登陆注册
15468300000150

第150章 FIVE 1938-1953 FEE(13)

"I meant a different thing then, and you know it. You are being difficult. I mean now that we cannot think as men. We must think as priests, because that is the most important aspect of our lives. Whatever we may think or want to do as men, our allegiance is to the Church, and to no temporal power! Our loyalty lies only with the Holy Father! You vowed obedience, Ralph. Do you wish to break it again? The Holy Father is infallible in all matters affecting the welfare of God's Church." "He's wrong! His judgment's biased. All of his energies are directed toward fighting Communism. He sees Germany as its greatest enemy, the only real factor preventing the westward spread of Communism. He wants Hitler to remain firmly in the German saddle, just as he was content to see Mussolini rule Italy."

"Believe me, Ralph, there are things you do not know. He is the Pope, he is infallible! If you deny that, you deny your very faith."

The door opened discreetly, but hastily.

"Your Eminence, Herr General Kesselring."

Both prelates rose, their late differences smoothed from their faces, smiling.

"This is a great pleasure, Your Excellency. Won't you sit down? Would you like tea?"

The conversation was conducted in German, since many of the senior members of the Vatican spoke it. The Holy Father was fond of speaking and listening to German.

"Thank you, Your Eminence, I would. Nowhere else in Rome does one get such superbly English tea."

Cardinal Vittorio smiled guilelessly. "It is a habit I acquired while I was the Papal Legate in Australia, and which, for all my innate Italianness, I have not been able to break."

"And you, Your Grace?"

"I'm an Irishman, Herr General. The Irish, too, are brought up on tea." General Albert Kesselring always responded to Archbishop de Bricassart as one man to another; after these slight, oily Italian prelates he was so refreshing, a man without subtlety or cunning, straightforward.

"As always, Your Grace, I am amazed at the purity of your German accent," he complimented.

"I have an ear for languages, Herr General, which means it's like all talents-not worth praising."

"What may we do for Your Excellency?" asked the Cardinal sweetly. "I presume you will have heard of the fate of Il Duce by now?" "Yes, Your Excellency, we have."

"Then you will know in part why I came. To assure you that all is well, and to ask you if perhaps you would convey the message to those summering at Castel Gandolfo? I'm so busy at the moment it's impossible for me to visit Castel Gandolfo myself."

"The message will be conveyed. You are so busy?" "Naturally. You must surely realize this is now an enemy country for us Germans?"

"This, Herr General? This is not Italian soil, and no man is an enemy here except those who are evil."

"I beg your pardon, Your Eminence. Naturally I was referring to Italy, not to the Vatican. But in the matter of Italy I must act as my Fuehrer commands. Italy will be occupied, and my troops, present until now as allies, will become policemen."

Archbishop Ralph, sitting comfortably and looking as if he had never had an ideological struggle in his life, watched the visitor closely. Did he know what his Fuehrer was doing in Poland? How could he not know? Cardinal Vittorio arranged his face into an anxious look. "Dear General, not Rome herself, surely? Ah, not Rome, with her history, her priceless artifacts? If you bring troops within her seven hills there will be strife, destruction. I beg of you, not that!"

General Kesselring looked uncomfortable. "I hope it won't come to that, Your Eminence. But I took an oath also, I too am under orders. I must do as my Fuehrer wishes."

"You'll try for us, Herr General? Please, you must!

I was in Athens some years ago," said Archbishop Ralph quickly, leaning forward, his eyes charmingly wide, a lock of white-sprinkled hair falling across his brow; he was well aware of his effect on the general, and used it without compunction. "Have you been in Athens, sir?" "Yes, I have," said the general dryly.

"Then I'm sure you know the story. How it took men of relatively modern times to destroy the buildings atop the Acropolis? Herr General, Rome stands as she always was, a monument to two thousand years of care, attention, love. Please, I beg of you! Don't endanger Rome."

The general stared at him in startled admiration; his uniform became him very well, but no better than the soutane with its touch of imperial purple became Archbishop Ralph. He, too, had the look of a soldier, a soldier's sparely beautiful body, and the face of an angel. So must the Archangel Michael look; not a smooth young Renaissance boy but an aging perfect man, who had loved Lucifer, fought him, banished Adam and Eve, slain the serpent, stood at God's right hand. Did he know how he looked? He was indeed a man to remember.

"I shall do my best, Your Grace, I promise you. To a certain extent the decision is mine, I admit it. I am, as you know, a civilized man. But you're asking a lot. If I declare Rome an open city, it means I cannot blow up her bridges or convert her buildings into fortresses, and that might well be to Germany's eventual disadvantage. What assurances do I have that Rome won't repay me with treachery if I'm kind to her?"

Cardinal Vittorio pursed his lips and made kissing noises at his cat, an elegant Siamese nowadays; he smiled gently, and looked at the Archbishop. "Rome would never repay kindness with treachery, Herr General. I am sure when you do find the time to visit those summering at Castel Gandolfo that you will receive the same assurances. Here, Kheng-see, my sweetheart! Ah, what a lovely girl you are!" His hands pressed it down on his scarlet lap, caressed it. "An unusual animal, Your Eminence."

"An aristocrat, Herr General. Both the Archbishop and myself bear old and venerable names, but beside her lineage, ours are as nothing. Do you like her name? It is Chinese for silken flower. Apt, is it not?" The tea had arrived, was being arranged; they were all quiet until the lay sister left the room.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 特种魔法师

    特种魔法师

    特种兵穿越异界,把特种兵与魔法师相结合,带领一支特种魔法师小队称霸异界的故事
  • 三界之天之极

    三界之天之极

    少年冯云,资质一般,偶得金手指,开始了他成仙之路。身伴美娇娘,手握君子剑一路腥风血雨,一路热血澎湃只为重上天之极!!
  • 用我一世风光,换两世无常

    用我一世风光,换两世无常

    一阵悦耳的铃铛声在云世轩的耳畔响起,这阵铃铛声让输掉比赛的他心情愉悦了许多,铃铛声越来越近,云世轩顺着铃铛声望去,站在他面前的是一位赤脚的姑娘,这位姑娘长的很清秀,一头秀丽的长发,穿着一身幽紫色的摆尾群,雪白脚上系着两个铃铛,奇怪的是这位姑娘的脖子上有一把锁,云世轩看着入了迷,这位姑娘望着他,道:“这位公子,你有看到我的鞋吗?”。。。
  • 谁的清椿不曾枫狂

    谁的清椿不曾枫狂

    他从5月20日凌晨1点出生的那一刻,就注定了,他什么都是第1!她在同一天的中午11点出生,注定了,她改不了的11。他信心满满,却不料有情敌出现。好不容易,他打败了情敌,他们之间却也出现了问题。“她,是谁?”“她是我刚刚认识的!”“曾枫狂!深夜时,我在哭,你却邂逅了真命天女!”……身心俱疲的她跟白智勇离开了5年,回来时以大众面前的荧幕情侣亮相在他的眼前……
  • 淘气公主撞上痞子少爷

    淘气公主撞上痞子少爷

    什么,订婚!!!怪不得璇儿哭成那样,原来我也逃不过一劫,不过我紫月晴是不会屈服的,那个什么冷逸寒吗,听着就冷冷的,我一定会让他和我解除婚约的,到时看那老头怎么办哼哼
  • 破虚镜

    破虚镜

    在上界有个遥远的地方,而那个地方有着能够操控整个上界的神物!那就是天眷书!传说天眷书,掌控着混沌、生死、时间、神兵已经等等七大魔力。就如同所说了,天眷书是有魔力的,他的魔力吸引来了被称为魔族的神族分支,他们为了掌控整个上界。对天眷书所在的天眷台进攻!想要趁天眷书失去灵智之后,强取天眷书!而天眷书在大战之中被迫分成了九部分,然后在守护者的掩饰下落入下界大陆之中……
  • 奶爸武帝

    奶爸武帝

    陆飞是个正经八百的纯爷们,为了救自己的妹妹,怀上了黄金巨龙的孩子,孩子诞生的那一刻起,他就开始了一边当奶爸,一边成武帝的生活......武者,武师,武王,武皇,武宗,武尊,武圣,武帝。
  • 万世孤独

    万世孤独

    天空中一只血色的瞳孔奇异出现,很是诡异,当他睁开的瞬间,整个天地开始崩裂瓦解,然而,仅在一瞬间,所有的一切化为齑粉,湮灭与虚无之中,这仅仅只是故事的开始......
  • 复仇之路上的女王!

    复仇之路上的女王!

    她们,是由恨而走到一起的姐妹,她,冷漠。她,活泼开朗。她,成熟温柔。复仇路上遇到她们的另一半,是复仇,还是好好过后半生呢?
  • 记得我曾吻过你

    记得我曾吻过你

    她,苏曼,一名普通医学系大二学生,父亲早逝,母亲多病,还有小她十岁的弟弟嗷嗷待哺,168的完美女神身高,内心却被她精灵古怪的弟弟逼成了女汉,她要强,终于考上一流大学,就在他以为生活就这样平淡无波的过下去时,他,她竟然误打误撞在一次人体解剖实验中穿越到了古代,他的魂魄进到了另一个女人苏清含的身体,她不甘如此命运,在一路跌跌撞撞逆袭时竟招惹了莫家王爷,两人被阴差阳错成了亲,谁知堂堂王爷有怪病:跟人接吻后会抽搐,天!要不要这么搞笑??莫少容大少爷,您真以为您是都敏俊啊?