Pope Urban XVI sprinkles the emblems with holy water.

The Master of Ceremonies, Cardinal Lourdusamy, reads the decree of the newly appointed Knights and of those promoted in rank. Each member stands as his or her name is mentioned and remains standing. There are one thousand two hundred and eight Knights in the Basilica.

Cardinal Lourdusamy lists all honorees by rank, lowest to highest, Knights first, followed by Priest Knights.

At the conclusion of the reading, the Knights to be invested kneel. All others are seated.

Pope Urban XVI asks the Knights: What do you ask? What do you ask?

The Knights answer: I ask to be invested as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. I ask to be invested as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.

Pope Urban XVI: Today, being a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre means engaging in the battle for the Kingdom of Christ and for the extension of the Church; and undertaking works of charity with the same deep spirit of faith and love with which you may give your life in battle. Are you ready to follow this ideal throughout your life? Today, being a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre means engaging in the battle for the Kingdom of Christ and for the extension of the Church; and undertaking works of charity with the same deep spirit of faith and love with which you may give your life in battle. Are you ready to follow this ideal throughout your life? The Knights answer: The Knights answer: I am. I am.

Pope Urban XVI: I remind you that if all men and women should consider themselves honored to practice virtue, so much the more should a soldier of Christ glory in being a Knight of Jesus Christ and use every means to show by his actions and virtues that he is deserving of the honor which is being conferred upon him and of the dignity with which he is invested. Are you prepared to promise to observe the Const.i.tutions of this holy Order? I remind you that if all men and women should consider themselves honored to practice virtue, so much the more should a soldier of Christ glory in being a Knight of Jesus Christ and use every means to show by his actions and virtues that he is deserving of the honor which is being conferred upon him and of the dignity with which he is invested. Are you prepared to promise to observe the Const.i.tutions of this holy Order?

The Knights answer: With the grace of G.o.d I promise to observe, as a true soldier of Christ, the Commandments of G.o.d, the precepts of the Church, the orders of my commanders in the field, and the Const.i.tution of this holy Order. With the grace of G.o.d I promise to observe, as a true soldier of Christ, the Commandments of G.o.d, the precepts of the Church, the orders of my commanders in the field, and the Const.i.tution of this holy Order. Pope Urban XVI: Pope Urban XVI: In virtue of the decree received, I appoint and declare you Soldiers and Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. In virtue of the decree received, I appoint and declare you Soldiers and Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The Knights enter the Sanctuary and kneel while the Pope blesses the Jerusalem Cross, the emblem of the Order.

Pope Urban XVI: Receive the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ for your protection, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Receive the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ for your protection, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

After kneeling in front of the Jerusalem Cross, each Knight responds: Amen.

Pope Urban XVI returns to the chair placed on the altar platform. When His Holiness gives the signal, the Master of Ceremonies Cardinal Lourdusamy reads, the decree of each newly appointed Knight. As each Knight's name is called, the newly appointed Knight approaches the altar, genuflects, and kneels in the great s.p.a.ce before His Holiness. One Knight has been chosen to represent all of the Knights to be invested and now that Knight approaches the altar.

Pope Urban XVI: What do you request? What do you request?

Knight: I desire to be invested a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. I desire to be invested a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. Pope Urban XVI: Pope Urban XVI: I remind you again, that if all men should consider themselves honored to practice virtue, so much the more must a soldier of Christ, who should glory in being a Knight of Jesus Christ, use every means never to sully his good name. Finally, he ought to show by his actions and virtues that he is deserving of the honor which is being conferred upon him and of the dignity with which he is invested. Are you prepared to promise by word and in truth to observe the const.i.tutions of this holy military Order? I remind you again, that if all men should consider themselves honored to practice virtue, so much the more must a soldier of Christ, who should glory in being a Knight of Jesus Christ, use every means never to sully his good name. Finally, he ought to show by his actions and virtues that he is deserving of the honor which is being conferred upon him and of the dignity with which he is invested. Are you prepared to promise by word and in truth to observe the const.i.tutions of this holy military Order?

The Knight puts his folded hands into the hands of His Holiness.

Knight: I declare and promise by word and in truth to G.o.d Almighty, to Jesus Christ, His Son, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to observe, as a true soldier of Christ, all that I have been charged to do. I declare and promise by word and in truth to G.o.d Almighty, to Jesus Christ, His Son, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to observe, as a true soldier of Christ, all that I have been charged to do.

His Holiness, Pope Urban XVI, places his right hand on the head of the Knight.

Pope Urban XVI: Be a faithful and brave soldier of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a Knight of His Holy Sepulchre, strong and courageous, so that one day you may be admitted to His heavenly court. Be a faithful and brave soldier of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a Knight of His Holy Sepulchre, strong and courageous, so that one day you may be admitted to His heavenly court.

His Holiness hands the golden spurs to the Knight saying: Receive these spurs that are a symbol of your Order for the honor and defense of the Holy Sepulchre. Receive these spurs that are a symbol of your Order for the honor and defense of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Knight Master of Ceremonies Cardinal Lourdusamy hands the unsheathed sword to His Holiness who, in turn, holds it before the newly appointed Knight and returns it to the Knight Master before the newly appointed Knight and returns it to the Knight Master.

Master of Ceremonies; Receive this sword that symbolizes the defense of the Holy Church of G.o.d and the overthrow of the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Be on guard never to use it to strike anyone unjustly. Receive this sword that symbolizes the defense of the Holy Church of G.o.d and the overthrow of the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Be on guard never to use it to strike anyone unjustly.

After the Knight Master of Ceremonies has returned it into the scabbard, His Holiness hands the sword to the newly appointed Knight.

Pope Urban XVI: Bear well in mind that the Saints have conquered kingdoms not by the sword, but by faith. Bear well in mind that the Saints have conquered kingdoms not by the sword, but by faith. This part of the ceremony is repeated for each candidate. His Holiness the Pope is given the unsheathed sword and touches each Knight's right shoulder three times with the sword, saying: This part of the ceremony is repeated for each candidate. His Holiness the Pope is given the unsheathed sword and touches each Knight's right shoulder three times with the sword, saying: I appoint and declare you a Soldier and Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. I appoint and declare you a Soldier and Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

After returning the sword to the Knight Master of Ceremonies, His Holiness places around the neck of each the Cross, the emblem of the Order, saying: Receive the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ for your protection, and for that purpose repeat unceasingly: "By the sign of the Cross, deliver us, O Lord, from our enemies." Receive the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ for your protection, and for that purpose repeat unceasingly: "By the sign of the Cross, deliver us, O Lord, from our enemies."

Each newly invested Knight arises, bows to His Holiness, and goes to the dignitary highest in rank to receive the cape from him. He then receives from the Knight a.s.sistant, the beret, which he puts on immediately. He then goes to his place in the pews.

All stand as His Holiness begins the following hymn, which is continued by all present.

VENI CREATOR.

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, And in our souls take up Your rest; Come with Your grace and heavenly aid, To fill the hearts which You have made.O Comforter, to You we cry, You, heavenly gift of G.o.d Most High, You, fount of life and fire of love, And sweet anointing from above.You, in your sevenfold gifts are unknown; You, finger of G.o.d's hand we own; You, promise of the Father, You You Who do the sword with flame imbue.Kindle our senses from on high, And calm the hearts of those to die; With patience firm and virtue high The weakness of our flesh supply.Far from us drive the foe we dread, And grant to us Your wrath instead; So shall we not, with You for guide, Allow the victory be denied.Oh, may your grace on us bestow The Father and the Son to know; And you, through endless times confessed, Of both the eternal Spirit blest.Now to the Father and the Son, Who rose from death, be glory given, Before You, O Holy Sword and Shield, Be all in Pax and Heaven driven, His Holiness Pope Urban XVI: And all the foes of Christ must yield. And all the foes of Christ must yield.

All: Amen. Amen.

Exit His Holiness and the Master of Ceremonies.

INSTEAD OF RETURNING TO HIS APOSTOLIC APARTMENTS, the Pope led his cardinal to a small room off the Sistine Chapel.

"The Room of Tears," said Cardinal Lourdusamy. "I've not been in here for years." It was a small room with brown floor tiles aged to a black hue, red flock wallpaper, low, medieval-vaulted ceilings, harsh lighting from a few gold wall sconces, no windows but heavy and incongruous white drapes along one scarlet wall. The room was barely furnished-an odd red settee in one corner, a small, black table-c.u.m-altar with a white linen cloth, and a skeletal framework in the center upon which hung an ancient, yellowed, and somewhat unsettling alb and chasuble, with two white and absurdly decorated shoes nearby, the toes curling with age.

"The vestment belonged to Pope Pius XII," said the Pontiff. "He donned it here in 1939 after his election. We had it taken from the Vatican Museum and set out here. We visit it upon occasion."

"Pope Pius XII," mused Cardinal Lourdusamy. The Secretary of State tried to recall any special significance of that long-dead Pope. All he could think of was the disturbing statue of Pius XII done almost two millennia ago-in 1964-by Francesco Messina, now relegated to a subterranean corridor beneath the Vatican. Messina's Pius XII is shown in rough strokes, his round gla.s.ses as empty as the eye sockets in a skull, his right arm raised defensively-bony fingers splayed-as if trying to ward off the evil of his time.

"A war pope?" guessed Lourdusamy.

Pope Urban XVI wearily shook his head. There was a welt on his forehead where the heavy orphreyed mitre had rested during the long invest.i.ture ceremony. "It is not his reign during the Old Earth world war which interests us," said the Holy Father, "but the complex dealings he was compelled to carry out with the very heart of darkness in order to preserve the Church and the Vatican."

Lourdusamy nodded slowly. "The n.a.z.is and the Fascists," he murmured. "Of course." The parallel with the Core was not without merit.

The Pope's servants had set out tea on the single table and the Secretary of State now acted as personal servant to His Holiness, pouring the tea into a fragile china cup and carrying it to the other man. Pope Urban XVI nodded wearily in grat.i.tude and sipped the steaming liquid. Lourdusamy returned to his place in the middle of the room near the ancient hanging garments and looked critically at his pontiff. His heart has been bothering him again. Will we have to go through another resurrection and election conclave soon? His heart has been bothering him again. Will we have to go through another resurrection and election conclave soon?

"Did you notice who was chosen as the representative Knight?" asked the Pope, his voice stronger now. He looked up with intense, sad eyes.

Caught off balance, Lourdusamy had to think for a second. "Oh, yes...the former Mercantilus CEO. Isozaki. He will be the Knight in t.i.tular leadership of the Ca.s.siopeia 4614 Crusade."

"Making amends." His Holiness smiled.

Lourdusamy rubbed his jowls. "It may be more serious penance than M. Isozaki had counted on, Your Holiness."

The Pope looked up. "Serious losses forcast?"

"About forty percent casualties," rumbled Lourdusamy. "Half of those irretrievable for resurrection. The fighting in that sector has been very, very heavy."

"And elsewhere?" said the Pontiff.

Lourdusamy sighed. "The unrest has spread to about sixty Pax worlds, Your Holiness. About three million suffer the Contagion and have rejected the cruciform. There is fighting, but nothing the Pax authorities cannot handle. Renaissance Vector is the worst...about three quarters of a million infected, and it is spreading very quickly."

The Pope nodded wearily and sipped his tea. "Tell us something positive, Simon Augustino."

"The messenger drone translated from T'ien Shan System just before the ceremony," said the Cardinal. "We decrypted the holo message from Cardinal Mustafa immediately."

The Pope held his cup and saucer and waited.

"They have encountered the Devil's Child," said Lourdusamy. "They met her at the Dalai Lama's palace."

"And..." prompted His Holiness.

"No action was taken because of the presence of the Shrike demon," said Lourdusamy, glancing at notes oh his wrist comlog diskey. "But identification is certain. The child named Aenea...she is in her twenties, standard, now of course...her bodyguard, Raul Endymion, whom we had arrested and lost on Mare Infinitus more than nine years ago...and the others."

The Pope touched his thin lips with his thin fingers. "And the Shrike?"

"It appeared only when the girl was threatened by Albedo's n.o.ble Guard...officers," said Cardinal Lourdusamy. "And then disappeared. There was no fighting."

"But Cardinal Mustafa failed to consummate the moment?" said the Pope.

Lourdusamy nodded.

"And you still think that Mustafa is the right person for the job?" murmured Pope Urban XVI.

"Yes, Holy Father. Everything is going according to plan. We had hoped to make contact prior to the actual arrest."

"And the Raphael!" Raphael!" said the Pope. said the Pope.

"No sign of it yet," said the Secretary of State, "but Mustafa and Admiral Wu feel certain that de Soya will appear in T'ien Shan System before the allotted time to collect the girl."

"We certainly pray that this will be the case," said the Pontiff. "Do you know, Simon Augustino, how much damage that renegade ship has done to our Crusade?"

Lourdusamy knew that the question was rhetorical. He and the Holy Father and the squirming Pax Fleet admirals had pored over combat action reports, casualty lists, and tonnage losses for five years. The Raphael Raphael and its turncoat Captain de Soya had almost been captured or destroyed a score of times, but always had managed to escape to Ouster s.p.a.ce, leaving behind scattered convoys, tumbling hulks, and shattered Pax warships. Pax Fleet's failure to catch a single renegade archangel had become the shame of the Fleet and the best-kept secret in the Pax. and its turncoat Captain de Soya had almost been captured or destroyed a score of times, but always had managed to escape to Ouster s.p.a.ce, leaving behind scattered convoys, tumbling hulks, and shattered Pax warships. Pax Fleet's failure to catch a single renegade archangel had become the shame of the Fleet and the best-kept secret in the Pax.

And now it was going to end.

"Albedo's Elements calculate a ninety-four percent probability that de Soya will rise to our bait," said the Cardinal.

"It's been how long since Pax Fleet and the Holy Office planted the information?" said the Pope, finishing his tea and carefully setting the cup and saucer on the edge of the settee.

"Five weeks standard," said Lourdusamy. "Wu arranged for it to be encrypted in the AI aboard one of the escort torchships that the Raphael Raphael jumped at the edge of Ophiuchi System. But not so heavily encrypted that the Ouster-enhanced systems aboard the jumped at the edge of Ophiuchi System. But not so heavily encrypted that the Ouster-enhanced systems aboard the Raphael Raphael could not decipher it." could not decipher it."

"Won't de Soya and his people scent a trap?" mused the man who had once been Father Lenar Hoyt.

"Unlikely, Your Holiness," said the Cardinal. "We've used that encryption pattern before to feed reliable information to de Soya and..."

The Pope's head snapped up. "Cardinal Lourdusamy," he said sharply, "do you mean to tell us that you sacrificed innocent Pax ships and lives...lives beyond resurrection...merely to insure that the renegades will consider this information reliable?"

"Yes, Holy Father," said Lourdusamy.

The Pope let out a breath and nodded. "Regrettable, but understandable...given the stakes involved."

"In addition," continued the Cardinal, "certain officers aboard the crew of the ship positioned to be captured by the Raphael Raphael had been...ah...conditioned...by the Holy Office so that they also had the information on when we plan to move on the girl Aenea and the world of T'ien Shan." had been...ah...conditioned...by the Holy Office so that they also had the information on when we plan to move on the girl Aenea and the world of T'ien Shan."

"All this prepared months in advance?" said the Pope.

"Yes, Your Holiness. It was an advantage given us by Councillor Albedo and the Core when they registered the activation of the T'ien Shan farcaster some months ago."

The Pontiff laid his hands flat on his robed thighs. His fingers were bluish. "And that escape has been denied the Devil's Child?"

"Absolutely," said the Cardinal. "The Jibril Jibril slagged the entire mountain around the farcaster portal. The farcaster itself is all but impervious, Your Holiness, but at the moment it is buried under twenty meters of rock." slagged the entire mountain around the farcaster portal. The farcaster itself is all but impervious, Your Holiness, but at the moment it is buried under twenty meters of rock."

"And the Core is certain that this is the only farcaster on T'ien Shan?"

"Absolutely certain, Holy Father."

"And the preparations for the confrontation with de Soya and his renegade archangel?"

"Well, Admiral Wu should be here to discuss the tactical details, Your Holiness..."

"We trust you to convey the general outline, Simon Augustino."

"Thank you, Holy Father. Pax Fleet has stationed fifty-eight planet-cla.s.s archangel cruisers within the T'ien Shan System. These have been hidden for the past six standard weeks..."

"Excuse us, Simon Augustino," murmured the Pope. "But how does one hide fifty-eight archangel-cla.s.s battlecruisers?"

The Cardinal smiled thinly. "They have been powered down, floating in strategic positions within the inner-system asteroid belt and the system's outer Kuiper Belt, Your Holiness. Completely undetectable. Ready to jump at a second's notice."

"The Raphael Raphael will not escape this time?" will not escape this time?"

"No, Your Holiness," said Cardinal Lourdusamy. "The heads of eleven Pax Fleet commanders depend upon the success of this ambush."

"Leaving a fifth of our archangel fleet to float for weeks in this Outback system has seriously compromised the effectiveness of our Crusade against the Ousters, Cardinal Lourdusamy."

"Yes, Your Holiness." The Cardinal set his own palms against his robe and was surprised to realize that his palms were damp. Besides the eleven Pax Fleet heads riding on the success of this mission, Lourdusamy knew that his own future hung in the balance.

"It will be worth it when we destroy this rebel," murmured the Pope.

Lourdusamy took a breath.

"We presume that the ship and Captain de Soya will will be destroyed, not taken captive," said His Holiness. be destroyed, not taken captive," said His Holiness.

"Yes, Holy Father. Standing orders are to slag the ship to atoms."

"But we will not not harm the child?" harm the child?"

"No, Holy Father. All precautions have been taken to a.s.sure that the contagion vector named Aenea will be taken alive."

"That is very important, Simon Augustino," muttered the Pope. He seemed to be whispering to himself. They had gone over these details a hundred times. "We must have the girl alive. The others with her...they are expendable...but the girl must be captured. Tell us again the procedure."

Cardinal Lourdusamy closed his eyes. "As soon as the Raphael Raphael is interdicted and destroyed, the Core ships will move into orbit around T'ien Shan and incapacitate the planet's population." is interdicted and destroyed, the Core ships will move into orbit around T'ien Shan and incapacitate the planet's population."

"Deathbeam them," murmured His Holiness.

"Not...technically," said the Cardinal "As you know, the Core a.s.sures us that the results of this technique are reversible. It is more the induction of a permanent coma."

"Will the millions of bodies be transported this time, Simon Augustino?"