Free Apocalypsis 1.03 Thoth by Mario Giordano Page B

needed. So it amazed her even more how far away Africa felt now, barely two weeks later.
    She was fully clad and lying on her bed in one of the cells of the International House of the Merciful Sisters of the Holy Cross. She reflected on the last two weeks. On the telephone call that had urged her to come to Rome immediately. On the fears and the worries of the past weeks. On her strange work with Don Luigi and on the instructions he ingrained into her mind, time and again. In Uganda, Maria had seen enough insanity and suffering to be able to maintain composure when she assisted Don Luigi during the daily exorcisms. She even enjoyed the work. What frightened her, though, were his instructions. Because these instructions placed a responsibility on her shoulders which seemed too hard for her to bear.
    »Holy Mother of God, I am begging you. Help me to accomplish this task that you have chosen for me. Help me to avoid despair. Help me to resist temptation. And help all those who are worthier of your mercy than I am. Holy Mary, full of grace, I am begging you. Amen.«
    As she was cradling the rosary in her hands, she caught herself having a thought that she would later need to confess – again. Angry at herself, she sat up and called herself to order. She was just worried about him; nothing was wrong with that. After all, it was part of Don Luigi’s instructions. Nonetheless, since Sicily she had been thinking about him more and more often. In Sicily, he had lost his cool and self-assured attitude and this had allowed her a look inside the person, the human being Peter Adam. And she had liked what she had seen.
    Maria sat on the edge of her bed and admitted to herself that she was really worried about him. Tremendously worried. He had a terrible vision and together they unveiled a terrible secret, which perhaps should never have seen the light of day. She hadn’t heard from Peter or Don Luigi all day. She wasn’t worried about the Padre. Don Luigi was not the kind of man you needed to worry about. He was a man who kicked every demon’s ass straight back into hell.
    This silly thought lifted Maria’s spirits and she decided to call Peter and ask him how he was doing. No harm in that.
    She turned the cell phone that Don Luigi had given her back on, and entered Peter’s telephone number, which she had memorized. Another one of the Padre’s instructions. But she only got the voicemail. Maria didn’t leave a message and thought for a while. Somewhere in the back of her head she felt a dull throbbing, which was familiar to her. In the bush, it had always been a warning of impending danger.
    Maria decided to commit another sensitive breach of the Convent rules and leave the monastery again. At that moment her phone began to ring. She was startled and looked at the display. Unknown name, unknown number. Assuming that it was Peter, she accepted the call with relief.
    »Sister Maria?«
    The unknown voice of a man. It could have been Peter but there was a sharpness and a coldness in his voice that made Maria shudder, even over the phone.
    »Who is this?«
    »Call me Father Nikolas. I am a friend of Don Luigi’s. He asked me to contact you. It’s about your friend, Peter Adam.«
    »He’s not my friend,« she rushed to say, »but what happened to him?«
    »Don Luigi believes that he is in danger.«
    Maria clutched the phone even tighter. »Go on, please.«
    »Padre Luigi asks you to meet him in the pilgrim church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. Do you know the church?«
    »Yes, I do. But why doesn’t Don Luigi call me himself?«
    »For certain reasons it is currently not advisable for him to make telephone contact with you. Can you be there in one hour? It is very important.«
    »Of course I can.«
    »Very good. Oh, and one other thing. The Monsignore asks you to bring the relic from the papal apartment. Is it still in your possession?«
    »Yes, one of the relics.«
    »Which one? The amulet?«
    »Yes.«
    »Very good. Make sure that