Queen's Gambit

by M. Lorrox

  June exhales. “Oh. Well that’s still something.”

  “My husband heard that the breakthrough was possible thanks to a unique new sample they collected.”

  “Oh yeah? From The Line, I guess?”

  “I don’t know, but my husband said that the researchers are focusing all of their efforts on improving the vaccine. Isn’t that exciting?”

  “It sure is! I hope they can make it better or permanent.”

  “Indeed.”

  “If they did make it permanent, would they call it a cure? I guess not, because it wouldn’t undo the damage from the virus, just block it.”

  “I think they’d still call it a vaccine.”

  June notices a sign. “Oh, here’s the bookstore.”

  They go inside and browse the titles. June picks up a book called LIFE BLOOD 4: INFINITY DEMON and holds it up to Beatrice. “Are you familiar with this series?”

  She glances at it and rolls her eyes. “Only what I’ve heard. Apparently, it’s really trashy vampire fiction.”

  June snickers and flips the book over to read the back. “I’m actually a little curious to see how the author portrays them. You know?”

  Beatrice laughs. “I also heard that the writing was atrocious. Good luck reading through it.”

  June sets it down and moves over to a different table of books.

  “So, Eddy, tell me more about why you contacted me.”

  “Well, I heard about this crazy legend about some ancient gold jewelry, the Cardinal’s Vengeance. I was curious if you knew anything about it.”

  “How’d you discover me?”

  “A friend mentioned he had heard of you, and I looked you up... So do those old things actually exist?”

  Lorenzo smiles and takes a sip from his water. “First, they’re called the Cardinal Vengeance not the Cardinal’s Vengeance. And nobody knows much about them.”

  “I read that you’re a sort of archeologist?”

  “Of all things pertaining to our history, yes. I try to find things related to us going all the way back, well, as far back as I can.”

  A waiter comes to the table and takes their order. Lorenzo orders a D.O.C. Neapolitan pizza, and Eddy orders a cheese with sausage. When the waiter walks away, Eddy tilts his head. “What’s a D.O.C. pizza? I’ve heard of Neapolitan before, but not of that.”

  He smiles. “It stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata and it’s a way that Italy recognizes when a pizza is made in an authentic style.”

  Fancy. “Anyway, how far back do our people go?”

  “The Italians or our other social group?” He smiles. “You know Costanza is a very old Italian family, yes?”

  He nods. “Yup. Glad it carries weight outside of late night syndication.”

  Lorenzo looks at him, confused for a moment, then a gleam flashes in his eye. “Yes! That show! Oh, I never even thought about it. Do people ask you about it? They must! They must!”

  Eddy sighs and takes a sip of water. “All the damn time.”

  Lorenzo laughs and wipes his eye, and Eddy chuckles, for Lorenzo’s benefit.

  “Ah, so anyway, you asked how far back we go? Well, I believe we go all the way back to the cradle of civilization, about 6,000 years ago. Artifacts from that period are of course very rare, and if our people existed then, we certainly were not a powerful group or majority. So, it would be exceptionally difficult to attribute an item to our kind, at least.”

  Eddy nods. “And what about the Cardinal Vengeance? Are they supposed to have any identifying characteristics?”

  Lorenzo claps his hands. “Yes! That’s right, I almost completely forgot, tell me about the piece you’ve seen.” He takes a hurried sip of water, his eyes gleam over the rim.

  Eddy swallows. “Uh, I mean, I heard there were a few different pieces, a ring, umm what else...oh a pendant, and arm bands.”

  Lorenzo’s lip curls into a grin as he sets his water down. “Yes, those are the four...”

  “Can you tell me anything about them?

  Lorenzo shrugs and uses his hands to illustrate. “One story mentions the items were all carved, one that they’re made of silver, and some say they all have a symbol on them; a snake biting its tail in the shape of the symbol for infinity. I’m sure you’ve seen that before.”

  Eddy laughs. “Yeah. Except with a V in the middle. That one’s everywhere.”

  “Quite right. And you see; the trouble is, with such a famous symbol, it’s difficult to tell an original artifact from a recreation.” He shrugs. “Who knows, maybe the originals have been lost, destroyed, or even modified; it’s been millennia... I’d have to see one for myself to judge if it’s original or not.”

  Eddy nods. “You could tell by looking at it?”

  “I’ve been in the business a long, long time. I can tell when something’s not quite genuine.”

  “What do you think it’s made of? The originals I mean.”

  He rubs his chin. “One legend said they were silver and were transmuted into something else, others that they were a sort of gold alloy.”

  “That’s what the legend I heard said, that they were rose gold.”

  Lorenzo hides a smile with another sip of water. He swallows. “Could be.”

  “This legend also had some crazy-talk about wearing them and being possessed by an angry god.”

  “Oh? I wouldn’t place too much emphasis on old mythology and magic. You have to remember that we—them I mean, I’m not that old—that they were much less...how do you say...ah yes, informed way back then.”

  “Right, like cursed blades and rivers of blood and stuff.”

  “Exactly. It reminds me of that saying; magic is only science that isn’t understood.”

  Not the exact quote, but close enough. “Yes! I believe that was Arthur C. Clarke, the science fiction author.”

  “You are a well-read young man! Bravo, Eddy, bravo.”

  Eddy’s smile reveals his teeth, and a moment after, when their food arrives, Eddy loses no time in sinking them into his pizza. After a bite, while he allows the hot cheese to flow on his tongue, he watches Lorenzo.

  He has taken a bite as well, and his eyes are closed as he tastes his pizza. He man rocks his head slowly, side to side, then he swallows and opens his eyes. “Magnifico.”

  Eddy swallows and smiles. “This one is really great, too. Would you like a slice?”

  Lorenzo shakes his head and holds up a hand in rejection. “No, but I have too much myself; they only make the D.O.C. in one size.” He separates a slice off from the rest and slides it onto Eddy’s plate. “Here, you must try it; it is superb. Have you ever been to Italy?”

  “Thanks. No, I haven’t.”

  Lorenzo brings his fingers to his mouth just like the way eccentric Italian chefs do in Eddy’s mind. “The pizza there will change your life.” He motions to Eddy’s plate. “And this one is quite good. Go on, give it a taste.”

  They enjoy the rest of their meal and chat about Italy. Eventually, the conversation turns back toward the legend and the jewelry. “Eddy, this reminds me of another detail about the Cardinal Vengeance. I’ve read an account of someone that found a few of the pieces in Italy, a very long time ago. It said the items had different, hidden inscriptions and odd markings on them in some ancient language, but I cannot remember which.”

  Eddy nods and sits back in his chair, giving his full belly a little more room. “I heard something like that too, and I think the language was Ancient Sumerian, but I am definitely not old enough to read that!”

  “No, I’m sure you are not! Very funny, my young man, very funny.” He sighs, then shrugs. “Who knows. The original set of jewelry is probably gone now—if they ever truly existed. We may never know the secrets within them. The Cardinal Vengeance may be a mystery for all of eternity.”

 
Eddy smiles. This is so cool! I bet the ring is real, and I know what it says! He nods. “Maybe.”

  I knew it. Lorenzo clears his throat. “Well, do tell me if you ever find one of these, will you?”

  Eddy tilts his head. “I didn’t plan to go looking for them, but sure, if I ever find myself with an old artifact, I’ll let you know.”

  You already have. “Very good, very good. To an old and fat historian like me, such a discovery would be a dream come true!”

  Eddy laughs, and the bill arrives in a little black folder. Lorenzo snatches it off the table in the blink of an eye. “Wow, sir, you can’t be that old, that was fast!”

  You have no idea.

  “But sir, I have money. I can pay for my food—”

  Lorenzo holds up his palm as he retrieves a long wallet from his breast pocket. He opens it and without blatantly showing Eddy how much cash he carries on him, he shows Eddy how much cash he carries on him. “The museums and universities that fund me, fund me well. I believe better than you are funded, Eddy.” He takes out a few bills and puts them in the folder. “And you took transit. Would ten dollars cover it?”

  “Oh, you don’t need to—” A ten-dollar bill lands in front of him.

  “Please do not worry about it.” He stands up with the bill. “I’ll drop this off on the way to the bathroom. Will you wait here for me?”

  Eddy nods. “Oh course, sir.”

  “Thank you.”

  Eddy checks his phone. In a couple minutes, Lorenzo returns. “Shall we?”

  Outside, Lorenzo walks Eddy back to the metro station, but he says he wants to show Eddy something special, and they walk south along 7th Street, toward the other entrance of the Gallery Place/Chinatown station. Lorenzo recommends some good restaurants along the way and tells Eddy about a recent dig he was on in South America.

  Eddy snaps his fingers. “Oh, I almost forgot, I was also going to ask about another part of the legend, about some ceremonial objects? Do you know what I’m talking about?”

  He nods. “Cording, a chalice, and a blade of some kind.”

  Cording? Oh, he means rope. “If they were found, what kind of condition would they be in after thousands of years?”

  “You’re a smart boy, Eddy. That’s a real concern in my line of work. The cord would be gone, nothing left. The chalice might have been stone, so that may remain. If it was copper—and the knife was most likely a rudimentary metal like copper—then they’d both be highly degraded. There might not be anything left of them at all, depending on the environment they’re in, of course.”

  “Hmm, that’s too bad. I bet they’d be quite a find.”

  He swallows. “Absolutely... Well, here we are.” He points across the street to a very large building. “That is the National Portrait Gallery. There’s some wonderful work in there by...a member of our community. You should try and find the time to go and explore before your travels take you away from the city.”

  Eddy’s eyes flow over the outer walls of the huge building. “Oh, cool. I had no idea. Who’s the artist?”

  Lorenzo smiles. “I’ll leave that as a riddle for you to consider.” He reaches his hand out. “It was my pleasure dining with you today.”

  Eddy takes his hand.

  Lorenzo squeezes it—somewhat loosely, by a vampire’s standards—and flashes a Cheshire grin until he releases Eddy’s hand. “Stay in touch. Oh, and the other entrance to the metro is right here.” Lorenzo motions behind Eddy, then walks away.

  Eddy watches him for a moment, then joins the crowd funneling onto the escalators heading down to the station.

  A man leaning against a nearby wall holds a DC Apartments Locator flyer, then crumples it up, throws it on the ground, and steps into the crowd.

  After each purchasing a few books, June and Beatrice walk toward where the shuttle bus will pick them up. Beatrice glances quickly over to June as they walk in silence, then she looks straight ahead.

  “What is it?”

  “Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking something.”

  “I can tell that something is bothering you.”

  Beatrice looks at her sideways and smiles. “Can’t slip anything past you, can I?”

  “Nope. You can’t.”

  She sighs. “Well, I was considering if I should tell you about something that happened earlier, before you found me in the courtyard. I had an interesting conversation with someone.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yes. The doctor who runs the infirmary in the hotel was walking through the courtyard, and she stopped to chat with me. She was looking for someone, and asked if I knew who they might be.”

  June swallows hard. “Oh?”

  “She described you, my dear. I think she’s looking for you.”

  June stiffens and glances behind her to see if there’s anyone nearby. She sees a bench down a wing of the mall that leads to an exit. It’s empty. She looks at Beatrice. “Can we sit down for a minute?”

  They walk over to the bench and sit. June smooths her hands over her jeans and studies the tiles at her feet. “Did she say why she was looking for someone that looked like me?”

  Beatrice places her hand on June’s and squeezes it. “She was looking for you dear, she even described the clothes you were wearing the other day—on Tuesday, I believe.”

  Great. “Did she say why she was looking for me?”

  “No, just that she needed to find you. She said she had something very important to talk to you about.”

  “Did you tell her who I was?”

  “No, I didn’t.” She shifts on the bench to face June. “What did she want? I think you’re not telling me something.”

  June lifts her gaze from the floor and almost cries. “I can’t tell anybody.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I, they’d... I just can’t.” She pulls her hand away from Beatrice.

  “I don’t mean to pry. But I will tell you, the woman seemed very genuine, and she seemed determined to find you.”

  June groans. “Greeaat.”

  Beatrice waits a moment. “I know that she’s one of the researchers working on Dr. Melgaard’s team—the researchers who discovered this vaccine... Is there any chance you might have helped?”

  June looks first at her, then all around, thinking about what she should say.

  Beatrice pats June’s hand. “Well, it’s a safe bet that she’s still looking for you. It might be best if we came into the hotel through the parking garage instead of walking through the front doors.”

  June finds Beatrice’s eyes. “You are so wonderful.”

  Beatrice stands. “I know; my husband tells me that all the time.”

  June laughs.

  “Maybe you should talk to her though.” Beatrice extends her hand, June takes it and stands, and they walk to the shuttle bus.

  Eddy waits on the platform for the train to take him back to Virginia. The station is more crowded than it was earlier, and people keep bumping into him. A woman rushing toward a train going in the other direction brushes past him, and he turns just a little when she does. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees a tall man wearing dark sunglasses.

  We’re underground dude, take off the shades.

  There’s an area with less people down a little way, and Eddy walks over there and pulls out his phone. He doesn’t get very good reception. He holds the phone up, but his attempt is pointless; he has no signal. As he watches and hopes it gets more bars, the screen dies, showing black, and in the reflection, he sees the man in the sunglasses again. Hmm. He decides to put on a soundtrack, so he fires up a playlist starting with “Switchblade” by Holy White Hounds, adjusts his earbuds at his collar, then slips his phone in his pocket. As the song starts, he checks that his leather bag is secured closed.

  “Sittin’ in the back seat, suckin’ on a s
witchblade…”

  With his peripheral vision, he assesses his surroundings. Near me, we’ve got some college kids, some girls in yoga pants... DAMN... Someone in a suit, and a homeless dude. He notices a sign flashing a maintenance alert, then he turns and looks in the other direction at a sign showing the time until the next train. He sees the man, and the man looks away suddenly. Uh-huh. Suspicious much?

  The train’s lights shine down the metal rails, and people lean to glance down the track. As it passes and slows, Eddy notices that each car section has three doors. When it stops, the middle door of a car stops almost directly in front of him. When the doors open, several people step off, and Eddy is the first to step on.

  The man in the sunglasses gets on the train too, following Eddy through the same door. Eddy watches the man’s reflection in the windows at the far end of the train. Someone nudges Eddy from behind; it’s crowded by the door, and there’s room down the aisle to the left. Eddy makes his way down the aisle toward the front of the car, and more people pile into the train behind him.

  Eddy’s new friend also moves into the aisle of the train, but in the crowd, he’s not as far forward as Eddy. When the train sounds the warning that the doors are about to close, Eddy asks a random person next to him, “This goes train goes to Maryland, right?”

  The guy snaps his head to Eddy. “Wrong train!”

  “Crap!” Eddy blasts past that guy and another couple that stood between him and the train car’s most forward door.

  The man in the sunglasses turns to try and go back the way he came, but it’s very crowded. He pushes against someone. “Move!”

  Eddy leaps out of the doors as they are closing, and he nearly gets his ankle caught. He lands on the platform and turns back to the train. He gives a thumbs-up to the guy that told him it was the wrong train, and watches the man in sunglasses out of his peripheral vision. He sure doesn’t look happy…

  Eddy turns and calmly walks over to the other side of the platform while the train he was on rolls away. He checks a kiosk map of the metro system and finds a different route back to the hotel. Well, guess I’m taking the long way. He shrugs and walks up the stairs to a different platform. Who the hell was that guy? Was he really following me? For what, the ring? He snorts. Like I’d be dumb enough to bring it with me.