The Letter to Cornelius

By Lyle Dockendorf

In modern Israel a miraculously preserved parchment is discovered which dates back to the First Century C.E. But the message it bears is even more surprising, for it repudiates one of the most fundamental of Christian tenets. How will that impact the various churches if its true?

Two people are intimately drawn into the controversy. Father Mark Colfax, a noted theologian, has abandoned his former academic career to seek a closer relationship with God by serving the most helpless. But his churchs concern about that message will eventually force him to investigate both what history and the Bible actually says about the contested dogma. Ultimately, it will challenge him to question his own beliefs.

Sara Tannenden is a young journalist, appalled by the hypocrisy rampant in her profession. Although apathetic about religion, she is assigned to report on the impact of the parchment on different church denominations. The investigation will lead her to an increase in faith, but also pull her into a dangerous confrontation with evil.

The Letter to Cornelius is about searching for truthand what that search might cost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512745436

Lyle Dockendorf

Lyle Dockendorf is a professional statistician and an amateur theologian, with a motivation in life to make order out of chaos of abstract things. He has previously published two non-fiction books: Is Jesus God? What the Bible Says, and Beyond Six Sigma Statistics. He has a wife and two children, and lives in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.

Book preview

The Letter to Cornelius

Lyle Dockendorf

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Copyright © 2016 Lyle Dockendorf.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Some Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115-0050. Used by permission. All rights reserved

Some verses of Scripture are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of other trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

One quotation of five verses is taken from the Jerusalem Bible, Copyright © 1966, by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, NY.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4542-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4544-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4543-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016909235

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/27/2016

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Author’s Note

Footnotes

Can you find out the deep things of God?

Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

It is higher than heaven—what can you do?

Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?

Job 11:7-8 (NRSV)

Every word of God proves true;

He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Do not add to his words, or else he will rebuke you,

And you will be found a liar.

Proverbs 30:5-6 (NRSV)

Note on Quoted Scripture

This book contains many Scripture quotations. In many cases the book, chapter and verse(s) are identified within the text itself, along with the version of the Bible from which it was taken. In the other cases, a numeric footnote indicator is presented in the text, with the appropriate source details in the back of the book.

1

Uri Bahat snuffed out his seventh cigarette of the day, and it wasn’t even ten o’clock. His morning had been taken up planning yet another stakeout on a mound of dirt just a few miles north of Jerusalem. The area had recently been excavated, with a few pieces of ancient pottery and some old coins having been found there. But it hadn’t yet been deemed important enough to guard. Still, there was strong evidence looters had been digging around the site at night, probably drawn by the newness of the excavation and the possibility of stealing something they could sell in the marketplace or to a clandestine antiquities dealer. These looters were likely to come back, like moths to a flame, and Bahat welcomed the opportunity to put at least some of them in prison. It was a monumental task, with tens of thousands of archeological sites in Israel to watch over and thousands of men willing—or desperate enough—to dig through the ruins.

Bahat was chief of the Theft Protection Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), whose charter involved protecting Israel’s ancient heritage in multiple ways, first by controlling the movement of archeological finds, but also by maintaining the integrity of found objects. So much had already been looted, with artifacts finding their way into the hands of rich private collectors and gullible religious tourists. Most of these objects thus had no pedigree, no history, so they added nothing to the knowledge of Israel’s history. When objects could be traced to real sites by legitimate excavators, that information helped flesh out what actually had happened in Israel millennia before.

There was also another important goal his department had. Demand for artifacts easily surpassed any available supply, and so the marketplace was filled with forgeries. One vendor would hawk denarii or a Roman coin that Jesus just might have touched. Another might claim to have a spear head used by Romans at Masada, even though such an object would have since rusted away. Bahat didn’t care about these obvious forgeries. To him it was caveat emptor. What was far more important were the forgers who created artifacts that could influence the judgment about Israel’s history. These ranged from sherds—pieces of old pottery which had inscriptions on them—to purported findings from either the first or second temple. Nevertheless, it was always difficult to apprehend a forger, for he or she was usually protected by unscrupulous dealers who could make thousands of dollars on these fakes. Bahat’s department was understaffed for the vast responsibility it had, but it did have one major advantage: there was no shortage of informants—people, usually Palestinians, who for a week’s wages would provide detailed information about an illegitimate dealer or a site that was being looted. Bahat just wished he had the personnel to follow up on all these leads. Instead he had to prioritize, and he kept a list of those informants whose tips had been most fruitful.

Bahat was pouring himself his fourth cup of coffee when the phone rang.

Hello, Bahat here, he answered.

"Yes, I remember that unusual find in Caesarea … Yes, it was recommended they document all the objects that were found, and to find an expert to look at that jar. It had been sealed, right? …

So they found an old parchment in it that was basically intact. That’s impossible unless it’s new. The writing is ancient Aramaic, huh? … It’s been translated. Okay, I’ll look at my e-mail right now. Thanks.

As Bahat hung up the phone, he tried to recall the details of that excavation. A group from one of Rome’s universities had sent a team to dig around the places where first-century Roman soldiers were said to have been billeted. The port city of Caesarea had been Rome’s main headquarters in Israel, with most of their soldiers stationed there. The soldiers could easily be dispatched into the interior at any sign of trouble. These excavations had been going on for several years. They hadn’t found much, but one of the groups started digging a short distance away from the main headquarters and had uncovered some softer ground. Carefully removing the loose dirt, they found a number of objects that could have belonged to an officer. They also found a pottery jar. It was unusual, since it was both intact and had been sealed. Bahat’s knowledge of Roman artifacts was significantly limited, and he couldn’t remember why a jar would have been sealed. But finding unbroken pottery was extremely rare.

This phone call had been from one of his men stationed near the coast. Apparently, the Italians had taken the object to several experts, who eventually offered to date the pottery but wouldn’t unseal it. Finally, they had talked to his man, more as a courtesy, since all major finds must be reported to the IAA. He had recommended opening it in a controlled environment and gave them the name of an expert who could do it. Besides some debris at the bottom that was probably decomposed papyrus, they had found a small piece of parchment in it that was intact. After careful handling they were able to open it up. One of the professors had a passing knowledge of Aramaic, but after looking at it, he said he wanted a second opinion. So they took it to an Israeli expert, who was able to provide an accurate translation.

His man from the coast had just sent Bahat both a picture of the original parchment and the translation via e-mail, and he wanted Bahat to know about it as soon as possible. It is very important, he had said.

Bahat grabbed his coffee, and went to the e-mail on his computer. He double clicked on the message and began reading. It started with some preliminary information, followed by the translation, then some more information, and finally two pictures, one of the jar and one of the parchment.

No, it’s impossible, he said aloud to himself. It’s undoubtedly a forgery.

He read the translation of the Aramaic again, this time carefully considering each word. Then he leaned back in his chair, took out his cigarette pack from his shirt pocket, tapped out a cigarette, and lit it. He inhaled deeply and let the smoke stay in his lungs for a few seconds before blowing it toward the computer screen, as if he could make vanish what he had just read. He cursed out loud.

He had spent the better part of a year many years ago intensely involved ferreting out information regarding what had become known as the James Ossuary. Ossuaries were relatively small limestone boxes in which some Jews of the first century stored the remaining skeletal bones of a completely decomposed body, rather than leave them in tombs. Ossuaries were actually quite common. But the James Ossuary had been inscribed with the words James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus as translated from the Aramaic. No one knew where it had been unearthed, but once discovered and displayed it gained immediate notoriety. It received enormous Christian attention. In their New Testament, Joseph is Jesus’ father, and there is a man named James who is identified as Jesus’ brother, who had a leading role in the early church in Jerusalem. The ossuary was even exhibited in Canada, where ten thousand people a day looked at it. Many Christian believers mistakenly accepted the ancient box as absolute physical archeological proof of the existence of their savior.

After careful examination, the IAA concluded it was a fraud. They brought in experts who checked the ancient grammar, the shape of the letters, the limestone, and even the patina, the coating that had either been put over the ossuary or had developed with age. Eventually they had even tracked down the likely creator of the fraud who, of course, denied everything. The case of fraud even went to court. But the defense poked enough holes in the experts’ testimony that the judge in the case refused to state an opinion about the authenticity of the box, and only found the alleged perpetrator guilty of a minor offense. The IAA took this as a major defeat, and Bahat’s superior, the previous director, was reluctant to pursue other fraud cases. Worse, a very large number of Christians continued believing in the ossuary’s authenticity. Bahat, a practicing Jew, felt sorry for them, but he could do nothing further about the ossuary.

Now he was facing what looked like the same kind of nightmare. When news of this document leaked out it would turn the Christian world upside down, and might even have significant ramifications for his own religion. The IAA would have no choice but to get involved, and resources he couldn’t afford would have to be directed toward proving the fraudulence of that piece of parchment. He knew he had to do something. The James Ossuary had escaped the early scrutiny of the IAA, and when it was examined, his own people had tainted it by touching, scraping, and otherwise mishandling it. That contamination had prejudiced the judge’s verdict. It wouldn’t happen again. He went to his directory, and then punched in numbers into his phone. He was calling his agent on the coast.

Moshe, I read the report. We’re dealing with the potential for complete mayhem here, he said, exaggerating. Do whatever you can to keep those Italians from publishing any information about the parchment. Threaten them with deportation and the revocation of their permit to dig. Whatever it takes. Keep them away from their cell phones and computers if you can. I’m going to convene a meeting here as soon as I can so we can quickly plan a strategy. This could cause a virtual earthquake if we don’t do something quickly.

The man on the other end said a few things, and then Bahat said, All right. Do it, and then hung up. He quickly started making other calls to his staff. The people he was able to reach would be getting together at half past noon.

* * * * *

The meeting was over and each man at the meeting had been given an assignment. Two agents had been dispatched to the excavation at Caesarea, while others were to contact the best archeological experts on ancient epigraphy, parchment, clay pots, carbon-14 dating, and even dirt and where it was found. Each of these elements involved its own field of expertise, and Bahat wanted to assemble the best team he could to assess the document. He had no doubt it was fake, but he was taking no chances. Whatever evaluation was to be done was going to be performed in the most scrupulous manner. There would be no repeat of the James Ossuary.

Bahat stared out the window, wondering how he could get the Italians to keep quiet about this until the evaluations were performed. He’d probably have to bribe them somehow. But all he could offer them now was permission to dig wherever they might want. That would be small compensation for what could be the century’s greatest archeological and religious story. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

2

The white smoke had arisen from the chimney an hour ago, and people thronged the area beneath the central balcony of St. Peter’s basilica in Vatican City to see who would walk out.

After another fifteen minutes, the crimson-robed Cardinal Deacon emerged from the double doors to a cheer from the crowd, and after a brief wait announced in a gravelly voice:

"Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:

HABEMUS PAPAM!

Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum,

Dominum Agastium Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Srivastava,

Qui sibi nomen imposuit Paulum Septum."

He walked back through the double doors. Time seemed to stand still. Yet only seven minutes passed. Then a short, dark-faced man, dressed in a white cassock, appeared on the balcony. The crowd below cheered again, this time much more loudly, and the cheering lasted more than a minute. The Conclave, after deliberating for over a week, had chosen to break with all tradition in naming an Asian, specifically a man from India, Cardinal Agastya Srivastava, as the new pope. His very dark face strongly contrasted both with his white cassock and the Church’s papal history. He had chosen the name Paul VII. After the crowd quieted, he addressed them in English, with his words being translated into Italian.

"My brothers and sisters in Christ.

"Thank you for your warm greeting. Today my brother cardinals have once again prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and through that guidance have chosen me to be the new bishop of Rome. Since I have trusted that same Spirit throughout my life, I reluctantly submit to their choice. We are indeed in dark times, and I ask you to pray to our heavenly Father for the Church and myself, that we may be guided firmly and successfully into faithful communion with His glorious will. Let Jesus Christ our Lord be our example and our companion on this journey.

"And now receive this blessing: May Almighty God bless you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Again, thank you for your warm reception. Go now in peace, to love and serve the Lord.

The new pope stopped speaking and looked down with love upon the people. He began to wave, and the people cheered again. After a minute, Cardinal Agastya Srivastava, now Pope Paul the Seventh, returned inside through the double doors of the balcony

* * * * *

Reporters were stunned by this choice, for they hadn’t even considered Srivastava as a possible candidate. For the most part, they hadn’t had much time to prepare, since the previous pope died suddenly of a heart attack, and a Conclave had been called immediately to meet as soon as time permitted.

But who was this man who was now the leader of the Catholic Church? What was his background? And why in heaven’s name did the Cardinals choose him? The answer to that last question would probably never be revealed, since the Cardinals normally did not discuss the reasons for their decision.

Initial research indicated Agastya Srivastava had been the bishop of Delhi, and he had been appointed a Cardinal only eight years ago. He was a relatively young 67 years old. Because of the popularity of Mother Teresa, they found it newsworthy that he had met with her several times. The archivists rapidly searched for any videos which might reveal something about these meetings—or for anything else which might reveal something about this cleric. They uncovered some of his writings and pored through transcripts of his speeches, trying to understand the overt meanings and perhaps what the motivations were behind them. What many of them discovered was that Srivastava was an enigma: a man filled with humility who could be a firebrand; a man of peace who wasn’t afraid to confront; a man fiercely dedicated to his Church, but never reluctant to reach out to leaders of other faiths to achieve the goals of helping the poor. But most of all he railed against the growing materialism of some of his Indian flock as global trade brought ever increasing prosperity to a select few.

Perhaps more could be learned very soon since the new pope had agreed to grant an interview only two days hence.

* * * * *

Multiple questions had been prepared for the interview, with the hope something could be gleaned of the intended leadership of this new pope. Perhaps this man would be more naïve and give more details than what was usually revealed from the Vatican these days. Since the sex-abuse scandals, the Church had been very careful in the wording of anything released outside the walls of the Vatican. In this first interview with the new pope most reporters expected honest but incomplete—and often vague—answers.

The interview began with initial pleasantries and some biographical review, including the former bishop’s visits with Mother Teresa. Then began the more penetrating questions.

Reporter: You have chosen the name ‘Paul’ for yourself as pope. The previous Paul, Paul the Sixth, followed Pope John the Twenty-Third, the pope who began the major reforms of the Catholic Church in the early ‘60’s. Do you see yourself as continuing the work of the Vatican Two reforms, or as continuing the work of your immediate predecessor?"

Pope Paul VII: You are mistaken that I have chosen the name ‘Paul’ because of my predecessors. I have chosen that name because of the work of the original Saint Paul. He was the apostle to the gentiles. Most of these gentiles had never heard of the God of the Jews. They were pagans worshipping many gods. The ones who listened to Paul and were moved by his message knew their old beliefs left them empty; that the practices resulting from these pagan beliefs led people to do things they knew in their hearts were wrong. With my choosing the name ‘Paul’ I am calling upon God to provide me with the spirit of Saint Paul, that I can lead our Church to a new evangelization.

Reporter: But your predecessors have also pressed for a ‘new evangelization.’ Do you plan to continue that work?

Pope Paul VII: "That evangelization was primarily aimed at those who were already Catholics. It was meant to show the richness and depth of that faith through instruction, to help them to love the Church more, and to increase their joy in their commitment to Christ. If that goal was achieved, then others would witness their silent preaching through their actions.

Although this movement would touch others outside the Church, I see a much more expansive role for the Church. Saint Paul actively evangelized those outside the Jewish community, although he always gave his first attention to the Jews. For the most part, the Church has not actively evangelized its faith. Although some small actions have been made to reach out to other Christian faiths, on a larger scale we may have done an even poorer job for those who do not acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. The Muslim population continues to grow. In my India there are millions of devout Hindus who find more meaning in worshipping Shiva or Vishnu, while others seek absorption into an all-encompassing universe. There are other such religions. To their credit, most of their followers seek some kind of relationship with their god and live good, peaceful lives. But they are in spiritual poverty since they are unaware of how to accept the greatest gift God has given: his only Son.

Reporter: "In your first speech to the people in Saint Peter’s Square you stated, ‘we are indeed in dark times.’ What do you mean by that?

Pope Paul VII: "Even while billions of the world’s people are starving or on the brink of starvation, prosperity has come for hundreds of millions more. But this prosperity has caused these people to forget God, from whom all good things come. They have replaced him with humanism and secularism. Unfortunately, these convictions have evolved into something even more insidious. Consider the United States, for example. In the name of secularism, there is an extremely strong movement by many leaders of the government to eliminate God from the public sphere. That is, the leaders are essentially seeking to make atheism the state religion. In this nation which proclaims itself to have the greatest freedom, the government is forcing its own people to violate their own consciences or face heavy penalties or imprisonment. Catholic hospitals are being pressured politically to perform abortions, and it may only be a matter of time when their law says they must. Catholic organizations cannot fire a homosexual-activist worker. Our churches’ adoption agencies have stopped their good work because they were being forced to provide children to practicing homosexuals. Catholics must pay through their taxes for free abortions and contraceptives. Any symbol of Christ on public property—even a simple cross without the corpus—is being forcibly removed. And the state is constantly threatening any nonconforming church with removing its tax-exempt status. These are the initial battles in a war against religious freedom—against our beliefs in the sacredness of life and adherence to the Gospel message. We are seeing this same growth of atheism throughout the world.

"Thus, there are strong movements to extinguish the light of Christ and plunge the world into an even greater darkness. We have seen where this darkness has led with other godless leaders: Hitler, Mao, Stalin, and many smaller dictators who have destroyed whole populations.

So in a larger sense, this new evangelization of which I spoke earlier must make great strides in overcoming this threat. But these foes are powerful. Not only are they led by Satan himself, but they also control a large amount of the power and wealth of the world. There are few voices in opposition which are not ridiculed and persecuted. The truth is suppressed. The people are misled, and many are encouraged to believe they should choose what is best for themselves and not for others. The reach of this evil was once local, but now with our vast array of communication capabilities it is now global.

Reporter: "Do you have a plan on how the Church can address this ‘darkness’ as you call it?

Pope Paul VII: I have ideas, but I do not have any specific plans. Realize I never had any expectation I would become the leader of the Church! I have discussed my concerns with many others, including the pontiff who preceded me. I will be praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit that God might direct me and his Church. I don’t know if he will require radical reforms. But I do anticipate a greater participation of the Church in the coming spiritual war. We must place upon ourselves the armor that the sixth chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians outlines. But above all, we must do everything motivated by love—love of God and love of his people.

Reporter: Let us return to the problems the Church has had in its recent past. Certainly the problem of sexual abuse persists, but there are other issues that have recently surfaced, things like financial mismanagement, clergy that are considered to be teaching heretical ideas, the perceived hypocrisy of a regal papacy while claiming an intense interest in the welfare of the poor. Do you have anything to say about these things?

Pope Paul VII: While the Church as a whole is infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit, it is still made up of men and women who are fallen, frail human beings. There is sin. Unfortunately, the occasions of sin are now more pervasive than ever. This, too, reflects the increased attacks by Satan. For the past thirty years my predecessors have been seeking remedies, and I believe the most effective remedy is truth. Our Church must be more open, even if there are consequences. Unfortunately, the media seems to explode any revelation we provide into a full scandal. At the same time they apparently ignore the similar sins of those in other religions and especially in those political leaders whose policies they favor. That does not remove our guilt. But it makes it much more difficult to be open. I am very concerned about these issues, and I will do what I can to show the world the Church will not tolerate these sins within its hierarchy.

The interview continued on with questions regarding how the pope’s Indian heritage would affect his papacy, who he might name into positions of Church power, how he felt about his predecessors, questions about the world’s leaders (which he refused to comment on), and even if he would wear red shoes and how the change in climate he would be experiencing in Rome might affect him.

3

New York Chronicle

The New Pope: A Step Backward?

by Dan Beltram

The Cardinals of the Catholic Church apparently have rejected the small steps put forward by the previous pope in trying to modernize his church. With the election of a profoundly conservative Cardinal from India, they can expect their Church will safely retreat back in time, perhaps forty years, to the time when they rejected homosexuals and the divorced, when support for abortion was considered a sin deserving excommunication, and they felt it necessary to firmly mold the consciences of their faithful in their own narrow doctrines.

This new pope even considers the growing prosperity of the world as something to be denounced. Because there are still others who are poor, he cannot even acknowledge that millions have been raised out of poverty. But what exactly has the Catholic Church done to alleviate the world’s poverty other than to condemn the rich and tell the prosperous nations they need to give more? All while the hierarchy enjoys a lavish lifestyle, as evidenced by the recent revelations of the Austrian bishop who spent $40 million restoring his residence.

In his recent interview the new pope appeared to promise greater transparency regarding the myriad of genuine scandals that constantly are being revealed. Yet at the same time he condemns the press for bringing the facts out into the open. What does he expect journalists to do?

This pope may also be suffering from a persecution complex. He claims Satan himself is leading the charge against the church and is already creating havoc. His solution seems to be to raise an army of believers to do battle with these forces of evil. Interestingly, he hopes to get his recruits from non-Christian religions, by converting Muslims, Hindus and even atheists. This, too, appears to herald the return of the old attitude of being the one true Church which Catholics had once arrogantly held for themselves.

But perhaps there is one ray of hope for the Catholic Church. This new pope, who took the name Paul VII, is not Caucasian. In fact, his skin is so dark he would readily be identified as an African-American if he were seen on the streets of New York City. This totally breaks with the church’s history, where every pope anyone can name was white. In fact, since very early days up until 1980 they were all Italian! The doors of national diversity have been opening more widely, first with a Pole, then a German, then a South American and now an Asian. We await the time when a real African takes his place in the Vatican.

Dan Beltram wrapped both hands around the beer mug as he stared straight ahead without really looking at anything. He had come into Dougherty’s Bar just a few minutes ago because it was the only bar of the three main New York Chronicle hangouts that served his favorite, Smithwicks, an Irish import, and he was in the mood for a beer. Dougherty’s was also the quietest of the three, and Beltram wasn’t in the mood for too much noise. He wanted to brood.

He really wasn’t very happy about that opinion piece he had just finished. Sure the style was acceptable, but whenever he wrote about religion, especially the Catholic Church, there just was never very much substance he could wrap his commentary around. Usually, organized religion moved so slowly that a writer had to insert a great deal of speculation in order to make the piece interesting. And that could make it look like too much whining on his part. It was a fine line. He preferred a couple definitive quotes, or better yet, some specific action—or even scandal—he could dig into. A reporter could usually find a Republican who would say or do something stupid, but it was always harder with the clergy. Most of the big scandals had already passed, and churchmen were now much more wary of the media.

At least with the election of a new pope and this recent interview there was more substance to exploit. But he felt there seemed to be more obvious prejudice in his piece than he would like.

After letting the beer foam sink down a bit, Beltram took a sip. He wanted to savor that first taste; not heavy like thick Guinness, and not wimpy like common American beers or even the Irish Harp beer. Smithwicks was even better with a good steak, but the stuff they served at Dougherty’s was just snack food or fattening burgers, and he didn’t want to add those extra calories to his waistline. That had been a battle he’d been fighting ever since he turned fifty and sitting much more at a desk.

He was fast approaching sixty years old—a little more than one year to go—and he wasn’t sure where his career could go from here. It was over twenty years ago that he had won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on certain American contractors scoring a financial windfall because of the Gulf War. That had led him to some notoriety. Then he had grabbed onto the first George Bush’s No new taxes gaffe and ridiculed him every chance he got. It was amazing how he could sway so many people with innuendo and repetition. That Bush quote was nothing, just like the Dan Quayle comment about single mothers; but a good reporter, especially one working for the prestigious New York Chronicle, had enormous power. His audience was fawning, and so many wanted to believe in the president’s incompetence, it wasn’t difficult to convert the doubters, who would then create their own version of how bad Bush was. Beltram felt that he, more than anyone else, had changed the course of history by getting an intellectual elected.

That took a little bit of effort. He had to downplay Clinton’s Rhodes scholarship and emphasize his backwoods Arkansas upbringing in a broken family. Get the people to think Clinton was someone just like themselves. Hide the flaws. Clinton was a philanderer, but so was Jack Kennedy. Reporters didn’t cover it then, and if it hadn’t been for the new internet, almost nobody would know it now. But as long as it didn’t get reported, most people would only take it as Republican rumor. Clinton only had to behave for a year. Even that wasn’t so bad, since people he knew didn’t judge sex outside marriage so harshly anymore. Getting Clinton elected, he thought. Now that was my biggest accomplishment.

Maybe that had been the peak of his career. But he was still a powerful force. A few years later a television network had considered him as a possible regular commentator. He was fairly handsome and brought an attractive small screen presence. He even appeared on air several times during the 1996 election cycle. He had been witty and insightful. But the TV executives thought he had sometimes paused too long to come up with those witty and insightful comments. And he was prone to get demonstrative with his hands whenever he became excited about something. Neither of these were considered positives for the television audience. So he was dropped from further consideration. Well, that was the advantage of writing. If you got stuck conjuring up a certain clever phrase you had time to mull it over. If you got mad or elated over something, your hands were too occupied to go flying off into the air. He still made an occasional TV appearance, but they were rare and short.

Yes, he could use a really good story right now. Politically, the major issues had mostly transformed into financial items. And that was a weakness of his. In the past he had such a problem balancing his checkbook that he gave up, just looking at the bank statement and transferring money when it looked like the account was low. Things were a bit simpler now since he began using his credit card freely. Then American Express did most of the adding up, and he only had to write out a couple checks each month. Pretty soon he would start having even that bill paid electronically, if he could figure out how to do it.

The big issues were with the economy. The recent presidents had jacked up the debt enormously, so they just authorized printing more money to pay for their bailouts and pet projects. This worked out for a while as long as the dollar was the global currency. But interest rates were starting to climb. With that came more inflation. Now other countries were getting leery of taking U.S. dollars, and there was serious talk about choosing a new global currency or even going back to a gold standard. With increased costs in Social Security, Medicare and nationalized medicine, plus the extra expense of increased interest payments on the debt, the U.S. was on the verge of financial collapse. But beyond these basics, he was pretty clueless about the subject—just like most of the people in Congress. At this point, he felt quite handicapped in this major area of the political arena, and he was afraid of sounding like a fool if he wrote about it. Invariably those bloggers on the internet would find some stupid error he made, and this would get around. No, he wouldn’t take the risk.

So Dan Beltram was brooding about his future. He couldn’t intelligently cover the new, hottest topics of the day. So there just didn’t seem to be anything out there for him. He wasn’t about to quit, but he became almost nauseous at the thought of fading into obscurity, or even losing his job at the Chronicle because he wasn’t producing. His beer was almost gone, and the tiniest bit of a buzz was starting in, but he turned down the waiter’s offer of a refill. He didn’t want to stay late and he didn’t want the pain of an overfilled bladder while taking public transportation back home.

"Excuse me. Aren’t you Mr. Beltram, Dan Beltram of the New York Chronicle?"

The woman’s voice at the side of his table suddenly aroused Beltram out of his brooding thoughts. He raised his eyes slightly and then looked to his right. There stood a woman, neatly dressed in a conservative grey suit. Her brown hair was cut to a length just above her shoulders. The cut was the kind that was easy to care for, yet still looked attractive. To his eyes she looked a bit thin, but it was hard to tell with her wearing a jacket.

Huh? was all he could muster after his quick scan.

"I’m sorry to interrupt you, but aren’t you Dan Beltram of the New York Chronicle?" she repeated