by Jim Eldridge
‘I think I need to know more about this secret library,’ said Jake.
‘Bear with me’ said Lauren. ‘One of the books was a scientific text written in the late seventh century by this El Izmir, in which he claimed to have developed a strain of fungus that only needed the moisture in air in which to grow rapidly. As soon as the dehydrated spores came into contact with moisture . . . voom!’
‘And the point of this was?’
‘Food,’ put in Parsons. ‘The desert is not a place where food can be cultivated easily, and in areas far from groundwater, but where there could be moisture in the air . . .’
‘OK, I get the idea.’ Jake nodded. ‘So this particular type of fungus . . .’
‘Was an early example of genetic modification of a plant strain,’ said Lauren. ‘Food that could be grown in abundance from the water in air.’
‘If it’s true, that would be fantastic,’ said Jake. ‘Growing food rich in protein in desert areas.’
‘An end to famine,’ said Robert.
‘Exactly!’ said Lauren.
‘But it didn’t happen,’ pointed out Jake.
‘It did,’ said Lauren. ‘You saw it happen. The fungus grew when exposed to air.’
Jake shook his head.
‘It grew on this man who was working at the site,’ he said.
‘Because human beings are seventy per cent moisture,’ said Parsons.
‘The spores have to be released in a properly controlled way,’ added Lauren.
Jake thought about it, and what he’d seen. The man opening the book, breathing in whatever was stuck to the pages.
‘You’re right,’ he said. Then he frowned. ‘But, if it works, why hasn’t anyone heard about it before? I mean, something like this, that could solve hunger . . .’
‘Because El Izmir’s book about the fungus was destroyed, along with the rest of the secret library,’ said Lauren. ‘Or, it was believed to have been destroyed.’
‘We’d better tell him about the secret library and the Order of Malichea,’ said Parsons. ‘Otherwise none of this is going to make sense.’
Lauren turned to Robert.
‘Robert, have you still got that battered old van of yours?’ she asked.
Robert looked affronted.
‘Lizzie is not a battered old van,’ he replied defensively. ‘All right, she may have a few dents here and there, but . . .’
‘But is she still noisy?’
Robert looked uncomfortable.
‘Well, compared to some of these modern vehicles . . .’ he began, his tone a definite sneer.
‘Good,’ said Lauren. ‘We’ll need your laptop.’
‘OK,’ said Robert. ‘I’ll go and get it.’
Chapter 9
Lauren waited until they were all in Robert’s van and he’d turned over the ignition and started it up before she told them her plan. Robert was at the wheel, Jake was in the back of the van with Lauren and Parsons. The van was really noisy. Lauren had to shout to make herself heard above the sound of the engine.
‘Once, when my laptop was out of commission, I borrowed Robert’s and copied my files on to it,’ she said.
She opened Robert’s laptop, turned it on, and her fingers began hitting keys.
‘So he has the history of the Order of Malichea on it?’ asked Parsons.
‘Providing he hasn’t deleted it,’ said Lauren.
‘I haven’t,’ Robert called from the front of the van. ‘Everything you put on there is still there, just in case you needed it.’
As the van set off and began chugging along the road, Jake realised why Lauren had chosen it for this session. There would be very few microphones, if any, that would be able to pick up their conversation above the noisy engine.
Lauren found the file she was looking for and passed the laptop to Jake.
‘Read this,’ she said.
‘ “The Order of Malichea and the Lost Sciences”, by Lauren Graham,’ read Jake.
‘In the seventh and eighth centuries, the monastery at Lindisfarne on Holy Island, off the east coast of Britain, was the centre for all learning. Scholars from across the whole of the known world, from Europe, Asia and north Africa, came to Lindisfarne to exchange researches on a huge range of topics, especially the sciences. They brought their notebooks, and the monks at the monastery made copies for the monastery library. By AD 780, the library at Lindisfarne held most scientific knowledge available at that time. An order dedicated to the development of science sprang up within the larger order at Lindisfarne. This was the Order of Malichea.
‘In 793, the monks at Lindisfarne heard a rumour that the Vikings were preparing to invade Britain. The monks were afraid that the Vikings would come to Holy Island, and if they did they’d destroy the library with all these precious scientific texts. It’s believed that some members of the Order of Malichea decided to take all the scientific texts away to a sympathetic abbey at Caen in Normandy, in northern France, where the library found safe haven. In 793, the Vikings did invade Holy Island, as had been predicted, and they destroyed the priory at Lindisfarne before they went on to attack the rest of Britain. But the science books were now safe in France.
‘From 793, the library of scientific texts, now held by the Order of Malichea at the abbey at Caen, were added to, with scientists from all faiths, all nations.
‘In 1130, the Norman Roger became Roger II, King of Sicily, succeeding his father and brother. Roger unified three separate faiths under his rule: Christian, Byzantine and Islam; and encouraged scholars from all three cultures to contribute their scholarship and knowledge to his kingdom. As a result, as had happened at Lindisfarne hundreds of years earlier, the library of the court of Roger II included works of scholarship – particularly scientific – from all cultures, particularly Islamic. The library expanded under Roger’s successors: William I, II and III, and Tancred. However, the Pope considered the kingdom of Sicily, where Islam was on equal terms to Christianity, to be a “heathen” kingdom and ordered crusades to destroy it.
‘Although many of the texts of the library of Roger II survived, including works by Ptolomy and Islamic scholars, those that were considered particularly heretical had already been smuggled out of Sicily and taken to the abbey at Caen, where they were added to the scientific library of the Order of Malichea.
‘By the middle of the fifteenth century, the library of the Order of Malichea in the abbey at Caen was the hub of all knowledge of the global scientific community. However, the abbot of the Order was acutely aware that to the Establishment of the time, both Church and State, these works could be considered dangerous.
‘In 1483, the Inquisition was set up in Spain under Tomás de Torquemada, to seek out and destroy heresy. That included all heretical writing and thought. The Inquisition spread beyond Spain to Italy, and there were fears that it would spread through the rest of Continental Europe.
‘The monks of the Order of Malichea at the abbey in Caen were very worried: many of the scientific works in their library were by Arabic or Islamic scholars, and many dated from pre-Christian Roman or Greek times. For that reason alone, most of them would be considered heretical, and would be destroyed, as would any texts that went against the orthodox Church view of the world. In order to save the texts from destruction, they moved the library again. A large party of monks was sent to Britain, under the guise of making a pilgrimage to Glastonbury, because the abbot at Glastonbury was sympathetic to the Order of Malichea. Each monk took with him a number of books. And at Glastonbury Abbey they hid the library in secret rooms behind the official library.
‘Unfortunately, even at Glastonbury the books weren’t safe, because over the years the threat of the Inquisition spread, and the Church in Britain also began to seek out and destroy heretical thinking in its ranks. So, in 1497 the leader of the Order of Malichea took drastic action to save the texts. The monks of the Order were told to take these so-called “heretical” science books and hide them, secreting each in a
separate place. To ensure the books would not be discovered, each one was to be hidden in a place that was unlikely to be disturbed because it was either sacred, or said to be cursed, or claimed to be haunted. A coded list of the different books and their hiding places was kept, known as The Index.
‘The abbot’s intention was for the books to stay hidden until the threat of the Inquisition had passed, and then the books could be recovered and returned to the abbey library in safety. However, the Inquisition didn’t pass. As far as the authorities were concerned, anything considered heretical had to be destroyed. So the books stayed hidden.
‘In 1498, plague returned to Britain and wiped out a huge percentage of the population, including many of the monks who had hidden the scientific texts. With them went the knowledge of where they’d hidden them. The only evidence that these “lost sciences” actually existed and had been hidden were in the Journal of the Order of Malichea, which was a history of the Order handed down through the ages since AD 780, and The Index, the supposed list of where the scientific books were hidden.
‘In 1536, Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Although many monasteries and abbeys capitulated to the king’s forces, the Abbot of Glastonbury, Richard Whiting, refused to allow the king’s troops to enter the abbey when they arrived to take possession in 1539. As a result of Whiting’s defiance he was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor at Glastonbury Tor on 15 November 1539. Henry VIII’s forces then sacked the abbey, and the books in the priory’s library, including the Journal of the Order of Malichea, came into the hands of the king, and so into the possession of the State. But it’s not known what happened to The Index. It may have been destroyed during the attack by the king’s men on Glastonbury. The Journal of the Order of Malichea has also since “disappeared”, though whether it is still in the archives of the State is a matter of conjecture.’
Jake passed the laptop back to Lauren, who turned it off and closed it down.
‘If what was dug up is the hidden text by El Izmir, then this is the first proof that the secret library of forbidden books existed and was hidden,’ said Lauren.
‘As far as we know,’ added Parsons thoughtfully. ‘Others may have been found before that, and put in storage somewhere.’
‘But why would anyone want to keep this information hidden?’ asked Jake. ‘Like you say, this fungus stuff could end world hunger.’
‘It could also be used as a biological weapon,’ said Parsons. ‘You saw that yourself. Imagine those same fungal spores, but a million of them, used as a weapon.’
‘Yes, but everything is a potential weapon!’ exploded Jake. ‘A pencil in the wrong hands can be used to stab someone! You can’t do nothing just because something could be dangerous.’
‘Jake’s right,’ said Lauren, giving Jake a smile. Both the smile and the words sent a thrill through him. ‘This is our opportunity to expose the truth. Not just about this book, but the proof that the secret library existed, and is hidden out there. And the secrets the books hold could bring untold wonders to the world. End famine. Cure diseases.’
‘And also be used as weapons in the wrong hands,’ repeated Parsons.
‘Then we have to make sure the information gets into the right hands,’ insisted Lauren.
‘How?’ asked Parsons. ‘The book by El Izmir will be under lock and key by now, you can be sure of that.’
‘So, we find another one,’ said Lauren.
‘How?’ asked Jake, puzzled.
‘We explore the sites I listed, the possible hiding places where the books were hidden, until we find one of the books. We only need to find one to prove that the secret library existed and was hidden. And then we can launch a search for the rest.’
Jake looked from her to Parsons, and then back to Lauren again.
‘It’s a bit of a long shot,’ he said. ‘According to everything you’ve found out, they’ve been hidden for hundreds of years, but this is the first time one’s actually been found. Trying to find another one could take . . . well . . . years.’
‘And there is the problem that most of them will be buried on land that is protected,’ said Parsons thoughtfully.
Lauren looked affronted.
‘You’re agreeing with Jake?’ she demanded.
‘In this case, yes.’ Parsons nodded.
Great, thought Jake delightedly. They’re splitting up, and over me! OK, not in the way I’d hoped, but it’s a start.
‘I think we need to concentrate on getting the El Izmir book back,’ said Parsons.
‘And how do you propose we do that?’ asked Lauren.
‘We use Jake,’ said Parsons. ‘After all, it’s his department that’s got it.’
As Parsons’s words sunk in, Jake felt a sense of panic creeping over him. No! he thought. The last time I tried nosing around within my department about this, someone tried to kill me!
‘No, I think Lauren’s right,’ he said. ‘I take back what I said. I think we ought to start again, just as Lauren said. There will be more books out there, hidden. I’m sure we can find one.’
Parsons didn’t seem convinced.
‘In my opinion, you were right first time, Jake,’ he said. ‘Trying to find another one could take . . . well . . . years. This offers our best opportunity.’
‘Yes,’ agreed Lauren. ‘That makes sense.’
Beaten with my own words! thought Jake gloomily. ‘OK.’ He nodded.
From the front of the van, Robert called out, ‘How much longer do you want me to keep driving around. Lizzie soaks up fuel like a sponge. I’m going to have to find a petrol station if we’re going to go on much longer.’
‘We’re finished, thanks, Robert!’ called Lauren. To Jake she said, ‘Right, it’s up to you, Jake. You have to find out where they’ve taken the book!’
Chapter 10
As Jake walked through the imposing entrance of the Department of Science at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning – his twenty-four-hour sojourn over – his mind was in turmoil. Find out where they’ve taken the book! Lauren’s instructions screamed at him. Impossible!
He’d spent the whole of the last day thinking about it. Worrying about it.
Gareth knew he’d been digging into the Order of Malichea, he was sure of it. He had discovered him in the archives, and Jake was certain he would have asked the clerks there what Jake had been looking for. Gareth had sent him home. And it had been on his way home that someone had tried to push him under a tube train. The connection was obvious, and it sent shivers down his spine. Gareth was behind the attempt to kill him.
And now he was going back into the lion’s den. Back into this building where Gareth ruled the roost and could order him to go here or there, to places that could be dangerous. Over the past two days Jake’s mind had played out all sorts of scenarios. Gareth calling Jake and sending him on an assignment to a steelworks somewhere, where he could suffer an accident with molten metal and be killed. Although his own awareness of UK industry told him that nearly all the steelworks in Britain had closed down and most steel production now went on in India. He couldn’t see Gareth sending him out to Mumbai to have him killed – too expensive, especially with the taxpayer footing the bill.
A road accident, thought Jake. That’s how most political assassinations seemed to be carried out. Car crashes. People run over on pedestrian crossings. But only low-level people, of course. Jake couldn’t believe that anyone important would actually be walking anywhere, let alone across a pedestrian crossing. Important people were driven everywhere. Walking in London was for low-level civil servants. People like Jake. So, for the past twenty-four hours, Jake had spent most of his time in his flat. When he did go out, like this morning to go to work, he made sure that he only crossed a road if there was a crowd of people crossing at the same time.
I’m getting paranoid, he thought. Especially since Lauren gave me all that stuff to read. The hidden books. Henry VIII killing the Abbot of Glastonbury. We’ve got a long tradition of pol
itical assassinations in this country, thought Jake.
‘Jake!’
The voice stopped him short as he crossed the marble entrance hall to the stairs. It was Gareth Findlay-Weston. Why was he here? Had he been deliberately waiting for Jake?
Jake fought to keep down the feeling of panic welling up in him and turned to face Gareth as he came to him.
‘You’re back.’ Gareth smiled.
No thanks to you, thought Jake acidly.
Gareth’s face suddenly went into an expression of deep concern.
‘How are you, Jake?’ he asked.
‘I’m fine, thank you, Gareth.’
‘No recurrence of the . . . the problem?’
Jake forced what he hoped sounded like a light laugh.
‘No,’ he said. Then he put on his best sincere expression. ‘I’m so sorry about what happened. Thinking I was seeing things at that site, I mean.’ He gave what he hoped was a rueful chuckle. ‘A man turning into a vegetable! God! I must have seemed like a complete loon.’
Gareth visibly relaxed.
‘I must admit, you had us all worried.’
‘Luckily, the pills the doctor gave me sorted me out. They must have flushed the toxic whatever it was – the gases – through my system.’
‘So, no after-effects?’
Jake shook his head.
‘No. The brain’s back in working order.’ He smiled. ‘No little green men or flying elephants.’
‘Excellent!’ Gareth beamed. He clapped Jake heartily on the shoulder. ‘The department will be very relieved to have you back! That incident the other day really set the cat among the pigeons! You know . . .’
‘The hallucinogenic stuff,’ finished Jake with a rueful sigh. He forced a smile. ‘Luckily, as I experienced it myself, I might be able to answer some of the questions. Scotch any rumours and gossip.’
‘Good man! That’s what I like to hear!’ Then Gareth put on his concerned face again. ‘But if you do start to feel anything odd . . .’