"What in my name has been going on down there?" Jesus screamed at the screen, his boardroom empty. The Pope looked back, his face pale and his darkened eyes lined and red from lack of sleep. "I want answers and I want them now!"
"We're conducting an internal investigation as we speak," the Pope offered as he prostrated himself upon a velvet cushion, hoping to placate the Almighty. He didn't.
"I'm hearing about child abuse, embezzlement, racketeering, ties to organized crime! There is even a web site that says," Christ looked down at a laptop placed on the desk before him, "Watch as they are touched by the Lord!" Jesus looked up, his face scarlet and his temples pounding.
"I will admit we've had problems with new recruits. They are the product of the times I am afraid."
"We are supposed to guide the times, not follow them. Our employees are supposed to be impeccable, a standard to be emulated and followed not wolves amongst the sheep! Have you any idea of the press this is getting? I can't have this image!"
"We will clean it up. We always do."
"Clean it up?" Jesus gagged like a choking engine on the air as he sucked it in, not believing his ears. "We could have another Reformation on our hands...or worse! We could drive them to our competitors or...you do know that most of humanity has been looking for a reason to totally discredit us. What does it say when even cardinals use altar boys as concubines? Must I watch you every second like the children you seem to be?"
"You are overstating, my Lord. We've suffered worse."
Jesus stared at him, his eyes vacant. He began to realize. He looked at the deceiving face of the Pope. He tasted the bitter lies that poured from his mouth, the poison that had been poured into his ear for years. "You knew about this." He looked at his earthly representative for the longest time. The Almighty did not know what to think, what to do. He stared at this elderly man, his representative, and realized how he used Jesus' prestige to wreak unholy havoc on the trusting, on the weak. But they were humans. They weren't his. "Make this go away, Benedict. If not, you will find your trip to Paradise will be making an unexpected stop in Purgatory."
The Pope was shocked to hear the threat. "I...we'll...this will be solved. I promise." Jesus nodded as the screen went out. The Pope silently cursed to himself, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead as he made his way to the doors.
In the grand corridor beyond, papal legates, priests, and nuns hurriedly ran this way and that. Some spoke on phones trying to gauge the international problems and consequences. Others ran arms burdened with books or papers. One dropped a book from the set he was carrying. He bent down to pick it up and another priest tripped right over him sending a shower of papers into the air. The Pope shook his head at the disorganization.
"Your Holiness." A bishop came running up to the Pope.
"I don't have time for you," the Pope replied.
"But your Holiness-"
The Pope slapped him across the face, his hand pushing the bishop to the ground. The bishop lay there stunned at the blow he received. The Pope looked up at the chaos that surrounded him. "I need some communion wine," he muttered as he walked off, away from the mess that abounded.
