Episode 5--Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

(Note: No two fansubbers can agree on whether the Duchess of Milan's given name should be spelled Catarina, Caterina or Catherina. Her human original's name was spelled Caterina, so I will be using that.)

Esther is awed by the grandeur of Rome --"the pinnacle of human culture"--and wonders if she'll really be all right here. Abel reassures her: she'll be with him, after all, and "Rome is like my backyard". But at the Vatican gate he can't find his ID and it's a bit embarrassing until he's vouched for by an arriving nun, Noelle Bor, who remarks that "Abel-kun" hasn't changed a bit and conducts them inside. Esther is briefly intimidated by the self-assured and very shapely Noelle (she makes the armed guard blush and stammer just by winking at him =).

They have an audience with Caterina, who commends Esther on her role in settling the Istvan matter. She's a good deal less kind to Abel, who is very pointedly scolded and outright insulted for his immature behavior. He protests, with much self-pity; Esther is surprised (and a little scandalized) by how familiarly Abel addresses the stately Duchess. Also in attendance is Father Vaclav Havel, whom Caterina dispatches with a message for William; he leaves with Noelle and Esther.

Noelle apologizes for not having time to take Esther sightseeing but she says it's OK, she's more interested in learning her job as quickly as possible. Noelle explains that they work for the Department of Ecclesiastical Affairs--basically, of foreign affairs--and specifically for its special agency, AX, which has "the task of doing what can't be resolved through words alone". They find William's office in a shambles--some recent invention has blown up ("Again?" sighs Noelle). But he greets them all courteously and is introduced to Esther. Havel asks if he has time--his message concerns Father Watteau. The Professor is instantly serious: did Hugue do something again? Father Havel replies somberly that it's just the opposite, they haven't heard from him in four months. William sniffs that "that kid gets obsessed easily". ("that kid" is Father Hugue de Watteau, a fellow-member of AX.)

William proudly demonstrates an invention that can track any person by the "ultra-low-frequency electromagnetic waves" generated by an individual's own magnetic force. He swears it's worked fine before, but it nearly shatters the ears of his three guests until Sister Kate arrives and shuts it down, angrily saying she'd thought they were under attack ("Are you trying to destroy my radar?") . She delivers an indignant "why don't you grow up" lecture much like the one Caterina gave Abel ("--and you call yourself a gentleman of Albion!")==while Esther is marveling at the presence of the transparent lady. [You'll recall that Sister Kate never leaves her ship, the Iron Maiden, and appears on Earth only as a hologram.=)] Vaclav explains that Kate and William are both from Albion (i.e., they’re British) and have known each other a long time.

Kate sends Noelle and Esther off to tea with a note of apology for William's careless behavior; Noelle remarks that Kate's herb tea is a specialty of AX (and Esther says it's delicious). She asks Esther if she's even been to Albion; Esther wistfully says it's her father's country but she's never been there herself, and wonders what it's like. (It's mentioned that Noelle's special ability as an AX agent is the ability to see people's feelings, which she sees as colors.) Noelle says "I see the color blue…and your hopefulness," and says it's certainly possible that she'll visit Albion someday. Esther has a flashback to Abel's assurance that he's on her side, and wonders why she's thinking of him, actually shaking her head to dismiss the memory. Noelle asks what's wrong and Esther fumbles a moment, then says Father Nightroad and Caterina-sama seem to get along very well. Noelle says those two have known each other since before the founding of AX; she sighs and says she (herself) just can't leave Abel-kun alone. Her tone is thoughtful. Caterina-sama is such a strong lady, she says; I'm sure there's nothing she's afraid of or confused about…

Cut to Abel and Caterina talking in the Vatican. The tone between them is totally different now that they're alone, they talk as equals, serious and quiet over their tea; the self-pitying buffoon and the autocratic duchess are nowhere in sight. (One suspects they've both agreed to downplay Abel's real status and power when in public.)== Abel tells her that the Rosen Kreuz were pulling the strings. The Rosen Kreuz Orden, enemy of the world…she looks deeply troubled. "Caterina-san..." he says gently. Ten years, and nothing's changed, says the Duchess...

Flashback: We see her as a little girl in a handsome antique garden; a falling star turns into a missile that plunges into the river. In a manor house, fanged, cloaked intruders cut a woman's throat. We see Abel folded over in grief, dressed in uniform, a dead, redhaired woman in similar dress lying nearby. [Remember his flashback in episode 2.] The vampires take flight; Abel appears in his Krusnik form and the vampires die. He approaches child Caterina, crying in the garden, who asks him who he is. Splattered with blood but smiling his sweet smile, he says that he must protect all humans, and holds out his hand to her. She takes it.

Esther's lost in an elaborate garden. Looking for Noelle, she comes across a young man crying in a secluded alcove. He's shocked at being discovered. She sympathizes with him, then decides that if they're both lost they should set off together to find directions, and hauls him off by the arm, cheerily saying she's sure it's easy to get lost in such a huge place. He gathers himself and says he's not lost--he ran away because his older brother yelled at him. He must be scary, she offers, but the boy denies that--he's so wise and strong, he says; so different from me. That's why...*snif*...my older brother hates me... Esther dries his tears with her lace handkerchief and says his brother is probably worrying about him. Enter Tres, who says that he'll take her to Noelle, but needs an explanation for the presence of "Your Holiness": yup, Esther's been chatting cozily with the Supreme Pontiff. Is he the Pope? --she blurts in shock. Positive, says Tres grimly. Attendants whisk him away and Esther goes with Tres, realizing too late that the Pope still has her hankie.

Abel confesses that he too gets lost here a lot. So much for "Rome is like my backyard". [Yeah, like "tourist map of Edo"...]

And Caterina is saying thoughtfully "Abel and Esther Blanchett…"

...go on to Episode Six.

...return to Trinity Blood Episode Guide.