A. I. Evolution: The Coming of Christopher

Chapter 48

The kitchens are below the main floor of the building. Small windows at the top of the walls let in the late afternoon sun, giving the room a warm, inviting feel. The smell of freshly baked bread, and savory scents being given off by the large steaming pots of food cooking on the stoves, as the meals are being prepared for the supper rush, makes Jane hungry all the sudden.

Henri leads Jane to the opening in the wall to the right, where they can see into the kitchen area. He waits a moment before ringing the small bell on the serving counter, giving Jane enough time to hear the workers talking in the back. She can hear them discussing an artistic man who is building a large art piece in the center of one of the side courtyards, a couple of buildings over from St. Peters Square. "It is the strangest looking thing," says one of the cooks. "It starts with rough logs laid out in a circle, then the next layer has the logs trimmed on one side, after that, the wood becomes even more finished till planks, planed and smoothed, are covering the upper levels. It is almost like a pyramid of wood, going from rough to finished."

An older voice adds to the description. "I saw that too, and just a moment ago as I was coming in, I saw the same man carrying a wooden armchair out of the alleyway towards the sculpture."

Henri rings the bell again to get their attention, and the older woman comes around the side of the metal shelf where the trays of food are slid through so the server at the window can hand them out to the staff. She smiles sweetly at Henri. "What can I get you, and who is your friend?"

"Harriet, may I introduce you to Jane Dolts, a visitor here at the Vatican. We decided to get a bite to eat and we couldn't help being drawn to your sweet-smelling coconut cream pie. Is it possible to get a couple of good sized pieces?"

Harriet tilts her head slightly. "Jane, you say. Would you be Saint Christopher's Companion?"

Henri is shocked by her knowledge of what had only happened mere hours before. "How do you know about that? It is supposed to be kept quiet till tomorrow, so Pius can announce it himself."

Harriet waves his remark aside. "Oh, I heard about it even before I got to the kitchens an hour ago. Something like this gets around very fast. So, tell me dear, what is it like being the partner of a Saint, does it make things better, if you know what I mean?"

Henri is clearly upset by the news already having been spread throughout the state. "This is not good; the entire world will know about Christopher by supper time. I imagine it will be on the evening news, and then we will be bombarded by reporters trying to get the latest scoop on what this could mean for the world."

He takes Jane's hand and heads for the door leading back the way they had come, as he calls out over his shoulder, "I think it would be prudent to have you bring our pie up to the Royal suite, Harriet."

"Right away," smiles Harriet, as she turns back to the kitchen to get a couple of plates ready.

Jane hurries along beside him to the elevator. A small group of people has already gathered at the elevator doors when they get there, and the two Swiss Guards are making room for them to enter the lift back to the top floor. "This isn't going to get any better, is it?" asks Jane.

"No. Now that the word is out, we will probably have to close the Vatican down, removing all visitors from the Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. It will be a long night, as St. Peter's Square is isolated from the rest of the state," adds Henri.

They get back to the rooms, and Henri moves to the window that looks out over St. Peter's Square. "Have a look for yourself, Jane."

Jane moves up to the other side of the window and peers through one of the small panes that make up the two lead and glass window sections. "Oh my," she turns to see Henri staring out at the huge crowd that has already formed below. "We aren't going anywhere, are we?"

Henri shakes his head. "No, we would be swamped as soon as we stepped from the doorway downstairs. Look, the TV trucks with the swivel cameras on top are already moving into place. That's it then. We are trapped in here whether we like it or not."

The guard that was stationed in the room while they were down stairs reaches for the door knob after hearing a sequence of knocks that Jane figures must be a code from the guard outside. Henri spins around, already reaching to a pocket in his inner jacket, just in case. "OK, open it up, so we can see who it is."

The guard opens the door, and Harriet steps in, all smiles till she sees Henri standing dead still with his hand in his jacket. She swallows and stops dead in her tracks for a moment, before struggling to get out. "Here is the pie you ordered, Sir."

Henri motions to the table by the window they are standing at. "Please place it on the table. I also think that it would be prudent for us to eat in these quarters tonight. Please have two meals prepared for us for seven o'clock. I will have one of the guards bring it up to us."

"As you wish," says Harriet, before rushing over to put the two plates on the table. She moves back to the guard at the door, so he can let her out.

"Oh, and you may want to check with the Commander, but I would assume that all non-essential personnel will be requested to remain at home or stay in their assigned area for the next few days," calls out Henri.

Harriet turns back towards him. "We have already heard from Commander Smit, and he has conveyed those exact conditions. We have also been getting lots of requests for food to be sent to various areas along with Pope Pius and the Cardinals in the great hall. I suspect that we will be led by guards when it is ready to be delivered."

"I think that is a fair assumption," smiles Henri, to set her at ease again.

Harriet leaves and Jane turns back to the window, to see that the crowd has increased in size over just the last few minutes, as everybody wants to get a good spot for the speech that Pope Pius is due to deliver on Easter Sunday from his private study window. "Will they spend all night out in the Square?" asks Jane.

Henri turns back to the window. "Yes, I think you can appreciate that this is a pivotal point in the history of the Church, and everybody will want to be here as it unfolds. I hope Saint Christopher knows what he is doing."

Jane shakes her head and says half under her breath, "You and me both."

They sit down at the table and eat their pie in silence as each of them contemplate the events that are unfolding around them at an alarming rate.