Bipolar WINTER. Samuel David Steiner

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СКАЧАТЬ to erase the scenes of corruption and profligacy he had witnessed in the Holy City. While he knew this was all part of the plan, that he needed to be shown such sin and debauchery to fuel his rebellion against the Church, he couldn’t help feeling genuine disgust at what had become of God’s Church.

      As his training resumed, the monks relaxed their usual harsh and punishing methods, the need to cultivate fear of the flesh no longer necessary. Instead, they focused on nurturing the seeds of the new doctrines that had already taken root within his mind.

      “You will need to lash out against us,” his tutors reminded him.

      “I am well aware of that,” Luther said. The full impact of what he would need to do both terrified and excited him, allowing doubt to creep in once again. He would be going against the most powerful men in the world, almost all of whom knew nothing of the truth behind his actions. But the thought of sparking a fire in the hearts of the people, inciting them to take control of their own salvation, pushed him forward.

      “You are destined to be part of God’s plan. You can and will carry out your mission,” his tutors continued. Luther nodded slowly. “And remember, we will always be watching.”

      On All Hallows’ Eve in 1517, Luther hammered his disputation, the Ninety-five Theses, to the door of the All Saints’ Church of Wittenberg, which his tutors found fitting. The treatise objected to Church practices in ways that had never been dared before and resonated with the people immediately. Luther didn’t have to wait long for a reaction. For a monk to speak out publicly against the Church as he did was tantamount to declaring war.

      By January, the printing presses were running continuously, distributing copies of the Ninety-five Theses throughout Germany. The peasants relished the David and Goliath story, siding with their newfound hero. People started questioning the tax-like tithes the Church demanded. The belief that they could find salvation without paying for indulgences took hold and spread like wildfire.

      While keeping up a front of outrage and disgust, Pope Leo X gave Martin a private blessing to start the Protestant Reformation soon after. He, like the popes before him, was well versed in Septem Montes and played his part zealously, depleting the Church's funds like no other pontiff before him. His feasts and boar hunts were infamous for their debauchery and gave Luther more fuel for his reformation, as he rallied the people against the sins of the clergy and their abuses of power and laid the foundation for his own religion.

      Few men knew this was the plan all along.

       Outside Worms, Germany

       1521

      The Diet of Worms had gone just as Martin Luther had expected. During the three-day trial, Luther had repeatedly been brought to face the council, presided over by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, himself. An honor to be sure, but one that would only help fuel Luther’s reformation. Monarchs, whether they be kings or emperors, should have no authority over the will of God.

      At first, Luther made a show of repentance, even going so far as to extend the trial by requesting time to consider his answer. But he had known the moment he was summoned to appear before the Diet what his answer would be. He refused to recant any of his writings, issuing a challenge to the council that unless it could convince him by Holy Scripture of his errors, he would recant nothing. The challenge went unmet, as the council was unable to support its accusations with scriptural evidence.

      His stand against the Church had not been well received by clergy, and the faithful were divided in their support. But it mattered little. Everything was going according to plan. Perhaps too well, Luther thought as he rode back to Wittenberg, Germany. He left the town of Worms before a final edict had been issued, but he already knew what the council’s decision would be. The emperor would declare Luther an outlaw, no doubt banning his writings and demanding his arrest.

      Despite Luther’s resolve, a shudder ran through him. He would face the very real possibility of being killed on sight. Being labeled a notorious heretic would provoke dogmatists to come after him. He couldn’t help wondering if Septem Montes had planned for this as well. Making him a martyr would surely fuel the revolts that had already broken out across Germany, solidifying his reformation. With only a few in the Church aware of the plan Pope Innocent VIII had entrusted to him three decades prior, Luther would need to act carefully going forward. He knew he had Pope Leo X's blessing, despite the fact the pontiff had issued an edict excommunicating him several months before. But Luther had little fear for his eternal soul. This was God’s Will, after all.

      Everything he had done was in accordance with Septem Montes, the Seven Hills Project Pope Julius II had devised half a century earlier.

      Lost in thought, Luther nearly missed the pounding of horse hooves behind him. He peered through the carriage's rear window, but despite the height of the May sun, the forest was dark, obscuring his view. Someone―rather, half a dozen someones―rapidly approached, a cloud of dust billowing behind them. Highwaymen? Fear compelled Luther to whip the reins, urging his horse to go faster, even though he knew there was no way a horse pulling a two-wheeled carriage could outrun a group of riders. Immediately, he regretted his decision to reject the offer of Prince Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, to secure safe passage for him to and from the trial. Yet once the emperor's decision was announced, even the prince himself would be punished for aiding Luther.

      “They're not here for me,” Luther told himself. How could anyone have possibly known he would be traveling this road? True, this was the most direct route to Wittenberg, but most travelers chose to go the long way, avoiding the forest entirely. Cast in shadow even at midday, the road through the dark forest was indeed disconcerting. Luther took this route for that very reason. The fewer people he encountered, the better.

      The six riders continued to barrel toward him. Luther pulled his hat further over his eyes and veered his coach to one side, hoping the riders would continue past without paying him any heed. He couldn't be overtaken now, not when he still had so much work to do. His reformation had only just begun.

      Within a heartbeat, the horsemen surrounded him, forcing his gig to a halt. He froze as each masked rider aimed an arrow at his chest. So they really were here to kill him. It didn’t matter whether their target was his money or his soul. Dying here would end everything. For all of his training to no longer fear the flesh, his heart raced and his hands became so slick with sweat Luther could scarcely keep hold of the reins. He said a silent prayer, begging the Lord to allow him to live long enough to complete his work. His tutors had insisted that should he not fulfill his role in Septem Montes, Luther would forfeit his salvation. Eternal damnation would be all that awaited him.

      He reached for the small coin purse tucked beneath his robes, hoping to barter for his life, only to hesitate when one of the men dismounted. Pulling his sword on Luther, the man climbed into the carriage. He pulled a length of rope from his pocket and tied Luther's hands together, securing them to the side of the gig. Then he retrieved a burlap sack from another pocket and after a moment's hesitation, pulled it over Luther's head. "Forgive us, Professor Luther," the man whispered.

      Just as Luther feared, this wasn’t a simple heist. The men were operating under someone's orders. But whose? For a moment, he worried that Pope Leo X had rescinded his promise, but Luther quickly dismissed it. Septem Montes was too important. Even if the pope were fool enough to go against the plan, others within the Church would never allow it. Still, doubt crept in—an uncertainty that had plagued him since the beginning. It didn’t have to be him. If he failed, the Church would simply start again. The work was important, but not necessarily the man.

      The reins cracked and the carriage lurched forward. Where are they taking me? Fear began to smother Luther, more suffocating than the burlap hood secured СКАЧАТЬ