The dark Bible

1-3

Bonifacio stopped, putting his hand to his chest, an excruciating pain took his breath away, but he felt that someone was also taking something else from him, even though he could not define that sensation. In fact, he was dying, he felt it. He was incredulous because he now considered himself invincible.

«I gave you the knowledge of power», Iblis began, «but you are not satisfied. You could have named yourself King and ruler. You could have enriched yourself beyond all measure. You could have conquered the world. »

Iblis waved a hand and Boniface I of Monferrat died. From the lifeless body rose an evanescent beam of light that Iblis took with his hand, almost assimilating it to himself.

«But you can't proclaim yourself God! »

He added and left undisturbed.

5.

Vatican City, September 27, 1978

Pope John Paul I, elected to the papal throne only thirty-two days earlier, was in a meeting with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Jean Marie Villot. The same person had also been the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, just over a month earlier, following the death of the previous Holy Father. The Cardinal had already reported to the Pope the secrets that the Church had kept for centuries. The protocol also required that the Secretary of State be placed in a position to know such confidential information in particular situations, such as serious illnesses or even only in case of life-threatening signs for the Pope. At that moment, Villot and the Pope were talking about the Sanctum Consilium Solutionum, better known as SCS, as well as the role played by the head of the Council: The Solver. In fact, it was necessary to appoint a new one because the previous one had died on a mission.

«It's incredible», said the Pope, «I had no idea that there were so many secrets within the Church, but this seems to me the most absurd of all: a private organization that kills, in fact, priests who kill in the name of the Pope and of the Church! It's hard to digest, Eminence. »

«I understand, Your Holiness», Villot replied, «but we are talking about one of the oldest institutions of the Church. The first Solver was elected in the 5th century and the Council has never been dissolved or changed over the centuries, a symptom that it has always been considered indispensable for any Pontiff. Only the Templars overcame the power of the SCS for two centuries. But, with their departure, they remained the only organization of the Church still considered armed. It has always done its job very well, which is why I ask you to authorize me to let the chosen candidate in. »

«This explanation does not convince me, Eminence», the Pontiff replied annoyed, «but it is not up to me to change the secular rules of the Church, at least not after just a month after the election. Tell me who this man is and why he is the right candidate. »

Villot took the folder and placed a series of documents on the table explaining his position to the Pope: «The candidate is called Tommaso Santini. He has been a member of the Council for about a couple of years. He is a young man who distinguished himself in training in weapons and combat, and he was also the chosen one of the previous Solver who was training him. He is smart, shrewd, intelligent and endowed with a high-level of culture. He perfectly knows seven languages ​​including Arabic. But, above all, he is a man of Faith, Your Holiness.»

«How old is this young man? » the Pope asked.

«Twenty-five, Holy Father». Villot replied.

The Pontiff stood up. «My God, Eminence, he's a little boy! And should he be the person who defends the foundations of the Church, state secrets, and the Pope? »

«Your Holiness, let me let him in», the Secretary of State said confidently, «you will see this with your own eyes. »

They called the boy and he showed up in the study, not at all disturbed to be in the presence of the Pope and such a powerful Cardinal. Santini walked with the grandeur of his meter and ninety, his proud bearing, his ice-colored eyes aroused awe. Above all, they noticed the confidence carved in the features of his face: he was already a mature man, albeit young in age. He approached the Pope with a sure-footed step. He was much taller than him. The Pope reached only to his chest. The young man got down on his knees and kissed the papal ring, staring into the eyes of the Holy Father who, surprisingly, managed to sustain that glacial gaze. He remained on his knees until the Pope gave him permission and they made themselves comfortable in the living room of the study.

«Why did you stare at me like that? » the Pope asked Santini.

«Because I have to know at the service of whom I will put my life! » the young man answered, almost irreverent.

The Pope, however, liked that boy, he asked again: «And what did you deduce? »

«That you, Your Holiness», he replied, «are the right person. For this, I offer you my services and my life. I swear to you obedience and fidelity, my Holy Father. »

Santini got back on his knees, lowering his gaze as a sign of obedience and, above all, in the fullness of the humility of the strong.

«Get up Tommasso» said the Pope, «it did me good to look into your eyes: I saw your Faith before your strength. You have my blessing, Solver. »

It was the official investiture. There were no documents, no writings, and no papal bulls; that of the Solver was the millennial secret that gave no glory, known only to a select few. It was the fate of the Solver to serve without expecting anything in return, sacrificing everything for that task. Santini, in his task, would be joined by a group of men chosen by himself and kept secret from most. He had sworn fidelity and obedience to the Pope. His men would have done the same, but only to him. The Solver could meet the Pope and the Vatican Secretary of State while no one on the Council could have come close to those important figures. He was guaranteed plenary indulgence. And despite being a priest, he was dispensed from the ministry, which is why he could not practice the priesthood. But he was still a priest, a man of the Church. Santini knew that, with his appointment, he would start a new life, the only one that he would be allowed. From that moment on, the alternative could only be excommunication or death. The Secretary of State, being the one who knew the secret of the Council best, took the initiative, previously agreed and authorized by the Pope.

He turned to Santini. «Tommasso, from this moment on you are honored with the appointment and the title of Solver, but you are not yet ready, your master did not have time to complete your preparation. So, your training will be completed by Master Giovanni Santini, your grandfather's brother. »

«Fra Pasquale? » Santini asked in amazement. «Maybe there is a mistake; I care about Fra Pasquale, but he is ... old! »

«Yes, he is old, as you irreverently say, but he will be able to complete your preparation. » Villot answered him. «What you don't know, Tommaso, is that Giovanni or Fra Pasquale was also a Solver, one of the best, the only one who was able to retire in life. He knows his stuff, in fact, he will tell you himself. »

The Secretary of State asked the Pope for permission to admit Giovanni Santini, who had been summoned on purpose. The sprightly friar was excited. He hadn't entered the Vatican for many years, but he was even more excited by the appointment as Solver of that promising young great-grandson. He knelt before the Pope and kissed his ring. The Pontiff would not have wanted, but he did it without any effort. With the same agility he stood up, bursting with vigor. He also greeted the Secretary of State and took a seat in his turn, next to Santini.

«They tell me you were the Solver yourself, Excellency. » The Pope asked Fra Pasquale.

The Solver could claim the title of Excellence like Bishops or Monsignors, for merits of the services rendered in favor of the Pope, the so-called military or armed merits. But the young Santini was not yet aware of it, so he remained silent and metabolized every word.

«Yes, Your Holiness», replied the friar, «from thirty-seven to sixty-nine. »

«Well! I've heard great things about you. » The Pontiff said, then asked him: «Do you feel like taking on the task of completing Tommasso's training? »

The friar nodded with shining eyes. That task honored him beyond measure. Being the one chosen for the delicate task brought him back twenty years.

It was the Secretary of State who concluded: «Solver, may God help you in the task that awaits you. You are entrusted to Master Giovanni Santini for the needed time and until he himself decides that you are ready. In the meantime, you will also be assisted by him at the command of the Council, and it will always be he who will indicate the punishment you will have to bear in cases of indulgence. Know that indulgence will remit all your sins, but not your conscience. You will need to find a spiritual master and a confessor. Do you have someone in mind? »

Santini had no doubts. «If he wants, I will be happy, proud and honored to entrust myself to Fra Pasquale, as confessor and spiritual father. »

Santini bowed to the elderly friar: the Solver of yesteryear.

6.

Padua, September 28, 1978

Exactly nine months had passed from the day of insemination. Professor Callegaro's team had been ready for the birth for days. The girl had been locked up in a sterile room all that time, never going out. The parents had told everyone that Paola had left for Canada to study and carry out research. The gestation had presented itself terrible. The excruciating pains and nausea had been so violent that the girl could not wait for everything to end. Even the danger of a possible death in childbirth, never denied by the professor, would have been welcomed with serenity by the young woman, who could no longer bear that torment. When the first contractions began, for Paola it was liberating. It was certainly not the most intense pain of the previous nine long months. That suffering was nothing in comparison, in fact, it was the end of a torment that had lasted too long. She cursed the day she had decided to undergo that experiment Now, she could even die, she no longer cared about anything, and, above all, she didn't want the baby she was about to give birth. She did not want him for what he was and, above all, for what he would become. She had undergone the experiment enthusiastically, with confidence and conviction, but that restless fetus, the strange feeling of having an inhuman being in her womb or, perhaps, just the idea of ​​the kind of father that had been imposed on her, had made her change her mind almost immediately. She also knew that; however, she could no longer hold back, and if death had not come with childbirth she would have sought it alone: ​​she could not afford to stay alive with the thought of the mistake and horror she had committed. The pangs continued and the pains were about to reach the epilogue while the contractions were getting closer and closer. She screamed in pain; a stab seemed the externalization of the will of the being she carried in her womb. She did not want to wait for the times dictated by nature. The birth canal was open a few centimeters, normally the labor pains should have continued for another six or seven hours, but the excruciating pain and the violence of the contractions that sent all instruments out of phase indicated that there was no more time to waste. Professor Callegaro decided on a caesarean section; otherwise, the young woman would have died from severe lacerations and blood loss. The professor's team rushed to take Paola to the operating room when the irreparable, the feared one happened: the baby was born regardless of all predictions. Paola fainted, the blood came out copiously and, submerged in the reddish liquid, the baby appeared.