Chapter 2

The Vatican, Vatican City State.

He was about to go to sleep when he heard a knock on his bedroom door. Lazily he went and opened it, finding a man in his late sixties with an expressionless face. He was just like him, in pajamas and slippers.

"Cardinal Agnello," he greeted him, intrigued. “I was about to go to bed. What can I do for you?”

"May I come in? It will only take a few minutes ...”

He stepped aside and the newcomer entered the room. In the middle of it he turned to look at him, still with an expressionless face. After several seconds, which seemed like an eternity, he began to speak:

“Cardinal Nitti, I have just received very important information and I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to communicate it to you. It is important we make a decision tonight.”

“And what information is that?”

"It took a while for our investigator, but after so long we finally have the location of Dr. Hansen and the boy."

Cardinal Nitti sighed slightly.

"And where are they?"

“Argentina. Our investigator is there right now, awaiting further orders.”

Cardinal Nitti lowered his gaze thoughtfully, and in a few seconds he began pacing the room.

"Does His Holiness know?"

"Not yet. I wanted to tell you first to decide what we are going to do. Remember what we’ve discussed, I don’t think His Holiness has thought clearly enough about the whole clone child thing.”

"You’re right. His position on this is, let’s say, very “soft”. Knowing the child is a good idea, but considering him a divinity is ... something else.”

“It’s true. The child is a special being, but from there to consider it divine ...”

Cardinal Nitti was part of the Roman Curia and for much of his life he held various roles of importance for The Vatican, one of them as a member of the Pontifical Pastoral Council for Workers’ Health, and as a participant in the Conclave that elected the current Pope, Benito I, the first black Pope in the history of the Catholic Church. It had been a year since he had left office, and now he was serving as Secretary of State, becoming practically the right hand of the Pope, advising him wisely on several occasions and exercising all the political and diplomatic functions of the Holy See. His place on the Pontifical Pastoral Council was now occupied by Cardinal Agnello, who had been proposed by himself to the Pope, after having spent most of his life as a member of the council. Their firm religious convictions had led them both to advise the Pope not to recognize the divine origin of the clone child when they learned of its existence, since they considered it something against nature because of the way it had been conceived, much less something “divine”, but the curiosity of the high pontiff was such that he decided to request the child be sent to meet him, and from there decide what to do about him, but the sudden disappearance of Dr. Hansen and the clone boy fueled his curiosity much more, to the point of ordering a secret investigation to find his whereabouts.

After several years of research, there was finally news, but now it would be up to them to decide whether to communicate it to the Pope or not.

"For now we won’t tell His Holiness," Nitti finally said. “Contact the investigator again and ask him to send evidence when he can find them in Argentina. That will give us time to think about the situation in more detail and see if we can change His Holiness’s mind.

“Okay.”

Agnello left the room and Nitti sat on her bed thoughtfully.

Jerusalem, Israel.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Asaf Levi, watched the streets of the city while conscientiously thinking about the actions to take from now on; before his gaze appeared the monastery of the Cross of Jerusalem and its imposing Byzantine bell tower. Within seconds the armored black Mercedes and its two-vehicle escort circled the Knesset, the Hebrew Parliament, and stood in front of the Council Presidency building. Immediately he and his four bodyguards got out of the vehicles and entered the building. His office was located on the first floor at his request, since he wanted to be close to the Council room, and when he arrived his defense minister was waiting for him, who got up when he saw him and greeted him. He ushered him into his office, while telling his secretary not to pass calls on him or interrupt him.

"I have sent for you because I have a request for the Mossad," Asaf told his minister, named Ziba Cohen, a robust man with a thick mustache and penetrating gaze, "under the most absolute secrecy.”

"Very good," Ziba said solemnly. “What is your order?”

“Do you remember the events of six years ago in the United States, regarding the boy who is allegedly a clone of Jesus?”

“I remember it perfectly, although I didn’t give much credit to the news, and even more so because of the way in which everything was forgotten afterwards. Rumor spread that the previous prime minister had asked the president of the United States to hand over the child to him for evaluations and tests to corroborate his origin. Was that true?”

"Yes, Ziba, it was true. I personally consider it was a very wrong performance on his part. Unlike us, Orthodox Jews, the Messianics and Christians believe in Jesus and consider him the messiah, who will have his second coming to this world as such, and they look forward to it, although according to them that should happen after the apocalypse.”

He paused to meditate and collect his thoughts.

"Even if we don’t believe in him," he finally said, "I think this child could represent a disturbing element not only for Judaism, but for the rest of the religions of the planet. At that time, and despite the fact its existence was only an assumption, it was already causing a great stir, especially here in our country with Christians, and I do not think it prudent for a minority to nurture a passion based on being the product of a human aberration, even if they believe he is their messiah.”

“I agree with you, sir, but I understand this commotion, as you say, was motivated more than anything by curiosity, and not by belief, and that was what motivated the former minister to also meet him. My position is to let the waters flow and not intervene in it. It has been a while since everything calmed down, and I don’t see the reason why we should bring it up again. Christians will be disenchanted by themselves ...”

But Asaf was not about to let the matter be forgotten. It had been years since the news of the clone had kept him awake, and not just because it represented an opportunity for a religious minority to grow stronger: he was morally and ethically against human actions that might dare to go as far as clone a historical figure who was a true living revolution at the time. Now that he had some power, he couldn't miss the chance to do something.

"Anyway, I want the Mossad to appoint their best agents to investigate the boy’s whereabouts, and once they locate him, if he’s still alive, to bring him here."

"And what will you do next, sir?"

Asaf pretended to think for a few minutes. He already knew what he was going to do, but he couldn’t tell his minister.

"I’ll think of something. When the agents have been assigned I would like to speak with them before they leave.”

"All right, sir."

Ziba left the prime minister’s office, who was as thoughtful as in recent days.

Three hours later, he received two Mossad agents in his office, assigned to the mission. A man and a woman. The prime minister interviewed them alone, and they both went out to carry out their mission with very specific orders.

Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Julianne and Marianne were in awe of everything they were seeing. It was the first time they had traveled outside the United States, and that it was for the so-called "little Europe" of America had them excited. Hansen was really glad he could have his sister with him, after all those years without seeing her. They were arriving in San Isidro, a very picturesque community and for some, exclusive to the province of Buenos Aires. He had decided to live there a few months after his arrival in the Argentine capital, on the one hand because it was where the daughter of the acquaintances of his friend John Moses lived, and on the other because he could dedicate himself to teaching at the universities of Buenos Aires and Caece, of which he had knowledge in a previous investigation about his job opportunities. He had to dedicate himself intensively to learning the language of that country in the months following his arrival, and although he did not fully master it at the first opportunity, his level of understanding and speaking at that time was sufficient for him to risk looking for a job. Fortunately, he was accepted to both universities, given his extensive resume as Professor Andrew Farnsworth at the University of London. To his surprise, and fearing the worst, his other identity had not been blocked or placed on the most wanted list by the United States authorities or Interpol. Only Julius Hansen should be on those lists, and that was enough to convince him to stay there. Fortunately, Farnsworth’s accounts had not been blocked either, which made things much easier.

They came to a two-story house with a large garden and ornamental plants in front of the porch. The grass was carefully pruned, giving a feeling of harmony next to the plants. Julianne made a comment about it and they proceeded to enter. Inside, the house was modest, despite being large, with furniture to match the environment and without displaying any luxury. A young woman came to meet them.

"This is Karen," Hansen said, introducing her to his sister. “She is Joseph’s mother.”

Julianne shook the woman’s hand and then introduced her to Marianne. Karen told them that lunch was ready and invited them to the dining room.

“Very good!” David exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. “I’m starving!”

Lunch was relatively simple: Karen prepared chorizo ​​steak with garnish, a very common dish in the country, and one that the Moses’ daughter had taught her how to prepare. Once they had finished lunch, they sat on the living room sofa to talk. David and Karen took the children up to the top of the house, where the bedrooms were, to finish setting them up. Once they were alone, Hansen noticed the suspicious look his sister was giving him. He thought he guessed what he was thinking.

"I know what you must be thinking," he said with a wide smile, "and the answer is no. I have nothing with her.”

“And the child does not ask anything about it?”

Hansen shrugged.

“He is very mature for his age. He knows she is his mother and I am his father, and that she and I are not together. Also, she has a relationship with David, and it doesn't seem to affect him at all, as he loves him very much as well.”

After a pause, he continued:

“Sometimes he confuses me with his way of speaking. He says “dad”, but he also says he has his “father”, but he doesn’t say it in reference to me, or David.”

Julianne was surprised and frowned a little.

"How is that? Don't you think that ...?”

“Of course it is. Somehow he is referring to God as his father. At first I thought he was also referring to me, since he said things like “father says I should help my friend Matías.” Of course, I didn’t know this Matías, which raised doubts. It was only until a few days ago that I realized he was referring to God because he told me: “Dad, my father will take away Matías’s father’s suffering,” and the next day he came to me with the news that the father of that poor boy had died of cancer. He doesn’t talk about it much, but it makes me suspicious every time he does.”

Julianne sighed and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds.

“Yes. You must think I am crazy to believe I have with me the reborn Jesus himself. When I got into this I knew that I would somehow manipulate holy blood, but not that I would bring the messiah back into the world. I swear to you that I am making an enormous effort not to go crazy with all this I am living.”

“And have you thought carefully the implications of all this?” Julianne looked worried. “You’re lucky the world hasn’t seen Joseph’s face until now. You will have no peace if the world finds out who that child is. Six years ago you caused a huge stir, and despite everything, the world has calmed down, at least until now.”

"I know, sister, I know." Hansen rubbed his incipient bald spot with a concerned expression. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about it, especially with the things sometimes he does. At least his friends at school don’t suspect anything so far.”

"And what does he do?"

Hansen smiled slightly, remembering.

"Six years ago when we were fleeing from a satanic cult, a professional assassin located us in a hotel in Pennsylvania and shot everyone there twice and took Joseph. After a while we all woke up as if nothing had happened and with blood in the clothes. I imagine he was the one who revived us, if we were really dead”, he paused as he saw his sister put a hand to her mouth to suppress an Oh! for surprise. “His friends recently arrived saying he had revived a dead bird. Luckily there is a very skeptical and very clever boy among them who sought a reasonable explanation and convinced the others that it wasn’t Joseph. He’s the one who has kept them under control in a certain way, but if Joseph keeps doing things like that, they won’t take long to figure out ...”

Julianne seemed to digest the information slowly. Hansen kept looking at her, fiddling with his hands nervously.

“Will he have a mission in this world ...?”

The question made Julianne rise and sit next to him, taking his hands in hers.

“If he really has done things that a normal child cannot do, then I can assure you that he comes into this world to do something. The ways of the Lord are strange, and everything that happens is by his will. Have you ever thought that your destiny was this: to bring back Jesus of Nazareth himself? A leaf doesn’t fall from a tree if it isn’t by the will of the Lord ...”

Hansen looked at her for a few seconds. His sister was right, in a way. If there is a God to believe in, then surely that same God had caused him to bring his only begotten son back to this world.

"Tell me something, Julius," his sister brought him out of his thoughts. "What happened to Marianne’s mother? You never told me, you only came to me with the girl in your arms saying she needed a mother. You didn’t tell me directly at the time, but then I realized she was also a product of your clandestine activities, that she was a clone. Or am I wrong?”

"She died in childbirth." He looked into her eyes again, and Julianne could see a hint of sadness in hers. “The Second Coming made the mistake of bringing a very young virgin girl, I think fourteen or fifteen years old. She had complications when giving birth, and since these guys didn’t want me to take her to a hospital, she died within hours of having the girl for lack of medical attention. I have had her death on my conscience all these years, and I assure you it is a very difficult burden to bear.”

"I imagine how you must feel. And how did you get them to leave her to you and give her to me? Given her origin I also imagine they must have resisted letting her go.”

“I told them the truth, that the baby girl had been conceived to complete the DNA sequence of the Jesus clone they were looking for. They were not interested in the girl, that’s why they let her go, and even more so, having been left without a mother. Believe it or not, the women of the group fought over being the mother of the child Jesus, and none were interested in raising the girl, despite the fact that she also has holy blood.”

"Luckily for me," Julianne smiled briefly. “You can't imagine how that girl has changed my life, Julius. I love her immensely, and I can’t imagine my life without her. I am very grateful to you for bringing her into my life.”

Hansen smiled too and leaned closer to his sister.

"I always knew you would be a good mother."

Hansen loved his sister very much, and was extremely happy to have her by his side.

Julius had always been of a more tame character compared to his sister. Since she was little, she always commanded the actions when it came to mischief because she was the oldest –barely two years old–, and both their parents punished them equally, even though they knew she was always the intellectual author. In school, teachers always told her parents that Julianne showed a brilliance her actions did not accompany, and what she needed the necessary guidance to channel that brilliance towards positive results. She was a rebellious soul, and more than once she got into trouble when she defended her brother from the bullying to which he was subjected by his schoolmates. It is only when she reaches high school that she manages to control that rebellion a little, and all because their mother falls into bed due to a painful illness, forcing her to finish maturing and dedicating herself in body and soul to take care of her. Their father had been separated from their mother for some years and sought a new relationship, but he always kept in touch with them and consequently helped with his ex-wife’s medical expenses. When she dies, after fighting against the disease for ten long years, he decides to go live in another country, severing the ties that until then held him and his children together. In a short time they would learn he had died of a heart attack, while he was trying to be "up to par" in bed with a woman much younger than him and with whom he was cheating on his second wife. As they found out late, they were unable to attend his funeral, which deeply hurt them.

When their father also died, Julius had already achieved some renown within the scientific community, and Julianne had been left behind, at home, without children or family of her own, and without having tried to do anything else in her life other than take care of their mother. The death of their mother caused her to fall into a deep depression, and Julius was about to admit her to a specialized center. The years passed without her showing any improvement, but the arrival of the girl and the fact she was left without a mother in the search for the clone of Jesus, made him think that perhaps she could give a new meaning to the life of her sister and he gave her to her, resulting in one of the most successful decisions of his life, since his sister came out of her depression and found in the baby a reason to continue living.

“Tell me Julius, how did you do with the language?”

Hansen settled into the cabinet again. His countenance improved a little.

“In the beginning it took me a lot to learn it. This language is not easy, especially with the genres. You have to say the gender of animals and people, for example: perro and perra, gato and gata, profesor and profesora, maestro and maestra, amigo and amiga, and so on. It is difficult indeed, and to write it is worse: the accent can change the meaning of a word, or of an entire sentence, and to top it off, to put a "hairline" on top of the vowel.

"What about Joseph? How have he been?”

“He found it much easier, he even speaks it perfectly. John’s daughter and her family taught us to speak it, but somehow he learned it better. It has helped me many times when I get stuck on something. He’s a very smart boy. He has been helping us all to speak the language well.”

"And how is he doing in school?"

"Better than I imagined. He has adjusted very well and is an excellent student. He even has a group of friends who look up to him and love him very much. He is truly an exceptional child.”

A few seconds of silence. Hansen watched his sister carefully.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

"You haven’t told me about Marianne. Is she too ... special, like Joseph?”

Julianne managed a small smile.

“No, she isn’t. Despite her origin, she is a very normal girl: intelligent, restless like any child, affectionate ... Although sometimes a little rebellious due to adolescence, but manageable. A normal girl, definitely."

"Glad to hear that." Hansen let out a short sigh. “We can stay calm about it. She will never enter the radars of the madmen and fanatics.”