Chapter Sixteen
It was now 9.35 a.m. and quite cold as Matthew walked down the Praterstrasse from the hotel towards the centre of Vienna, but he knew that he would not be cold in the Land. His plan was to leave a Travelling stone in one of the toilets in the Kunsthistorisches, near to the Picture. He would then go to the Hofburg Treasury with the other one. He realised he should have left one at the Kunsthistorisches last night but he did not think at the time. As he got to the Ringstrasse, he noticed a couple taking pictures. In the past he would have felt lonely at this but now it was different: he had Hannah waiting for him in the land – he was normal like them.
He had thought about waiting until the Hofburg was closed before taking the Spear, which was the Baron’s idea as well because he had given Matthew two sets of travelling stones. He was supposed to use one set to get to and from the Kunsthistorisches and one set to get to and from the Hofburg Treasury when both museums were closed. But he knew that if he did he would have no time to rescue - or attempt to rescue he corrected himself, Hannah and the others, as the Baron’s deadline would be up. No, the sooner, he got the Spear and returned to the Land the better chances he would have of success.
But he knew this made the task more risky; he might even be caught trying to take the Spear. A part of him almost smiled at this and it gave him a little relief from the stress he was feeling. His parents would have a nervous breakdown, he thought. They brought him here to improve him as a person not to have him be a museum thief. Then he suddenly remembered that Hannah and the others were in danger and depended on him and it was no laughing matter.
He was now on the Opernring part of the Ringstrasse and could see the back of the Kunsthistorisches on the left. It was 10.05 am. He got there a few minutes later and quickly went in, bought a ticket, and went to the nearest toilets to the Picture gallery. He felt very nervous, especially when he left straight after putting a Travelling stone in the toilet cistern. He must have looked very suspicious, paying to go into a museum apparently just to use a toilet. But he did not have time to pretend to do anything else.
He got to the Hofburg Treasury 15 minutes or so later. He was now very tense and wishing he did not have to do what he had to. He walked through the smaller and darker galleries in the direction of the one where he remembered the Spear was kept. He looked around to see how many security guards there were, and was relieved to see there were not many; maybe one to every three galleries. There were also not many people about this early. He then saw the case holding the Spear. He approached it and looked at it.
The case was large and square and in a corner. It was glass except for its wooden frame and floor which had some kind of purple material on it. The Spear was in the left of the case it shared with a big Cross in the middle and a smaller one on the right. The Spear itself was mounted on a narrow rectangular block with the same purple material and was raised diagonally. But it was only the head of a spear.
Its point went upwards and it was made of some kind of black metal. It had the golden sleeve around its middle, which Matthew had remembered reading was put on in the 12th century. Matthew could also see the nail which was supposed to be the one from The Cross embedded in the top part. It had lots of wires around it keeping it together. It certainly looked like it was a legendary spear with power, he thought.
He looked around him and then remembered there must be some security cameras around. There were also a couple of people. He decided the best thing for him to do was to go into the next gallery and watch this one until there was no one around. He would then return with his hood up and with the Lock Opener and Travelling Stone ready.
From his vantage point Matthew saw a security guard walk through the Spear gallery into another. Matthew saw that there was no one else in the gallery. He then put up his hood and was about to enter it but someone else beat him to it. A middle aged lady approached the display case where the Spear was and then looked at the other exhibits. Matthew felt his heart beating very quickly and strongly in his chest; he was very tense. He willed the woman to go before the security guard or someone else returned. She then came towards the gallery he was in.
He turned pretending to look at some exhibit until she passed. He must have looked suspicious with his hood up because she seemed to give him some funny looks. He then quickly looked back at the gallery of the Spear and saw to his relief that no one was there.
He quickly re-entered it and approached the Spear’s case. He then got out his Lock Opener and put the other Travelling Stone in his hoodie pocket, in case he had to make a fast getaway. Finally, he looked around him again, and tapped the display case’s lock three times with the Lock Opener. He heard a little click.
Without hesitation, he lifted up the glass case. It was quite heavy but he managed to get his arm in it and quickly grabbed the Spear. It was quite big at 53 centimetres long but not too heavy and he put it in his small rucksack. He was close to panicking but no alarm went off, which surprised him, as he nervously looked around again. He assumed it had something to do with the magic of the Lock Opener. He then thought he saw the security guard returning and nearly panicked again. But it was a tourist, or at least he thought it was.
He took a couple of deep breaths, and walked off to the toilets. He was now feeling nervous and excited at the same time. He could not believe how easy it had been. But he knew it was not over just yet; he still had to get to the Picture Gallery and then to the Land.
He opened the door to the toilets but as he did so he saw a security guard coming towards him quickly down a corridor. Matthew froze staring at him. The security guard seemed to be staring at him back. Matthew thought he had been found out. Then suddenly an alarm went off and the security guard rushed towards him, shouting something in German. Matthew did not know what to do. Damn, it’s too late. I’ve been caught, he thought to himself, now definitely in a panic, his hearting booming away.
The Destiny of Matthew Page 16
