The Pontiff blinked hard to clear his work-cluttered brain. He had been working late in his office, and just when he thought he had finished and could go down for a break, he had been showered with an avalanche of complaints from his Science Minister, Monsignora Meyer, about the behavior of the Guard in the exercise of their duties. Apparently Meyer had witnessed an arrest on the street of a subject suspected of espionage, and the Guard had acted too brutally with him. The Minister was also upset because she had tried to talk to the Field Maestre Martin De Alba about it, and had only received indifference from him.
The Pontiff liked to let the Field Maestre De Alba act, and didn't usually interfere in security affairs. He considered the Commander of the Guard to be the most competent person in military matters in the entire settlement, and Gregorius was aware of his own inexperience in such issues. However, the Maestre had rudely dismissed the Minister of Science, and Meyer's complaint was direct and blunt, so he could not ignore her. The truth is that it wasn't the first time that these two faced each other due to their completely opposite personalities. Therefore, once Meyer had left, he had the Field Maestre come to the Pontiff office to hear his version of events.
The Field Maestre was a tough, career military man, worthy son of the previous Field Maestre of the Church, Juan De Alba. He was about 35 years old, tall and serious, with a tremendously military appearance. His style of dress was quite old-fashioned, although he followed the formal canons of the Church, Renaissance style. His beard and mustache were always impeccably groomed, framing his serious countenance. It was common to see him wearing an ancient black power armor, decorated with damascenes and gold arabesques, which it was said he had inherited from his father, but on that occasion he had gone to meet the Pontiff dressed only in leggings and boots, and a old-fashioned doublet with gold and white trimmings, slashed sleeves and white linen ruff. A heavy high-necked cape, with the same trimmings and ornaments as the doublet, and inner lining of ermine, covered his back from his shoulders.
On that occasion he had come unarmed, as was the protocol to be received by the Pontiff, although he carried his command staff, from which he never separated. It was a simple wooden stick, half a meter long, with two sober bronze ornaments at each end. It was said that that staff had been passed down from generation to generation in the De Alba family, since Earth times, and was precisely made of hazel wood, from an Earth tree. That was something that had never been proven, despite there being means to date the object, but the truth was that the De Alba family was a very ancient family of believers in the Faith of Deux, with a family tree that could be easily tracked to an almost mythical noble family from the Kingdom of Spain, on ancient Earth. So, considering this, no one had ever dared to doubt the authenticity of that family heirloom.
The Pontiff soon realized that the Commander was offended and that felt outraged that Meyer had gone to the Pontiff, after their previous meeting. Gregorius listened in silence for about 15 minutes of anger and grievances, real or imagined, that the Minister of Science had inflicted on the Commander, and then the Pontiff decided that he would resolve that issue on the way to the Palace's private garden. He needed to clear his head, relax for a while and go to sleep, and he didn't feel able to deal with another long string of complaints.
Gregorius stood up from his desk, interrupting Martin De Alba's monologue with a wave of his hand and a friendly smile. "My dear Field Maestre, I hope you can forgive me, but I'm exhausted. I've to get out of this office or I feel like I'm going to end up falling asleep on the table. I need to clear my head a little in the garden, so why don't you come with me and continue telling me along the way?"
The Commander showed a slightly disturbed expression, at what could have been understood as discourtesy, but he immediately bowed his head slightly, gravely. "Of course, Your Holiness, as you wish."
Gregorius turned off his Neural Net terminal, the light on the desk, and headed towards the door. The Field Maestre stepped forward to open it before the Pontiff arrived, and then left behind him, closing it. The two Pontifical Guards in the hallway in front of the office stood at attention and saluted as the two men passed them, and Martin De Alba returned the salute martially.
The Pontiff looked at his interlocutor without stopping walking and made a gesture to encourage him to speak again. "Please, Field Maestre, continue telling me what ails you."
The Commander looked at the Pontiff as he walked beside him, with one hand behind his back and the other holding his baton under his armpit. "Your Holiness, as I have already told you, Monsignora Meyer doesn't cease in her efforts to hinder my work." Martin's frown showed how angry and outraged he felt. "It's my sacred mission to keep this colony safe, and even more so in the situation we find ourselves in, but with that woman constantly coming to me, with absurd demands, it's impossible." The Field Maestre shook his fist in front of his own face. "And this time, Your Holiness, it has been the last straw. She has told me that I've placed too much security on the streets and public buildings, and that my soldiers behave like fascist agents beating innocent people in the streets. She has also demanded me to identify one of my Guards, a military paramedic, so that she can be reprimanded for not providing assistance to an espionage suspect who resisted the Guards who came to arrest him." The Field Maestre's eyes shone with wrath. "How dare she? My men strictly comply with the regulations, we don't beat up innocent people, but rather we protect the innocent from those who want to destroy us!"
Gregorius listened to his Commander attentively, as he walked with his hands behind his back through the corridors, nodding from time to time. When Martin paused in his speech, the Pontiff intervened. "Field Maestre, I completely understand how you feel, but I don't believe that Monsignora Meyer's intention is to challenge your authority. I truly believe that she is just trying to make the Guard's interactions with the population better."
"Your Holiness!" Martin protested. "The Guard's relations with the population are impeccable! People hold us in high esteem and see us as their protectors, it's precisely the presence of the Guard deployed throughout the settlement that makes citizens feel safe. This makes the settlers know that even if something happens, there are people ready to help them."
"I understand your point of view, but at the same time I understand Meyer's." Gregorius smiled, trying to placate his Minister of Defense, while trying to make him understand. "Monsignora Meyer and you're radically opposite people in the way you act, and I sincerely believe that that's something positive for this Government. Contrasted opinions tend to produce better opinions, as long as they aren't heretical, of course..." The Pontiff gestured with his hand towards the Field Maestre. "The Guard must be present in the settlement, and must investigate cases of possible espionage by the Corsair threat, that's an obvious fact. However, it's true that it's advisable to relax your spirits a little, even if only in appearance. The population is very nervous, and perhaps seeing the Guard act in a friendlier manner can calm them down." Gregorius looked directly at Martin de Alba. "We, the Government, are already nervous enough with all this impending war hovering above us, it isn't necessary to constantly transfer that nervousness to the population. That can only lead to suffering and lack of public order."
The Commander of the Guard remained silent for a few seconds, thoughtful, as they went down the stairs that led to the ground floor. When they reached the bottom and headed down one of the corridors that led to the garden, he addressed the Pontiff again. "Your Holiness, if you consider that I'm doing my job poorly, or if I've done something to lose your trust, then I place my position and my rank at your disposal. But please, with all the respect I can have for you as Chosen of Deux Our Lord, I beg you not to dishonor me by forcing me to submit to Meyer's wishes." Martin gripped his baton tightly, while his lips paled beneath his mustache. "Mosnignora Meyer doesn't understand the seriousness of the situation we live in, nor the efforts that must be made to keep us safe, and she dares to give me orders, to threaten my men in public..."
Gregorius interrupted the Maestre, stopping dead and looking him with a compassionate smile. "Please, Martin... What nonsense is that? How could you have lost my trust?" The Pontiff shook his head as he approached the Minister of Defense putting his hand on his shoulder. "I cannot conceive of anyone in this Holy Church who could do the work you do better than you, and in a more loyal way to me, and to the Sacred Mandate of Our Lord." Gregorius nodded, smiling, and then continued walking towards the garden doors, which were already visible at the end of the corridor. "I simply ask that you make our soldiers more... gentle in their interventions in the streets, and also try to be less visible. Let's try to make Faith Haven not look like a military barracks every day, shall we?" Gregorius remained silent for a few seconds and then added. "As for that military paramedic, I want her to receive a light reprimand and then she will board the Horizon to be sent to the MFE General Academy. There she will receive an update on her knowledge as a combat paramedic in the coming months. Detainees, no matter how suspicious they may be, have the right to be treated. Mainly, in the middle of the street, and when they're visible to the rest of the population." The Pontiff saw out of the corner of his eye how the Minister of Defense was preparing to reply, and raised a hand to prevent it. "And this aren't Meyer's wishes, are mine."
Both men went through the doors that led out to the garden and were hit by the intense aroma of flowers and plants. The light of the stars and some faint lanterns bathed the entire place, revealing the composition of the garden and allowing to be observed the leafy although reduced extension full of fruit trees, plants and flower beds, around and through which tiled paths extended. At some points along the paths, there were stone benches that invited rest and meditation, and in the center of everything, an ornate marble fountain refreshed the atmosphere with its distant water murmur. The sounds of some night crickets and the casual hoot of an owl seemed to make a kind of counterpoint to the sound of the fountain, leaving a final sensation of immeasurable peace. The place was so lush, and so lightly lit that you could barely notice the concrete walls that bounded it, cleverly hidden behind flowering climbing plants.
The Field Maestre stopped before moving further inland. "I don't wish to bother you more than necessary, Your Holiness, and is not my wish to spoil the calm of this place with my complaints, so I will leave you here so that you can meditate in peace. I will obey your designs as I have always done, because they are the designs of Our Lord." The Commander hesitated a little, doubting whether to add anything more, but finally he did, with a look full of determination. "However, I must ask you to speak to Monsignora Meyer and make her see reason, today's situation in the street cannot be repeated. Having Guard soldiers be reprimanded in public in the way Meyer has done is terribly damaging to the morale of both the troops and the population. Especially in a critical circumstance like the one we're experiencing, when the unity and cohesion of all the settlers is essential to maintain order and security, Your Holiness." The Field Maestre shook his head stubbornly, indicating that this seemed to him an untransferable red line. "I can understand... although I certainly don't share... but I can understand that the Minister of Science doesn't agree with some of the actions that the Guard carries out under my command. However, what is unacceptable is that she takes the freedom to reprimand my men's behavior in public, and even threaten them, calling into question their authority." Martin de Alba pointed to himself lightly touching his chest. "The chain of command exists for a reason, if Monsignora Meyer has any complaints about my men she must refrain from intervening personally, and must address it with me and only me. I don't go to her scientists, or to her doctors, and I tell them how they have to do her job, bypassing her." The Minister of Defense made an involuntary gesture of exasperation, which he quickly repressed when he remembered who he was in front of. "I think what I am asking is sensible, Your Holiness, and if you truly say that I have not lost your trust, then trust me and my judgment to handle Faith Haven's internal security in this situation. I will order my men to act in a less direct and brutal manner, but I beg you to give directions to Meyer to stay away from my soldiers."
Gregorius looked at the Guard Commander and he responded with a serious voice. "I remind you that the Guard is due to the Government of this Holy Church, Field Maestre, and Monsignora Meyer is the Minister of Science, and therefore part of such Government. Although you're their commander-in-chief, your soldiers owe obedience to her, just as they owe it to the rest of the members of the ministerial rank. You must never forget that, Maestre, because holding ministerial rank means much more than a position of command. It means a tight connection with Our Lord and a direct responsibility for the fulfillment of His Sacred Mandate." The Pontiff looked up for a few moments, enjoying the starry sky through the glass of Biodome 1, and then continued. "However, as I've told you, I trust you and your judgment. If you consider that reprimanding soldiers in public is detrimental to the morale of the settlement, then I agree with you. Tomorrow I will talk to Meyer and ask her not to do something like that again." Gregorius smiled peacefully and raised his hands. "But then you will have to behave better with her the next time she comes to express her complaints to you. It isn't the first time that it has come to my ears that you practically ignore her when she comes to you, and today you've been directly dismissive of her. That can't keep happening."
The Minister of Defense looked down, uncomfortable. "It's... probably true, Your Holiness, but she drives me crazy. I can't stand her childish and... excessively pacifistic view of everything. If it were up to her, my soldiers would dress as clowns and carry colorful balloons and flowers instead of weapons."
"I understand, and that's why you're the Minister of Defense, and she's the Minister of Science, and not the other way around." Gregorius scolded the Commander with a serious look, but still smiling. "But that's no justification for being unpleasant to a fellow Minister, Martin. None of you got to where you got by chance, and you're all here to accomplish the same goal."
The Field Master nodded respectfully. "So it will be done according to your wish." Martin stood firm. "Your Holiness, I request your blessing, and the permission to withdraw from your presence."
"Permission granted, Maestre." The Pontiff extended his right hand, on whose ring finger he carried the Sacred Gear Ring. The Commander put one knee on the ground to respectfully kiss the jewel that represented the category of Deux's Chosen One of its wearer, and then Gregorius made the Sacred Gear sign above his head. "I bless you, Martin, my son, in the name of Deux. Go in peace." The Maestre stood up again, saluted militarily, clicked a martial heel strike on the ground, and walked away from Gregorius at a brisk pace.
The Pontiff watched him go. He really appreciated Martín de Alba, he was a good person and an excellent military commander, skilled, professional and loyal to the core, but he was sometimes difficult to deal with. Since childhood he had been educated very strictly according to military values, which had made him appreciate the importance of honor and obedience, but at the same time it made him see reality through a prism that was too closed, focused mainly on security and order. That's why he constantly clashed with people like Meyer, scientific and more in favor of prioritizing the quality of life and freedom of citizens over anything else. However, their Ministers were all very valid, and each one stood out in their functions and abilities. Yes, sometimes Meyer was excessively positive and didn't see the seriousness and danger of some situations, and yes, sometimes the Pontiff believed that Martin de Alba would be better off locked in a glass case with a sign that said 'break only in case of war', but the reality is that they were all necessary so that the settlement and the Church itself could continue to function correctly. And well, even if they clashed, his role as a leader was to ensure that despite this they could continue working together. Until now he had achieved it.
Gregorius massaged his temples to clear the brain of everyday problems, and set about trying to relax. He breathed in the floral aroma with satisfaction. The Pontiff loved that garden, it was his favorite place in the entire universe. It was just a small cluster of plants together, he knew, but there was no other place where he could feel so at peace with himself and with Deux. After all, this was a lush, green garden built on the surface of a planet where lichens and mosses could barely grow. What greater expression than that garden of a good use of the Sacred Gift of the Machine, and of the technology derived from the Gift?
Gregorius closed his eyes and listened to the silence of the night, punctuated by the sounds of the nocturnal insects and birds that lived among the trees. However, a strange noise disturbed him slightly, and he opened his eyes again, focusing his gaze towards the interior of the garden. There was someone else there with him. It didn't take him long to identify the figure sitting on one of the benches near the central fountain. He immediately remembered that Monsignora Meyer had told him that it was likely that the guest of the MFE who was in the settlement, Dr. Isabella Saito, would come down to the garden for a night walk. Gregorius smiled curiously, and was glad that Saito had dared to come down, but then he wondered how much she had heard of the conversation she had had with the Field Maestre.
The PSI reports that he had read about the MFE members classified them as neutral and deeply pacifist, rejecting all types of violence, and from what Meyer had told him, Dr. Saito had been present at the time when the Monsignora had had the confrontation with the Pontifical Guards in the underground colony, so she probably would have been horrified. Gregorius began to walk into the garden towards the Psycologist figure, saying a brief prayer to himself to Deux, that this unfortunate incident had not jeopardized diplomatic relations with the MFE. Now more than ever the Church needed allies.
Gregorius approached the woman sitting by the fountain, and soon discovered that a small cat was lying on her lap. The Doctor was petting the animal on its belly while she purred, and they both looked at it as he took the last steps before approaching. The Pontiff stopped a couple of meters from the bench and offered a warm smile at the woman, while giving a slight bow of his head. "Good evening, you must be Doctor Isabella Saito, if I haven't been incorrectly informed. It's a pleasure to have you here, and I'm glad that you finally decided to come down and share the garden with me tonight." Gregorius looked up at the starry sky through the gaps left in the treetops. "It has been many, many months since I've seen such a clear night here in Pygar. It's a very strange thing to witness, you know?" He pointed towards the dome. "There isn't a cloud, and there isn't a storm front in sight. Actually, right now, we could perfectly be on the surface of the planet enjoying the night without needing the biodome, and without even wearing an environmental suit." The Pontiff looked back at the Doctor. "And all this precisely the night you're here, and decide to go down to my beautiful garden. A Deux sign perhaps?" He laughed softly. "There are those who would say yes, but it may just be a simple coincidence. It's not like Deux spends His Eternal Existence giving us signs every 5 minutes, although from time to time... if you look closely, you can see the face of Our Lord in the most everyday things..."
Gregorius approached the fountain and placed his hand in the water, enjoying the touch of the cool current, and then turned back to Isabella, resting his back on the marble. He looked with curiosity at the Doctor and the cat for a few seconds, and then addressed Saito again. "I've already been informed that your visit today has been full of surprises, some less pleasant than others, and I hope that the unpleasant ones were not unbearable. Unfortunately, as you know, we're in a very tense situation right now, and nerves are on edge. We live on the brink of a war with the Corsair Empire, and honestly, we're quite worried about the consequences it may have for our settlement and our people. I'm very sorry that your visit had to happen precisely now, with all this trouble, but I hope that this will be just the first of many more visits to Faith Haven, and that you can get to know us better."
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