The president's chief of staff paced up and down outside the stateroom where the two men were meeting. Finally he knocked softly on the door. “Mr. President, we must be on our way. They're waiting for us in Washington.” The door opened, and the president and Calvaux emerged from the stateroom. “Your Eminence, I apologize. My staff keeps me on schedule—too much so sometimes.” There was a hint of impatience in the president's voice. The president ushered Cardinal Calvaux to the door of Air Force One. A light rain was falling as the two men shook hands. “Tell Pope Benedict, the First Lady and I are looking for some excuse to come visit him. Perhaps tonight we've found one.” “His Holiness would be pleased if you would come.” A Marine sergeant opened an umbrella and escorted Calvaux down the wet boarding ramp to the tarmac. As Calvaux watched from the ground, the door of Air Force One slowly closed and the ramp pulled back from the aircraft. Two secret service agents walked around the plane with flashlights doing a final check of the tires and the landing gear.
