God's Lions - House of Acerbi Read Online Free PDF Page A

beneath his robes and reciting a brief prayer.
    “Why don’t we go to my study and have a glass of wine, Anthony.”
    The two men passed down a short corridor until they reached a tall-windowed room that looked out over Saint Peter’s Square. As the pope looked for an appropriate selection from inside a wood-paneled wine cooler built into the wall, Morelli took a seat on a facing sofa and casually scanned the selection of books lying on a side table.
    Next to a few leather-bound editions of classic works by well-known theologians and philosophers, he noticed several copies of the International Defense Review along with other surprising titles like The Problems of Military Readiness, Military Balance and Surprise Attack , and Worldwide Terrorist Organizations . Then, next to these, he saw another interesting title: Spiritual Warfare.
    Although it was well known that Pope Michael was a prolific reader and that his grasp of geopolitics was formidable, Morelli smiled with the knowledge that the subject matter of the books the pope was reading had always provided him with a window into the pontiff’s thinking at the moment.
    Turning his attention away from the side table, Morelli saw that the pope had finished pouring the wine and was looking straight at him with an unwavering gaze as he stretched back in the red leather chair behind his desk.
    “Have any of our people made it to the crash site to offer prayers for the souls of those onboard?”
    “I’m afraid not, Your Holiness. Apparently, the plane went down in a very mountainous region of the country.”
    Sipping his wine, the pope turned toward the window and looked out at the dark, rain-drenched skies. “You know, Anthony, over the years you have always been one of my closest and most trusted friends, but I have purposefully kept from promoting you to a higher office so that you would be free to work behind the scenes for me. Your strength lies in your obscurity. A man can accomplish much without the hindrance of a title, and as much as you deserve to become a Prince of the Church, I hope you understand my desire to keep you out of that particular political mix.”
    “Titles have never been my goal in life, Your Holiness. My only desire is to serve God and the Church.”
    “That, my friend, is what I have always known about you. Your faith is what makes you one of the Church’s most valued soldiers of the cross, and your earthly reward will come in time. Now that Cardinal Orsini has passed over, we must find a replacement.”
    Morelli managed a weak smile. “I sincerely hope now is not the time Your Holiness is thinking of rewarding me.”
    Both men smiled at one another, their facial expressions frozen in a diplomatic dance.
    “What about Cardinal Amodeo?” Morelli asked, watching the pope’s stark blue Norwegian eyes in an attempt to spot the tell-tale flash that would answer his question just as surely as any spoken words.
    The expected flash never came as the pope’s expression remained neutral. “Yes, I suppose Leopold would make an excellent Secretary of State. He’s one of the finest Jesuit scholars in Church history, but as much as I would like to see him in that position, the ceremonial obligations of that office would make him completely miserable. He already complains about his duties as a cardinal. Sometimes I think I did him a great injustice by making him a Prince of the Church.”
    “I’m afraid Leo’s hopelessly lost in the past, Your Holiness. He loved teaching. Just last week, he was talking about how much he missed the intellectual stimulation of academic life at Boston College. He seems distracted lately. In fact, I took the liberty of encouraging him to take a much needed sabbatical at my country house near Sermoneta . I left a message at his apartment for him to call me as soon as he returns.”
    “Phones?”
    “Turned off. He has only his thoughts for company.”
    “Good. I only hope our brother is well-rested when he returns. I