Nikolas graduated with the highest honors at the Royal Naval Academy and was stationed at the Marine Base in Piraeus. He was chosen to accompany a small team of naval officers to London and then to the United States to scout the market for military vessels. Greece also needed larger and more powerful cannons for their naval destroyers. The British intelligence had informed the Greek and American embassies about the German and Italian buildup of weapons and manpower.
War in Europe was becoming inevitable, and soon both countries would have to decide what their positions would be, and how best to prepare. It was clear which side Greece would be on. So Nikolas was on his way to America, his first trip outside of Greece. The year was 1938.
* * *
"Elder Agatha! Elder Agatha! A helicopter is landing on the other side of the field!" cried an excited Despina.
"Despina, please stay here. I'll go and see," answered Abbess Agatha.
The Abbess rushed toward the helicopter, her long black garments wildly flowing from the forced air of the still-spinning blades. A familiar silhouette emerged, trying to hold a straw hat, which blew away into the wind. The man tried to hold down the few thin hairs dancing on his balding head.
"Well, well, speak of the evil one!" Agatha said to herself when she recognized that it was Dr. Tsipras. She stood straight in front of him, wondering what he, of all people, was doing here in this place. How had he found her and why did he suddenly have the nerve to come here after all these years, bringing his evil to this holy place?
"Anna, don't look at me like that," pleaded a trembling Dr. Tsipras. "Anna, I need to talk to you."
The Abbess took a step closer. "Abbess Agatha to you," she said sternly.
"Okay, okay, Abbess ... Ag ... Can we go inside?"
"I don't think so. And don't you ever mention my name again, ever!"
"Okay. I see loneliness has made a bitter person out of you," sneered the doctor.
"No, just more able to recognize evil."
"And how do you do that?"
Abbess Agatha stared at him. "By just looking."
They walked to the knee-high wall at the edge of the cliff and sat. "Anna ... I ..."
She stopped him with a movement of her hand and asked him, "I told you never to use my name again! Why did you come here?"
"I told you I have a lot to talk to you about ... Let's say I have some good news and some bad news." Anna raised her eyebrows. He continued, "The good news is that Nikolas is alive. The bad news is he is out looking for you, but he is not the Nikolas you knew." The doctor battled with a dry cough. "I don't know if you want to see him. He's gotten older ... He's changed ... He's deranged and dangerous. I am here to protect you." He glanced down the sheer cliff.