The Emerald Key

by Christopher Dinsdale

  “It’s the gas lines,” coughed Jamie. “The fire is igniting each one as it moves through the building. We don’t have much time before the gas lines at this end of the building ignite as well.”

  “Can we make it to the entrance?”

  “I don’t think so. We need to move back toward the library and find an office with a window. We’ll smash it and hope the fire crews can get us down.”

  They staggered to their feet. Jamie felt the door. It was warm but they had no choice. He once again took her hand. Beth was scared, but Jamie admired the look of determination on her face.

  “Are you ready?”

  She nodded. He pulled the door open, and they both gasped at the heat that smacked them as they crawled into the collapsed hallway. They backtracked toward the library and Jamie grabbed the first handle they came to. He yelped in pain.

  “Can’t go in there. Keep moving!”

  He tried a door on the other side of the hallway. The handle was just as hot. Beth tugged on his shirt. Through the glass, they could see that all of the offices were aflame.

  “The stairs!” she cried.

  Jamie and Beth sprinted for the staircase. They descended as fast as their legs could carry them through the thickening smoke. When they reached the ground level, they were horrified to see it was even worse than upstairs. Beautifully carved wood panelling glowed with tongues of fire. Flames licked at the crumbling ceiling. Smouldering plaster rained down onto the floor.

  Beth yanked on his arm. “Keep going down!”

  “But that’s the basement!” Jamie protested. “There’s no way out!”

  She squeezed his hand. “I have an idea! It might be our only chance!”

  Left with no choice, Jamie followed her down into the darkened basement. The air was slightly cooler and much less smoky. They were both drenched in sweat and soot. Jamie took a second to gather his thoughts. He figured they only had a precious minute or two before the growing inferno collapsed the entire structure down upon their heads.

  “So what’s your idea?” he asked.

  Beth was already on her hands and knees, crawling around, feeling the floor. “Help me look for it!”

  He joined her on the floor. “What exactly are we looking for?”

  “This!” She banged her hand down on a metal grate.

  Jamie looked at her, confused. “Why? So we can go deeper?”

  “Exactly.”

  Jamie shook his head. “But what good is a hole in the ground going to be to us if the building collapses? It will only trap us down here.”

  “Or,” she gasped, “it might be another way out of the building. Come on! Help me lift the grate.”

  With no choice, he helped her grab hold of the iron rods in the grate. Together, they managed to lift the heavy grate and slide it to the side.

  Beth smiled, waved, and jumped into the circular hole feet first. With no other choice, Jamie stuck his own feet into the hole in the floor and lowered himself down as well. He fell almost six feet but landed on his hands and knees in the bottom of what appeared to be a stone well. He was all alone in the pitch darkness.

  “Beth? Where are you?”

  “Over here.”

  Her voice echoed to his left. In the gloom, he could just make out a narrow pipe leading out of the well.

  “Come on, follow me!” he could hear her say from inside the pipe.

  Jamie lowered his head and followed her voice into the tight confines of the pipe. Crawling and slipping, Jamie made his way through the slimy enclosure as best he could. The pipe suddenly took a turn downwards. Jamie’s hand slipped in the muck. Suddenly sliding head first and out of control, Jamie yelled as he was launched into the air, crashing down hard into a flowing stream of ankle-deep water.

  “Jamie! Are you all right?”

  In the pitch darkness, Jamie felt Beth’s hands on his leg. He moaned from the impact as his side exploded with pain. Gritting his teeth, he rolled over into a sitting position. Wherever they were, this dark place smelled awful.

  “I think I’ll live,” he groaned. “Where are we?”

  “I think this is Montreal’s main sewer,” she answered.

  “A sewer? You mean an underground canal for taking away rain and human waste? I’ve heard of them recently being built in some cities, but I’ve never actually been in a town with a sewer before.”

  “Montreal built their first sewer a few years ago. I know it stinks in here, but it’s safe. My friends and I sometimes hide in it to escape the police, in case they’re in the mood for tracking down orphan runaways. They never bother to follow us in here.”

  “I can smell why.”

  She gave him a shove. “Hey, at least we’re safe now, right?”

  He paused and lowered his nose near the water. He started to gag.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “I don’t think we’re safe at all. Gas is heavier than air, and I think it’s building up inside the sewer. The gas line above us must have been ruptured in the fire and now the gas is sinking down into the sewer. One spark from above and this sewer turns into an inferno. We have to get out of here! Which way do we go?”

  “We follow the running water,” she explained. “It will take us to the river.”

  Jamie felt the water flowing by his boots with his fingertips. “Then it’s this way!”

  They reached for each other’s hand in the dark and then ran as fast as their legs could carry them through the huge cobblestone pipe. Luckily for them it was as straight as an arrow.

  “When does this thing end?” asked Jamie.

  “I don’t know! I’ve never been this far inside it!”

  Far behind them, they heard an ominous whoosh! A flash of yellow light was followed by an orange fireball rushing up the sewer towards them at unimaginable speed!

  “Run faster!” screamed Jamie.

  But it was too late. A huge pressure wave knocked Jamie and Beth right off their feet. Fortunately, they had almost made it to the end of the open sewer. The long, straight underground structure acted like a giant rifle barrel as Jamie and Beth were launched out the end of the sewer like a pair of human bullets. A gigantic fireball burst out of the pipe right behind them, igniting the night sky in a stunning explosion.

  Tumbling head over heels, Jamie and Beth landed with tremendous splashes in the St. Pierre River, the river just deep enough to soften their spectacular landing. Jamie thrashed about in the water until he could finally find his feet. Trying to keep his balance in the waist-deep water, he spun in all directions.

  “Beth? Beth! Where are you?” Jamie yelled.

  Jamie searched frantically in the water. He saw some ripples nearby. He splashed over as fast as his legs could carry him and dove into the water. Grabbing hold, he hauled her up off the bottom of the river. She gagged and coughed, grabbing hold of him in a panicked embrace.

  “I … I didn’t know which way was up!” she spluttered.

  “It’s all right,” he said, hugging her. “You’re all right.”

  He carefully put her down feet first in the river, holding on to her arm until she got her balance. Much to Jamie’s surprise, she suddenly burst out in laughter.

  “I can’t believe that we’re still alive!”

  “Those are the prettiest stars I’ve ever seen,” said Jamie, looking up at the clearing sky.

  She squeezed him. “Thank you so much for catching me. I would have been dead in the library if you hadn’t broken my fall.”

  “We would both have been dead if you hadn’t thought of the sewer.”

  They sloshed their way toward the nearby riverbank. “I still can’t believe what happened to you in the library. Who could have been on the roof with us and then intentionally tried to kill you by throwing you through the hatch?”

  Beth tried to collect her thoughts as they finally stepped onto dry land and collapsed together on a large, flat rock.

  “I only caught a glimpse of him, Jamie. He was tall and thin,
with a long, hooked nose like an eagle. Before I knew he was there, he had snatched the bag out of my hand. In the next instant, I had been whisked off the ground, lifted over the hatch, and thrown down into the fire. It all happened so quickly. I saw him as I fell through the hatch. I’ll never forget that cold face staring down at me from above.”

  Jamie shook his head. “You say he grabbed the bag first. That must have been what he was after. He must have been trying to steal the bag, and then decided to murder you so there would be no witnesses.”

  “Was he after your book?”

  “It seems to be the only thing that makes sense, but how could he have known about it?” asked Jamie.

  “You could have been followed,” she offered.

  “All the way from Ireland?” said Jamie, pondering the thought. “There have always been treasure hunters sniffing around the Brotherhood, hoping to find more Celtic masterpieces. I suppose it’s possible. In fact, that’s why my brother and I had to move the book to Cork in the first place. Well, at least your killer believes we’re dead in the fire. It will be the last time we’ll have to worry about him.”

  Beth leaned up against him. “I’m so sorry, Jamie. You’ve lost your brother and now your book! This has been a complete nightmare for you.”

  “Not a complete nightmare,” countered Jamie. “I met you and Colin.”

  “Thank you,” she said, smiling.

  “And I also still have this.”

  Jamie unbuttoned his thick shirt and after reaching down inside, he pulled out a large, folded, waterproof oil-cloth. Beth caught her breath and leaned in closer as Jamie unfolded the cloth. A beautifully bound leather book materialized on his lap.

  “Your book?” she gasped.

  “Once I had it in my hands, do you think I’d ever separate myself from it again?”

  Beth laughed. “I guess not.”

  Jamie smiled. “Do you want to see it?”

  She nodded enthusiastically. Jamie carefully wiped his hands then opened the cover. By the light of the half moon high overhead, she gasped at the first page. The intricate Celtic designs and words blended into an exquisite piece of colourful artwork. As he carefully turned each page, Beth was awed by the wonderful depictions of animals, trees, and symbols.

  “I wish I could read. I want to know what it says!”

  “You would have to know Latin and ancient Celtic to read the text, I’m afraid.”

  “And the story has the clue for finding the treasure?”

  “Yes, but even I don’t know what it is exactly. You would need the other keys back in Ireland in order to decipher it properly.”

  On turning the final page, much to Jamie’s surprise, a single piece of paper fluttered down to his feet. He carefully closed the book, picked up the mysterious paper, and unfolded it. By the moonlight, it appeared to be a series of sketches. Beth could see a bunch of rectangles, side by side, ascending in a slightly staggered pattern. Lines and numbers were sprinkled around the diagram. In the corner, a picture of a ship had been sketched into one of the lower rectangles. At the top was the title How to Get a Ship over a Mountain. Jamie’s eyes scanned the sheet several times, and then he suddenly jumped to his feet.

  “I don’t believe this!”

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t believe this!” Jamie pumped his fist and whooped with joy.

  Beth grabbed his arm. “Tell me! What does the paper mean?”

  “I’m not sure, exactly, but I know this is my brother’s sketch! And look here at the bottom. Do you see it?”

  He tapped the paper with his trembling finger.

  “Those numbers?”

  “Yes, Beth! It’s a date! He dates all of his work! And this sketch was dated only three days before the Carpathia reached Montreal. Don’t you see?! The captain said he died just two weeks into the crossing. This proves he was alive just before reaching Montreal! Therefore, there’s a chance he might still be alive! The captain made a mistake in identifying a dead body!”

  She threw her arms around him. “I’m so happy for you!”

  “Come on!” he said, bursting with excitement. “We need to get back to Montreal!”

  After wrapping up the book and tucking it back safely into his shirt, Jamie and Beth strode away from the river and back into the city. The glow of the still-burning parliament building illuminated the centre of town in an eerie yellow light, as if the city were celebrating some ancient pagan event with a giant bonfire. The bells of fire wagons could be heard congregating to do battle with the towering flames that lit up the early-morning air. To the east, the sky was just starting to glow a faint crimson, signalling the start of a new day.

  Upon reaching the main road, Jamie reached into his pocket and gave Beth a handful of coins. “Take the money and go get Colin. Give your friend an extra tip for keeping him overnight, then buy some breakfast for the three of us. I’ll meet you back at the bookstore in an hour. We have some research to do.”

  Beth was just about to run off on her errand, but instead turned to face Jamie, her face beaming with hope. She bounced up and down a few times then flew towards him and wrapped her arms around him in excitement.

  “I’m so happy for you! Ryan might still be alive!”

  Then, with the flash of a smile, Beth disappeared into the brightening dawn.

  Chapter 15

  Jamie towelled off his hair and then threw on the brand new shirt he had purchased a day earlier from a St. Denis clothing store. The face in the mirror staring back at him looked completely different from the one that had been there only minutes earlier. Gone were the sweat-stained smears of soot and charcoal across his face. His hair, instead of smelling of smoke and sewer, glowed with a fresh, soapy scent that he hadn’t experienced in a very long time. In a way, it felt as if he had almost washed away the memories of last night’s horrific fire and Beth’s near murder.

  He left the bathroom, walked down the short hallway of the small but tidy apartment, and then opened the door that led into the back of the small bookstore. Mr. Kessler and Beth were poring over books on a table while Colin sat on the floor with a paper and pencil, having fun drawing pictures of the huge fire he had seen from the window of his sitter’s home in the early hours of the morning. Jamie pulled up a chair.

  “I feel as if I’ve been reborn.”

  “I hadn’t had a proper bath in so long,” agreed Beth, looking fresh and cheery with her strawberry hair neatly braided and a starched blue cotton dress setting off her clean freckled face.

  “If I hadn’t offered you my tub,” chuckled Mr. Kessler, “that smell of fire and sewer on you two would have chased away all of my customers for at least a week.”

  “Don’t worry,” added Jamie. “I’ve thrown all of our old clothes into the garbage bins outside. Your store should be back to smelling like its musty old self well before the noon meal.”

  The three shared a laugh as Jamie bit into an apple Beth had purchased earlier in the morning. A hearty breakfast of fresh buns, cheese, nuts, and a jug of milk was laid out on a side table. While Jamie ate, Mr. Kessler shook his head in disbelief.

  “Jamie, when I saw you standing outside my shop window with the ancient text in your hands, I almost fainted in disbelief. I thought everything had been lost in the awful fire. I’m still in shock that we have lost our parliament building. And all of those precious books … gone forever.”

  “It makes me think back to the library at Alexandria,” said Jamie.

  Mr. Kessler nodded. “Two thousand years later, I can see that we’re no better than the Romans. And to think that you both almost died in that inferno. Beth, well done to think of the sewer system! You are a brilliant young woman!”

  She blushed. “I’ve been called lots of things, but never smart.”

  “Well, you’ll be hearing a lot more of that in the future, I’m sure,” praised Mr. Kessler.

  “She will indeed,” agreed Jamie. “We’ d both be dead if it wasn’t for her quick th
inking.”

  Jamie and Beth looked at each other knowingly. They had decided not to tell Mr. Kessler about the attempted murder.

  “I think I’m getting closer to solving the mystery of your brother’s sketch,” added the bookkeeper.

  Jamie and Beth leaned in to look at the open books on the table.

  “These tiny measurements along the side of the staggered rectangles are measurements in feet, so the structure that Ryan sketched is, in fact, a huge project. And with the picture of a typical Great Lakes boat at the base of the sketch, I’ve come to the conclusion that it must be a diagram of a lock system.”

  “A lock?” queried Beth. “Like the one you find on a door?”

  “No, a different type of lock,” Mr. Kessler explained. “The word ‘lock’ is also used to describe a method of raising a boat to a higher elevation in a man-made canal so that it can avoid any rapids found in a natural waterway.”

  “So why then does the title here say a mountain and not rapids?” asked Beth.

  “A great question,” replied Mr. Kessler. “Why would anyone in their right mind want to lift a boat over a mountain? The logical starting point in searching for an answer would be to find all of the recent or proposed canal projects in this part of North America. Here, take a look at these books, Beth.”

  He passed her several books with drawings of waterways and labelled canals. Jamie stretched over for a closer look. “This one here is the Rideau Canal. It connects Kingston to Bytown, and it opened only ten years ago. Although there is an impressive drop in the topography here at Jones Falls, I think it would be a stretch to call this particular landform a mountain.”