"This way, Your Eminence." As Caterina disembarked, she heard a car horn. Looking up, she saw a man waving from next to a parked sedan in the parking lot. "I'm so sorry to keep you waiting in this cold weather, Master Wordsworth."
The elegant woman gave her thanks to Professor, who was dressed in a tweed three-piece suit. She flicked her coat back and started walking.
A lot of snow had fallen in Rome overnight. Caterina had to take care that she didn't slip as she walked on the icy stone street. Caterina pushed the sunglasses covering her face up her nose. Her being in Rome today was top-secret, so she had shunned her clerical garments and cardinal's staff, but her beauty still made her conspicuous in a crowd.
Caterina ignored the gazes from passersby and turned to her traveling companions. "It looks like it's going to snow again. We should hurry. We have to get to the Palazzo Spada before they enter San Pietro."
"I understand, Caterina, but this is pretty heavy," said a person's pathetic voice, his teeth chattering from the cold. It was a young person wearing round spectacles and wrapped in a white overcoat. He took the suitcases into his hands and tottered treacherously along the icy street. "Why have you got so many bags in the first place? It feels like there's a dead body in here... WAAAAAH!"
Abel screamed as he lost his footing on the slippery paving stone. He landed flat on his face and sprawled out then slid down the street until a lamppost stopped his momentum with a loud thud. The snow that had been balanced precariously on the lamppost came crashing down around him.
"Please be careful, Master Nightroad."
The brusque voice belonged to a pedestrian, who looked down at the miniature snow mountain that had been created on the street. The small youngster, who was carrying a shoulder bag, deftly removed the suitcase that was peeking out from the snow mountain and then—without checking whether his companion was safe or not—started quietly loading the bags into the trunk.
Meanwhile, Professor didn't attempt to help, instead putting an unlit pipe between his lips.
"You do have quite a lot of luggage. Are you planning on moving here, Your Eminence?"
"My, no. It's just a change of clothes and a few personal items." The beauty shook her head. She looked slightly annoyed. "Our stay here may extend for some time. Anyway, what is the situation with the Concistoro?"
"Cardinal Medici is working hard, but I don't think that there will be any substantial changes."
His boss eyed him.
Standing up straight, Professor answered articulately: "Apart from a few junior cardinals, the majority of the cardinals are in Your Eminence's favor. I think that if there is a breakthrough in this inquiry, then there will be no possibility for a heresy inquest."
"Then it all rests on these next few days. I guess we have those old men's principle of keeping the peace to thank for this. Ironic."
Caterina grimaced and her voice betrayed the trials she had already been through.
During the Brno War, there were a series of scandals, including the kidnap of the Vatican's Alessandro and the rebellion of Officer Vaclav Havel, which her biggest enemy, Francesco di Medici, had not let her forget. All sources seemed to indicate that he was planning to bring his younger sister in under heresy charges.
Luckily for Caterina, her half-brother's schemes had not had any success. The reason was that the Vatican's highest decision-making body, the Concistoro (which would also make the final decision on whether an investigation were necessary), had consistently taken her side. Francesco argued for the revival of the Vatican's powers and proposed dramatic reforms, which earned some fanatical support, but on the other hand, he was seen as a very dangerous element by the older, higher levels of the clergy, who would stand to lose a lot. And so the person who they hoped could limit Francesco was none other than Caterina. However, she didn't like the thought of being their agent, and it also pained her to be in opposition to her brother.
"Lack of attention is not permitted. After all, those aged clergy are only with us now. If they don't think we can protect them, then they'll pull their support immediately."
"Exactly. However, this scandal is very much within our favor. House arrest for a month and suspension from the church for a year. We can expect at least that."
As head of the Ministry of Holy Affairs and Duchess of Milan, it seemed that Caterina's position was a strong one and that nothing could destroy the honor and power she had gained.
But still...
My hands are dirty.
Her eyes dropped to the pristine white gloves on her hands.
They were the hands that had offered up her younger brother at the altar of power. Hands that had spilled the blood of many men. No matter how much she tried, the stains would never be removed now.
"What's the matter, Miss Caterina?"
Caterina was brought out of her thoughts by the concerned voice. She lifted her head to see not only the young man who had been buried in the snow drift, but also the gentleman who had been packing the trunk; they were both looking at her with worried expressions on their faces.
"Is something the matter? You suddenly went quiet. I know! I bet you're hungry?" Abel asked.
"No." Caterina returned a smile to Abel. She would have to say something sooner or later. However, she shook her head and decided to explore her never-ending labyrinth of thoughts for another time. She smiled at her ever anxious subordinates and then got into the back of the sedan.
"Let's go. If we dilly-dally then we'll get caught up in more snow. I hate the cold."
"Lady Caterina!" Someone called out to her just as the engine started. The voice was jolly, but Caterina could sense an element of urgency in it still. Tres and Abel immediately surrounded Caterina and pulled out their guns. The car that was speeding toward them down the street came to an abrupt halt, accompanied by a screech of its brakes.
"Thank heavens! You're all right!" A clumsy young man tumbled out of the car. His disheveled, bleached, long hair and unusual eyes didn't match his clerical garb. It was Bishop of Valencia Antonio Borgia. He lifted his arms out to embrace the beauty in front of him, but immediately he was stopped in his tracks by the mouth of a gun hitting his nose.
"Put down your gun, Father Tres." Caterina rebuked her subordinate, who wielded the deadly weapon expressionlessly.
"What on earth is the matter? Cardinal Borgia? You seem a little rushed to just be here to greet me. And what do you mean, 'Thank heavens. You're all right'?" Caterina turned to the young man.
"Exactly that!"
Tres lowered his gun. Antonio was at Caterina's side so quickly, it was almost as if he had teleported. He gripped Caterina's hands in his. His actions were presumptuous and rude. His next words made things all the worse. "Miss Caterina. Run away with me!"
"Hah?!"
Bishop of Valencia's name is still probably down in the history books as the only man to have made Caterina pull such an expression. The flippant young man fixed his gaze on Caterina and continued even more passionately. "Come! We must hurry! Ah. As long as I'm with you, I wouldn't mind if we end up in the Dark Lands or the Empire."
"Please, wait a second," Caterina interrupted Antonio. She took a step back and pulled her hand away from his. "Now what are you talking about? Running away? Bishop Borgia, please understand..." Caterina started to talk but she wasn't allowed to finish. From down the street, there was a huge explosion and a clamor of voices.
"Damn! I'm too late!" Antonio screamed. A huge dark shadow edged around the corner. It was gigantic and closely resembled a rhinoceros. Two six-wheeled armored vehicles revealed themselves. They looked like they were about to wreak havoc, but when they came within thirty feet from where Caterina stood her ground, they suddenly came to a halt, blocking all traffic on the street.
"The Carabinieri?!" Caterina mumbled. On the side of the armored vehicles was the mark of the Inquisition’s Vineam Domini. "Why are the Carabinieri here?!"
In the blink of an eye, the hatch opened and from out of it jumped down special police officers bearing machine pistols. Like a precise machine, they encircled Caterina with terrifying speed. They clearly wanted to subdue Caterina and her companions as quickly and effectively as possible.
Caterina's officers held their ground with their own weapons. "Come on, you lot. There's no need for this." In the midst of the tension, the voice sounded out of place. "That is no way to treat a cardinal. Always embarrassing me... Your Eminence, my deepest apologies. Please forgive me for my subordinates' rudeness."
The last to get out of the vehicle was the officer. He bowed his head and greeted Caterina correctly. "I am Brother Matthaios. I am with the Inquisition Committee. I have received orders to come and meet Your Eminence from Cardinal Medici. I will be hoping for your cooperation."
He was a calm, collected young man. Brother Matthaios' appearance didn't suit the solemnity of his title. He would have been much more natural-looking in a cassock rather than in a Carabinieri uniform.
Caterina returned the man's bow and pleasantries. "Is that so? Well thank you very much, Brother Matthaios. But you didn't have to come here to meet us. Seeing as how I'm in confinement, I would like to decline your offer to escort us," Caterina replied.
At her words, Matthaios squinted so that his eyes were nothing more than lines. Then, in the blink of an eye, a gun appeared in his hand as if by magic. It was of such extraordinary speed, that Tres, who had been keeping watch, didn't even have a chance to react.
"I'm terribly sorry, Your Eminence. But this is no escort," the officer said. He aimed the gun straight between Caterina's eyes.
"The Inquisition Committee would like me to arrest you under suspicion of being allied with New Vatican. You are free to resist. But I would warn you that if you do, we are fully prepared to take every action, however reluctantly."