"Dan Simmons - The rise of Endymion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Simmons Dan)

the choice for all. Through scrutiny, the cardinal electors vote secretly until a candidate
receives two-thirds majority plus one. Then the new pope is elected and the waiting billions see
the fumata -- the puffs of white smoke -- which means that the family of the Church once again has
a Holy Father."
The four representatives of the Pax Mercantilus sat in silence. Each of them was intimately
aware of the procedure for electing a pope -- not only of the antiquated mechanisms, of course,
but of the politicking, pressuring, deal-making, bluffing, and outright blackmail that had often
accompanied the process over the centuries. And they began to understand why Cardinal Lourdusamy
was emphasizing the obvious now.
"For the last nine elections," continued the huge Cardinal, his voice a heavy rumble, "the Pope
has been elected by acclamation ... by the direct intercession of the Holy Spirit." Lourdusamy
paused for a long, thick moment. Behind him, Monsignor Oddi stood watching, as motionless as the
painted Christ behind him, as unblinking as Kenzo Isozaki.
"I have no reason to believe," continued Lourdusamy at last, "that this election will be any
different."
The Pax Mercantilus executives did not move. Finally M. Isozaki bowed his head ever so
slightly. The message had been heard and understood. There would be no insurrection within the
Vatican walls. Or if there were, Lourdusamy had it well in hand and did not need the support of
the Pax Mercantilus. If the former were the case and Cardinal Lourdusamy's time had not yet come,
Pope Julius would once again oversee the Church and Pax. Isozaki's group had taken a terrible risk
because of the incalculable rewards and power that would be theirs if they had succeeded in
allying themselves with the future Pontiff. Now they faced only the consequences of the terrible
risk. A century earlier, Pope Julius had excommunicated Kenzo Isozaki's predecessor for a lesser
miscalculation, revoking the sacrament of the cruciform and condemning the Mercantilus leader to a
life of separation from the Catholic community -- which, of course, was every man, woman, and
child on Pacem and on a majority of the Pax worlds -- followed by the true death.
"Now, I regret that pressing duties must take me from your kind company," rumbled the Cardinal.
Before he could rise and contrary to standard protocol for leaving the presence of a prince of
the Church, M. Isozaki came forward quickly, genuflected, and kissed the Cardinal's ring.


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"Eminence," murmured the old Pax Mercantilus billionaire.
This time, Lourdusamy did not rise or leave until each of the powerful CEO'S had come forward
to show his or her respect.

An archangel-class starship translated into God's Grove space the day after Pope Julius's
death. This was the only archangel not assigned to courier duty; it was smaller than the new ships
and it was called the Raphael.
Minutes after the archangel established orbit around the ash-colored world, a dropship
separated and streamed into atmosphere. Two men and a woman were aboard. The three looked like
siblings, united by their lean forms, pale complexions, dark, limp, short-cropped hair, hooded
gazes, and thin lips. They wore unadorned shipsuits of red and black with elaborate wristband
comlogs.
Their presence in the dropship was a curiosity -- the archangel-class starships invariably
killed human beings during their violent translation through Planck space and the onboard
resurrection cr├йches usually took three days to revive the human crew.
These three were not human.