by R. Twine
‘Why did you intervene in the middle of the ritual then?’ I asked, still more surprised.
‘If the ceremony had been completed, both the Kingdom of Darkness and the co-owner would acquire still greater force as compared to the one they already have. Satanail is more vulnerable now because he thinks he’s closer to his goal than ever before,’ she whispered in my ear. ‘But it might well be that even if the ceremony is not completed, this Book will still be calling its owner until he finds it and takes it into his hands. Miriam, I’m sure that it won’t be long before we find out who its earthly owner is!’ Natalie made a meaningful pause. ‘All the people who belong to this Kingdom are present here. You’ll soon find out who they are …’
‘‘Then it turns out that the owner of the Book has already been born, right? And if he hasn’t, could his ghost have been present here?’’ I thought.
Meanwhile there was a ferocious battle going on all around us. Satanail’s warriors intermingled with those of the Archangel, the earth was shaking, the billowing smoke engulfed the sky above us, vicious yells were heard everywhere. Everyone wanted to take the upper hand and to be the winner of this battle; everybody was defending their own principles. The Archangel and Satanail crossed their swords in a ferocious clash. This time the Angels wanted to fight till the victorious end.
It looks like one of them must perish forever from the life of the other one. Or won’t they be able to live without each other? They are so alike – and so different! Obviously, similarity and difference are the stimuli of their existence, I thought, watching the battle rage on.
‘Natalie,’ I called. ‘The Book of Shadows belongs to someone who is Satanail’s descendant. I’m positive that the Book belongs to one of his sons who come to this world with little horns on their heads! And we already know for sure who he is!’
‘Let’s get out of here,’ said Natalie firmly. ‘Your theory is interesting but…’
‘Samuel, wake up! Wake up, Samuel!’ I shook him by the shoulder trying to awaken him. Then I started slapping him on his cheeks.
‘What’s up?’ Sam asked in a sleepy voice.
‘Get up! It's time for us to go!’ I said, and we made for the exit.
‘Whatever happened to you, Miriam?’ He asked in horror looking at the red spots on my body. ‘Is that blood?!’
‘No. Stay right here and don’t go away while I go and take the car,’ I said. ‘Please, Natalie, stay with him.’
‘Whom are you talking to, Miriam?’ Samuel asked. ‘There seems to be nobody here but you and me.’
‘All explanations later, Sam,’ I replied, making hurriedly for the parking lot.
When the wrought-iron gates opened, I heaved a sigh of relief. Gravel rustled under the tires, and I pressed the accelerator.
‘Where are we going and what time is it now?’ Samuel asked.
‘We’re going to Michael’s place and now it’s four thirty in the morning,’ I answered briefly and then added with a sigh. ‘Samuel, I’ll have to go to Switzerland along with Michael.’
“You must be joking,’ he asked, startled.
‘No, I am not.’
Samuel looked away and started staring out the window.
‘Where exactly are you going to go?’ he finally asked.
‘Lugano.’
‘I see… Is this the Michael whose father had been killed?’
‘Yes, Sam, he’s the one. I’ll tell you everything later. Now the main thing is that Michael stays put and to see to it that nothing happens either to his loved ones, or him, or us,’ I said and pressed the accelerator still harder.
Our car was nearly flying over the highway.
‘Here we are,’ I said, pulling up to the edifice built in neoclassic style.
I lowered the glass and pressed the intercom button.
‘Yes?’ Michael’s voice said.
‘It’s Miriam; Samuel is with me.’
‘Drive right in,’ he said.
We parked the car in the backyard and entered the house. There was a delicious smell of fresh buns and coffee coming out of the kitchen. My stomach rumbled right away.
‘Please, Michael, give us something to eat for breakfast,’ I said. ‘We’ve just arrived and we are very hungry.’
‘Sure, without fail… Go to the kitchen,’ Michael said in haste, glancing over me in bewilderment.
He seated us by the table, gestured to the servant to leave the room and began pouring coffee himself.
‘Whatever happened, goddammit? Miriam, what are you smeared with? You’re giving off such an unpleasant harsh smell that it’s making me sick,’ Michael said, twisting his lips with distaste.
‘I’d like you to allow me to take a shower and change my clothes. I’ll phone one of my acquaintances to bring me my garb. Then we two will do what we intended to while Samuel will have to go back to Los-Angeles,’ I said. Michael nodded absent-mindedly. ‘Are you all right, Michael?’ I asked, having noticed a shadow of concern in his face.
‘My father in law was hit by a car yesterday. He’s now in the hospital.’
‘I hope this nightmare will end some day,’ Samuel said suddenly.
‘I’m very sorry, Michael,’ I said compassionately.
‘He was lucky to get off with light injuries,’ Michael said.
‘The main thing is that he’s survived.’ Samuel stared at Michael fixedly.
I, in turn, stared inquisitively at Samuel.
‘Listen, buddy, you’ve been incredibly lucky to have gotten alive out of that goddamn castle at all,’ said Michael. ‘You should have asked me first who these people are, Miriam, before going there. And they are just the ones who tend to kill those who come to know their secrets. You can consider your escape from their den as an incredible piece of luck.’
‘How do you know all this, Michael? And how did you find out that we’d been there?’ Samuel asked nervously.
‘I’d also been invited where you’ve just come from. These people wanted me to take the place of the late Phil. And when I rejected their offer, they made it clear to me that I should brace myself for major problems. Alas, Miriam, I knew they’d try to drag you into their ranks… I’ve already warned you about the books.’
‘They invited me,’ Samuel said apologetically, ‘but I know nothing about these people except for the fact that they are all collectors.’
‘I see,’ Michael said nonchalantly.
‘But still, how did you know where exactly we have come from?’ I started, getting at Michael after Samuel left the kitchen.
‘Judging by your appearance, they’d poured some nasty stuff into your glasses,’ Michael observed. ‘How did I know? Phil slept with Agella, who was his mistress. Arnaud, Phil’s friend and assistant, had been conducting all his affairs. It was he who told me about the ceremony and about Samuel’s name being in the list of those invited. In this clique there’s another nasty and dodgy guy with a dubious past, and I won’t be in the least surprised if he turns out to be in cahoots with criminal world. Arnaud might be involved in dirty dealings, too, but it is very difficult to check. Barry Clean once mentioned passingly that Phil had been in the know about everything that had been going on; he must have been keeping a secret folder on everybody by gathering compromising information about all of his companions. Enormous money and enormous power circulate in their circles,’ Michael whispered in my ear. ‘But these documents will be extremely hard to come by, if they really exist which I doubt very much.’
Natalie was standing a little distance away watching us with an obvious concern. Michael couldn’t see her. Or pretended he couldn’t…
‘I’ve been suspecting this, Michael, but no one will ever be able to put them behind bars. As you've just said, they have money and power. Nobody will want to run the risk of trying to punish them. No one will even want to say a word against them,’ I said. ‘Do you think Samuel is involved, too?’
Michael stared at me in bewilderment.
‘It’s difficult
to say,’ he replied after a small pause. ‘I think Phil was killed because he’d ferreted out who was who. He could sell the whole gang down the river. I don’t have the slightest doubt that these people are dangerous. They’ll stop at nothing to reach their goals. And the money and power they wield are more real instruments of influence than their alleged connection with diabolical forces or whatever… This is just the myth they use as a smokescreen. The Devil and his entourage have absolutely nothing to do with this. I’d like to draw your attention to the fact that all the murders had been perfectly executed and don’t look like murders at all; each death looks like nothing more than an accident. There’s neither direct nor indirect evidence, and the lack of evidence means no one can be charged with murder.’
‘Phil believed in dark forces, Michael,’ I objected. ‘I think his aim was to find the main link that connects man with the Prince of Darkness. This was precisely why he’d made up his mind to become the Master. During the years he’d headed the secret society Phil must have found out something of great importance, and that was why he’d been killed. And now that you, Michael, have refused to become their leader as a natural heir, they may kill you, too, because they cannot choose a man from outside their circle to fill the position. You’re right in saying that behind all those murders are people whose main goal in life is profit, money and power in all of its forms. This dangerous clique uses even Satanail to carry out their dirty dealings; I think this is precisely why the Black Angel gets rid of some of them from time to time, doing this totally on his own! People surpassed even him in their vice! This is why they reach out for me, trying to lay their hands on my offspring. Who needs it more, I wonder? Satanail or the people? You see, people are personally interested in preventing Satanail from erasing them from the face of the earth. They need my offspring. They need the boy who is to become the founder of a new civilization,’ I said. ‘Still, I don’t know whether my conjectures are absolutely true.’
‘Suppose your theory is true, Miriam,’ Michael said. ‘Then you’ll be the next one on their kill list after your son is born, because your mission will be over by then.’
‘This was something Phil had warned me about,’ I nodded. ‘But you may also be involved, Michael. They’ll need your own son, daughters have no value whatsoever for them. You’re the only one who’s really dangerous! But then it appears that what it involves is our common child or two boys. Everything will repeat itself from the very beginning: Cain and Abel. If so, this time the two brothers shall be like one, murder mustn’t repeat itself, otherwise everything will happen the way it did before. You will not be able to cope on your own with so many people waiting for you to accept the rules of their world and to become – as you should – their Master.’
‘They will never force me into doing this, Miriam,’ Michael said solemnly.
‘This is a very good script indeed for a new movie!’ said Samuel, pouring orange juice into a glass. ‘I’ll try my hand at it as a producer.’
Michael and I exchanged glances but remained silent.
‘Have I said something wrong?’ Samuel said, with a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.
‘I see you’ve developed a useful habit of listening in to other people talking,’ I said angrily.
‘Miriam, I’ve overheard only what you haven’t even been trying to hide,’ Sam said, smiling. ‘You’re a very extraordinary woman! You’ll be able to easily play the role of both devil women and the most innocent angels!’
‘Come on, Samuel, I’m serious,’ I said, cutting him short.
‘So am I,’ he replied.
Chapter 40
The bank was located in a large ancient building on a shadowy street just outside the Lugano city center. Stopping by the bank entrance, Michael took me by the hand and said with concern in his voice.
‘We’re a few steps away from something that can bring big problems into our lives. I’d always tried to stay away from Phil and his affairs but after his death I had to carry this weight. I hope what we are going to find here will be helpful, rather than generate new problems.’
I squeezed his hand. It was ice-cold.
‘Michael, we have to go all the way to the end – whatever it costs. We have no other way out.’ I said, smiling encouragingly.
‘Hello,’ a clerk said politely. ‘Is there anything I can do for you?’
Michael handed him the documents and said.
‘I’d like to inform myself about my father’s bequest.’
The clerk smiled pleasantly, ran through the documents and pressed an intercom button.
‘Michael Brinstein is here… He’s got the documents confirming his rights. He’s not alone.’
‘Mademoiselle’s with me,’ Michael explained. ‘She’s going to escort me inside.’
The clerk nodded and said.
‘Follow me.’
The elevator lifted us to the second floor. The clerk opened the office door and let us in ahead of him. We found ourselves in a spacious room with classic furniture. A respectable-looking gentleman hurried to meet us.
‘Good morning, messier Brinstein! Good morning, mademoiselle! Glad to see you. My name’s Albert Stein, I’m the manager of the bank,’ he introduced himself and extended his hand. ‘I knew your father, my father knew your grandfather, and my grandfather knew your great-grandfather. Your family’s always enjoyed our special services. I’m very glad to meet you!’
‘Which special services do you mean?’ Michael inquired. ‘Please, tell me. I knew nothing about our family having an account in your bank.’
‘It’s absolutely normal for you to be asking this question,’ Stein said politely. ‘I understand your surprise. When your father first came here he knew nothing of the legacy his father – and your grandfather – had bequeathed. This isn’t only the bank account and the strong box, messier Brinstein. This is also an armored room located deep underground. There are about twenty rooms of the kind in Switzerland; our bank guards some of them including yours. No one but the owner and his trustees whose identities are always strictly checked have access to such caches. Very few are those who know about the existence of these bunkers, equipped with highly reliable safety systems. These bunkers are capable of withstanding any critical conditions, any of them! And their content always remains totally intact. These caches are under our round the clock surveillance, no thief will ever be capable of even approaching them!’ he said proudly. ‘You may go downstairs and have a look at what’s inside the chamber. Naturally, only after the documents and identities of you, messier Brinstein, and your lady are checked.’
‘Do you have any doubts about my identity?’ Michael asked ironically.
‘Not the slightest one,’ the manager replied.
‘How long is the identity check going to take?’ Michael asked.
‘About forty minutes,’ Stein replied. ‘Would you mind having a cup of coffee?’
‘With utmost pleasure,’ Michael said and gave me an inquisitive look.
I nodded. The manager pressed the intercom button and gave his instructions concerning coffee.
‘Please, tell me, messier Stein, how long have my relatives been enjoying your special services?’ Michael asked. ‘The thing is that I haven’t found any specific date in my father’s contract.’
‘All information is strictly confidential,’ the manager said. ‘Neither I nor you will ever know since what time the depositary agreement has been valid. Only the date of your coming into an inheritance is fixed. My father knew the date when your father came into his inheritance, while my grandfather knew the date the inheritance rights of your grandfather became valid, and so on. You see, this information is not recorded anywhere, this is a commercial secret. We are only responsible for protecting the content of our bunkers against the entire outside world. And nobody is supposed to know how long it has been kept there! You will never find any information on these vaults in any of the layouts, as if they didn’t exist at all! We are not informed about their speci
fic content either! This is not stipulated in documents. This,’ he said pointing at some papers, ‘will be kept in a strong box accessible to me only. And your father’s documents will be destroyed as soon as you come into your inheritance.’
A formally dressed girl entered the room and put a tray with cups on the table. A wonderful coffee aroma tickled my nose.
‘Don’t you think it strange? It appears, you yourselves don’t know what you are keeping,’ said Michael sipping a burning hot coffee.
‘I don’t take interest in what I’m not supposed to know,’ Stein replied, a polite smile on his face. ‘Everybody has secrets. When secrets come out, various problems and misfortunes crawl out of the woodwork. There are things you’d better not know about, take my word for it.’
The coffee seemed to have cured me from muteness. I brought myself to join the conversation, at last.
‘I wonder whether you have to know the trustees personally, or will it be sufficient to show some kind of credentials?’ I asked.
‘Personally, mademoiselle, only personally,’ the manager replied. ‘A legitimate inheritor has to personally introduce an individual who would have the access to the vault later on. Otherwise this individual will never get there. These are the rules that we have.’
The intercom buzzed. Stein heard the information out attentively and then said to us, smiling.