Vatican Ambassador by Mike Luoma Page B

shrugs.
    Folsom nods, "I see. As always, Richard's methods are nefarious, I'm sure. But he has gotten you here, and you seem none the worse for wear. Let me thank you, then, for being here, perhaps in spite of him," Folsom says, looking at Wentworth, then back at BC.
    "At any rate, we have business to attend to. We, the UTZ Council, are turning to you, as an acting Vatican Ambassador, to help us restore relations with the Holy See. Our usually stalwart and reliable ally, the New catholic Church, has become… ‘incommunicado’ of late," Folsom says, laying it all out in the open.
    "As I told Wentworth, I'm not sure there's much I can do," BC tells Folsom, across the gap. "I don't know if I can help you. They're not talking to me much, either."
    "Yes, he told us that's what you'd said," Folsom says, insinuating BC has not told all. BC shakes his head.
    "Look, I'm not lying to you, I have no reason to. I've pretty much been on my own since Pope Peter was killed. I've kept the Vatican Mission on the Moon operating. I've rebuilt the place from the ground up, after the UIN beat the living shit out of it last Christmas. But for all intents and purposes, it's an independent operation. After the attacks, the Vatican put me in charge as Acting Ambassador and told me to rebuild. And then they went quiet."
    BC pauses.
    The silence echoes with the word "quiet" as the sound of BC's voice is relayed around the table and echoes back off the chamber's distant walls.
    BC continues. "My communications have not been answered. I make reports, I send them in, but I hear nothing back. I don't know what else to tell you."
    "Did you know," De Mag begins, and then clears his throat. He sits just to BC's right, on the other side of Fujima. BC turns to see him speak.
    "Did you know you're the only OPO operative that we know to still be alive, Father Campion?" What?! Really? Well, they can't know about M'Bekke, then, can they?
    "There are a few others we suspect of being OPO, but their membership has never been confirmed. Probably why they're still alive. But of the agents we know, and we in this room, Campion," DeMag looks around at his fellow CEOs. “We know many. You are the only one still breathing. You're high profile... but lucky? What is your secret?"
    What did he just say? That headache is starting to come back on strong... shit! Got to keep it at bay. Not now!
    "Are you all right, Campion?" Wentworth asks. "Headache? We all know about your headaches. What a terrible affliction for an assassin."
    Shit!
    "You didn't..." BC starts to ask.
    "Nothing's been done to you, Campion," Wentworth assures him.
    "Nothing but club me over the head," BC says as he tries to will the headache away. Folsom speaks up.
    "Gentlemen?"
    Ahhh... it's going away! Good!
    "It's nothing. I'm fine," BC says, trying to regain his composure.
    "What happened to the OPO, Father Campion?" Fujima asks from just beside him. BC looks at him directly as he answers. "I don't know, sir. Maybe it died when Pope Peter died. I've heard nothing. As I told you, I've been running pretty much an independent operation the last three months."
    "Keeping up appearances?" Folsom asks, drawing BC's attention.
    "I suppose so," BC nods, "Finding something to do, finding a way to move on, to honor the dead by rebuilding, not giving up, that sort of thing."
    Folsom nods. "So you're independent, now. Why not join us, come work for us? Give up the charade," he says, gesturing at BC's collar and clothes.
    `"You could do well in the UTZ Security Force."
    "Really," BC replies.
    Don't want to sound too eager. Don't really want to do it, either. Wonder how serious they are? See if I can get away with playing dumb...
    "What, would I get my own ship? Make me a Captain or something?" BC plays the chucklehead. Folsom chuckles, "Not exactly."
    "What then?"
    "We want you to stay where you are. Keep doing what you're doing, for now. See what the Vatican does, watch the Vatican through your special channels, and