Lenny bit down on the middle of his bottom lip to stop a smile. He’d had so many conversations with people since arriving here, and no one seemed interested in asking the right questions. He understood that people were confused by him, or unsure what to make of his aggressive stance or crude vocabulary, but being struck by his performance only meant they were missing the message. Matt, at least, was getting a little bit closer. “I’m very happy being the Pope. I’m just not happy with what the ‘Pope’ always represents to people. The Church has strayed so far from the path that Christ laid out for it.”
The Pope folded his arms across his chest and slid forward in his seat, letting his knees press into the bench in front of them. He tilted his head towards Matthew and turned his gaze to look at the side of Matt’s face. “You’re paying attention. It’s so much easier to pay attention when something excites you, isn’t it? You’re listening to me not because I’m the Pope, but because I’m not the Pope you expected. It’s time to wake the masses.”