30.1

You are…

You will…

“Do we have a direct line to the Pope, Christie?”

His secretary’s voice was usually one of total discretion, but now the President noticed a faint catch in her breath – like she’d been expecting him to make this call.

“Yes – if you can give me a few minutes – there is a line set up.”

“Listen Christie, the President said softly, “this is a special call. It’s very important that I don’t appear in the slightest bit rude. I don’t want any of this “I have the President of America on the line” here. I’m waiting for him – you understand?”

“Yes sir.”

“I want to be there when he lifts the phone. I don’t care how long it takes, just make me wait, not him.”

The President sat quietly and listened as Christie scythed a path through the Vatican until, eventually, an enthusiastic old voice said –

“Hello?”

“Your Holiness…”

This is how John Conquest had told him to address the Pope.

“I need to talk to you.”

“President Stirling… at last… I’ve been waiting for you to call.”

“You’ve been waiting for me?”

“I have.”

“How odd,” the President said with an ironic lilt. “I’ve been waiting for you and all along, you’ve been waiting for me.”

“Sometimes it must be like that,” the Pope said gently. “We needed that time to gauge the reaction of the people. Now we know beyond a shadow of doubt. The people have decided, they want to test the question.”

“You think?”

“I don’t think Hunter, I know.”