The Firebird Mystery

by Darrell Pitt

  ‘Joseph,’ Mr Harker said. ‘We need power.’

  ‘I’m applying full throttle,’ Joseph Bell said. ‘Try now.’

  Paul Harker turned the control mechanism. They heard the roar of the rotor blades. The sound of the engine and the moving parts was thunderous. The floor beneath them shuddered.

  Up, Jack thought. Up!

  More of the creatures gathered at the front of the helicopter, banging at the windows. Some were dog-men, others resembled bears and lions. Some drew back as the noise from the machine increased. One of them seemed driven mad by the racket; he started slamming his head into the glass. It cracked again.

  The helicopter tilted backward and lifted up a few feet, before falling back to earth with a thud. Jack, Mr Doyle and Scarlet toppled against the bulkhead. Mr Bell twisted the control, pulled it back again and the helicopter lifted off. The flying machine rotated until it faced the mainland. Then Mr Bell pushed forward on the control column and they found themselves over the water.

  Jack yelled out with joy and punched the air. Mr Doyle looked at him with surprise, then broke out into a huge smile. They were away from the island.

  The detective leaned in, close to Jack’s ear. ‘These gentlemen are rather more expert than I am at controlling this device. During my flight over here, I hit the water twice and almost sunk us. It was only Lucy’s superior flying talents that got us here in one piece.’

  ‘How did you find us?’ Jack yelled.

  ‘Later,’ Mr Doyle replied.

  The helicopter zoomed across the water at an elevation of about fifty feet. Jack thought of his parents and wished they were with him. They had loved being high above the ground. It seemed the happiest moments of their lives had been when the three of them were suspended in mid-air.

  Jack heard an enormous boom. Scarlet peered out through a small window set into the rear of the chamber. A red glow flickered across her features.

  ‘It’s the castle,’ she yelled. ‘It’s on fire.’

  ‘The Nazis have destroyed it,’ Mr Doyle said.

  ‘You know about the Nazis?’ Jack asked.

  ‘A little,’ Mr Doyle replied. ‘I hope to discover more about them shortly.’ He made his way over to Mr Bell and pointed at a place jutting out from the English Coast. The man nodded. He aimed the helicopter at a clearing and brought them in over an open field ringed by trees. They descended.

  The helicopter hit the ground, bounced a couple of times and settled. Mr Harker manipulated a few controls and the rotor above them slowed. The sound of the engine died away and the ringing in Jack’s ears subsided.

  Mr Doyle opened the door and they all clambered out onto the grass. The rotors came to a standstill. Jack let out a sigh of relief. There had been times in the last two days when he’d thought he would not survive. Mr Doyle gave him a lump of something from his pocket. Cheese. Despite the fluff, it tasted wonderful.

  Jack looked up into the clear black sky. The stars twinkled. The night lay silent and peaceful around him. Suddenly, a branch cracked in the undergrowth. Jack saw something move in the darkness at the base of the trees ringing the field. At first he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Then he realised several figures were running at them.

  ‘Mr Doyle!’ he began. ‘There are...’

  A voice yelled from the darkness.

  ‘Everyone on the ground!’ the man ordered. ‘You’re all under arrest.’

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Jack felt sick as the truck jolted from side to side. After the strangers had pounced on them, the group were all handcuffed with sacks placed over their heads. Anonymous hands had rushed them into the back of a steamtruck. Now he sat squeezed between Mr Doyle and Scarlet, exhausted and afraid. He had not slept well over the last two days and hardly eaten. A bone-numbing weariness overtook him. He closed his eyes.

  When he woke, the truck had ground to a halt. A hand grabbed his arm and Jack found himself being led away from the vehicle and along a tunnel. The only sound was their footsteps echoing up and down the long corridor. Roughened stonework was underfoot.

  After a while the tunnel angled upwards. A metal door creaked as it swung back. Jack was propelled forward again and he felt the cuffs removed. The sack was dragged off his head.

  Benches pressed against opposite sides of the room. A table sat in the centre. Gaslights shone from above. Jack saw his companions were already seated, gingerly rubbing their wrists and blinking at the light. Only Mr Doyle appeared composed.

  Jack sat on the bench next to the detective. His eyes roamed about the interior of the cell.

  Scarlet looks tired, he thought.

  But she also looked defiant. Her eyes were greener than ever and her red hair blazed in the flickering light.

  What an amazing girl, Jack thought. Her father, on the other hand, seemed worried. Mr Harker looked irritated.

  Jack stared at the man who had led him into the chamber. He was tall, with black hair and a curly moustache. He looked like a boxer.

  Mr Doyle leaned back on the bench and crossed his legs. ‘Will you be so kind as to tell Mr Griffin that Ignatius Doyle requests the pleasure of his company?’

  The man’s eyes narrowed. ‘We’ll ask the questions. You need only concern yourself with the answers.’

  ‘And I will happily supply those answers,’ Mr Doyle replied. ‘But only to Mr Griffin.’

  The man scowled and left the room, bolting the metal door behind him.

  ‘Where are we?’ Scarlet asked. ‘Who are these people?’

  ‘As to our location,’ Mr Doyle said, ‘I can think of only two possibilities. The first is that we have died and have descended to the depths of Hell, and can expect to face the lord of the underworld, Lucifer, at any moment.’

  ‘That’s preposterous!’ Mr Harker said.

  ‘I agree. In which case I believe the second possibility to be true. We are one hundred feet below the Tower of London, home of the Crown Jewels and the Josephine Diamonds.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘It is simplicity itself. I have based my assumption on the hours travelled, the differences in road quality, the sounds from outside the truck and smells ranging from the fish market to a tannery three blocks from here.’ He studied each of their faces in turn. ‘I know of one place which fulfils all those conditions. We are in the underground headquarters of British Military Intelligence, known commonly as MI5.’

  ‘MI5?’ Joseph Bell repeated. ‘What could they possibly want with us?’

  Mr Doyle laughed. ‘Surely that is obvious. They want to know everything we know about the growing Nazi threat—and they want to know about your organisation.’

  ‘The Phoenix Society,’ Jack said.

  ‘Quiet boy,’ Mr Harker warned.

  ‘Mr Harker mentioned it on the island,’ Jack told his mentor. ‘It’s some sort of secret club.’

  ‘I had guessed as much,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘I’m sure it has existed for centuries. Certainly since the time of Leonardo da Vinci.’

  His eyes settled on the two men.

  Joseph Bell twisted uncomfortably on the bench. ‘Those answers will be forthcoming, I promise.’

  Mr Harker gave him a dark look. ‘We are sworn to secrecy.’

  ‘The time has come,’ Mr Bell interrupted him, ‘for the truth about the Phoenix Society to be told.’

  ‘I must agree with Mr Bell, Father,’ Lucy Harker said. ‘You have lived a secret life all these years. We all need to know the truth. You are not associated with these Nazis, surely?’

  ‘Of course not,’ Paul Harker said. ‘How they came to be involved is a mystery to me.’

  ‘But before we get to that,’ Joseph Bell said, ‘I must ask how Mr Doyle was able to find us and coordinate our rescue.’

  ‘I am happy to relate the details.’ Mr Doyle formed a steeple with his fingers. ‘After the airship took off from the London Metrotower with Scarlet, Jack and yourself aboard, Lucy and I retrieved my airship—the Lion’s Mane—and foll
owed you. I was terribly worried that Jack would lose consciousness and fall.

  ‘I pierced the side of the Nazi ship and I knew it would be forced to land. We searched the countryside at length and finally located the vessel. I did not know if any of you were dead or alive. I found the airship had not only been abandoned, but it had also been torched and destroyed. I admit I was rather baffled as to how to proceed until events took a turn for the better—we were set upon and kidnapped.’

  ‘By whom?’ Scarlet said.

  ‘By members of the Phoenix Society.’

  Mr Bell and Mr Harker glanced at each other.

  ‘Your organisation took matters into its own hands,’ Ignatius Doyle informed the two men. ‘I was happy for us to be captured as it gave me an opportunity to gain more information.

  ‘We were taken aboard a steamship which set sail from the west coast, and interrogated about our knowledge of Phoenix and the Nazis. Fortunately, we were able to convince them of our ignorance. As night fell, I was able to organise our escape from the holding cell. We set a fire to create a diversion. While the crew were busy putting it out, Lucy and I went to the bridge.

  ‘Lucy searched through some paperwork and found a map indicating the location of the Nazi hideout. It was most enterprising of her. We climbed onto the deck where the steam helicopter was in the process of lifting off. We overpowered the pilots and took over the machine. As you can imagine, it was a rather bumpy ride.’ Mr Doyle smiled at the recollection. ‘But we navigated our way to the island without too many problems. We had landed on the beach and begun a search of the landmass when we found you.’

  ‘Another amazing tale,’ Mr Bell said, shaking his head.

  ‘Now the time has come for you to speak to us of Phoenix,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘Or perhaps you had best wait. It sounds like our kind host has arrived.’

  The door was unlocked and a young man with an angular face and grey eyes entered. He had a crew cut and black-rimmed glasses. He reminded Jack of a librarian. He chortled at seeing Ignatius Doyle.

  ‘Well, bless me,’ he said with a wry smile. ‘I never thought I’d see you behind bars.’

  ‘A momentary slip-up on MI5’s part,’ Ignatius Doyle assured him. ‘Allow me to introduce you to Thomas Griffin, the invisible man of MI5. He heads up most of the field work for the organisation.’

  ‘How do you gentlemen know each other?’ Scarlet inquired.

  ‘A small matter involving a diamond, a purple parrot and a man with a false leg,’ Mr Doyle explained.

  ‘Not so small,’ Mr Griffin said. ‘If it weren’t for Mr Doyle, a murderer would have escaped and the Crown Jewels would now be residing in Russia.’ He sat down on the edge of the table. ‘But to other matters. It is vitally important that you give me whatever information you have concerning the Phoenix Society. Our nation’s security—and indeed that of the world—lies in your hands.’

  ‘Phoenix has always been an organisation dedicated to peace,’ Mr Bell said.

  Paul Harker’s face reddened. ‘You must remain silent,’ he urged his companion. ‘Outsiders cannot be brought into our private affairs.’

  ‘It’s too late!’ Mr Bell said. ‘The Nazis have already infiltrated Phoenix and the Society is in chaos. We must marshal our resources in order to stop them.’

  ‘I cannot help you,’ Mr Harker said.

  ‘Then don’t!’ Mr Bell snapped. ‘I, for one, am prepared to do my duty.’

  He looked at everybody in the room until his gaze settled on his daughter.

  ‘First, I must apologise to Scarlet. I am sorry for having deceived you all these years. I promise you good intentions lay at the heart of my deceit.’

  Scarlet shrugged. ‘Let the truth be told.’

  ‘It began with Leonardo da Vinci. The composite man. Artist. Inventor. Scientist. He studied anatomy and botany, the flight of birds, the action of the waves. He was interested in geology, mathematics, cartography. His mind never stopped working.’

  ‘But what is your connection with Leonardo?’ Lucy Harker leaned forward.

  ‘Upon his death a number of associates—the chief one being his favourite pupil, Francesco Melzi—vowed his work would continue.’

  ‘But how could it?’ Jack said. ‘He was dead.’

  ‘Leonardo was dead, but not the passion for knowledge he had instilled in others,’ Joseph Bell explained. ‘Melzi could see the genius of Leonardo where others could not. He was the first to realise that Leonardo truly was one of the greatest minds who had ever lived. It could be centuries before others realised the true worth of Leonardo—if ever.’

  ‘And so the Phoenix Society was born,’ Mr Doyle said.

  ‘Yes,’ Mr Bell said. ‘The first member, of course, was Francesco Melzi. He sought out other men of his age who were prepared to assist.’

  ‘Assist him? How?’ Scarlet asked.

  ‘Leonardo left copious notes. Thousands of pages of diagrams and inventions, theories and ideas. Melzi needed others to continue Leonardo’s work, to help him build the devices that Leonardo had designed. To help nourish the many seeds that Leonardo had planted.’

  Mr Griffin appeared puzzled. ‘But no-one ever built any of da Vinci’s inventions.’

  ‘Not publicly. Melzi and the other members of the Phoenix Society knew how dangerous those creations could be in the wrong hands.’

  ‘What creations?’ Thomas Griffin asked.

  ‘Leonardo designed dozens of inventions made for war,’ Mr Bell explained. ‘The machine gun. Cluster bombs. Scythed chariots. Giant crossbows. Tanks. And he came up with the idea of flight centuries before anyone else.’

  ‘And I thought he was just a painter,’ Jack said. ‘We saw his painting with the phoenix in your home. And we found the body of the Mona Lisa.’

  ‘Impressive,’ Mr Bell nodded. ‘You’ve achieved much more than I thought. That painting inspired the society’s name. Leonardo invented the preservation process used on the body of Lisa Gherardini. Her husband was a member of the society and asked that it be applied to her body upon her death.’

  ‘She looks completely lifelike,’ Scarlet said.

  ‘Leonardo was centuries ahead of his time,’ Mr Bell said. ‘He had many ideas, though little in the way of funds to make his dreams a reality. This was Francesco Melzi’s goal. To raise the capital to build his creations—but he had to keep the work secret at all costs.’

  ‘But why?’ Scarlet asked. ‘Why build them if they were not to be used?’

  ‘Because the human race was not ready,’ Mr Bell explained. ‘Can you imagine if the machine gun were in use centuries ago? Or powered flight? Or tanks? We would have bombed ourselves back to the Stone Age.’

  ‘But most of those discoveries now exist,’ Mr Doyle pointed out. ‘How can they threaten our survival now?’

  ‘The Phoenix Society succeeded in developing Leonardo’s creations—but then we went further. The society continued to work in secret, building and designing and learning. Over the course of history the organisation has infiltrated every major scientific organisation on Earth—including the Darwinist League.’

  ‘The Darwinist League as well?’ Mr Griffin said. ‘That’s outrageous.’

  ‘And now the Society holds ultimate power in its grasp.’

  ‘You mean it has inventions more powerful than our own?’

  ‘More powerful?’ Mr Bell’s face clouded over. ‘No. Infinitely more powerful. Today’s technology is medieval compared to the weaponry of the society.’

  ‘I find this hard to believe,’ Mr Griffin said. ‘Do you have any proof?’

  ‘The proof is all around you,’ Mr Bell said. ‘You saw the helicopter?’

  ‘My subordinates told me about it.’

  ‘And you are familiar with Terrafirma?’

  ‘You’re not saying Milverton was part of this?’

  ‘Of course he was part of the Phoenix Society,’ Mr Bell said. ‘He was operating within the Darwinist League at our behest. How else could t
hey have achieved so much in the last ten years? Douglas Milverton told the League he was Terrafirma’s creator, but it was really developed by the Phoenix Society a century ago. He sold the invention to private industrialists and made a fortune. James Partington did the same. It was greed that drove these men. Greed and power.’

  ‘But they are both...’

  ‘Dead.’

  ‘But surely the society did not have them killed,’ Mr Griffin said.

  ‘No.’ Mr Bell shook his head. ‘Murder is not the way of the Phoenix Society. Only the eternal quest for scientific knowledge. And for centuries that knowledge has been kept secret. Then Milverton and Partington used the Darwinist League to release selected inventions.’

  ‘And this was allowed?’

  ‘They offered to share the spoils with other members of the society.’ Mr Bell clenched his jaw. ‘We were infected by their greed.’

  ‘Terrafirma is used by every country across the globe,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘The income for you and the other members of the society must have been considerable.’

  ‘Many thousands of pounds, I would imagine,’ Scarlet said.

  ‘Many millions of pounds,’ Paul Harker corrected her. ‘Terrafirma has changed our world forever. It made Joseph and me and many others immensely rich.’

  ‘Except there was a problem,’ Mr Doyle said.

  ‘Indeed,’ Mr Bell agreed. ‘Allowing Milverton and Partington to release the inventions was like the crack in a dam. Knowledge of the society began to leak to outsiders.’

  ‘You’re speaking about the Nazis,’ Thomas Griffin said.

  ‘Tragically, yes,’ Mr Bell confirmed. ‘They murdered both Milverton and Partington for information. Then they kidnapped both myself and Paul.’

  ‘And you told them all about the Phoenix Society.’ Paul Harker shook his head in dismay. ‘You told them.’

  ‘I had to,’ Mr Bell snapped. ‘They threatened Scarlet. They would have killed her if I had not spoken.’

  ‘How bad is all this?’ Jack queried. ‘I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?’