“I hope it’s not a snake…” Gideon mumbled as he reached his hand in. The hole was deep, deeper than the stone had been, and his arm disappeared to the elbow. He fumbled around, then came up with a metal tube the size of small telescope. Rei reached for it and started to open it.
“No! Not here, they’re coming! Put it in my backpack and let’s get out of here!” He turned so Rei could unzip the pack, and she buried it under all the food and supplies. Zipping it up, she got to her feet.
The two hurried back to the trail.
“We’re going to have to take that path the other guy was on… These guys won’t come that way, they’ll follow the official one. I hope.” Gideon said. He went as quietly as he could on the loose pebbles at the base of the rock face, Rei following behind. They could hear the men coming up the trail now, because they were using the chains to pull themselves along. The rattling rang out through the otherwise quiet day.
Gideon and Rei scooted along the secondary trail, crouching low and trying to take cover behind the inadequate scrub marking the very top of the path. As they went farther, smaller trees and shrubs provided more cover, but there were sheer drops off to the side, and the path was very narrow and steep. Adrenaline kept them going, and they got to the fork and veered off to the left. Gideon started to run, looking back and gesturing to Rei. Hurry!
They could hear yelling by the black clad men, now at the top of the trail. Gideon hadn’t had time to replace the rock that had covered the hiding place, and it would be obvious to the monks that, not only had Gideon and Rei eluded them, they had found something. Gideon didn’t know if they’d seen the secondary trail—he and Rei wouldn’t have known about it had they not seen the man descending from the top earlier—but he didn’t wait around to find out. He stopped, grabbed Rei by the hand, and ran full out, dragging her behind him.
Fortunately it was all downhill. Unfortunately, it was rocky and steep and winding, and they were already tired from the hike up. Rei felt like she was disconnected from her legs, and her lungs had long ago given up getting sufficient oxygen. Her heart was pounding, and she couldn’t hear anything but its beat, and the sound of their footsteps pounding on the path. At least we haven’t been shot at, she thought, and then gave up thinking and just concentrated on not falling down. They reached the bottom of the path, and realized that it was too early and their taxi hadn’t returned. They stood, confounded, for several seconds, until the crashing of the men descending the mountain stirred them back to action. Gideon knew that, if the men had rounded the last bend, they could probably see them in the car park, and, if they had guns, would be able to use them soon. They had two options: first, they could follow Signal Hill Road to the right or to the left. If they went south and made it to the crossroads, they could take any of four roads that went off that intersection. But they would be on the roads, and there was no traffic at all that he could see. So the men could get in their black SUV and catch up to them in no time.
The other option was another secondary trail. Looking at the hasty map the concierge had drawn for them, they could go north on the secondary path, and that would fork two different times, giving them the option of going back up to the top of the trail head, west to Clifton Beaches, or either of two trails to continue north. Along the way there were patches of thicker trees, and he felt that they could hide more easily on any of these paths than on the road.
“This way!” he whispered, and led Rei north, along the trail. He knew she didn’t have much more energy left, but he had no idea what their alternative was. It was keep moving or get caught. All he knew was that he absolutely didn’t want to lose the clue.
Racing down the secondary trail, it was apparent that it wasn’t hiked nearly as often as the main trail up to Lions Head. This was good news in that it offered more cover. It was bad news because it was more difficult to have good footing as they plunged ahead. Gideon was trying to listen behind them to see if they were being followed, trying to keep Rei going and on her feet, and also trying to review the map of the trails to determine a course of action.
They were still heading north, running parallel to Signal Hill Road. There was a tree line in between, but if the men got in their SUV and followed the road they would be seen. Gideon felt it was imperative that they get away from the road, but he knew that the first fork wasn’t for quite some distance. They had gone uphill from the parking lot, so would be much less visible from anywhere but the top of the mountain, but the road was really bothering him. He decided that they needed to turn to the west, towards the beach. They would hit the first of the secondary trails eventually, or could keep heading west and hit the second one. Further still, they’d hit two roads and then the beach. Certainly some opportunity would present itself by then.
He veered sharply to the left, pulling Rei with him. “Come on!”
They plunged into the thick growth, and went ten yards or so before Rei stopped, bending over and gasping for breath.
“I’ve got to stop. I can’t breathe! And my heart is about to explode…” She had sweat dripping down her face, and her shirt was soaked through. She went down to her knees, head hanging.
“You ok? You don’t look so good.” Gideon asked.
Rei glared at him. “Uh, no. Not too good. Thanks for asking…”
He looked behind them anxiously, but didn’t hear anything. He quickly slipped off his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. He unscrewed the cap and handed it to her.
“Here. I think we can walk through these woods. In fact, we’ll be a lot quieter if we do. I don’t know how far we’ll have to go, but hopefully we can lose them in here.”
Rei gulped the water, then handed it back. “Walking I can do. I honestly just can’t run another step. Not right now. Now if they pull guns on us…ask me then.” She got to her feet.
They had crossed the first trail cautiously, but didn’t see anyone in either direction. Gideon knew that the terrain was going to start sloping down from there to the next trail if they stayed due west, so he turned to the southwest to stay on higher ground. They couldn’t see Lions Head, so he was counting on no one up there being able to see them. He could see the water occasionally between the trees, and he knew there were roads along the four Clifton Beaches. It was a week day, but maybe there were tourists, and the accompanying taxis, down there.
They crossed the second trail, and the land flattened out. In front of them was the water, and white beaches with big granite boulders. They risked a glance up on Lions Head, and saw a lone man in black, looking east over the parking lot. They kept moving toward the water, heads down.
They crossed the first road, and saw no traffic in either direction. Just a few feet further on was Victoria Road. They could see a few bathers on the beach, a few surfers out in the water. They slowed down and looked both ways. To the north, they saw cars parked along the side of the road, and turned right to make their way to them.
“Maybe there will be a cab,” Gideon said. Rei merely nodded, head down, close to exhaustion.
They walked a hundred yards to the cars. Most were empty, obviously belonging to the people on the beach, but the final car in the line was a cab. His “on duty” light was off, but the driver was sitting in the driver’s seat, reading a newspaper. The window was down, so Gideon leaned in.
“Hey! Can you give us a ride? We were up there,” he pointed up to Lions Head, “and got off the trail somehow. We’ve got a cab supposed to come back to the car park for us, but my wife isn’t gonna be able to make it. Can you just take us to the Mount Nelson Hotel?”
At the mention of the nice hotel, the driver perked up a bit. He looked at Rei and saw her bedraggled state and smiled. Tourists. “Sure, climb in. Do you want to go back to the parking lot and see if your cab is waiting?”
Rei and Gideon responded at the same time, “NO!”
The cab took off south down Victoria Road, and the couple collapsed against the back of the seat in relief.
Back at th
e Mount Nelson, the Quinns packed up all their belongings in record time. They’d tipped the cab driver very well, and told the front desk as they passed that they would be checking out. Something had come up, Gideon said to the front desk manager, and Mr. Xavier would be very pleased if they would email him the receipt for the room to the address on file.
“Of course, sir! We hope you have enjoyed your stay in Cape Town.” The young woman smiled at them.
“Oh yes, we hope to get back one day.” Rei smiled back but kept walking.
They gathered their bags, not waiting for the bellman, and went back through the lobby to the front drive. The valet whistled for a cab, and soon they were driving away from the lovely pink hotel.
“Where are we going?” Rei asked.
Gideon thought for a moment. He leaned forward to talk to the African who was driving. “Say, is there a hotel at the airport?”
The man shook his head. “Not really at the airport, sir…” He thought for a moment. “There is a nice hotel not very far from here, though. A Radisson. And they have a shuttle to the airport.”
“That will be fine. Thank you.”
The driver nodded his head. Tourists. He had always thought the Mount Nelson was a very nice hotel, but you never knew what went on, he supposed. He drove to the Radisson, and helped to unload the small bags. He received his generous tip with a smile, and thought, as he often had, that Americans were crazy.
Gideon checked them into the hotel on their personal credit card, afraid that the Xavier International accounts might be monitored. For all he knew, his personal ones were too, but he had no other option. He didn’t have a lot of cash in rand, and he knew that they had to produce their passports book a room in any event. Hopefully they would be able to decipher the clue—if this really was a clue—and make arrangements for the next location quickly. Until then, they absolutely needed food, water, baths and rest, and this was going to have to do.
Their room was spacious, on the top floor and facing the water. Rei didn’t go to the window as she usually did to check out the view. She collapsed on the bed.
“I have never been so exhausted in my life. I am pooped. Really. I don’t think I can even take a bath, I’m so tired.”
“I don’t know that I’ve ever known you to be too tired to take a bath!” Gideon leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“Tell me about it…” She closed her eyes, then suddenly sat up. “Oh my God! The clue! Tell me you still have the clue!”
Gideon reached over to the dresser and got his backpack. He patted it. “Right here.” He dug it out and laid it on the bed. Rei sat cross legged.
“Can you hand me my carry on bag?” When Gideon gave it to her she pulled out her notebook, then gently picked up the metal tube and looked at it. It was made of thin, hammered metal, about a foot long, and several inches in diameter, but not heavy. The top fitted on well, and there was a decaying leather strap that had sealed the top onto the base. When she began to untie the strap, it fell apart and dirt particles sprinkled the bed covers. She looked at Gideon, and then gently removed the top. She peered in, then tipped it over.
Onto her hand fell a rolled parchment, a scroll with a red blob of wax. On the wax was pressed a seal, which consisted of a simple solid cross topped with a crown. Rei used her fingernail to very gently pry off the wax seal, and set it on top of her notebook. Taking a deep breath, she gingerly unrolled the scroll.
The original vellum had been of very good quality, and Gideon thought that it was very lucky that Father Eduardo hadn’t used paper. Paper would have been a lot more readily available than an old fashioned vellum parchment, but the good priest apparently knew something about longevity, and sincerely wanted his treasure found. On the scroll was writing, a dull rust color, in the form of a letter, with calligraphic letters at the start of each paragraph.
“The ink had lead in it. That’s why it’s this rusty color. It was originally black… I can tell it’s in Portuguese, but the ink has migrated a bit so some of it’s fuzzy. Hang on.” She carefully put the wax seal on the bedside table and opened her notebook. She began to slowly write, four or five words, a pause. A few more words. Another pause. Gideon saw that she was deep in the translation, and he started taking off his filthy clothes.
“I’m going to take a quick shower. Let me know what it says when I get out.” Rei just flapped a hand in his direction and kept reading.
When Gideon returned to the bedroom, his wife was sitting back against a pile of pillows leaning against the headboard, eyes closed.
“Well? Did you figure it out?”
“I translated it… I’m not sure I figured it out. I’m going to have to do some internet research, but I am just brain dead. And I have a heck of a headache.” She handed the notebook to him, and slid off the bed. “I’m going to take that bath now, and a whole bunch of Advil. After that, I need to eat. I’m going to let this sit on the back burner for awhile, maybe even til morning. Then we’ll see where we get with a fresh mind.” She slowly walked to the bathroom, shedding her filthy clothes.
Gideon took her place among the pillows and read the translation of her letter.
Dear Son,
I am imagining that this letter is being read by my son, or his son’s son, and I am thankful that I have made it to this, my last planned stop on our journey back to Portugal. When I was in the Cape of Good Hope previously, I did not know that I would ever be anything but a Jesuit priest. I did not know that God would bless me with a treasure, a wife, and now a new life. It is my hope and prayer that this quest will bless you and our progeny in equal measure.
We have traveled far, and have met our enemy many times since leaving Goa. I do not know how they are able to determine where I am going, or if they are, rather, following me. All I know is that my Isabel and I have risked much, and I have despaired of being able to finish the task that I feel my God has put before me. I have been entrusted with both the letter that greatly disturbs my spirit, and with a treasure that I am unable to own. But I have been given all that I could ever require, and, I believe, the ability to grow that blessed seed into a treasure of my own. God alone knows when the Throne will be found, and by whom. I can only pray that it falls into the right hands, the hands of honorable men, and not the hands of those who have hounded me like ambassadors from hell.
My original journey took me from Lisbon, around Africa, and finally to Goa. My country has been great in these areas, and her Empire has spread, although now she faces many difficulties and perhaps her influence wanes. As always, I worry that my choices have not been correct, and that the clues that my Isabel and I have left will not remain for you to find. I can only go forward in hope…
From the Cape of Good Hope, I traveled around the Horn to the Land of the Good People. There my brothers had an outpost, although it was sadly abused by the time I arrived there. However, it was situated very well, beside a large rock, and its rear wall was built into that rock. It is my prayer that these will survive until God should bring you to the place.
May God give you wisdom and peace. In the name of our Almighty Lord, Jesus Christ.
Joao Xavier
X
Written in the year of our Lord 1688.
Gideon was flipping through the channels on the television, unhappy with the choices of football or an incomprehensible game show, when Rei emerged in a fluffy white robe and wet hair.
“The Land of the Good People? What the heck is that?”
She sat on the bed next to him. “No idea. And even though I don’t feel quite so much like road kill, my brain is still not working. You need to feed me. And put me to bed.” She winked at him.
“You’re not afraid of the bad men?” He pulled her close and kissed her.
“Not tonight…” She got up and rummaged through her suitcase. “But I am afraid of starving to death.”
They slept like the dead, putting all their trust in the multiple locks on the hotel door. They were too tired to do much els
e, anyway, and the wine and an after dinner scotch helped them unwind enough to sleep through the night. When the light began to come through the crack in the curtain, though, Rei’s first thought—after coffee—was the letter. She quietly got out of bed, not wanting to disturb Gideon until she had some information, and pulled on knit pants and a sweatshirt. She grabbed her laptop, the room key, and her notebook, and quietly snuck out of the room.
While she was having coffee and breakfast and surfing the web, she got a text message. “Where are you??” Gideon. She texted back, and finished off her orange juice. Five minutes later Gideon slipped into a chair.
“Sorry, didn’t want to wake you up. I think I’ve found our good people, though.”
Gideon signaled the waiter for coffee. “Oh yeah? Who are they?”
“Where. It’s what Vasco da Gama called Inhambane, Mozambique. The Land of the Good People.”
“Mozambique? Isn’t that…” He waved his hand vaguely northeast. “Up there somewhere. By Kenya or Tanzania or something?”
“Yep. Tanzania. I was worried about visas, but it looks like we can get them at the airport there… There’s not a whole lot of info online, though. They had some kind of uprising or war or something…”
“Of course they did,” Gideon interrupted. “It’s Africa.”
“Whatever. Anyway, tourism hasn’t really taken hold there. There’s not much information on things like historical landmarks and stuff. I think we’re gonna have to go and wing it.”
“Wing it?” Gideon asked.
“Yeah. Like, get there and say, ‘Can you tell me where there used to be a Jesuit outpost?’ Like that.” Rei licked her finger and pressed it onto a tiny piece of bacon.
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