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Book 2 Rise of the Antichrist

2.38 Prepare the Way for the Lord

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Book II: Chapter 38
July 15

To be honest, right now I didn’t know what to make of the situation because it appeared The Pope was now openly reveling in the deaths of millions of people!

Alan too was appalled. “How dare you?”

“Oh come off it, man.” Benedict scoffed. “Don’t be a baby. You’ve seen Miriam’s Book of Life. You’ve read your friend John’s Revelation. You know that the wheat must be separated from the chaff. Yes, even among my own Catholic flocks there are many who are not worthy of the coming of our Lord.” And pounding his fists on his desk, “You know that He is not coming back as a Lamb this time, but as a Lion — to cleanse this world of Sin once and for all. Yes, many will perish – and rightly so! Let the evil doers be cast into the Fiery Pit, I say, for that is their destiny!”

Here Pope Joe took a moment to catch his breath, and after a pause, he said in a normal voice, “But, don’t worry, all is not lost. Those of us who are The Chosen will survive and be glorified with Our Lord. That includes you two as well. You have nothing to fear.”

(Gee, that makes me feel so much better – NOT!)

“Just the same,” Miriam grumbled, “You could have done a better job of informing us of your plans.”

“Point well made, dear. Nonetheless, you now know.”

“OK. So what now?” Alan asked.

“Simple – we ensure December 21st goes according to OUR plans.”

Here Miriam stole a glance at Alan – a fact that did not go unnoticed by Joseph who proudly advised, “The whole world is anticipating Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger’s December 21 celebration in Jerusalem. For the first time in thousands of years, our planet will see a peaceful union between Christians, Jews, and Muslims!”

“But do you really believe this is possible?” Alan questioned.

“What? Pshaw – not a chance!” Benedict waved a hand and relaxed back into his chair. “The ceremony is a sham anyway – it’s a bigger farce than Covid. Bates isn’t going to Metzger’s event out of some misguided social calling, but instead to reveal himself to the world – as The Beast!”

“But, Your Grace, if that’s true,” Alan proceeded with caution, “then why would YOU want to be there?”

And Miriam added, “Don’t you realize that Bates plans to kill both you and Metzger? Are you trying to martyr yourself?”

“Of course not.” The Pope laughed long at that. “Do you think I don’t know the man Ma’bus’ plans? The Beast must destroy Peter’s Rock in order to unleash Hell – at least that’s what he thinks will happen. But what he doesn’t know is that I have my own plans.” And he let the bait hang enticingly.

“So where do my friends and I fit into your plans?” Alan broke the silence. “Are we supposed to be present at the ceremony too?”

Miriam was clearly appalled that Alan would so flippantly reveal secret information. However, she was likely more shocked to hear Joe’s reply.

“Don’t worry – you need not be present.” The Pope explained, as if a parent to his children. “If you’ll simply listen to what I’m trying to tell you then you’ll realize that I have a way to save you from the Armageddon Rite! In fact, it’s one of the reasons I am so happy to see you today – to tell you, and Mary, and yes even John – that you have fulfilled your duties.  My friends, your mission is over!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Miriam was annoyed at The Pope’s patronizing tone.

“Just this,” Joseph overlooked Miriam’s insult. “For two thousand years you three have been the pillar of stability – working long and hard to protect Jesus’ Nails. The world thanks you for it. I thank you for it. However, you need not guard The Nail’s any longer. It is time to give them to me.”

(Ah, that gambit again, Joe?)

“I’m not sure I agree.” Miriam said softly, eyes narrowed.

“It just doesn’t make sense.” Alan added.

Joe measured his words, “On the contrary, it makes perfect sense. Consider that John the Baptist had the duty to prepare the way of the Lord. And when the time of destiny arrived – when he met Jesus – John was faced with a choice: hang on to his fame and reject the Lord as his replacement, or understand it was time for History to move ahead. As you know John made the right choice – and went down in history as one of the greatest prophets of all time. In the end, his life was viewed as the bridge between the sorrows of the Old Testament and the hope of the New Testament. And yet, what would have happened had John had not let Jesus take center stage?”

(Now that’s an interesting thought. So you’re telling me that MY mission was merely to be a time wasting lackey all this time? That’s great, just great).

“And so that brings us to you.” Joe continued. “Like John, you are a bridge to the future – in this case, you are the bridge between the New Testament and The Rapture. The question is, will you acc—“

“Wait!” Miriam interrupted. “Why didn’t Gabriel tell me any of this?”

“He told ME, dear.” The Pope averred. “Remember, your time has passed. I know that sounds harsh, but given the dire circumstances we don’t have time to mince words. As The Rock of Peter — as Christ’s chosen representative mind you — I am the One whose destiny is NOW. Again, I am grateful beyond measure for the diligent duty you three have fulfilled. But, you must recognize MY place — I am The Deliverer.”

And rising up from his chair, Joseph Ratzinger proclaimed, “Even if I am all alone, I will stand in the breach against The Beast!! But, I can’t fulfill MY duty – I can’t bring about the Deliverance of Our Lord — unless you first acquiesce to me. In the end, it’s a final test of faith – will you trust in your own designs or will you allow The Lord’s work to be done?”

Mouths agape in disbelief, neither Alan nor Miriam could respond. Sensing his victory was secure, The Pope pushed for a quick close, “Mary, in the vision that John told you about, who is the one to destroy this Ma’bus?”

(Whoa, hold on there, cowboy – how in the Hell did YOU know about that?!?)

Head bowed, Miriam answered, “You.”

“And how did I accomplish this? By what instruments?”

There was a long pause but at last Miriam whispered, “With our Nails.”

“That settles it. So, I will ask you again – will you deliver m–”

“Just a minute here!” Alan stalled. “With all due respect, Your Grace, there is still a most important point that has remained a mystery – pardon my pun – but if you really want to confirm our trust, help us to understand your connection to Teri Abbracciavento. Why are you mixed up with Mystery?”

Joe was visibly taken aback by that question, but as usual, he had an explanation, “Why, I’m surprised that you don’t know the answer already.”

“We don’t.” Miriam grated. “Please enlighten us.”

“It’s simple really. I am using Teri as a double agent against the man Ma’bus.” By now The Pope had recovered his smugness and seemed to enjoy telling about his spy games. “It has always been a given that Mystery worked for The Beast – after all, that is her destiny. But, like a fool, Bates overplayed his hand – sending Mystery to me as a self-proclaimed traitor. Did he really think I would fall for such a ruse? Sure, I let Mystery play her games with me,” and here he looked away in thought, before catching himself, “but only to a point mind you! The fact of the matter is this – Teri has given me valuable information about Bates; and best of all, she believes that I don’t know about her duplicitous dealings.”

“So, in essence, Teri is a double double agent?” Alan was confused.

“Verily — she wants me to think she is working for me as a double agent against Dr. Ma’bus, even though she is still secretly working FOR him – or at least she believes she is. In reality, I’m not sure that Teri really knows WHO holds her true allegiance.”

(But how does JOE know all this???)

“That’s quite a game of reverse psychology.” Miriam grinned — clearly enjoying the vision of a much confused Mystery.

“Well, I do have some small experience in that field.” Joe smiled with Miriam. But turning serious, he re-directed, “Let’s stop stalling. About those Nails…”

Once more Alan and Miriam looked at each other – both still unsure. At last, in his frustration, The Pope reached down to his desk and picked up the small package that Cardinalate Marrollo had delivered to him, “Does your silence have anything to do with THIS?”

Miriam’s eyes lit up at the sight of the scroll, yet before she could comment, Joe had slashed the wax seal and began to read aloud.

As The Pope read Marrollo’s scroll, I watched Miriam work hard to control her emotions — even though I could not read her thoughts, I could tell that her mind was literally screaming…

Alan! Alan! That is NOT my letter to La Papessa!

With that my vision ended.

At first I was frustrated to be left with so many questions.

In the end I reminded myself that while all this was rather interesting, it didn’t really matter much to me.

Instead, I was finally free to get back to something important.

I was finally ready to destroy myself.

And now, most important of all, I was 100% confident I could do it!

End of Book II

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Read Book III Golgotha Revisited
Book 2 Rise of the Antichrist

2.37 It’s Not You, It’s Me

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Book II: Chapter 37
July 15

I watched as Alan and Miriam were led as prisoners through the secret corridors of the Vatican underworld. After his brutal beating, Alan was nearly unconscious, while Miriam’s face was the picture of confusion. It seemed clear to me that she didn’t recognize Cardinalate Marrollo — and the fact that his mind had earlier repelled her Psychic Probe must have been disconcerting indeed.

Was she perplexed by a man who was addressed as ‘His Majesty’ and yet was clearly not the Pope?

Cardinalate Marrollo

Who was this gang of monks willing to do his every bidding – up to and including brutal violence?

Most importantly, how could she and Alan escape?

Whatever Miriam might have thought, I had no way of knowing, and before she had time to figure out how to escape, suddenly Marrollo turned around in front of a service elevator and announced, “Benedict awaits.”

As it turned out, Pope Benedict XVI was indeed waiting for the prisoners in the conservatory of his private residence. And when Marrollo and his masked crew walked in, I noticed the smile on Joseph’s unmasked face – it was the picture of a certain underlying hunger he was unable to contain.

“Excellent…”

(Hmm, Joe was clearly eager to learn more about the intruders, but did he really care about secret treasures they’d allegedly stolen or was it something more… sinister?)

“So, who are our grave robbers?” The Pope asked casually, but when the group of monks separated to reveal their prisoners, Joe immediately changed his tone, “Get out — all but Marrollo and the prisoners!” When they hesitated he arose, “The Curse of the Angel of Death be upon you if you all don’t leave my presence this very instant!”

The priests hurried out of the room, the fear of God speeding their exit. Meanwhile, Miriam was left to try to help Alan get mask back on and then get into one of the chairs to rest, after which she stood silent, waiting.

As for Marrollo, although I couldn’t see his visage behind the mask, he seemed fairly unfazed as he approached the Pope. “I found this on the woman.” And here his left hand emerged from his robes as he handed over a small scroll.

(Now for some reason I had a fleeting thought that something was off about the way that Marrollo had just handed over his prize to Joe, yet before I could consider further the inkling was lost).

Marrollo added, “I have fulfilled my duties. You have the prisoners and that which they sought. I leave the remainder of the matter to you.”

Joseph looked long at the Cardinalate, before finally nodding his ascent. With the Pope’s approval, Marrollo turned around and left – without a further glance at his captives.

(Strange man, huh?)

Once they were alone, Joseph turned towards Miriam and Alan, “Do my eyes deceive me? Is it really you? Darling, you can remove that silly mask here, don’t you remember the Covid Rules don’t apply here.”

“I feel more comfortable with it on, thank you, Your Grace.” Miriam replied guardedly.

“Suit yourself. But I must say – how pleasant it is when brothers and sisters come together in unity, right?” Joseph smiled, but then, remembering the circumstances, “But what happened? You know you have full reign of my city; why would you ever need to sneak around behind my back? Unless… do you no longer trust ME?”

“No, it’s not that.” Miriam lied. “Well, you see, it’s just that… what we had to do… er, it didn’t really involve…”

“Enough!” The Pope slammed his fist.

“Let’s cut to the heart of the matter.” Pope Benedict continued. “The real reason you are here is… the time is now.” And before Miriam could reply, he added, “The Beast is Bill Bates in the form of Ghaz al’ Ridwan Ma’bus and we all know it.”

(Is it? I honestly don’t know anymore).

Miriam looked over at Alan who appeared to have recovered. Sitting up in his chair, ALan flashed a wink to Miriam, then nodded to The Pope.

“I can see that you agree.” Joe concluded

“But, why do YOU agree, Your Grace?” Alan asked.  

“Lazarus, how can you doubt that I would be informed about this situation? Why, ensuring The Second Coming is a matter of state around here. Come now, I represent an entire world of believers. The tapestry of history that my Catholic children have lived surely rivals what you, Mary, and John have done – despite your long lives.” And then, as if realizing it for the first time, “But wait, where is John?”

“He chose not to come, Your Grace.” Alan explained sadly. “We still hold out hope that he will join us, but his participation is very much in question. You see, John is experiencing a period of doubt.”

“We all have our doubts. Frankly, I’m a bit upset with you for not coming to me sooner – it made me doubt the intelligence I’d received proclaiming BAVI, er, Bates as The Beast — for I knew that Satan’s son would not emerge with you three idling in the background. Do you realize that your hesitation has allowed the man calling himself Dr. Ma’bus extra time to secure his place?” And looking at Miriam he grumbled, “How many lives have been lost in your Book of Life?”

Miriam avoided his glance, “You know the final number is only 144,000. It cannot be avoided. And we are not there yet.”

“Then why do you cry about it? It is what it is. We all have our part to play and some of us will be required to die for the cause – that’s why it’s called ‘sacrifice.’ All that matters is the End Game.” And, with a snicker the Pope added, “Ah, but don’t worry about your own hesitation — because I have not been so idle. In fact, I’ve been orchestrating events behind the scenes and playing our moves to perfection. As a result, the outcome is inevitable – why Kasparov himself couldn’t have played a better game!”

Confident in his plans, Benedict said encouragingly, “Buck up, friends, keep your eye on the prize and remember what we’re playing for — our Lord is about to return! And WE are responsible for making it happen!”

(Is Joe really one of the Good Guys or is he just playing us?)

“Excuse us if we don’t quite share your exuberance.” Alan replied. “The game is not over, thus the outcome is far from certain.”

“It’s called ‘Faith,’ my friends. Try it for a change.” And before they could dispute him, Joe spoke on, “In any event, the fact of the matter is that Bates IS The Beast, the time IS now, and WE are responsible for stopping him.” And after the briefest of pauses to lick his lips, “Am I to assume that you have The Nails with you?”

(Oh, Joe, you sly dog!)

Miriam’s gaze fell into her lap, and Alan stuttered to reply, “We don’t have all three Nails anymore. Ah, er… Dr. Ma’bus… has mine.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry. How did it happen?” The Pope was clearly fishing.

Alan looked to Miriam for support and when she nodded, he took that as her approval for him to tell his tale, therefore he spent the next candlemark or so explaining the highlights of his capture and torture at the hands of Dr. Flipflop and Bill Bates. He talked about the Fallen Angels, about Bates’ devious plans, and even about the terrible Chairs of Woe.

Alan in the Chair of Woe

All the while Joe listened as if hearing the information for the first time.

(He is such a good actor – I guess it goes with the office).

In case you’re wondering, there was no point for Miriam to try her Psychic Probe on the Pope — this wasn’t the first time she and Joe had crossed paths – like me, she had known him for many years prior to his ascension to the papal throne. I remember one of her letters from a while back (one that I actually read) in which she described meeting an unusual clergyman whose mind was closed to her. In the letter, she warned Alan and I to keep an eye on this priest named Joseph Ratzinger. I didn’t pay it much mind back then (this was perhaps 50 years ago), but I guess Miriam’s inclination was right. And yet, I’m sure that, as she sat before him on this day, she was more than a little bitter than she couldn’t sift through the Pope’s mental fibers to find out if he was really a friend or a foe.

Just then I realized that I hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation…

“…see that you agree.” Joseph was saying. “But what I don’t understand is where are Mary and John’s Nails?”

“They are safe.” Miriam averred.

“Well, let me see them.”

“We don’t have them on us.”

“That’s preposterous! Considering what happened with Alan’s Nail, I should think that you would have them strapped to your side.  Come. Come. No lies. I know you have them, let’s see them.”

“Miriam speaks the truth.” Alan said. “Don’t worry, they are safe.”

“As safe as your Budapest bank vault? Alan. Mary. I have known you my whole life. I don’t understand what has happened between us. Why do you doubt me now? What have I done to make you think I am not who I really am?”

(Well for starters, Joe, you’ve been hanging around with Mystery. And you’re an open supporter of Ma’bus. And then there was my dream about you actually killing Ma’bus!)

“It’s not you,” Miriam began.

“Oh don’t you dare try to give me the it’s not you, it’s me speech.” The Pope interrupted. “I think you owe me a little more than that.”

“What do you want us to say?” Alan squirmed.

“I want the truth!” Joseph’s face grew red with anger.

“Then what would YOU do if you were in our position?” Miriam’s anger matched The Pope’s. “Why are you surprised if we are hesitant about you if all we see of you in the public eye is you palling around with Bates?” And with even more passion, “Joseph, surely you know that your actions are driving people around the world to follow this man Ma’bus – yet to us it seems as if they were merely sheep being led to the slaughter!”

“Ah, but most of them are.” The Pope was grinning from ear to ear and his eyes were suddenly blazing with fire.

(What? Joe, say it ain’t so? Are you revealing yourself as The Beast?!?)

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38 – Prepare the Way for the Lord
Book II Table of Contents
Book 1 The Pawns of Prophecy

Shepherd and His Flock (3)

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Book 1: Chapter 3
June 7

Meanwhile, half a world away, another older gentleman was also in a good mood…

(Like I said before, you’re just gonna have to take my word on it as to how I know things like this. Let’s just say, I have visions – oh you can call them revelations if you like but to be honest I’m a bit tired of that term. And no my visions are not some crazy side effect from the Covid vaccine – there’s plenty of those to go around but this ain’t one of them. Don’t worry about how it works, I’ll explain more in a bit, but for now, it will be easier for both of us if you would simply let it be and trust me that I AM telling you the truth).

And so I watched as Joseph Alois Ratzinger was nearing the end of a rare public appearance. In this case the ‘public’ aspect was via webcam since virtual news had remained the norm due to the never-ending pandemic. More importantly though, does the NAME of the man ring a bell for you?

If not let me help you. Officially ol’ Joe had retired in 2013, although I knew he’d tried to get out of the rat race long before then – in fact even before he had stepped down from the ‘big chair’ Joe often told me all he really desired was to “rest, maybe write a bit, and perhaps enjoy his old age.”

The fact is, Joe had never wanted to rise to the top of his profession in the first place and, prior to attaining that rank, he’d actually gone so far as to submit his formal resignation on three separate occasions — yet each time his prior boss had talked him out of it.

I told him countless time to just quit and be done with it all, but he didn’t listen to me and in the end, Joe had remained obedient to his superior’s wishes eventually he became The Big Boss himself.

Even still, it’s common knowledge that Joe’s allegiance to his company has done nothing to help his health concerns. His past and present conditions read like a laundry list of serious medical dilemmas:

  • hemorrhagic stroke in 1991;
  • serious fall and head trauma in 1992 (I can relate to that one!);
  • another stroke in 2004;
  • chronic heart palpitations and a case of serious bronchitis in 2006;
  • a broken ankle in 2009 (and when you’re 81 years old that’s a big deal);
  • he was living now with a pacemaker and chronic high blood pressure;
  • and the list went on and on – poor Joe.

All of these aches and pains lead to his formal resignation in early 2013 – and while it’s not newsworthy when most people retire, for my friend it was a big deal.

If you don’t know my friend yet, let me clue you in…

Joseph Ratzinger is perhaps better known to you as Benedict XVI — Pope Emeritus of the Catholic Church. 

As for his ‘retirement,’ did you know that Joe was the first pope to step down since the year 1415? 

For you math wizards that basically means that no pope has voluntarily retired for over 600 years  – they’re pretty much expected to die in office. 

As for that previous abdicator, it was Pope Gregory XII – I’m sure you don’t remember him, but trust me when I tell you that when Gregory XII stepped down it was was a really big deal back then – oh the scandal!  Believe me I know, after all I was there to see it all. 

But Joe is cut from a different cloth – he had no intention of letting the wolf pack otherwise known as The College of Cardinals salivate around his death bed while they conspire around him on who will be the next Pope. 

Instead he came up with a new exit strategy – install a puppet for his figurehead and wield power behind the scenes – after all he’d seen Dick Cheney do this very effectively during the GW Bush Administration of US Politics and I’m sure Joe figured he was at least as smart at the gun-totting American VP. 

Enter Jorge Mario Bergoglio – the charismatic Jesuit from South America was the ideal solution for Joseph. Jorge took the name Pope Francis, Joe happily passed the baton to him, Francis became the doll of the news, and Joe sailed off to the sunset. The perfect cover for a man in power. 

Which brings us back to today – with Joe having to endure an interview from the fake press.

Knowing he only had a short time left in this world, I knew how much Joe despised wasting any of it on personal interviews like the one he was presently enduring – that’s what the new guy Francis was supposed to be for. Yet somehow Joe had apparently agreed to do this appearance and thus here he was, trying to maintain a happy face in front of his computer.

“Do you have any final words for the people of America, Your Eminence?” The virtual interviewer asked. “Although the United Nations and World Health Organization partnered with governments around the world to help us build back better after the first pandemic, our planet continues to struggle from the devastating damaged caused by capitalism for so long. Many in my country of America still fear the partnership between the United Nations and The Bates Foundation as they roll-out an Identichip that’s tied to a ‘one-world’ digital currency. I’m talking here about the groundbreaking Crypto Yuan that’s endorsed by The World Economic Forum and its members as not only a replacement for the outdated US Dollar but a new kind of currency completely – one that not only offers the benefits of first-generation cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but also adds the all-important social credit system to the equation so that we can help ensure our citizens live their lives in a globally sustainable manner. Do you favor or oppose this new currency system?”

Realizing that this was the final question from his prep list, my friend’s face lit up and he exhibited the charisma which had undoubtedly been the reason why he had been elevated to his present position…

“My children, if we let Christ fully enter our lives, are we not afraid that he might take something away from us too?”

And after a pause, Joe answered his own question, “No! Don’t you see, if we let Christ in, we lose absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful, and great! Instead, only in this friendship with Him do we experience liberation. When we give ourselves to Him, we receive back a hundredfold in return! Focus not on your personal liberty. Forget the reality of your present lockdown life. Do not pine for what once was. Instead, I say open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life. We are all ONE people. ONE Body in our Lord Jesus Christ. If this is true, why not have ONE currency? Nay, even ONE world government! My Children, there is nothing to fear and only peace and freedom for ALL to gain…”

Less than an hour later, I watched the Pope as he relaxed in private in his apartments.

(BTW, I’m still going to call Joe “The Pope” because, as I’ve already mentioned, Joe continues to pull the strings in The Vatican and thus the figurehead that is Pope Francis is barely in this story).

While alone, Joe disregarded his formal papal garments – his red satin mozzetta, wide-brimmed saturno, and yes, even those neo-traditional red papal shoes that everyone thinks he fancies.

Do these look comfortable?

Oh those colorful shoes! I remember how he had worked hard to bring them back to popularity (with the help of Prada and a sizable “donation” to Joe’s personal rainy-day fund!), yet each time he wore them now, I knew that he bitterly despised them – for he always complained how they were so uncomfortable. (I kept telling him to try them on before he endorsed them, but once again he didn’t listen to me.)

Nonetheless, The Pope was now dressed in a luxurious silk robe, whilst plush slippers caressed his overworked feet. Letting the cares of the outside world melt away, I watched Joe press a button to deactivate all the cameras and interactive media devices in the room, after which he traipsed over to his wet bar and poured himself a tall glass of a German honey-flavored liqueur called Barenjager.

(Personally, I’m not a fan of German liqueurs, I like the harder stuff – Jack, Wild Turkey, a good grain alcohol, any of those and some ice will do the trick for me – but Joseph was always a connoisseur. In terms of this present liqueur, he previously explained to me that most Barenjagers that were exported from Germany were between 60-90 proof, however, given his position, Joseph now had access to a private label reserve from Teucke & Koenig, and as such, his version – called Barenfang – was actually a 95 proof product – much to his delight).

As he took a big sip of the drink, Joe smiled as he looked upon the label on his bottle – a cartoon of a bear drinking the liquor – a picture far different from that shown on most of the commercial bottles of Barenjager (which usually showed a fur trapper catching the bear).

“Give me neither poverty nor riches, but only my daily bread.” As he finished the smooth spirit and poured himself another, “Ah, and a little of this stuff too, neh?”

Strolling over to the corner of his living room, he sat down at his Fazioli grand piano. Immediately no less than three of his feline friends scampered to join him.

(Yuck — I absolutely hate cats! But Joseph had long had an affinity for them and as such the Vatican had become quite infested with them since he rose to power. Francis tried to quell the tide but so far had been unsuccessful – the cats still ruled).

“Amadeus, come here…. Adolf, you rascal! Ah, and, Deter, my love.” He happily nuzzled all three. (Deter was always his favorite, but don’t ask me why – they all look the same to me). “OK, boys, let me play for you, please.”

And after taking another sip of his Barenfang, I watched as my friend proceeded to lose himself in his music – whilst his cats curled up against him and purred contentedly.

Yet suddenly one of the cats hissed, causing the other two to bound off in fright. “What is it, Deter?” Joseph stopped playing and looked down at his friend, seeing the cat’s entire body bowed up.

“I believe that’s Mozart’s Piano Concerto Number 21.” Said an unexpected voice that I didn’t recognize.

“His music is by no means just entertainment,” Joseph replied, without turning around. “It contains the whole tragedy of human existence.” For a brief moment, his body tensed at the intrusion, whilst he whispered, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do…”

And yet, outwardly, he refused to let his surprise show; instead he took another long sip of his drink, placed Deter on the floor so his friend could scamper away to safety, and then smiled as finally he turned around to face his visitor.

“Ah, I see there are two of you this time?” The Pope commented dryly, observing his guests.

Both men were dressed in black robes, Nano Masks, and gloves – although I knew that neither was a member of the clergy or on staff at the Vatican. Their ebon garments and face masks clashed terribly with the stark whiteness of their skin, their fair hair, and their light eyes. Stoic and stiff, they might well have been twins for all that they looked so much alike, and yet, like me, Joseph knew they were not.

“Hello…Your Grace.” One of the men stepped forward, his voice sounding clear due to the masks high-tech design.

The Pope did not reply. Nor did he bother to put on gloves or a mask himself (like me he knew masks were useless). Instead Joe followed protocol, rose up to stand before the intruders, and then proceeded to offer his bare hand in formal greeting.

Despite the outdated (and now illegal) form of greeting, each of the gloved men took the Pope’s hand and shook it, being sure to allow their middle finger to entwine with his during the shake in order to verify their identity.

“The Viper coils…” One of the men said.

“And its strike is deadly…” Added the second.

“To the uninitiated.” The first man finished the greeting.

“Bruders.” Joseph smiled slyly, “Welcome. I was expecting you. Don’t worry, we are unwatched and can speak openly”

My vision of the Pope and his ‘friends’ continued, and an hour quickly passed while the conspirators conversed. German was the language spoken at this meeting – native to all three — but I had no trouble following along. Given their continued wearing of masks, I realized these were only low to mid level operatives, so I was curious as to why Joe would even be bothering with them.

“The date, Your Grace?” Asked one of the masked men.

“Ah, that’s the beauty of it.” Joseph smiled. “I assume you know about the meeting at Mount Moriah?”

“You mean Har haBáyit – The Temple Mount?” The other Brother questioned.

“I’m surprised that you would know the Hebrew word,” Joseph snickered. And before either of the men could reply, he continued. “December 21st. That is the date. And the mosque at al-Aqsa there on the mount is the site.”

(Please understand I had no idea what they were plotting so this was all news to me. Sure, I get these revelations but to be honest they are not all that revealing if you ask me. It’s not something over which I have any control – whatever He chooses to send me is what I get. Also I am not omnipotent or anything. Hell, I don’t even have control of when the visions appear! And when I’m watching, although I can see the people pretty good and hear what they are saying, I can’t read their minds or anything so I don’t know what they are really thinking. Thus, I had no idea what Joe was up to).

“You are certain?” the second assassin slithered, the sound of him sucking air through the ventilator holes in his mask repulsive.. “There can be no mistake. If BAVI is really The One, then he must be there.”

“Fool.” Joseph replied. “You need not worry about my intelligence findings. Marrollo has assured me that BAVI will be there. And yes, he IS the key figure. After all, it is his blood which will complete the… ah… Grand Ritual.”

(Hmmm. Was I watching a plot to assassinate someone? And with the old pontiff at the head? Who was this BAVI they were talking about? It was obviously a code word and given that Joe had deactivated all The Eyes in his room it had to be someone important. I’ll admit, it was interesting, in a passing fancy sort of way, and had I been younger, I might have still cared about the implications of what they were discussing. However, as it was, whether Joe and his buddies killed one man or a hundred, that was their business. Nobody can give me what I really want so what do I care what happens to BAVI or anyone else?)

“The whole world loves BAVI – just like he so desperately wants.” The first assassin mocked. “Why he might as well be The Second Coming for all the praise he is getting.”

“They will grow to dread him soon enough.” Joseph replied.

“Remember — though the wicked spring up like grass, they will be forever destroyed in the end. When our plans are completed, BAVI will be reviled for the villain he truly is.”

“And the Jews are on board with all this?” The first man laughed, his loose tongue perhaps showing some of the effects of the Barenfang.  

“That’s the beauty of Marrollo’s foreign planning.” Joseph explained, taking the other’s glass away from him and setting it down. Yet, after thinking twice, he picked the drink back up and downed it himself. (That’s my boy!) “That’s too good to go to waste.” He smiled, before getting serious again. “Chief Rabbi Metzger believes he is really the one responsible for setting up the December 21st event. It’s all part of BAVI’s grant to support Metzger’s Interfaith Dialogue mission. Why he’s already erected an altar on Temple Mount to mark the new holiday that will be created.”

“And you will be there too, Your Excellency?” the first man was salivating in his excitement.

“Naturally, for Metzger has asked the Ayatollah and I to join him in consecrating the grand altar to The One True God that we all serve. And BAVI will be the guest of honor in recognition for his many technologies saving our world from so many disasters.” And with a chuckle Joe added, “However manufactured those crises might be.”  

“Glory be! I can’t wait to see BAVI delivered upon the altar to the destiny he deserves.”

“I suppose Evil comes to him who searches for it, eh?” The Pope let the thought hang ominously, even as all three conspirators nodded to one another and smiled.  

(Just then my vision ended. Interesting? Yes, but like I said, had I cared, I probably would have made arrangements to visit with Joe and get the scoop. As it was I was just thankful when the vision ended so I could get some sleep.)

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