--His Holiness, we will arrive in four hours.
The metallic voice of Maestre de Alba resonated on the intercom around the room, startling Jacinto Benavente. The Pontiff was kneeling before an icon representing Deux Machina, the Human Eye surrounded by Four Gears.
He had been talking to the Divine Giver for hours, totally absorbed by the enthusiasm of their prayers, and he hadn't noticed the passage of time.
Exhausted, he rose from the ground with difficulty, leaning on the wall covered with high quality wood. He suppressed a cry of pain when his knee creaked unpleasantly.
--Oh, Deux... --he whispered-- ...give me the courage to honor your Greatness.
He was an old man, even though his aspect doesn't betray him. His body, externally looked about 50 years old, thanks to the effects of 20 years in Cryostasis, but internally had the infirmities of a man of 70 years.
Once standing, Jacinto looked around watching the small room. It was built with style and good materials, but nothing luxurious. Juan de Alba had offered him a much larger room but he had refused. Currently, he had no more needs than a good bed, a desk and chair, apart from the sacred image of Deux before which so often prayed. He sat in the chair and looked at his face reflected in the mirror on the wall above the table.
Who was he? Why Deux had chosen him? Until recently he didn't even know almost nothing about the faith of Deux. He knew it, of course, like almost everyone in Crete, but its followers were few, just a few thousand. Furthermore, cult Deux was not exactly an open religion, rather it his acolytes practiced it in a very private. Why the Divine Benefactor had elected him, having been able to choose one of those who participated in Faith of Deux long time ago? That, He had not revealed to him, and Jacinto had not ventured to ask.
Now, 20 years later, he was coming home again, to Crete. The closeness to the dear patria filled his heart with joy. But now he was not returning as a Corsair, but as a religious leader of an ancient Faith that should come out of hiding, to spread and proclaim the Message of unity and harmony that had been entrusted. After centuries without a leader, the Covenant Church again has who will sit on the Timeless Throne.
He imagined the rejoicing of the followers of Deux in Crete. Now they had a guide, a light to mark the way. He could not disappoint them. In the future he should ask the Corsair Council of Elders, permission to begin the construction of a temple, and ordain priests of Faith to practice the sacred rituals on it.
But that would be within a time. The Council of Elders had not even given official acceptance of his stay in the territory of the Imperio. Only through the intervention of señor Elder Juanez, "El Presidente", and the generosity of señor Miguel Sephardi, who had offered his own home to welcome him, could he be able to return to Crete to make the Divine Work that had been assigned. The Covenant Church owed much to these two persons, and Jacinto prayed constantly for their souls, so that the blessings of Deux fall on them. He should show maximum respect for the corsair authorities, because after all, now, although he was coming back to home, he was a guest. At least until his situation was regularized by the laws of the Imperio.
A knock at the door pulled him out of his deep thoughts.
--Come in --he said, standing up.
The door opened, and came inside a Pontifical Guard Sergeant. He was carrying an complete assault combat armor mk II, adorned with the pontifical symbols.
--Su Santidad, --he said respectfully, with the voice distorted by the helmet-- The Field Maestre sends me to inform Your Holiness that in an hour will enter the planet Crete's orbit.
--Thank you, hijo mío, I will begin to prepare at once. --answered the Pontiff, with a sincere smile-- You may leave.
--Su Voluntad. --said the guard, retiring.
An hour! How could he have gone so fast the time? That was happening a lot ultimately. Must be the age ... maybe.
The Pontiff pressed a button, and in a moment three priests appeared in the room. Two of them took ceremoniously the pontifical vestments of a closet and helped Jacinto to put them while singing ritual chants. The third perfumed the room with a silver censer. They put him the white chasuble, over which planted a blood red stole, and in his head, the white miter. Finally, of a small box, they took out the Gear Ring, made of titanium, which symbolizes the strength of the Covenant, and the memory of the Gift of Deux.
They had barely finished dressing him, when the door was knocked and Juan de Alba entered, her head bowed in respect signal. Paolus LXIV looked at him and gestured for him to speak.
--Señor, we are already a few minutes from the orbit of Crete, is Your Holiness ready?
--I'm ready, if Deux wants.
--Then my Lord, please follow me to the great hall, which the Guard formed awaits you.
Jacinto nodded and left the room behind his loyal Maestre, walking the ship halls to reach the large main room, where a the whole entourage and a contingent of the Guard was waiting, dressed in battle armors and armed with laser rifles. When the soldiers saw the Pontiff, stood at attention and presented their weapons, with steel discipline.
--At ease guards! --ordered Juan de Alba, and soldiers returned to their initial position.
The Maestre turned to the Pontiff and spoke again, lowering his voice and changing the severity for reverence.
--Your Holiness, the Magallanes is going to dock at Crete's mooring fixture, I need to go to command bridge to perform the operation. I beg you to stay here with the Guard and the entourage until we have finished.
--Of course Maestre. Go and do your job, Divine Giver be with you.
Juan de Alba made a slight inclination and left the hall on his way to the command room. Paolus LXIV was alone with his entourage, his soldiers and his thoughts. That would be a great day. That day would be the first of a new era that would end up changing the fate of mankind. Or at least that's what he expected.
