza, President of the State of Thuringia Piazza, and my once-spymaster Don Francisco Nasi,” he stated. “Come all the way here from such distant parts. No doubt you dropped by unexpectedly to bring me tidings of good cheer.”

Nasi smiled. Piazza shook his head.

“Tidings of tension, I’m afraid,” said Ed. “And it is rising everywhere.”

Stearns sat down. “I take it you’re referring to the backlash from Urban’s rescue?”

“He most certainly is, Michael,” answered Francisco. “The reactions have been pouring in over the last few days, and there are some twists that you should know about. The evolving situation could even catch up with you out here-particularly since you are getting close to Poland.”

“What do you mean?” said Stearns.

“The latest information is that the leading clergy of Catholic nations have been much more swift in responding to the news of Urban’s survival than we expected, probably because he is also calling for a papal council next spring.”

“Well, I expected that eventually-but next spring? Where?”

“That’s part of the kicker,” Ed added. “Urban isn’t saying where-yet. But he has already announced that one of the items on the council’s agenda will be the state of relations among Christian nations, which will necessarily involve a close and critical assessment of the conditions that warrant having the Church declare other religious practices to be heretical, and more importantly, what conditions-if any-necessitate that it must take action against such practices.”

Stearns looked at the other two. Then he took a deep, slow breath while he gazed out at the flat Saxon countryside visible through the still-open tent flap. The sun was setting. There was still enough light to see by, but his batman had already lit the lamps inside the tent.

He now understood why Ed and Francisco had come all this way to discuss the matter with him, despite the fact that he was no longer the USE’s prime minister. He wasn’t even a member of Parliament any longer, since he’d resigned from his seat when he accepted his commission in the army. They were probably violating at least twenty rules of political protocol, but…

Political protocol be damned. He looked back at his two visitors. “He’s going to do a down-time version of Vatican II.” The statement was flat and certain.

Francisco nodded. “Which has triggered responses from the clergy of every major nation. Mind you, their statements are not always declarative-there are a lot of carefully muted reactions-but it seemed that no one wanted to remain silent.”

Stearns leaned forward. “So how does it shake out?”

Ed scratched his head through his thinning hair. “Well, with the exception of a couple of whacko Calvinist sects that even the mainstream Calvinists avoid, every single major Protestant clerical figure or council has come out with either strong or guarded support for Urban’s initiative. That includes most of the major voices in Switzerland and England.”

“No surprise, there,” observed Mike, who eyed the small bottle of up-time whiskey that Ed was slowly edging out of his pocket.

“A similar level of support is looked for from Gustav, who we suspect will be in touch with you about a joint statement, given how prominently Larry Mazzare’s name has figured in all this.”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Make my day.”

“Other regions declaring for Urban include the entirety of the Low Countries and, conspicuously, every one of the USE’s Catholic provinces. Bohemia and Austria are being a bit more circumspect. They are careful to say nothing about Borja, but both express their relief to learn that ‘the pope is alive’ and look forward to his further messages.”

Mike shrugged. “Still, that’s about as overt as they can be without spitting in Borja’s-and therefore Philip’s-eye.”

“Yeah,” said Ed, “and while we’re on the topic of spitting in Philip’s eye, there was one real shocker among the Catholic nations: one of them made an almost militant statement averring Urban’s legitimacy. The bishops who signed it even called directly upon Borja to vacate the cathedra which he had-and I quote-‘brutally usurped from the true pope.’”

“Whoa. Dem’s fightin’ words. Where’d they come from?”

Francisco smiled. “Ireland. If you can believe it.”

Mike frowned. “Not so hard to believe, really. As I understand it, with the prohibitions against Catholic colleges there, most of their clergy gets educated in Rome or the Low Countries. They used to go to Spain a lot, but not so much any more. Guess they got tired of being second-class Spanish citizens.”

Ed nodded. “Yes, and some of them get educated in France, now, too. Which brings up what might be the trickiest of all the reactions: the ones coming out of France. The French cardinals that really matter-the ones who belong to the Consistory-all welcomed the news of ‘our pope’s continued survival and future safety.’ No surprises that they slipped in that affirmation of Urban’s continued legitimacy; he has a lot of friends in that quarter. However, Gaston has rallied a lot of hard-line bishops to support his claim that, as a true defender of the faith, Borja’s attack was justified because Urban destroyed his own legitimacy by tolerating and giving papal imprimatur to heretics.”

“Meaning us.”

“Among others-although with Urban’s rescue and safety being openly attributed to up-time intervention, I think it safe to assume that we head the list of the aforementioned ‘heretics.’”

“Along with Venice,” added Nasi, “which also declared strongly for Urban. The papal lands that aren’t under direct Spanish control are making similar, if less vehement, noises.”

Mike nodded. “Okay. You’ve pumped me up with the good news. So hit me with the bad.”

“Well, obviously Spain and all its associated satrapies and client states are firmly behind Borja. That includes Milan and Naples-although the popular sentiment there is for Urban, building on the extant desire to evict Philip’s tercios from Italy.”

“As you said, no great surprise. Who else, Ed?”

“Poland and Bavaria are Borja country, also. Strongly so.”

Stearns looked from one to the other. “That can’t be all. I’m not saying it’s not reason enough to come out here to update me-but I know you guys; you’ve still got something else up your sleeve. What is it?”

Nasi smiled. “Michael, are we really that transparent?”

“Entirely. Now, what gives? More trouble?”

“More detailed news from Venice. Including some new considerations that should not be communicated by radio,” amended Nasi with a sly look.