Chapter 86 Chapter 85

The sacred crypt of the Vatican lies just below the Great Hall of St. Peter's Basilica.There is the burial place of the late Pope. Victoria came to the bottom of the spiral staircase.Go into the tomb.The dark tomb reminded her that the Large Hadron Collider at the European Nuclear Center was dark and cold.At this time, only the Swiss guards were lighting the darkness with their flashlights, and the tunnel looked eerie.Hollow niches line the walls on either side.As far as the light went, the great shadow of the sarcophagus in the alcove could be seen looming towards them. A chill passed over her.I've caught a cold, she said to herself, but she knew it was only partially true.She felt that someone was staring at them, not living people, but countless ghosts in the dark.Each of the dolmens has a life-size sculpture of the Pope in tuxedo.The statue folded its hands in front of its chest, lying flat on the stone pavilion, sleeping in death, as if floating from the tomb, clinging to the coffin lid, and trying to break free from the shackles of death.The light continued to move forward, and the pope's profile seemed to stand up and cast on the wall. The shadow became longer and longer, like the shadow cast by dancing skeletons, and then gradually disappeared.

Everyone fell silent, and Victoria couldn't tell whether it was out of admiration or fear.She feels like it's both.The pope's chamberlain walked forward with his eyes closed, as if he knew every step clearly in his heart.Victoria suspected that he must have been to this eerie place many times since the Pope's death...perhaps praying at his grave for guidance. I worked for many years under the tutelage of the presiding officer, who was like a father to me, the Pope's chamberlain once said.Victoria recalled what the Pope's servant said, and couldn't help thinking of the cardinal who "saved" him from the army.Now, however, Victoria knew the story that the cardinal who sheltered and raised the Pope's chamberlain later rose to the Pope, and at the same time promoted the young protégé to the Pope's chamberlain.

That's right, Victoria thought to herself.She has always maintained a keen insight into the inner world of others, and something about the Pope's chamberlain has troubled her all day.From the moment she saw him, she had vaguely felt the pain deep in his soul, which surpassed the unbearable crisis he was facing at the moment.Beneath his pious and calm exterior, what she saw was a man tormented by his own demons.Now she was sure her instincts were right. Not only does he now have to face the most devastating threat in the history of the Vatican, but at the same time, he has no mentors and friends... and can only fight alone, and the guards slow down, as if in the dark.The pope's chamberlain continued to walk forward calmly, and stopped in front of a sarcophagus that seemed to be brighter than the others.On the coffin lid is a sculpture of the late Pope.Victoria suddenly remembered that she had seen this face on TV, and her heart ached.What are we doing? "I know we don't have much time," said the Pope's chamberlain quietly, "but I still ask that we pray for a while."

The Swiss guards stood there and lowered their heads.Victoria bowed her head too, her heart pounding in a dead silence.The Pope's chamberlain knelt down before the stone tomb and began to pray in Italian.Victoria listened to his prayer, and unexpectedly she was also extremely sad and shed tears...for her good teacher and helpful friend...for her own pure-hearted father.The Pope's chamberlain's words sounded as much condolence to her father as to his memory of the Pope. "Father supreme, my teacher and my friend," repeated the pope's chamberlain over and over again, "you told me that the voice I heard in my heart as a child was the voice of God. You also told me that no matter what dangers I faced In difficult situations, I must obey his will. Now, I hear this voice again, he wants me to complete that difficult task, give me strength, forgive me. What I do... is all because of you Under the direction of God in whom I believe. Amen."

"Amen," the guards whispered. Amen, father.Victoria wiped her eyes. The pope's chamberlain stood up slowly and walked away from the coffin. "Remove the lid." The Swiss guards hesitated. "Sir," said one of the guards, "according to the law, we should follow orders," he paused, "we will do as you say..." The pope's servant saw the thoughts of these guards. "In the future, I will ask God to forgive you for your situation, but today, I ask for your cooperation. The Vatican law was enacted to protect the church, and it is in this spirit that I order you to break the rules now."

After a moment of silence, the lead guard gave an order.The three guards put the flashlights in their hands upside down on the ground, and their shadows jumped to the top of the cave.By the light of the torches on the ground, the guards approached the sarcophagus and stood at one end of the sarcophagus. They tightly grasped the marble coffin lid and kicked their feet on the ground to push the coffin lid open.With an order, they firmly pressed against the huge coffin lid and pushed forward vigorously. The lid remained motionless, and Victoria wished that the lid was as heavy as possible.She was suddenly afraid to see what was inside the coffin.

The guards tried harder, but the coffin lid remained motionless. "Come again," shouted the pope's chamberlain, rolling up the sleeves of his cassock, and came to push with them. "Hey!" Everyone pushed hard. Victoria was about to come to help when the lid slipped.The guards pushed forward again, only to hear a "squeak" friction sound between the stones, and the coffin lid was pushed away by a corner - the head of the pope on the statue was pushed to the wall, and his feet were straight. to the other side... Everyone couldn't help taking a step back. A guard carefully bent down to pick up the flashlight on the ground and shine it into the coffin.The light seemed to falter for a moment before the guard held the torch steady.The other two guards surrounded him one by one.Even in the darkness, Victoria could feel them flinching.One by one they crossed themselves.

The pope's chamberlain looked down into the sarcophagus, his whole body trembling, his shoulders drooping like weights. He stood there for a long time before turning around and leaving. Victoria had feared that the body would cool and stiffen, and that the mouth would close tightly, and she would have to suggest opening the jaw to examine the tongue.But now she knew it wasn't necessary.The corpse's cheeks were sunken, and the mouth was gaping. His tongue was black.