The Great Hunt (Oslo, Norway)

[Patricus I]

The room was garishly decorated. That was saying something for the sovereign of Vatican City. Despite what the tourists viewed, the inside of the Papal Palace was quite sparse. The details were altered from Pope to Pope, but Patricus I was quite renown for his dedication to minimalism. He wasn’t so absurd as to threaten to replace centuries old curtains and incite an uproar among the historians, but he did remove the last ten Papal gifts from heads of state to sell for the poor.

He dropped the Saturno hat on a side table and untied the long cape from his shoulders. Together they created a shield that he draped around himself when moving in public. It dropped behind him as he walked to a window to draw the drapes. He wanted no accidental photographs taken of his dealings within his own private space. After he was satisfied with the security, he sank into a chair and rubbed his temple.

He hated these travels. The reason for the journey was only slightly more tolerated. Inevitably, his gaze fell to a box positioned nearby. He made no move toward it, but he had no need to open it to remember what waited within. Instead, he went to the other room to strip for a shower.