by Amy Lignor
“Okay. That creepy carving of the face has a reason for being here.”
“Go ahead, give it to me. I know very little about the entertainment industry from long ago,” she said, attempting a grin.
“Well, every night before the actors went on stage they would conduct blood sacrifices to the God of the Mask. That way, no matter what they said or did during the show, the actors could protect themselves from anything highly unpleasant or sinful their performances might…conjure up.”
Leah could feel herself calm as she digested the silly fact. “Took the whole comedy/tragedy thing to heart in Pergamon, did they?”
“I say it’s time for food,” he said.
“That’s an understatement.” Leah smiled.
“What?”
“Your stomach has been rumbling so loud, I feel like I’ve been standing by Mount Vesuvius for the last hour.”
“Very funny,” Gareth said, rolling his eyes. “Just because you can live on coffee that tastes like Clorox in a cup, doesn’t mean the rest of us normal people can.”
Leah issued a small laugh as the sky above cleared and they finally felt the warm rays of the sun return.
___
Noting her silence, Gareth watched Leah play with the black and white stone in her hand, completely lost in thought.
His voice grew louder, “I say we grab ourselves a nice Turkish pizza. We’ll sit. We’ll rest. Maybe there was only one thing to learn here anyway, and we learned it.”
Leah stared at the flat path that wound its way back down the Pergamon Acropolis. “Two, actually,” she mumbled.
“Two pizzas?”
“Two things learned.” Looking away from the stone, she stared up at him. “Your parents were definitely not killed in a car accident, and your father was definitely here.”
“And he left here alive.” He wanted to sound strong, but he heard the change in his voice. It was as if he’d reverted back to the young, scared boy grasping at straws. “Maybe.”
Leah’s answer was immediate. “No maybe about it. There is absolutely no evidence or reason to believe that he was killed here. And your mother…” Leah paused. “Well, let’s just solve one thing at a time.”
“Bauer may be dead, Leah, but Hansen isn’t.” His skin still crawled when he thought of the man who was, more than likely, creeping closer and closer to Cairo as they spoke.
“Yeah. But there’s no army behind that guy. We just have to think like the egotistical whacko that he is and get into his smarmy little head. Then we stop him. Find your dad. Find that stupid crown, if it even exists.” Taking a deep breath, she added, “Then destroy it and that ugly stone so we can finally go home and stay there.”
“Agreed.” He grinned. “But pizza first.”
“Pizza first.”
Gareth pulled her into an embrace. The kiss they shared made him burn with a need so great that he felt his worries begin to drain away. When he finally stepped back, he plucked the atypical stone from her hand, rolling it back and forth between his fingers. “Funny this should be here, though.”
“Why is that?”
“Revelation.”
One manicured eyebrow inched up her forehead. “Explain, O’ Exalted One.”
“Long story.”
“Give me the nutshell version.”
“Okay,” he replied, as his stomach let out another demand for food. “The Book of Revelation states that the Church of Pergamon was asked to repent their sins. They weren’t in any major trouble, really, because there were so many believers here. But to the ones who stayed true to the church, they each received a white stone.”
“Why?”
Gareth looked down into her wide eyes. “It stood for their innocence, which allowed them to have the Lord’s protection forever.”
“Can I assume non-believers just said the heck with it and jumped on the Jesus train so they’d be protected too?”
He nodded.
“And they only got a rock for it? I would think the sinners would’ve held to their beliefs a little more. At least led a protest, or something.”
His smile grew at yet another of Leah’s odd interpretations of religion. “They were probably a bit too scared for that. They were warned that if they didn’t stay true, a double-edged sword with the power to convict or correct would be the object they would have to face. And they wouldn’t want that thing coming at ‘em.”
“If you don’t follow us, you’ll get taken out by a blade,” Leah muttered. “Definitely black and white; no gray area there.”
He watched her glance down at the faint tattoo she was branded with and suddenly knew what Leah was thinking. She was worried that if she didn’t come to accept and believe in all of this, she might just end up on the wrong side of that sword.
Raising her face to his, he considered the unending depths of those familiar eyes. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”
“I know.”
“Real, mythical, or biblical,” he added.
“Literally?”
The sound of their laughter relaxed the unnerving day.
“Gareth?”
“What?”
“I’m worried about Anippe.”
“She’s as protected as she can be right now. Your parents are there, and Aaron. Coptic Cairo is not exactly an out-of-the way abandoned outpost, either. There are tourists all over that place.” He met her worried gaze with one, he hoped, spoke of faith. “She’ll be fine.”
Leah closed her eyes and let out a breath. “You’re right. Besides, Bauer was the one who could get into her head. Now that he’s gone, her focus will be on that stone. And we all know she’s not exactly a girl who backs down from a fight. I think she believes in this stuff even more than you do.”
Gareth shook his head. “Stuff… You really do crack me up.”
Joining hands, they proceeded to walk down the Pergamon Acropolis, heading straight for the Greek deli and all the good food it had to offer.
CHAPTER 16
“How intricate your thoughts must be to make you so silent.”
Anippe continued her study of the portrait on the wall. She loved staring at the warrior in all his glory; he made her feel protected during the very darkest of times.
“St. Mark, the winged lion of victory,” Neith commented.
“The lion reminds me of Leah.”
“Her father says she adores the pair that reside outside her library in New York.”
“Patience and Fortitude.” Anippe nodded.
“Two wonderful qualities.”
Anippe tried to hold back a snicker. “Patience isn’t exactly Leah’s gift.”
“She will find it soon, I hope. It is now that she must stop and think about what she does next. Running too fast will only bring harm to her.”
Anippe bowed her head and sighed. “Must you always speak in riddles? It’s as if you know things that may help Leah but refuse to say them aloud.” Anippe grasped for the right words. “Sometimes I am left wondering exactly which side you are on.”
The gasp was audible, but Anippe chose to ignore it and moved further down the hall. She glanced up at the Archangel Michael staring down at her from his own place on the museum wall. A battle of emotions beat inside Anippe’s heart. There was a part of her that actually wanted her mother to disappear, fade back into nothingness. But the larger part, the lost girl who’d grown up with no mother to talk to, wanted to get to know the woman who’d given her life.
Her loyalty to Leah, however, remained strong. In fact, sometimes Anippe wished she could be more like her sister. She would like to be able to produce a smirk at a moment’s notice, or lace her words with just the right note of sarcasm to make people turn away. But that was simply not in her nature.
Walking through the doors leading to the Old Wing, Anippe took a deep breath and reveled in the scent of the ancient furnishings. Every nook and cranny of this museum was home, and being a part of it made bad feelings dissipate. She so admired the menager
ie of masterful works representing all cultures and beliefs, proving that faith had no boundaries. No limits.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched her mother enter the room. Neith slowly paced the area, studying everything. Walking over to a glass case set in the corner, Neith pointed down at a small piece of wood with jagged edges on both sides. She read the small plaque. “How exactly did you receive a piece from the True Cross?”
The memory of that day rushed into Anippe’s mind. “A woman named Marguerite came and gave it to Uncle Aaron. She called herself a scientist; she said the piece had been through testing and had been found to be one of the pieces of wood that held Christ’s body. To her, there was no question of its authenticity.” She continued, “She also said that before being a part of that tragedy, the wood dated back to an oracle who lived in ancient days. In Siberia, I believe she said. The possession of a prophetess who once held it in her hands.”
Neith looked surprised. “How on earth could this woman know all that?”
“She was a seer.”
“Really?”
“You certainly should understand someone like that.” Anippe added, “Uncle Aaron believed her story. And when the lady left, he immediately had this special case made so that the humidity wouldn’t warp or harm the wood. He still considers it to be the most powerful piece in the museum.” Pausing, Anippe noticed that her mother’s hands were trembling. “What is it?”
She shrugged. “Power can be frightening.”
Looking over her shoulder, Anippe nodded in the direction of Satan’s stone. “More frightening than that?”
Neith swallowed. “The cross, the stone…they are in the same place. Here. Together. I only hope…”
“What?”
Neith paused for a brief moment, as if collecting her thoughts. “I hope they are not somehow calling up an ancient war.” Her voice grew thin and faint. “There is one thing that most people have always believed in, Anippe, and that is the existence of an object that can banish the malevolent soul. An object so strong there is no way to stop its power. But if it were used…anyone near it would die.”
“What is this object?”
“It depends on the civilization’s specific beliefs.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “But when it comes to Satan, he can be vanquished by it and only it.”
Anippe stared at the case holding the small, nondescript piece of wood. “The cross,” she said, wondering for a moment if a war was just about to begin.
CHAPTER 17
Tallent and Lowery sat inside the deli watching the sun meet up with the horizon and turn into a blazing orange ball outside the window. The last gasp of solar energy was dying out, ready to disappear for a nice evening rest.
Gareth was working on his fifth slice of flat-bread pizza that looked and smelled far better than his favorite American cuisine. Leah picked at her gyro, enjoying another coffee.
“Shit’s gonna kill you.”
She pointed at his extremely large plate. “Really, Mr. Health Conscious? Can I get you an eighteenth slice of pizza?”
“Pizza happens to be good for you.”
“Oh, yeah. Ninety-eight pounds of cheese is just what any doctor would order.” Reaching across the table, she tapped him on his chest. “You’re not getting any younger, pal.”
“I’ll work it off tomorrow.” His eyes gleamed with humor. “Maybe we’ll walk some more. Perhaps take a tour of the Red Basilica before we leave.”
Leah turned to stare out the window at the people with shopping bags passing by. “No thanks. Religion and history are a lot like vodka for me—moderation is necessary. And I’ve had enough of them both for a while.”
The Smartphone began to wail from the depths of her leather coat. Sighing at yet another unwanted digital intrusion, Leah raised it to her ear. “Yeah?”
“Hello. Leah?”
As if some Grecian cockroach had suddenly crawled from the pizza and shot up her arm, Leah quickly tossed the phone across the table. “I’ll meet you outside.”
Gareth simply stared at the phone that was now sitting dead center in a mass of Feta cheese and Kalamata olives.
“Sorry.” She grimaced. “Just tell my darling father what’s been going on. And please find out if Anippe is okay.”
“You have to talk to him eventually, Leah.”
“Today is not that day, Gareth.” Her reply was so loud that heads turned to glance anxiously in her direction.
A bit embarrassed by her behavior, Leah turned her head and caught sight of the figure in black. “I need some air.” Marching from the small deli, she slammed the glass door behind her.
___
“Wait!” she yelled.
Taking off around the side of the building, Leah reached out and grabbed the collar of the leather jacket, pulling the lean body backwards.
“What the hell are you doin’?”
As the hood came off the man’s head and the black shades went flying into the dirt, Leah felt her heart drop. She appraised the long, lanky kid. “Oh, crap,” she muttered.
“Hey, hon, you’ve got your own.”
Leah focused on the figure standing behind the boy. The sequined Chloe looked slightly ticked off at having her newly discovered boyfriend wrenched from her grasp.
“Jesus.” Leah stooped over and picked the sunglasses up off the Pergamon earth, returning them to the slightly twitchy kid. “I’m sorry. I thought you were…” Who the hell did I think he was? She screamed at herself through the high-pitched buzz playing in her head. That’s it, I’m ready for the asylum.
Sighing, she took a step back from the teens. “Look…I am sorry.”
Chloe broke into a smile. She turned her gaze away from the boy she’d picked up in the dusty, old place. “Yours is a real hunk, by the way. Wanna trade?”
Ignoring her comment, Leah took another step back, wishing with all her heart that she could just disappear. “Sorry. Really.”
The swath of sequins flashed in the orange light of the sunset as Chloe suddenly jumped forward and grabbed Leah by her shirt, pulling her back from the road. A mess of dirt mixed with tiny, sharp stones flew up around the trio like a sudden tornado, and Leah felt the heat of an exhaust pipe come too close to her flesh.
Turning quickly, she stepped back into the road to watch the rattling pickup truck speeding away. The happy looks on tourists’ faces turned to ones of annoyance as they, too, leapt out of its way.
“Are you nuts? You almost got hit! Literally!”
She glanced at Chloe, her gum-chewing savior, and nodded. Staring down the exit road, Leah saw an arm dressed in black shoot out of the driver’s side window and wave back at them. The wave was slow; the hand was holding up two fingers issuing the sign of peace, as if that was the stranger’s way of offering an apology for almost mowing her down.
Leah turned to walk away from the shocked teens, sending one last “thank you” to Chloe and her beau.
As the truck disappeared around the curve, leaving the historic site behind, the buzzing in her brain finally ceased. She shook her head, thankful for the release, but something still bothered her. Leah was certain that if anyone asked her what sounds this lovely twilight held, she wouldn’t be able to respond. Because for some unknown reason, all she could hear was the curiously cold laughter coming from the stranger inside that truck.
CHAPTER 18
Anippe’s heart leapt into her throat. She ran from the small kitchen in the Curator’s Quarters, through the Old Wing’s door, and headed straight toward a male voice she’d heard shouting.
Prayers ran through her head at top speed as she reached for the labrys that hung above the display case filled with other Minoan artifacts. Unhooking the double-headed axe from the museum latch, she closed her eyes. Letting her heightened senses do the work, she followed the angry noises coming from the end of the dimly-lit corridor. Almost there, she leaned against the cool marble wall and attempted to ready herself for battle. This is it, she thought
. Hansen’s here. The monster has entered the museum.
Peering around the corner carefully, her sudden sigh of relief filled the air. She let the axe fall to her side with care as she watched her father slam the cover down on the old cell phone she’d given him to use.
Coming out from her hiding place, Anippe startled the man who was clearly lost in his own rant. “Who was that?”
“Jesus,” he yelled, practically jumping out of his skin.
“Really?” Anippe smirked, attempting to calm her own anxiety and lighten the mood. “I was unaware the Son had a phone.”
Her father raised a hand to his heart. “Please don’t sneak up on me, Anippe. I’m already so far over the edge I’m barely hanging on as it is.”
As if coming through the lips of some demonic entity, she threw words back at him like a viper spitting poison at its prey. “I can see how it must be very frightening to talk to a daughter you abandoned so many years ago.”
David Tallent wore a look of utter surprise. “My God. You sounded just like your sister.”
“Good,” Anippe replied, feeling a small bit of pride at what she took as a compliment. “You should be grateful I am the one who snuck up on you. I have a feeling Hansen wouldn’t do you the courtesy of announcing himself before he made you a corpse.” Walking across the room, she leaned the axe up against the bronze and copper throne.
“Thank you,” David mumbled through his thin lips. “That image makes me feel ever so much calmer.”
Anippe watched his trembling fingers attempt to comb through his disheveled hair. Her father’s eyes were distant as he stared at the cellphone still gripped in his hand. He seemed to be looking at it as if it were his last bastion of hope that’d now abandoned him.
“Was it Leah?” Anippe asked quietly.
He shook his head. “Gareth, actually. Leah handed it off to him when she heard my voice.”
Sympathy flooded her. She was tired of the guilt; tired of holding people accountable for decisions made so long ago. Taking a step forward, Anippe rested her hand on his shoulder. “She will come around eventually. After all, you raised her. You have spent your entire lives together in America.” She swallowed the small taste of bitterness that came with that statement, trying to erase the resentment once and for all.