Yesterday (Part Four - Chapters 64 & 65)

CHAPTER 64

Elias Harperin fiddled nervously with his fountain pen in front of the two other people in the conference room with him. He always did when he had to make an important decision, and in this meeting outside Rome he had to make one that would affect the future of humanity.

He had to make up his mind and sign, but as often happened to him, he was distracted for a few seconds weighing his fabulous fountain pen, designed exclusively for him by the famed Hungarian artist Moholy-Nagy. The perfect workmanship of the pen fascinated him for its purity. It was perfect, balanced, a symbol of a future to be discovered.

And to plan.

A future that was proving to be extremely expensive.

Elias had assumed from the beginning that their work would not be an easy or quick undertaking, but after surpassing their initial expectations with several discoveries made in the Corporation's laboratories, they realized that they would need much more than anticipated if they were to turn several of their most revolutionary theories into reality. They had found a seam, the material with which to build their dream. But their enthusiasm was tempered when they calculated the cost of making it a reality.

Buying the massive subway plot in the heart of Paris had been expensive, even in spite of the aftermath of the war and their secret contract with the French state pledging to finance much of the city's reconstruction work. But the situation they now found themselves in was different.

If they wanted to complete their next acquisition, they needed to pave the way to found their own economy, totally disconnected from the West, and it was no longer a matter of simple money or stocks. They would need gold, raw materials, precious stones, and in unimaginably large, historic quantities.

But to get it he would have to give in and sell part of his legacy, and that was difficult for him, even if it was in exchange for something so small compared to the full scope of his project.

They had been making discreet appeals to private investors for several years, seducing them with promises of shadowy power and secret societies, exclusive clubs and a dazzling future, but when the time came Elias realized that this would not be enough. He needed a much more powerful partner, oblivious to the vicissitudes of governments and with a stability over time that had already been forged by the onslaught of history.

Very few candidates were left on his list, and now he was about to make a pact with the one who least convinced him of the three. And he was going to do so because he had known the man he had before him some time before he was elected patriarch of the Church, and because he knew that he was a man of integrity and of his word.

It was an advantageous contract for the Corporation, that was clear, since its future partners did not want to interfere in the bulk of its activities. They would just be shadow witnesses, ready to step in when circumstances indicated, and make use of their right.

They would buy their seat at the table and some technological favors for their elite until the time came. Until then, they would offer discretion and gold, as well as respect for the secrecy of the project.

Elias Harperin turned his attention back to the exquisite writing, printed by hand on papyrus with an ink they were assured would last for millennia. He reread the heading.

“Cibus Fidei”.

“Nourishment of Faith”.

He was fully aware of the historic magnitude of the document in his hands and signed the two copies of the contract while his heart skipped a beat.

The newly appointed head of the Church followed suit, stamping the signatures with his Papal seal.

The third person present, a Swiss notary, signed as well, then proceeded to solemnly seal each document in the slim titanium watertight boxes prepared for the occasion, which each partner would thereafter keep waiting for the contract to be completed.

Elias then took a small mahogany box out of his pocket and handed it to the Pope.

—Keep this Angelo, it will protect you, —he said.

—Thank you, may the most abundant favor of Almighty God be with you.

—Have I done right?

—We just signed, my dear Elias! —burst out the corpulent Pope with a laugh —even though I know that they will kill me for it if it ever comes to light. I am only a poor sinner, but I am fully convinced that we cannot be enemies but brothers in this enterprise, which is much bigger than the two of us, I assure you. Humanity must survive.

—Mankind is like a virus, every step forward in its evolution has been thanks to mutation, to the will to survive.

—Yet now at last we shall know how to do it. It seems to us truly necessary to express our disagreement with these prophets of misfortune, who announce catastrophes, almost the imminence of the doomsday of the world. In the present historical moment, Providence is leading us to a new order by His hand, in which the whole human family will be able to reach fulfillment, in visible unity in truth.

—But there will be obstacles, it will be slow, it could fail.

—Do not be afraid of mistakes, for after they occur, they vanish like mist before the sun. Have faith, we will have patience.

—Thank you, you are a good man, I will not let you down.

Angelo Roncalli, known to posterity as John XXIII rose from his chair and all stood up accordingly. Elias kissed his hand and received his silent blessing. He then departed accompanied by the notary leaving him alone in the office.

Elias did not know it at the time, but that would be the last time they would meet face to face. Nor could he have imagined then the turn the Catholic Church would take after his death, and the slow distance that would form between the two partners until one day, many years later, an intermediary would knock on the doors of the Corporation demanding power and knowledge.

But that was a battle that others would have to fight for him.

Two days passed in the silent village, time that Elias took advantage of to calmly outline the next steps of his plan and take long, solitary walks in the surrounding area.

On the morning of the third day, as was his custom, he went for his morning walk through the lush pine forest that surrounded the property. As he took the path that climbed the gentle hill that protected the large house from prying eyes, he found a stranger sitting on a pylon along the path.

It was the first time he had met anyone on those grounds and, upon seeing him, his first thought was to turn around and go back to the house, but when their eyes met, he realized that the man was waiting for him.

The man stood up and picked up from the pylon the white handkerchief he had been sitting on. He folded it carefully and walked toward him as he returned it to his pocket.

At first glance he did not appear to be over forty years old, and he was dressed neatly but discreetly. Dark pants and white shirt.

—Buon giorno —Elias greeted him by raising his hand.

—Good morning, Mr. Harperin.

—Do you speak my language? —asked Elias in surprise.

—Yes, I have been waiting for you for some time.

—Have we met?

—I have been following in your footsteps for a long time.

Elias felt a slight pang of concern and kept a prudent distance, but the serenity shown by the man spurred his curiosity.

—Why is that?

—I want to work with you.

—Your name? Since you seem to know mine, it seems only fair that I should know yours.

—Spencer Kelt, at your service.

Elias approached him.

—And what can I do for you? Don't you know this is private property?

—I offer you my help to achieve your purposes.

—What do you know about me?

—I have been watching the progress of your corporation for years. Let's say I'm very interested in your goals, our interests coincide.

Elias rubbed his chin. During his wanderings he had come across several illuminati, and although this one did not seem dangerous, it bothered him that he took the liberty of speaking so freely before him. He stepped forward and sized him up.

—Look, Mr. Kelt, I don't know what you think you know, but I don't think I can help you.

“You won’t change the world if you don’t change people first”

Spencer Kelt had not moved his lips, but Elias could hear him clearly.

—How is this possible? —Elias said aloud.

“It is” –– Spencer replied, again, mentally.

Elias stared at him, not knowing what to say. He paused for a moment to sit down on one of the pylons along the road. He did not take a second to realize the repercussions that such an encounter could have on his project and couldn't help but smile.

“Yes, I can help and I will” –– Spencer Kelt replied quietly without altering his expression.

—But how? —Elias shook his head —one cannot be enough.

“I can help you with that too”.

CHAPTER 65

Things had become tense among the guests in the suite at the Palace Hotel. But that was something Jonah had anticipated long before they arrived, as it was part of the process necessary to resolve the crisis. He decided to change the tone of the conversation and give in a little.

Before responding to Oscar’s question, he excused himself from those present with a gesture, got up and took Professor Hebert with him to an adjoining room. The professor accompanied him in fright, but upon his return Jonah reassured them all.

—I haven’t done anything to him, he will just be “on pause” until we need him again.

—What the hell has Adrian got to do with you? —Oscar asked again impatiently.

Jonah gave him an annoyed look and then turned to Laura.

—Maybe he really doesn’t know, —she defended him.

—Can you answer me once and for all?

—Do you know if Adrian had any contact with the Corporation? —asked Laura tactfully.

Oscar raised his eyebrows in surprise.

—Do you expect me to believe that they didn’t offer it to you? —Jonah challenged him without disguising his apprehension. But Laura stopped him with her hand.

—We believe that Adrian was part of an experiment by the Harperin Corporation, —Laura explained, trying to calm him down. —We have detected in him similar symptoms to the ones caused in us by their procedures, that’s why we have gathered you together, we must make a decision together, because we believe that the professor has not yet spoken the whole truth.

—Is that possible? —asked Oscar quietly to Aminarti.

—I don’t know, —he denied dejectedly in a whisper. —This is all beginning to get the better of me.

—What decision do you mean, Laura? —asked Oscar.

—Jonah was the one who “woke up” Adrian. He went to visit him at the clinic, —Laura revealed.

—I knew it! —replied Oscar, patting his knees and looking furiously at Jonah, —And what the hell were you trying to do by getting into his head? Don’t you ever think about the consequences of your actions?

—I had nothing to do with what happened to him, —Jonah justified himself with a whimper, —I only went there to take a blood sample and while I was at it I did him the favor of helping him wake up. The rest is not my doing, he brought it on himself.

—You’re out of your mind, —said Oscar.

—You underestimate people’s need for hope, —he answered indifferently.

—Then what put him into a coma? —Aminarti interjected.

—We don’t know for sure, —Laura admitted, —I think it’s because of some radiation he was exposed to, but Jonah is certain it’s because of a chemical agent that the Corporation has developed and that Adrian somehow managed to get.

—Then his tumor? —asked Oscar angrily —Is it yours or the Corporation’s? That’s why the plaque?

—It was the radiation, —Laura replied gently. —I realized it when I woke up.

—I get it, —Oscar admitted, —although it could also be just because of his involuntary exposure to Jonah.

—But then why didn’t it affect me? —Aminarti interjected. —I lived with Jonah for many years.

—You told us yourself, —Laura replied, —they gave you their Rosary as protection. Maybe Harperin already knew how to protect themselves when they gave it to the Pope. Besides, when Jonah visited Adrian it was already too late.

—Don’t talk as if I wasn’t here, —Jonah reprimanded them, —besides, I’m sure you’re wrong, because that Rosary doesn’t work on me. I have never felt anything near it. They are manipulating us, and I will prove it to you. They played with fire and something went wrong, that’s all. Typical greed.

—But Jonah… —Laura pleaded, turning to him, —we don’t know if it will work, what if it’s finally our fault? We don’t know what more side effects we can cause, maybe it’s just an instinct we can’t control.

—That’s why we have the professor here, —he concluded, —we’re going to get as much out of him as possible so that we can decide. But I told you, it's the last thing I’m going to do. Then I’m leaving, and you with me. Let them kill each other.

—That remains to be seen, —said Oscar in Laura’s defense when he saw her expression after Jonah’s statement.

—Jonah, my son, couldn’t we talk about it when we have all the facts? —Aminarti begged him.

—No, Pater, it is already decided.

There was a brief silence in the room.

—Are they really worth it? —asked Jonah more calmly to Laura with a gesture of annoyance.

—They are your family, my family.

The two twins stared at each other for a moment. From their gaze they knew that they were communicating somehow.

Jonah got up and left the room. He soon returned to the professor. He was sweating profusely.

—What are you going to do to me? —asked a terrified Hebert.

—No harm if you cooperate and behave well, —answered Jonah, recovering his theatrical tone. —Now you’re going to respond to us, and then we’ll decide.

Aminarti was appalled by Jonah’s behavior. He struggled internally between ethics and his love for the boy, and he began to feel a tightening in his heart.

—I will not allow you to hurt him, Jonah. What you are doing to him is immoral.

—Don’t be too hasty with judgments, Pater, we haven’t reached that point yet, —Jonah replied dryly. —Well Professor, let’s return to our previous conversation, what do you say we go back to your role in the Harperin Corporation?

Hebert looked uneasy but nodded his head, a fact that Oscar took advantage of to intervene.

—Why did you lie to me in Ireland?

—I already told you, I’m just a pawn, —Hebert justified himself anxiously, —I told you what I was ordered to tell you, I only added one detail, but it seems that you haven’t realized it yet.

—Tell him, —Laura interjected.

—Oscar, I like you, believe me, —Hebert began, earning a grimace of displeasure from the others, —I always have, I tried to keep you out of this affair, but you wouldn’t listen to me and kept digging. Don’t you realize that this is bigger than us? No wonder you can’t find your place in this mess, you don’t have it! You have to let me take them with me, only then will they leave you alone.

—Who killed my wife? —asked Oscar point-blank.

—As far as I know, no one killed your wife, it was an unfortunate accident. Something fortuitous. I’m sorry.

—And you? —Oscar asked Jonah. —Do you have anything to say?

—Nope, I already told you, I had nothing to do with it.

—You weren’t so clear then.

—You had already condemned me before I walked through the door.