Manipulation

Since childhood, Matteo has been a member of a powerful secret society that, under the guidance of the Master—a skilled manipulator—brings together prominent figures from a wide variety of institutions. After his initiation ritual, Matteo is promoted and tasked with contacting Father Vitus, who is of enormous importance to the society. But Matteo witnesses horrific schemes and begins to get to the bottom of the matter, partly through conversations with Anna. Anna’s father, Juraj, belongs—like Vitus—to a secret order within the Church, the Master’s enemy. While Vitus wavers between the pursuit of power and moral principles, the Master infiltrates the Church on multiple levels. A professor in Bologna explains to Matteo how cults operate, and he realizes that he is part of a fanatical organization. Of all people, Juraj persuades him to reveal what he knows to the investigative journalist Ivan—with unpredictable consequences whose full scope no one can foresee.