courtyard of Castel Gandolfo
he had seen the Pope on a
balcony making the same
speech in seven languages for
a crowd of pilgrims and the
only thing, indeed, that had
drawn his attention was the
whiteness of his hands, which
seemed to have been soaked
in lye, the dazzling shine of
his summer clothing, and the
hidden breath of cologne.
Almost a year after his