July 1960 Barcelona, Kingdom of Spain
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Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, commonly know as Sagrada Família, sat like a great brooding monolith in the heart of Barcelona. Begun in 1882, it was now only three quarters of the way completed and workers still swarmed over the building from dawn to dusk. Once it had been funded by private donation but now, in a revived Spanish Kingdom, the Royal treasury was "donating" a portion of the taxes it collected toward the buildings construction.
 
For Grand Inquisitor Juan José Omella of his majesties most Holy Inquisition that "donation" rankled. There had been a time in the Churches history where it collected its own taxes and was powerful enough to rival the power of the royal family but the late King, Alfonso XIII, had refused to return that power when he reinstituted the monarchy. Instead Churches had to rely on private donations and basic tax exemptions, based on the American model of organized religion. His Majesty had found a use for a resurrected Inquisition however.
 
Though many still referred to the Inquisition as the [i]Hounds of God[/i], their attachment to the Catholic Church as an institution was symbolic at best. No longer did they seek to hunt out radicals, heretics, or witches. Now they served as a Royal secret police that answered only to the King and Royal Council. Even then, their powers had been limited. They held no authority to arrest anyone in the Military or the National Police Service, only to observe and report to the Royal Council. Omella himself sat on that Royal Council, the largely secretive group that ran the country while the young King broke every conceivable commandment. One law for the poor, another for the King. 
 
Omella had slowly been rebuilding the power of the Inquisition over the past fifteen years, and the money that flowed to the Sagrada Família was proof of that. While it was certainly a religious building, it also served as the Headquarters of the Inquisition. In exchange for his support on other matters, members of the Royal Council had voted more powers to Omella. It was a slow process but he was a patient man.
 
Now, as he frowned up at the huge building, something else was bothering him. He, and the other members of the Royal Council, had worked tirelessly to solidify their positions and grab as much power for themselves as they could, the sheep required shepherds afterall. But it seemed the sheep might be awakening to the power of their shepherd. The influence of Communists in the working classes was gaining strength every day and he could see it even in the workers on his beautiful building. Every day the men came to work and more of them wore a red bandana or scarf about their waist.
 
On the other side were the Royalists, the wealthy who drove by him everyday and sneered up his building and his ambition. They were not safe from his reach but one had to tread carefully. Many had children who had become close to the King and it was unwise to anger such a petulant child. The Royalists controlled the government, there was no doubt about that, and with it most of the money in the Kingdom.
 
The third faction was the one that worried him most. The Nationalists. They were quieter in their movements and had so far managed to thwart his attempts to infiltrate their meetings. They were found among the military and police throughout the country. All he knew was the name of their leaders, one Captain Martín Fernández de Navarrete, and Colonel Francsico De Le Cal Delgado. Both were highly decorated military veterans and part of a younger officer core that was not of noble birth. Both harboured a certain... hatred, to ward the Royal Council for how it had decreed that all flag officers must have noble blood.
 
The High Inquisitor was not a betting man, but he was certain that when, not if, but when strife came to Spain, one of those two men would be found at its heart. The only real question left to him now was who he would support when the time came to chose sides. He had no doubt the usefulness of the Inquisition would not be lost any side. Well, maybe the Communists, their bleeding heart ideals were coming south from France and nothing good ever came from France. He very much doubted they would have any interest in keeping the Inquisition around.