“Oh Maddie,” Faye rebuked mildly.
“I didn’t mean right this minute,” the Chatelaine protested. “You two should take a week or so to catch your breath. Then come back when you’re rested.”
“Sounds good to me,” Cassie agreed. “Fleeing from imaginary bandits can be exhausting.”
Faye checked her watch. “I should be returning home. The young people must be done studying by now and it’s almost dinner time.” She rose slowly from her arm chair and swept Cassie and Griffin with a fond gaze. “Illusory thieves notwithstanding, you’ve both done an extraordinary job. You are to be congratulated.”
“Absolutely,” Erik concurred. “You guys did great.” He stood up. “I need to split too. I’m still working a part-time gig this week.” He paused and glanced at his former teammates. “So are we good?”
Griffin considered before answering. “Yes, I believe we are.”
The Paladin fixed his full attention on the Pythia. They stared at one another for a long moment, his unanswered question hanging in the air between them. Cassie fancied she caught a glimpse of regret in his eyes.
Finally, she gave a wistful nod. “Yeah, we’re good.”
Erik broke into a relieved smile and headed for the door.
“Watch your back, dude,” Cassie cautioned.
“Always, toots.”
Chapter 54—Regression Analysis
After the meeting broke up, Cassie wandered in the direction of her office. She wanted to assess the artifact backlog situation before leaving for home. When she switched on the lights, she could see Maddie hadn’t exaggerated. Objects were stacked around the corners of her desk and other piles lined the walls. The waterfall panels trickled softly and the dim background lights offered a mellow glow. Ordinarily, the sight and sound would have cheered her but she was too tired to respond. Throwing herself into her chair, she slumped forward over her desk, resting her cheek on its cool obsidian surface. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
“Might I have a word?” Griffin tentatively poked his head around the frame.
“Sure. C’mon in. I thought you’d have gone by now.”
The Scrivener entered and, maneuvering around the scattered artifacts, took a chair in front of Cassie’s desk. “I wanted to sort out a bit of filing first. I must say it felt good to surround myself with mundane matters again.”
Cassie shook her head, baffled by his enthusiasm. “You really are a cup-half-full kind of guy, aren’t you?”
“You’re hardly one to talk given your own appalling brand of optimism.” He propped his elbows on her desk and studied her face. Apparently noting its weary expression, he said, “Give us a smile.”
She regarded him gravely. “I shot an innocent geezer with fifty thousand volts of electricity—twice! I’m still processing that.”
“It was all in the line of duty. You shouldn’t take it to heart.”
“I don’t think the actual zapping is what’s bothering me.” She frowned in concentration, collecting her thoughts. “I’m supposed to have these mad intuitive skills. If I could channel an entire city at Mohenjo-Daro, why couldn’t I sense the harmlessness of one lone guy who was sent to guard us?”
The Scrivener raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You’re blaming yourself for not being able to distinguish between a votary and a villain? There we disagree. I’m convinced your instincts about him were spot on. He posed a genuine threat.”
She peered at him uncomprehendingly. “I’m too tired to unpack that. You’ll have to do it for me.”
Griffin elaborated. “I believe Erik and Maddie seriously underestimated the danger of our situation. Those pilgrims were out to apprehend two thieves who had desecrated their shrine and stolen a holy relic. In point of fact, that’s exactly what we did. All they lacked was the proof of our crime. For the sake of argument, let’s suppose that while we were being detained they examined the forgery. Paste gems and gold plating wouldn’t stand up to close scrutiny and our misdeeds would have been exposed. How do you suppose those innocent pilgrims might have dealt with us?”
Cassie laughed grimly. “I’m guessing they would have hustled us over to the Darchen police station and then the Chinese government would have stepped in. It could have gotten ugly.”
“It could have gotten far uglier if they’d taken matters into their own hands,” he countered.
The Pythia gasped as the implication struck her. “They wouldn’t! Would they?”
The Scrivener gave a thin smile. “It seems to me that if they’d planned to involve the police, they wouldn’t have attacked us in the first place. They would have summoned the authorities to apprehend us instead. But they didn’t. They intended to mete out justice themselves. When people’s sacred beliefs are threatened, they are driven by emotion, not by reason and certainly not by the rule of law.”
She offered one final objection. “But there were only half a dozen of them. How bad could it have gotten?”
“Word of our sacrilege would have spread quickly. Angry mobs form much like snowballs rolling downhill. They get bigger as they travel.”
Cassie sat upright, her imagination painting a shocking picture of the probable outcome of Griffin’s scenario. “Well, when you put it that way—three cheers for Team Arkana! Kicking pilgrim butt was the right way to go.”
“Most assuredly, but we did far more than ‘kick pilgrim butt’. Don’t you see?” His tone was urgent. “It was just the two of us, Cassie, yet we managed to give our captors the slip all the same. We didn’t need someone else to ride to our rescue. Doesn’t it reassure you to know that the next time trouble finds us, as it most certainly will, we’ll be more than a match for it?”
“Talk about appalling optimism.” Her voice was skeptical but she felt her mood improving just the same.
Griffin continued. “Though I didn’t perceive it initially, Erik’s absence was a blessing in disguise. We’ve always relied on him not just as a security coordinator but as something of a security blanket. Without him, we were forced to draw on our own resources which proved to be considerable.”
The Pythia grew pensive at his comment. “It seems like we’ve been drawing on our own resources for a long time now. Right before he quit the team, Erik reminded us that you saved the day in Spain and I was the one who got us out of Africa alive. He saw that we could take care of ourselves way before we did.”
Griffin leaned farther forward over her desk, gazing at her intently. “And our accomplishments are all the more remarkable given our shortcomings at the start. When I first met you, you were a confused adolescent with the social intelligence of a twelve-year-old.”
“Thanks for that.” She grimaced.
“But I was no better,” he objected. “I was a mild-mannered bookworm with an acute caffeine addiction and a pathological fear of leaving the Vault. By no stretch of the imagination could either of us have been considered suitable field agent material—just an awkward librarian and a fledgling psychic.”
“You used to insist on being called an archivist,” she reminded him playfully.
“Hadn’t you heard,” he countered. “I’ve been promoted to Right Honourable Chief Scrivener. Admit it, you’re impressed.” He jutted his chin out, eyes twinkling, daring her to contradict him.
Cassie narrowed her gaze in mock disapproval. “You’re not the only one who got a promotion, pal. You’re in the presence of the Right Honourable Pythia. Show a little respect.”
They beamed at one another, silently acknowledging the distance they’d traveled.
Griffin rose to go. “I think I’ve made my point so I’ll bid you goodnight and wish you a pleasant holiday.”
He walked to the door but she rushed after him.
“Griffin, wait!”
“Yes.” He looked down at her quizzically.
She threw her arms around him and gave him a hug.
Taken aback but pleased, he returned the embrace. When they parted, he asked, “What was that for?”
“Because you’re you.”
“Existentially speaking, it would be impossible for me to be anyone else. It defies—”
She grabbed his shirt collar and drew his face down close to hers. Then she kissed him on the cheek, rendering him speechless. “Goodnight, Right Honourable Chief Scrivener. Get some rest.”
“Yes, well, um...” He bumped into the doorframe on his way out. “Goodnight.”
Cassie slipped on her jacket and prepared to leave, pausing as she caught the echo of a jaunty tune bouncing down the corridor.
The Pythia shook her head. “I never would have pegged him for a whistler. What’s that about?” She switched off the lights in her office and headed for the exit, anticipating an evening of decadent luxury—a long bubble bath followed by a pizza made with cheese that hadn’t come from a yak. In her newfound appreciation for simple pleasures, life didn’t need to get any better than that.
THE END
NAMES YOU SHOULD KNOW
(Through The End Of Volume 4 In The Series)
Key to books in the series:
GK – The Granite Key
MM – The Mountain Mother Cipher
DW – The Dragon’s Wing Enigma
DD – Riddle Of The Diamond Dove
Abraham Metcalf – Prophet and autocratic leader of the Blessed Nephilim. In his seventies.
Annabeth – Third wife of Daniel. Nervous and high-strung. Wants to improve her position in the Nephilim hierarchy by birthing more children.
Archwarden – Leader of a Nephilim satellite compound.
Arkana – Secret organization whose mission is to retrieve and protect the artifacts of lost pre-patriarchal civilizations around the globe.
Blessed Nephilim – Fundamentalist religious cult which traces its lineage to the Nephilim of the Bible. They practice polygamy, live in isolated compounds, and maintain a strict separation from the rest of the world.
Bones Of The Mother – Collection of Minoan artifacts which have been hidden among the ruins of forgotten civilizations on every continent. Each artifact provides clues to the location of the next relic. Collectively, they will lead to the location of the Sage Stone.
Cassie Forsythe – Psychic with the ability to touch an artifact and relive scenes from its past. She succeeds to the title of Pythia within the Arkana after the murder of her sister. Nineteen-year-old college freshman at the beginning of the story.
Central Catalog – Abandoned rural schoolhouse outside the Chicago metro area which contains the records of Arkana troves throughout the world. Also known as “the Vault.”
Chatelaine – Arkana honorary title meaning “castle protector and keeper of the keys.” Rank conferred on Maddie in recognition of distinguished service (DD). This title carries with it voting privileges within the Circle.
Chief Scrivener – Person responsible for managing the records of the Arkana Central Catalog. The title is currently held by Griffin. His rank was elevated to Right Honorable Chief Scrivener in recognition of distinguished service (DD). This title carries with it voting privileges within the Circle.
Chopper (Orvis) Bowdeen – Mercenary and friend of Leroy Hunt. Hired by Abraham Metcalf to provide weapons training to the Nephilim and set up surveillance systems at all Nephilim compounds around the world.
Chris (David Christian) – Librarian at the Chicago Public Library who assists Daniel with his research and becomes his friend.
Circle – Governing body of the Arkana.
Concordance – General council of the Arkana.
Consecrated Bride – Nephilim term for married women within the cult.
Daniel Metcalf – Lesser son of Abraham whose skill with ancient languages has made him an unwilling participant in the quest to find the Bones Of The Mother.
Diviner – Title given to the prophet of the Nephilim. A role currently occupied by Abraham Metcalf.
Dr. Rafi Aboud – Foreign doctor with a mysterious past who has been hired by Abraham to perform experiments at a secret laboratory. The purpose of his experiments is known only to the Diviner.
Erik – Martial arts and weapons expert, in his mid-twenties. His job is to protect the Pythia on field assignments and arrange for the safe transportation of artifacts. His title is Security Coordinator.
Fallen – Term used by the Nephilim to describe inhabitants of the outer world. Anyone who doesn’t belong to the cult.
Faye – Elderly leader of the Arkana. She holds the title of Memory Guardian. Her age is unknown but it may exceed normal human limits.
Field Agent – Operatives of the Arkana deployed around the globe who handle artifact retrievals. Individuals tasked with assisting in the retrieval of Bones Of The Mother. In order of appearance: Fred (Turkey-MM), John (tyro, Sudan-DD).
Griffin – Chief Scrivener. He is responsible for cataloguing all artifacts collected in troves around the world. British and in his early twenties, he has an eidetic memory.
Hannah Curtis – Teenage bride of Daniel Metcalf who is subsequently re-assigned to marry his father Abraham. Runaway who has found shelter with Faye.
Joshua Metcalf – Daniel’s biological brother and competitor for Abraham’s favor. Appointed by the Diviner as head of the Order Of Argus.
Leroy Hunt – Mercenary currently on the payroll of the Nephilim. His job is to protect Daniel as they attempt to retrieve the Bones Of The Mother. He has no conscience and a taste for violence.
Maddie – Short-tempered, chain-smoking Operations Director of the Arkana. She manages day-to-day global affairs.
Matristic Civilizations – Arkana term for ancient goddess-worshipping societies which thrived without military fortifications, rigid social hierarchies, male dominance, or career warfare.
Memory Guardian – Faye’s title as head of the Arkana.
Operations Director – Maddie’s title as manager of global operations for the Arkana.
Operatives – Members of Blessed Nephilim satellite communities assigned to help Daniel in the field. In order of appearance: Nikos (Crete-GK), Ilhami (Turkey-MM), Sergio (Spain-DW), Mohammed (Egypt and Sudan, DD).
Order Of Argus – Secret intelligence organization within the Nephilim. Abraham’s eyes and ears among the congregation.
Overlord Cultures – Arkana term for male-dominated warrior cultures fixated on territorial expansion through conquest and exploitation of indigenous inhabitants.
Paladin - Arkana honorary title meaning “the Pythia’s defender.” Rank conferred on Erik in recognition of distinguished service (DD). This title carries with it voting privileges within the Circle.
Pythia – Title currently held by Cassie. The official seer of the Arkana. Her rank was elevated to Right Honorable Pythia in recognition of distinguished service (DD). This title carries with it voting privileges within the Circle.
Rhonda – Antique store owner and Sybil’s former business partner. Surrogate big sister to Cassie.
Sage Stone – Mythical Minoan relic which is reputed to possess great power. Nephilim prophecy reveals that this relic must be acquired by Abraham if his secret plan to orchestrate a global apocalypse is to succeed.
Scion – Nephilim title given to the Diviner’s successor and heir-apparent. Daniel currently holds the position.
Scouts – Operatives of the Arkana deployed around the world to ferret out undiscovered matristic civilizations and potential new trove sites. In order of appearance: Bobbye Johnson (Botswana-DD), Oluoma Okoli (Nigeria-DD).
Security Coordinator – Title originally held by Erik. He reports to the Operations Director.
Sentinel – Watchers posted by the ancient Minoans to guard the location of each artifact until the arrival of the Arkana team. In order of appearance: Iker Mendiluze (Spain-DW).
Sybil Forsythe – Cassie’s sister. Late Pythia of the Arkana.
Trove – Arkana collection point for artifacts related to a specific geographic region or culture.
Trove-keeper – Person appointed to manage the co
llection of artifacts at a particular location or trove. In order of appearance: Xenia Katsouros (Minoan-GK), Aydin Ozgur (Anatolian-MM), Stefan Kasprzyk (Kurgan-MM), Thea Xara (Maltese-DW), Ortzi Exteberri (Basque-DW), Ochanda Exteberri (Basque-DW), Grace Littlefield (Haudenosaunee-DW), Michel Khatabi (Berber-DD), Sophie Khatabi (assistant, Berber-DD).
Tyro – Title which refers to an apprentice agent of the Arkana.
Vault – Another name for the Central Catalog.
Zachary – Faye’s teenage descendent—often referred to as her “great-great-something-or-other grandson.” He has joined the Arkana as a tyro.
AUTHOR BIO
"There's a 52% chance that the next Dan Brown will be a woman ... or should we just make that 100% now?" --Kindle Nation
Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive from academia. After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, she became a computer consultant and then turned to mystery and historical fiction writing. Her short stories have appeared in Futures Magazine and DIME Anthology, while her book reviews have been featured in Murder: Past Tense and Deadly Pleasures.
She has written the Gilded Age Mystery series set in 1890s Chicago. Titles include The Fall Of White City (2002) and Shrouded In Thought (2005). The series has received People's Choice Award nominations for best first novel and best historical. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served as vice president of Sisters In Crime - Twin Cities and on the programming board of the Chicago chapter.
Into The Jaws Of The Lion (The Arkana Archaeology Mystery Series Book 5) Page 30