" Amen." "Amen." "Open ye to me the gates of justice" "I will go into them And give praise to the Lord" "I will come into thy house, O Lord" "I will worship at thy temple In fear of thee" "Wait, wait, wait." "Open, Lord, for me the gates For God is with us" "And in God's house There are many mansions" "Behold the spear that touched the blood of Jesus Christ our saviour." "Behold the Spear of Longinus." " Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." "Lying is a sin." "One Hail Mary and 2O car/Ina." " Father, I have sinned." "Blasphemy, you know, is serious." "Eleven ducats." "Forgive me my sins." "I have fornicated." "Be faithful to your wife, pray for forgiveness for sins and donate 16 ducats to our Holy Mother Church." "Forgive me, Father." "I've been having unpure thoughts." "Be pure of thought and deed and donate 12 ducats to our Holy Mother Church." "A hundred and 10 car/Ina." "Twenty-five." "Twenty-five?" "Twenty-five." "I'm a carpenter, not a banker." "Can I not say my penance in prayer?" "It's 25." "Benito, my son." "Can we both taste revenge now, cardinal?" "I am but a common prelate." "And revenge would be sweet." "The Holy Year." "The pilgrims flock to Rome filling the papal coffers for what, I have no doubt about it will be an assault on me." "But the pilgrim way passes through Marino." "Through Sforza territory." "There are catacombs in Marino." "If we could display a relic there of such magnificence, of such sanctity that it would divert all of those pilgrims from theirjourney to St. Peter's what would it be?" "What have we here, Cardinal De Luca?" "The shroud of Constantinople." " It looks convincing." "Thank you." "It definitely cost enough." "It wrapped our blessed saviour's body." "It bears the imprint of his sacred face." "Will it fill the faithful with awe, cardinal?" "It should." "It's the most sacred relic known to Christendom." "So we charge the pilgrims a hefty fee for onward passage to Rome or they can view our shroud for no fee at all." "But is the shroud wonder enough?" "Perhaps we should add a miracle." " Tears." "Tears?" "Tears of blood on our saviour's face should draw the faithful like flies to honey." "Better than any Spear of Longinus." "Do it." "Adultery, no doubt." "Holiness." "Diamond and black pearl." "Indeed." "A word, young man." "Holiness?" "All these donations to the confessional fund go to...?" " The Vatican Treasury, Your Holiness." "No." "No." "To a side account in the Vatican Treasury." "Called?" "The Constantinople Endeavour." "The Constantinople Endeavour." "Our crusade against the infidel, the Turk." "And the account books for this fund are for your eyes only." "The entire Turkish navy could be burnt to a cinder with oil." "Oil?" "Lamp oil, pitch, tallow, olive oil." "If we spend the coin, place the order now for shipment to the Christian lands in Cephalonia for the holy month alongside the entire Turkish fleet." " And how does it burn?" "There are Jews in Cephalonia." "And can you ensure its success?" "If, and only if, Your Holiness withdraws his demands to tax my people." "If we can live freely, trade freely, in this city of Rome." "You ask for much, Marrano." " I am no Marrano." "No?" "You, on the other hand..." " Careful." "I have heard the rumours that Jewish blood runs in Borgia veins." "Why do you think they hate you so?" "We could have your hide for this presumption." "But you are wiser than that." "So follow my guidance and your crusade is won." "The Adriatic is free of the Moor and the Turk as is the Mediterranean." "All that is needed is the coin to buy the oil." "Well if you can ensure the success of this scheme you will have your papal bull." "Come." "Come inside." "Please, take one." "Welcome." "It's a miracle." "You will see." "A miracle." "A miracle." "Oh, Lord, I have lived to see the glory of your tears." "Behold, the tears of our saviour." "A miracle." "You've heard?" "She's blocked the pilgrim way." "She claims that some random rag hanging in Marino is the shroud of our blessed Lord himself." "And our son finds it amusing?" "I merely wonder where this will end." "What next in this competition of relics?" "The Ark of the Covenant?" "The tablets of Moses?" "The ark of Noah, perhaps." "If you could find the manpower to build it." "Yes." "Well, my son, whatever our failings, we do not trade in fakery." "No?" "The Spear of Longinus?" "Is genuine." "We have it on the best authority." "Of course, that wandering Jew." "He has been more help to our cause than the entire consistory." "Now, you will ride north." "You will expel the bitch of Forli from Marino and bring the shroud back here so that we can vouch its authenticity ourselves." " With what army?" "Your own army." "Surely papal arms should be used for such a task." "I would not waste my own blood and treasure to free up pilgrim coin." " One last time, Father." "What?" "Give me command." "We will pay you." "By the day, by the horse, by the man." "Your mercenary, Holy Father." "Cesare Borgia is headed toward the shrine at Marina to open up the pilgrim way." "Keep that torch back." "Not too close." "We have word, my lady, that the Borgia is coming." "If there are pilgrims here there will be deaths." "Many deaths." "Well, they will die with God in their hearts as my son did." "Out!" "All of them, out!" " Move along." "Clear the square." "Send them away." "Send them to Rome." "It's a miracle." "Tears of blood." " What's he saying?" "Something about a miracle." "Tears of blood." "The shroud of Constantinople." "Tears of blood, my friend." "I have shed them often, my lord." "Paint." "Red pigment." "Run'!" "The wrath of God, my friend." "Jesus must love you, Cesare Borgia." "Yes." "Yes, he wept." "He wept bloodied tears." "He does." "He does." "He loves me." "Jesus loves me!" "Tears of blood?" "And then the earth exploded." "Thank the Lord you were spared." "Thank God indeed." "And a false shroud." "One has to admire her invention, if it is hers." "You think there's another hand involved?" "She has a dark shadow." "It has crossed us twice now." "And what is the name of this dark shadow?" "Rufio." "Rufio." "We need all the friends we can get." "Which is why we are investing King Frederico of Naples." " Your cousin, I believe." "Once removed, yes." " You trust him with your family's future?" "I have no option, my lord." " Which means you don't." "No." "Which means your sister was the arbiter of these events, not I." "What is that?" "Your name." "You can't read, can you?" "I have no learning." "I worked with my father while others were at school." "Then how can you write?" "I remember shapes, all shapes like pictures in my head, I do not forget." "I can copy." "I saw these shapes on the floor over there." "Why?" "I like to write your name when you are absent." "Why?" "It's the language of love." "So if I cannot read, I cannot love'?" "And how do I learn?" "I can read to you." "Then read." "What does it mean?" "I hate and I love" "Why, you may ask?" "I don't know" "But it happens and I burn" "I know this feeling all my life." "All my life." "I have one last favour I would ask Your Holiness." "Tell us." "French arms are upon Italian soil once more." "And they will stay in Milan." "One hopes." "But to guard against any misunderstanding between us I would ask for a special ambassador between the Holy See and Naples." "But we already have one." "One of little consequence." "But to keep our ties of friendship intact I would plead for one of mighty consequence." "With all the wisdom and stagecraft necessary to the task." "Your daughter, Lucrezia Borgia." "That is indeed an honour." "Lucrezia?" "I am surprised." "And honoured." "So she will reside in Naples?" "She already does." "With her husband and her child?" "Of course." "I would have her travel back with my retinue as my most honoured guest." "Peace, brother." "Peace." "Ambassador." "And my embassy awaits." "Do you trust him?" "Yes." "And what does it matter now?" "I have my child." "I have my husband." "I have everything I wanted." "Everything?" "Almost everything." "Come and visit soon." "We need bread." "Yes." "And milk and honey and cheese." "Go to the market." "When did you learn to write?" "I do not read and I do not write." "But I remember, and I copy." "And I must before this fades and is lost." "What is this?" "I see pictures in my mind's eye." "Shapes on the page." "Like a map that would lead us to war, but I..." "I do not know what it means." "We need a mirror." "Look." "This is mirror writing." "You can read this?" "These are all numbers." "Each one of them has to mean something different." "There must be a code." "Book code, I think." " And where did you find this?" "You do not need to know." "I'm afraid I must." "The letter, my lord." "What does it say?" "Nothing, as yet." "So who did you copy this from?" "Someone I know." "A friend?" "Well, you make sure he remains your friend." "He'll have a book." "Find it." "The book is the key to this." "How would you define my ambassadorial duties, Your Highness?" "Quite simple, really." "You must keep me informed of your brother's designs." "And your father's." "Your home is Naples." "Your heart must be in Naples." "Your allegiance, solely to Naples." "Your tone has changed, my liege." "Of course." "I am king." "What else did you expect?" "Ladies first." "Read to me." "Let us live, my Lesbia" "And love" "And value at one farthing" "The talk of crabbed old men" ""Crabbed old men."" "You have the letter?" "Sit." "Each number refers to a verse, then a line, then a word." "A nine." "That's verse nine." "Then "novem."" "Another nine." "That's line nine." ""Seven." Seventh word, line nine, verse nine." "That's... uthev?" "'" "A beginning." "Who are "they" I wonder?" "Twenty-seven." "That's verse 27." "Line six, word three." ""Must."" ""They must."" "Forli." "The message." ""They must not suspect." "He will lock the cage." "We must know when they will move on Forli."" "A cage is for an animal or a prisoner." "So who is in the cage and who is the prisoner?" "Forli, Catherina Sforza." "But who is this "he"?" "I could beat it out of him." "Beat it out of whom?" "The boy who had the letter." "Boy?" "What boy?" "A boy I took to my bed." "The spy you took to your bed." "Kill me now, my lord, please." "Please?" "No." "N0, no killing." "You must keep on loving this boy." "I can hate and love." "These words are worth more than gold." "They will tell us what she thinks." "What she plans." "All eyes." "Are we in need of protection?" " Not that I know of." "Well, then why do we have it?" "Is Naples always thus?" "Eyes watching one's every move?" "Guards at every corner?" "Will they even watch us make love?" ""They suspect nothing." "She thinks the king of Naples is a friend."" "My God." "And I knew." "Somewhere I knew." "Knew what, my lord?" "He's in league with Catherina Sforza." "King Frederigo of Naples." "She chose the wrong brother." "My sister is no ambassador." "She and her child will be kept hostage the moment we attack Forli." "Kill him." "You kill the boy." " My lady?" "However irregular it may be..." " Please." "..." "I will speak to His Highness and ask him to explain my confinement." "I apologise, Your Highness." "Leave us." "You are a prisoner, my dear, plain and simple." "And why am I a prisoner?" "Because you chose the wrong brother." "Plenty of spice." "You will be missed, Sebastian." "He did have secrets." "Poisonous ones." "As a Borgia you should have known better." "Poison is your hobby is it not?" "So you are in a cage, my dear." "Your every need will be catered for." "You will dine on gold and silver platter." "The best Neapolitan cuisine." "But you can never..." ""leave." "Borgia bitch." "Could she be with child?" "I truly doubt that possibility." "And why, my love?" "There is a woman in the forest." "She knows every cure that the earth provides." "I would be examined by her." "I hate and I love" "Why, you may ask?" "I do not know" "But it happens and I..." "And..." "How does it go?" ""L burn."" "No." "In the Latin, please." "It is a big word for "burn."" "Why?" "Why did you become my lover?" "Why?" "Because I was made an offer." "From whom?" "You enjoyed the thrill the danger, yes?" "Yes, yes." "I admit, I did." "Then I should flay you alive." " But I will be merciful." "You will?" "You tell me how you wish to die, Pascal." "I die in your arms." "You love another who is not your husband." "Close to you." "Too close." "Tell me more." "You are a prisoner here." " And whose fault is that?" "Mine." "Forgive me." "I knew he wanted to be king but I did not know that he would confine such a splendid witch as you." "But you have a future away from here." "So your hand tells me." "How do I leave?" "You could make them sleep." "Everybody sleeps, do they not?" "Just never at the time we want them to." "I put a whole village to sleep once with this." "A bull is prepared and awaits your signature, Holiness." "All is ready?" "Ships loaded with oil are docked in Cephalonia." " And the Turkish fleet?" "Docked alongside." "And when will this happen?" "It may have happened already." "A Borgia bull."