Page 53 of Skotos
An “O” formed on my lips, but no more gibberish flowed out.
Thomas rocked back on his heels.
Monsignor Rinaldi drew in a breath and held it.
Marini said simply, “The spear belongs to both the Order and the Russians, though few Soviets would share a love for symbolism from their Imperial past. Stalin would not tolerate such.”
“Unless they were royalists hoping to return the Russian Empire to its former glory,” Thomas murmured.
Rinaldi’s held breath whooshed out.
Marini blinked.
I tried to breathe.
The spear wasn’t just a symbol.
It was a legacy.
One buried under centuries of silence—and now, rising again.
And as with other powerful symbols through history, it was also a weapon.
1. Sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIFs) were first introduced during WWII. The British referred to the original SCIFs as “huts.” The Americans advanced the technology, originally through their use within the walls of the Pentagon and basement of the White House. The term SCIF was not used during WWII; rather, it became popularized in the early 1980s by non-state actors, largely in Hollywood productions.
25
The telephone rang once.
Sharp.
Precise.
Then silence.
A moment passed.
Then it rang again.
This time, a weathered hand moved—slow and deliberate—toward the receiver resting on an antique cradle carved from dark mahogany.
“Yes?” the old man said, his voice like sand scraping across stone.
Static crackled faintly on the other end, then settled. The voice that followed was cultured, clipped, British, perhaps, or something close to it.
“They are in Rome.”
A pause.
“They met with Rinaldi this morning.”
The old manwaited.
“They spoke with the Pope himself,” the caller continued. “Just the three of them. No witnesses. No aides.”
A sound—a long exhale, almost a sigh—slipped through the line.
“Of what did they speak?” the old man asked.
