The Medusa Stone (Order of the Black Sun Book 12)

by P. W. Child

  The voices of the three other men persisted, but Nina was not in the mood to be social tonight. She stood up and returned Costa’s coat. “Thank you.”

  “No problem,” he said. “I was hoping you would go back into the house before I froze to death out here.”

  Nina laughed. “Never tell a woman your weakness, Professor Megalos. Don’t they teach you that in Greece?”

  “They do. Actually, they teach men that all over the world. We just have trouble remembering that,” he jested, keeping his step a small distance behind her.

  Nina loved his sense of humor, a bonus to his appearance without a doubt. But he was not Sam. As they walked back to the mansion in silence, just serenaded by the wind, Nina wondered if it was not a sign to let go of Sam once and for all. She would still have Bruich. Maybe she was supposed to leave her home for another reason than an expedition. Perhaps Purdue’s search for Medusa was just a fateful push to cross her path with Costa. After all, why did he look so much like Sam if there was not some sort of destiny at play?

  Chapter 17

  Dr. James Heidmann was acting more anxious than usual, but Purdue and Don deliberately ignored it. They were almost on German airspace while under them the beauty of the North Sea sparkled like a sapphire in the late afternoon sun. Once in Germany, they would refuel Purdue’s Bell 407 and stay the night at one of the lodges near the hangar he rented.

  Purdue sat alongside Nina and Don. Behind them, Costa was reading, and James was leering out the window in an apparent daze. Nina could not stand his incessant remoteness. He reminded her of a moody Emo teenager, seeking attention. Even though Purdue had urged her not to rock the boat with Heidmann, Nina could not help but feel just a little mean streak well up inside her, daring her to bully him. At the very least, she wanted to shake him out of his bubble.

  “So, James,” she said loudly, forcing him to attend to her.

  “Yes?”

  “Is your insurance company at least going to settle the damages at the British Museum for you?” she asked sincerely. Purdue gave her a look of reprimand, knowing full well what she was doing, but she ignored him. James shifted in his seat as he formulated an answer.

  “Of course,” he smiled. “Thank God for insurance, hey?”

  “Although, that broken piece was priceless. No amount of money can replace that,” she added, sounding convincingly sympathetic.

  “That is true, Nina. But at least I still have the others. Sometimes you just have to accept loss and move on,” he sighed.

  His last sentence caught Nina more than she thought it would. In fact, it shut her up for a good while after. Fortunately for her, Purdue and Don had been chatting. Otherwise, Purdue would have known exactly what about Heidmann’s statement shook Nina to the core.

  Sometimes you just have to accept loss and move on.

  The words floated in her head as she tried to decide if it was an educational moment.

  It had been a good few hours in the large helicopter, and everyone was getting tired of the monotonous slapping of the blades, even with the head gear and occasional music on the headphones. Heidmann returned to his zoned out state, Costa put his book down and looked at the waves far beneath them, admiring the vastness of the ocean.

  “We’ll be in Hamburg soon, people!” Purdue smiled. “I’m sure we can all do with a good hot meal and some sleep.”

  “Sleep?” Don exclaimed. “Not until I’ve had a strong libation to aid in my sleep.”

  “I’m with you,” Costa chimed in. “I could do with a beverage or two.”

  “Of course. Of course!” Purdue said. “Just don’t blame your hangovers on me tomorrow. And since we don’t know the place too well, it would be best to stay alert.”

  “Absolutely,” Heidmann said. “It is not a friendly town to begin with, but if we still have to deal with the type of people I met at the warehouse, we had better be armed to the teeth too.”

  “Done!” Don roared. “I never go anywhere without being armed. Learned that the hard way in the Congo a few years ago.”

  “I’m sure. There are many places I have been before where I almost got killed. I was stabbed in 2001 because I had nothing to defend myself with in this strange country,” Costa added with a show of the scars on his chest and shoulder that had everyone gasping.

  “Which country was this?” Purdue asked.

  “Canada,” he replied.

  They all laughed, thinking Costa was joking, but he shook his head. “No. Seriously!”

  “Did they apologize afterwards?” Nina asked with a smile.

  Again the bunch chuckled at the insinuation based on the polite country’s reputation.

  The group landed in Hamburg in the late evening. Purdue’s secretary had taken the liberty of checking them into an inconspicuous lodge near the airport, to make their departure to the border the next morning go smoothly. Purdue and Nina took care of the arrangements and paperwork while Don assisted the group leader with the mapping. Heidmann marked the map to point out the general vicinity of the warehouse so that Purdue’s pilot could prepare for a safe distance landing out of range. From there, they would continue on foot.

  Just before midnight all the planning and logistics were taken care of for the first leg of the investigation. They had one last night cap in the house bar before turning in, enjoying some low-intensity chatter due to their weariness and the warm hearth fire.

  “Shouldn’t we perhaps get each of us a sidearm?” Heidmann asked.

  “Do you know how to use a gun, James?” Don asked robustly to make sure that everybody heard him.

  Reluctantly James shook his head. “I can shoot, but I don’t own a gun. My worst handicap would be to load the weapon. They are all so different. Dr. Gould, do you own a firearm?”

  Nina looked up with a surprised jerk. She was halfway through her fourth Jack and Coke, apparently now affectionately known as ‘The Lemmy’, named after the late Motörhead front man the owner was a diehard fan of.

  “I do own a gun, but I never take it out of my house,” she shared.

  “Then what is the use of having it?” Costa asked innocently.

  Nina examined his eyes and tone of voice to determine if they would have to lock horns again, but she soon noticed that his question was sincere.

  “Because I just keep it as protection against home invasion, Costa. If I bring it with me, not knowing where I will be going, I would probably lose it or leave it somewhere,” she explained.

  “I still think it is a good idea, Dave,” Don insisted. “I suggested that just yesterday, Zorba.”

  Costa nodded in agreement. Purdue gave it some thought and exhaled in a long sigh.

  “Look, lady and gentlemen, I just don’t think it is a good idea. This group is hardly versed in tactical warfare. What if we end up in one another’s crossfire? I also think that, given the high possibility of danger, we should not have weapons that can be used against us,” Purdue lectured them in support of his decision. “God, I could have done with Calisto now.”

  Nina rolled her eyes and scoffed. It made Purdue smile, remembering how his former female bodyguard from a couple of years ago had crossed swords with Nina at every turn. And usually, Nina was left disarmed in more ways than one. But they found out that Calisto had been a covert operative for the Portuguese authorities, working with MI6, which she never revealed until her mission had been completed. Calisto had been a skilled soldier, and she would honestly have benefitted the expedition now.

  “I will surrender to a compromise,” Purdue offered, leaning on his elbows. “We can arm Donovan, and he can serve as our protector, should we have to resort to hostility. What say you?”

  “Fine with me,” Heidmann said, “but I will be staying close to you then, Dr. Graham. If those men recognize me, I may as well shine a neon bull’s eye on my forehead.”

  “Fair enough,” Don winked, raising his bottle before emptying it.

  “Yes, since James will be leading the way to where he�
�procured…the relics,” Purdue smiled, “I think it is only fitting that he and Don lead the way while Nina checks for more Nazi trademarks. Costa and I will be there for any support because we are all in this together.”

  Costa stared at Heidmann with scrutiny. Over his bottleneck, he peered into the darting eyes of the nervous archeologist and collector. Heidmann did not like it, but he nodded and smiled to the Greek art professor.

  Nina saw this exchange and wondered what it was all about. Did the two men know one another? If so, they had been very convincing as mere acquaintances thus far. She sank her hand under the table and gripped Purdue’s thigh, hoping that she could direct him to the two men with her eyes. But Purdue only returned the gesture while he chatted to Don. Nina slapped his hand from her leg.

  “What did I do?” he whispered, confounded.

  “I’m not coming on to you, you jackass!” Nina sneered as quietly as she could. “I am trying to get your attention.” The daggers in her eyes ceased long enough for her to motion for him to see the two leering men jousting.

  “Curious,” Purdue whispered.

  “Do you think they have a history?” she asked.

  “No, curious that you still know just how to arouse me,” Purdue remarked nonchalantly.

  Nina swallowed her words for once, excusing herself and retiring with hellfire in her stride, leaving Purdue sufficiently entertained. Not that he did not take note of her insinuation, but he could not pass on that flirtation. Nina’s hand did not often find its way to his body anymore, and it was a rare gift for the taking.

  Purdue thought to address the issue in a diplomatic way. “Professor Megalos, are you acquainted with Dr. Heidmann’s work, I mean, before the two of you collaborated here?”

  “Not really, no,” Costa replied indifferently. “In fact, I had never heard of him until we first met. What can I say?” he smiled snidely at Heidmann, “Most of James’ collection is already familiar to the Greek Arts.”

  “Apart from these two pieces, right, Costa?” James Heidmann retorted sarcastically. “Not even the well-informed Greek collector Soula Fidikos knew about Son of Zyklon-B and Klónos², did she?”

  Purdue saw what Nina was trying to point out.

  “Soula Fidikos is a collector, like you, James. She knows what she learns in books and what her advisors instruct her to purchase. She is hardly an authority, hardly someone to upstage with two…stolen artifacts,” Costa rejoined conceitedly.

  “Alright, gentlemen. We are in this thing together. Kindly settle your differences on your own time, please. I am sure we will all benefit from what we achieve in the coming days,” Purdue reprimanded them genially. “Now, I think it is time we turn in, don’t you all agree?”

  The group of men muttered in concurrence as they tossed their Euro’s on the table. Purdue was concerned about the tension, but he hoped that it was merely the result of the drinking and fatigue.

  Chapter 18

  Nina knocked on Purdue’s door the next morning ready to go. She was still expecting his smugness when he opened the door but found Don sitting at the small round table and chairs near the window of the room.

  “Good morning, pretty Nina!” the jovial Don exclaimed.

  Nina’s face immediately lit up in a bright smile Purdue found very welcome.

  “Good morning, Dr. Graham,” she smiled. “Am I intruding?”

  “Your impositions are not only tolerated, my dear, but I actually wish for them,” he winked at the small brunette.

  “Tea, Nina?” Purdue asked as if he had never pissed her off at all. She wanted to decimate him, but she decided to eject her bitchiness for once and enjoy the attention instead.

  “Please and thank you,” she replied kindly.

  The morning light looked icy in its pallid powder blue on the window. Curtains drawn wide open, the two men were apparently examining some of the data from the analysis. Don was frowning heavily above his slanted glasses halfway down his nose, his eyes seeking something in the chemical Babel scripted on the paper.

  “Incidentally, I believe you are right about Heidmann and Megalos, Nina,” Purdue said as he sat down on the chair between Don and Nina, setting her tea down carefully. She looked surprised at his statement. He had actually listened to what she was trying to say?

  “How so?” she asked. She noticed that his expression showed no ridicule or naughtiness as the night before when he teased her, so he had to be serious.

  “They look at each other with a familiarity and some hostility that you don’t see between strangers, really. Besides, the way in which they crossed swords after you left was a testament to bad blood,” Purdue explained while he was struggling to open the sample size margarine tub with his clumsy fingers. “Odd, I can usually open these with no effort,” he moaned.

  “Let me,” Nina sighed, and she took it from him to peel the foil-like seal off with her slender hands. “There.”

  “Thanks,” he said and proceeded to spread it on his whole wheat toast while Don groaned at something he noticed on the myriad of inked lines on the data sheet.

  “What is it? Anything we should know?” Purdue asked just before biting into the crispy bread.

  “I am not sure, but from the chemicals in the stone, along with the remnant tissue material I have reason to be pretty sure that this condition was brought about not by calcination from mummification techniques or any of that shit, Dave,” Don gasped, looking up as if he had struck oil.

  Purdue shifted in his chair, “Explain?”

  “What I see here, my friends is evidence of ancient Alchemical working, but even though I have extensively studied the philosophical and practical elements of Alchemy I have never before seen substantiation of this variant before,” he marveled. “From what I see here, in both instances, the subject had been calcinated on the spot. The very chemistry of their bodies had been reshuffled and instantly dehydrated; then turned to stone by an immeasurable amount of heat which, with the application of a certain chalk could be prevented from turning to ash.”

  Purdue worked out the theory in his head while Nina did not bother to hide how confounded she was.

  “Look, I take full responsibility for being uninformed in this field, but please, can you explain that more plainly, Don?” she asked, reaching for one of Purdue’s slices of toast. “I mean, how is the chemical process supposed to work then? You know, in short.”

  He formulated a very basic explanation in his head to effectively relay the complex structures of chemistry to the historian.

  “The process of calcination, in its most common application, usually comprises of the decomposition of calcium carbonate….” he said, but was met with Nina’s blank stare. “Calcium carbonate is limestone, which incidentally is overwhelmingly present in the composition of these statues. But that is to be expected since the mineral is prevalent in Greece anyway.”

  “Okay, I’m with you,” she nodded, chewing on the crust of her toast.

  “Good. Now, calcination is usually carried out in furnaces or kilns, you know, really high temperatures. With anything less than immense temperatures, this process is impossible,” he described. “Generally, with limestone, this chemical procedure causes carbon dioxide to be driven off to effect the transformation, decomposing carbonate minerals.”

  “Like what supposedly turned animals and birds into stone at Lake Natron in Africa,” Purdue muttered inadvertently as he recalled the strange phenomenon he read about.

  “That is a good example, yes,” Don pointed a resolute finger at his friend.

  “What happened?” Nina asked.

  Purdue shrugged, “I read about this lake where the alkaline levels are through the roof, for one thing. And subsequently, any animal or bird venturing into the lake or drinking from it became…”

  “Stoned?” Nina giggled.

  Purdue chuckled, “Yes, they were petrified, Nina. They practically became mummified by the high concentration of alkaline along with extremely elevated sodium deposit
s that make the lake inhospitable to animals.”

  “Although it is a reach, I believe something similar is happening to these bodies,” Don speculated.

  Purdue agreed. “They are not mummified, because the organs are still full and shaped like healthy, functioning organs. It has to be a rapid transformation… like trolls exposed to UV light,” he winked, referring to a Norwegian movie they watched at Purdue’s mansion before the expedition meeting.

  “Too right!” Don laughed. “Well, I am not quite sure if it makes sense even to people who know this stuff, actually,” he admitted. “It is after all just a theory.”

  “Carry on, old boy,” Purdue insisted. “What is the difference, then?”

  Don looked both intrigued and a little unnerved. He shrugged, “From what I gather here, the chemistry of these men’s bodies was altered by intense heat concentrated on them, savvy?”

  “Yes.”

  “But here is the missing marvel,” he continued, still scrutinizing the print-out. “There was something else involved to bring about this unrealistically sudden transformation that not even Alchemy has mentioned in any of its teachings or texts,” Don admitted, rubbing his darkening jaw in thought. He looked up at them, still fraught with uncertainty. “This is an unprecedented side of both alchemical and scientific study, guys. There is something in this equation that either does not belong here, or that has somehow remained secret for centuries.”

  “That is positively fascinating!” Nina said with a mouthful of cottage cheese she scooped up from the tub with her finger.

  “It is,” Purdue agreed. “Now I really cannot wait to get to Ostrava. I am sure if that warehouse really exists there will be ample evidence of the element we might be looking for to complete this heinous transformation.”

  “On that note,” Don said, clearing his throat. “We are due in the parking lot within eight minutes.”