The Fifth Gospel(175)

            “The letter is very clear,” His Eminence says. “Nogara said he was enclosing a proof. So where is it?”

            “I don’t know.”

            “You and your brother are playing games with me. There was nothing in the envelope but this page. I don’t know why I bothered to have it resealed.”

            “I have no idea what Ugo found.”

            “Stop lying.”

            I stare blankly at the paper. Slowly it’s dawning on me that this letter is not what it seemed.

            Boia barks, “Testa!”

            The monsignor appears at once.

            “Get this man out of here.”

            “Please,” I say. “Don’t do this. You’re attacking an innocent priest.”

            But he turns on me and points to the letter in my hand. “I’ll find out what Nogara knew. You just ended your brother’s future in the priesthood.”





CHAPTER 33





THE LETTER. AS soon as I find privacy, I open it again. On the hill overlooking the museums, where the cars and trucks now travel to and from Ugo’s exhibit, making their final preparations, I reread it.

                                                                                                                 3 August 2004





                                                                                   Dear Simon,





                                                              Mark 14:44–46

                                                                  You’ve been telling me for several weeks now that



                                                              John 18:4–6

                                                                  this meeting wouldn’t be postponed—even if



                                                              Matthew 27:32

                                                                  you were away on business. Now I realize you were



                                                              John 19:17