“He wasn’t up there long, so I doubt it,” Carmen said. She then looked over at Amanda, who was lying down once again with her eyes shut. She was glad the young American was getting some much-needed sleep. “Is there anything else? If not, I’m going to run down and check the square, and then get some rest.”
“Actually I do have one other thing,” said the Oracle. There was the sound of shuffling papers. “Have you ever heard of a Vincenzio Marrese?”
“I’m Italian. Of course I’ve heard of him.”
“He’s come up on our radar in connection with—”
“I’ve never heard of him,” Amanda said as she sat up in the bed. Carmen smiled. Apparently, she hadn’t been sleeping after all.
“Let me give you a little background then,” said Ross. “He was in the news quite a bit about ten years ago. He was a Catholic priest serving at the Vatican. Not a household name by any means, but well known by Catholic hierarchy and those serving in Rome.
“His specialty in the church was one that doesn’t get a lot of press. He did the kind of work that typically flies under the radar. It’s the stuff of movies.”
“He was an exorcist,” explained Carmen in a matter-of-fact tone.
Amanda’s eyes widened a bit. “That’s always fascinated me… how the church deals with the dark side, if you will.”
“He was one of their best,” Ross continued. “A rising star in the field. Amanda, you called it the dark side. All indications were that Marrese had a special connection with the dark side. When he performed an exorcism, the person was always freed from the demonic force, regardless of their demons and regardless of the circumstances.
“A few years ago, all that changed. Their rising star deserted the faith in a dramatic way, much to the angst of the Pope, and much to the angst of many in the Vatican. It started as a routine exorcism in a small town just outside of Milan. I can’t think of the name of the town right now.”
“Treveglio,” Carmen said.
“Thanks, Carmen. There was a man in Treveglio who had been possessed, or whatever word you want to use, by a dark spirit. This possession had gone on for quite some time, and his local priest had petitioned the Vatican to help when all local efforts had failed to bring the man back. Eventually, the man was approved for an exorcism.
“Due to the severity and length of time of the possession, Marrese was assigned to the case. He and his team of seven other exorcists traveled to Treveglio, arriving shortly after dark. The possessed man’s priest was already there, along with a few family members. The timing was perfect, as he was already descending into a demonic manifestation just as the team arrived.
“Marrese asked the family to wait outside, and he and his associates entered the room. One of the Vatican priests described the scene as nothing short of Armageddon. The man’s eyes were bulging, and blood was seeping out of both corners of his mouth. The screams would probably have caused lesser men to faint with fear. But Maresse took control, calmly praying in Latin while his most trusted associate held up a crucifix and flung holy water over the man. Normally, this guy Marrese would make short work of an exorcism, which was a testament to his skill. But it didn’t happen this time. The possessed guy actually became worse, frothing at the mouth and staring at Marrese no matter where he went in the room. It was almost as if a powerful demon had been sent to provoke a fight with Marrese.”
“Yes, there seems to be a hierarchy of demons,” Amanda said, “just as there is a hierarchy of angels.”
Ross continued, “After almost an hour in the room with the poor soul, Marrese lowered his Bible and turned to the group, telling them that stronger measures were needed, as they were dealing with a demon of the highest order. He went on to ask three of his own disciples to escort the local priest out of the room.
“To this day, nobody knows precisely what happened next. The only testimony came from those waiting just outside the room. But after the door was shut, the screaming and gnashing of teeth actually grew worse. The local priest said in an interview that it sounded as though voices were coming through the very gates of hell. Just when it seemed like things could get no worse, the screaming ended, and there was complete silence. The Vatican priests told everyone to wait, because there had been no evidence of violence. Pretty soon, the door creaked open, and out walked the man from Treveglio, looking like his old self. His sister said he hadn’t looked that peaceful in years.”
“Another success,” said Amanda.
“Unfortunately that’s not the end of the story,” added Carmen. She looked uncomfortable.
“Not by a long shot," Ross said. "The possessed man does appear to be healed. In fact, it’s my understanding that he got married and moved to a small town just outside of Naples. He wanted to begin his new life as far away from the site of his possession as possible.” Ross cleared his throat. “As for Marrese, he was never the same person again.”
“I’m assuming you mean that in a negative way?” Amanda asked.
“Correct. Even that very night, on the chartered flight back to the Vatican, Marrese was different. He was withdrawn and wouldn't speak about what had happened in the room back in Treveglio. And upon his return, he began to withdraw even further, missing appointments and refusing to perform exorcisms anymore.”
“Have any of his associates spoken about the incident?” Amanda asked.
“All four have refused to speak at all.”
“And what about the man himself?” Amanda asked. “The one who was possessed — does he remember what happened?”
“He’s always been willing to speak,” Carmen answered. “The problem is, he doesn’t remember anything.”
Ross said, “His only memory of that night is awakening to find himself surrounded by Marrese and the four associates.”
“Well, at least he’s found peace,” Amanda said.
Carmen stood and walked over to the window, staring down at the square once again. “That’s all well and good, but what on earth does this have to do with Renaissance?”
“I was coming to that,” Ross replied. “Did you ever hear about what happened to Marrese in the aftermath of the event in Treveglio?”
“I know that he eventually left the Catholic Church altogether, saying he no longer believed and that he had found a greater truth. The last I heard, he took all of his disciples and left to start some sort of commune in the mountains.”
“You’re mostly right. He took four of his men with him, the four that had entered the room that night. The other three who had left the room are still a part of the Catholic Church today,” said Ross.
“I didn’t know that,” Carmen said. “His commune is in Switzerland, correct? I know some tabloid reporters tried to find him without any success. In fact, they came back and refused to provide any details about their search. The whole thing was strange.”
“We do believe he constructed a series of buildings on a mountain overlooking Locarno. Supposedly, that’s where he and the other four live now.”
“Where is Locarno?” Amanda asked. “That name rings a bell.”
“It’s a town that sits on a lake, just across the border from Italy,” Carmen explained. She then turned back to the phone. “You know, I’m still not understanding.”
“I’m almost there,” Ross replied. “After leaving the church, it seems Marrese started some kind of cult, issuing cryptic statements that indicated the world as we know it would be coming to an end soon. He went on to say that people had better be prepared to embrace these changes.”
“Of course, how could I have forgotten? And a couple of Catholic priests who criticized him were later found dead.”
“Unfortunately, you’re right,” replied Ross. “Although the killers could never be found, most assumed that Marrese had played a role in their death. And here is another interesting tidbit. One of the critical priests had sent an e-mail to a colleague just prior to his death. He said he discovered what had happened on night in Treveglio.”