The Secret Of The Cathars (2011) Read Online Free PDF

are acceptable to you.”
    “ Yes.”
    The cardinal nodded. “It will be essential that you keep us fully informed of Blontard’s progress. We shall require a report from you twice a week. These should be made to an individual who will contact you and give you the password “Cathar”. Instructions to you will be channelled through him. A mobile telephone with a barred number will be provided to you which you should carry with you at all times and should only be used for this one purpose.” A brief pause. “Is everything clear to you?”
    Lerenard bowed slightly. “It is, your eminence.” He could now contemplate a comfortable retirement. There would be no more dirty jobs after this one.
    Galbaccino lifted an unsealed envelope from the desk beside him and held it out. “These are your directions for contacting Dugard. There is also a sum to cover expenses until you meet him, which I hope will be in the next few days.”
    The big man took the envelope, raised the flap and looked inside. There was a plain sheet of paper with a few typed instructions on it and five five-hundred euro notes. He slipped the envelope into his inside pocket. As he looked up he saw that the cardinal had already turned back to the document he was reading in the window.
    “ Thank you, monsignor.”
    There was no reply. He turned to leave and saw that the door was already open and the little bald-headed monk was standing there, waiting to escort him from the august presence.
    - 4 -
    Charles Robert briskly walked the short distance from the Ministry of Culture to the elegant old apartment building in the Rue Cambriet. He nodded to Bernard, the concierge, as he passed the ground floor office with its little glass window.
    “ Bonsoir monsieur.” The man knew him well enough to be familiar.
    Nevertheless Charles decided he should check again with the President whether the man could be trusted. It was important that no word of his visit should get back to the Ministry. However, for now that wasn’t important. He was late responding to the summons.
    He ignored the ancient, wheezing lift and mounted the stairs two at a time to the fourth floor. Charles had always kept himself fit and was hardly puffing as he paused outside the door to the Council Chamber covered with its maroon padded fabric. He smiled briefly to himself as he regarded the slightly absurd bravado in the choice of colour. Then he took the cane from its holder, tapped sharply four times on the push-plate, then once more to activate the release. He pushed the door half open and went inside, pausing to look around the room before he advanced to the table.
    The walls were covered from the floor to a metre below the high ceiling with rich mahogany panelling, with the exception of the four three-quarter height double windows whose shutters were folded back to allow the last of the evening sun to filter in. The large, almost square table with the white recessed baize top which stood in the middle of the deep-pile ruby carpet was also of mahogany. Two long red runners were laid at right angles across it. They crossed in the centre and the ends fell smoothly over the specially designed recesses in the middle of each side. The concealed lighting below the carved and dentillated cornice which ran around the perimeter of the ceiling cast a warm glow to augment the sunset.
    However the atmosphere in the room was far from cordial. There were only three other people present. The matter which had arisen was too urgent to allow time to summon the whole council of fourteen, more than half of whom would have had to fly in to Paris from around Europe and the Middle East.
    Monsieur le President sat in his usual place in the centre seat at the far end of the table. He was now a very old man, probably in his early nineties, but still in possession of all his mental faculties. He was much diminished in stature from the hundred and ninety centimetre, eighty-five kilo giant he had once been and his back was