The French Code

by Deborah Abela

  Max pursed her lips and sat forward in her chair.

  ‘We’ve been trying to make her feel better,’ Linden said to François, ‘but nothing seems to work.’

  François reached out to comfort her, but had no idea what to do with his hand, so he slipped it back to his side.

  ‘There is one thing that may help.’ Veronique sniffed. ‘Could we go down to the museum?’

  François shook his head and uttered a quiet, ‘No.’

  ‘Please, François. I know Regi doesn’t like people going down there without him, but I’m sure he’d make an exception for me.’ She held Linden’s hanky to her nose. ‘It reminds me of Papa and makes me feel as if he is still …’ This time Veronique fell weeping against Linden’s chest.

  Max crossed her arms, uncomfortable with just how much weeping on Linden was going on.

  François’s face twisted into a pained scowl, and he shifted on his feet. Finally, he nodded and took his keys from his pocket. Fifi barked and jumped up on François’s leg.

  ‘Thank you,’ Veronique whimpered and threw her arms around François’s waist. He flinched and looked as if he was having trouble breathing, until Veronique’s performance finally came to an end. ‘This really means a lot to me.’

  François looked at Max and Toby. ‘Not you two.’ He handed Toby the first-aid kit with bandages.

  ‘But,’ Max began, ‘I need to be with Veronique. It’s my job. I couldn’t …’

  François held his hand out in invitation for Linden and Veronique to join him.

  ‘Max.’ Veronique sniffed. ‘Since you can’t come, I’ll leave Fifi for company.’

  Max squared a very unhappy eye on Veronique. ‘That makes staying behind all the more worthwhile.’

  Veronique offered Fifi a kiss and handed her to Max with a wink before they were led away.

  ‘Looks like I need to do some doctoring.’ Toby sighed and went to reach for Max’s ankle.

  ‘Don’t you even think of touching me.’

  ‘O-kaaay.’ Toby slowly backed away and took a bread roll from the tray. ‘Mmm … These are good.’

  Max grabbed the medical kit and wrapped her ankle in a bandage. ‘That should make François happy.’

  Her palm computer suddenly vibrated against her leg. She put Fifi on the floor and pulled her computer from her pocket. Linden was sending her a video link of the museum tour via his watch. ‘Nice one, Linden.’

  The dark and grainy image showed François opening the door at the end of the stone staircase and standing at attention for Linden and Veronique to enter the museum. The sounds of their footsteps echoed around the room as the image sailed between the two sphinxes, passed the deities of chaos and water and the replica of the Rosetta Stone, with only a quick peek at the lower room and Strangways’s Book of the Dead.

  ‘I feel better already, François.’ The video swung round to Veronique, who took a deep breath. ‘Thank you.’

  Max could hear François mumble a reply, followed by the image of the nervous looking housemaster, whose eyes locked onto their every move.

  ‘We’ve got to get François out of there so they can take pictures of the book,’ Max said.

  ‘We ’eed some ’ind of ’ecoy,’ Toby suggested through a mouthful of sandwich.

  ‘A decoy. Something that will lure him out fast.’ she smiled. ‘This castle is like a prison. I bet if you tried to open one of the doors leading outside you’d set off an alarm. That should get him running.’

  Toby swallowed. ‘Yes, Miss Bo–’

  Max narrowed her eyes.

  ‘I mean, okay.’ Toby grabbed another roll and left the room. He crept downstairs into the kitchen and to the door at the rear. He undid a series of bolts and turned a key already in the lock. He swung the door open and sat at the table before taking a huge bite of his roll.

  Max heard the alarm from the room. The image again swung round to François, who pulled a thin electronic device from his pocket and flicked it open.

  ‘What is it, François?’ Max heard Veronique ask.

  ‘The kitchen,’ he mumbled, before looking at the stairs behind him.

  ‘If you need to go, we can stay here.’ Max watched her screen as Veronique unveiled one of her best smiles. ‘Linden is here to take care of me.’

  In the background, François’s eyes flicked back and forth in indecision before the sound of the alarm sent him fleeing from the room.

  The image darkened. ‘Good work,’ Max heard Linden whisper. ‘He’s on his way up.’

  Toby held his computer before him and spoke into his watch. ‘I’ve sent the page numbers to your computer.’

  ‘I’m right on it.’

  Max watched as the image followed Veronique into the lower room of the museum and the cabinet with Strangways’s Book of the Dead. She put on the gloves and unlatched the cabinet door. Linden whispered the numbers and Veronique carefully turned the ancient and delicate pages, each turn finishing with the click of Linden’s watch.

  In the kitchen, François met Toby.

  ‘Sorry about the alarm.’ The young spy finished the last of his roll. ‘Max needed to rest and I was going to take a walk. Good roll, by the way.’ His face was all innocence as François looked around the room before pulling shut and locking the door, this time taking the key.

  Toby stood up and brushed crumbs from his hands. ‘I could really get used to this chateau life.’

  François reset the alarm system and hurried out of the room.

  ‘He’s coming back,’ Toby contacted Linden.

  François’s feet fell softly against the stone floor of the castle as he hurried down the stairs to the entrance of the museum. He burst in to be met by Veronique and her overly affectionate hug. In the background, Linden carefully closed the cabinet of The Book of the Dead and replaced the gloves where they had been.

  ‘Thank you, François.’ She sniffled into his suit. ‘You’ve been so kind.’ She began weeping.

  François’s horror-stricken eyes sought out Linden, who appeared from the interior of the museum.

  ‘She’s a little overwhelmed.’ Linden unfastened Veronique’s fingers from her grip on François’s jacket. ‘She’ll be right after a lie down.’

  Linden led his distressed friend upstairs to Max’s room, with the jingling of François’s keys and the turning of locks echoing behind them.

  ‘You’re back.’ Toby met them at the door of Max’s room. ‘Did the alarm give you enough time to take the pictures?’

  Linden handed Toby his watch. ‘Mission accomplished.’

  Toby plugged the watch into the USB port of his computer and began downloading the photos. ‘Did you get all the pages?’

  ‘Every one.’ Linden smiled. ‘Thanks to some very fine acting by Veronique.’

  ‘We were a great team,’ Veronique whispered. ‘I never knew this whole spy thing could be so exciting.’

  ‘So we’re a little more than just babysitters?’ Max asked.

  Veronique smiled. ‘Yes. Much more.’

  Max turned to Toby. ‘How long will it take you to decipher the pages?’

  ‘Shouldn’t be too long. I’ll get started straight away.’

  Linden’s palm computer vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and opened the connection. ‘Hi, Steinberger.’

  ‘Hello, Linden. Good work on the bugging discovery. I’ve looked into the names of the people on the list and discovered they are of some of the most revered minds in the field of archaeology.’ Three photos appeared on the screen beside the face of Steinberger. ‘They’re professors mostly, from some of the best Egyptology departments in universities around the world.’

  ‘Are they all okay?’ Linden asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Steinberger answered. ‘I immediately had agents dispatched to find them. All are in very good health.’

  ‘Did they know Monsieur Marceau?’ Max asked.

  ‘Yes, it seems they did, Max. All of them used to meet on a regular basis, but we’re not
sure at this stage what those meetings were about. We should know more after they’re questioned further. You’ve never heard of these people, Veronique?’

  ‘I met a lot of Papa’s colleagues either at home or at functions – or when I went to the Louvre after school – but I don’t remember them at all.’

  ‘Are you okay?’ Steinberger asked gently.

  ‘Yes, thank you, your agents are taking very good care of me.’

  ‘She’s been really brave.’ Linden’s compliment was returned with a girlish giggle from Veronique.

  Max had heard enough about Veronique’s bravery. ‘Steinberger, I know this is going to sound crazy, but it seems Strangways is planning to use The Book of the Dead to attempt some kind of ancient Egyptian spell.’

  Steinberger’s face moved closer to the screen. ‘What kind of spell?’

  ‘We’re not sure yet,’ Max said. ‘It’s not possible, is it?’

  ‘Actually, Max, Quimby has had a keen interest in ancient Egyptian methodologies and theories for years. They were very advanced in many ways, and it’s believed they possessed technologies that are lost to us, but that were far superior to anything we have today. Why, if we had the resources that were available then, we would be completely incapable of constructing the pyramids.’

  ‘Yeah, but magic?’ Max laughed.

  ‘From Quimby’s studies, these technologies may not be immediately comprehensible to us, but that is not to say the power of them should be underestimated. There are scientists today who believe fervently in the power of ancient practices and are working hard to discover their secrets. Be careful, Max. Strangways had devoted his life to this ancient civilisation. If anyone was to know how to harness these powers, it may well be him.’

  A measured silence filled the room.

  ‘Stay safe, all of you. I’ll let you know when I find out more.’

  Steinberger signed off and Linden slipped his computer into his pocket.

  ‘It’s up to you, Mr Code Breaker.’ Linden looked at the tray of rolls François had brought them. ‘And it’s definitely time for one of these.’

  A brief knock was followed by the appearance of François at the door. His eye shot to Toby and his palm computer.

  ‘Playing games calms me down,’ Toby explained.

  François paused before speaking. ‘There is a call for you, Mademoiselle. Downstairs. Commandant Tetu.’

  ‘Why is he calling me on Regi’s phone when he has my mobile number?’ Veronique bent down and held out her hands. ‘Come on, Fifi. He might have news about Papa.’

  Fifi jumped into her arms and François closed the door behind them.

  ‘Good news, I hope,’ Toby said and turned back to his computer and notes. ‘Because I’ve only begun deciphering the first page, and it doesn’t look good.’

  Max and Linden crowded around him.

  ‘You remember how Strangways said his Book of the Dead was unique; I think I’ve worked out why. I told you I did a little research about the books last night before I went to sleep. Many of the spells that made up the books were actually written on rolls of papyrus and on tablets and temple walls. They were mostly good magic, but there were also books of destructive magic. Flicking through these pages that Linden sent, it seems Strangways is a little more devoted to the destructive kind.’

  ‘How many spells do you think you are looking at?’ Max asked.

  ‘There seem to be two separate ones. But one of them’s pretty big.’

  ‘Do you think you can work them out?’ Linden asked.

  ‘Yep. It’ll be more tricky than decoding Strangways’s notes, but I think I have the genius to do it.’

  ‘It’s great working with someone so humble.’ Max’s palm computer vibrated in her pocket. ‘Commandant Tetu?’

  The face of the steely French officer appeared on her screen. ‘’Ow iz everyzing?’

  ‘Very castle-like, thank you. Did you have good news for Veronique?’

  Tetu paused briefly and his eye twitched. ‘Ah … not as such, no, but we are getting close. I would like to speak wiz ’er.’

  Max’s stomach pinched. ‘But you just did.’

  ‘I ’ave no idea what you are talking about. I am calling now to talk to ’er.’

  Max nodded at Linden and flicked her head towards the door. He put down his roll and raced from the room.

  ‘You didn’t call to speak with her about five minutes ago?’ Max tried to keep her voice firm.

  Tetu’s eye was twitching wildly now. ‘You will stop wasting my time and put Veronique on now!’

  ‘She isn’t here,’ Max almost whispered.

  Tetu’s face turned into a puce, pulpy fury. ‘She … isn’t … zere?’

  ‘No. I’ll call you back.’ Max closed the connection and breathed deeply to try and calm her heart. ‘Tetu didn’t call Veronique.’

  They ran downstairs and met an out-of-breath Linden. ‘She isn’t here,’ he puffed. ‘The front door’s open and there’s no sign of François or the truck.’

  Max felt her palm computer vibrate with another call from Tetu.

  ‘Do you think she’s still wearing your Tracer Bug?’ Toby asked.

  ‘I hope so.’ Max took out the Time and Space Machine and accessed the virtual search engine. She entered her tracer code. In a few seconds a blue-green image of the earth appeared. It zoomed in on France and careened down to the grounds of Strangways’s chateau and a forest path.

  ‘There she is.’ Max watched as a red dot blipped on the screen. ‘She’s inside François’s truck.’ Her voice stuck in her throat like cotton wool.

  ‘We left her alone for only minutes,’ Max whispered. Linden saw small silver tears flare up in her eyes. ‘Our only job was to look after her and I mucked it up.’

  ‘We’ll get her back,’ Linden said.

  Max looked up from the machine and slipped her arms though the straps of her pack. ‘Toby, you stay here and work out the rest of that spell or ritual or whatever it is. I bet it has everything to do with where they’re taking Veronique. Write to me on the palm computer as soon as you’ve cracked it. Don’t call in case it’s not safe to speak. We were sent here to make sure nothing happens to Veronique, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.’

  Max stood on the pebbled drive of the courtyard with a shoe on one foot and a bandage wrapped around the other. She gave her hand a fierce shake before throwing a red rubber cube onto the ground. A small plume of dust rose into the air followed by the appearance of a red, sleek vehicle.

  Linden noticed Max’s clenched fists. ‘Would you like me to drive?’

  ‘No thanks. I’ll do it.’ She threw him the Time and Space Machine, which somersaulted over the Felani. ‘You navigate.’

  Max threw her bag in the back and turned the key hard in the ignition. The engine revved to life as she and Linden clicked into their seatbelts. She spun the car away from the chateau steps, and a storm of dust and pebbles confettied into the air behind them. She sped into the castle entranceway, through the streaming pools of light from the murder holes.

  ‘Oh.’ Max slammed her foot hard on the brake, skidding the car into a sliding drawl that stopped just centimetres from the solid wood of the raised drawbridge.

  ‘I forgot about that.’

  Linden opened his door. ‘Won’t be a sec.’

  He put the Time and Space Machine on the seat and got out, inspecting the mechanism that operated the drawbridge. Max reversed the Felani to give him more room.

  Linden turned to her and smiled. ‘I think a little soap will do the trick.’

  Max rifled through her pack and pulled a cake of soap from her toiletry bag. She jumped out of the car and stood next to Linden.

  ‘I reckon just about there.’ He pointed to the top corners of the bridge where two large metal boxes were fixed. ‘3… 2… 1.’

  The two spies each tugged on the embedded rope in a soap, hurled them and turned away, shielding their heads with their arms.

&nbs
p; The silent bombs busted apart the boxes as if they were made of paper, scattering the massive chain links and hurtling the unstrung drawbridge downwards. Splintered chunks of wood and metal fell into the blackened moat.

  ‘These bombs are stronger than his last ones.’ Linden shook his head, which puffed dust and grit into the air. He looked across to the other side of the moat. ‘And that’s a long way now that the drawbridge is gone. Think we can do it?’

  Max brushed a thick layer of dust from her face and clothes. ‘Jump in.’

  They flung open the doors and strapped themselves in. Linden held the Time and Space Machine firmly in his lap while Max took a careful breath and threw the car into reverse. She stopped in a screech, pushed the gear stick into drive and latched onto the sight of the far edge of the moat.

  ‘Prepare for takeoff.’ Linden planted his feet firmly against the floor.

  Max lifted her foot and plunged it hard onto the accelerator. The Felani remained where it was while the spinning tyres found traction and leapt into life. The needle from the speedometer edged round, higher and higher as the bridgeless moat sped closer.

  They felt one last jolt as the Felani’s wheels left solid ground and sailed into the air. Linden looked down. ‘I think I saw an alligator.’

  Max took her foot off the accelerator and braced for the landing. ‘I think the smooth part of this ride is about to end.’

  The Felani hammered against the ground, bouncing rodeo-like and slinging Max and Linden in their seats like rag dolls. The car came to a bumpy stop.

  ‘Good job,’ Linden said. ‘Shame we don’t have time to do it again.’

  He searched the screen of the Time and Space Machine for signs of Veronique and the Tracer Bug. ‘She’s still on the grounds. Go through there.’

  Linden directed Max to the edge of the forest and through a small gap in the trees. She swung the wheel, spinning the car out of the way of gnarled trunks and over their misshapen, knotted roots.