"I was wrong. I don't think it matters anymore." Tess heaved a ponderous sigh. "You know, for as long as I can remember, I could only see what was wrong with the Church. The bloody history, the greed, the archaic dogma, the intolerance, the scandals of abuse ... So much of it has become such a joke. I still think a lot of it could use one hell of an overhaul, without a doubt. But then, nothing's perfect, is it? And if you look at what it does when it works, when you think about the compassion and the generosity it inspires . . . That's where the real miracle lies."
A slow, rhythmic clapping of hands suddenly echoed across the deserted ruins around Tess, startling her.
Turning to where the sound was coming from, she saw Vance stepping out from behind a stone wall. He kept on clapping, each slow clap distinct from the next, his eyes riveted on hers, his mouth twisted in an unsettling grin.
Chapter 85
"So you've seen the light. I'm really moved, Tess. Our infallible Church has got itself another convert." Vance's tone couldn't have been more mocking or more quietly threatening.
"Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!"
Reilly watched him draw nearer and felt his muscles tighten. Vance was bedraggled and looked thinner, more gaunt than he had before. He wore simple clothes, no doubt also a gift from another charitable islander. More importantly, he wasn't carrying a weapon, which was a relief. Reilly didn't exactly relish the idea of trying to disarm the professor, not in his current weakened condition.
Without a gun, though, and no doubt as worn out from getting thrashed around by the storm as he and Tess were, the professor didn't pose too much of a threat.
Vance kept approaching Tess, only now he was focusing on the codex in Reilly's hands. "It's as if it just wants to be found, isn't it? If I were a religious man," he scoffed, "I'd be tempted to think we were destined to find it."
Tess looked incredulous. "How did you—"
"Oh, much like you, I guess." Vance shrugged. "I woke up with my face in the sand and a couple of crabs eyeing me curiously, and just about managed to get myself to the monastery at Panormitis.
Father Spiros took me into their alms house. He didn't ask any questions, and I didn't feel any need to elaborate either. And that's where I saw you. I was delighted you had made it out too, which was more than I could have hoped for, but this ..." His eyes moved over the codex. It was as if he was entranced by it. "This is a real gift. May I?"
Reilly raised his hand in a halting manner. "No. That's close enough."
Vance stopped advancing. His face took on a bemused expression. "Come on. Look at us. By any measure, we should all be dead. Doesn't that tell you something?"
Reilly was unmoved. "It tells me you're going to be able to stand trial and spend a few years as a guest of our prison service."
Vance seemed to drift away in a disappointed, almost hurt look, then in one unhesitant move, he rushed at Tess, grabbing her with one arm around her neck, the other now holding a large diving knife inches from her throat.
"I'm sorry, Tess," he said, "but I'm with Agent Reilly on this. We can't just ignore what fate has gone out of its way to hand us. You were right the first time. The world does deserve to know." His eyes were blazing wildly, darting back and forth, keeping Reilly in check. "Give it to me," Vance ordered. "Quickly."
Reilly made a rapid study of the situation, but the knife was too close to Tess's throat for him to make a move, especially in his weakened state. It was safer to give Vance the codex and deal with him once Tess was out of harm's way. He made a calming gesture toward Vance with one hand.
"Just take it easy, all right? You can have the damn thing." He reached out with the other hand, the one holding the manuscript. "Here. Take it."
"No," Tess interjected angrily, "don't give it to him. We can't let him go public with it. It's our responsibility now. It's my responsibility."
Reilly shook his head. "It's not worth your life."
"Sean—"
"It's not worth it," he insisted, flashing her a look of hard resolve.
Vance smiled thinly. "Put it on the wall and back up. Slowly."
Reilly set it down on the rough stones and took a few steps back. Vance inched forward, awkwardly maneuvering Tess closer to the wall.
He stood over the codex for a few seconds, almost scared of touching it, before reaching out with trembling fingers and carefully lifting the cover open. He studied it in enraptured silence, turning over the sheets of parchment and mumbling " Veritas vos libembif to himself, a blissful calm now radiating from his weary features.
"I really would have liked you to be a part of this, Tess," he said softly to her. "You'll see. It's going to be wonderful."
And at that moment, Tess decided to make her move. She shoved his arm violently off her shoulder and darted away from him. Vance briefly lost his footing, and, as he reached out to balance himself, he lost his grip on the knife, which fell from his hand onto the low stone wall and clattered out of view, disappearing into the dry bushes behind it.
He straightened up, flipping the codex shut and grabbing it with both hands and saw that Reilly had positioned himself between him and the pathway leading out of the castle ruins, effectively blocking him. Tess was at his side.
"It's over," Reilly stated flatly.
Vance's eyes rocketed wide as if he'd been punched in the gut. He shot quick glances around him, hesitated briefly, then leaped over the low wall and bolted into the maze of ruins.
Reilly was quick to react, clambering over the wall and rushing after him. Within seconds, they had both disappeared behind the ancient stones.
"Come back!" Tess yelled out. "To hell with him, Sean! You're not well yet. Don't do this."
Although he heard her shouts, Reilly didn't stop. Instead, struggling over the soft ground, he was already climbing steadfastly upward, breathing heavily, hot on Vance's heels.
Chapter 86
Vance was moving fast, across a steep trail that cut into the side of the mountain. The scattered trees and the olive groves soon gave way to a harsher terrain of rocks and dried-out bushes. Glancing back, he saw Reilly coming after him and cursed inwardly. He scanned the surrounding area. The town was nowhere in sight, and even die castle ruins and the disused windmills had now disappeared from view. The hillside rose in a steep incline to his right, and, to his left, the rocky ground seemed to curve sharply down into the sea below. There was no other choice. It was either confront Reilly or keep moving. He chose the latter.
Behind him, Reilly was breathing heavily as he tried to keep Vance within reach. His legs felt rubbery, the muscles in his thighs already burning despite the relatively short distance he had covered. He faltered on a small outcropping but managed to keep his balance and narrowly avoided injuring his ankle. Straightening himself up, he suddenly felt dizzy and took a few deep breaths, shutting his eyes and concentrating, trying to summon up any reserves of energy he could draw on.
He glanced toward Vance and saw his receding silhouette clambering out of view. Rallying himself, he willed his legs forward and resumed his pursuit.
Driving himself further along the slippery surface of the rocks, Vance finally reached the top of a crag only to realize that he was trapped. Before him was an almost vertical drop down to jagged rocks far below. A sliding sea was crashing against them in rhythmic bursts of white foam.
Turning urgently, he saw Reilly, who was climbing into view.
Reilly reached the rock face and clambered onto a large rock. He was now level with Vance, less than ten yards away from him. The two men stared at one another.
Vance was taking big gulps of air, catching his breath. He scanned the surroundings angrily, left then right. Seeing that the ground was firmer to the right, he decided to head that way.