Order of the Black Sun Box Set 7

by Preston William Child

  25

  Revealing the Hidden

  “Consider that our wake-up call, gentlemen,” Harris said, after the rumble of the coming storm fell into a low growl over the ocean. “Ayer gave us twenty four hours to deliver Toshana or Nina will fall to the history she so loves.”

  Sam sneered at her.

  “That is verbatim what he said, Sam. Not my words,” she assured him with fight in her voice. “God, I am not that depraved. I happen to know Dr. Gould’s work and I happen to have great respect for her. Unlike you, she’s earned my respect.”

  “Harris, I could not give a damn whether you respect me or not. In fact, you would only be returning the favor,” Sam replied, not even caring to accompany his disrespect with a proper tone.

  “To find Toshana, we have to find out who she is,” Father Harper asserted. “We have to know what she is to Ayer and his men.”

  Harris sighed. “I tried, Father, but he refuses to tell me anything. All he wants is that woman, above all things. He does not care about anything else, least of all, furnishing me with reasons or giving me any information. His orders are simply to get Sam to deliver Toshana or Nina dies. Even the footage of Sam’s little misdemeanor,” she jested spitefully, “is entirely up to my discretion.”

  “When you had her with you, Sam, was there anything that indicated who she was or where she could have gone?” the priest asked Sam. In the silence resting between his inquiry and Sam’s answer, the thunder yielded a soft spray of rain against the windows.

  “Nothing comes to mind right now,” Sam admitted. “However, I’m almost sure that those assassins sent to kill me at the hospital were somehow connected to Toshana. I was the only person who knew where she was while she was in hospital, and those gun-wielding assholes were sent to keep me from telling Ayer where she was. I’m almost sure of it.”

  “Well, what do we know?” Harris asked, recording the conversation for good measure. “We know that Ayer and his goons are Templar apostates, which means that they share this tattoo that is not exactly a declaration of loyalty to Christ. Does that mean that they are bad monks, Father?”

  “Bad monks?” Sam cried. “Really, Harris?”

  “It does sound rather stupid, Miss Harris,” Father Harper conceded. “But that is actually exactly what you should think. They still hold a grudge against the church for what happened to the Templars, and they are not shy to exhibit their bestial denial of piety when the mood takes them. We should be very wary of them. They would flay the skin off a child, if it would give them what they want.”

  “They want Toshana,” Harris said. “Right?”

  “Does that mean Nina is not as safe as we hope she is?” Sam asked, looking tense already.

  Father Harper opened a bottle of whisky and poured three shots’ worth – each. He turned and looked solemn as he screwed the cap back on the bottle. “They want Toshana…” he sighed reluctantly, “because they think she has the crown, Miss Harris. And no, Sam, Nina is not safe at all. In all honesty, had she not been leverage…” He simply shook his head as he brought the three glasses to his desk.

  “Wait, the crown? What crown?” Sam asked intently.

  “The lost crown of the Knights Templar, of course. The crown within the monstrance of Cardinal Hermanus, a priest who reputedly buried the holy relic made by some alchemist under the ruins of the Temple of Solomon, Sam,” the priest relayed as he placed the glasses in front of them. “World War II, when army chaplain Hermanus came into possession of the crown. He apparently buried it in an old pillar to hide it from the SS treasure hunters, but it was never confirmed. The story was that the crown would draw unimaginable riches to its owner, but Ayer and his lads know the truth.”

  “You know this how?” Sam asked.

  “Take your drinks, friends,” Father Harper requested, holding his glass up to the firelight.

  They obliged, realizing that the priest had to have something big to tell them if the occasion merited neat spirits. Harris almost lost her breath as she chugged the burning alcohol down her gullet, but Sam was used to a good single malt. It felt good going down. Father Harper drank his slowly, consistently, like medicine. And, as medicine, was precisely how it was treated by the priest.

  “I know this, because I, myself, am an apostate of sorts,” Father Harper said, after he swallowed down his drink. “I know this, because I was one of them once.”

  “Oh my God!” Harris gasped, already fevered from the strong drink. Sam was equally taken aback, but he took his time to mull it around in his softened brains. The weather was wild outside, serenading the enormous priest’s revelation. After all, this time, it was his turn to confess.

  “Alright, so you said Ayer and you know the truth of the crown,” Sam finally uttered with a heavy heart, dreading what more was to come. As he said it, the coincidence finally shot through him like a harpoon. “Oh God! You mean,” he pointed wildly to the laptop from where he had spoken to Purdue, “that crown? That is the crown Purdue is looking for?”

  “Unknowingly so, yes. The crown does not bring riches, Sam. I suppose it does, in a way, but it was made by means of old sorcery,” he tried to explain without sounding bat shit crazy.

  “This is great stuff, Father,” Harris giggled, recording every word. Sam could see that she was well away from the potent clout of the single malt. Without her even noticing, he disabled the recording button with a swift move of his hand to collect her glass for another helping.

  “Pour another, my friend. This is old world science, alchemy, and advanced intelligence that sounds like the fabrications of a lunatic. But I swear to you, in all Holiness, that I speak the truth,” Father Harper told Sam.

  “The crown Purdue is looking for is not a coronet or a tiara, you see, but rather a crown in the poetic sense,” he said as he waited for Sam to pour his share.

  “I don’t follow, Father,” Sam frowned, passing the priest his glass.

  “We are not nearly inebriated enough for this,” the priest attested by looking up at the bottom of the glass he was holding high above him. He brought it down to his lips and took a gentleman’s sip. The rugged journalist looked wide awake, zealous in his quest for more information so that he could eat it up and formulate a solution to save Nina.

  Father Harper looked into the fire. “How much do you know about history?”

  “That’s Nina’s thing, Father,” Sam answered.

  The towering clergyman brushed past Sam and deposited his ass down on the corner of his desk, as Sam sat down at the hearth. “I’ll keep it concise. I’ll keep it simple,” Father Harper said, as his eyes explored the ceiling for the right way to convey the sentiment. “Around the late 10th Century, the French-born Pope Sylvester II was said to have committed the unspeakable act of consorting with the devil.”

  “Ah!” Sam joined in. “Another one of those disobedient preacher heretics, hey?”

  “Affirmative,” the priest played along. “Anyway, Pope Sylvester was studying mathematics or something in a Muslim city, the name of which eludes me right now. While there, he reputedly built a head, a mechanical sort of thing that gave ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers to anything it was asked.”

  “Wow, sounds downright evil,” Sam jested, clearly deep into his alcohol allowance for the day. But Father Harper knew that his tale would stick in Sam’s sharp mind nonetheless, so he carried on. “The legend says that the robotic head was controlled by a demoness. Again, the name escapes me now. It was said that he had won the papacy by playing dice with the devil, blah-blah-blah. But what I’m trying to tell you, Sam, is that the crown David is trying to find on the Temple Mount is not a crown in the sense he thinks.”

  Sam’s puppy eyes stared into the fire, still waiting for more on the story, but as the penny dropped, his eyes sprang open. He looked up at Father Harper’s intimidating frame, silhouetted by the fire. His mouth agape at first, Sam realized what the priest was trying to tell him.

  “The lost crown of the Knights Templar
is not a diamond encrusted accessory! It is a…a,” he wavered, trying to say it in a sane sounding manner, “a head?”

  Father Harper said nothing, but the lowering of his chin to bow his head confirmed Sam’s guess. “The Knights Templar had discovered the crown!” Sam repeated.

  “That’s right. They stole the brazen head from Pope Sylvester II, during the Second Crusades. They hid it from Roman emperors and Islamic warlords, even noble men and women who would threaten the position of their countries.”

  “Because it answers questions?” Sam frowned at the almost laughable motive.

  “But remember that this thing has the wisdom of fallen angels – being one, in essence,” Father Harper reminded him. “Naturally, back then, anything built from the use of mathematics, sacred geometry, or engineering based on secret information, say, from an advanced intelligence, would be considered a demon.”

  “Aye, I see what you mean, Father. Any government, monarch, or even common citizen with the crown in their possession would have the counsel of a super-intelligent agent to outwit the enemy and overthrow the world,” Sam spoke in slower syllables that proved that his mind was still sharp, even while his tongue abandoned him.

  “Now you see why the Order of the Black Sun was looking for it too. Now you know why, even today, clandestine financial and political conglomerates are still seeking the lost crown of the Templars,” the priest told Sam.

  “They are?” Sam asked. Like a child, Sam hung his shoulders and sighed, “Father, I am feeling a right fuckwit tonight. It takes me like, ten seconds every time, before grasping every bloody thing you are trying to tell me.” Father Harper could see that Sam was frustrated with his impaired judgement delaying his understanding. “I get it, I get it now,” he reiterated, shaking his head. “The Bilderberg Conference!”

  Father Harper smiled and flicked a gun gesture at Sam. “Spot on, Mr. Cleave.”

  “Oh my God! That means that Purdue is unwittingly being used to find this thing for a woman he met at the Bilderberg meeting. Jesus, Father, she could be from the Black Sun!” Sam shrieked under the din of the hammering Oban rain.

  Father Harper was done reprimanding Sam for his blasphemy, even under the Lord’s roof this night. He merely poured them both another whisky and decided to write off his pious habits for the rest of the night. And rightly so. Now that his well-kept secret of over a decade was out, he felt a meager sense of relief wash over him.

  Tonight he would be one of the Militum once more, partaking in strong drink, and allowing heretic tongues to stain the abode of Christ. After all, there was not a good chance that he would hold this office, this rank, for much longer, even if he survived the journey ahead.

  26

  Collision Course for the Temple Mount

  When Purdue woke alone, he found that his new lover had never come to bed. In the warm afternoon glow of Jerusalem, she sat listlessly sipping her tea. The Countess looked as beautiful as ever, but her facial expression was that of a jilted bride: livid and frustrated.

  “You never slept, my dear?” he asked carefully, knowing the extent of her temper. He had the scratch marks to prove it. The side of Purdue’s face was decorated with a thin red line, running clear from his temple to his jaw, making it very painful to shave that morning. She hadn’t spoken a word since her outburst at not finding the relic.

  By what she’d ranted about during her tirade, Purdue gathered that she was on sort of schedule to procure the crown she so coveted. However, with the state she was in, he’d elected not to ask why. This morning, though, she seemed a little more accessible. After Purdue had a shower and groomed himself, he walked barefoot to his stunning lover with his white hair still wet. His white shirt, delivered that morning by the dry cleaning service, felt light and crisp against his skin as it flapped about his sides. It was immaculately ironed, just the way his own housekeeper did it. Leaving the buttons undone for the sake of the heat, Purdue poured himself some tea, glancing rapidly at the Countess to ascertain her mood.

  “I’ve been in contact with an old friend of mine, my dear,” Purdue told her, trying to ease her into the upcoming meeting with Sam. He thought it would cheer her up to know that help was on the way to look for her precious crown. “He’s bringing a friend and they’re going to assist in the search.”

  “What good will it do?” she pouted like a child. “It’s not where it was supposed to be. Obviously it was stolen by some son of a bitch who doesn’t even know how invaluable it is!”

  “These people have been on most of my expeditions with me, love, with great success too! I couldn’t have collected half the religious artefacts I have in my collection without them,” Purdue admitted. “Trust me, if anyone can help us, it’s them.” He sat down next to her, running his fingers through her hair. “We will find your crown.”

  She shot him a hateful look. “You had better, David, or else our contract is worthless.”

  Purdue had almost forgotten about the contract. It had dwindled in significance since he’d started spending time with her, and besides, money was never one of his foremost concerns – ever. He just wanted her to be happy. “Never mind the contract, my dearest. I’m just curious about what the rush is. If it had been buried for so long, what does it matter when we locate it?”

  The Countess scowled, looking decidedly furious. “Because I need it. Soon. I need it before my associates discover its existence, David. Not that it’s any of your business.”

  “So this is not for a collection, or for your own gain?” he asked.

  The room phone rang. Countess Baldwin’s dark eyes were ablaze with unrest and upset as she glared at Purdue. Like fire against a shield of ice, his cold blue eyes absorbed her fiery rage and calmed her fury. “We will get your crown soon. I promise.”

  He picked up the phone and smiled. “Thank you very much. Tell them we shall meet them in the dining room shortly.” He hung up the phone and looked like a little boy excited by Christmas morning. “They’re here. Hurry, love. Get ready so that we can go and look for your crown.”

  Her face lightened somewhat. Purdue could see a bit of relief loosen her shoulders before she rose to get dressed. Unlike most women Purdue had known, Countess Baldwin took mere minutes to get dressed, do her make-up, and arrange her luggage to be ready for departure.

  “Ready,” she smiled. Purdue was elated at her cheer, and they went downstairs to meet Sam, Father Harper, and Jan Harris in the opulent dining hall. From a distance, Sam could see them coming. Purdue looked well. He had put on some weight since his near death ordeal in the oubliette of the Nazi mother a few months before. Even his snowy hair looked thicker and his skin healthy. Sam looked at Father Harper. The priest was clearly of the same opinion as Sam. He smiled, “The man has recovered pretty well, hasn’t he?”

  “Aye,” Sam said, smiling as he watched his friend chat with his new obsession. The two were heavily engaged in a light-hearted conversation, stopping briefly to say hello to some other guests they had encountered the day before. Sam’s smile dropped from his face like a snakeskin shed. His skin went ashen and his breathing uneven.

  “Hey, Cleave, what’s wrong?” Harris asked him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Father Harper knew Sam not to be squeamish or easily influenced to look this shocked. “Sam?” he said, looking concerned for the journalist. “Sam, what’s the matter?”

  “Jesus Christ! Jesus Chr—,” Sam murmured, his brow wet with sweat.

  “What?” Harris probed.

  Sam swallowed hard, his eyes stiff in their sockets as he watched Purdue and Countess Baldwin at a distance. “It’s Toshana! Sweet Jesus, Purdue has Toshana?”

  “Oh my God,” Harris quietly exclaimed, drawing her camera to shoot.

  “No,” Father Harper commanded, gently taking the camera from Jan Harris. “Do not let on that you’re a reporter. If Sam is right, and that is Toshana, the Militum would want to know where she is and she knows it. Cameras would spook her.”

  “Aye,”
Sam whispered carefully, still staring ahead, “and so will I. She can’t see me or she will run. Remember, if she sent those people to kill me at the hospital she might think I’m dead and out of the way.”

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Father Harper asked. “Look, Purdue told her we are coming to help look for the crown. If we bow out now, she’ll know something is afoot.”

  “But she cannot see me, you understand,” Sam reasoned, blinking profusely as his mind formulated a thousand possibilities and solutions. “Harris!”

  “Yes?”

  “Can you contact Ayer? Tell him we have Toshana,” Sam told her.

  “Um, what?” the annoying media vulture asked, making it clear by her body language that she was not in favor of Sam’s idea. “You’re just going to give her up and then they can kill us all.”

  Father Harper listened, but he said nothing. Purdue and Toshana made their way toward the threesome. The priest was giving them a welcoming smile, while the other two were in heated debate.

  “Listen to me,” Sam seethed, “for once! Let him know we have her. Tell them to come to Jerusalem, but don’t let them know where we are before they bring Nina and have her speak to us on the phone, savvy?”

  “Oh God, Cleave,” she quivered.

  “Just do it, for Christ’s sake!” Sam ordered, violently grabbing Harris by both arms and bending her over. As loud as he could, he shouted, “Just hold on, Harris! I’ll help you get to the restroom. Please, just don’t throw up here, okay? Come. Come, I’ll help you.” And with that, he swiftly ushered the bent over woman out of the dining hall as quickly as he could, just as Toshana and Purdue reached the priest.

  “Father Harper,” Purdue smiled. “So good to see you again!”

  “You as well, my friend,” the big man in his black cassock smiled as he shook Purdue’s hand, locking his other hand over. “I must say you look amazing. Since I last saw you you’ve actually reversed your aging, it seems.”