Elle rushed up the stairs ahead of the rest. The sentinel and the matriarch exchanged greetings in the local language. Then Elle gestured for Griffin and Cassie to join them.
“I’d like you to meet...” Elle rattled off a name several syllables long.
Griffin and Cassie eyed one another, silently trying to decide whether they should be rude enough to ask the sentinel to repeat the name.
Cassie whispered, “I don’t think we’d be able to catch that even if you repeated it a dozen times.” She stepped forward and took the woman’s hand. “Very nice to meet you.” She gave a little bow.
Griffin did the same.
The matriarch gestured them inside. The interior of the huge house offered what appeared to be a long covered verandah at the front where guests were received. The floors, walls and support beams were made of varnished wood. Pendant lamps hung at intervals from the ceiling. Every five feet, window openings had been cut into the walls though they contained no glass. Given the tropical climate, this seemed a practical design. Moveable shutters could be lowered to keep out the rain. The matriarch motioned for them to take seats. There were four bentwood chairs with cloth seat covers and backrests arranged around a small tea table. This furniture grouping was repeated all along the length of the fifty-foot parlor. Despite the immense size of the building, nobody else appeared to be in residence.
“These ancestral houses are built on a big scale,” Elle explained. “Some of them go back centuries. Think of this more like the rec center of a housing development. Aside from this being the home of the women of the family, various functions and ceremonies are held here too.”
The guests nodded and took chairs around the table.
Elle directed her next question to their hostess. Griffin and Cassie inferred she was asking about the whereabouts of the artifact.
The matriarch’s face lit up with a smile and she raised her hand in a gesture which obviously meant they should wait while she retrieved it.
Scanning the interior, Cassie said to Elle, “You picked a good hiding place. This house is so huge there must be dozens of nooks and crannies where nobody would think to look.”
“Just between you and me, I think our hostess is relieved that I came to claim it so soon. She probably felt it was a big responsibility but she was too polite to tell me so.”
A few moments later, the tiny woman shuffled back to the parlor bearing a bundle wrapped in brightly colored cloth. She laid it on the table and Elle did the honors of unwrapping it.
Cassie and Griffin rose to stand behind her as she completed the operation. When they saw what the bundle contained, they traded looks of triumphant recognition.
Elle gazed upward at them “Is this what you came to find?”
Griffin traced the Minoan glyphs carved into the object with his index finger. “Without a doubt. These symbols look quite familiar.”
The sentinel gave a nod of confirmation and rewrapped the object. Smiling at the matriarch, she spoke at length. Apparently, expressing gratitude in Baso Padang was a very complicated process. Then she opened her messenger bag, deposited the artifact inside, and pulled out a rectangular velvet box which she handed to their hostess.
“It’s a Thank You gift for acting as caretaker,” she explained to the other two.
At that moment a younger woman appeared from the opposite side of the house carrying a tray.
“That’s her youngest daughter,” Elle said.
The girl set down chilled glassed of a frothy white beverage.
Handing them around, the sentinel said, “This is called ‘dadiah’. Fermented water buffalo milk. Think of it as Sumatran yogurt. I’ll warn you it’s an acquired taste.”
“After yak butter tea, I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble adapting,” Cassie mumbled under her breath.
The matriarch’s daughter also set out small dishes of what appeared to be fruit covered by scoops of a frozen white substance.
“That’s ‘es campur’, Elle explained. “It’s a coconut slushie with chunks of fruit. They eat it for dessert here.”
The visitors sampled the refreshments and gave wide smiles to indicate their pleasure.
Their hostess beamed at them, clearly delighted by their reaction. Once they had all finished and the dishes were cleared away, the matriarch picked up the box Elle had given her. When she raised the lid to view the contents, a string of phrases erupted from her mouth that continued for a full minute. It didn’t take a translator to understand that she was impressed by the gift.
She called her daughter back into the room and held the object up for her to see.
Both Griffin and Cassie gasped audibly when they saw it too.
“It’s a crown,” the Pythia blurted out.
“More like a tiara,” Elle corrected. “It’s part of the traditional Minangkabau ceremonial headdress.”
Unlike a circular crown or a tiara, the headpiece was flat. It was held in place by a gold headband which fitted the wearer’s temples. The design was an ornate gold filigree of flowers and leaves. The scalloped edges rose to a peak half a foot high. At its apex the headdress contained a large jewel.
“That can’t be a diamond,” Cassie whispered to Griffin. “It’s huge!”
“Given the value of the rest of the crown, I hardly think it’s cubic zirconia,” the Scrivener retorted dryly.
The matriarch and her daughter avidly examined the gift, making comments to one another as they pointed to various features of its design.
Elle leaned over to say, “It’s meant to be a family heirloom. When the next daughter gets married, she’ll wear this.”
Griffin remarked, “It must have cost you a fortune.”
“Not me, sport,” she retorted archly. “I’m sticking you with the bill. All part of my master plan. I set this in motion the minute I knew our rendezvous at Lugu Lake was in the stars.”
The Scrivener blinked once in shock before he immediately conceded. “Very well.” Reaching into his shirt pocket, he removed a business card. Handing it to the sentinel, he said, “You may send an invoice to this address. I assure you, it will be paid promptly.”
Elle gave a satisfied nod. “A pleasure doing business with you.”
The matriarch directed several questions to Elle and continued to exclaim over the beauty and expense of the gift.
While the others were speaking, Griffin leaned over and whispered in Cassie’s ear, “We shall be very lucky if Maddie doesn’t have a seizure over our expense report for this trip.”
Cassie smiled brightly so as not to give her hostess cause for concern. “Maybe we can slip some tranquilizers into her coffee before you show her the bill for the crown.”
Small talk continued until the two main participants had chatted for a suitable interval. After that, Elle rose signaling the visit was over.
The matriarch escorted them to the door, bowing with great ceremony and once more expressing her thanks.
The three climbed back into their hired car. The trip back to their hotel seemed much shorter than the outbound journey.
As they stood in the hallway in front of their rooms, Elle reached into her messenger bag and handed the artifact to Griffin. “Well, it’s been a slice. See you guys around.”
“Are you leaving?” the Scrivener asked in surprise.
“I’m out of here on the first flight that will get me to New York. I did my part. You two are on your own.”
As Elle turned to go, Cassie called out, “We owe you a lot. Thanks for everything.”
“Absolutely,” Griffin concurred.
The sentinel wavered and then spun around to face them. Her typically fierce expression softened. “You helped me out too so I guess we’re even.” Then, with a wry smile, she added, “I hope those bad guys with guns are terrible shots. I’d hate to see three thousand years of sentinel work go down the drain. You two watch your backs.” She gave a small wave, swiped her key card and was gone.
Chapter 32—Terminat
ion Benefits
Joshua Metcalf and Chopper Bowdeen waited in the darkened corridor outside Abraham Metcalf’s office. Both men were armed with pistols and silencers. It was nearly midnight. A light glowed through the crack at the bottom of the door, indicating that the Diviner was still busy doing paperwork. With the exception of the guards at the front gates, the rest of the brotherhood and their families had retired for the night. No one disobeyed the ten-thirty curfew without express permission from the Diviner.
Bowdeen glanced nervously at the surveillance camera suspended from a corner of the hallway ceiling.
Noting his gaze, Joshua whispered, “Don’t worry. I disabled it. The guards are watching looped footage of an empty corridor. I also disabled the cameras in my father’s office.” Warily, he added, “Are you clear on what needs to happen tonight?”
The mercenary nodded. “I’ll go in first and take the shot. You back me up in case anything goes wrong.”
The spymaster added, “You understand why, don’t you? I can’t be the one to kill my own father. If one of my brothers should ask, I couldn’t lie about a thing like that.”
Bowdeen placed a reassuring hand on Joshua’s shoulder. “I understand, son. You just make sure you get me out of here, OK?”
“Of course. I’ll sneak you out of the compound before I raise the cry that my father’s been murdered. I’ll have no difficulty shifting blame to one of the malefactors who were brought here for chastisement. Be assured, nobody will ever suspect it was you.”
“Sounds better than any other option I had going for me,” Chopper muttered ruefully. “I’ll be damn glad to be done with the Nephilim once and for all.”
“I give you my word,” Joshua said solemnly. “You’ll never have to see any of us again after tonight.”
The mercenary checked the magazine of his pistol. “Let’s do this.” He quietly turned the handle of the office door and stepped inside.
Joshua hung back in the shadows.
Abraham looked up from the documents he’d been inspecting. Narrowing his gaze when he recognized his visitor, he demanded, “What do you want?”
“My severance pay,” Bowdeen remarked coldly.
Abraham rose to his feet to face the intruder. The expression of disbelief on his face proved that he’d noticed the gun in the mercenary’s hand. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m making sure I don’t have to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.” Chopper shrugged. “Nothing personal.” He raised his pistol, aiming it at the old man’s chest.
Before he could fire, a dull thud sounded. Bowdeen grabbed his own chest and whirled around. “Joshua?” He gasped in disbelief before crumpling to the floor in a heap.
The spymaster emerged from the darkened corridor. Stepping over the mercenary’s lifeless body, he grabbed the Diviner by the arm to steady him.
The old man listed to one side.
“Father, are you alright?”
“I... I...” Metcalf stuttered.
“Here, sit down.” Joshua helped him back into his chair.
The Diviner rubbed his forehead, confused. “I don’t understand. Why did he try to shoot me?”
Joshua poured his father a glass of water from the carafe on the desk. “Please, drink this.”
The old man silently obeyed.
“I was afraid something like this might happen. In Australia, Mr. Bowdeen was talking wildly. He had convinced himself that the Nephilim would never let him leave because he knew too much. He suspected you would have him killed once he’d outlived his usefulness.”
“I would do what?” Metcalf’s eyes grew wide with surprise.
“Of course I told him his fears were groundless but he wouldn’t believe me,” Joshua protested. “That’s when I decided to keep tabs on him personally. Tonight, I saw him disable the surveillance cameras in the guard shack. Realizing his intentions, I armed myself and followed him. When I saw him approaching your door, there could be no doubt that he planned to kill you. I did what was necessary to stop him.”
Metcalf’s eyes never left his son’s face as the younger man spoke. It was as if the Diviner had never truly seen him before. “Joshua, you certainly have a cool head in a crisis.”
“Thank you, father,” the spymaster replied modestly.
“You just saved my life,” the old man added in wonderment.
“As head of the Order of Argus, it’s my duty to protect you at all times.”
Abraham rose shakily. “Yes, but you did more than that. You not only saved your father’s life but you preserved the glorious destiny of the Nephilim. If I had died, all my plans and hopes for the brotherhood would have died with me.”
“Then perhaps you need to confide in someone to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Joshua suggested softly. “Daniel ought to be party to whatever—”
Abraham cut him off. “No, not Daniel. He hasn’t the temperament. Perhaps...” The old man hesitated. “Perhaps, I was hasty in naming my successor. I must pray on the matter further.” He glanced at the spymaster. “I shall reveal the full nature of my plans to you, my son. In due time, when the day of reckoning draws near.”
Joshua adopted a solicitous manner. “We must not talk of such things now, father. There will be time enough once you’ve recovered. Sit down and let me attend to the intruder.”
He settled Abraham comfortably.
“Thank you, my boy.” The Diviner took another sip of water.
Joshua smiled. “I’ll always be here for you, father. You can depend on me.”
The old man, weakened by shock, sank his head back against the cushions and closed his eyes.
The spymaster went to the desk phone and called the guard shack. “Send a detail to the Diviner’s office immediately. Mr. Bowdeen has just tried to kill my father.” He paused to listen to the question coming from the other end of the line. “Yes, that’s right. He’s dead. We’ll need to dispose of the body tonight.”
Chapter 33—Keyless Entry
Cassie paced to and fro beside the window in Griffin’s hotel room.
The Scrivener sat hunched over the desk scribbling notes and referring to his computer screen. “You’re going to wear out the carpet if you continue at that rate,” he commented without turning around.
She wheeled toward him. “Are you done yet?”
“Very nearly.” He consulted the display again and made a few more notes. “Yes, I believe I’ve got it.”
At that moment, a knock was heard at the door.
“That’s got to be him.” Cassie rushed to answer.
Their visitor was a muscular Asian man in his mid-twenties.
“Rabten! You made it in record time.” She gave him an enthusiastic hug.
The field agent dropped his duffel bag and returned the greeting. “It’s good to see you again, Cassie.”
Griffin rose to shake hands. “So glad you arrived quickly.”
“I was waiting for your call,” the agent confessed. “Hopped on the first flight I could get out of O’Hare.”
“How’s life in the States?” the Pythia asked.
“A lot duller than what’s going on around here, that’s for sure. By the way, Rinchen sends his regards. He called me to say he met Zhang Rou today.” Rabten gave a knowing grin. “That sort of assignment is right up my brother’s alley.”
“What do you mean?”
“He likes rescuing damsels in distress. You have to keep an eye on him. He’s a heartbreaker.”
“Good to know,” the Pythia murmured, now worried on Rou’s behalf.
The agent’s gaze swept the room. “Did you snag the artifact already?”
“There it is.” Cassie gestured toward the desk where the Minoan relic lay next to the Scrivener’s computer and notes.
“May I?” The Arkana agent hesitated before picking up the find.
Griffin handed it to him. “Please.”
The artifact stood about a foot high and a foot wide. It was a Minoan
labrys—a double-headed axe—made entirely of gold.
“It’s pretty unusual for the haft of a labrys to be shaped like the figure of a woman,” Rabten observed.
“A goddess actually,” Griffin corrected him. “The goddess with upraised hands—an image of benediction which predates the Minoans by forty thousand years. There are cave paintings in France showing female divinities in this exact posture.”
“She looks like she’s giving the hand signal for a touchdown in American football,” Rabten joked.
“I think she looks like a butterfly with the axe blades as her wings,” Cassie remarked.
All three of them paused to study the elongated figure of the goddess. She wasn’t dressed in the typical Minoan costume of bare bodice and ornate flounced skirt. Only the outline of her form and skirt were represented. Her arms were raised at right angles to her body and pressed against the axe blades in bas-relief. She wore a crown of rubies on her head.
“Why rubies?” Rabten asked.
“In all likelihood, they’re meant to represent poppies,” Griffin replied. “That was a typical Minoan motif. Opium poppies have been cultivated as far back as the Neolithic period. The drug was used in religious rituals as a means of communicating with the goddess through altered states of consciousness.”
“Like shamans used snake venom,” Cassie said helpfully.
“Exactly,” the Scrivener concurred.
Rabten ran his finger across the axe. “What do you think these are supposed to mean?” He pointed to four gems affixed to the blades—two on each side and spaced equidistantly from one other. In the upper left quadrant was a topaz, beneath it an emerald. The opposite blade held a sapphire and below it a ruby.
“We’re not sure yet,” the Pythia said. “One thing is certain. They don’t stand for constellations like the gems on the other artifacts we found.”
Rabten frowned in bewilderment. “Does the riddle help explain what they mean?”
“I wouldn’t know.” Cassie stared pointedly at the Scrivener. “Griffin was still translating it when you got here.”
Secrets Of The Serpent's Heart (The Arkana Archaeology Mystery Series Book 6) Page 18