JACK BATSON AND THE HOLY GRAIL

by Georgekutty Adappur

  Meanwhile, Jack saw a tongue of fire coming towards him through the slightly opened door and it fell upon his chest. He thought that it was some devils’ plan to burn him alive. Suddenly, as though someone knocked him, he fell down on the floor. The next moment he regained the courage and stood upon his feet. Then he started to speak, as though he got some courage from that fire.

  “Dear Agatha…” Jack started to speak: “Why do you doubt about God’s own power? Why do you make your mind a mess with such tangled things? Believe in God and trust in him, remove all the evil thoughts from your mind. You and your daughter are under the protection of your Heavenly Father, so don’t be afraid, nothing will happen to you. No evil can raise its hands against you. Only good things are waiting for you. Like Jesus Christ resurrected from death, our Lord will raise you from all these problems. So, believe…”

  “I agree my dear girl. I let you go with Mr. Batson!” Jack’s anointed words cleared Agatha’s turbulent mind and she finally gave permission for Christa.

  CHAPTER-11

  MILLER’S DIARY

  “I shall be back soon.” Christa said while she rose from the chair. She went inside and came back with a diary in her hands. It had a red leather hardcover and all four corners were buckled with golden plates in triangle shape.

  Jack looked at her flatteringly and she smiled. She handed over the diary to him and he opened it. A portrait of a young man was stuck on its first page. He had a thick brown moustache and brown curly hairs. He had a smiling face in the portrait, but his reddish eyes revealed that he was sad in his heart. Yet, his face was very attractive. His thick red lips, and glittering white teeth had hidden a demoniac, diabolic mystery.

  Again Jack turned some pages and saw the date 1982 March 12 scribbled on a page. He read it as follows:

  “James and I went to the house of the high priest. It was a strange house. I have never been in such a hellish house in my entire life. The house seemed like hiding some secrets inside. Its location was in a village, in the valley named Parthodas.

  Parthodas was a beautiful place. It was a fully greenish country area. I could see many people working in the wheat field; there were many beautiful women and handsome men. We came across a couple who were coming from the opposite direction. We were travelling in James’ car and we stopped beside them to ask the way to the high priest’s house. They replied that they didn’t know a person by that name. Then James explained to them that his name is Luciferos.

  When they heard that name, we could see the sudden change in their facial expression which was horrible and unexpected. Suddenly their friendly face became red with anger, as though we asked them something very wrong. They stared at us for a moment and cursed us before they walked away. I couldn’t understand why they behaved like that. Everything seemed like strange for me.

  It was the first time, I was going to meet the high priest. Yet, I didn’t know who he was. James, who was my primary school friend, told me that he had seen him five times before. When he spoke about Luciferos, you should have seen his face. James showed great awe when he talked about Luciferos as though he was talking about the humble saint, Saint Joseph of Cupertino. Whenever he talked about Luciferos, he bowed his head to show his admiration towards that man.

  James told me that, he never got an opportunity to visit his house. I remembered what James told me previousday that his greatest ambition in life was to become the high priest in their church. I asked him more about his church and the high priest, but he was not willing to answer. I felt like he was hiding something from me. I didn’t dare to ask him, because sometimes he seemed like a fanatic in the matters of his church.

  James and I were good friends since our childhood and we went to different colleges for our higher studies after our high school education. Yesterday, after long ten years’ break, we could meet again accidently in the city shopping mall. I was on my way back home after my travel to Eushermardero to capture a beautiful scenery which can inspire me for my next painting.

  He invited me to his house and requested me to stay overnight with him before going back home. I was in a hurry to meet my parents, so I declined his offer. But, he begged again and again and finally I accepted his request. His house was located just three kilometres away from the shopping mall.

  When we reached his house, I felt like trapped in one of the darkest places in the world. I got really amazed to see a house completely painted in black colour from top to bottom. Besides, most of the objects in the house were also dark in colour.

  We sat on a sofa and talked about sweet memories of our childhood that we shared together. I asked him about his job and he replied me that he could become a priest in a church. When I heard it, I congratulated him for his perseverance to become a priest, because I knew that strong determination and dedication are needed to become a priest. I congratulated him for becoming a Catholic Priest, because I knew that he was coming from a Catholic family. Suddenly his face flushed with anger and he corrected me saying that, his church was more powerful than Roman Catholic Church.

  Then I enquired him about the Church he belonged to. He didn’t disclose me anything about it, and he seemed like secretive about his church and his priesthood.

  When I asked him more about the subject, he became angry and demanded me to shut my mouth at once. I really felt very sad because it was after many years that we were meeting. In spite of this he treated me very badly like this without giving any respect.

  I went there with a plan to stay with him that night, but after this incident I changed my mind and went to my room to pack up my bags to leave his house as soon as possible. I didn’t dare to say goodbye forever from our friendship because it seemed like a stupid thing to talk then. My friend had changed a lot within these ten years. He was no more the same James who was my lovely companion and mate.

  When I walked out with my travel bag, I could see him standing in the courtyard as though waiting for me. He said sorry for his rude behaviour and begged me to stay with him just for that night. I didn’t pay attention to his request and walked towards my car, passing him. Suddenly he caught my wrist and begged again, but I denied his request. As a final attempt to appease me, he fell at my feet. I felt all his acts as ridiculous and my anger towards him slowly melted at last. Thus, finally I accepted his offer and stayed with him that night. Suddenly he transformed into a good man and started talking friendly like in our old school days. He asked me more about my paintings and my marriage. I told him that I am still a bachelor and gave more importance to my painting profession than to my family life.

  Then he invited me to his church on the following day to meet up with his high priest. He told me that they were looking for a good painter to decorate their church wall. He enquired me whether I could help him in that matter. He tempted me by offering a high reward for my paintings. Finally I agreed to go with him to meet his high priest.

  Staying with him at night in that strange house made me sick as if I was in a prison. But, after that incident he spoke to me very nicely and didn’t give me any provocation. Yet, I had some doubts about his sudden change in the behaviour and I felt as though he was hiding something from me. So I told him that I can’t go with him as my parents are waiting at home. He begged again like he did before and finally I agreed to go with him.

  I couldn’t understand what happened to James. Now his behaviour, his talk and everything around him seemed strange to me. My only intention of accepting his offer was to know more about the secrets of his church and the high priest.

  “I am sure you would be thankful to me, for organizing a chance to meet the high priest!” James said.

  That night he insisted me to go to bed early, so I went to bed before 7’ O clock at night. But it was quite difficult for me to get a sound sleep as I didn’t have the habit to go to bed early.

  I closed my eyes, but couldn’t sleep. I passed my time by rolling on the bed, finally somehow I fell into deep sleep. I didn’t know how long I slept. My sle
ep got distracted when I heard the clink of a bell and I opened my eyes to check what happened.

  I looked at the ceiling and I could see a shadow moving on it. The shadows’ hands came closer to me suddenly and I sprang up from the bed and rushed through the door towards my friend’s room.

  When I approached his room, I overheard the howling of some people, followed by the blood freezing cry of a woman. I had moved my right hand to touch the door with an intention to knock at it. When I heard that horrifying cry, I pulled back my hand in a sudden movement, as though I got an electric shock from the door. It really made me dubious, because I knew that my friend James was a bachelor, and I haven’t noticed any human beings in the house except him. So, that sound terrified me.

  I was afraid that my friend was killing a woman with the help of some other people. I thought that his next prey would be me. So, I rushed downstairs to escape from that strange house. Suddenly, I heard the footsteps of someone approaching the staircase from the ground floor. Within a few seconds someone started to climb up the steps. It was pitch dark everywhere and no light was on. So it was very easy for me to hide somewhere. I walked towards my room and reached at the corner of a hall that leads to my room. I hid there safely, and peeped over at the happenings in the first floor.

  I heard the footsteps more loudly and I felt like someone approaching me. But I saw someone walking towards James’ room. The area in front of his room was clearly visible in the moon light that filtered through the window panes.

  That figure had worn a long black jacket that touched the floor. It approached James’ room; looked at every direction as though to make sure that nobody was watching or spying over it. It knocked at James’ door six times like a sign to open the door and someone opened the door for him.

  When the door opened, the light from inside spread everywhere. In that light, I could clearly see the face of that figure. It was a beautiful woman. I could also see the face of the person who came to open the door. I was amazed to see James standing with another man who had a thick beard and moustache. The woman entered the room and kissed each person on their cheek as a symbol of welcome. After that, the door was closed with a creaking noise behind them.

  I remembered that I didn’t see anyone until I went to bed. So the person who stood beside James might have arrived only after I fell asleep. But, then I remembered that when I was trying to enter his room in the afternoon he blocked me and locked his bedroom door with a key. All his strange acts and the people who came to meet him at night raised doubts in my heart. But, I was keen to know what they were doing. Why that beautiful woman came to visit him in the midnight? Who is the other stranger in his room? These doubts burned inside my heart. I couldn’t understand anything; everything appeared like a nightmare.

  I got scared to go back to my room; still I was shivering with fear when thought about the gigantic shadows that approached me…. Finally, I decided to go back and stay in the room, which I felt was safer than standing there in the open hall. I realized that if I stand there, the people can easily find me and think I am spying over them. I was sure that, if James and his strange friends locate me, they won’t spare me. It was a horrendous night. Everything seemed like a nightmare for me, but I wanted to find a way to escape, otherwise my life would be in danger.

  I silently moved to my room and locked the door behind me. I looked around for a way to escape and finally reached the window and peeped to the courtyard. In the moonlight, I saw a few people clad in black robes and hoods, standing there in a circle. The moonlight gleamed upon them, but their faces were not visible as they had covered their faces with the hoods. They opened the front door and came inside.

  After a few seconds, I could hear heavy footsteps on the staircase again. I went to the door and peeped through the keyhole. I saw them going towards James’ room. I counted them…they were totally 6 people. Two people each were carrying something on their shoulders. In the moonlight, I could see what it was. They were three girls whom I could easily identify from their uncovered faces. Those three girls were in their night gowns. I got really shocked to see all these strange happenings around me.

  They knocked at the door 6 times and the woman whom I saw before opened the door. They were whispering but I could clearly hear what they spoke:

  “We got three girls of 15, 16 and 17 with us today.” The man said.

  “It is O.K. We can manage, but did you get the most important thing?” The woman asked.

  “No, but my friend got one. He went to a Catholic church and luckily got it.”

  “Then, where is it?”

  “He asked for money for it.”

  “Tell him first to give it, then we will give him the money.”

  “I told him that, but he demanded to get the money first. I tried to entice him, but he didn’t yield.”

  “Then give him whatever money he demanded, and get it.” The woman became impatient.

  “He is in the car with other guys, waiting for the money.” The man said.

  “Then what are you waiting for? Give whatever they ask and bring it. It is the time to have it!” The woman ordered.

  “OK. Priestess.” He bowed and went downstairs.

  Then I saw the rest of them entering into James’ room with the girls; the door got slammed behind them. Then, a feeling of intense fear conquered me and my body started to shiver. I wanted to escape from these conjurers and devils- whatever I can call them.

  I know, escaping through the staircase and front door is not safe. So I opened the window and planned to go through it. I still knew that it was a dangerous attempt, because my room was in first floor, not in the ground floor. But, I preferred death than falling into the clutches of these devils.

  If I climbed down through the window, I might fall onto the ground and break my legs and arms. Otherwise, it may cause to break my neck or split my head! Even if it causes to splatter my brain onto the courtyard, I don’t worry about that. Such accidental and terrible deaths are even better than the life as a slave for Satan, which culminates in my eternal death in Hell. What I wanted to do right then was to save my life from these devils.…

  When I opened the window, the moon was gleaming over me from the sky. In the moonlight, I could clearly see my shadow too. Even my shadow was shivering with fear. I struggled to take breath, so I got scared that my heartbeats had stopped. I checked my pulse on my right arm, but I couldn’t feel it.

  I could hear the shouts and laughs of the people from James’ room. I came out through the window, holding my hands around a big steel pipe that was bolted onto the wall. That big steel pipe gave me the hope that, I can escape soon from that hellish place. I gripped my arms and legs firmly around that steel pipe and started to climb down slowly.

  While climbing down through the pipe I could clearly see James’ room. Four men and five women including James were standing in a circle, clad in black robes. Many black candles were burning on the table and even on the floor.

  There were chanting mantras, as though they were attending a strange terrible secretive ritual. They were dancing as well as shouting some strange words in an unknown language. I understood that they belonged to a cult that worship Satan and all other evil spirits, as I heard earlier from one of my college mates. Now I realized, what was the most important thing they had needed for their ritual. It was the Blessed Sacrament (the Holy Host) from the Catholic Church.

  It was not the people or their strange acts that terrified me. When they dispersed from the circle, I could see something horrible upon the table. It was the bodies of that three girls whom I saw just a few minutes ago. James approached the table with a sword and removed their heads from their torsos.

  I felt dizzy when I saw this terrible scene and I fell down onto the ground from the pipe. My whole body started to bleed; it was shivering and aching with great pain. Suddenly, I heard the stamping of the feet coming towards me. I tried to move and get up, but I failed. I closed my eyes and prepared to die. Suddenly somebod
y sprayed something onto my face and I lost my consciousness.

  When I opened my eyes again, it was morning. I was in the same bed where I slept previous night. I could see James standing beside me. The sun light was coming inside through the windows and it was bright everywhere. I found that he was not smiling, but staring at me rudely. I was scared to look at his face and closed my eyes again. A feeling of intense fear overpowered me like in the last night. I knew that I am trapped and have no way to escape. I tried to get up but realized that my arms and legs were fastened to the bed posts….

  “Please leave me alone.” I begged.

  When he heard this, he laughed at me and I could see his right hand as moving into his trouser pocket. He took out something from the pocket that was glistening in the burning sunlight. It was a revolver. He pressed it to my chest.

  “Don’t kill me, please leave me alone.” I begged again.

  “You have no right to live in this world. The hideous treacherous people like you have no right to live in this world.” He uttered these words and pointed the revolver to my forehead.