Exodus

by Tom Fox

  The instant passed, as it always did, and Alexander was back. He pulled deeply on his cigarette, shaking off the unwelcome feeling. It was said that familiar memories lost their sting, that time healed wounds, but in Alexander’s experience these were just trite lies. Old memories remained as traumatic as ever.

  He forced his attention back to the video clip. Over the heads of worshippers the angle panned to the left, toward the central aisle of the cathedral. There, though a clear view was obscured by countless bodies, the attention of the crowd had coalesced on a man walking slowly toward the front of the church.

  Alexander’s left eyebrow rose, its motion always taking the lead over the right. It was his usual reaction when something took him by surprise.

  Even through the blockish granularity of the video, some­thing about the man was … compelling. Alexander leaned in toward the monitor as the scene continued to unfold. Suddenly he found the low resolution of the recording immensely frustrating and wished he could be seeing this in clearer tones.

  The noises crackling through the minuscule speakers faded as a hush overcame the crowd. As the man walked, he seemed to be accompanied only by the angelic sounds of the choir.

  The Swiss Guard fell to the ground, the choir faltered. And then came a scene he never could have imagined. Alexander Trecchio, who had been ordained eleven years before in that same basilica, his face pressed against the cold stone floor as his body lay prostrate in the form of a cross, watched as the man approached the Pope across the altar. He gazed into his face and spoke softly, words that Alexander could not hear.

  When, a moment later, the crippled Pope stood upright, Alexander felt his skin go cold.

  There had been many intruders into the Vatican in the past, many men claiming to be angels or prophets or even Christ returned. But never had one infiltrated a Mass, much less so quietly, peacefully. Never had one brought the Swiss Guard to their knees.

  And never, never had one healed a pope who stood before the throne of God.