reason enough, don’t you think? Israel is, after all, the Silicon Valley of the Middle East.’
‘And don’t forget the wealth of minerals to be mined around the Dead Sea, as well as the untapped oil reserves within Israel’s borders,’ Edie chipped in, her remarks leaving C?dmon unsure of whether or not she believed the apocalyptic tale. ‘Given that both Russia and Israel have nuclear weapons, the end result would be catastrophic.’
‘I must confess it’s not a totally improbable scenario, the Middle East being so volatile,’ C?dmon admitted in response to Edie’s last remark. ‘Although if that particular conflict ever came about, it would be started by man not God. The world’s thirst for oil is unquenchable and Russia is undoubtedly concerned that the US has secured a foothold in the Arab world. The Iron Curtain may be gone, but the rivalry lingers.’
‘The prophet Ezekiel describes the battle to come in clear, concise terms,’ MacFarlane said with a manic gleam in his eyes. ‘One has only to read the daily newspaper to know that the prophesied Battle of Gog and Magog can come at any time.’
‘I’m curious as to who you think will be the victor if this conflagration were to occur.’
‘Why Israel, of course. And that victory will assure Jews and Christians alike that God is still in their midst, as he was in the days of old, when he dwelt among them during the forty-year trek through the wilderness. With victory, a new temple will be erected in Jerusalem. Once it is constructed, the Ark of the Covenant will be restored to its rightful place.’
C?dmon glanced at the trio of men engaged in hauling the treasure out of the hole. Time was not on his and Edie’s side. And it was certainly against them if the excavation turned up anything other than the sought-after prize.
‘Why are you telling me all this? Aren’t you letting the cat out of the biblical bag?’
MacFarlane took a step in his direction, C?dmon surprised to see a look of entreaty on his face.
‘I have a reason for sharing the prophecy with you — I want you to join us in our holy cause. The Lord always has need of good, stalwart men ready to fight his battles.’
70
‘As with Paul on the road to Damascus, you have a chance to redeem yourself. Read the prophecies for yourself and you will see that I speak the truth.’
Astonished that the offer had even been made, C?dmon stood silent for several seconds. That is until cynicism got the better of him.
‘Ah, yes, “the sure word of prophecy”,’ he remarked drolly, quoting another Church father, St Peter.
‘I know you to be a man searching for meaning in his own life and in the world around him.’
‘While that may be true, I’m not a malleable soul ready to latch on to the first bloke who offers a readymade cure for life’s travails.’ He held MacFarlane at bay, knowing that if he committed too soon, he would show his hand.
‘Your words imply a deep-seated fear. I can take that fear from you.’ MacFarlane expansively gestured to the three men working industriously. ‘My Warriors of God know no fear.’
‘He’s feeding you a load,’ Edie exclaimed, grabbing C?dmon by the arm as though she feared he might step across the imaginary line that had been drawn between them and their nemesis. ‘I’ve read the Ezekiel prophecies, and do you know what I think? I think Ezekiel was a madman, a doomsday prophet who would have been on lithium and a very short leash had he lived in the twenty-first century. One of his so-called visions tells of how he came upon a pile of dry bones in the desert and breathed life into those same bones, creating a mighty army. Maybe I’m the crazy one here, but that sounds like the kind of delusional prophecy that would be spouted by some homeless guy pushing a shopping cart.’
Eyes narrowing, Stanford MacFarlane glared contemptuously at Edie.
Hoping to smooth the waters, C?dmon cleared his throat. ‘While I won’t go so far as to speculate on Ezekiel’s mental state, I know that many of the Old Testament authors wrote metaphorically, never intending their verses to be interpreted literally by later generations.’
‘This I know above all else,’ MacFarlane countered in an acid tone. ‘Not only will the divine revelation given to Ezekiel come to fruition, but the Battle of Gog and Magog
‘But why ask me to join you? It’s been years since I last stepped foot in a church.’
‘We can use a man with your specialized talents.’
Something in the offhand compliment gave C?dmon pause, leaving him with the distinct impression that MacFarlane knew about his time with MI5. His skills would be useful to a man like MacFarlane. Although he had a small army at his disposal, there was a world of difference between a soldier and a trained intelligence officer.
‘Very well. I would be happy to join you. However, there is a condition — you must free Miss —’
‘Don’t do it, C?dmon!’ Edie screeched.
‘— Miller. Needless to say, this is not negotiable,’ he added, hoping to check Stanford MacFarlane. And to check Edie as well. He glanced at her, word-lessly imploring her to keep quiet.
‘The woman knows too much. She can’t be trusted,’ the colonel replied.
‘I trust her implicitly. Is that not enough?’
‘She is a degenerate vessel, unworthy of your consideration. My offer does not include the woman.’ Visibly rigid with the force of his contempt, MacFarlane glared at Edie. Loathing incarnate.
Caedmon reflected that throughout history men such as Stanford MacFarlane had repeatedly and passionately blamed women for the ills of the world. He’d always thought their hate stemmed from a deep-seated fear of woman’s innate wisdom. Knowing that such monsters by their very nature were devoid of mercy, he said, ‘Your offer puts me in mind of a medieval inquisitor attempting to convert a heretic. Regardless of whether or not the heretic repented, it usually ended badly. For the heretic, that is.’
‘I can see that your eyes are jaded. That you aren’t fit to gaze upon God’s glory.’ His contempt mutating into stern-faced rage, MacFarlane turned to his men. ‘Harliss, prepare the tabernacle!’
‘Yes, sir.’ Like a marionette on a string, Harliss unzipped one of the oversized equipment bags.
Unable to look Edie in the eye, mortified that he had failed to save her life, C?dmon was surprised when she leaned her head against his shoulder.
‘When the end comes, at least we’ll be together,’ she whispered.
‘Yes… we will be at that.’
‘Any idea what they’re up to?’ She jutted her chin at the folded stacks of material that Harliss had removed from the zippered bag.
‘A badger skin, a length of blue cloth and a tightly woven veil were traditionally wrapped around the Ark whenever it was in transit. I suspect the three layers created a primitive form of non-conducting insulation. Clearly, MacFarlane intends to play by the book.’
‘That being the good book, huh?’
‘Indeed. Although the scriptures have a way of becoming distorted beyond recognition when spouted by a man like MacFarlane.’
Curiosity overcoming his dread, C?dmon watched as the other two members of the trio finally dragged a large metal box out of the hole. A quick mental calculation proved that the box was large enough to house the Ark of the Covenant. As he’d done at the cloister, Braxton smashed the lock with a mighty swing of his pickaxe.
His movements slow and reverential, Stanford MacFarlane opened the lid.
Although he craned his neck, C?dmon could see nothing more than the dull glimmer of gold. A gold
