The Adventurers

Chapter 30

When the Cardinal returned an hour later, Sam gave him the chopper keys then he and Sax found a cabin and stowed their gear. The bag of gems was jammed under the bunk that they would share for sleeping. Fifteen minutes later the boat eased away from the bank and the engines began a steady humming thump. The Cardinal had the young woman pour some wine into three glasses on the table in front of the men.

"How come these two women are on board?" Sax asked. "They are from the mission."

"They are coming to Rome with me to take orders and study the Christian religion."

"Voluntarily?"

"Mr. Saxon, just what do you know of our religion?"

"I know that a bunch of priests like Montcleefe have come to this country and taken over the natural lives of the people, pushing them into a way of life that, in many ways, contradicts their own beliefs. Forcing them to acknowledge the church's authority"

"I can see why Father Montcleefe is not your biggest fan, Mr. Saxon." The Cardinal raised his glass and the others did likewise. "May I ask why you came to this country? Is your motive any more sincere or beneficial to the people?"

"I certainly didn't come to loot their country or enslave them. I don't glorify what I do but there is a personal moral code that I follow, despite your pessimism."

"So the treasure you sought wouldn't be considered looting then." The Cardinal smiled nastily.

Sam drank some of his wine and smiled at the two men. "I guess I'm the easiest to read here. I like money, women and this." He drank again. "And, when you need luck, just make sure it's good." He laughed and slouched back in his seat. The remarks took the edge off and diverted the conversation.

"You know, gentlemen, becoming a missionary isn't just a matter of saying you are one. Any serious candidate begins a long and arduous journey First, as a novice with two years of prayer and seclusion. After that he takes simple vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. That entitles him to become a scholastic. His journey continues with another two years reviewing classical subjects and another three years studying philosophy, mathematics and the physical sciences."

"Hell, you'd have to start as a kid!" Sam said. "Not my glass of wine I'll tell you."

"Our novices are young, Mr. Parkhurst, it is the unadulterated mind necessary to join the Lord's followers. But let me continue. What follows are several years of teaching and yet another three years study of theology, after which ordination to the priesthood takes place. After another year of theology, retirement and prayer they receive their final grade and they become either a coadjutor or a professed. Father Montcleefe is a professed."

"What is that, what's the difference between the two?" Sam asked. Sax just drank slowly and listened without speaking.

"Coadjutors take just the simple vows I mentioned earlier." The professed take these vows as solemn with an additional solemn vow to go wherever the Holy Church may send them. There are five more simple vows that they take, which I won't reveal, but among them is the renunciation of ecclesiastical office beyond their order... unless their order gives a directive to that effect."

"No job outside job hunting, eh?"

The Cardinal smiled blandly. "We have been on this continent for almost two hundred years, gentlemen, giving spiritual and temporal direction to the natives."

"You've also been kicked out of nearly every country in Europe too." Sax said.

"That was in the past, my son." A benign smile.

"There had to be reasons."

"Let's get off this topic and discuss something more important." Sam said. "How long to this Sorocaba place?"

"About two days. May I ask again, why there?"

Sax shrugged. "It gives us options that going straight into São Paulo doesn't."

They all sat in silence, each contemplating the other's thoughts.

* * *

With a blessing from Montcleefe, Le Clerque and half a dozen of the mission's natives, vetted by Le Clerque, left on foot through the jungle to cut the Cardinal's boat off at the large bend in the river. They would follow the trails laid down by the natives and the animals and be in plenty of time for an ambush.

Because of the dangerous navigation at that point, the boat would need to come close to the shore to avoid sunken trees and other debris that had gathered over the years. That would be when Le Clerque would make his move. He would learn the exact location of the treasure and he would introduce the sinners to a lesson in devout Christianity.

* * *

"That old bastard's got those two girls in there with him." Sam said disgustedly when their conversation ended and the Cardinal retired to his cabin.

"It's been going on for decades, pal. All that crap about spiritual and temporal direction is just that, crap. If we didn't need this boat and his crew, I'd chuck the bugger overboard."

"Why is the crew so loyal? Why don't they stop him from doing what he does?"

"Brainwashed for the most part and coddled, in keeping with their own vices." Sax shook his head and stared off across the river. "They're all just surviving in what's becoming 'civilization'."

"What about Tapuk and the other guy, they seemed pretty level headed."

Sax laughed. "That's from hanging around us for so long." Sam blinked and then joined in.

* * *

The sun dappled the dirty coloured water, warming the mud on the banks where he saw the occasional predator basking. A few daring birds waded close by; ducking their beaks into the water for food and the usual screeches and howls broke an otherwise serene setting.

"What do think your friends will do?"

"Not much they can do without their helicopter. They'd never catch us on this by paddling a bunch of dugouts up river." Sax rubbed his jaw. "I'm sorry it ended the way it did. Jed was a good friend. I don't think he's going to find Forrester letting him go native while they have a contract with Trask "

"You did."

"Yeah, but I also left; Jed's still there with Krena and her daughter."

"That was his choice."

"I know." Sam yawned and stretched and said he was going to crash for a while. Sax didn't object and instead took himself up on the deck behind the bridge and got comfortable on some old tarps.