Beside Torcello Island lay Mazzobetto Island, home to a monastery. Following Father Constantine through the cold rain, Veronica took a water bus to the island.
It was a charitable institution much like a nursing home. Since it was nonprofit, its conditions could not compare to those high-end retirement homes, but Veronica did not understand why she had come here.
Her young, childish face was full of confusion, yet she silently followed Father Constantine.
Although the place looked very warm and carried a rich buttery scent, it could not conceal the peculiar smell of death and old age that clung to the elderly.
Old people in wheelchairs were everywhere. Many had vacant eyes. This was a place where people waited to die.
Veronica unconsciously gripped the cross at her chest, only then remembering that she should return it to Father Constantine. At that moment, he stopped before a tightly shut door.
"Before we open this door, I want to tell you something. Do you know about the assassin who once tried to kill the Pope?"
"I do," Veronica said.
"Then do you know what became of that assassin afterward?"
"I heard he was supposed to be executed, but the Pope pleaded for him."
"After the Pope was shot, he lay in a pool of blood. When he regained a little consciousness, the first thing he said was, 'Forgive the brother who shot me.' He called the assassin who had nearly taken his life a brother. Even if it had been an act, I think it would have taken great courage. Later, not only did the Pope refrain from retaliating against the assassin, he also prayed for him. In 2000, the Pope asked the president to pardon him. The assassin was released and reunited with his family. In the end, that Turkish