The Holy Bullet Part 5

"Ten."

"You've had this vision for ten years?"

"More," the Muslim agreed, with the same smile on his face.

"When did you have the first vision?" the foreigner inquired, halfway between the bed and the door in his nervous demand. "Do you remember?"

"As if it were today," Abu Ras.h.i.+d announced with a melancholy, nostalgic look, and remembered that day, his birthday, the eleventh, when she appeared at his side on the Mount of Olives, dressed in pure white, so brilliant that he had to s.h.i.+eld his eyes with his hand. He was running back to the city to the same house he lived in today on Qadisieh Street to go with his father to pray at Hara mesh-Sharif.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked him in a calming, melodious voice.

Contritely, respectfully, the boy explained his duties to G.o.d and his family.

"G.o.d is always within you. It is enough to hear and feel Him," she replied like the song of a nightingale. The melodious reply had made the boy stop to see her better.

"Who are you?"

"I have many names. Maria of all wishes and ideas. The Virgin, anything you want to call me, including Lady."

The boy found that very strange. A lady with any name you want to call her?

"Okay, okay, okay," the foreigner said, calling him back impatiently to the present. "So, according to what you're saying, she's appeared to you since you were eleven years old," he summarized.

"Correct."

"Is there some specific day, some ritual you have to perform so that she'll appear?"

"No."

"Can you calculate how many visions you've had?" He sighed. He was losing patience.

"That's easy."

"It is?" At last there was hope.

"It is. All I have to do is count the days since the vision on the Mount of Olives."

"I don't understand." He returned to sit on the edge of the bed, attentive.

"It's simple. She's appeared to me every day since then."

The foreigner stared at him incredulously. "Are you saying the Virgin appears to you daily? That would be thousands of times."

Abu Ras.h.i.+d confirmed it with a nod of his head.

"And this fact hasn't converted you to Christianity?"

"As you can see, no."

"Why?"

"Because the Virgin has never asked me to."

"And would you convert if she asked you?"

"She wouldn't ask," the old man affirmed with certainty.

"But suppose she did?"

"She wouldn't ask."

"And what is it she tells you?" The foreigner changed the subject.

"I've already answered that."

"But I didn't know you'd experienced thousands of visions of Our Lady. This changes a lot of things. Okay, give me some more examples." His tone of interrogation and challenge was obvious.

"She told me you would come."

The foreigner gave Abu Ras.h.i.+d time to continue.

"She told me everything that's going to happen to you and me."

"And it's turning out true?"

The ring of a telephone interrupted them. It was the foreigner's cell phone. It couldn't be anything else, since Abu Ras.h.i.+d hadn't given in to the marvels of technology.

"Yes," the foreigner answered, getting up and going over to the window. He spoke in whispers so as not to be heard by the Muslim, still not convinced of his visions. Anyway, it was unlikely that Abu Ras.h.i.+d understood Italian.

The conversation lasted several minutes, always in the same nasal tone. He couldn't be too careful. The foreigner tried to be as evasive as possible, letting unconnected words be heard, like problem, prove, certainly, I'll do what I can problem, prove, certainly, I'll do what I can . . . Suddenly he looked back at the chair where Abu Ras.h.i.+d was sitting and couldn't help thinking that he understood, or rather that nothing was news to him. He concentrated on the words of the person he was speaking with, setting aside the ideas distracting him. He couldn't let himself be influenced by words. Only facts counted. The call ended with a click on the other end. He would never dare to hang up first. . . . Suddenly he looked back at the chair where Abu Ras.h.i.+d was sitting and couldn't help thinking that he understood, or rather that nothing was news to him. He concentrated on the words of the person he was speaking with, setting aside the ideas distracting him. He couldn't let himself be influenced by words. Only facts counted. The call ended with a click on the other end. He would never dare to hang up first.

"Did you get your instructions?" Abu Ras.h.i.+d asked suddenly.

"It was a private conversation," the foreigner protested.

"About me," he a.s.serted.

An ironic smile crossed the foreigner's lips. "I didn't know you knew Italian."

"I don't, but I've known the content of that conversation longer than you have to live," he said powerfully.

The att.i.tude in those words struck the foreigner. Something was going on here. "Well, do you know what's going to happen next?"

"We're going to take a trip," he continued with a serious expression.

"What else has she told you?" He tried to change the subject, lightly, ignoring the old man's. .h.i.tting the mark.

"That neither she nor her Son worry about communism or any other political conviction. They never divide the world between good and evil people. Everything bad in the world is created only by us, by our free, spontaneous will. So that when one prays to G.o.d to protect us, one really ought to pray to man to defend him from himself."

The foreigner got up and went over to Abu Ras.h.i.+d, looking down at him from his almost six feet of height.

"Careful what you say," he warned.

"I'm not afraid."

"I see that nothing is news to you."

"Well, no."

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"I know what they did with the body of the Pole," Abu Ras.h.i.+d said.

Confused, but trying not to show it, the foreigner put the gag that hung from the neck of the Muslim back in his mouth and made sure that the ropes tying his body to the chair were tight to prevent him from escaping.

14.

NESTOR.

August 18, 1981

I'm so happy to see you recuperating, Your Holiness."

"Thank you, Marcinkus."

The two men were sitting on a scarlet sofa in the papal office. Wojtyla had seated himself with difficulty. The scars of the attempt on his life remained engraved in his body.

"To what do I owe the honor?" the Pole wished to know.

The American sipped a little tea that the Holy Father had amiably sent for, the plate in one hand, the cup in the other.

"A subject I fear will not please you, Your Holiness."

The High Pontiff frowned, showing complete attention.

"Tell me."

Marcinkus arranged his black ca.s.sock on the sofa before speaking.

"Well, I'll be direct and concise, as the Holy Father deserves. I've been contacted by a man who calls himself Nestor and claims to belong to the KGB. He's informed me that he was behind the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt of a year ago, and you can prepare yourself for others if you don't comply with his demands."

The pope's face took on a look of disgust and suspicion.

"And what are these demands?"

"That you immediately stop financing Solidarity and stop pressuring the Iron Curtain. Suspend all the audits of the IWR. Increase investments in South America in a way he'll specify."

The pope closed his eyes and sighed.

"Is that it?"

"Immediately," Marcinkus replied.

"And why did he contact you?"

"Because I represent the IWR. I manage the money. He was specific," Marcinkus warned, taking a more serious tone. "Cease the donations immediately or you could be the victim of a new attempt and, he guarantees, this time-"

"I understand," the pope interrupted with a raised hand. "What's the time limit?"

"The first offer was fifteen days, but I've managed to get a month."

"I'm grateful to you," offered Wojtyla, who got up and walked painfully through the office.

With his hands behind his back, cold sweat made the pope tremble, but Marcinkus didn't notice. Being pope was more difficult than one thinks. Besides countless obligations, his life was always in danger, always.

"What did you say this agent calls himself ?"

"Nestor, Your Holiness."

"Nestor, yes."

"Have you heard his name, Your Holiness?"

"No, no."

The pope walked slowly to the red sofa and looked at Marcinkus.

"A month. We'll talk again."

"Naturally, Your Holiness."

Marcinkus got up, kissed the ring of the Fisherman, and left the office.

The pope let him leave in silence and remained silent for some time. Later, he got on his knees in the middle of the office and kissed the rosary he always carried with him.

"Help me, Mary."