Ethan hissed at Fontana. 'My family is here. You start any trouble and I will kill you myself.'
Fontana rolled his eyes. 'Talk to the boss. I don't know why we're here. I was in the Gallery too, remember? I'd rather forget the place even existed.'
In a way, Ethan knew what Fontana meant. None of them could ever forget. Ethan took a few steps towards Spader, then paused. 'What does he want?'
Randerson shrugged. 'He wouldn't tell us.'
In the seconds it took to reach Spader, Ethan found only one explanation. 'You came to steal it, didn't you? You're going to collect on your investment one way or another.'
Spader turned slowly. 'The arrow? You think I'm here for the gold arrow?'
'Aren't you?'
'I'm not here to steal, Ethan. The opposite, in fact. I'm making a contribution. Merc and Dale cherry-picked the best artifacts from the conservation huts. The packing foam saved them from the flood. We relocated them. They're waiting for you on the museum’s back dock right now.'
'I'm not thanking you for returning things you stole,’ said Ethan.
'If I hadn't stolen them, they wouldn't be safe. Think about that.'
Ethan couldn't bring himself to challenge the morals of Spader's warped logic. Arguing with Spader was fruitless, and Ethan was unsure who he'd be trying to convince, Spader or himself.
Spader added, 'You'll need a weak acid solution to melt the foam, but you seem pretty handy with acid.'
Ethan remembered the smell of Spader's burning flesh. 'I had to do it. It was the only way to save your life.'
'I know. It was weeks before I realized you neutralized the acid with lime powder.' Spader touched his scar. 'Very clever. Brilliant, in fact.'
Ethan shook his head. 'Basic chemistry. Why are you really here?'
'I told you. I'm making a contribution.'
'You didn't need to deliver the artifacts in person. You're taking a big risk. Claire and Libby might see you and call the police.'
Spader raised an eyebrow towards the two chatting women. 'And betray Merc and Dale? I think not. You're under-estimating the survival bond. Like the bond between you and I. That's why you lied to the police.'
Ethan and Maria had talked this over at length. At first Ethan thought it was to avoid more bloodshed, but a week after the incident, Ethan still hadn't alerted the authorities about Spader's true identity or motives.
'I'd be dead right now if it wasn't for you,' admitted Ethan. 'I'd be under that silt lake instead of Rourke. Is that why you're here? To hear me admit that?'
'No.' Spader waved to the crowds. 'I'm here like everyone else. I'm here to learn the secret of the Plaza.'
'Then take a seat and listen like everyone else.'
Spader frowned at the crowds. 'I don't want the prepared statement from Professor March. I want the man who burnt through my neck with acid and smashed Rourke's head open. They are two different people.'
Ethan knew exactly what Spader meant. Like the two different men Gordon Merrit had been.
It was disquieting how well Spader understood him. Ethan stood quietly for a moment, deciding whether to indulge Spader or not.
'The core chamber contained two sets of carvings,' said Ethan finally. 'The older carvings revealed the Gallery's true purpose. It was believed that any prayer or request made in the core chamber would be granted.'
Spader raised an eyebrow. 'They thought the chamber granted wishes?'
'More like a direct telephone-line to God,' Ethan corrected. 'They believed the megafauna were Godly manifestations deciding who reached the core chamber. Evidently, whoever reached the core chamber asked for the prosperity of their homeland. Huge pilgrimages travelled to the Plaza. The aristocracy sheltered underground while the messengers entered the Gallery and competed to reach the core chamber.’
'So what went wrong?' asked Spader. 'Why did they hide it?'
'Nature went wrong,' answered Ethan. 'The pilgrims coordinated their arrival from across the continent using a plant. It’s extinct now. It has no Latin name. Abigail thinks the plant flowered the same day right across ancient Mexico. It marked the summer equinox, the day the megafauna began their migrational hunting season. The pilgrims had to reach the Plaza every year before the plants bloomed. Any later and they risked incurring the wrath of their Gods.
'The second set of carvings explains how their system failed. The flowers bloomed early one year around the Plaza. Libby thinks a new beetle disrupted the local ecology. Or it could have been an insect they accidentally introduced during a previous visit. Either way, the pilgrims hadn't even reached the Plaza when the Gods attacked. The megafauna didn't discriminate. They consumed aristocracy and slaves alike. The pilgrims panicked. Some fought back, and several megafauna were killed.'
'I know how they feel,' commented Spader quietly.
'No, you don't,' countered Ethan. 'You and I never believed they were really Gods. Those people believed they had killed the living manifestations of God on earth. Only one place existed where they knew their request for forgiveness would be heard. The core chamber. So they carved it on the walls, explaining what had happened, and then they buried the entire site. But that was just the start. Further 'amends' manifested itself in the wave of human sacrifices that swept across the continent. Hundreds of thousands of people were sacrificed, all because a flower bloomed early one year.'
The men stood quietly for a moment.
Spader said, 'So the core chamber contained an apology.'
'Precisely. It's too bad Gordon never lived to learn the truth.'
'Don't pity Gordon,' said Spader. 'He was exactly where he wanted to be. None of us are that different from one and other. You and I could swap places in a second. You could be doing what I do in a heartbeat. Part of you still wants to. Life threw us different opportunities, that's all.'
Ethan looked across the hall and saw Maria watching them. Still sitting, she had a child pinned protectively against each hip. She looked wary, but not alarmed. She could read Ethan's body language and probably guessed who Spader was. Ethan had told her everything in a great outpouring that took over three hours to see itself out.
Spader noticed Maria's protective posture. 'She knows who I am. I didn't mean to frighten your family. I'm going to leave now.'
'Wait.' Ethan pulled the cord to reveal the display cabinet's interior. 'I need to show you something.'
Spader didn't look at the cabinet. 'I've already seen it. Dale and I broke in here three nights ago with a replica. The real arrow was in my hands before I read your inscription. I could hardly steal it then, could I? But I guess you already knew that.'
Spader walked off, leaving Ethan stunned until a small hand slipped into his palm.
'Are you alright, Daddy? Who was that man?'
Ethan knelt to face his daughter. 'Just a person I know, Darling. It's alright now.'
'Why was he angry at you?'
Ethan composed himself. 'He wasn't angry with me. He lost someone who was important to him.'
Grace’s eyes flicked to the inscription below the arrow. 'One of those people?'
Ethan studied his daughter closely. 'Now how would you know that?'
'I'm not stupid.'
Ethan reread the three names on the plague. He must have read it over a dozen times by now:
Dedicated to the people who lost their lives in the search for the truth: Nina Honindas, Joanne Fenwick, Gordon Merrit.
'I'm sorry,' Grace said. 'I wanted to say it before. I'm sorry they died.'
Ethan hugged his daughter. 'Thanks. Now go back and sit with your mother, OK?'
Grace rushed back as everyone finished talking and found their seats.
Ethan took a deep breath and started up to the podium, preparing to tell his story to the world.
Thanks for reading!
Firstly, to you, the reader, thank you for taking the time to read my book. With so many wonderful things you could do with your hours, I’m glad you could spend a few with me. And a sp
ecial thanks to those folks who take the time to review my books for other readers. If you enjoyed this book, I’d love to hear from you. I reply to everyone who drops in and leaves a review. I like chatting with readers, so please do. The quickest way is: http://tiny.cc/ibuucw
PLAZA is my second novel. My first novel is titled FAST, and is here: http://tiny.cc/ahuucw
Thank you to my family.
With regards to this book’s cover art, thanks again to the artists who offer their work through public domain and creative commons agreements, allowing a layman like myself to build on what they have created.
Special thanks to Alexander Ovchinnikov, (Creative Director for Milk Creative Agency) for permitting me to freely use his evocative artwork on my copyright pages.
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