A Quiet Takeover

“Noah, the Inquisition is making suspicious moves. They may be targeting you. Be careful.”

Chris warned me in a tone more serious than usual.

“In that case, that’s perfect timing.”

“Perfect timing?”

“Cardinal Severino, the Grand Inquisitor, is one of Lorenzo’s clients, right?”

I put on a wicked smile.

“You don’t mean...”

“The Golden Balance deadline is coming up soon, and it would be disastrous if Mr. Lorenzo’s condition worsened and he couldn’t settle his accounts, wouldn’t it?”

—The Golden Balance deadline.

It was the date by which all cardinals were required to pay their assessed contributions to the Holy See...