Vatican Assassin

by Mike Luoma

An hour and a half later, BC and Marc Edwards are finishing lunch at one of the burger joints off the main dome. BC feels really good for the first time in months.

  Happy, almost.

  Don't want to think that too hard, might jinx it.

  "You were right about the California Burger. The guacamole was really rich."

  "We just had a good avocado harvest from hydro. Report crossed my desk yesterday. Sometimes being the governor can be an asset in ways you'd never imagine," Edwards says with a little chuckle. He finishes his own burger off with a final bite and a smile as he chews. BC feels someone approach from behind.

  "Hello! Father Campion! What a coincidence!"

  Swan! So much for happiness. Maybe I did jinx myself...

  She walks around and smiles down at the governor and BC as she stands between them tableside.

  "Reverend Swan, how good to see you again. I'm having lunch."

  "Looks like you had lunch, Father. Was it good?"

  Edwards clears his throat, "BC – you going to introduce me?"

  BC grudgingly remembers his manners, "Sorry, Marc. Governor Marc Edwards, may I introduce the Reverend Sharlena Swan."

  Edwards stands and shakes her hand, "Reverend."

  "Governor. Nice to meet you. You have a nice city here."

  "Thank you."

  "I love this dome! I'm checking out the stores and restaurants. I have some time to kill before I meet with the Father here at three."

  BC groans. Edwards and Swan both look at him.

  BC laughs a nervous laugh, "Did I say that out loud?"

  Swan shakes her head. "Well, as I was saying before I was, um, interrupted, I'm enjoying exploring your city, governor. I'll be on my way, now." She looks at BC, "It's good to see everything here is just as I was told it would be," She turns back to Edwards, "I was told Lunar Prime's main dome is beautiful, and it is." She nods, "Governor Edwards. Father. See you shortly." She turns and walks away.

  "She seems nice," Edwards says. "I don't see why you don't like her. You know," he lowers his voice, "you could have been nicer."

  BC explodes, "Nicer! She was checking up on me!"

  "What?"

  "She was checking up on me! Checking up to see that I was actually having lunch with you, with the governor! You heard her," BC imitates her voice, adding some bitchiness, "'just making sure everything here is just as I was told it would be!' "

  "She was complementing the dome! And, anyway, why would she be checking up on you in the first place? Is she your new boss?" Marc asks him.

  "Ha! Far from it! But she was assigned by the Pope to train me in some of my ‘priestly shortcomings', so she has something on me. I have to spend three hours a day with her for the next couple months, learning what I'm supposed to already know. She's supposed to teach me to be a better priest."

  "So why check up on you?"

  "Like I told you when I called you for lunch, you were my excuse."

  "To get away from her?"

  "Her and the Cardinal."

  Edwards smiles. "You're funny sometime, BC. Why wouldn't she believe you were having lunch with the governor? Is it that farfetched?"

  "No. I don't think so. But I lied to her before."

  "When was that?"

  "When I first met her. On the shuttle trip back here. She sat next to me. She asked me if I was Father Bernard Campion. I kind of said I wasn't so she'd leave me alone."

  "So... you got off to a real good start with her, huh?" Edwards says sarcastically.

  "Uh, yeah."

  "Still, she seems okay, BC." Edwards says sympathetically.

  "You just don't know her yet," BC insists, shaking his head.

  "What do you call a female priest, anyway?" Edwards asks innocently.

  BC jumps at the opening, "'Reverend' is acceptable, but I prefer ‘pain in the ass'."

  "So, ‘Reverend' Swan is going to teach you to be a priest, huh?"

  "Not if I can help it."

  "You sound like a kid trying to ditch school, BC," Edwards laughs. "How many ‘lessons' have you had so far?"

  "None yet. I've been out cold the last four days, you know that. But I don't think she believes that entirely, either. Whoa..."

  There's the head thing again... sharp pain. Almost a noise...

  "BC? You all right, BC?" Marc asks.

  "Man, I don't know. I've been getting these headaches. Like I told you over lunch, they drugged me up pretty good a few times on that station. I think these headaches may be like the aftershock, the aftereffects of the drugs. This really sucks." BC pinches the bridge of his nose and tries to think the pain away again.

  "Your eyes just rolled back in your head. Like you were possessed or something. Not a pretty sight."

  "So sorry." BC winces. "But I think I'm going to have to excuse myself, Marc, and go lie down for a little while."

  "Another headache coming on, huh? You should go to the infirmary, get checked up on."

  "The doctors down at the Vatican poked and prodded me pretty thoroughly and found absolutely nothing wrong with me. I'm really not that thrilled at the thought of going through it all over again."

  "Our doctors might find something they missed," Edwards offers.

  "Maybe," BC says as he stands, a little wobbly.

  Just not right...

  "I'll see you later, Marc. I gotta go."

  BC walks off, trying hard not to stumble as he goes.

  Feel like I might throw up.

  He manages to keep it together and keep his California burger down all the way back to his quarters. The headache keeps trying to come on, insistent, refusing to yield. When he finally sits down on his bed, his stomach calms. The throbbing in his head eases somewhat.

  Hope I didn't look drunk walking back here. Swan would love to hear that, probably go right into one of her reports to Pope Peter. Damn, I'm tired. I can't believe after sleeping for four days that I'm tired again already. What the fuck is wrong with me? What did they do to me?

  BC lies down on his bed. He sees the message light blinking, but ignores it and drifts off into dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Four