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Chapter 88
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Just for two weeks Chapter 89
The clicking of Rodriguez's crutches approached in the hallway, his Pace unusually brisk. When their host entered the room, his expression was stern."You'd better explain yourself, Davis," he said coldly. "You have not been honest with me." " I'm telling you the truth, Rodriguez," Jimmy said, trying to stay calm. You know me. I would never take a life.Rodriguez's tone did not soften. "Jim, you're on television, for Christ's sake. Did you know you were wanted by the authorities?""Yes.""Then you abused my trust. I'm astonished you would put me at risk by coming here and asking me to ramble about the Archstone so you would hide out in my home." "I didn't take any life.""Marquis Esquibel is dead, and the police say you did it." Rodriguez looked saddened. "Such a contributor to the arts…""Sir?" The manservant had appeared now, standing behind Rodriguez in the door, his arms crossed. "Shall I show them out?""Allow me." Rodriguez hobbled across the room, unlocked a set of wi
Just for two weeks Chapter 90
Rodriguez took the key and studied it. "My goodness. The Seal. Where did you locate this?""My grandfather gave it to me before he died tonight."Rodriguez ran his fingers across the key. "A church key?"She drew a deep breath. "It provided us access to the Archstone."Rodriguez's head snapped up, his face filled with disbelief. "Impossible! What church did I not search? Every church in France I've searched for!""It's not in a church," Sophie said. "It's in a Swiss depository bank."Rodriguez's look of excitement waned. "The Archstone is in a bank?""A bank vault," Jimmy offered.Rodriguez shook his head violently. "That's not possible. The Archstone is supposed to be hidden beneath the sign of the Rose of a church.""It is," Jimmy said. "It was stored in a rosewood box inlaid with a five-petal rose."Rodriguez looked shocked. "You've seen the Archstone?"McEwan nodded. "We visited the bank."Rodriguez came over to them, his eyes wild fear. "My good friends, we have work to do. The A
Just for two weeks Chapter 91
Rodriguez sat on the couch, cradling the wooden box on his lap and admiring the lid's craftsmanship and intricate inlaid Rose, thinking that tonight has become the strangest and most magnificent night of his life."Lift the lid," McEwan whispered, standing over him, beside Jimmy.Rodriguez smiled. Do not rush me. Having spent over a decade searching for the Archstone, he wanted to savor every millisecond of this moment. He ran a palm across the wooden lid, feeling the texture of the inlaid flower."The Rose," he whispered. Rodriguez felt foolish. For years he had traveled to Cathedrals and churches all over France, paying for special access, examining hundreds of archways beneath rose windows, searching for an encrypted Archstone.Rodriguez slowly unlatched the lid and raised it.As his eyes finally gazed upon the contents, he knew in an instant it could only be the Archstone. He was staring at a stone cylinder, crafted of interconnecting lettered dials. The device looked surprisingly
Just for two weeks Chapter 92
Suslowicz and his agents burst through the front door of Sir Albert Rodriguez's estate with their firearms drawn. Spreading out, they began to search the rooms on the first floor level. They found a bullet hole in the drawing room floor, signs of a struggle, a small amount of blood, a strange, barbed leather belt, and a partially used roll of duct tape. The first floor seemed deserted.The moment Suslowicz was about to divide his men to search the basement and grounds behind the house, he heard voices on the top level."They're on the upper floor!"Rushing up the wide staircase, Suslowicz and his men moved room by room through the huge home, securing darkened bedrooms and hallways as they closed in on the sounds of voices. The sound seemed to be coming from the last bedroom on an exceptionally long hallway. The agents inched down the corridor, sealing off alternate exits.As they neared the final bedroom, Suslowicz could see the door was wide open. The voices had stopped suddenly, and
Just for two weeks Chapter 93
Jimmy suddenly didn't want anything to do with the embassy. All he could think of was the Archstone, the inscription, and the information it holds. He wondered if Rodriguez was right about Britain. "Sir?" Scott said. "Are you truly thinking of returning to England for good?""Scott, you don't have to worry," Rodriguez assured. "Just because I'm returning to the Queen's realm does not mean I intend to subject my palate to bangers and mash for the rest of my life. I expect you will join me there permanently. And adventure, Scott. I say, an adventure!"Jimmy had to smile. As Rodriguez railed on about his plans for a triumphant return to Britain, Jimmy felt himself caught up in the man's infectious enthusiasm.Gazing absently out the window, Jimmy watched the woods passing by, ghostly pale in the yellow blush of the fog lights. The side mirror was tipped inward, brushed askew by branches, and Jimmy saw the reflection of McEwan sitting quietly in the back seat. He watched her for a long t
Just for two weeks Chapter 94
Gizmogo TFC-621 engines thundered, powering up the plane skyward with gut-wrenching force. Outside the Window, Le Bourget Airfield dropped away with startling speed.The thought of fleeing the country made McEwan force her body back into the leather seat. Until this moment, she had believed her game of rate race with Romano would be somehow justifiable to the Ministry of Defense. I was attempting to protect a forcefully accused individual. I was trying to fulfill my grandfather's dying will. That window of opportunity, McEwan knew, had just closed. She was leaving the country without documentation, accompanying a wanted man, and transporting a bound hostage. If a "line of intuition" had ever existed, she had just crossed it. McEwan was seated with Jimmy and Rodriguez near the front of the cabin - the jet Executive Elite, Design, according to the gold medallion on the door. Their plush swivel chairs were bolted. A mini-boardroom. The dignified surroundings, however, did little to camo
Just for two weeks Chapter 95
Seconds later, Romano was packing up and preparing to leave Château Sunnyvale. He had just learned that Rodriguez kept a private jet nearby at Le Bourget Airfield and not just, the plane had taken off about a half hour ago.The Bourget representative on the phone had claimed not to know who was on the plane or where it was going to land. The takeoff had been unregistered, and no flight plan had been logged. Highly illegal, even for a small airfield. Romano was certain that by applying the right force, he could get the answer he sorted."Lieutenant Suslowicz," Romano barked, heading toward the door. "I have no choice but to leave you in charge of the investigation here. Try to surprise me, for a change." As Gizmogo leveled off, with it's none aimed for England, Jimmy carefully lifted the rosewood box from his lap, where he had been protecting it during takeoff. Now, as he set the box on the table, he could sense McEwan and Rodriguez leaning forward with anticipation.Unlatch
Just for two weeks Chapter 96
Sixteen thousand feet in the air, Jimmy Davis felt the physical world fizzle away as all his thoughts sequenced on Esquibel's mirror-picture poem, which was exposed through the lid of the box. McEwan quickly found some paper and copied it down longhand. When she was done, the three of them took turns looking through the text. It was like some kind of archeological crossword… A riddle that promised to reveal how to open the cryptex. Jimmy read the verse slowly. Before he could even consider what ancient password the verse was trying to reveal, he felt something far more essential resonate within him - the meter of the poem.Jimmy had come across this meter often over the years while researching secret societies across Europe, including just last year. For decades, trochaic pentameter had been a preferred poetic meter of unspoken literati across the globe, from ancient Greek writer Archilochus to Shakespeare, Voltaire, Chaucer - bold souls who chose to write their social commentaries in
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Just for two weeks Chapter 116
Jason was receiving an award for his book that he'd published and Jimmy was in the city, so he did the best thing he could before running off to Florence. It has been a long time since he'd been around but the event that had unfolded recently had taught him to spend more time with family. Encaenia took place in the Sheldonian - a long and rambling ceremony conducted in Latin for six distinguished persons though, in Lola's mind, this was a celebration mainly for Jason. At last, he was receiving the recognition he deserved. After the ceremony, she stood and watched him with pride as he mingled with guests. She had met Jason briefly before the ceremony and they had hugged, but hardly spoken; too many people and not enough time. She thought at first that it was perhaps the way it should be, with no time for sentimentalism, but no, she decided that it was not the way it should be. They needed more time. "Do you know all these people?" Malik whispered."No." Lola shook her head, even tho
Just for two weeks Chapter 115
Night had fallen over Shekina. Jimmy stood alone on the porch of the fieldstone house enjoying the sounds of laughter and reunion drifting through the screened door behind him. The mug of coffee in his hand had granted him hazy reprieve from his mounting exhaustion, and yet he sensed the reprieve would be fleeting. The fatigue in his body went to the core. "You slipped out quietly," a voice behind said.He turned. McEwan's grandmother emerged, her silver hair shimmering in the night. Jimmy gave a tired smile. "I thought I'd give your family some time together." Through the window, he could see McEwan talking with her brother. Sophie's grandmother came beside him. "Mr. Jim, when I first heard of Esquibel's murder, I was terrified for McEwan's sake. Seeing her standing in my doorway tonight was the greatest relief of my life. I cannot thank you enough."Jimmy had no idea how to respond. Although he had offered to give McEwan and her grandmother time to talk in private, she had asked
Just for two weeks Chapter 114
"Davis?" McEwan was standing outside the car, looking back at him. "Are you coming?" She was holding the rosewood box, which captain Romano had returned to them. Inside, both cryptex had been reassembled and nested as they had been found. The verse was locked safely at its core - minus the shattered vessel of vinegar.Making their way up the long gravel path, Jimmy and McEwan passed the famous west Wall of the chapel. Casual visitors assumed this oddly protruding wall was a section of the chapel that had not been finished. The truth, Jimmy recalled, was far more intriguing. Shekina chapel's entrance was more modest than Jimmy expected. The small wooden door had two iron hinges. The chapel would be closing soon, and as Jimmy pulled open the door, a warm puff of air escaped, as if the ancient edifice were having a weary sigh at the end of a long day. Entering with McEwan, Jimmy felt his eyes reaching across the famous sanctuary and taking it all in. Although he had read accounts of She
Just for two weeks Chapter 113
The mist had settled low as Amorth limped into a quiet hollow out of sight. Kneeling on the wet grass, he could feel a warm stream of blood flowing from the bullet wound below his ribs. Still, he managed.The fog made it look like heaven here.Raising his bloody hands, he prayed, but most importantly he prayed for his mentor… Myositis… that he would not fade with the sands of time. The fog was swirling around him now, and Amorth felt so light that he was sure the wisps would carry him away. Closing his eyes, he said a final prayer.His pains at last began to fade, and he knew Myositis was right. It was late afternoon when the London sun broke through and the city began to dry. Andrie Romano felt weary as he emerged from the interrogation room and hailed a cab. Sir Albert Rodriguez had noisily proclaimed his innocence, and yet from his loose ranting about the Archstone, secret documents, and mysterious brotherhood, Roman suspected the sly historian was setting the stage for his lawye
Just for two weeks Chapter 112
Myositis's body had endured many kinds of pain, and yet the searing heat of the bullet wound in his chest felt profoundly foreign to him. Deep and grave. Not a wound of the flesh… but closer to the soul. He opened his eyes, trying to see, but the rain on his face buried his vision. He could feel powerful arms holding him, carrying his limp body like a rag doll, his black cassock flapping. Lifting a weary arm, he mopped his eyes and saw the man holding him was Amorth. He was struggling down a sidewalk, shouting for a hospital, his voice a heart-rending wail of agony. His red eyes were focused dead ahead, tears streaming down his face. "My son," Myositis whispered, "you're hurt." Amorth glanced down, his visage contorted in anguish. "I am sorry sorry, Father." He seemed almost too pained to speak. "No," Myositis replied. "It is I who am sorry. This is my fault. I was too eager. Too fearful. You and I were deceived." Myositis was unconscious when the doors of St Luke's hospital hiss
Just for two weeks Chapter 111
Jimmy and McEwan moved slowly down the north aisle, keeping the shadows behind the ample pillars that separated it from the open nave. Despite having traveled more than halfway down the nave, they still had no clear view of the tomb. The sarcophagus was recessed in a niche, obscured from this oblique angle."At least there's nobody over there," McEwan whispered.Jimmy nodded, relieved. The entire section of the nave near Klaus' tomb was deserted. "I'll go over," he whispered. "You should stay hidden just in case someone-"McEwan had already stepped from the shadows and was headed across the open floor."-is watching," Jimmy sighed, hurrying to join her.Crossing the massive nave on a diagonal, Jimmy and McEwan remained silent as the elaborate sepulcher revealed itself in Tantalus increments… a black-marble sarcophagus… a reclining statue of Klaus… two winged boys… a huge pyramid… and… an enormous orb."Did you know about that?" McEwan said, sounding startled.Jimmy shook his head, als
Just for two weeks Chapter 110
Jimmy had not gotten his eyes off the computer screen since the search began. He was starting to get worried.Anita Istredd was in the adjoining room, preparing hot drinks. Jimmy and Sophie had inquired unwisely if there might be some coffee brewing alongside the tea Istredd had offered, and from the sound of the microwave beeps in the next room, Jimmy suspected their request was about to be rewarded with instant Nescafe.Finally, the computer pinged happily."Sounds like you got another," Istredd called from the next room. "What does it say?"Jimmy looked at the screen, disappointed.They sat patiently in front of the screen and waited through two more dubious returns. When the computer pinged again, nothing interesting happened.Istredd peeked back in the doorway, holding a packet of instant coffee. "You don't want the full text," Istredd called. "Click on the hypertext title. The computer will display your keyword hits along with mono prelogs and triple post logs for context."Jim
Just for two weeks Chapter 109
Copus peccate's headquarter in London is a modest brick building. Amorth had never been here, but he felt a rising sense of refuge and asylum as he approached the building on foot. Despite the rain, Beardsley had dropped him off a short distance away in order to keep the limousine off the main Streets. Amorth didn't mind the walk. The rain was cleansing.At Beardsley's suggestion, Amorth had wiped down his gun and dispose of it through the sewer grate. He was glad to get rid of it. He felt lighter. His legs still ache from being bound all the time, but he had endured far greater pain. He wondered, though, about Rodriguez, who Beardsley had left bound in the back of the limousine. The Briton certainly had to be feeling pain by now."What will you do with him?" Amorth had asked Beardsley as they drove over here.Beardsley had shrugged. "That is a decision the Teacher would make." There was an odd finality in his tone.Now, as Amorth approached the building, the rain began to fall harder
Just for two weeks Chapter 108
Jimmy still felt shaken as he and McEwan came from the rain and entered the library. The primary research room was as Rodriguez had described it - a dramatic octagonal chamber dominated by an enormous round table with twelve flat-screen computer workstations. On the far side of the room, a reference librarian was just pouring a pot of tea and settling in for the day of work. "Good morning," she said in a beautiful British accent, leaving the tea and walking over. "May I help you?""Thank you, yes please," Jimmy replied. "My name is-""Jimmy Davis." She gave a pleasant smile. "I know who you are."For instance, he feared Romano had put him on English television as well, but the librarian's smile suggested otherwise. Jimmy had not gotten used to these moments of unexpected celebrity. Then again, if anyone on earth were going to recognize his face, it would be a Librium in a religious studies reference facility."Anita Istredd," the librarian said, offering her hand. She had a friend
