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.“Keep in mind, just for a sec, the one woman who spends considerable time with the Pope who isn’t a nun.”Willie paled.He stared at the rain-streaked window in order to mask his distress.“Leonie.”“Precisely.And if you say anything to rouse public attention any more than that shit does, you can bet who the next target’ll be.You’re a journalist; you know how the game is played.You ridicule this—you have to.It’s the only defense we have.” He had the last of his tea and poured more.“Let them say whatever they want.Who’s going to believe them, if we keep our heads and laugh a lot?”“How can you laugh?” demanded Willie with sudden heat.Mendosa regarded him levelly.“I didn’t say it was easy, I said it was necessary.Two different things, Mister Foot.”Willie spread butter on his croissant but did not eat it.“I have to call Leonie,” he said abruptly.“I don’t think that’s real sensible,” Mendosa countered, his drawl stronger than ever.“It might be just what they’re watching for, someone making the association with Dame Leonie.So I think maybe you want to make sure she gets a note this afternoon, something in that crazy code of yours.” He looked down at the page.“I got a feel about this.It’s a British paper, and that bothers me.”“Yellow journalism isn’t limited to the colonies, my dear Cardinal,” said Willie with exaggerated hauteur.“We take great pride in our rags.”“And bully for you, as T.R.would say,” countered Mendosa, adding, when he noticed the blank look in Willie’s eyes.“Theodore Roosevelt.The one who also said ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick.’”“Relative of Franklin’s, was he?” said Willie, grateful for the distraction.“We know about him in England.Lend/lease and World War II and all that.”He shook his head.“This one was a naturalist and big game hunter.He established the National Parks.He and Franklin were related—cousins of some degree or other,” said Mendosa, bringing the conversation back to Leonie.“What about this husband of hers? He isn’t still in Rome, is he?”Willie gave Mendosa a long, thoughtful stare.“Sir Arthur left last week.And well you know it.”“Ah, yes; I recall you mentioned it,” said Mendosa, his urbanity almost as practiced as Willie’s.“Odd timing, I thought.”“How do you mean?” Willie asked, sincerely curious.Mendosa hitched his shoulders.“It’s the smell of the thing.Probably it’s because I’m Texan, where we’ve got a fine tradition of political scoundrels and con-men; we know the breed—admire it, sometimes.I can’t get it out of my head that Sir Arthur’s about to try to hornswoggle Dame Leonie.”“Hornswoggle? Do people really say that?” Willie asked, though he expected no answer.Mendosa continued without comment.“This article here, it looks like a setup to me, a way to short circuit anything you might want to say about him, now that it’s okay for Catholics to get a divorce.That’s what I mean about his leaving town; that was just a day after the latest…reform Pope An introduced.” He rubbed his hands together.“I predict that for all the howling and wailing we’re hearing now, we’re going to hear church bells for weddings this time next year, when the divorces are final.” He filled Willie’s mug.“It’s truly quite good,” he said in an apologetic tone.“You’re not opposed to the change?” asked Willie.“Hell, no,” said Mendosa.“In fact, I’m grateful, and I think most of the priests will be, too, in time.Asking a couple to go through that travesty of annulment—to say that the marriage never existed after two or five or fifteen years, that’s absurd.And think what it does to the people.It’s not reasonable to ask people already in pain to go through that humiliation.There’s no excuse for it, not in this day and age.Most of the opposition is medieval, supposing that wives and children are more property than people.Divorce does not undo the work of God, not to my way of thinking.It gives people a chance to fix things.I go along with Pope An.She’s right that to force people to remain in a bad match isn’t in the spirit of the teachings of Christ.And the others can’t find a real argument against that.You can tell because of their retreat into obfuscation.To say that the intentions of God were not clearly understood—as if any of us can truly understand the intentions of God—makes about as much sense as debating how many angels dance on the head of a pin, or whether the violin is a celestial or diabolical instrument.” He tapped the paper.“By saying that it is unnecessary and unwise and un-Catholic to remain in a marriage that is no longer viable, that could hit Sir Arthur where he lives.” He added, “Or one that never could be viable, no matter what the Church said.”Willie thought his breakfast tasted like old paper.“But they’ve been living apart for years and years.It would only make fact something everyone already knows—they don’t live as husband and wife.”“That’s one way of putting it,” Mendosa said.“But he might not want the reason spread all over the headlines.”“But how does this—”“His…choice of company is all the more reason for him to implicate Leonie before she says something about him.If he accuses her, then anything she might use in response will just sound like childish one-upsmanship.” Mendosa stirred his tea as he went on.“If she asks for a divorce now, with all the publicity about the Pope, well, the newsmedia will feast on her innards and you’ll wear yourself to tatters trying to defend her.That is what you had in mind, isn’t it? coming to her rescue, making it real clear that you know she’s straight, and by damn! you’ll make horse-puckey flapjacks out of anyone who claims different.”Willie was at once on guard.“I didn’t say that—”Mendosa’s voice was very gentle, very Texas-southern.“Willie, chil’, you do a real good stiff upper lip; but you do a real good stiff something else, too, and it shows.” He waited while Willie recovered his composure a little.“This ain’t the time for heroics, old bean.Leave that to Worthy Magistrate Zhuang: she’s hero enough for a regiment.”“But I have access to the press, and I’ve got a very good reputation,” protested Willie, his appetite gone.“Then don’t wreck it by playing in the muck,” Mendosa advised him in a very even voice.“I’m counting on you, Willie.So’s the Pope.And so is Leonie.”* * *The four Eurocops faced the Interpol investigators across the conference room table
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