Page 326 of Niccolo

‘Pantheon’ means ‘all the gods’ in Greek and was originally a pagan temple constructed before the birth of Christ. At the time, it contained ornate statues of all the Roman gods (basically stolen from the Greeks): Jupiter/Zeus, Juno/Hera, Venus/Aphrodite, Pluto/Hades, and a dozen more besides.

The Pantheon was destroyed by fire several times and rebuilt over the centuries. However, Christianity became the officialreligion of Rome in 380 AD and eventually supplanted the old ways.

In 609 AD, the pope got the emperor’s permission to turn the Pantheon into a church. The pagan statues were removed and replaced with saints and religious iconography. This change – this ability to adapt – explains why the Pantheon is the best-preserved ancient Roman building in Rome today.

There’s something to be said for changing with the times. As did the Church, so did theCosa Nostra.

Thepalazzowhere the Council would take place was not nearly as old or grand as the Pantheon, but it was spectacular in its own right. A masterpiece of 16th-century architecture, its exterior still looked as it did when Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci walked the streets of Rome – but its interior had undergone significant updates. The floors were still marble, but the walls had been covered with mahogany paneling carved in sumptuous patterns. Rather than light and airy,the interior was dark and serene.

Don Severino himself escorted us into the building, flanked by his foot soldiers. We had to surrender our guns in the foyer. Our pistols were placed in drawers and locked, and then we were presented with the keys to retrieve our weapons later.

Don Severino addressed our group. “Don Rosolini, his brothers, and Donna Fioretti will accompany me to the main chamber. Everyone else will be asked to wait in a separate room until they are called to testify before the Council. There will be plenty to eat and drink, but if you need anything else, just tell one of my men, and he will communicate your request to me personally.”

We said our goodbyes to Bianca, Lucia, and Rachel and followed Don Severino.

As we walked down a long corridor, I saw all the dons andconsiglieresof theCosa Nostra,talking amongst themselvesin hushed tones – no doubt comparing notes about who they planned to support.

“Ready to wheel and deal?” I whispered to Dario.

Dario sighed. He absolutelyhatedthe political trappings of being a don.

“Only if I must,” he grumbled.

“Oh, it’s an absolute requirement.”

“What if I just letyoudo it?”

“My pleasure! Just make introductions so I don’t breach protocol and speak to anyone out of turn.”

The first person we encountered was Don Amato of Naples, a short, balding man with a combover. He looked at us distrustfully as we walked up to him.

“Don Amato,” Dario greeted him.

“Don Rosolini,” Amato muttered.

“Have you met my brother andconsigliere,Niccolo?” Dario asked.

“Don Amato, such a pleasure!” I said, bowing slightly. “I know our father counted you as an ally of our family for – what – nearly 20 years?”

“Yes,” Amato said unhappily – mostly because he knew I was about to call in a lot of old favors. He said, more to Dario than to me, “I was very sorry to hear about your father.”

“Thank you, Don Amato,” I replied warmly. “That means a great deal to us. I know our father would be truly grateful if we could count on your support in the Council.”

“Yourfathersupported my fight against theCamorra,”Amato said sharply, “but it seems that support dried up after his death.”

“I apologize, Don Amato,” I said pleasantly. “We had to split all of our holdings with our uncle, who then turned around and tried to kill us. But if you can help us put this matter right today, I’m sure our family can continue that legacy of support.”

Amato looked uncomfortable. “Yes, well – ”

Suddenly, a booming voice rang out.

“Finally,” said a gravelly voice with a Sicilian accent. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

Shit.

I turned around to see Don Vicari striding towards us angrily, fists clenched at his side.

Every other don andconsiglierein the room went silent, watching and waiting to see what happened next.

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