"God, guide this soul. Nobody ever loved you as much as he did. Amen," Abel said, gazing at the blood red sky as if he were going to cry.
Two hours later, the city of Brno unconditionally surrendered to the Vatican-Bohemia Combined Army, ending the Second Battle of Bohemia. According to public record, not one person was reported in the conflict.
Morning at Castle Sforza—the residence castle of the Duchess of Milan in the center of the city of Milan—came early. That meant that the lady of the castle who usually stayed in Rome had returned to her own domain—a rare thing.
This morning, when Sister Kate had visited the castle's main office, her boss—an early riser—had already been sitting at her desk. "Good morning, Caterina. How are you this morning, Professor?" Kate asked, blinking midway through the hologram as if surprised.
Caterina, who'd been under house arrest after taking responsibility for her subordinates' mismanagement, was sitting on the visitors' sofa. But although her boss had been under house arrest, wasn't it Doctor Wordsworth who should've been supervising the Department of Foreign Affairs in Rome?
"Professor, what are you doing here this early? Has something happened in Rome?" asked Kate.
"Brno fell last night," Professor replied calmly as he chewed on his unlit pipe, his face appearing ashen. "The church army triumphantly entered the city unharmed and Vaclav . . . died."
"Havel?" Kate exclaimed, aghast. She was so shaken that even her hologram visibly shook.
It was the result everyone had expected—to a certain extent. Havel had kidnapped the Pope in Prague and had been deeply involved in the subsequent uprising in Brno. No one thought he'd come back to Rome or to AX unharmed. That didn't mitigate the shock of it, though. Havel had been a companion to Professor, Caterina, and Kate for ten years—since before AX had existed.
As Kate chewed on a finger that she'd unconsciously brought to her mouth, she glanced back at Caterina, who hadn't uttered a word since their conversation had started. Kate tried to think of things to say that would encourage her boss, although Caterina seemed less shaken than she should've been. "U-um, Caterina ..." mumbled Kate.
"So, Professor, what is the Bureau of Inquisition doing?" asked Caterina in a sweet but tough voice. The nun's attempt at solicitude ended in complete futility. When Caterina raised her head, her razor-colored eye flashed through the monocle as she questioned her subordinate in a clear tone that showed neither frailty nor wavering. "How much has Cardinal Medici grasped about the connection between us and Father Havel—or rather the traitor Vaclav Havel? Enough that he can prosecute me?"
"We've already erased all the records concerning Vaclav's status as an agent and the duties he'd accomplished until now," Professor replied in a tone as dry as Caterina's. Wearing a poker face characteristic of an Albion noble, he said, "His status as a Department of Foreign Affairs employee hasn't changed, but Your Eminence's inattentive supervision might be attacked. Even if it's not an inquisition, the hearing and judgment by the Cardinals' Council that precedes it can't be avoided."
"That can't be helped. There also was the incident in Prague. When I think about it, it was painful to hand over the stocks of hydrocyanic acid gas in exchange for Brno. If we had that, I could use it to haggle with my brother," Caterina said.
"True. However, the production records of the gas should have remained at the production site," replied Professor. "If we can get our hands on those somehow . . ."
The conversation between the Iron Woman and Professor was as calm and intelligent as always and didn't at all make Kate feel as though she'd been kicked. However, as she listened off to the side, Kate was growing increasingly troubled by something nagging at her heart—Havel was dead. A friend with whom they'd shared life and death, pain and joy, was no longer in the world, and she couldn't understand why her colleagues weren't sad or how they could they act the same as they always did. It was certain that Caterina's and AX's situation would become dangerous, but there was still the matter of mourning the dead.
In an act of resistance, Kate intentionally interrupted Caterina and Professor as they fervently conversed about their forthcoming plans. "Um, so ... where is Havel's body?" asked Kate. He was a traitor, but treating Havel with such disrespect made him out to be more pitiful than he really was. As his only ally, Kate changed the topic to the matter her two colleagues were ignoring. "Havel had no relatives. We'll have to retrieve his body and lay it to rest somewhere. Caterina, shall we hold the funeral in Rome or here in Milan? Whichever you choose, I'll take care of the formalities."
"We are not concerned about Know Faith's body. If somebody tries to make us accept it even temporarily, refuse them," Caterina said sternly. The eye behind her monocle showed no expression and her white face was as hard as porcelain. "Father Vaclav Havel was my subordinate, but now he's merely a traitor. No matter what kind of opinion the Department of Doctrine has concerning those who died in the Battle of Brno, we cannot bury his body with our hands. Lump him in and deal with him like the other war dead."
"P-please wait, Caterina!" Kate pleaded as she beat on her desk, causing her hologram to flicker. "Wasn't Havel like our family? We're pathetic if we don't mourn him."
"It can't be helped, Kate," answered Professor. As if to protect Caterina, who walked silently toward the window, from further prodding, Wordsworth shook his head. "As it stands, Cardinal Medici and the Bureau of Inquisition are trying to push the responsibility for this rebellion on Cardinal Sforza. At this time, we can't publicize the relationship between Vaclav and AX, so please give up on the topic."
"Th-that's . . . !" Kate's meek face stiffened at Professor's answer. She turned toward her boss as if she were seeking a second opinion; however, Caterina didn't give the nun a second glance.
After again taking her seat at the desk, Caterina relayed a succinct order to Professor: "Doctor Wordsworth, return to Rome at once, and absolutely do not take your eyes off the Pope's palace. Be sure to submit detailed reports concerning the actions of Cardinal Medici and the Bureau of Inquisition, as well."
Bowing gracefully, Professor stood up. "Understood." He was about to leave the room when he called the nun as if suddenly he'd remembered something. "That's right, Kate—if it's not too much trouble, would you arrange for a train? Special class, if possible—a single room would be good. Because if I go to the station from here, I'll probably make it in time for the next express."
"Very good," Kate replied firmly before dissolving her hologram from the office. She didn't salute Caterina before she left because if she'd opened her mouth again, Kate didn't know what she would say to her. But amid her feelings of irritation, and before she severed her contact with the office's camera circuits, Kate noticed that she'd forgotten one more thing—a matter requiring a decision.
Now that I think about it, I should've reported on Hugue's condition ... Remembering the progress report that had come from the hospital in Rome, Kate wavered for a moment. She hesitated to speak to her superior now and wondered whether she should send a written report instead. Ultimately, she revisited the cameras, reinserting the microphone switch. After all, it was a report about an agent, and it had to be delivered directly and orally. Kate still hadn't dared to rematerialize, though — perhaps because of the trouble it would require, but also because she was reluctant to show her face to Caterina so soon.
Professor had long since left and only a slender shadow remained in the office, seated at the desk. "Your Eminence, I'm very sorry — I forgot one thing." Kate tried to call her superior without materializing, but she couldn't say the words out loud.
Iron Woman was sitting alone in the same position beyond the desk that she had been in a little while earlier. As if Caterina’s thoughts were consumed by the secret feud between half siblings that soon would resume, her steely eyes stared at the desk without blinking. Her overall demeanor left no question that her nickname couldn't have been more appropriate. "Vaclav!" she cried as clear droplets slid down her faintly trembling cheeks.