He made an expansive gesture with his right hand, taking in the vast underground chamber in front of him. "Dr. Carter, welcome to the Cave of the Sacred Light. The Sanctuary of the Brotherhood of the Second Coming."
Tom marveled at the carved, vaulted ceiling high above him, supported by heavy rock pillars as thick as square oak trees. The golden glow came from countless candles burning on a narrow ledge, midway up the thirty-foot-high walls. Their flickering shafts of light danced over the chiseled surface of the red stone ceiling. Further light was supplied by gas lamps and torches placed in metal holders on each of the pillars. The sides of the hall were adorned with ancient-looking tapestries that billowed from iron rails like the sails of small ships. Each tapestry depicted religious scenes that appeared, to Tom, to come alive in the flickering candlelight.
At the far end of the hall was an altar, bedecked in a white cloth decorated with a blood-red cross. His eyes were drawn to the dazzling flame of unnaturally white light directly in front of it. The white flame appeared to issue from a hole in the rock floor, its dazzling light illuminating a large, sealed stone door on the wall behind the altar.
In the center of the chamber on the worn mosaic floor was a mighty table that matched the scale of the cavern. Bowls and platters of food sat on the thick, wood tabletop, which in turn rested on sturdy feet carved to resemble the clawed talons of an eagle. Around this table were six equally magnificent chairs. All were empty.
Even he could sense the power of this place and it made him feel uncomfortable. It was like a huge mausoleum, containing the sum of man's outdated beliefs.
"Welcome, Dr. Carter. We are glad you came." The man's strong voice took Tom by surprise. He had barely noticed the two figures standing beneath the pillars on the far side of the cavern, so dwarfed were they by their surroundings. The man who had addressed him was especially small, out of scale with the cavern.
"Dr. Carter," said Helix, "allow me to introduce Father Ezekiel De La Croix, Leader of the Brotherhood of the Second Coming, and Brother Bernard."
Ezekiel walked toward him. "I apologize for the manner in which you were brought here. But we have defended our privacy for two thousand years."
"I understand," said Tom. "As long as it means your invitation was genuine and my trip hasn't been wasted."
"I think I can assure you of that."
Tom couldn't place the man's accent--a strange blend of the Middle East and French. And as Ezekiel came closer, Carter noticed that although his mouth was smiling in greeting, his dark eyes studied him with intense scrutiny. The wizened man with silk-thin white hair was ancient, and Tom thought he couldn't be much taller than five six, almost a foot shorter than he was. Yet his presence was such that Tom knew his own height wouldn't intimidate him.
Ezekiel extended a thin, clawlike hand, and on his gnarled finger was a heavy metallic ring crowned with the largest ruby Tom had ever seen. He immediately recognized the cross-shaped mount from the wax seal on the envelope. When he took Ezekiel's hand in his, the skin felt scaly and desiccated. The man's face looked no different: tissue-thin parchment over bony features. Tom felt that if he rubbed it hard enough it would come away in his hands, revealing the skeleton beneath. Under the old man's dark suit and sash, Tom could tell Ezekiel's slight frame still exuded a sinewy strength. But the man's real power lay in his black, intelligent eyes. Ageless, they sparkled with an alert cunning. This was not a man to underestimate, or trust too readily.
"You've already met Brother Helix," said Ezekiel. "He is a scientist like yourself, Dr. Carter. He champions our Primary Imperative and keeps us abreast of developments." Ezekiel turned to the third man. "Brother Bernard here heads up our"--he paused as if searching for the correct phrase--"security arrangements."
Carter shook Brother Bernard by the hand. With wispy gray hair and a graying goatee, he looked older than Helix, probably in his seventies. He was a big man--six foot and fat. His mouth with its fleshy lower lip gave him the petulant look of a cruel schoolboy. Carter disliked him on sight.
"Who are you? And what is the Primary Imperative?" he asked.
Ezekiel flashed another of his mouth-only smiles. "All in good time, Dr. Carter, all in good time." He gestured to the magnificent table. "Come, let us discuss our marriage of resources. Our treasures of the past with your technology of the future."
Before Tom could ask him to explain further, the ancient man turned on surprisingly agile feet and walked with neat, deliberate steps to the table. "We have food and drink. You must be in need of refreshment after your long journey."
Tom did feel thirsty, and as Brother Helix ushered him to his seat he checked his watch. Almost three hours had elapsed since he'd landed in Tel Aviv. He wondered what time it would be in Boston and calculated that Holly would already be at school.
Ezekiel sat at the head of the table with the altar and dazzling white light behind him. The two Brothers sat on each side of him with Tom next to Helix. He noticed that they used just a fraction of the vast table, and could only guess at how many people it could accommodate--certainly three times the six chairs indicated.
"Please eat," said the old man, indicating the array of food and drink laid out before him.
The array was what Tom always imagined a medieval banquet to be. There were large pewter platters of dates, figs, pomegranates, and cheese; salvers piled high with lamb, steak, and chicken; and bowls of pickles and stuffed vine leaves. Next to the food, earthenware demijohns of water and wine sat beside elaborate goblets from another age. Helix lifted one of the wine demijohns and poured the dark, aromatic ruby liquid into Tom's goblet, while Brother Bernard moved the salvers of food closer. Despite his nervousness, the food made Tom realize he hadn't eaten for hours. Jack, the paranoid mother hen, had warned him not to touch anything. But given the welcome he'd received so far he could hardly see the danger. If these people meant to do him harm, then he was convinced they would have done so by now.
The acoustics of the place seemed to magnify Ezekiel's voice when he spoke again. "Since we invited you here, I think I should lead. While you refresh yourself I will tell you something about our organization. Then we will discuss the trade."
Tom nodded as if he had a choice and put the aromatic wine to his dry lips. The rich, heady liquid tasted oddly refreshing. As he tried to keep his mounting excitement in check, he realized he was beginning to enjoy this bizarre encounter.
Ezekiel De La Croix stood, his small frame casting a giant shadow on the nearest pillar, and studied his guest closely before he began. He was glad Dr. Carter had accepted their invitation and he couldn't help but be impressed by the man's demeanor. The scientist was so different from the brash iconoclast he had expected. To travel halfway around the world on the chance that complete strangers might have what he sought demonstrated how much he valued their relic. Ezekiel couldn't believe that his motives were purely commercial. The scientist already had more money than he could ever need. But whatever his reasons were, Dr. Carter's manner and dedication encouraged Ezekiel that he would be receptive to their trade.
"Let me start at the beginning," Ezekiel said. "Two thousand years ago, Lazarus--the man Christ brought back from the dead--witnessed the horror of Christ's crucifixion and vowed that the corrupt religions must never be allowed to commit the same crime again. The night after Golgotha, Lazarus had a dream, in which he saw this ancient cave and the light that burned here. The next day he led his followers to this sacred place--a place that would be forever safe from persecution. The Brotherhood of the Second Coming had one overarching aim: to wait and watch for when the Messiah came again, in order to identify and anoint him in the Sacred Flame. This simple goal--the so-called Primary Imperative--is what guides us still."
Ezekiel turned to the white flame. "That is the sacred light that gives this cavern its name. This is where the first meetings of the Brotherhood's Inner Circle took place and where they worshiped before the altar of the Sacred Fire."
Ezekiel looked b
ack to Carter, pleased to see he was listening intently. "In his dream Lazarus saw the flame change from a pure white to orange, when Christ died for our sins. But he was told that when the white flame returned so would the Messiah. The Sacred Fire has only burned white two times in two thousand years." He paused and moved over to the fire. "Once when Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth. And now. Today. For the last thirty-five years the New Messiah has been among us, and we must find him."
Carter gave an uneasy frown. "How do you know your Messiah walks the earth now? Couldn't the flame just be a coincidence? A geological shift, a different gas?"
"We know," said Ezekiel impatiently.
Carter picked at the plate of chicken. "And how do you intend to find this New Messiah of yours?"
"With your help, Dr. Carter."
He walked back to his seat and nodded to Brother Helix.
Taking his cue, Helix adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses and leaned his bald head toward Carter.
"We intend to find our Messiah through your Project Cana," he said.
"I don't understand."
"We've been watching you and your team. We know you've been trying to locate a sample of the Lord's DNA."
Carter said nothing.
Helix put his hands together, forming a steeple, and studied his fingernails. "Searching out the DNA of Christ seems an unusual pastime for an atheist. But perhaps your motives are commercial? Perhaps you believe you can extract some wonder drug from our Lord's genes? Now, that would be valuable--having the sole rights to a medicine that could cure everything."
Carter still said nothing.
Brother Bernard said, "But you've had no luck in finding an authentic sample, have you?"
The scientist calmly sipped at his wine. "No. That's why I'm here."
Bernard smiled his cruel smile. "First we would need access to your IGOR DNA database. The one you aren't meant to have."
"What do you want to access IGOR for?"
Ezekiel was as surprised as the other two brothers by the question. They had assumed that Dr. Carter must now know why they needed access to his database of over one hundred million people.
Brother Helix frowned. "Why, to find a match, of course."
Ezekiel could see the revelation dawn on Dr. Carter's face. It had clearly never occurred to him that someone alive today could possess Christ's divine genes. Carter said nothing for a while. He toyed with his wine goblet and appeared to think through the consequences. Then he frowned and asked Brother Helix, "Won't this new Messiah of yours know about his abilities by now? Wouldn't he have already come to your attention?"
Helix shook his head. "Not necessarily. He may have been aware of these gifts as a child but then 'learned' that he shouldn't be able to do the things he can. He might smother his unusual talent in order to conform. So he isn't seen as different from his friends. His gifts could then lie dormant perhaps forever."
Carter nodded thoughtfully.
"Or," continued Helix, "he might be unaware of his genetic ability. Simply not use it. After all, every ability needs to be developed through use and practice."
Carter shrugged. "It's possible."
A small pause and Ezekiel saw the two Brothers dart a quick look in his direction.
He cleared his throat. "So, Dr. Carter, if you had Christ's DNA, do you believe you could use your Genescope and IGOR to find us a match for our Messiah?"
There was a slight pause. "If one exists," said Carter. "And it's on the database, then yes. I suppose so."
Bernard and Helix both flashed Ezekiel a quick triumphant smile. Perhaps this unholy alliance could work.
"Dr. Carter, if we give you a genuine sample, then you must deliver your part of the bargain, and invest all your resources in a search for a match. If you don't, then we would be forced to... React." Ezekiel met the scientist's eye with his. It was imperative that Carter realize he would be punished if he reneged on their agreement.
Carter smiled. "Don't worry. I'm as interested in finding a match as you are. However, don't forget one small thing. We need an authentic sample. Without that, all this talk of a deal is just that. Talk."
Ezekiel paused momentarily and looked down at his hands and the ruby glowing like a hot coal on his gnarled finger. Now was the moment of truth. They'd come this far. "To the trade then," he said, getting to his feet once more.
He turned toward the altar. "Come, Dr. Carter. There's something I wish to show you."
Chapter Seventeen.
The Vault of Remembrance
Tom Carter followed Ezekiel De La Croix to the altar. His mind raced from what he'd just been told. That they'd discovered IGOR only confirmed what they'd told him on the invitation. But the idea that somebody alive could have the same genes as Christ was so simple, it was brilliant. It opened up a whole new avenue for helping Holly. Once DAN had analyzed Christ's genome, he could search any DNA database for a match of someone alive who carried the same set of genes.
He watched Ezekiel pass the white flame issuing from a leadlined hole in the floor and walk to a sealed door set flush into the stone wall behind the altar. To the left of the door was a waist-high wooden stake jutting out of the rock wall, a noose of rough hemp hanging from the end.
As Tom walked past he casually toyed with the noose with his hand.
"I suggest you don't touch that," said Ezekiel firmly.
Tom pulled his hand away. "Why? What is it?"
Ezekiel gave him a strange smile. "It's what you might call a final precaution. Please leave it." Then he bent down and pulled another wooden lever concealed in the floor behind the altar.
Tom heard a grating rumble as the sealed door slid to one side. There was just enough space to walk through in single file. Ezekiel pushed through and Tom waited for Helix and Bernard, but they didn't move. Clearly Ezekiel and he were going alone.
The air behind the door smelled different: mustier and much older. The small, featureless space was lit by two electric lamps powered by a small gas generator. He figured that this tall, shallow room had little oxygen. Then he saw another door in front and immediately realized that they weren't in a room at all, but a buffer area between the large cavern and whatever lay beyond the second door. Sure enough, Ezekiel turned and pulled another lever behind him, closing the door they'd just come through, sealing them in.
Tom watched the ancient Leader of the Brotherhood walk to the second door ahead of them and pull another lever. This door opened with a noise similar to the first, revealing an opening of inky darkness. Ezekiel disappeared into it, Tom heard the click of a switch, and the room was suddenly illuminated by bright light.
"This is our Vault of Remembrance," announced Ezekiel, without explanation.
Tom's first feeling when he recovered from the dazzle of the lights was disappointment. He hadn't expected to see a treasure of gold and precious stones, but even so, he had expected more than this. The unprepossessing room looked like a cross between a vast janitor's cupboard and a tiny, dusty museum. Long rickety shelves containing boxes, documents, and unusual artifacts lined the walls. Five ancient chests rested on the rough-hewn stone floor. And at the far end a rope ladder dangled from a narrow fissure in the rough ceiling. An almost indiscernible breeze came from the fissure and Tom assumed it would eventually lead all the way to the surface if you had the stamina or the motivation to climb it. Next to the rope ladder was a recess, no taller than three feet high, carved into the far wall. It was covered by a fabric screen. Nothing in the room looked valuable--not at first sight anyway.
Then he walked to one box and peered inside. He saw wellpreserved scrolls that must have been hundreds--per haps thousands--of years old, and ancient books written in languages he would never know. He looked down the shelf and vaguely recognized weapons and other artifacts that had long outlived the civilizations that fashioned them. He stood back and studied the small room with fresh eyes and felt the excitement return. Even with his untrained eye he could tell that the treasures in this time
capsule were not just valuable; they were priceless.
Tom was particularly drawn to one scroll resting on the edge of a stone ledge. Something about the faded script on the cracked parchment fascinated him. He leaned closer to study it, but made no move to touch the fragile document. He noticed Ezekiel watching him closely.
"That is the account of Lazarus's dream, written in his own hand," the old man explained. "It describes this place and the prophecy of the Sacred Flame--all recorded from his vision. It also lays down the objectives and laws of the Brotherhood, which have remained virtually unchanged for twenty centuries."
Tom nodded slowly, trying to take it all in, his eyes scanning the shelves until they alighted on a folded piece of threadbare cloth. It looked soiled and was covered loosely in a protective leather wrap.
Ezekiel, still studying him, asked, "Do you know what that is?"
He shook his head. But he was sure his father would know. Alex would give an arm to see just one of these treasures.
The old man's voice lowered in deference. "That is the shroud of our Lord."
Tom couldn't help it. Despite his atheism a shiver ran through him. "But I thought that was in Turin."
A dry, contemptuous laugh. "That is nothing but a circus hoax--to dupe the gullible and secure their allegiance--and money."
Tom said nothing. What could he say? For the first time in his life he was seeing what appeared to be evidence of a religion that he'd dismissed most of his life. The historical significance of the artifacts was undeniable, but he still remained unconvinced of their spiritual importance.
the Miracle Strain (aka The Messiah Code) (1997) Page 19
