Raven's Key: A Novel

by Siomonn Pulla

  What a piece of work he was. I didn’t trust him from the moment I met him. Those shifty red eyes were nothing but trouble. I’m lucky that I got out of there alive and undamaged. I don’t like being hunted by cats.

  Apep assured Raven that he had a mole in Bast security that was going to give him secure access to the collections. Raven later learned that Felisia was sneakier than he gave her credit for. Getting in had been no problem, but getting the Isis knot out proved almost fatal. Luckily, Raven had a few tricks up his sleeve that even Bast couldn’t see coming.

  Compared to the Cairo museum, stealing the bone cylinder from the Dalai Lama’s old palace in Lhasa had been really easy.

  The Chinese guards at the Potala Palace were too interested in playing cards and smoking cigarettes to notice a bird flying in through one of the many windows of the vast building.

  Raven had a pretty good idea where the object was stored, but he didn’t realize how intricate the inside of the Palace was going to be.

  The bone cylinder was exactly where his client told him it would be – hidden in a small wooden box stashed in a secret compartment behind a seated Buddha statue in the Dalai Lama’s meditation quarters. He was just glad that the Chinese hadn’t found the object first. Going to Beijing would have been much more difficult and time consuming.

  Unfortunately, gaining access to the collections at the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Guatemala City wasn’t as easy as the Potala Palace. The arrogant, Harvard educated museum director made it virtually impossible to get special permission to enter into the collection. He had the museum under tight watch, afraid that some scholar was going to decode the secret Maya codex detailing the 2012 apocalypse that never happened before him.

  That meant Raven had to use other means to gain access to the collections and, after his experience in Cairo; he was determined to finish this job solo. Fortunately, the general lack of funds at the museum meant that the security system was still very low tech and Raven easily found his way in through the back door under the cover of darkness.

  The Mayan clay flute was the most non-descript of the three objects. At first Raven couldn’t believe his client had sent him all this way for a flute that could have just as easily been made in the streets of Mexico City by a meztizo peddler. After closer inspection, however, Raven could feel the energy pulsing off of the object. The energy was so loud, in fact, he was afraid it would be impossible to conceal the object and get out of the museum undetected. To his relief, he was able to sneak the object out of the museum and into the dark, humid night without any incident.

  After returning from Guatemala City, Raven was convinced that getting into the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s collections was going to be the easiest of the four jobs. The Canadians were polite and easy going. Always willing to accommodate you and not the least bit paranoid. Perhaps a bit too trustworthy, but Raven knew that was going to work in his favor.

  After an initial visit to the museum, Raven noted that there was strange energy interference around the building that made it virtually impossible to bend dimensionally into the collections. For this job he was going to have to enter as a human.

  He always enjoyed the opportunity to dress up as a man and manipulate the minds of people to do his bidding. His dual-identity was Dr Bran Corvus, a visiting professor of religious studies from the University of Dublin, currently on sabbatical with a large research grant to study the North American connection to pagan revivalism in Europe.

  Raven’s favorite costume was his jet-black suit of fine Irish wool, with a matching silk shirt, skinny tie, and black leather shoes, polished so perfectly that he could see his own face staring back at him.

  He made an appointment with the museum’s Curator of the eastern woodlands section to examine some rare and unpublished manuscripts relating to the fabled voyage of a 14th century Scottish Lord and his observations on the relationship between Indigenous traditions and Celtic pagan ceremonies in Europe.

  There were various theories floating around about Ojibwa petroglyphs that supposedly depicted a monk in a boat holding a cross. Some even believed that this monk was not in fact a monk, but one of the exiled Knights Templars, a secret society that traced its blood line back to the union of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. These stories suggested that this particular knight, dressed in the guise of a monk on a holy mission to save the Indians, came to North America to hide the Templar’s sacred texts and amassed fortune of gold and gems from the Papal storm that was brewing in Europe at the time.

  Stealing the pipe and medicine bag from the Canadian museum proved more challenging that he initially thought.

  Must’ve been the old man and his grandson. Their presence increased the energy security around the building. I have a feeling Felisia also had some stake in this one. She’s always been so good at tracking me.

  Raven landed with Iyash in the park across from the large Amar-Uutu Inc. office tower. After quickly shifting back into a man, he grabbed Iyash and dragged him across the street.

  “Now’s your chance to speak your mind directly to Marduk old man.” Raven led them into the atrium of the building. “I bet he’s gonna be happy to see you.”

  Chapter 28

  Maeve was surprise to see three more people standing at her front door.

  One looked like a younger version of the old man who had just rushed into her apartment. He was dressed in a dark suit and his long hair was pulled into two equal length braids that were with red ribbon. He had a big smile, and the kind of eyes that instantly reassured you and made you feel at ease.

  Behind him was a much shorter, and younger man, dressed in jeans and a thick wool coat. He had a black toque pulled tightly over his head and a bright tartan scarf tucked into the collar of his coat. A small bag was slung across his shoulder. There was aura of excitement around him that Maeve couldn’t quite place, but which felt contagious.

  Standing beside the young man was a tall woman with short hair and a deep Mediterranean complexion. Maeve could tell from the serious lines around her eyes, that this woman had a lot of life experience.

  She must be in her early forties. So serious. I bet she’s really super smart, and well off.

  Maeve noticed that the woman was wearing a really nice pair of Botticelli leather boots that matched her long cashmere coat. There was a sense a veiled reluctance to her as she stood outside of the door. Like she didn’t really want to be there. That she was tagging along because she had to.

  Maeve ushered the three of them inside her apartment and out of the cold.

  “I’m assuming you three are with the old man?”

  “Where did he go?” George looked down the dark hallway behind Maeve.

  “I think he must have disappeared down that dark hallway,” answered Paul. “But I don’t hear anything.”

  George rushed into the hallway after Iyash.

  “Can somebody explain what the hell is going on here?” Maeve was starting to fee angry and cold.

  “I suggest sitting down first before we explain anything to you,” said Susan. “It’s all a little unbelievable.”

  Noticing Maeve was shivering and only dressed in her pajamas, Paul offered her his coat. She took it eagerly and wrapped it tightly around herself.

  After a few minutes George emerged from the darkness, a look of concern on his face.

  “They’re both gone.”

  “Impossible.” Maeve couldn’t believe that the creep who broke into her apartment was able to get away so easily. “All the windows are closed and there’s only one door in this place.”

  Maeve could feel George’s gaze on her. Like he was seeing something that the rest of them couldn’t.

  “So you really don’t know what’s going on here do you?” George let out a long deep breath. “Nothing at all?”

  “I’m tired off all these questions,” blurted Maeve. “I’d like a few answered myself! Like who you all are and what you are doing here in my ap
artment. You just barge in here and then start asking me all these crazy questions. I’m tired, cold and a bit scared right now. So humor me. Who are you and why shouldn’t I be on the phone reporting you to the police?”

  “We’re after a shape shifting Raven who’s stealing sacred objects for an evil man who wants to control the world and enslave humanity.” Paul pointed to George. “This guy and the old man that disappeared work for an ancient council of elders and Sue and I have just somehow gotten messed up in this crazy adventure.”

  “I’ve suggested involving the authorities all along,” added Susan, “so I’d be happy if you called the police. It’d make things so much easier I think.”

  “Ok. Back up a little bit.” Maeve was trying to digest all this information. “You’re after a shape shifter? That’s pretty far fetched.”

  “I still don’t believe it either,” murmured Susan to herself.

  “He appears as a man to some, a bird to others. It depends on what kind of company he keeps and what he’s after,” added George. “In this case I think he showed himself to you as man. Probably tall dark and handsome.”

  “Try tall, dark and creepy.” Maeve shivered just thinking about how close her encounter with the Irish man had been. “So why are you after this guy again?”

  “He’s stolen some things that don’t belong to him and we’re trying to get them back,” answered George.

  “George’s grandfather here talked to some of your little friends out there by the river to find out where the objects were. We were hoping that if we caught him here that we’d be able to get the objects back and save the world.” Paul smiled at Maeve. ” All in a days work really.”

  “My little friends by the river? You mean those stoners I bumped into tonight?”

  “Is that what you call them? The little people of the non-human variety.” Paul looked over at George. “Right?”

  “They’re your protectors. They’re all around you,” added George. “Even when you don’t believe.”

  Maeve felt a shiver run up her spine.

  The glowing eyes, the feeling of being followed. They never meant me harm. They were looking out for me. That’s why they were there tonight following me.

  Maeve still couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “So why didn’t they protect me from that creep? Why didn’t they rush in here and surround me so he couldn’t touch me.”

  “Because you don’t believe in them,” repeated George. “Right now they just exist on the periphery of your life. You may catch a glimpse of them from time to time, or feel a tiny hint of magic touching you in the form of synchronicities, of opportunities appearing out of nowhere. Their strength comes from inside of you. Only when you make the conscious choice to accept them into your life can they really protect and guide you, which is their job.”

  “So what did Raven want from you?” asked Paul.

  “I don’t really know.” Maeve had been wondering the same thing. “At first he presented himself as a jewel merchant who wanted to buy an old antique necklace of mine. After I refused to sell it to him he asked me out on a date. After I turned him down, he showed up at this show I was at tonight and propositioned me. I refused. I guess he followed me home and broke in when I was in the bath. He seemed really interested in my family for some reason. I really thought he was going to hurt me.” Maeve could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes. “If you guys hadn’t shown up when you did, I don’t know what would have happened.”

  Maeve couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, the shock of the whole evening’s event was finally starting to wear off.

  “I’m glad we showed up when we did!” Paul put his hand on Maeve’s shoulder. “This Raven dude is proving to be a real big pain in the ass, and a dangerous one at that.”

  “So what is this necklace he was after?” asked George.

  “It’s a family heirloom. Passed down through the generations on my mother’s side. I was thinking about selling it. Money has been tight since I opened up my new store in the village. That Irish guy offered me a lot of cash for it. Said he was some professor from Ireland. But I just couldn’t sell it. It’s the only thing I have of my mom’s.”

  Maeve wiped her tears on the sleeve of Paul’s coat.

  “Can we see it,” asked George.

  “Sure. It’s in my room. I’ll go get it.”

  While Maeve was busy, Paul turned on some lights and they made themselves comfortable in the living room. After a few minutes Maeve returned, dressed in a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. The bright green emerald of the necklace she carried in her hands shimmered even in the dim light of the apartment.

  “Here it is.” Maeve handed the necklace to George. “My father told me it once belonged to my great-great grandmother who got it as a wedding present.”

  George took the necklace in his hand and examined it very carefully.

  “Wow, that’s one rare piece!” Susan couldn’t contain her excitement. She grabbed the necklace from George. Working in museums all her life had given her a very good eye for rare and unique objects. “I’ve never seen such a large triple serial triskele carved out of single emerald before! How much money did this guy offer you for it?”

  “A lot.” Maeve took a seat next to Paul. “But I somehow doubt he was ever going to pay up for it. This is the card he gave me” Maeve passed Susan the business card Raven had given her.

  As Susan read the card, she started to laugh.

  “I can’t believe this.” She handed the card to Paul. “Dr. Bran Corvus. This is the guy who came into the museum to look at the Sinclair manuscript this morning.”

  “So you know this creep,” Maeve was a bit shocked.

  “Sort of. I met him for the first time this morning,” recalled Susan. ” Just before George and Iyash showed up.”

  “How did he manage to get there before us,” asked George out loud to no one in particular.

  “Good timing, I guess,” answered Paul. “Maybe he has a crystal ball or something.”

  “I can’t believe I signed him into the Museum myself.” Susan was now really concerned about her role in the theft of the objects from the museum. “That makes me an accomplice. I could definitely lose my job over this.” Susan passed the necklace back to George. “What do you think George?”

  George took the necklace in both hands and closed his eyes.

  “This is very old and special.” George looked directly across at Maeve. “I’m very glad you didn’t sell this. But I can’t figure out why Raven would want it.”

  “Maybe he was just playing us,” suggested Paul.

  “Can I see the necklace again.”

  George passed it back to Susan, who inspected it carefully.

  “I can tell you that this piece is at least five hundred years old, probably older. The carving looks very similar to the Palmer emerald, which the Hudson Museum dates back to 250 B.C., plus or minus two hundred years. What’s so exciting about this piece is that we’ve always thought the Palmer emerald was the only carved gem of this sort dating back to pre-Columbian times.” Susan turned the emerald over in her hand a few more times. “There are stories that Cortez sent emeralds of this sort back to Europe during his brutal conquest of the Aztecs during the 17th century, but this is clearly a design of the Celtic period. Very curious.” Susan passed the necklace back to George. “I can see why somebody would want to steal this. It’s very unique and worth a lot of money.”

  “I think it’s time to consult the council, even if we don’t have the objects.” George looked at Maeve and then at Paul. “And there seems to be some new elements that need to be discussed.”

  “Like what happened to Iyash!” Paul reminded the rest of them that Iyash had disappeared along with Raven and the two objects that they were after. “We totally need to regroup and figure out our next steps.”

  “Paul has a good point,” added Susan. “We’ve come as far as we can. Raven’s covered his tracks and now we’ve lost the Elder in the g
roup and our opportunity to recover the two objects. This is getting way too serious for us to continue without contacting the authorities.”

  “What about Maeve,” said Paul. “Maybe this emerald is like a missing link that you two don’t know about. Maybe without it this evil dude can’t finalize his plans.”

  “The council never mentioned anything about the emerald or the girl,” replied George. “But it seems as though even she has a part to play in this.” George handed the necklace back to Maeve. “Ok. Lets go to the council. We’ve gone as far as we can go today.”

  “Great, I’ll go start the car.” Paul jumped up out of his seat.

  “Not so fast young man. This time we’re traveling by other means.” George dug into his bag and pulled out a large rattle. “Now, all of you close your eyes and focus on the sound of the rattle.”

  Chapter 29

  Detective Coon followed the signs on the highway towards Wakefield. After thirty minutes of driving he found himself in the little village along the Gatineau River surrounded by deep valleys and hills.

  Looks like It’s gonna be a green Christmas after all. I don’t mind it, sure makes driving around these parts a lot easier. It’s gonna be even greener in Mexico when I get down there.

  Coon pulled over, parked his car and punched the address Ginny had given him into his GPS. After a couple of seconds, the computer returned a detailed map showing his current location and directions to where he needed to go.

  That’s pretty simple, I should be there in five minutes. I sure hope this isn’t gonna end up being a waste of time. I could be home right now finishing up the last of the scotch and booking my ticket to Mexico.

  Coon drove down the main street towards his destination. There were a few people walking briskly down the street towards the bar on the corner, which seemed to be busy. Otherwise the village seemed quiet for a Thursday night.

  Geez, Maybe Wendy is right. I should sell the house in the city and move up here. Country life would do me well. Get a piece of land, some dogs, grow some vegetables. I think I’d really enjoy the pace of life up here.