The Return by Ben Bova

Author:Ben Bova [Bova, Ben]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780765348159
Publisher: A Tom Doherty Associates Book
Published: 2010-08-31T17:29:04+00:00

CHAPTER 6

“The Archbishop has asked me to work directly with him on the Stoner business,” Angelique said as she sat before Bishop Craig at his desk.

Craig seemed on edge, jittery, his hands fluttering over his desktop, his eyes blinking constantly. Angelique knew that the bishop had always felt secure, confident, when he was seated behind his desk. It’s like a protective fortification to him, she thought. But this morning he was uncertain, stressed out, frightened.

She repeated, “Archbishop Overmire has asked me to work with him.”

Normally, Craig’s power-sensitive antennae would have alerted him to a possible danger. Now he merely said, “The Archbishop?”

Angelique nodded. It wasn’t a lie, she told herself. It was merely an anticipation. She would go to the Archbishop in his hospital room before the morning was over, and by the time she left he would have indeed asked her to work directly with him. She’d see to that.

Instead of being suspicious, Craig seemed resigned. “That means you’ll be leaving my office?”

Angelique put on an unhappy expression. “I’m afraid I’ll have to, Your Worship. Temporarily.” Then she let a tiny hint of a smile appear. “But isn’t it better for you to have a loyal worker inside the Archbishop’s staff? Someone who could let you know what the Archbishop is doing, what he’s planning, what he’s thinking—before anyone else knows?”

Craig leaned back in his swivel chair and stared up at the cream-colored ceiling, his fingers still twitching. At last he said, “I suppose that could be an advantage.”

“The Archbishop’s going to be in hospital for a few days,” she went on. “He’s asked me to run his office as if he’s still there. No one but his closest aides will know that he’s not. And you, of course.”

The bishop stared at her for several moments. At last he sat up straighter in his swivel chair and asked, “Can you get him to appoint me as his acting Archbishop? Strictly on a temporary basis, of course. Until he’s back on his feet.”

Angelique gulped at the man’s naked ambition. Terrified of Stoner or not, he still wants the Archbishop’s ring.

“I’m not sure that would be wise, Your Worship,” she said softly. “Not at this moment.”

Craig sank back in his chair. “Probably not. You’re right. He wants to keep his incapacity secret.”

“It will only be for a few days, at most.”

The bishop’s face showed his thought clearly: Too bad.

“In the meantime, Your Worship, you will have to deal with the problem of Stoner.”

“No! I don’t want to be anywhere near him! He’s in league with Satan.”

Angelique saw the unabashed fear in his eyes. She said, “The Archbishop doesn’t believe so.”

“Stoner’s got to be stopped.”

Feeling some alarm, Angelique replied, “But if he can help us to prevent nuclear war, isn’t that a good thing?”

“What if God wants us to have a nuclear war?” Craig asked. “He sent a flood once, when the human race had turned its face from Him. Maybe now He’ll send a nuclear war.”

“But we haven’t turned away from God!” Angelique cried.

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