Chapter 112 Chapter 111

Kohler was disgusted by the luxurious decoration of the Belvedere foyer.A single golden leaf on a roof may well be enough to fund a year's worth of research into a cure for cancer.Roach led Kohler into the Pope's Palace through a detour from the ramp for the disabled. "Is there no elevator?" Kohler demanded. "There's no electricity." Rochiel pointed to the burning candles in the dark buildings around him and said, "This is one of our search tactics." "Without a doubt, it was a losing tactic." Rochelle nodded. Kohler suddenly coughed again, and he knew it might kill him.It's not like he didn't want that at all.

They came to the top floor and walked along the corridor towards the Pope's office. At this time, four Swiss guards ran over and asked in bewilderment: "Captain, what are you doing here? I thought this man had information— —” "He only speaks to the Pope's chamberlain." The guards looked puzzled, but they didn't dare to ask any more questions. "Tell the Pope's chamberlain," said Rocher forcefully, "that the director of CERN, Maximilian Kohler, wants to meet him here. Go quickly." "Yes, sir!" said one of the guards and hurried to the Pope's chamberlain's office, while the others stood still.They looked very cautious, looked at Rochelle and said, "Captain, wait a moment, we will inform you that your guests have arrived."

But Kohler didn't stop there.He turned suddenly and steered the wheelchair around the guards. The guards turned hastily and trotted up to him, shouting, "Sir! Stop!" Kohler particularly disliked them.Even the most elite security guards in the world are not exempt, and they are just as incapable of not showing compassion for the disabled.If Kohler had been able-bodied, they might have had him already.Disabled people are weak, Kohler thought, or so people think. Kohler knew that time was running out to achieve the goals of his trip.He also knew that he might die here tonight.But he was surprised that he wasn't worried at all.He is willing to pay the price with his life.Everything about him was destroyed by someone like Pope Ventsk's chamberlain, and he had suffered so much in his life for that.

"Sir," the guards yelled, rushing up to him, forming a line in the hallway, "you must stop!" One of the guards raised his arm sideways, blocking Kohler. Kohler stopped. Rochel stepped forward and said with an apologetic expression: "I'm sorry, Mr. Kohler, just wait a moment. No one can enter the Pope's office without notification." Kohler realized that in Roacher's eyes there was nothing to do but wait.Well, Khloe thought, we'll just wait. The guards seemed cruel, and they cornered Kohler near a large gilded full-length mirror. Seeing his distorted body in the mirror, Kohler felt a wave of disgust, and the long-standing anger filled his chest again.This gave him a strength.He is now deep in the enemy camp.It was these people who made him lose his dignity.It was these people, and because of them, he had never tasted a woman...never stood up to receive an award.What truth do these people have?What evidence!To hell with him!Just rely on an old debate book?With those prophecies of miracles?Science is everything. Jian Kohler stared coldly at himself in the mirror for a while.I might die of religion tonight, he thought, but it wouldn't be the first time either.

For a moment, Khloe seemed to be eleven again, lying in her own bed in her parents' apartment in Frankfurt.The sheets beneath him were the finest linen sheets in Europe, but they were already drenched with sweat.Little Max felt as if he was lying on a kang, with unimaginable pain tormenting his body.His parents had been kneeling beside his bed for two full days, and they were still praying. Three of Frankfurt's best doctors stood in the shadows. "I implore you to reconsider!" said one of the doctors. "Look at this boy! He is in excruciating fever and in agony! It is dangerous!"

But before his mother could speak, Max knew what she was going to say. "God bless him." Yes, Max thought, God bless me.The firm conviction in his mother's voice gave him strength.God bless me. An hour later, Max felt his whole body crushed under the car.He didn't even have the strength to cry. "Your son is very ill," said the other doctor. "Anyway, let me take the pain. I've got a simple shot in my bag—" "Okay, shut up!" Max's father stopped the doctor without even opening his eyes.He just went on with his prayer. "Father, please!" Max wanted to scream, "Let him relieve the pain!" A violent cough prevented him from saying anything.

An hour later, he felt more and more pain. "Your son may become paralyzed," scolded a doctor, "maybe even die! We have medicine to save him!" Fron and Hull Kohler wouldn't let them do that.They don't believe in medicine. Who are they to interfere with God's plan?The Kohlers prayed more fervently.After all, it was God who made them lucky to have this child. Why did God take this child away?Mother whispered to Max to be strong.She explained that God was testing him...like Abraham in the Bible story...to test his faithfulness. He also wanted to believe in God, but the pain was unbearable.

"I can't stand it anymore!" A doctor ran out of the room after saying these last words. Before dawn, Max was already unconscious.Every muscle in his body twitched with excruciating pain.Where is Jesus?He became suspicious.Is it because he doesn't love me?Max felt himself dying. Mother fell asleep on the edge of the bed, her hands still tightly clutching his.Max's father walked across the room to the window and stared out at the dawn, seemingly in a trance.Max could hear him muttering incessantly, praying for God to be merciful. Just then, Max felt a shadow hovering over him.Is it an angel?Max could barely see.His eyes were swollen and crowded together.The shadow whispered to him, but it was not the voice of an angel.Max recognized that it was one of the doctors... The man sat in a corner for two days and begged Max's parents to let him give the child some new medicine made in England.

"I will never forgive myself," the doctor whispered, "if I don't." Then the doctor gently took Max's weak arm and said, "I wish I could have done this sooner." .” Max felt a slight stabbing carbuncle in his arm—a pain that was barely felt after the sharp pain just now. Afterwards, the doctor quietly packed his things.Before leaving, he put a hand on Max's forehead and said: "This will save your life. I firmly believe in the power of medicine." A few minutes later, Max felt that some kind of magical power seemed to be injected into the blood vessels, and a warm current spread throughout his body, and the pain gradually disappeared.Finally, for the first time in days, Max fell asleep.

The fever went away, which his parents claimed was a miracle from God.However, when it was revealed that the child had become disabled, they became very upset.They push their children to church to consult with the pastor. "By God's mercy," the priest told them, "the boy survived." Max listened without saying a word. "But our son can't walk!" Fran Kohler sobbed. The pastor nodded sadly, and said, "Yes, it seems that he was not loyal enough, and God punished him for that." "Mr. Kohler?" This was the voice of the Swiss guard who ran away first. "The Pope's chamberlain agrees to receive you."

Kohler grunted and accelerated towards the end of the corridor. "He was surprised by your visit," said the guard. "I know." Kohler said, continuing to turn the wheelchair. "I want to see him alone." "Impossible," said the guard, "no one." "Lieutenant" Roach growled, "The meeting will be done according to Mr. Kohler's wishes." The guard showed obvious suspicion. Outside the pope's office, Rocher allowed guards to conduct a routine security check on Kohler before he entered.Their hand-held metal detectors have no effect on the numerous electronics in Kohler's wheelchair.The guards wanted to search him, but they were obviously too embarrassed by his disability to search him thoroughly.They never found the revolver stuck under the wheelchair, nor did they confiscate another item... Kohler knew that would bring a haunting end to tonight's chain of events. When Kohler entered the Pope's office, the Pope Ventersk's chamberlain knelt alone by a dying fire and prayed.The pope's chamberlain didn't even look at him. "Mr. Kohler," said the Pope's chamberlain, "have you come to martyr me?"