by David Wood
“Could you tell us about them?” Jade asked, scooting closer to his desk. “We’re interested even in the far-fetched stories.”
“The more mundane legends hold that they returned to their lives in the east, or wherever they supposedly hailed from. The most unusual legend I uncovered is actually one I grew up hearing in the small village in Upper Bavaria where I was born and raised. The legend holds that the Magi were not kings, but pagan magicians, and they left the Holy Land on a sacred task set before them by God Almighty.”
“What kind of task?” Bones interjected.
“It depends on who is telling the story.” Adler grinned. “Some say the three gifts to the Christ child were actually items of great power that had to be hidden from humankind. The gift of gold represented alchemy. Frankincense has been called everything from Magic dust to the dust from which mankind was created. Myrrh was an embalming oil, so it has been rumored to grant the power of resurrection. Other legends are less specific, but all agree they were hiding a great power, perhaps to preserve it until the end of days.” He rolled his eyes. “This is where the legend of the Magi crosses paths with the three hares. If the legend is to be believed, the Magi hid their secrets somewhere in the Alps, and the three hares became the symbol of the cult of the Magi. Three magicians, three hares...” He shrugged.
“What about the story of the Wise Men following the star? Any legends surrounding that or is it taken at face value?” Maddock was thinking about the compass-like stones.
“The serious scholars have always tried to connect it to an astronomical event– a convergence of planets and stars. The legends have suggested that the star was actually a light the wise men carried that shone toward Bethlehem. Another story is that the star was a jewel that pointed the way.”
“Like a compass stone?” Angel asked.
“Very much so.” Adler nodded. “You did ask for the most far-fetched stories. Those hold that the star was taken away from Bethlehem and hidden away. One story claims that the star is hidden in a cavern deep below the Arabian Desert and can be identified by the smoke that pours up from the ground. The local version, of course, places the star in a cavern in the mountains.”
“In my research, I uncovered a riddle that I believe is connected to the Cult of the Magi.” Jade looked uncertain, probably hoping he would not ask where she found the riddle. Maddock wasn’t worried. Jade was good at thinking on her feet. “Can you think of any place this might be referring to? It would be a place connected with the three hares or the Magi. Probably both.” She recited a passage from their clue. “Into the depths of the well. The kings point the way to the falling ice...”
Adler stiffened. “Are you perhaps playing a joke on me?”
“Not at all.” Jade’s voice was soft and reassuring. “I take it this means something to you.”
Adler’s eyes bored into hers and she looked him in the eye. He stared at her for the span of five heartbeats before appearing to make his mind up about something.
“Forgive me. The words were unexpected.” He swiveled around and plucked a book off the shelf. Its cover was worn with age, but Maddock could read the title stamped on the cover in faded gold letters.
Drekonhas.
“My home,” Adler explained. “Its coat of arms is a triskelion– three connected legs. This was not always the case. Historically, the coat of arms was the three hares.” It was as if a veil of sadness was suddenly drawn across his face. “The Nazis changed that when they came to power. The swastika became the new symbol until after the war.”
“Why didn’t they go back to the three hares?” Bones asked.
Adler took a deep breath. “My village is deep in the mountains. Even today they are a superstitious lot and undercurrents of paganism run strong among its people. The leaders viewed a return to three hares symbol as a return to the backward ways of the old world. The current symbol is more... common.” He looked up at them and his face brightened. “I see a connection to your riddle for a few reasons. There is an ancient stone engraved with the three hares. It now stands beside the town hall but, prior to the rise of the Nazis, it was part of the old village well, and had been for centuries.” He leaned forward and his voice fell, as if what he was about to tell them was a secret.
“As I told you earlier, Magi lore is strong in my village. The name, Drekonhas, contains parts of three words: Dreis, konig, hasen. The three king hares.” He swallowed hard. “Also, there is the eisbruch.”
“I’m sorry?” Jade frowned.
“Icefall,” Adler explained.
“An icefall is almost like a waterfall of ice,” Maddock explained. “They don’t move like water, but they move faster than a glacier. They can be climbed, but they form crevasses and are filled with fractures, making them potentially deadly for climbers.”
“Exactly.” Adler nodded. “Drekonhas is nestled in the mountains near Sternspitze– one of the tallest peaks in Germany. Below and all around it is karst.” He looked up at the ceiling and tapped his cheek with his forefinger. “How would you say it? Soft stone... no...” He shook his head. “It is filled with caves. You know limestone caves?” They all nodded. “Legend tells us that a cave beneath Sternspitze is the final resting place of the Magi’s secret, and that path lies beneath the icefall.”
“Has anyone tried to find it?” Maddock’s heart was pounding. The idea of climbing an icefall was as exciting as it was foolish. One look at Bones told him his friend was as eager to climb as Maddock was.
“A few. All have failed. Some have lost their lives on the icefall; others returned having found nothing remarkable. Others still have sought a way in through some of the caves in the karst, but that has proved deadlier.” He grimaced. “The caves go on forever, they say. They are like a warren, which is fitting, I suppose. In some places, the way grows too narrow to pass. In others, the ceiling or floor is weak and will give way under pressure. So many have failed to return that few venture there at all anymore, and those who do restrict themselves to the outermost passages.” He lapsed into a brooding silence.
“I get the feeling there’s more to the story,” Jade said.
“Only more foolishness.” Adler barked a laugh and turned to stare out the window. “It is said the caves are guarded by Krampus.”
“The Christmas guy?” Jade laughed. She saw the puzzled expressions on the others’ faces. “According to Alpine tradition, Krampus is a partner to Saint Nicholas. Saint Nick rewards the good children while Krampus warns or punishes the bad.”
“The Anti-Santa?” Angel laughed. “What is he? A fat dude in a black suit? Deliverer of coal and fruitcake?”
“No, he’s a hairy, horned man...” Jade fell silent, her face ashen.
“Are you all right?” Adler reached out and took her hand. “It must be the heat in here. Open a window, young man.” He nodded at Bones and inclined his head toward the window. Maddock felt poleaxed. None of the earlier revelations had been much of a surprise, but having seen the horned skulls with his own eyes, he knew Adler’s story had a kernel of truth.
“Do you believe in, like, the Yeti and stuff?” Bones asked. His awkward question an attempt to jump-start the stalled conversation.
“I do not know.” Adler shrugged. “But, though I would not admit it to most people, I believe in Krampus for one very good reason.”
“What is that?” Maddock’s heart was hammering his ribs like a blacksmith at the forge.
“I saw him.” Adler paused as if waiting for them to scoff. When they remained silent, he went on. “When I was a young man, young enough to believe in the impossible, but old enough to be a skeptic, I ventured deep into the caves below Sternspitze. I could have died, but something made me turn back.” He paled and his voice grew suddenly hoarse. “Something peered around a corner and looked at me just as I am looking at you. A hairy man with horns.”
“Could you have been mistaken?” Angel asked. She seemed to be searching for a reason not to believe the skulls came from
real creatures. “A shadow on an oddly-shaped rock or something?”
“Does a rock have glowing eyes that reflect a flashlight beam? I know what I saw, and I have never gone back.” Adler’s gaze turned flinty, and his countenance grew cold. “I fear that is all I can tell you. I hope you will exercise caution if you investigate the subject any further.”
They thanked him for his help, and he assured them it was no problem. He spared a minute to print out a copy of his paper on the Magi cult and then saw them out.
Maddock could not stop thinking about the mountain, the icefall, and the mysterious caves below. “Professor Adler, does Sternspitze have a meaning?”
Adler gave him a wry smile. “As a matter of fact it does. It means star spike.”
Ubel Karsch heard footsteps on the other side of the door. He hurried across the hall, slipped inside his office, and peered out through the small window set in his door. He watched as Adler saw his visitors out, and what a group they were: two men, one of them the biggest American Indian he had ever seen, the other a blond man whose serene face stood at odds with the danger he exuded with every step. Both of them had a military bearing about them, though the big Indian tried to hide it with his ridiculous motorcycle jacket and juvenile t-shirt. The women were unusual too– one American Indian and one Asian.
It was not the strange visitors he cared about, though. It was the story Adler had told them. In the seven years they had worked together, Ubel had probed him on many occasions for legends about the Magi, and the old fool had never told him the legends surrounding his own home town.
He grimaced. How would his news be received? Would he be praised for finally ferreting out this new information, or would he be treated as a failure for having taken so long to uncover it? It made no difference. There was nothing he could do now except make the call and hope for the best.
He looked up and down the hallway, making certain no one was about. He turned on the radio and turned it toward the door. “We Three Kings” wafted from the speakers. Fitting.
Heart pounding and throat tight, he punched up the number. When someone picked up on the other end, he spoke the two words that would gain him immediate access to his Elder.
“Heilig Herrschaft.”
Chapter 13
Drekonhas was the epitome of the classic Alpine village. Nestled amongst the snow-capped mountains, the place made Maddock feel like he’d been sent back in time. The morning sun set everything aglow. Except for the occasional vehicle they passed, the scene was like something out of a picture book.
“This is a pretty cool place. I wonder where the Burgermeister Meisterburger lives.” Bones turned toward Maddock. “What’s the plan?”
“Make like tourists,” Maddock said, pulling into a parking space near a small pub. “Bones, you hit the pub and see if you can meet up with anyone talkative, preferably an old-timer. See what you can learn about the caves and the icefall.” Bones fist-pumped. “Two things,” Maddock added. “Don’t get too pushy with the questions, and take sips, not gulps.”
“Dude, I know the drill. When it comes to pubs, this is not my first rodeo.”
“Oh, and don’t get distracted by any babes you might meet.”
Bones rolled his eyes. “Yes, Dad.”
“Angel and Jade, you check on lodging and do a little browsing in the shops. Act like normal visitors. I’ll scope out the well. If it looks like a one man job and no one’s around, I’ll take care of it myself and we’ll move on to the next phase. I think the stones in the crowns are compass stones and they’re pointing the way to whatever is under the icefall.” They had purchased climbing gear and warm clothing in anticipation of climbing Sternspitze. “If not, Bones and I will have to go back after dark.”
“I don’t like you going by yourself, Maddock,” Jade said. “Let one of us go with you. It doesn’t take two to see if there’s ‘room at the inn.’“
“No offense, but you three will stand out like crazy in a German village. I’m a blue-eyed blond. The only thing conspicuous about me is my good looks.”
Jade rolled her eyes but relented. The three of them left the car and spread out. Maddock waited for them to disperse before heading for the old village well.
Jade checked her watch as she stepped outside of the cozy inn where she’d managed to secure the last available rooms. She glanced at her watch. That hadn’t taken long. She’d meet up with Angel, wander the village for a little while. Maddock shouldn’t need more than an hour. Then they could firm up their plans.
She ignored the shiver of worry that passed through her as she thought of Maddock out on his own. He was as solid a man she’d ever known—smart, capable, and resilient. He wouldn’t get himself into anything he couldn’t handle.
Snow crunched underfoot as she wandered through the town, returning the occasional wave. Adler had made Drekonhas sound like a small, secluded pocket of paganism, sort of an Alpine version of Deliverance, but it didn’t seem to be the case. It was bigger than the “village” she had pictured in her mind, and seemed tourist-friendly. The woman at the inn had been pleasant enough, and there was a warm, friendly vibe about the town. The mystery notwithstanding, this might be a fine place to spend Christmas.
A strong hand seized her by the arm.
“Quit messing around Bones.” She turned and what she saw made her jaw drop.
“Hello, Ihara. Missed me?”
Sunglasses and a scarf hid much of his face, but she knew him immediately.
“Issachar!” She froze in shock for only an instant, but that was her undoing. Before she could lash out with a punch or kick, he yanked her toward him and crushed her in a bear hug.
“Isn’t this nice? Two old friends reunited.”
His warm, damp breath on her ear and his sickly sweet tone turned her stomach. She squirmed, trying to break free, but he held her so tight that she could not move an inch. He held her face pressed into his coat, preventing her from crying out... or breathing.
“Thought you got rid of me out in the desert, didn’t you? I’m not so easy to kill. Your friend Maddock will find that out soon enough, but first, I have a job to do and you’re going to help.”
Jade tried again to fight, stamping down on his foot, but he avoided it with ease. She was already feeling the lack of oxygen and her strength was waning.
“Go to sleep, little traitor. You’re going to need your rest.”
Maddock, Bones, Angel, somebody help me! Her thought faded as blackness overcame her.
When she came to, she was face-down in the back seat of a car. Her arms and legs were bound. Where was she? What had happened to her? Slowly, as if gluing together the pieces of a shredded picture, she remembered. And when she did, she screamed. At least, she tried to scream, but all she managed was a weak cry. The vehicle backed up fast, sending her rolling forward, and she found herself wedged between the seats, not quite down on the floorboard. They were moving forward now. She must have been out for only a short while– long enough for Issachar to put her in the car and tie her up. She took a deep breath and called out again.
“Help! Help!” This time it was good and loud.
“Keep screaming, Ihara. This might as well be a ghost town– nobody’s out on the streets this morning. In about two minutes, we’ll be out of town and headed for the mountains.”
Jade took him up on his offer, shouting herself hoarse and kicking the door the best she could manage considering her bonds and awkward position. Finally, she gave up.
“About time. You were drowning out my Christmas music.” Issachar’s wicked laugh sent chills down her spine. “Bet you’re sorry you betrayed us now.”
“I didn’t betray you,” she wheezed. “I was never part of the Dominion.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re going to help us now.”
“The Dominion is dead.” She wanted to believe that, but knew it wasn’t true. Maddock had learned a few things during his trek into the Amazon– enough to know there was more to the Domin
ion than they’d previously believed.
“The Deseret Dominion is dead, or close to it, but there’s more to us than that. Much more. How do you think I found out about this town and the icefall? I even have a pretty good idea what this does.” He held up a crowned skull. “I got to the well first.”
No ice could have been as frozen as Jade’s insides at that moment. “Adler told you? No way.” She couldn’t believe the kind old man was part of the Dominion. Then again, she’d misjudged people before on that score.
Issachar barked a laugh. “Heilig Herrschaft has plenty of eyes and ears.”
Jade squeezed her eyes closed. Her head was throbbing and she still felt woozy from her lapse into unconsciousness.
“What do you want with me, Issachar? If you know about Adler, you know everything I know.” Issachar was vicious enough to kill her out of revenge for what he considered a betrayal of the Dominion, but instinct told her he had a scheme and she was to be a part of it. Either possibility made her want to throw up.
“Let’s just say you’re going to be a litmus test. I was going to use one of those Herrschaft idiots, but this will be much more satisfying.” He smiled. “Santa came early this year. It’s Christmas Eve and I’ve already gotten a present.”
Chapter 14
It was gone. Maddock looked down at the stone etched with the three hares, lying on the frozen bottom where someone had dropped it. The space it had once filled was set at eye level. It was easily large enough to have held one of the skulls of the Magi. He took one last look, then reached inside and felt around just to make certain he had not missed anything, but he knew it was futile. Someone had beaten them to it.