CS 01 The Grail Conspiracy (13 page)

"Debatable," John answered.

She moved close to him. "Tell me everything. I want to hear all the
details."

"At one time it was the most beautiful amphitheater in the world.
An ecclesiastical writer-Bede-once wrote that `while the Coliseum
stands, Rome shall stand, but when the Coliseum falls, Rome shall fall
and when Rome falls, the world will end."'

She sensed his eyes on her as she moved in front of him. She felt
the tough outer shell she tried so hard to hide behind, crack, just
enough that he was catching a glimpse of what lay inside. For some
reason she no longer wanted to keep that armor intact. She was more
fanciful and idyllic than she liked to admit, but with John she didn't
sense the need to hide that part of her. It was refreshing to be Cotten
Stone, girl from Kentucky, vulnerable, sometimes childlike. Always
being in control, being strong, pretending that she could handle anything, was exhausting. She enjoyed allowing the delicacy of being a
woman come through, not having to be the hard-edged reporter. The
last time she'd felt this free, this true to herself, was before her father
died. Everything changed the day he killed himself. Cotten, a little girl
with a name as soft as the clouds, turned to stone. How often she
thought about the irony of it. Cotten Stone.

Suddenly, she faced John, grabbing his hands. "How could anyone
see this and not be moved?"

Cotten looked down at their hands. "Oops-not appropriate. I
keep forgetting."

When she loosened her grip, John held on a moment. "It's okay.
There's nothing inappropriate for two friends to show affection."

Taking several steps backward, she bent at the waist, and laughed.
"John, you know what would be a riot? It would be just my luck to
fall in love with a priest. Fits my M.O. One more way to avoid rejection. I mean, look at my last debacle. Thornton Graham and I were
lovers. Did you know that?"

"Not exactly."

"He's married and way out of my league. He couldn't reject or
hurt me because I couldn't really have him in the first place. See what
I mean?" She leaned her head back and glared at the sky. "Does that
make sense?"

"You're too hard on yourself-a beautiful, bright, resourceful
woman. Look at what you've been through. Nothing short of extraordinary, from the Iraqi desert to the halls of the Vatican. Why on earth
are you afraid someone might reject you?"

She laughed again, but tears huddled near her lower lashes. "You
know just the right things to say. If you weren't a ... well, I'd hug
you.

John put his arms around her. "Priests hug people all the time," he
said. "Don't ever let the things that happen in life make you lose the
sense of who you really are and what you're made of."

How he eased her, she thought as John let go of her.

"You know you can apply that same advice to yourself."

He slipped his hand inside the collar of his shirt and lifted a crucifix on a chain. "This belonged to my grandfather. It represents
what's important to me-serving God. It's not that I have doubts; I
just can't find the right niche. What is it that God has planned for me?" He laughed softly. "Am I a shepherd or Indiana Jones? I know
that He'll show me the way. He'll lead me to where I am to be." He
laughed again. "Sometimes I think He has a sense of humor and
fetish for riddles." John put the cross back inside his shirt.

"Maybe you just need to be patient. Like you said, He'll show you
the way. But do you really have to be a priest in order to serve God? I
mean there's got to be lots of ways ordinary people-" She stopped
herself. "Well, you know better than I do."

A lazy smile spread across his face.

She wondered if he was looking at her as she looked at him. How
much, right now, in the glittering reflections of the Coliseum, in the
tender fading twilight, in the soft breeze, in this perfect moment, she
wanted to thread her arms through his-just to be held by someone
who wanted nothing from her.

"What are you staring at?" John asked. "Do I have something on
my face?"

"No, I'm sorry. This is such an incredible moment, and I'm so
overwhelmed."

She came to stand next to him, and John touched the small of her
back to guide her on. She began to walk beside him, and then his
hand was gone.

How solid John was in his faith, Cotten thought. She couldn't
imagine having so much trust in the idea that God would divinely
move her along a path to her destiny. Like John's hand against her
back, God's hand had fallen away from her early on. After all, God
had better things to do. She'd scratched and clawed and dug her way
to where she was. On her own. God had nothing to do with it.

"AND NOW, CLOSE Up, our special segment on stories and events that
significantly impact our lives." Thornton Graham read from the
teleprompter as he stood on the SNN weekend news set in front of a
blue wall. Chroma-keyed electronically behind him was a stylistic
composite graphic of the Vatican, the faces of Cotten Stone and Dr.
Gabriel Archer, and various religious symbols including a simple
chalice.

"As reported earlier in the newscast," Thornton said, "the Vatican
announced today the discovery of Christianity's most sought-after
relic-the mystical Holy Grail. In an SNN exclusive report, correspondent Cotten Stone not only brought you the story, but was at the
heart of it. A few weeks ago, while returning from assignment in
Baghdad, Stone found herself abandoned in the Iraqi desert. Seeking
safe passage to the Turkish border, she stumbled across an excavation
of an ancient tomb headed up by this man, noted archaeologist, Dr.
Gabriel Archer."

Archer's face filled the graphic behind Thornton.

"Before Dr. Archer succumbed to a fatal heart attack, he gave
Stone a box he had recovered from the tomb and asked her to keep it
safe. After returning home, Stone sought out the help of noted historian, archaeologist, and Catholic priest, Dr. John Tyler, who was able
to open the box."

The graphic dissolved to a picture of John and Cotten standing
beside the Pieta.

"Inside was this."

Dissolve to a photo of the chalice.

"This Cup is now believed to be the one used by Jesus Christ at
the Last Supper-the same one tradition says was used to collect His
blood at the Crucifixion. Down through the centuries it has been
known simply as the Holy Grail."

Dissolve to Cotten and Cardinal Ianucci.

"Vatican Curator, Cardinal Antonio Ianucci, revealed during
Stone's report that the preliminary examination of the relic suggests
it is authentic."

The video changed to a full screen sound bite from the interview.
Cotten sat opposite the cardinal in an ornate library deep inside the
papal palace.

"We considered many factors," lanucci said, "including metalwork, the patina, craftsmanship, historical descriptions for comparison, and the radiocarbon dating of what we have now determined is
beeswax-the protective layer coating the inside of the Cup."

Close-up overhead shot looking inside of Cup.

"Do you think you would have been this certain if you had not
obtained the additional artifact from Dr. Archer's estate in England?"
Cotten asked.

"The markings on that artifact-the plate Dr. Archer discovered
in Jerusalem-added many of the missing pieces to the puzzle," the
cardinal said. "Again, that also has been examined and determined to be authentic. After deciphering its markings, we traced the Grail's
journey with great accuracy from its first owner, Joseph of Arimathea, who traveled with the Apostle Paul, all the way through its
final resting place near the Assyrian ruins in Nineveh, Northern Iraq.
Although there are breaks in the lineage, other documents from our
archives filled in most of the gaps. The evidence is quite convincing."

Cotten asked, "What are the Vatican's plans for the relic?"

"It is truly a gift from God-a key piece of Christ's life and our
religious faith, and it belongs to the people. We intend to make it
available to view and venerate. It will be displayed on special holidays
like Good Friday and eventually taken on tour."

Back to Thornton.

"But perhaps the most astounding part of this story is not the Cup
itself, but what may lie inside. In a surprising last-minute revelation,
Cardinal lanucci told Stone that by using the latest in solid matter, 3D
imaging technology, a microscopic layer of residue was discovered
beneath the protective beeswax, residue that some have already speculated could be actual traces of Christ's blood. As expected, this startling announcement has sent shockwaves through the worldwide
Christian community generating discussion and debate."

Thornton turned to a headshot camera.

"So, with all the news of war and unrest across the globe filling
our headlines each day, it's nice to bring you a story that has a happy
ending-one that bolsters the faith of Christians everywhere and
offers all of us something to ponder as we go about our lives. I'd like
to end by saying that we at SNN are proud of Cotten Stone and her
work to bring this important story to you. She's just one more reason
you can always trust the Satellite News Network for the news that
makes the difference."

Full shot of Thornton with Close Up segment logo behind him.

"If you'd like more information on the Holy Grail, its history, and
recent discovery, log onto our website at satellitenews-dot-org, and
join us each night for the SNN Evening News. I'm Thornton Graham.
See you next time."

"Yes!" Cotten screamed, jumping into the air, her arms thrust over
her head. The monitors went black as the taped replay of the newscast ended.

Applause erupted throughout the conference room packed with
SNN staff. Shouts of congratulations and excitement filled the air.

"Good job," Ted Casselman said, standing next to Cotten.

She threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks, Ted" Then she
turned to Thornton who had also been standing beside her while the
tape played. "And thank you, Thornton." She gave him a peck on the
cheek before stepping back.

"You did a great job, kid;' he said. "We're all glad you're home safe
and sound."

All right, people," Ted Casselman said finally. "There's other news
out there. Let's go report it."

As the staffers filed out, Casselman pulled a number of message
slips from his pocket. "Seems a few people want to talk to you."

"What do you mean?" Cotten said.

"Leno, Letterman, Oprah, Nightline, The Today Show, People magazine, Larry King, GMA." He leafed through each one. "Not to mention a ton of religious organizations."

"The only way you can top this is to cover the Second Coming,"
Thornton said. "You're a genuine celebrity."

"What should I do?" Cotten asked, taking the message slips.

"That's your call," Casselman said. "But it couldn't hurt showing
your face on a few of those talk shows-good for you and the network."

"I'm just glad it's over," she said. "To be honest, I hope I never see
that Cup again."

"Never say never," Thornton said. "Maybe we can talk later?"
When she didn't respond, he turned and followed the last of the staff
out.

She watched him pass through the door, his gait so familiarlong, even strides.

"I can't wait to see the ratings," Casselman said, drawing her out
of her thoughts. "But before you hit me up for a raise. . ."

"Can we talk, Ted?" She motioned to two chairs.

"Sure."

When they were seated, she said, "I need some time off." She
looked into his eyes. "This has been almost more than I can handle."

"Understandable."

"Can you spare me for a week?"

"Maybe." His face gave away that he was only toying.

"Really, Ted. I need to crash.'

"Your fifteen minutes worn you out?"

"It's not the fifteen minutes. I like the attention. It's everything
that led up to it, starting from the minute the driver dumped me in
the desert. I'm drained-I need to regroup. Just a week, Ted. I want to
go to Miami. My roommate from college-I told you about
Vanessa-the model. I'll stay with her, soak up some sun, and get all
this behind me."

"I'll make you a deal." He paused for a moment, tapping the ends
of his forefingers together. "The Robert Wingate thing-you remember, the guy who is going to throw in his hat for the presidential
race?"

"I thought Thornton was covering it?"

"He is. But Wingate is giving a get-acquainted dinner for the
media in Miami, his hometown, next Saturday. Thornton will be heading to Washington on special assignment-can't be in two
places. We need to be on top of Wingate when he announces his candidacy. If you'll cover the dinner, I'll pay for your week on the beach."

"I only have to attend the dinner? Just the one evening?"

"That's it. And you can take your friend along. Just do two things:
observe and see if you can chat with Wingate, get a feel for him,
maybe set up an interview. Then document your thoughts and
impressions, and send them back to Thornton."