‘With my own eyes,’ Harker declared firmly, but not sure if the Grand Master was taking him seriously. ‘What do you think?’
‘Think about what? The zombies that tried to kill you or the mutant they have housed under the Vatican Governorate?’
‘About everything,’ Harker replied, realizing the story he told would have seemed laughable to most.
Brulet pondered for a second, then sat back up and eyed Harker with those cross-shaped pupils now peeking over the rim of his sunglasses. ‘Alex,’ he said, before resting a hand on Harker’s shoulder, ‘I want you to be honest with me, and believe me when I say that I’m not judging you in any way, but…are you taking any medication at the moment?’
The question was asked sincerely, but it had Harker jumping to his feet and snarling angrily as Brulet continued. ‘I mean you’ve seen and been involved in some remarkable events in recent years, and no one would blame you if you’d been taking something to maybe calm your nerves.’
Had his story not sounded so outlandish even to himself, he would have been highly insulted, but all Harker felt now was frustration and anger. Anger that Chloe had been kidnapped, anger that this ‘God’ person was using him as a pawn in something he didn’t understand – but mostly because, ever since reading Bishop Esposito’s note and its reference to Judgement Day, he had been having a damn hard time taking it all seriously himself. The whole thing was screwy, and he knew it. He reached into his jacket pocket and extracted the folded page of the Codex Gigas before throwing it down onto the sofa next to Brulet. ‘Just take a look at that, would you? And for the record, I am not on any drugs and neither am I having a nervous breakdown – although that might be preferable right now because at least I could do something about it.’
Brulet silently unfolded the page and began to examine it carefully before he next spoke. ‘I suppose you are aware of the legend surrounding the lost pages?’ he said, trailing his finger across the mystery text. ‘There was a time when even the Templars took such things seriously, but that was long before the modern world came into being. It was a time when monsters, ogres and witchcraft were very real presences in the minds of men.’
Finally, Harker thought, someone was at least willing to take him vaguely seriously. ‘And what happened?’
Brulet rested the oversized piece of vellum on his knee and looked across at Harker solemnly. ‘We are talking centuries ago, Alex, when people believed that demons lived in the woods and witches could steal your soul with just a look.’
‘Medieval times?’ Harker suggested, now retaking his seat next to Brulet.
‘Yes. Back then the Templars had already gone underground, after the Church broke up their organization. The majority had taken refuge in Scotland, which was not under close papal scrutiny, so was a perfect place to hide. The Templars saw it as their sworn duty to protect people from any evils they encountered or heard about as they travelled about. Goblins, wraiths and a whole manner of beasties – I joke not. Back then it was a serious business, and the Templars took it as such.’
Brulet paused to scratch an itch on his neck, as if he found the reciting of such ridiculous Templar adventures irritating in some way. ‘Anyway, getting back to the point, the Codex Gigas came to their attention – and with it the tale that the Devil had indeed written the book in return for the soul of a Benedictine monk. That part of the story you know, but what you may not know was the rumour of seven additional pages in which, apparently, the Devil not only placed intricate knowledge of himself but also the process by which his followers could open the very gates of Hell and bring about—’
‘Judgement Day?’ Harker guessed as he found himself becoming increasingly engrossed in the story.
‘Not just Judgement Day, but one in which Satan himself or herself, depending on who you listen to’ – Brulet gave a wink and now seemed to be enjoying retelling Templar lore – ‘would sit in judgement, instead of Jesus Christ, and plunge the entire world into Hell.’
Brulet folded up the Codex page as he began to delve further into the legend. ‘Well, as you can imagine, when the Templars heard about this they swore to locate the pages at any cost. Subsequently a group was tasked to scour the known world for these earth-threatening pages of “dark wisdom” as they called them, if memory serves me right. It took them almost forty years before they came upon a single page, protected by a clan of witches, in what is now modern-day Turkey and, as the story goes, a great battle ensued which lasted weeks. Finally, with the entire witch clan defeated and then burned at the stake, they retrieved the page itself and brought it back to Scotland, where they kept it hidden under their protection, hopefully for all time.’
Brulet dropped the Codex page unceremoniously into Harker’s lap, then he slouched back into the sofa with an undignified creak of its leather upholstery.
‘Where did it end up?’ Harker asked, though he already knew the answer – that is if ‘God’ had been correct.
‘It travelled with the Templars as they moved around and about to new locations, but for the past sixty years it has been residing in one of our oldest vaults. No doubt stuck in some dusty corner with little interest ever paid to it…until now, that is, Alex.’
Harker had to admit that Brulet’s storytelling abilities were impressive, and he sat absorbed by the tale. There was something about those old times which intrigued him greatly; an age when the possibilities were endless and in people’s minds the existence of creatures and monsters was only limited by the breadth of their imaginations. It was these same, practically romantic, notions that had originally led him into the world of archaeology, and why it continued to hold such a fascination. Of course, to be transported back to those ages would seem like hell for anyone born in the modern age. No sanitation or running water, rampant disease with no medicine that didn’t require, by today’s standards, torture of some kind, and none of the technology we all take for granted in the twenty-first century. Despite all this it was these very advances that had shattered the mystery of the world, and to look back at such a time and put oneself in the mindset of these fearful people was, to him, enthralling.
‘How is it you know so much about the Codex pages?’ Harker asked.
‘Because of our codex, of course,’ Brulet replied, smiling enigmatically. ‘Not the Codex Gigas but the Templar Codex, or by its precise name the Illuminismo, which I have read many, many times.’
Harker had heard mention of the Templar Codex on numerous occasions but no one had ever explained its significance in the world of the Order. ‘Illuminismo – enlightenment,’ Harker translated. ‘What is it exactly?’
The question was met with a raised eyebrow from Brulet. ‘That surprises me. I assumed someone would have mentioned it when you were first inducted into the Templars,’ he replied, instinctively leaning in as if not wanting anyone else to hear. ‘The Illuminismo is an historical record charting our history since the Templars’ inception, and more. Every Grand Master adds to it, documenting everything significant that happens under his watch. It contains therefore not only every enterprise undertaken by the Order but also every individual member to grace its ranks…names, history, everything.’ Brulet paused and pointed a long finger at Harker. ‘You’re mentioned in there as well…quite a bit in the most recent pages, I might add. But only a Grand Master ever gets to read it, so you will just have to take my word for that.’
Harker felt a sliver of pride at this acknowledgement but his real interest involved the vault, and he immediately sought to enquire as to its whereabouts, while appearing to be interested in the Gigas page alone. ‘Amazing,’ he remarked and, although not his top priority, he was genuinely fascinated by the idea of a book containing such a wealth of information covering almost a thousand years of history. ‘It must be a huge.’
‘It is comprised,’ Brulet explained further, ‘of many volumes but we refer to it as a single book.’
‘And somewhere amongst them is one of the fabled missing pages of the Gigas?’
‘Well, not in the book itself but, yes, it’s in the same vault.’
Harker paused and mustered the nerve to ask if he could see this remaining page but, as usual, Brulet beat him to the punch.
‘Would you like to take a look?’ the Grand Master asked flatly.
‘Very much so.’
Brulet polished off the remains of his drink, stood up and tapped thoughtfully at the glass with his forefinger. ‘If you say you saw the things you have described, then for the record I believe you, no matter how surreal your story sounds. If this conversation was happening a few centuries ago, then I would already be organizing a Templar expeditionary unit to investigate it. But’ – Brulet finally placed the empty glass down on the table and turned to face Harker with a look of deep misgiving – ‘if I am to be completely honest, I find the concept of an actual Judgement Day extremely unlikely.’
It was the last thing Harker expected to hear from the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and he let Brulet know it. ‘But you’re a believer in the Church and in God. Surely your faith compels you to believe?’
‘It is true that the Templars and I myself believe implicitly in God and in those who serve him. But, as I have already said, we embrace all faiths and creeds and as such the mechanics of every religion are more of a human construct in my eyes. A way of understanding the incomprehensible.’
The look of surprise on Harker’s face was obvious and Brulet continued to explain himself.
‘We believe in the life and humanity that God has seen fit to bestow on all of us in this world. You cannot say that this few billion people are wrong in their beliefs whereas that few billion are right, when they all share the same ideals. The Templars have always sought to unite, not divide, and there is one single factor that binds every person of every faith.’ Brulet spoke now with a comforting smile. ‘It is that God exists and that he created every living creature.’
He began slowly pacing around the room. ‘Vanquishing one’s spiritual foes has gone on since humans began envisaging a creator and it always starts with good intentions but, as history has taught us, it invariably concludes with death, blood and retribution – before the whole cycle begins once again.’
As Harker watched Brulet outline his beliefs, he was struck by just how much the Templars had evolved. From being at the forefront of the Crusades to an ethos of liberty and harmony for all; he couldn’t help but warm to the idea. It revealed a change in tone and belief that could only have occurred in the modern world, where the advent of nuclear weapons meant wars, or Crusades, would bring about the entire annihilation of the planet.
‘So you’re an agnostic, then?’ Harker suggested, a little taken aback.
‘I will always keep the Christian faith in my heart, for that I cannot and would not want to change,’ Brulet declared firmly, ‘but when it comes down to what you say…well, yes.’
In reality Harker shouldn’t have been that surprised by this because, even during his induction into the Templars, the other witnessing members had all come from different religions. But just hearing Brulet say it was so unexpected that his mouth hung open slightly.
Brulet continued, ‘As such I find it difficult to accept that Judgement Day, in any real or physical way, could be about to take place even as we speak, let alone be hijacked by the followers of the Devil!’
He stopped his pacing and stood over Harker with arms crossed. ‘But I could be wrong. No one is all-knowing…with the exception of God.’
Even though what Brulet was saying resonated with Harker, he wasn’t ready to shake off so easily the ghoulish and unnatural things he had witnessed and, despite which, his getting Chloe back safely hinged on retrieving the next Gigas page, no matter what the truth might be. ‘And if you’re wrong?’ he asked, and the question drew a sober look from Brulet.
‘If I am wrong and the Gigas pages truly have the power to thwart and twist such a monumentally important event, then we are all in for a lot of trouble.’
A subdued moment of silence passed between them until Brulet finally unfolded his arms and nodded. ‘Very well, you’re welcome to take a look. In the meantime I will delve deeper into your described cases of…necromancy,’ Brulet said with revulsion, ‘and see what I can unearth.’
Harker stood up and shook Brulet’s hand eagerly. Perhaps too eagerly, as the Grand Master began to frown.
‘You are telling me everything, aren’t you, Alex?’
Brulet’s instinct was clearly as acute as ever and, not wanting to raise any suspicion, Harker reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPhone. ‘I did manage to take some pictures of those people back at the cemetery. It’s the last couple of images,’ he replied, offering him the device. Brulet plucked it from his hand, then reached down and pressed a round brass buzzer imbedded in one corner of the glass coffee table. ‘I’ll have these photos downloaded and checked for you,’ he explained, then a devious smile crept across his lips. ‘There’s nothing too personal in here, is there? The kind of thing you may not want others to see.’
‘No,’ Harker replied, indignant at the insinuation of mobile-phone porn. ‘Nothing like that.’ Of course he now found himself scrambling to remember if he actually had left anything questionable on it. ‘But if there is, then it’ll be just something I’m working on.’
‘No doubt,’ Brulet chuckled, and he passed the phone over to a neatly dressed woman in a suit who had just entered the room. ‘Could you please do an identity check on the last few photos, please?’
She nodded politely, then disappeared back the way she had come.
Brulet’s expression turned more serious. ‘Now I have a few questions for you, Alex.’
The way he said it had Harker suddenly feeling like a rabbit caught in the headlights. He simply nodded. ‘What do you want to know?’
‘Why did you go to Lucas’s house in the first place?’
‘Curiosity,’ Harker replied, and apart from the matter of Chloe’s kidnapping, it was the truth.
‘But you could have told the police, and you didn’t?’
There was more curiosity then accusation in Brulet’s tone, and Harker proceeded to stretch the truth.
‘Because he said he wanted me to go there and, given that the man subsequently blew his own head off in front of me, I needed to see for myself what could be so important for him to take his life like that. Besides, I very much doubt the police would have allowed me to tag along, if I had asked them.’
Brulet said nothing regarding this explanation, but immediately moved on to his next question.
‘How did you know your contact would be waiting in Pisa, with the second page of the Gigas?’
It was a fair enough question and, without mentioning ‘God’s’ tip-off, it was difficult to explain but not impossible. ‘I overheard one of the cult members talking about it back at Spreepark,’ Harker lied, and he would have been impressed with his own performance if he had not felt like a real turd for deceiving his friend.
‘I see. Fair enough,’ Brulet said, appearing to believe this answer, then he turned towards a large monitor set directly into the wall panelling next to the doorway, which Harker had not even noticed upon initially entering the room. ‘Finally,’ Brulet now asked, pointing towards the monitor. ‘Who is that plump little man busy emptying my bar?’
Harker glanced at the colour screen to see David Carter sitting at the yacht’s first-floor bar with a glass full of a dark-brown liquid in one hand and a bottle of Bell’s whisky in the other. ‘That’s a friend of mine, David Carter. He’s an ex-professor at Cambridge and the only other person, until now, who’s been helping me with all of this.’
‘Looks like he’s happy helping himself,’ Brulet commented as Carter took another generous swig. ‘Considering what both of you have witnessed, I suppose I can’t blame him, though.’
That Carter had been drinking furiously since their encounter at the cemetery, Harker had put down to the ex-don just doing what he normally did, and
it had not occurred to him that his friend’s excessive thirst might have been fuelled by the trauma of almost being tortured to death.
‘I think you could be right,’ he replied and, realizing that if Carter was due to take a trip to the Templar vault with him, then it was only proper that he at least gave Brulet a bit more information about the man.
‘David used to have a highly respected academic career but, since losing his wife in a car accident, he’s not been the same.’
‘Poor fellow,’ Brulet replied with a sympathetic wince.
‘But he knows as much about the Gigas as anyone does, and has a personal obsession with secret societies, freemasons – anything conspiratorial, really.’
This revelation had Brulet raising his white eyebrows.
‘Believe me, Tristan, when I tell you that if David realized I was talking right now with the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, he would probably wet himself in excitement.’
‘Charming thought. In that case I would suggest it prudent that we don’t ever meet.’ Brulet was still looking troubled. ‘Can you trust him?’
Since all that Brulet knew so far about David Carter was his tendency to drink heavily, Harker could understand the Grand Master’s reservations, but ‘God’s’ instructions had been clear: Carter went along wherever he did. ‘He’s a good guy at heart and, given what we’ve both been through, I can’t just abandon him,’ Harker said in defence of the dishevelled-looking figure still visible on the monitor.
Brulet nodded resignedly. ‘OK it’s your choice. But I want one of my men with you at all times until we get to the bottom of this. Agreed?’
‘Agreed,’ Harker replied, actually relieved at the prospect of having a bodyguard at his side.
‘Good. So you leave for the vault once those pictures have been downloaded, and I would also like to have your Gigas page analysed.’
He motioned for Harker to pass it over and without pause he did so. After all, this page was now apparently worthless; ‘God’ had said so himself.
The Last Judgement Page 15
