‘The King of France and Pope agreed in 1307 that the alliance must not be allowed to continue. Yet even in their wisdom, they knew that the Templar order was too diverse for such heresy to be unanimous. Therefore, it was agreed that the true servants of Catholicism would be allowed to escape, setting up a new base in Scotland, away from religious scrutiny. There, our base was set, and with us, all that had made the order great. As for those whose religion did not match our own, their fate was to perish. For those who survived, their agenda continued.
‘The states of Egypt, Phoenicia and Israel once occupied the land with such dominance that what is now the Middle East was one long kingdom devoted to the religion known to us as Jahbulon. This was the future of Judaism, Phoenicia and the religions of the Egyptians. It was a sign, their own trinity, an agreement that began back before the construction of the First Temple and known to history as what the Bible refers to as Solomon’s fall into idolatry.’
Silence fell, as all eyes were directed on the antiquarian.
‘Wilfred Mansell is, according to hearsay, the only man left in the Middle East of ancient ancestry that lays claim to the throne of Tyre. That is the true mission of the Order of the Ancient Star: to create a new state of Phoenicia spanning Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, and all the way to modern Egypt. Their success would mean the dawn of a new Middle East.’
Matt was speechless. His first instinct was to laugh, but he controlled himself. The expressions of those present indicated logic behind the madness. This man was the most dangerous on earth.
Robert stepped forward. ‘Matthew, I would like to introduce you to Dr. Niven Anson. Your second cousin.’
Matt looked at the man but for now remained silent. Scott did the same. Eventually Matt offered his hand, and the man accepted. His handshake was firm, just like his eye contact.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you.’
He nodded. ‘Your father told me everything about you.’ He turned to Scott. ‘And you.’
Scott nodded but remained sitting. He sipped his drink.
Matt looked at Robert, then the rest. ‘Forgive me, but what exactly does all this mean?’
Robert beat anyone to a response. ‘For almost a thousand years, the Knights of Arcadia have been assigned the task of carrying out the duties of those who came before us. It is our crusade. Our mission, if that word is correct, is to protect the possessions once owned by the unholy trinity and use our every effort to maintain peace in the Holy Land, as we did so many years ago.’
Matt saw the response as simplistic. Despite the impressive military capabilities he had seen, he didn’t imagine they would compare to Hezbollah and the militant groups of Israel and Syria.
‘So what exactly is the lost treasure?’
Landry spoke for the first time. ‘When Solomon asked of God only the wisdom to govern his people, he was entrusted with the secrets of the universe. The content is a mystery to all but a select few. The Bible talks of such unfortunate mishaps occurring to those who misused its power; worse still, it talks of laying waste to mountains and bringing down walls of cities. At the time, it was seen as the might of God.’
Matt nodded. ‘So it had nothing to do with the Ten Commandments?’
Landry smiled. ‘I never said that. In fact I have seen the tablets with my own eyes.’
For the first time, Matt looked up with enthusiasm. ‘They really exist?’
Landry smiled again. ‘But the importance of the Ancient Star is not any specific artefact. For many million Jews, Phoenicians and Egyptians, the temple is the symbol of dominance. Even for Christians and Muslims, its symbolism holds the power to unite the world.’
Matt’s interest was growing. ‘Isn’t that a good thing?’
‘If the enslaving of the Middle East under the rebirth of the kings of Tyre is a good thing, then, yes,’ Robert said. ‘Personally, I would prefer a more democratic symbol.’
Matt bit his lip. It was naïve to assume Mansell was anything other than a tyrant.
‘It is for that reason we have a problem.’
Matt recognised the importance of the words. For the first time he realised that his father had been part of something bigger than himself, that his family had long been involved. Clearly, it was his intention that eventually he would be part of it himself.
‘It is imperative that the headquarters of the order is found.’
‘Nicole said the headquarters of the Order of the Ancient Star is somewhere near the St. Gotthard Pass.’
‘The location is unknown to all, except for those closest to the order.’
‘Only one written account exists of the location,’ Niven said. ‘It was named the Third Temple, built in respect for the two that came before it. The book was written in the late 1800s by a writer named Ulric von Gostel.’
Matt still carried the book in his hand. ‘I have it.’
All eyes fell on him.
‘It was Nicole’s. She was given it by a guy named Belroc!’
Robert was bewildered. ‘She owned a copy.’ He immediately snatched it and began leafing through the pages.
Matt watched. ‘There was another, written by Steven Woltz, his great-grandson.’
The abbot nodded. ‘I, too, have seen that book.’
Landry said, ‘There is no time to lose. This book could be the clue we need.’
Robert was unconvinced. ‘Maybe. But I doubt this will tell us everything.
‘Ideally we need the help of one who has seen it with his own eyes.’
Twenty minutes later, Robert and Matt exited a plain-looking sedan and stopped on reaching a three-bed townhouse located on the outskirts of Fulham. The street, despite being well lit, was dark, particularly in the bad weather. To Matt, the area was out of keeping with the centre of the city, but also strangely familiar. The houses were all Victorian, and the neighbourhood matched the illusion.
It was as if he had stepped into one of the wealthier locations of a Dickens novel.
Robert led the way to a mid terraced house and pressed the doorbell. The sound of the bell was ornate, in keeping with the location, further reminding Matt of a location from the past.
Robert stood quietly, patiently waiting for a response. In truth, Matt did not understand what they were there for, but Robert maintained it was necessary.
The book was almost useless. Although it included an exact plan of the layout, evidently a castle in the forest, the author was circumspect in giving an exact location. To Matt, it came across as though he had hidden a series of clues, alas, for now, beyond reach.
Inside the house, the previously unlit hallway suddenly revealed signs of life. It was nearly 11pm, and the occupant had likely been asleep. The sound of shuffling could be heard from within. Seconds later the door opened.
A scrawny-looking man answered. He was dressed in a shirt and trousers, though the shirt was untidy. He had a clean-shaven head and glasses.
The man looked startled. ‘Robert.’
‘Hello, Daniel.’
The man’s expression hardened. ‘What do you want…do you know what time it is?’
‘Time is of the essence, Daniel. At least three lives are at stake – two I understand are on your payroll. And unless their deaths can be avoided, both will be on your conscience.’
62
Nicole awoke suddenly. A series of bright lights were rebounding off the walls, distorting her sense of direction.
Her head was spinning, and she found it hard to focus. The experience was strange to her, the sensation rather like a hangover but not identical. She felt the need to vomit; her balance was completely lost. The more she focused on the feeling, the more she realised that she was unable to control her movements.
She inhaled, attempting to control her breathing. Once she had that under control, she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She was located in a darkened chamber, perhaps the size of an average church. The walls were stone, decorated with strange patterns. The artwork looked old,
very old, and reminiscent of the Middle Eastern cultures, though she was no expert.
Where was she?
She remembered being ushered into a car after being abducted from her flat in Wimbledon. From that moment on, everything was a blur. She vaguely recalled being forced onto a small aircraft, but the experience was misleading. There were armed men dressed in the uniforms she had seen at New Ross.
The second thing she noticed was that she was alone. A stone edifice, perhaps an altar, was located on a raised platform, but it housed no objects or ornamentation. Various symbols were placed throughout, particularly on either side of the altar. Sitting atop what seemed to be a grave or sarcophagus was a statue that looked to be of Egyptian origin. The character, presumably male, had one foot, a red belt around a small waist, green hands and face and an elongated head. The deity figure held two objects: in his right hand was a crook, in the left a flail, symbolising his appearance as a shepherd. The figure wore the Atef crown, confirming it was Osiris.
A second statue was altogether different. On the opposite side of the altar, this composition was bronze and also male. The character had one foot in front of the other, and the right hand raised, and the left lowered. Like Osiris, the head was slightly elongated and looked to Nicole as though it was merged with a ten-pin. His ears were slightly out from his head and his facial appearance typically ancient and eastern. Nicole was unaware that this was the Phoenician God Ba’al.
The final one was much easier to understand. Behind the altar, the wall was decorated by an image of fire on a mountainside, while a bearded man stood at the top with two stone tablets. The God himself was invisible, making his identity more obvious. The depiction was unquestionably Jewish but historically more ancient than she expected. The artwork was out of keeping with any synagogue she had ever seen. It had more in common with the Judaism described in the Old Testament.
She attempted to move but failed. That was when she noticed the third thing of interest.
She was tied to an immovable object.
She turned, at least as far as she could. Directly below her was a stone slab, raised some four feet from the ground. Her hands and feet were chained, restricting her from moving more than a few inches. As feeling began to return to the rest of her body, she realised for the first time that the strapping around her ankles was causing her excruciating pain. The skin was blistered and had been bleeding.
But for now that was the only pain.
Her vision was now clear, and her senses returned to normal. For the first time she was conscious of a sound and a smell, reminiscent of burning incense.
Yet there was an even more immediate presence in the air, this time more recognisable.
She was not alone.
The furthest wall to the side was also on a slightly raised platform. On closer inspection, every wall was. However, the far side was the only one with a door. Sitting on the steps was a man. Dressed in a white suit with matching tie, he bore an expression of distaste and disassociation.
For now, he was still to move.
He sat there. Watching her.
She attempted to speak but failed, now realising that her throat was dry. She swallowed but with difficulty. A sudden sense of pain and panic had enveloped her, intensified by the dark expression in the man’s eyes.
Her breathing quickened. The waiting was torture, the promise of what was to come.
For now, the man did not speak.
For several seconds this continued. She eyed him. She feared looking, but the fear had paralysed her.
She made several attempts to speak, and eventually it happened.
‘Who are you?’
Initially the man did not respond. Instead, he continued to watch, simply waiting. In her mind his malevolent expression had intensified. He wanted to kill her; that was obvious. It was clear he valued her life less than one of an insect.
Yet still he made no sound.
Her heart pounded, more and more with every passing moment. She felt her breathing tighten. Her skin was perspiring, creating an unpleasant itchy feeling down her face. It was obvious from the man’s face that he recognised her fear.
Finally he spoke.
‘According to the Book of Samuel, when the mighty King David unified Israel, he sought to build a great temple as a mark of God’s greatness,’ he said, rising to his feet. ‘There he would fill it with many great things.’
The man walked slowly towards her.
‘The Scriptures tell us that David would never receive the honour, but instead that would fall to his son, Solomon. When the time came, Solomon enlisted the help of King Hiram of Tyre. Unbeknown to them both, that action would mark a transformation in the history of the Middle East. For on that day, a new alliance was born: the Phoenicians and the Israelites joined as one.’
He paused.
‘In time, the wise king would marry the daughter of Pharaoh, extending the fellowship into North Africa. According to the Bible, this was the start of the wise king’s downfall. The Book of Kings refers to the woman as one who would “turn his heart after other Gods”.’ He smiled again. ‘But the truth of the matter is much different. This was not the fall of the wise king’s greatness, but the birth of it.’
Nicole looked on, terrified. What amazed her most was his apparent reverence for his subject. He spoke well, his English in no way hindered by his foreign nationality. His manner, appearance and attitude suggested to Nicole that he had the benefit of a classical education, almost certainly Oxford or Cambridge, and was the product, probably, of royalty.
‘What you must understand is that the Christian Bible, or even those of Islam and Judaism, is the outcome of years of error and development. In the time of Moses, the world we know today was, in fact, little more than an oasis of hope, sprouting in the middle of a desert of despair,’ he said, approaching her. ‘Should the world know the truth of the matter, their opinions would change regarding a great many things.’
Nicole watched him, still petrified. Still she attempted to move but failed. ‘Where are we?’
‘You are currently located within the main chamber of the Third Temple,’ he said, pride evident in his voice. ‘I don’t expect you to grasp its full importance for now, but in time, I think you’ll grow to appreciate it.’
Nicole watched him as he stood, waiting to take on his point. The way he did so seemed ritualistic, as though he was an actor looking for dramatic effect. He was an actor, no doubt, but the role he was playing was unlike any she’d known in real life.
‘Religion in the Middle Ages was complex: as was the situation they had inherited. The fight for Jerusalem was never a two-horse race, yet to the historians of the time, the situation was black and white. There are victors, and there are losers. And for every side, there are those who desert and betray.’
She continued to watch him, taking notice of every word. She struggled to figure out his appearance or beliefs. Clearly the man was no Christian, but what did he believe?
‘I thought all Templars were Christian.’
‘In the early days of the Crusades, the Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon were formed by nine men of single relation, all of whom shared the visions of the Pope and devotion to the cause of the Prophet from Nazareth. They saw the issue that had enveloped the city and set their hearts on providing a suitable solution.’
He continued to walk, now heading in the direction of the altar. As she looked, it became evident that the area was sectioned off, possibly heading beneath the ground.
‘The original nine were all learned men, far more so than any of their successors. The Templars who came to the Valley of Edom by chance came across the greatest discovery known to man. Found in a specially arranged cave was a selection of writings that illustrate the true history of the time. Included were details of the location of many of the Old Testament’s greatest treasures. Many of which are still to be discovered.’
She was transfixed. ‘They found the Ark?’
The
man smiled for the first time. ‘Perhaps,’ he said. ‘But there are other things we can be sure of. In light of his devotion, God entrusted unto Solomon the secrets of all things. Over time, many sought to benefit from his wisdom. In time, his mind was admired throughout the known world.’
He smiled at her. ‘You are familiar with the story of the wise king?’
Nicole was afraid to speak. ‘My parents raised me Catholic.’
He laughed loudly. ‘Everywhere I go it is the same story. But the story of Jesus Christ is only one small chapter of a very large story: one that began over three thousand years ago, and one that shall continue for many centuries after we are gone. Exactly what the outcome will be, or even what the origins ever were, is still a matter of some uncertainty. But recent months have been useful from that respect. Soon, I hope to be able to solve the matter completely.’
Nicole remained speechless. There was something about the man’s eyes that she found spellbinding.
‘People often believe that it was only the Israelites that worshiped the God of Israel. For over fifteen hundred years that view was maintained, leading people to fight in his name, even create boundaries and commit genocide.
‘When the original Templars discovered the wealth of knowledge in the caves in the shadow of the Mountain of God, they learned to possess secrets of the ancient time. In time that would lead to a new way of thinking.’
The comment confused her.
‘Nothing generates hatred like difference. For that reason the future of the Templars was never going to be straightforward; how could it?’ he asked, looking at Nicole. ‘It was then, when the Templars had served their purpose, that the next step needed to be taken. For the Church, the step was obvious. We had a choice: protect those who we had given our allegiance to, or die.’
She eyed him, her heart beating quickly. She struggled for breath. She had so many questions, but she found herself transfixed. The man was calm and calculated, almost as though he was in possession of very definite information.
‘The ancient mysteries known by those who once built the Temple of King Solomon once known cannot be unknown,’ he said. ‘Prepare yourself Lamb of Christ: the true secrets of salvation are not for the unbeliever.
The Larmenius Inheritance Page 41