I BLOOD FOR THE POPE

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GLADIUS DOMINI SUPER T E R R A M CITO ET

VELOCITER! I HAVE SEEN THE DIVINE SW ORD STR IK IN G

M A N 'S LAND! I HAVE SEEN R IVERS OF

ROME IS NO LONGER A HOLY CITY! IT HAS

BECOME A HOTBED OF SIN AND INIQUITY!

CITIZENS ARE BEING M , ATTACKED IN THE .

STREETS AND THEIR $ K HOMES LOOTED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!

THE HIGHER CLERGY SELLS INDULGENCES FOR THE M O ST IGNOBLE OF CR IM ES! EVEN THE POPE D A R E S SELL G O D 'S PARDON!

C A R D IN A LS ACCEPT B R IB E S AND KEEP M IST R E S SE S ! SHAME. CORRUPTION AND LUST HOLD SW AY! .

G O D 'S ANG ER ANNO U NCES THE

RETURN OF PLAGUES AND FAMINE!

PATHETICFANATIC!

WE MUST KEEP AN EYE ON THAT MADMAN SAVONAROLA. THE MOST POWERFUL DYNASTIES HAVE BEEN OVERTHROWN BY FANATICS WHO

WERE CERTAIN THEY KNEW THE TRUTH...

OTHERS HAVE BEEN OVERTHROWN BY RULERS OF SMALL

PROVINCES WHO FELT THEY HADNT BEEN RECEIVED WITH DUE RESPECT... /

TODAY, HIS HOLINESS'S FAILING HEALTH WILL

ONLY ALLOW HIM TO RECEIVE CARDINAL ROD-

V RIGO BORGIA... i

WHAT SORT OF FARCE IS THIS? INNOCENT VIII. WOULD RATHER SEE A SPANISH DOG L THAN THE LION OF

RIMINI?

THE POPE WILL HAVE TO COME TO MY PALACE ON HIS KNEES, IF HE WANTS

ME TO TAKE PART IN HIS RIDICU- LOUS CRUSADE A G A IN S T ^

THE TURKS! 7 ^

STOP HIM, GUARDS!

SIGNOR MALATESTA, IT IS ADVISABLE THAT

YOU COME BACK WHEN YOU FEEL

CALMER!

YOUR SMILE WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO TEARS

OF BLOOD! BY GOD, ~ I SW EAR IT!

STOP BEHAVING AS IF YOU WERE THE LORD

OF THE LAND... PRIDE IS THE MOST TERRIBLE OF SINS...

ENOUGH! NONE OF THESE MEDICINES

ARE OF ANY USE!

LOOK CLOSELY AT ME, YOU HOPELESS IDIOTS! I AM

NOTHING BUT A SHADE! I'M BEING CONSUMED BY AN

ICY FIRE!

FRANCE, SPAIN AND EVEN THOSE DAMN TURKS ARE ALL TRYING TO DEVOUR ME! I MUST RECOVER MY STRENGTH... WITHOUT ME, THERE . WILL BE NO MORE ROME!

CURSED BE THIS MISER ABLE DIVIDED PENINSULA WHERE EACH CITY-STATE VIES TO BECOME MORE POWERFUL THAN THE HOLY - CHURCH!

MOVE BACK! DONT TOUCH ME! I HAVE NO NEED OF USELESS HYPOCRITES!

LOCK UP THIS WOMAN AND FEED HER WELL.

I'LL SUCK AT HER BREAST TWICE

A DAY.

GIVE ME BACK MY

BABYI

EVEN THOUGH GOD HAS STRIPPED ME OF MY LAST SHREDS OF STRENGTH, AT LEAST HE HAS LEFT ME ONE FAITHFUL FRIEND.

AND FEED THE LITTLE MONSTER

TO THE DOGS!

MOST HOLY VICAR OF CHRIST, I HAVE ALSO BROUGHT YOU SOME

YOUNGBLOOD... .

DON'T WORRY, YOUR HOLINESS... JUST ONE

GOOD... HERE, DEAR CHILDREN... HERE'S A

BLESSED DUCAT...

THANK YOU, YOUR

HOLINESS...

IT ISN 'T DANGER

OUS, IS IT ?

DOMINUSVOBISCUM.

VOLENTI NON FIT INJURIA...

DONT BE AFRAID! YOUNG PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE TOO MUCH BLOOD. YOU WILL FEEL SO MUCH LIGHTER AFTERWARDS,/ YOU'LL PRACTICALLY BE ABLE TO FLY..

HAAA! I FEEL MUCH BETTER... BONUM VINUM

LAETIFICAT COR v HOMINIS... A

WE HAVE A MINOR TECHNICAL PROBLEM, YOUR HOLINESS... THE DONORS ARE DEAD...AH! AH!

LIFE ONCE AGAIN COURSE THROUGH MY

VEINS!

then THEY ARE W BLESSED... THEY MAY HAVE

LOST THEIR LIVES BUT THEY HAVE , WON PARADISE FOR ALL ETERNITY.

TAKE BACK TWO DUCATS... THEY CAN 60 TOWARDS MY CRUSADE /

v AGAINST THE TURKS... /

f I ACCEPT IT OUT OF ' DEVOTION RATHER THAN

SELF-INTEREST, FOR HOW COULD I TURN DOWN A GIFT FROM GOD'S OWN REPRE-,

SENTATIVE ON EARTH? j f '

' IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION FOR YOUR SERVICES, I GRANT YOU THE ABBEY OF SUBIACO,

ITS TWO CONVENTS, ITS VINEYARDS AND /\

V FORESTS... M

\ j jA J T 4 i t 11 / III (Uk ! i I/ \ T l l . |J H i

IT'S GOD'S PUNISHMENT AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ESCAPE IT! SELF-FLAGGELATION IS OF NO USE. SINNERS! THE PLAGUE WILL HOUND YOU TILL THE END OF THE EARTH! ROME IS NOTHING BUT A WHORE AND MUST BE EXTERMINATED!

COME NOW, ' SHOW MORE DEVOTION,

SOME MORE ENERGY! YOU SHOULD ALL SEEK TO BE TOUCHED BY THE GRACE OF GOD AT THE SAME

TIME...

CATASTROPHE, MASTER! THE

PLAGUE!

PLEASE EXCUSE ME, MASTER... BUT THE

DISEASE HAS REACHED THE HOME OF YOUR FA- ^ VORITE, VANOZZA k CATANEI...

YOU'RE THE PLAGUE, MICHE LETTO! HOW DARE YOU IN

TERRUPT THIS SACRED . EVENT?

LET WE THROUGH!

IM SORRY, CARDINAL BUT OUR ORDERS ARE TO LET NO ONE IN. THE PLAGUE MUST NOT BE

ALLOWED TO a SPREAD...

YOU CAN'T STOP ME FROM GOING IN! MY

FAMILY LIVES IN THIS HOUSE!

IF YOU HAVE NO RESPECT FOR GOD'S AUTHORITY, SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR THESE

DUCATS...

THE PLAGUE STRIKES BOTH, SINNERS AND SAINTS. MY

ORDERS ARE CLEAR: NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO ENTER THIS

CURSED PLACE...

I C A N T CONVINCE THEM

YOU DO IT!

A A A R G H !GAAAHH!

DAMN. o u G h H!!

QUICK! COME!YOU'LL BE RE

WARDED LATER...

MY CHILDREN, MAY GOD WELCOME YOU IN HIS HOLY MAN

SION...

MY GREATEST \ 1/ REWARD IS TO

SERVE YOU, MASTER!

MY MISTRESS'S ^ SERVANTS AND HER DEAREST FRIENDS...

DEATH HAS NO MODESTY AND GOD IS MERCI- a

LESS... ^

IT'S GIORGIO DE GROCE, AN IMPO- TANT OLD MAN THAT I MARRIED OFF TO VANOZZA SO I COULD VISIT HER WITH NO

PROBLEM!