“Hello,” Tommy said after pressing the green button.
“Hey, Tommy,” Alex said. “What’s all that noise in the background? Sounds like you’re at a bar.”
“We are. It’s a little pub in London. Figured a crowded place might be a good idea after the events of the morning. Luckily, it’s not their peak hours, so it’s not too loud. What did you guys figure out?”
In the car ride back to London, Tommy called his two research assistants in Atlanta and described the Chalice Well along with the problem they had in finding the original symbols.
It took a few hours for Alex and Tara to get back to their boss, but Tommy knew that was most likely because they were being thorough.
“It wasn’t easy to find images of that well cover. There was nothing in the search engine databases except the new one you described.”
“But…”
“But we were able to dig up some images from some of our other resources. Wasn’t easy.”
“What was it?” Tommy asked.
“I’m sending you the email right now. Several of the same images, plus a couple of different ones. Tara and I have no idea what they mean. Figuring that sort of thing out is your deal anyway.”
It was true. While Tara and Alex were highly efficient in finding and delivering information, they weren’t necessarily good puzzle solvers. Their skills, however, were a huge complement to what Tommy and the rest of his organization did.
The laptop on the table dinged, and a new message tab appeared in the top right corner. Tommy clicked it and a second later the email filled the screen.
Sean and the two women huddled a little closer in the booth to get a good look at the images on the monitor.
There were no photos, just drawings.
“We couldn’t find any real images,” Alex explained. “I guess that thing was removed before anyone thought to take a picture. Or maybe it was just so deteriorated that there was nothing left to get a good image.”
“No, this works,” Tommy said as he stared at the screen.
The circular well cover had the same two big circles coming together in a sort of Venn diagram in the middle. To the historical world, it was also known as Vesica Piscis, literally the bladder of the fish.
Outside it were several other symbols. Four lion heads were huddled together on one side. Eight stars surrounded the center where the two circles merged. Then there was a strange collection of what looked like two humps with one hump on top and off to the right. A big sphere was at the top of the well cover, with a smaller one at the bottom.
“What do you make of it?” Tommy asked out loud.
“You talking to me?” Alex asked when no one else responded.
“Oh, sorry, Alex. We’ll take it from here. If we have any more questions, we’ll let you know.”
“No problem. Always happy to help. I will say before I go that we think the spheres on that thing represent the sun and the Earth. Not sure but just thought it might be of some help to you.”
“Actually, that is helpful,” Tommy said. “I’ll be in touch. Thanks again, Alex. You and Tara are awesome.”
After he ended the call, the four continued staring at the screen.
“Vesica Piscis is often used as a symbol for Jesus,” Sean said. “Does that mean we’re supposed to look somewhere in Jerusalem for this thing?”
Tommy wasn’t so sure. “I would have thought there would be a little more detail than this. Kind of leaves things to interpretation, doesn’t it?”
The other three nodded.
“So we think the lions represent England?” Adriana asked. “If so, why are there four instead of three?”
“It’s a good question. It makes me think we possibly might be wrong on that. What is the significance of the sun and Earth, the stars? Where’s the moon?”
“And what about those humps?” Sean asked.
June was biting the tip of her finger as the others discussed the questions. “Is it me, or does it seem like those stars are surrounding the shape in the center?”
The other three reexamined the image.
“Yep,” Tommy said. “You think that has some kind of significance?”
“Maybe,” she said. “What if this thing is a sort of map, and the Vesica Piscis is like the X that marks the spot?”
It was a slightly oversimplified explanation, but June wasn’t completely off base.
“That’s an interesting theory,” Sean said. “That could mean these symbols are locations, right?”
“You mean like landmarks?” Adriana asked.
“Exactly. If those symbols are points of interest, landmarks like you said, they could help us pinpoint the location of the X, as June put it.”
Tommy squinted one eye and tossed his head to one side. “An X that marks the spot? Not sure I’ve ever come across anything like that in the years I’ve been doing this sort of thing. I guess anything is possible.”
“The only thing we have to figure out is what those symbols mean.” Adriana said.
“Or where they are. Anyone have a clue what the stars symbolize in legends surrounding Excalibur?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“Me either,” Tommy said with a shrug.
“The two spheres—if they’re Earth and the sun—might have something to do with the connection between heaven and Earth, the people of Earth I mean.” Sean tried to make sense of his own comment after he said it.
“So that would mean that what is between heaven and Earth is the sort of connection point?” June asked.
“Maybe. I’m just kind of thinking out loud right now. This is a tough one.”
Adriana stared for a long, quiet moment. Her eyes opened a little wider as an epiphany hit her. “Wait,” she said. “These symbols. I’ve seen them somewhere before.”
“Stars and lions and planets?” Tommy asked. “Yeah, I’d say they’re all pretty common.”
“No,” she insisted. “I’ve seen them all together before. I just can’t remember where.”
“So you’ve actually seen these things in real life?” June asked.
Adriana nodded. “Sean, what was the last riddle again, the one that said something about the symbols?”
“It said, ‘for he who seeks the keys and finds the symbols, the trophies of the fallen will illuminate the way to the sword bearer’s altar.”
“Trophies of the fallen. That’s what I was trying to remember. What are some of the greatest trophies a kingdom has ever brought back from war?”
The other three fell silent for a moment.
“That’s a big question,” Sean said finally. “Throughout the history of the world, there have been some incredible antiquities removed as a result of war.”
“On the subject of a Judeo-Christian-based theme—like the one we seem to have with this investigation—I guess you’d have to say all the items taken from the Hebrew temple in Jerusalem,” Tommy offered.
“Yes,” Adriana said. “But are those out where anyone can see them?”
“No, but is that a prerequisite?”
“I think it might be.”
“She’s right,” Sean said. “The clue says that the trophies will illuminate the way. That would insinuate that they’re out in the open, possibly even in plain sight.”
“Yeah, unless they’re in a cave,” Tommy said.
“Ugh, I hope not. Had enough caves to last me a lifetime.”
“Right?”
“Boys,” June said, “try to focus. What are some other famous spoils of war from history?”
“The Amber Room,” Tommy said, “but that was from World War II. Probably doesn’t apply here.”
“What about the Greeks, the Persians, or the Babylonians? The Israelites had a ton of trouble with the Babylonians. Did they take something of value?” June asked.
“Yeah, there were many important relics lost during the Babylonian occupation. None that I can think of as being visible in public.”
“What if it
doesn’t mean spoils of war?” Sean said. “It could just be trophies that were taken from a fallen civilization.”
“Such as?”
“Think about every major civilization that has existed throughout history. Rome, Greece, Persia, Babylon…”
“The Ottomans,” Tommy added.
“Byzantium,” Adriana said.
“The great Chinese dynasties,” June said.
Sean nodded. “All exceptional examples. But there’s one that stands out above all others. It was one of the first empires in our Earth’s history. It spanned thousands of years. Egypt.”
“What about it?” Tommy asked. “What trophies did they bring back from war?”
Sean had a knowing twinkle in his eye. “I don’t think they were the ones who brought any trophies back.”
He grabbed Tommy’s computer. His fingers flew across the keyboard. When the results came up, he clicked on the first one and then clicked the images tab.
The computer screen filled with pictures of Rome. The center of focus in all the images were Egyptian obelisks.
“Obelisks were brought to Rome by various emperors and leaders of the Roman Empire,” Sean said. “There are more than a dozen obelisks in Rome.”
“Only eight of them are from ancient Egypt, though. Still, what’s your point?” Tommy pressed.
Sean clicked one of the images and zoomed in on it. “That’s my point,” he said, tapping the screen emphatically.
“It’s an eight-pointed star with a cross on top of it.”
“And it looks just like the stars on the well cover.”
Adriana could barely contain her excitement as everything became clear. “That’s it. That’s where I’ve seen those before.” She grabbed the computer and twisted it so the screen faced her more directly.
She scrolled down and clicked another image. “See that one?” she said, pointing at the monitor. “Those humps are the same as the ones in the picture of the well cover. They represent the city on seven hills. That’s one of the monikers Rome has carried for thousands of years.”
“It looks exactly like the one from the well cover,” Tommy said in awe.
Adriana clicked on another image. This one featured an obelisk with four lions below a star. “There are the lions.” She moved the mouse arrow again and clicked a third image. “And there is our sun atop the Solar Obelisk.”
Sean tried to contain his excitement. No matter how many times he, Tommy, and Adriana had done this sort of thing, the thrill of piecing together clues never went away. Adriana showed them a globe atop one of the obelisks.
She clicked through seven obelisks in total, showing off the symbols above the point of each one. Then she came to the last one, the Vatican Obelisk. The bronze symbols above the giant monolith were a cross on top of another star. The star sat over the same hills they’d seen on a few other examples.
“The keys,” Sean said. “The riddle says that he who seeks the keys. Saint Peter’s Square is a giant keyhole.”
“Everybody knows that,” Tommy said.
“I didn’t,” June commented with fake irritation in her voice.
Before Tommy could apologize, Sean went on. “I’m saying that it’s a big keyhole because it references the keys. That’s it. The sword must be somewhere near the obelisk.”
“Or in the obelisk?” Tommy offered.
“It all makes perfect sense,” Adriana said. “We’re looking for the sword that Peter carried the night Jesus was arrested. Sure, it belonged to Joshua, David, Judah Maccabee, the three pagans, the three Christians like Arthur, but the man who carried it while walking the earth with Jesus was Peter. Why wouldn’t it be in Saint Peter’s Square?”
Everyone stared at the screen with tempered excitement.
“That would also follow the Vesica Piscis theory,” June said. “If that symbol was used for Christianity, it makes perfect sense.”
“The sword of Peter would have been an extremely important relic in Christian history,” Sean said. “And if the Catholic Church has a penchant for something, it’s relics. Think about all the resources they’ve used since their beginning to acquire anything related to the apostles or Jesus Himself.”
“It’s a staggering amount, for sure,” Tommy agreed. Something still didn’t add up as far as the sword’s hiding place. “So if the sword is there at Saint Peter’s Square, what does that last part mean concerning the sword bearer’s altar?”
The question spurred another thirty seconds of silence before Sean attempted an answer. “The square is the altar?” he offered.
“Could be. That entire plaza is dedicated to Saint Peter. So in a way, it’s an altar to him.”
“There’s the basilica, too,” Adriana said. “Saint Peter’s Basilica is a tribute to him.”
“Or it could be the literal altar inside the basilica,” June added. “Can you look that up?”
Adriana was a step ahead, already typing the search keywords into the box. She entered the search and got a fresh set of results. She clicked on the first one, and they were taken to an online encyclopedia article about something called the baldachin. An image displayed a gargantuan canopy with twisted pillars and intricately carved reliefs of heavenly beings around the roof’s edge. Unhappy with the result, Adriana clicked the back button and then clicked the images tab to get more visual results.
The images displayed on the page showed an incredible structure. Four gigantic Solomonic columns held up a high bronze canopy, sculpted in the Baroque style. Adriana clicked on one of the images that showed bright beams of sunlight streaking through windows on the other side of the building, shining down on the altar as if through some kind of divine design.
“Is that a person underneath that thing?” June asked, looking at the incredible imagery.
“Yeah,” Sean said. “That thing is mammoth. Gives you perspective on just how big the rest of the basilica is.”
Tommy stared at the pictures without saying a word for a moment. There was something turning in his mind, and he knew it was in the back of Sean’s head as well.
“So if the sword really is in the altar of Saint Peter—in the Vatican—how in the world are we going to get it out?”
Sean thought for a moment and then looked over at Adriana. They both had the same thought simultaneously.
“We steal it.”
27
Glastonbury
Han-Jae held the phone against his ear as he waited patiently for his spotter—a bright young spy named Sun Pak—to answer.
He and the two surviving members of his team had narrowly escaped Glastonbury. When they got back to their cars, they found two of the blond’s men unconscious on the pavement. The only explanation was that the Americans had somehow found a way back to their vehicle and managed to escape. If he’d been forced to guess, Han-Jae would have said that they looped around much the same way he and his men had.
Both of his remaining men wondered how they were going to find the Americans now that they’d let them slip through their fingers again. Han-Jae, however, had already taken care of that issue.
“I got ’em,” the voice on the other end said as he answered the phone. “Been watching them ever since they left the abbey.”
“Where are they now?” Han-Jae asked.
“They’re in a pub here in London. You on your way back?”
“Yes. We should be there within the hour.”
“Good, because you’re going to need a plane, and I doubt there’s any down there that flies where you’ll be heading.”
“Which is?”
Han-Jae had put the spotter on the Americans without telling his three men. Making sure he always had a backup plan in place may have seemed a little overly cautious to some, but that was one of the reasons the general trusted him. Things rarely went according to plan. So having something in place for just such a contingency not only took some stress off his mind, it allowed Han-Jae to focus on the things he could control.
The spotter had
been there in the parking lot when the Americans made their getaway. He’d remained hidden in another vehicle, parked outside the main visitor’s area, while Sean and the others went in and snooped around. He watched as the two male Americans fought off the men the blond had left behind to guard the exit. He was surprised when the two women came to their rescue and effectively saved the two men.
The odd twist caused him to wonder just how good the men really were. Based on what he’d seen, he also tried to understand how these Americans had been able to overtake Han-Jae and the others. That wasn’t for him to question. His job was to report to Han-Jae on what he saw, not convey doubts about his leadership.
“Su Pak?” Han-Jae said, snapping the spotter back to the question at hand. “Where are they going?”
“Humble apologies, sir. They are flying to Italy. They believe the sword will be found at the Vatican, in Saint Peter’s Square.”
A short pause came from the other end of the line. “Of course,” Han-Jae snarled. “That has to be the place. The great sword of Peter must be hidden in his square. Were you able to get more details?”
“No, sir. They are in a pub, and there’s some ambient noise making things difficult to hear. That was all I could pick up with my equipment.”
He’d been using a listening device to hear the conversation between the Americans at the pub. His equipment, however, was outdated like much of the gear the Chairman bestowed on his spies. Su Pak often wondered how they could keep up with the rest of the world if they didn’t have money to spend on better weapons and equipment.
“That’s good enough,” Han-Jae said. “We know where they are going and, more specifically, where to set our trap.” He thought for a moment and then changed subjects. “Have you ordered the package I requested from the general?”
“Yes, sir. Understandably, he was hesitant to send it.”
“Of course he was. I would be. Where is it now?”
“I took the liberty of having it sent to Rome. It will be there with an armed escort when you arrive. The general sent two of his best men to make sure it was well protected.”
The Sean Wyatt Series Box Set 4 Page 46
